THE RETURN OF 90S GRUNGE STYLE

The 1990s grunge or alternative rock movement was the music of my generation. It is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the 1990s in the American state of Washington. The aesthetic is stripped-down compared to other forms of rock music, and many grunge musicians were noted for their unkempt appearances and rejection of theatrics. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, indie rock, and noise rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song dynamics, and apathetic or angst-filled lyrics.

Everyone knows that music and fashion have a major impact in redefining every generation. If you were a teen in the 90s like me, for sure you were a member of a grunge/alternative rock movement and helped catapult Kurt Cobain in godlike status (the lead singer of Nirvana, was an inspiration for the grunge look that made its entrance into mainstream fashion in the early 1990s.) You adore Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and never missed an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. You at least owned a flannel shirt and a pair of Doc Martens boots or what we called back then as DM's. During the 90s the music scene began to apply the "anything goes" fashion approach, any teen or even kid of that era will remember the influence of grunge.

While were reminiscing about the 1990s, style bloggers all over the net have already revived the 90s look with a massive shot of sex and glamour. Trendsetters and style innovators everywhere have been rocking everything from faded denim to chunky work boots. Undeniably,  the iconic grunge style of the 1990s is back with a vengeance! 

David Guison of DG MNL blog. Visit his blog click HERE.

Carlos Concepcion of The Kingdom of the C blog.  Visit his blog by clicking THIS.

Paul Dela Peret Jatayna of Paulhigness. Visit his blog, click HERE.

Gerald Diaz Perez of Gerd Perez blog. Click HERE to visit his blog.

Nineties nostalgia is booming, so just lie back and enjoy the ride. Learn to celebrate the past by representing pieces of our lives that meant something to us & focusing less on the unattractive aspects that occurred. It is therefore crucial that old mistakes are not revisited and old prejudices rekindled. Oh yes! Just like style and fashion of the 1990s it should always be remembered with equal measures of nostalgic joy and embarrassment.

MEET MY NEW LOVE

What's the big deal about boots? Damn! they're expensive, most look like they could take you up the north face of Mount Everest. Do you really need such an expensive item to start out? Well, I would say yes! Aside from the fact that they can last for a very long time, these bad boys are in vogue right now. You can put all the  blame on Balmain Menswear Collection Fall/Winter 2011. Which took military references as it's major theme and showcased their male models wearing rugged boots with their pants tucked into their socks.

Old pair of Couber.G boots.

If you have been reading my blog for quite some time now, you are fully aware of my obsession du jour, boots. A worn-out, distressed, rugged pair is what I'm searching for. We all do know that all-leather footwear will definitely require some break-in time to be more comfy and casual. So buying a new pair is totally out of the question. I have an old pair in the closet that I bought about 5 years ago, I still wear them occasionally. A living proof that they were made to last a lifetime (I hope.) But I'm still searching for something a little darker in hue and go a little too high on the ankle.

Newly bought pair of Caterpillar boots.

Finally, the search is over. This is the day I found my love -  a great pair of rugged boots at my local "thrift store" (unfortunately, I can't & must not tell you guys here where exactly is this store, but if you're in my city and really interested for cheap yet branded pair of "bad boys" just email me for the information.)  Caterpillar boots in deep brown for only Php 900.00, a great find indeed. Allelujah! The shoe-god heard my prayers.

KILLIN' IT WITH A BAND SHIRT

One of the perks of being a part of an institution is that you get invited to major events, no need for an invitation written on fancy paper / constant verbal reminder,  as well as the need to R.S.V.P... You're always expected to come. That Saturday night, in lieu of any actual social life of my own, I took part vicariously through my third organization's acquaintance party.

Three hours and two plates of beef mushroom later, I decided to call it a night. Sometimes oxfords, ties and dress trousers are just another Saturday night until you walk away and being given a real-life multiple choice question. A. Go home and get a good night's sleep, B. Go home, change and bar-hop with friends or C. Go home & be a couch potato.

They say every action has an equal reaction and once something is set in motion, it can't help but build momentum. Correct guess my dear friends, I've chosen item B and above was the complete look that I decided  to rock that night when me and my friends went bar hopping.

A CASUAL WHITE SNEAKER'S FRIDAY

Do you still remember your very first pair of white sneakers? Well I do! Us men enjoy their timeless classy quality. It's casual Friday at work again, so I took my trusty camera and took some shots of my colleagues &  student's white trainers (of course, mine included).

My ever dependable pair of Adidas Superstar  II

Mr. Mark Anthony Dalit's Pony Collegiate Whites

Mr. Norwin Balajadia Nicol's Marithe et Francois Girbaud pair

Mr. Kelvin Delazo's pair from Converse

Who would have thought these sneakers could take on a life of their own? From high tops to slip-ons are making a comeback like never before. Probably one of the most prominent styles on today's fashion scene is the plain white sneakers. Why you might ask? Simply because they are pretty flexible -  This kind of sneaker works perfectly with blue jeans or khakis and even look great with a pair of cargos. They can take you from the gym to a night out on the town, as long as you know how to wear them.

BOOTGASM

Boot-wearing season is in full swing here in Phili! Paired with the popularity of tucking of pant legs into your socks! The tucked-in look was prevalent last fall 2010 runways in the men's collections including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors, but trendy "Pinoys" been taking the style out onto the streets this current season. It's a trend I didn't think I would like, but I actually do. You may asked yourself this question: Why do people tuck in their socks into their pants? my simple answer to this: If it’s cool, it rules! Right now I am obsessing with this Timberland Men's 6-inch Waterproof Boot. 

Timberland makes great men’s boots that are nice enough to wear to work, but rugged and manly enough just in case you get caught in the elements. They use quality leathers and soles that will be durable enough for the toughest work you can muster. The beauty is that they still keep a style that’s all their own. Visit them by CLICKING HERE.

And, Ohh! before I totally forgot, if you're going to rock this trend, it's much more interesting to tuck when you wear men's tapered or slim-fit pants. With a pair of boots and the right color/print of socks, you instantly get that avant-garde look . That young, bold and blue-blooded prince, who's about to mount his noble steed and gallop through the steppes, searching for his destiny.

PHARRELL...THE STYLE ICON OF THE CURRENT GENERATION

“Fashion has to reflect who you are, what you feel at the moment, and where you’re going. It doesn’t have to be bright, doesn’t have to be loud. Just has to be you.”

-  Pharrell Williams

Meet the Man of Style.

Pharrell Williams (born April 5, 1973) or more commonly known as Pharrel is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer,  fashion designer and style icon. He created a fashion line in 2005 with Nigo  (a Japanese record producer and creator of the clothing line  A Bathing Ape), later he co-founded the clothing brand Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear. He has a store in New York City. In 2011, Pharrell  launch his cream liqueur, Qream with a Q. Cream liqueur strikes a new chord as it targets the female demographic with a touch of indulgence which, according to Pharrell, was missing in today's female drinks. Qream with a Q comes in two varieties, Strawberry Crème and Peach Crème.

Now lets talk about his style. 

Pharrell will never fall into the mold of the prototypical rap star uniform, he is a lot more casual in the way he dresses on a day to day basis. Through this, he redefine the style scene of the current generation. Evidently from the re-emergenge of the trucker hat, vintage graphic tees down to camouflage cargo shorts.That doesn’t mean he cannot do formal though. He can effortlessly transform his stylish self into a polished modern dandy with an edge, through bow ties, crispy shirts and velvet blazers. 

Just recently, Pharrell revealed his thoughts on style exclusively to GQ.com. Here's an excerpt from the interview.

My style hero was Batman. Now it's Tony Starks. 

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Sometimes what is bad taste now, three years later could be the most incredible thing ever. You just never know.

I like it when Prince William goes dandy. He's got all the proper wardrobe when they do the hunting thing. They kill that! I was inspired by a lot of Purdey - the Space Beach Cape in the new BBC A/W collection was Purdey mixed with a bit of Malcolm McClaren.

How did I dress well on a budget? I dressed completely ridiculously. We had this habit of wearing two pairs of socks. One we would wear normally, the other we would pull right over the ball of your foot. It would make your shoe puffy, which would make your foot appear smaller. We were just weirdos, man. I don't know what dimension that rolled out of.

Alber Elbaz is just a genius. He'll be in a dinner jacket and he doesn't care what time of day it is: I love that about him. He just marches to the beat of his own drum.

I love boat shoes, but I've got to let them go now. Don't you think? Dr. Martens are making a very interesting comeback. Good colours and a different silhouette. A lot of [high-end] shoes come across as "designer". It's anti-designer time.

If you look at Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, I've been inspired by archetypes. In the super hipster dance culture, there are things like these [picks up Ice Cream tracksuit trousers with popsicles on them]. Shay would never wear these - but they are so comfortable. I was making them so punks and hipsters could come and get some things too. Because we're not a punk or hipster brand. We did a lot of hipster things, but we moved on.

Nike is still killing it. I don't know what it is but there's something about the futuristic sneaker shape that kills it. I saw this kid wearing [purple and pink woven] Nike shoes downstairs and I was like, "What the hell is this?" Those were cold.

Marc Jacobs is the godfather. In no specific order, there's Karl [Lagerfeld], Junya Watanabe Rei from Comme Des Garcoms and Tommy Hilfiger is creeping up too - he has a nice couture line. Let's get Nigo in there as well! All of those guys are the kings of all kings. The fact I was able to meet those people and work with them was really cool.

Ralph Lauren Purple Label is incredible. That denim collection was crazy: they had overalls with a coal-mining type of look.  I'm for sure going to Ralph's restaurant in his Paris store.

Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons capture my imagination. Brian Donnelly [Kaws] is on the way. Lucien Pellat-Finet is a designer but he kills it.

I look at some clothes and say, "Never". But then I wake up one day and I'm wearing jeans that are tight as fuck. I remember having that conversation five years ago and saying, "Not me." Then two years years later all my jeans are super-slim. I felt crazy wearing bigger jeans. I give it two or three years but big jeans will come back. I don't know about people starting to wear them lower though - when things come back they come in a different incarnation which isn't the same cut.

I don't know about style mistakes. I like the world. I like the fact that some people dress great, some people dress fucked up. Here's how it works: everything everyone wore two or three years back are now no-nos. As the next year progresses, another year falls past. But you keep everything.

I love black tie. Getting dressed up, performing, wearing tuxes: I love that. When Shay cleans up, he's a sharp guy. [At this point Shay interjects: "Unfortunately, I don't. I went to the Met Ball in T-shirt and jeans."]

Steve McQueen is still my all-time favorite. Him and [Robert] Redford in Gatsby.

  

This guy really know what he's talking about. A true Icon of Style.