It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a good pair of cufflinks. That's my belief at least, no offense to Jane Austen. So it's been the practice in my household to always keep a few pairs of cute but classy cufflinks lying around the house (new, of course) in case any gentleman's birthday catches me by surprise. I used to stock ties, but it's hard to find ties that really have great personality (I think the unworn Winnie the Pooh tie I bought my brother one year taught me a lesson about tie-buying). Cufflinks are a small enough detail that you can get really funky without deterring professionals from incorporating them into the work wardrobe. The styles in Hong Kong tend to be pretty vanilla, though... I usually gift Shanghai Tang ones; they're kitschy and colourful and reasonably priced, but Etsy is a great place to look as well, especially for something cool and vintage-y... where else will you find cufflinks emblazoned with drawings of an anatomically correct heart?

After the cut, we'll introduce you to 10 more options for every guy in your life.

For the karaoke nut, these microphones will act as power-ups, pumping him up and getting him into the groove before the next big "K" session.


For the lit nerd, these whale tails conjure up visions of Moby Dick defying Captain Ahab. Oh, snap, look who took Great American Literature? (And audited Literature by Women -- see first sentence.)


Alternatively, these dictionary-definition cufflinks will please the wordsmiths who subscribe to a more pacifist philosophy... Thomas More fans, perhaps? Or perhaps even, to stretch things a bit, Tolstoy diehards (they may not be as ubiquitous as Twihards but I'm sure they're out there somewhere.)


I don't know exactly what a bike ninja is, but I'm sure some comic fanboy would fall for these... Me, I just like the term.


Okay on a more serious note, I'm totally ordering these for my own snuggle-bunny. That's not a term I usually use to describe my better half (usually I use such terms of endearment as "stupid-face" or "drunk ass") but you can't really write on the blog that "I'm totally ordering these for my drunk-ass stupid face". But I do and will love my stupid-face snuggle-bunny forever, so these cufflinks need to be displayed on the sleeve as a warning sign to other girls who might potentially try to muscle in on my property. It's a tactic you should try too -- gift for your man, woman-repellent for you.


GEEK ALERT. For the computer nerd in your life. Not that a computer nerd would WANT a n00b sign, or a n00b would understand the true significance and geeky glory of having the n00b label. Irony, eh?


Say you know a Ross Geller, or someone kind of like the character Raymond Lam plays in TVB's Mysteries of Love, which sadly ended its run last week...


And say you know Andrew Hsu... you could buy these cufflinks (which I initially though would be customizable to your own initials but apparently are only available in A and H...)(Oh I made a pun! And totally unintentionally, for once.) Andrew, I know you're looking at this, I totally get to punch you.



When in doubt, I suppose, a handlebar moustache is the one-size-fits-all gift. Nothing more chic than a handlebar moustache, as I established last year in this post. In fact, these cufflinks and that necklace in tandem would be PERFFF.


Get them all at The Cufflink Maker.

This is purely a gratuitous post because a) who says no to eye candy b) Cristiano Ronaldo finally broke his two-year streak of not scoring for his nation in a competitive match since the 2008 European Championship c) I know this post is a day late as the match (7-0!!) was on Monday night but we schedule our posts so therefore you'll just have to deal with it. Oh and these are Armani ads for those who care. Much like these other Ronaldo for Armani ads.

One for the boys... If it's black tie you're doing, and a regular black bow tie just ain't snazzy enough, but you don't want to be a clone of the 398457 "hip" guys sporting a skinny black necktie... consider going ceramic. Consider going blingy. Consider going paint splattered. Consider going Cor Sine Labe Doli, at Harvey Nichols for HK$1600.

Back in the day when this blog was just starting off, one of the very first posts I wrote was how adidas sent over a press release about something that I didn’t quite care about but because they put David Beckham upfront, I decided to read the release. This time around, over a year later, they’ve done the same thing but with the “hunky, handsome and sports enthusiast” (their words not mine.) Daniel Wu. I guess his marriage to Lisa S has not caused as much a ruckus as say Ronald Cheng and Charlene Choi. But then again, he did admit to it a month afterwards not four years later and during a divorce. Anyway I digress. Adidas has obviously discovered the effectiveness of sending hunky images out as the release pretty much focuses on him and the ad campaign he is doing for adidas. See more images after the cut as well as some choice quotes from the release.


Key quotes
“The ad showing Daniel in various training poses does not only demonstrate the vitality of sports, but also showcases Daniel’s sporting prowess.”

“Using “I Train…Become Better” as the theme, the new adidas advertising campaign features the hunky, handsome and sports enthusiast Daniel Wu who is a perfect fit for this role.”

Oh and if you cared about the products, they are the new Clima365 Spring/Summer collection which features the Clima365 Novo Sleeveless Tee, 3-Stripes Polo, 3-Stripes Short Sleeves Tee and the new Zeitfrei Footwear. The Combat collection, specifically designed for boxing practice, features the Combat V-necked Tee and Knit Short to create an aggressive and combative look. And the new Training collection which is designed for daily fitness and leisure activities and showcases hooded windbreakers, graphic tees, sports tops, 3/4 cropped pants and the EQTN (Equation) footwear.

Rarely do I turn to local celebrities for styling inspiration, but while I was cleaning my desk and figuring out what was actually on the 300 CD-ROMs stacked around the place, I came across Wyman Wong at a Versace dinner wearing a rather subdued ensemble (by Hong Kong standards) of a typical tuxedo, turned tough with super studded loafers and a series of chunky metal chains that act as a cummerbund (you may need to click the image to see it closer). Love it when classic meets gangster, and this look goes perfectly with the image of him in First Love Unlimited (aka 初戀無限Touch) threatening the other boy in the park: "lei la salle?" Maybe that's an esoteric reference that only teens of the '90s will get, but the look, I suppose, is universal.

These perfectly fitted pants by Isabel Mastache hit a little too close to home... Hilarious.

Okay now there's actually a fashion-related angle to this whole Robert Downey Jr gushfest, courtesy of Cole Haan. You don't hear that brand name mentioned too often in relation to the red carpet, probably because Cole Haan is known more for comfortable basic shoes you wear to the office if you have to take the MTR. They're comfy but not the sexiest thing you've owned, by far. Surprisingly, Cole Haan made an appearance at the Golden Globes, and beyond that, made a pretty loud statement when it came to Monsieur Downey Jr, who wore a pair of combat-boot-inspired dress shoes to pick up his award for Best Actor in Sherlock Holmes.

The gents I've seen in formal attire tend to default to shiny oxford wingtip type shoes, so it's refreshing to see RDJ rough it up a bit in accordance with his personal style. From the full-length shot, he seems no different from any oxford-sporting male, but I bet when he sat down that boot collar peeked right out of the bottom of his pant leg. (Well, that is, if he'd had his tux trousers properly hemmed.) Straight boys, take notes -- You can mix up your shoe choices beyond the typical black or brown lace-ups.

The particular shoe in question we are seeing on Mr Downey Jr is the Cole, Rood & Haan Bearcat Boot, which is part of Cole Haan's new handmade shoe line that's a bit more rough around the edges than the brand's regular fare, and is inspired by vintage designs (what isn't these days), in particular the "classic and dangerous leading men of the infamous Jazz revolution era," or so says the press release. The Bearcat retails for HK$4,150.

Here's a little eye candy for the girls to pick up their Monday blues. Cristiano Ronaldo in ads for Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans. Truth be told, I'm not much of a soccer fan except for the World Cup which has a particular place in my heart but who doesn't support hot sexy footballers in provocative ad campaigns? You know you want to click the read more link to see the rest!

I've been to the Levi's denim factory in China quite a few times and each time I leave impressed. The factory is such a large scale operation that it's mind boggling to see the thousands of workers who sit there each with their own minute task. While it may seem that each pair of jeans are identically produced by machinery, a large part of the process is actually hand done. Stonewashed jeans are literally created by having tons of factory workers rubbing rocks all over the jeans to create that textured effect. So I imagine, the workers had a bit of fun when Jean Paul Gaultier decided to do a crossover line with Levi's that is inspired by bondage and sex.

Jean Paul Gaultier men’s spring/summer 2010 collection reinvents the classic material denim and is part of an exclusive collection in collaboration with Levi's (whose 501's are a classic for a reason). Featuring ten styles, the end results are surprisingly wearable. Highlights of the collection include a classic denim jacket that is playfully reconstructed with frontal cut outs and straps to resemble a leather harness.

This limited edition will be available in stores in January 2010 for a select time only at Jean Paul Gauliter boutiques.

Shop Address:

254, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2918 0374

G08, Lee Gardens Two, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2915 6189

102, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Kowloon Tel: (852) 3586 9628

Men's fashion isn't our strong suit but I did learn a thing or two about pocket squares yesterday while accompanying my beloved to shop for a dapper suit accompaniment to sport at a wedding we're attending this weekend. Suit shops were at the top of the list for custom fabrics, but we also hit H&M, M&S and Tie Rack since they were all situated around the bustling Central district. We were told that the best selection is at Lane Crawford or Seibu, but alas, I was getting cranky from all the walking so we were restricted to the aforementioned stops alone. For monsieurs seeking that pitch-perfect match to their tie or bow-tie, the best bet is to have a tailor scrounge up fabric to match, but I convinced my man to go with a skinny black tie and a black-and-white polka-dotted silk number with a thick black border for that pseudo Comme Des Garcons look. If we'd had time or any sense of pre-planning (a refrain that seems constant), we would've looked online.

The next step, then, is figuring out the best way to showcase this silk specimen. This Sam Hober site features numerous ways to fold your pocket square, starting with one- to four-point variations, flat folds, puffy folds, crown shapes and more. There are, in total, 14 ways to fold your pocket square. Holy crap, and I thought women's convertible fashion was genius. It's a SQUARE, for crying out loud, and it's this versatile. Why doesn't every man own a pocket square? Anyway, below the cut you'll find some random options I came across, from loud and proud to staid and solid.






Belisi x 2, Gucci, Luigi Borelli Napoli, Givenchy, Gucci

Images: Belisi and Tiedeals.com

This one is for the boys. You know how pixelated images reminds us of old school video games and we all have fond memories of playing with the Nintendo growing up. Now we discovered that ThinkGeek has come up with a fabulous way to bring 80s chic back to the office with the 8-Bit tie. Isn’t that totally what Mario would have worn when he wedded Princess Peach? The tie is a clip-on because according to the guys at ThinkGeek, a real tie would end up creating a non 8-bit curved triangle knot at the top of the design and the 8-bit effect would be instantly lost. I love the jagged edges that emphasise the pixilation. Get your 8-bit tie from ThinkGeek for only US$14.99

It must be a week of randomness. Hot on the heels of the artificial beach that Times Square has erected, I now hear that Omega, of all brands, have launched a cologne. And apparently, the PRs had already envisioned my puzzlement as the header for the press release is “Omega and fragrance: anything in common?” They drone on about how both the watch and the fragrance conveys the personality of the wearer, is in direct contact with his skin, etc but my favourite has got to be that both the watch and fragrance has the Aqua Terra name. So what exactly does the cologne smell like, I hear you ask. Well the fragrance belongs to the woody aromatic family and has some citrus and herbs scent. Maybe I’m feeling hungry but the description sounds more like the preparation for a culinary dish than something I would want to smell on a guy.

PS. I apologise for the tiny tiny image but this is the best their PR could come up with