The Corporate And The Casual

Atina Aquino

It’s nice to know that corporate attire could be comfortable on casual days. As for Atina Aquino’s case, she was wearing a beige Zara blazer, white basic top, black tailored slacks, a sturdy leather belt and a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo flats.

In 1837 the Commander of the frigate H. M. S. Blazer was told that England’s young queen, Victoria, would soon inspect his ship.  He took one look at the unsightly condition of his crew’s dress and decreed that they would get new uniforms.  He decided on a short jacket with Brass Royal Navy buttons.  There is a disagreement as to the color of those first Blazers.  In one account the jackets were striped navy and white, but another reports solid navy serge.   In either case, Victoria was so favorably impressed she required all the Queen’s sailors to be in similar uniform.

Another historical tale (opposed to the seafaring one) recounts that the oarsmen of the Lady Margaret Boat Club, St. John’s College at Cambridge University, first wore the Blazer.  The red striped sport coats on the crew seem to be “ablaze” on the water.

 And even another derivation may be from the 19^th Century British nobility’s practice of “emblazoning” their jackets with family, school and clubs coats of arms.

The theory that would be most suitable for Atina’s wear would be Trickle-Down theory since people take corporate attire seriously. Since Atina is one of the fashionable people who take work seriously and love what they wear at the same time, she manages to balance her work with the trend.

If I were a stylist and could re-vamp Atina’s outfit to the same corporate but relaxed look, I would have to use the same blazer, wear a high waist skirt that’s maybe on a brown shade to make a different look but still according to her lifestyle. 

Marc Agam

 

On the casual side, boat shoes are definitely a sure eye catcher, especially for men.

Boat shoes, also known as topsiders or deck shoes, were invented in the 30s by Paul Sperry. They are typically canvass or leather with soles made out of rubber to help sailors maintain their balance and poise on their boats. They were commonly used for sailing up until the 80s when they became a fashion trend mainly in the US and the UK.

Although the prepsters might say that they never went out of style, it has made a strong comeback in the year 2010 with a trendier approach.

I think boat shoes is at its Peak. It can be seen everywhere and on anyone just like Marc Agam. It can be worn casually and formally given that they're now more stylish than ever. I also think that they belong to the Trickle Down Theory for they came out with a high target market because of their prices which then gradually moved down to the lower social levels.

I would definitely sport this trend and mix it up with either rolled-up skinny jeans or cuffed shorts for a more modern and trendy look.

By Anna Coronel and Florian Trinidad

Sources:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com

http://www.coolmamastyle.com