slow-burning

brian ferry for anaise

I often complain about the monotony of the weather here - tropical, humid, in varying degrees. But far removed as I am from anywhere with sharp seasonal swings, there are little variations, which bring on small changes in how I dress. For instance, in the hotter months of the year, I wear more dresses because covering my legs seem unbearable. And around this time of the year, when the rain and wind picks up (northeast monsoon hitting these parts), I start to yearn for a more tailored feel, specifically in the form of my one blazer - a simple grey jersey from Massimo Dutti I bought 4 or 5 years ago, I can't remember exactly. It has slim lapels, skinny sleeves, narrow and sharply tailored shoulders, and is cut long and lean. It's a formula that works best for me. Anything I've tried that deviates from this description never quite sits right.

For years, I've always found reasons not to buy blazers - most of it to do with the weather. It's pretty unrealistic to wear a jacket outdoors for most of the year, and my office isn't that formal. One jacket, albeit one that's starting to pill a little, seemed more than enough. Plus jackets are a bitch to launder - they almost always call for dry cleaning or at least very careful home-washing.

But I have realised that I reliably bring out my grey jacket for a few months every year without fail, which at least means it isn't a passing fancy. Of late, beautifully-cut blazers have caught my eye, enough for me to tentatively add "blazer" to my wishlist.

I've been eyeing Apiece Apart's Mariana blazer ever since I saw it pop up on a few online shops, in varying fabrics and colours - cream cotton, cranberry wool, black crepe. I love the notched collar and the way it pops naturally - classic with a subtle twist. I love the long, slim tailoring. I like it best in black wool twill (half cotton, half wool), as seen above. Alas, without feeling the fabric in person, wool-anything is a risk to order online; if it's too heavyweight it would be a white elephant in Singapore.

I've also admired J Crew's Ludlow jacket for women. But I hesitate because most of the nice-looking options come in wool, and I never seem to get J Crew sizing right. Moreover, I'm not convinced anything from J Crew is worth those prices. In any case, ordering something that needs to fit precisely over the Internet seems like a bad idea.

I'm still waiting for the one that makes my heart leap, without that little catch of hesitation. And enjoying my faithful old (well, not so old) thing in the meantime.

What's captured your imagination lately?