Music and mod men

MANILA, Philippines - When Ely Buendia picks up a plectrum (and The Jerks’ Nitoy Adriano comes to jam), you know it’s going to be a good day. However condensed their setlist may have been, the duo got a whole lotta love anyway for their intimate acoustic set, where they played covers of The Rolling Stones’ Ruby Tuesday and The Beatles’ In My Life, as well as Eraserheads classics Spolarium and a stripped-down version of the OPM institution that is Ang Huling El Bimbo. A fellow journalist whispered as Ely emerged from one of the dressing rooms and walked towards the stage, “What band is he from?” Oh, sweet child. The crowd burst into song, albeit shyly, in the confines of the Ben Sherman store at Robinsons Magnolia –– like in that bus scene in Almost Famous, and for a moment we were taken back to the ‘90s, singing along to one of the few Filipino songs that defined our generation.

That Ben Sherman chose to officially launch their first concept store in Manila with a mini concert is not surprising. The brand has been holding its “Plectrum Sessions” around the world since last year, featuring both indie and pop acts like Crystal Fighters, Laura Gibson, Bleeding Knees Club, and Tribes. This is a nod to the brand’s founder, Ben Sherman, who is described as a “businessman with an artist’s soul,” and to the culture into which the brand was born.

Kimberly del Rosario, group brand manager of Robinsons Specialty Stores, described the brand’s style as “mod” –– preppy with a cool slouch, classic with a rebellious twist. Sherman created the brand 50 years ago in post-war Britain, when the youth were slowly coming to terms with the idea of individuality, which they expressed through fashion and music. In the 1950s came a new generation of young men who loved the sharp, slim-fitting Italian style of dressing. They were called “the modernists” (eventually known as “mods”) and they embraced the style of Ben Sherman shirts –– their quality, slim fit, color and unique design.

Fast track to 2013, mod is definitely back. Men like to dress a bit sharper, suits are making appearances at casual occasions, I might have even spotted some guys sporting perfectly pressed cropped pants — single crease down the middle of each leg and all. No socks. Some musician-types have even traded their Soundgarden shirts and trashed jeans for striped cardigans and rolled-up carrot pants.

Through mod’s rise, demise (when the world met grunge through MTV), and rebirth, Ben Sherman had been putting up stores around the world. The label’s concept store at Robinsons Magnolia features the Ben Sherman Shirt Bar, a wall of shirts of different styles, including the best-selling Plectrum Shirt, a tribute to the music scene’s affinity towards the brand.

At the Shirt Bar are “shirteliers,” trained shirt experts who can tell you the exact cut and color that would flatter your face shape and skin tone. Alvin, one of the shirteliers, said that Ben Sherman has three different types of collars –– one-, two-, and three-finger, referring to collar widths. The wider the collar, the bigger the tie-knot. Collars with points angled at greater than 90 degrees require bigger knots. Some tips from Alvin: “If you have a round face, choose a shirt with a collar that points downwards. If you have a pointed, slightly elongated face, pick a shirt with a wider collar that points outward. We also have different cuts around the hip. Shirts with a square hip with slits should not be tucked in.”

Ben Sherman’s summer 2013 collection is currently in store, featuring lots of color — from tangerine shorts to citron cropped pants, tapered by new neutrals like olive and light blue. Jackets and blazers are light and slouchy, while pants are cut slim and tailored. The Shirt Bar is stocked with Ben Sherman classics like the Soho slim-fit shirt, the Carnaby shirt, and the Plectrum premium line in solid colors, plaid and gingham.

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The Ben Sherman concept store is located at Robinsons Magnolia. It also has a branch at Shangri-La Plaza Mall.