Dandy & Dapper
I saw some sunglasses the other day that reminded me of the ones I used to wear instead of ski goggles in the 1980s. Are they still sold in stores or am I going to have to dig through my parents' attic?
Mr Dandy: Ooh, vintage sunnies? Cool! You should totally look for your old pair. Good eye, by the way, you trendspotter, you. The hot Men's Alrick sunglasses from Paul Smith's autumn-winter 2011 collection offer the designer's contemporary interpretation of old aviator goggles, but they're sold out all over town. Good thing Hogan's come out with a similarly awesome design with side guards in chocolate brown or charcoal grey (HK$3,950; Pacific Place, Admiralty, tel: 2918 0181). I found some fabulously flamboyant choices by Chanel with quilted leather side shields adorned with its double C logo on each side (HK$6,200; Puyi Optical, Heritage 1881, 2A Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2631 1881), and in bedazzled mauve by Agent Provocateur (HK$4,040; Glasstique, Times Square, Causeway Bay, tel: 2506 1688).
Mr Dapper: Apart from the aviator shape, I do believe the style to which you are referring commonly has 'glacier' in its official name, ie, 'glacier goggles' or 'glacier glasses', obviously designed to protect the eyes from the glare of the sun bouncing off pristine snow. Do you intend to don them for winter sporting activities, or are you simply looking for a fashion accessory? The former is only slightly less ridiculous than the latter since eyewear has come along in leaps and bounds in the past few decades. If you simply want skiing sunglasses then most optical shops have a good selection of wraparound eyewear by the famous Oakley and Bolle brands (HK$1,190 and up; Sunglass Hut, IFC Mall, Central, tel: 2234 7717).
I like my girlfriend's blue and white striped sailor shirt and wondered what you thought of it for men?
Mr Dapper: You've got it mixed up. The horizontally striped Breton T-shirt was originally worn by men. In fact, in 1858, the French government decreed it as part of its navy's uniform. The pattern was meant to function as a lifesaver of sorts, making it easier to spot a man overboard. In the late 1930s, affluent seaside holidaymakers adopted the fashion, replete with beret, and cultural icons such as Coco Chanel, Pablo Picasso and Brigitte Bardot have all been pictured wearing it. Today, I'd say it's more of a basic than a trend. Call me boring, but I don't want to spend fashion prices on basic tees. That's why I'm going with H&M's long-sleeved tops in white with red or blue stripes on cotton jersey (HK$199; 68 Queen's Road Central, tel: 2110 9546), or the fine-knit cotton jumper with zip at the top (HK$299). Leave the beret for another ensemble.
Mr Dandy: Dapper, you ARE boring. I think our reader should spice it up with one of the many exciting twists on the stripy theme now in stores. I really like the painted-on effect of Edun's new fine cotton tee (HK$2,050; Harvey Nichols, The Landmark, Central, tel: 3695 3388). Hipsters will also love the ultra-thin, semi-opaque linen slub jersey tee from T by Alexander Wang (HK$1,000), the wide neckline, yellow, white and blue tee by Acne (HK$1,000), and the adventurous, sheer designs in white with blue or beige by Sacai (HK$3,300 and up; all at Lane Crawford, IFC Mall, tel: 2118 7777). Or hold the T-shirts till summer and instead go for a lightweight jumper or cardi. Check out the motifs such as coral at Dries Van Noten (HK$5,900; Lane Crawford), and studs or a skull appliqu?by Markus Lupfer (Harvey Nichols).
