Be "franc" with me, Franc!

Like others, I am a big fan of IKEA. Sometimes taking a stroll just to visit IKEA store relaxes me especially seeing those earth-colored furnitures, interesting lamps, and little home stuffs - all reasonably priced. The food is absolutely ( I must emphasize - absolutely)a good reason too to visit IKEA store once in a while. Among my favorites are meatballs and baked salmon.  I think IKEA designs are clear manifestation of Swedish design philosophy, that is practical and not intimidating. This philosophy applies to food as well.:-)

I was in the mall one weekend when people started to crowd outside Francfranc store. This new interior accessories store is like visiting IKEA but with more daring, fun and playful designs and this time, inspired by Japanese design philosophy. 

Franfranc store is set to be the newest and largest lifestyle and retail destination occupying almost 20,000 square feet. 

There are few pieces that clearly create a design statement.

I wonder what is the practical use of this piece but the small LED lights creates a very sensational backdrop. 

Boots and more

This time, I went to check the Zara clearance sale hoping to find a nice winter coat for my brother. I received a warm welcome with these great bargains!

I found a weekend canvas tote from this pile. In the end, my eye boldly told my mind not to buy it because I realized that the top handle starts to break loose.:-(

The Homestead Hotel Bill Holder

I am not a fan of Wimbledon and hardly I can make a quick dash across the lawn to finally make that remarkable smash intimidating enough to decompose the opponent across the green lawn. 

Despite the sad truth, I am still attracted to tennis sports itself. I was browsing Park & Bond  for shoes until this bill holder put so much impression on me. 

This is made of fine-grain calfskin leather. 

Other than sushi

Sunday afternoon would be just perfect for an "authentic" Japanese food. This time, we tried eating at Tonkichi Japanese Restaurant. Tonkichi Restaurant mainly offers "Tonkatsu" (Ton=pork; Katsu=cutlet). 

Set me FREE!

I was contemplating whether to get a new pair of trainers or running shoes lately to sort of replace my existing ones which did me better service for the past three years. Almost two weeks ago while I was at the gym, my feet while "smoothly" striding (as if)  in a Technogym tread mill, I felt that my gym shoes had lost its cushioning and maybe its time to get a new pair.  

During my most recent visit with my cardiologist for a follow-up review, he strongly advised in a fatherly-fashion tone that I have to be more conscientious on my exercise habits and get rid of the "stubborn" inside me and its best friend - "stubborn fats", so I have decided to be a little bit more competitive than the usual constantly reminding myself that an extra mile won't hurt - actually, it did hurt the day after (of course the disclaimer is not part of the usual sayings):-) 

Croissant, Noodles anyone?

Who would have thought that now we can enjoy croissant and noodles not with a hot coffee or chopsticks for that matter but in a totally different way. Kenneath Cobonpue, a world-class furniture designer and a product of the famous Pratt Institute of New York, made his iconic impression in the interior design world with his fascinating yet practical interior pieces landing him numerous awards and accolades. 

This is the Croissant sofa. One of Kenneath Cobonpue's notable pieces and an all time favorite among Hollywood stars that graced numerous design covers. I think I saw this piece in one of the film sets too. 

Summer Zip Code - 83 990

I was roaming around the mall when this seemingly neat store displays distinctively and attractively summer wear for men. The store's name reads "Tenue de Plage". I am initially quite hesitant to get in the store for the very reason that I still have a very steep uphill climb in losing more pounds.  I never trusted swimming trunks to turn my not-so-gorgeous (yet) and pillow-like bod into a summer bod with perfect washboard abs! Bitter as it sounds, I still went ahead inside. Right before I have decided to pass this store, I already saw my mom inside. LOL

My limited knowledge of langue française sort of induced me to check the store for the sake of asking what does the store's name actually means. Obviously, "Tenue de Plage" basically means beach wear. I guess I should have relied on my instincts as the store practically displays swim wear ONLY :-)

These summer trunks look like "skittles" in my eyes. 

Sophisticated, gentlemanly, and sensual

Wearing something classy is even and deeper felt whenever it is being complimented with a sophisticated, gentlemanly and sporty scent. I recently sampled the new Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau de Toilette (EDT), concentrated and spray.  

The lightsome and sporty scent of this perfume really attracted me to get this. Please forgive the dust!  

Perfectly hidden

Have you ever experienced waking up in the morning and your facial skin looks so dull with gray complexion as you see yourself in the mirror? Have you ever envied your girlfriend or girl friend for being able to sort of outsmart their facial skin tantrums? 

If you have experienced these two, then its about time to do what women do: cheat (of course in a good sense).

I have been seeing lots of positive reviews online about this guy's new bestfriend: per-fekt (take note of the"k") Skin Perfection Gel. Some men's magazines and online sites have featured this concealer product. 

A skin perfector that instantly "per-fekts" the appearance of the skin.  This concealer offers to "per-fekt" redness, enlarged pores, fine lines and shine. 

Bag 2 Bag

A lot of men's bags that really strikes the most do hit the wallet really the hardest. A good style impression does not come cheap as others would say. The costlier bags are justified because of the acclaimed materials used matched with detailed craftmanship, not to mention its place of manufacture. Undeniably, major Italian leather house-made bags really make it on top of price-o-meter:-) 

Nevertheless, other bags do offer these same attributes at a much reasonable retail price - plus occasional sale discounts on them too!

This is Alpha Brief Case by Salvatore Ferragamo. What makes this brief case extraordinary is the textured hand wash leather for premiere luxury. 

Flash your flask!

I hardly see hip flasks as a leading accessory nowadays. Last time I saw someone drinking from it was in a similar "wild wild west movie", if not in one of the episodes of Downton Abbey TV Series perhaps. 

Jack Spade came up with its own hip flask, noticeable in the eyes. I can imagine myself pulling this flask from my pocket or bag causing stares of amusement from others, likely in one of the people packed Starbucks cafe:-)  

Once in a while, it is interesting to see accessories from earlier generations being immortalized.

This metallic stainless steel hip flask wrapped in smooth  cowhide truly stands out! the monogram adds to its edgy feel.

I want to wear my uniform!

Undoubtedly, one of the simplest and safest way to accessorize a man's look is by having a wrist clock aka watch. I am an avid fan of watches like most men do. As others would say, "never judge a man by his neck tie, judge him by his watch instead" (By Anonymous aka me! LOL)

Of course, the most notable swiss watches do not come easy on the pockets and more often belong to haute horlogerie. This does not imply, however, that decent dress watches that are reasonably priced won't earn you respect on your special date or coveted job interview. Among the watch brands rising to prominence is UniformWares. 

Stylish Ugly Duckling

I am always in love whenever rain

starts to pour from the "dark velvet sky". As it has been raining quite often recently, one better way to combat those rainy day blues is by being geared up with an umbrella.  Like most of us, I hate carrying an umbrella stick as it hardly fits my bag save for few occasions when I find comfort in having a ready weapon in my hand from any street assaults, and this includes possible attacks from neighborhood dogs. Oftentimes, I tend to misplace my umbrella despite the size!   

Of course,  the weather expert convinced me otherwise.  Burberry Weather Accessories for Men launched these striking walking umbrellas to welcome the heavy down pour from the heavens:-) 

Welcome to His Wardrobe Upside Down

This sort of web wardrobe has features on men's fashion, interior design, health and wellness, books, arts, reviews, food, music, travel, lifestyle and stocked up with anything in between! This web wardrobe is "made" in the Red Dot!

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