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Re barong fashion:

I like barongs better when it's not so see through, as I think the white undershirt makes for a weird shape under the long sleeves. I never really thought of wearing barongs outside of formal functions but after a quick search on the net I think it can be done? I think most of our reservations stem from growing up in a culture that considers it as something you only wear for super special occasions like weddings, inaugurals, the like.



This looks like what you have in mind, eskdc?

I think layering can modernize the barong and I agree with teck, the translucent quality of the shirt can be an interesting thing to play around with. Personally, I dont think using barongs as a layering piece is inappropriate because technically it's just a shirt, albeit mostly reserved for formal wear. Bowtie guy there in the back looks like he has a barong under the blazer and it's not a bad look, save for the bow tie. Lots of different options in that photo too.



The boots here are an unexpected choice here and without the silly accessories and switching the pants with a pair that's less office slacks-y I think it's a fresh take on the barong.



For womenswear, here's a Valentino look from a couple of years ago that heavily references the barong. I like this look a lot, with the smaller collar and the absence of buttons on the placket. I think it's easier to like because sheer materials are much more commonplace on female clothing and from an aesthetic point of view it's not very different from lace, a material heavily associated with femininity.

Great stuff! Didn't know C-T was full of Pinoys. I've been looking for barong pictures that actually rock the barong. Those are all certainly great looks, now I'm having to google up those sources. Apparently #2 , which might explain the accessories... She actually looks pretty cool in it. Pretty much what I was thinking though, but with much fuller and drapier pants.

I think the reservation with the barong is kinda like the Japanese with the kimono. It's so representative of our culture, that it cannot help but be a costume, so it's reserved for "special" occasions where we cannot distance ourselves from that identity (hence, political functions, weddings, etc.). I think that's why short sleeve barongs were introduced, to give the same aesthetic, but at the same time distancing itself from the cultural connotations. it's amazing, because for whatever reason, shortening the sleeves makes it look *so* much more natural in, say, a work environment, or out in the wild somewhere, as sort of a "smart casual" alternative to the barong. I can't really find pictures of it on the net anywhere that does it justice.

As for the layering, I dunno, those pictures don't really convince me that layering is really a good option with them. Maybe if they were a little less translucent, they'd make GREAT layering pieces. Also, I'm fully in support of long sleeved, high necked/collared under layers on barongs, but I do like them see through.

Anyway, I'm gonna go disappear into the bowels of the internet researching more into this. The material is actually fascinating (Pineapple and banana fibers? wow), as is the history.

Side note: Mandarin collars go a long way towards making them look ungrandpa-ish

hey i'm filipino too! I haven't seen any of my male relatives wear a Barong Tagalog in a looong time, but maybe it's because there haven't been any events for them to wear them to. I like the dresses that the women wear too, but I only see them at specifically Filipino events, like a festival or something.

excited to keep lifting weights.. not excited to grow out of clothes.

Filipinos - how would you feel if a non Filipino wore the Barong Tagalog as a fashion-y piece. We've talked about appropriation before, and I have mixed feelings on it. Just wondering. For what it's worth, I LOVE that it's translucent. Some of those runway shots make me think it would look great with stuff UNDER it, and if you made it a different color. Or made it very long.

Vans slip ons (white or blue)
Sand suede Clarks desert khans/jinks

Went to a locally owned fabric store with feminist last night. They had a ton of really cool fabrics, especially their suiting stuff. They also had these awesome japanese prints and some merino jersey material. Going there makes me want to drop everything and learn how to make clothes

At what point does a long tee become a dress?

I get queasy and antsy as fuck re: international shipments (even with EMS) as the transit tracking is always indefinite in comparison to domestic tracking which is more definite :/

these are patiently awaiting warm weather at home


versusvum christos

I guess I didn't mean inappropriate as in I'd get offended, but more that it looks weird in that context. Even a Filipino wearing it to the Golden Globes would look weird, unless he (or she, maybe) were specifically representing the culture. It's not that it's sacred, it's that its meaning, at least for me and many raised in the Philippines, is so closely intertwined with ethnic Filipino culture that we cannot help but see it as a costume. In fact the Wikipedia article states that it was adopted as formal wear by President Magsaysay specifically to evoke a sense of ethnic identity in the official business of the Philippines.It's not so much offensive as it is just generally being ignorant of the associations with wearing a barong

I do agree that there should be more of an effort to wear them casually because they're pretty baller pieces, but any attempt to do so would be difficult to do with the classical barong. It actually has many more casual variants that are easier to work into a normal casual wardrobe, but with none of the deliciousness of the dress barong. That being said though, it would be weird to see a barong in action anywhere outside of close proximity to Filipino culture.

I'm interested now in what other people have to say about use of cultural dress outside of the context of that culture itself. Perhaps this warrants a separate thread?

Hmmm.

I bought a pair of trousers back at the start of december along with some other things from this store. I decided to return the trousers as they didn't fit great, and posted them royal mail special delivery. Something bad happened somewhere 'cos royal mail said they delivered and left a card, but the store didn't go and pick them up.... so eventually (a month later) they were returned to me. I then had to post them back to the shop again, who received them.

BUT... i had mentioned being interested in a different pair of trousers in the sale, and without me really saying so they sent those out to me today. In an email they said something along the lines of that they would refund me the difference between the two pairs, but i just checked my bank and they have refunded me the original price for the first pair of trousers...that's it.

So now i'm not sure if they made a mistake or they actually ended up refunding me the whole thing 'cos of the hassle they caused. Should i just email them and ask? It might be a bit awkward for me to go through all this and for them to say they ended up refunding me the full anyway. And also a bit annoying if it turns out to be a mistake and i have to either pay them more cash back, or return the trousers they just sent me.

I can feel a no cop coming on... this is getting all too stressful for me.

If it's a cute indie store that you want to support call them up.

Otherwise i wouldn't worry.

Come join me and majak in no cop.

Clothes look so much cooler in person than on the internet.

I thought I was trying to be really careful so I don't get to this stage, but all I want to do is just wear a small section of my wardrobe all the time and throw everything else out. However, I know that I'm very capricious so my preferences could change at any time, so it's nice having all that stuff around, but at the same time, having them around makes me incredibly anxious for some reason. I'm thinking of boxing everything up into "capsule wardrobes" that I rotate through every now and then so I don't get overwhelmed. Would also make it easier to get rid of stuff en masse if I ever decide I don't actually want them

Strangely the same event in a store can seem stressful. I guess it's because you don't know if an online item is the last in stock or not.

Do you guys have any friends who copy what you wear? And how do you feel about it?

I have one who I met at college this semester. At first he was like 'lol why u cuff ur pants it doesn't look good' which obvi doesn't faze me at this point but then a week later he purchases the same basic hoodie as me. Then same shoes. Then the same pants. Then he starts copying how I style my stuff. Given, he has only copied my basics which aren't that uncommon for us on the internet, it is still very obvious to all the people who know us that we are starting to wear the same shit. I'm flattered that he thinks i dress cool but god if it isn't the most annoying shit ever..

please tell me if i am right or wrong for being annoyed

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. Just try and avoid wearing the same clothes the same day.

observation: unless, it's because i signed up for newsletters from more mainstream-ish bouqitues recently, anyone notice the more dramatic increase of Chinese New Years advertisement promotions via email? I haven't recalled seeing them before.

additionally, i was also casually browsing Selfridges and saw this, which if i were a super-baller I'd totally cop this: http://www.selfridges.com/en/Features-G ... A107CC023/ - p cool that western designers are allocating some appeasement for some chinese-centric design influences

hopefully more boutique-y shops will continue to target non-jap/kor asians (chinese) so they will be more aesthetically pleasing to the public eye. sooner or later, i'm going to feel fashion-intimidated by my fellow ethnic comrades. no longer we will be able to look down on the fobs lol

(is that how you tag someone?), that was a pretty sweet response. I can definitely see it being an insecurity thing because he definitely gets defensive when I call him out on it. Which honestly makes it a bit more annoying. I guess the annoyance comes from me having to purposefully wear stuff that I know he won't, I don't feel like I should have to be indirectly dressed by someone else. I'll give that book a look, also reminds me that college time is a good time to revisit How to Win Friends and Influence People.

@ the guy who asked, yes he cuffs his pants every day now. Is there a way to reply to rep comments? I'm so bad at forums :{

i see imitation as a great vehicle for growth. if used constructively, it can spur you to move beyond what is being duplicated. it helps you avoid stagnancy, encourages experimentality, and keeps things interesting. you have constructed the curve, now you need to keep ahead of yourself.

if you actually want to grow, that is. if you're happy with where you are style-wise, it shouldn't matter. as rjbman said, imitation sincerest form of flattery, etc. etc.