A new take on classics

MANILA, Philippines - If you were a child of the ‘90s, these will probably bring back memories, hopefully not those that will have you squirming in your seats. This summer’s trends have gone through the usual cycle of reinvention and should be worn with as much nostalgia as can be mustered.

Braided belts and espadrilles

Past life: There was actually a time, not too long ago, when wearing braided belts was embarrassing. Only the sartorially clueless wore them — that and the few who thought wearing Birkenstocks with athletic socks was considered viably normal. Espadrilles, though never given as much of a hard time, never really took off in the last 20 years and were always thought of as something that our fathers wore — in the early ‘80s with chambray shirts, longish hair cuts, Yves St. Laurent specs and a pack of Philip Morris.

New take: Braided belts are now so cool even the French are wearing them. Wear with breezy cotton pants, starched linen bottoms or over breezy shirt dresses.

The new encarnation of the espadrille loses the straw bottom and gains a conscience. Toms shoes takes the shoe worn by Argentinian polo players — cushy fabric pairs shaped pretty much like the espadrille, only with a rubber sole and leather insoles — and markets them as the fashionable’s answer to the humanitarian cause. Buy a pair and you also get to provide an underprivileged child with Toms shoes of his own.

Piqué shirts

Past life: Once abused for its collar-flipping possibilities, the sporty honeycomb polo shirt, now called by its original French brandishing, piqué, is now standing down and concentrating on matching up with something else aside from jeans and white street sneaks.

New take: The look is bright, brash and summery — for both men and women. Refreshing sherbet colors keep the depression rate low and act as a natural upper. It would be completely understandable if you got addicted.

The backpack

Past life: Backpacks were always practical and utilitarian, but never completely cool. They were made for hard wear and heavy loads, for hanging keys from and shoving stinky gym clothes into.

New take: If Raf Simons can give the backpack a chance, then so can you. Travel brand Eastpak has collaborated with the Belgian designer to create a series of intellectual streetwear: bags with an industrially cool aesthetic, yet without losing its utilitarian bent, i.e. backpacks made of patched wool, messenger bags made of metallic canvas. You’ll think twice before thrusting your spinning class cast-offs into these.

Multi-tasking products

Past life: Makeup that acted both as a blush and a natural lip tint first came out in the early part of the 2000s, with The Body Shop leading the cavalry with their Lip and Cheek Stain, a reddish product that gave a natural flush and just-bitten look to the lips.

New take: Body Shop sells about four units of their Lip and Cheek Stain every minute, and in the Philippines alone. This hardworking makeup product is still a best-seller and is always included in every summer collection.

The kikay kit

Past life: Once the dumping ground for anything that could keep the T-zone from acting up, the kikay kit was never too picky with what it took in. It was usually a meleé of lipstick tubes, cheap cosmetics, beauty samplers and the requisite eyelash curler.

New take: Skincare and cosmetics took on a new look once the Koreans realized that they actually possessed talent when it came to making potions out of field flowers and garden herbs. Korean brand Etude House provides a different kind of skin science, one that relies on the hand-in-hand interaction of skincare and makeup. Their bevy of products include moisturizers with may rose, sheer waterproof sun screens, an extremely reliable makeup fixer and easy-wipe makeup removers.

The nautical look

Past life: Back in the ‘90s, this trend had us wearing slip-ons embroidered with anchors, shirts in varying degrees of striped and chunky canvas parkas that had us praying for rain in the middle of 35-degree weather.

New take: Thanks mainly to casual brand Regatta, which itself underwent an overhaul, the nautical trend is a bit more primed down and is not wont to pushing silly, unnecessary -— not to mention unflattering — pieces. The money pieces would be striped cotton shirts, mostly in red or navy blue, summery seersucker fabric and boat shoes. Think JFK on his yacht in happier times.