Posts Tagged ‘indonesia’

The Gentlemen’s Wardrobe The first ever modern bespoke service has finally return in town

The first ever modern bespoke service has finally return in town. The Gentlemen’s Wardrobe (TGW) offers a bespoke shoes, that means a pair of shoes made based on your personal wishes (hence bespoke).

Needless to say, it’s handcrafted, using the finest material there is. Look no further, check out the tgwhouse.com for a pair that is uniquely yours.

That is the most common answer my friends gave me when I’m asking their opinion about a brown, usually in wingtip oxford or derby.

When they thing about classic shoes, they always think about wearing it to office, conference or wedding, and anytime they think about something slightly rendering toward and sign of formality, they think about black.

My say, black is overrated and brown is underrated. And then you will ask,”Care to explain why ?” I surely do.

My friends, we are living in Jakarta, on the beginning of the 21st century. Jakarta for one, is not the place for extreme tradition of sartorial perfection, in here you can go to most clubs wearing jeans, polo shirt and sneakers, and go to the office dresses in oversized shirts or ridiculously tight trousers. And if those perfunctory slack is acceptable than surely wearing a sharp, high quality brown leather shoes is acceptable too?

Let’s think about office function. Most of the Jakartans goes to the office with long sleeve shirts, dark colored trousers, few will have ties hanging , even fewer will go with French cuffs (mostly bankers or hustlers). Now check your wardrobe, and ask your self how many of your trousers are in grey, charcoal, and blue ? If the amount of is comparable with the black, congratulate your self, because you just found yourself a ticket to use your brown shoes to the office.

My good readers, the brown leather shoes, in any material (calf or suede) are excellent combination for any grey or dark blue trousers. It provides a harmonious combination, and a niche that is standing out from commonality. And truth to tell this is a perfectly acceptable combination for your office and business needs, and it works well with suit too. The brown semi brogue cap toe or wingtip oxford are several of the ideals.

If you are one of those posh who prefer to be draped in suit rather than batik for wedding invitation, try to opt for grey suit in any variation or navy blue, and then done your brown shoes, brown belt and if you have it a brown leather strapped watch. You’ll be surprise on how the color combination works, again any sign toward formality like monk-strap combinations, oxford and derby, will  provide a sound host.

What about batik ? Well in my humble opinion wearing a black trouser, black shoes with batik are dull. Next time try to opt of creamy colored batik instead of shining, silky like , dominant in black batik. And then try to use your grey-ish trousers instead of black, and then done any of your brown dress shoes (anything but moc style driving shoes), and then check yourself in the mirror. You’ll be amaze on how the color and pattern combination explode yet complementing each other, provide an elegant and exquisite look, and sublime level of confidence.

My bottom line remains, the black is overrated while the brown is underrated, as long as you have a brown leather belt, and neutral or brown wrist strapped, you have all the more reasons to wear brown.

Surely not, Zara is a full fledged fashion label producing hundreds of new line and model creating trends every seasons in and out. Muji ? Hardly, we usually go to Muji for all sort of needs, stationary, domestic needs, and other necessities. But one rarely go to Muji for fashion items, and deservedly so, because in terms of originality, Muji clothes are offering not much. So what the hell am I doing here, comparing Muji with Zara ?

Yesterday, just mere yesterday, I happened to visit one of the Muji store in Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta. It was casual visit, not a purposeful shopping. But what we’ve witnessed yesterday and what were eventually purchased were saying otherwise.

Look at the two short sleeve shirts that my friends finally acquired, one in pale navy blue, the other is light whitish grey, with linen like texture, both reasonably priced at IDR200k something (USD25), way cheaper than Zara, or G2000, except when both were in sale seasons, in which finding your size is an ultimate challenge.

The other tempting stock, is two button light brown sport jacket in cotton, cut slim and tight, with working cuff button, a detail usual found in bespoke or high street brand. Needless to say is the jacket will also work as a perfect combination for your linen like shirt, short or long sleeve alike, and this only comes with a price tag of IDR700k, way cheaper than any comparable items I found in Zara, or G2000.

If that is not enough, refer to a brown or navy blue lining less linen jacket, priced at IDR800k, roughly quarter of my bespoke navy blue linen jacket that takes 2 months to commission.

All I’m saying is, regardless what the store looks like and other products that are being sold in the same store, Muji clothes and dresses are worth to look, the materials are nice, and the detail and workmanship looks ok (haven’t got a chance to have one my self). And much importantly, is affordable and not a cent overpriced.

If you think Zara is awesome, try Muji !!!

This is very quick, short, and yet a very pleasant news indeed.  Mario Minardi custom made shows is now available under TGW brand and it takes approx. 1 month for each order to complete, and each pair will be accompanied by  fabrique shoe bag and wooden shoe tree. For an appointment and queries, kindly direct your email through tgw@tgwhouse.com.

Understandably the price tag might be slightly over your average shoes, but in my opinion, this is one kind of investment that worth every penny. And those who understand sartorial necessities, will acknowledge that the price tag is nothing if compared to the comfort and benefit that you will experienced in a long term as a proud owner of the custom made shoes.

Needless to say, this is an opportunity for us who lives in Jakarta, and Indonesia to experience a quality workmanship that our counterparts in developed countries has experienced with only fraction of price.

One month, two weeks, and one day has passed ever since I’ve got my feet measured at Mario Minardi. One and a half month, is nowhere near the instant satisfaction that you get when you acquired your shoes on the shoe store. But it is also nowhere near the amount of time that you need to wait when  you order your shoes from the famous Graziano & Girling.

One thing that I can tell you my dear readers, that every single day, hour and minutes that passed, it  was all paid off, when I laid my sight on the new black caped toe oxford that is neatly packed in the printed carton box.

To say the shoes are good is gross understatement. They are gorgeous, elegant, almost as  perfect as the picture I have in my imagination, on every single aspects. The best of all, it fits me very well, and it feels, really, really, really good.

It was a really strange feeling, when I slid my feet in it, tied the laces and felt the leather draped around my skin. It is even stranger feeling, when I started to  walk, and heard the crisp tapping sound of the heels, and felt the my muscles stretched but very well accommodated on the roomy space of the shoes.  This becoming more eventual, as I started navigating my office, moving from one point to another, one surface to another, I almost felt that I wear one size too big, because frankly, I didn’t not feel any pressure, tediousness, and slightest pressure on any part of my foot. But the truth its not, the shoes were made based on my size, the length and the wide, and the height was not drastically different then those that I got off the rack. But the difference persist, that’s because for the first time in my life, I owned shoes that understand my left side as much as it understand my right side. Needless to say, this feeling is addictive.

The visual look of the shoes is even more riveting. The shape are gorgeous, the lines that flows from the heel to toe bend flawlessly, highlighting the shape of your feet and give that expensive look that many of the more expensive brand offered. The stitches are clean and neat, it flowed naturally, shaping and accentuating the contour of the foot rather nicely. The leather are supple and soft, and the inner leather lining, gives extra comfortable and sense of fit that feels very pleasant. The finishing is excellent, the darkish embossing on the sole gives an aura of exclusivity and personality that some other brand just don’t have. Even if you spent hours looking at it, without really close observation, you can and may not be able to differentiate it with USD500 shoes that carried designed label.

This is the  shoes that are made especially for me, it may be made locally, in the grim factory that hide in between of Jakarta’s sky scrappers. It also may not deserved to be called bespoke, it is a made to measure at the best. But the details, quality and aura that it presents are something that is  more than 99% of the shoes that walking around Jakarta’s surfaces difficult to match.

This is one of the shoes that can match a gentlemen breed. Too bad, at least for now, I’m the only customer who experienced the true potential and quality that Mario Minardi can unleashed.

A shot of my shoes can be observed here