The New preppy according to Regatta
To be honest, I haven’t been inside a Regatta store since the early ‘90s. From what I remember, it used to be a store that drew in the Filipino “preppy” crow. Back then it was our local version of Polo Ralph Lauren-meets-safari-inspired-Banana Republic.
The local “preppy,” or colloquially called coño, are mostly upper- to upper-middle-class Manila-bred kids who went to the same exclusive schools, grew up in gated subdivisions around the Metro, hung out at the Polo Club, played football on weekends and spoke with a Spanglish-Tagalog drawl.
Coño kids also had a uniform of piqué polo shirts, Bermuda shorts, espadrilles or Sperry Topsiders — and Regatta catered to this demographic.
With that impression, I didn’t have any grand expectation from the show. But as soon as the music started, I was floored by a spirited display of Americana that reminded me of US East Coast preppy ethos.
The collection transported me back to my college days at Fordham where the J.Crew lifestyle and its ubiquitous catalogue were a standard and a staple. It evoked whitewashed summer homes in the Hamptons, lobster rolls in Maine and weekend lacrosse games.
The pieces were mostly casual, leisure apparel in crisp whites, navy blues and cozy caramels with occasional heather greys, moss greens and muted variations of oranges, yellows and reds. I was attracted to the weekend ladies’ dresses in white and gray paired with a madras-print blazer.
The men’s collection had relaxed chinos and a wide range of well-cut jackets. The styling was on point without being too overworked or obtuse.
I made mental notes to check out a few of the dresses, a plaid blazer and a men’s jacket in green with some red stitching that I thought would look perfect with jeans or khaki shorts.
If only we had four seasons, I could imagine that cable knits and fair-isle sweaters would have matched perfectly.
I was actually very excited to visit a Regatta store right after the show.
Apparently, Regatta has been given a jolt of life by Golden ABC, the machine behind Penshoppe, while still retaining the brand’s preppy heritage honed since 1989.
Carlo Rufino, Regatta’s new brand manager, emphasizes, “Now, we are looking to bring Regatta forward by adding a touch of fun to the privileged prep background and their leisure lifestyle.”
This brand aesthetic extends to Regatta’s store interiors that remind you of a country cabin in Nantucket or Cape Cod.
But how does an upscale look translate to mass-market appeal? Rufino replied, “I’ve tried to ask people I’ve just met what they are looking for when they shop for affordable clothing and I noticed a need for affordable, tasteful clothes since not everyone wants to look trendy.”
Carlo himself shows a distinct personal style, which contributes to the vigor seen in Regatta’s new look. When asked about it, he mentions that his own look is what he calls “casual formality” where he mixes casual clothes with dressier pieces, although the summer heat has made him prefer to be in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
He goes on to mention luxe brands like Paul Smith and Martin Margiela to more casual brands such as Uniqlo, Muji, Lacoste and Fred Perry as some of his favorite designers and brands.
Apart from a more energetic interpretation of preppy, I liked how Regatta’s collection showed a polished yet casual approach to menswear. I’ve always felt that Filipino men are stuck in some kind of fashion time warp and are afraid to move forward.
I quizzed Carlo on his must-haves for the Modern Filipino male. He lists down a crisp white, button-down shirt, a chambray button-down shirt, a piqué polo shirt, indigo denims, slim-fitting chinos and white canvas classic sneakers.
Conveniently enough, you can get all of these at any Regatta store.
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Grace blogs at http://www.divasoria.ph.
