Espa---what?

I thought that looking for two fashionable females in Manila was hard, I had no idea how much harder looking for a fashionable man and a fashionable child would be! While I was thinking about where to look for a man to take a picture of, I kept having images in my head about the type of man I would take a picture of. Tall, tan, well-groomed. In short, I had the idea of a metrosexual man in my head.

I walked around the malls and I found it so unusual that I couldn't "spot" anyone! I really thought this was going to be a simple task since men seem to be dressing up more and more nowadays. I had a picture of him in my head already; nice jeans, an interesting statement shirt and a nice jacket. In my quest to find this exact look, I found myself irritated at the fact that the fact that so many boys were wearing Nike Dunks or Supras.

Purple Supras

Just when I was about to give up, like a gift from God, I saw a boy in what I first thought were loafers. As he walked closer to me, I realized that he was wearing Espadrilles! Imagine my delight when I realized how unique his shoes were! It's not everyday that you see someone, let alone a boy, in Espadrilles in Manila!

My only concern with the outfit, however, is that it sort of looks like he just rolled out of bed! The print of his shorts could pass as boxers, although it goes with the entire "lazy day" look of his outfit. I do applaud him, however for his "courage" to wear shoes that aren't normally seen in men around this part of the world!

Espadrille is a French term and is derived from "espardenya", the Catalan word for shoes. They are worn usually because of their comfort and easy-to-wear feel and look. The shoe is usually made of canvass or cotton and has a jute rope sole that makes it very distinguishable. These shoes find their roots in early France. They were once considered as shoes for peasants and has long been regarded as comfort shoes.

In the 1960's, Yves Saint Laurent requested for a pair of espadrilles with heels; something that has never been done. This created a trend among the women of France. Espadrilles were then worn with heels and with a ribbon that is tied around the ankle.

The trend came back in 2009 when it was used in the runways of the Hermes S/S collection. Because the trend happened a year ago, I would place it at the Late Majority stage of the cycle.

---Stephanie Oca