metrokidde

our country's ancient yet ever struggling patriarchal society has remained formidable since the time of the natives. evidently seen in media, filipino men still hold on to that machismo attitude to keep a strong, vallant and handsome reputation. this has been exceptionally binding on filipino men's fashion. the norm for everyday style was set to shirts, jeans and slippers or shoes and all these in neutral, subtle and snobbish colors. but society's hold on filipinos' creative juices is not that tight after all. sometime, somehow, it has to flow and deviate from the rules of masculinity and make wayward pulses of color with a dash of flambouyancy.
the colonyal period has long ended but the westerners' influence on the world at large has not yet been lifted. for old europeans and americans, black, brown, navy blue and other dark hues are colors of masculinity. a misstep to yellow, baby blue, and especially pink is hazardous as they signify femininity, weakness and homosexuality. on the other hand, indians give high importance to pink; using it for the sultan's clothes.
as for filipinos, the barong tagalog is always partnered with shades of black, blue or brown. but the local culture had those few slips in history when loose trousers came in pink, magenta, marigold and royal blue stripes. and of course, there are the times of the 80s which is actually being reincarnated at the present. and who would forget the flower power era-- colored bellbottoms, shirts with bright patterns, and colorful vests and jackets. even floral patterns are part of the palette.
fastforward to the 20th century, filipinos now are becoming more experimental and daring with their choice of colors and patterns. the rainbow age was marked by the release of colored skinny jeans. filipinos embraced this fashion innovation and came out of penshoppe and bench with bags and bags of colorful skinnies. from then on, other colored pieces came out of their closets.
a few others that are now finally worn by filipino men are colored shoes (loafers, rubber shoes and sneakers), scarves, jackets, cardigans, shades and even bags. my favorite colorful items include a pink v-neck shirt from anthology, a mandarin collar voile shirt with inner mesh bib by joey samson, vintage shirts from artwork, and this ultra thin white shorts with red floral embroidery from philosophy. i apologize if i don't have photos to show. you can check out metro him, sport and style issue for pictures.
i must admit, i am still not that daring when it comes to mixing colors in an outfit. i am a demonic black lover. i still mind when people stare at me with there irritating and ignorant looks. but i do have some pieces that i am proud of.  i have this aqua baseball tee from topman which i got as a gift from a friend, a pair of red slim pants, yellow skinnies, red boat shoes, bright blue collared shirt from the little boys' section, graphic tees from artwork, pink floral shirt from somewhere, an olive green sweater with an elaborate collar, and other stuff. i am currently in search for a gold long sleeves shirt and a hot pink jacket.
a great example of a colorful man would be my chictopia friend, a certified fashionista, karl (inKarlcerating). i really love how he pulls together his unique pieces which i so wish i could have. my favorite is his pink cardigan from zara. it is such a luxurious item that i'm sure would brighten up any closet. the plaid shirt is ultimate as well. if only more people would dress up like karl, then this world would be a little bit happier (and beautiful of course).