The long and short of 5cm

The 5cm store is a modestly sized one, and yet there is certainly nothing modest about it at all. As I enter, there is a portion of the wall plastered with printed teal wallpaper skulls. It is perhaps the only glaring colored décor, while the rest of the interior and its merchandise are hues of black, white, and gray. On on side, there is a high-gloss wall, only to be contrasted with period light fixtures, baroque framed mirrors, and black iron racks. On the display table are visual props of mega-sized chess pieces — a knight here, and a bishop there, and then a black skull head or two.  

It is like being inside a modern bachelor pad in New York city, located not in Manhattan, but perhaps in the now gentrified Brooklyn. This is where the hippest youngsters are known to reside; they ooze with irony, contradiction and everything else au courant.

 That aesthetic, translated sartorially, is exactly what you’ll find on the racks. To your left are your everyday not-so-basics with the most basic neutral palette. The latest collection, “Doomsday Madness,” features drapery details, see-through effects, hang dyes, stroke repetitions, reworked denim, textured with metal studs and jacquard.

 While 5cm is known for its signature black and achromatic shades, you can clearly see there are subtle punches of boldness with their play on details. I rifle through the heavy wooden hangers, hearing them clang against each other as detail after detail catches my eye. There are button-up shirts with patterned cuffs, sewn triangular-shaped fabric that serves as a faux yet very dapper pocket square, linen pants juxtaposed with heather gray cuffs, a singular pocket with what could look like electrical tape, and prints of picnic plaid to tribal accents.

 And while it takes a secure and daring fellow to pull of such statements in his wardrobe, even the most timid and orthodox man will find his fashion golden mean here. The solution is to incorporate one piece into his everyday staples with the assurance of not being labeled the dreaded overused and hopefully obsolete M-word: metrosexual.    To be pedantic does not mean being a pansy.

 From the fearless in fashion, we move on to a comparatively more quintessential look. On the right-hand side of the boutique, you will find their tailored line of suits. From afar, they look clean and modern. Investigate a little more closely, you will find understated contrast stitching, disparate lining, and thin lapels. To please both ends of the vogue spectrum, you can wear it classically as is, or perhaps wear lace-up sneakers molded as wingtips from their shoe collection, or cheekily add a black chain two-finger ring from their accessories line with this ensemble.

 I watch the video for the “Doomsday Madness” collection, which features the brazenly tattooed and pierced international model Bradley Soileau shot in stark black and white with soft smoke billowing in the background. The video starts with flowing jumps on a trampoline, interspersed with straightforward yet smooth movements—walking, lying down, and combing his hair with his fingers. It then progresses to a more raw and primal action of playing the drums, until he finally kicks the cymbals—all this in slow motion, while wearing layers of vests, relaxed silhouettes, chains, mirrored sunglasses and studded jackets. It all seems arbitrary, but do we really care considering how beautiful he looks?

* * *

 5cm is located at Power Plant in Rockwell and SM Mall of Asia. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/5cmph