Bling bling!

I just picked these up today. Two belts, because one is just not enough!

Damier Graphite Ellipse (Made in France) canvas w/Nubuck leather lining and the other in the box is the LV Anagramme (Made in Spain) logo'd in glazed calf leather.

Amazing.

RM 2500

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Added on June 2, 2011, 6:08 pm

Some of the collection.

Can you guess what the other two brands are?

This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 2 2011, 06:08 PM

You read my mind. Was browsing their site and they have tons of combinations but the price is....wow. One belt for the price of some CJ oxfords.
But it would be a sweet addition.

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Added on June 3, 2011, 12:10 pmCorrect! Thought the dunhill might have been the hard one to guess but you guys are hardcore fashion whores!


This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 3 2011, 12:10 PM

Lol. Even more hardcore than i thought. I buy stuff all the time but i rarely get the vvip treatment.

Hahaha. So the person quoted doesnt even know how to spell the name of their car. Love it!

not true. a gentleman's appreciation of fine goods does not only extend to LV belts and wallets. =)

that being said - wow! nice pen! how much?



I prefer the French's interpretation of writing instruments to the English, but as a collector I appreciate a fine writing instrument when I see one.
Here's one I acquired from the PenGallery in KL. So sad, ever since the fire at the S.T. Dupont factory, some good models have been hard to find.

S.T. Dupont Olympio finished in Palladium.
Rhodium and 24k Gold Tipped Nib and removable plunger.

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Added on June 7, 2011, 3:41 pmi think he meant other luxury goods (non pens) in general.

white mountain is to pens and rolex is to watches.

yes, good quality, but totally mainstream and mass produced.

This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 7 2011, 03:41 PM

yeah!

i thought he was being sarcastic.



My current wallet is too fat to look good in suit pants, so this slim card holder from LV is perfect.

And since I'm a photographer, why not set up the shot with some currency. =)

I used to dislike LV for the same 'ol designs, coated leathers, lots of fakes, overpriced, and overhyped.

Now I have renewed interest (I checked on my account at the store the other day and my previous purchases were in 2005, and those were not even for myself) because they almost only sell exclusively in their retail locations (no online sales), price appreciation is very good, and the resale value (though I never sell my goods after purchase - still good to know) is high. Also, it's flashy, and because its overpriced and French, not quite as played out as say Gucci/Prada. A lot of items are made in USA and Spain, but a few are still made in France such as this from the Damier Graphite collection.



This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 9 2011, 06:01 PM

"seeds for the money tree?" nice, i'm going to have to use that one.

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Added on June 10, 2011, 8:21 pmformer wall st. VP

still working hard though. ever since i was in college, i had that "itch" for material items and fine luxury goods. i would say that it was that "itch" that pushed me to work hard and always find/take advantage of opportunities.

i did not come from a wealthy family, or have the best education, but was lucky enough to find opportunities in odd places.

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Added on June 10, 2011, 8:51 pmlol, older post, but had to comment.

RM 80/pair definitely ballar status. I start complaining once things get north of RM 30/pair.

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Added on June 10, 2011, 8:55 pmyeah, attacusatlas, how much?!

This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 10 2011, 08:55 PM

i suppose that depends on who you ask. I doubt many would spend over RM 600 on a single pen!

Their most mainstream pen, the Starwalker is about RM 1500, I believe.
Roller ball is about RM 1200.

RM 1200 for a t-shirt??!!!?!?

You sir, are crazy. i recommend you buy a good digital camera first!

I have a closet full of Emporio Armani t-shirts, and they are much cheaper than the GA level. Only RM 250-320 or so each. But they are just plain black or white tees.

btw, you are much younger looking than i expected. so what is a young kid like you doing, spending RM 1200 for a shirt?

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Added on June 15, 2011, 5:31 pmsorry for the brand whore question but are those prada loafers?

i used to love prada. quality, unfortunately has dropped dramatically in the last 10 years as have many of the italian brands. the leathers are very soft, but they wear out terribly fast. except their shell cordovan oxfords, which are extremely rare (i've only seen them as an '06 launch).

but those look beautiful. and if they are prada's, do they fit? prada's have the oddest sizing for their shoes, making them a pain to order online. what's worse is that they're not even consistent across their line.

i've got some Saphir polish that would make those glow!

This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 15 2011, 05:35 PM

Luxury goods are, for the most part, statements of success and wealth, or at least, a demonstration of image. Sure there are good materials, history, blah blah blah, but a lot of that stuff can be found in items that do not have the brand name, for much less.

So that being said, an expensive pen makes that statement. And why would someone want to make that statement? To post on LYN? Probably not.

For me, it's a little bit about business and some more about interest. Doing business with people that are successful and appreciate the finer things in life. When I break out an expensive pen, the bloke on the other side of the desk knows that I am serious about what I do and appreciate detail. It is the same reason why it's best not to go into a business meeting with a t-shirt and shorts. The suit is more appropriate because of the statement you are trying to make, whether it be a professional one or one that shows respect for the person you're meeting with.

I remember having a great conversation with a CEO over his IWC watch and my Panerai. I think he looked at me quite different after it, and there was some mutual respect, even though he was at least 15 years older.
In the end, we never got the deal done, and there are times where the decision maker could care less about what kind of pen, watch, shoes, wallet, accessories, car, etc, that you have. But, it's the time that it does have some impact that we look forward to.

With atta posting a pic of a fine pen, a collector like myself appreciates the decision he has made and the choice to spend that kind of money and (hopefully) the hard work he put into earning it. I view him differently as a result (in a good way).

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Added on June 16, 2011, 12:18 pmto save money, you have to earn it, yeah? or someone has to give it to you.

do you mind me asking how you come about it?



This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 16 2011, 12:18 PM

Agree. Dad's company probably is not that small either.

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Added on June 16, 2011, 4:30 pmThat is a Alfred Dunhill Sidecar Streamliner in Diamond Pattern correct?

Personally, I am not a fan of ball points, for the very fact that you're fated to twist action vs posting the cap and getting the much needed length/balance, but that is a strictly a matter of preference/opinion.

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Added on June 16, 2011, 4:36 pmI'm surprised that a lot of us are sharing such expensive items, and yet using the absolute worst camera's possible.

I'm not saying you need to be a photographer like me and lug around pro gear - there are a ton of excellent, compact point and shoots that will make your sharing, priceless.

I know that it might be a futile plea, but can you guys invest in some better digital equipment? It will do wonders to all those whom you are sharing your best sartorial acquisitions with.

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Added on June 16, 2011, 4:44 pmthose are properly called Bicycle Toes and although they've were quite trendy a few years ago, they've been around for a long time.

i would consider it a staple to a young, modern mans shoe collection - although probably not like the balmoral cap toe or blutcher.


This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 16 2011, 04:44 PM

thanks for decent picture quality. we can really appreciate the detail in the fabric, and yes, from the picture of the zipper/collar, i can tell it is very thick.
front darts look interesting, first time i've seen it on a polo.

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Added on June 17, 2011, 7:22 pmhope you guys are having a good weekend. mine will be spent in Vegas. i guess i can't get enough of that place - i've gone each time i've been back in the states, which is now 4-5 times this year.
if anyone is going to be out there this weekend, please PM me and join in on the fun.

to make this post more relevant, i've attached my latest haul.



About 56 cm in length so it can fit more than a standard weekend bag, in fact this is more of the max carry on size bag.

This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 17 2011, 07:26 PM

I believe somewhere around RM 1200 at the time (2007). I bought it online and even w/shipping was cheaper than buying it M'sia.
Now the MYR is very strong against other major world currencies (esp USD and GBP) so things have gotten cheaper.

You can probably get this same model for less RM 1000 new.

Bose QuietComfort QC3 Noise Cancelling Headsets.

They are a godsend when flying back and forth between Asia/US. I cannot live without them and since I fly at least 120 hours a year, I use them quite often. Already replaced the padding once. They're quite durable and I'm somewhat impressed with their quality (I hate all other Bose products, especially home theatre stuff, but that's a different discussion altogether).

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Added on June 18, 2011, 3:13 amThank you. I love my taste as well, which at times doesn't make sense to me. I am not quite as fashionable as a lot of the other contributors to this thread and have a pronounced tendency to be a brand whore.

If you love my taste, you can check out my recent posts in the food forum about fine Scotch and Bourbon Whisky's. A gentlemen appreciates more than just fashion, but other finer things in life (not to be pejorative about some of the youngsters in this thread )

I'm actually a non-Malaysian working in M'sia. But a lot of my earnings are from other foreign markets as well. I am no longer in finance, but yes I worked in that sector for about 5 years between 2 bulge brackets.



This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 18 2011, 03:13 AM

Now that's what I call 'ballAR!' Great photos. I've got some bespoke clothing, but my tailor isn't nearly as good as yours. I'm gonna go back and take a look to compare...heheh.

OT question from a photog - what did you use for the light source? That's definitely not an on-camera flash you've got going there, and it looks beautiful. I always take pics with bounce or off-cam flash for that reason and rarely see people on this thread do that unless they are also photogs.

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Added on June 21, 2011, 7:11 amEven though I do not agree with your taste, it is clear that you have more high-fashion clothing than what one could wear new for each day of the year and for that I salute you. And I politely urge - just take a break from one or two shirts and please get a decent camera. I wouldn't be pleading if I did not think you could afford it.





This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 21 2011, 07:11 AM

Latest haul. (cross posted in the mens shoes thread)



Teabag, Chin nuts...I mean chestnut calf.



Had an enjoyable weekend in Vegas. View of the City Center from a friends hotel. Enjoyed some great Scotch before heading down to the pool.




Had a blast. Got some great stories to tell about chasing women for another post.



LV store exterior @ the City Center. The wall is covered in LED's and can illuminate to display patterns. Sorry for the picture quality, did not lug around my DSLR on the way to the nightclub.



Here's a picture of the Prada store at the City Center just to give you an idea of how beautiful this new area is. Not my photo, grabbed from the net.



Here's a better picture (again, not mine) of the Crystal's Shopping Complex from the outside at the City Center in Vegas. The massive Gucci store is just to left and can't be seen below, but the Gucci logo is huge and covers the side of the building. There must be like five LV stores and boutiques in Vegas, no joke. There's a Ferrari dealership inside the Wynn hotel and a Lambo dealership inside the Palazzo hotel. Ten years ago it was nothing like this - it's getting crazier each time.



This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 21 2011, 02:28 PM

I have used many, some better than others.

In M'sia, I reside in Penang, and so I am very limited in choices. I have found two tailors in Batu Ferringhi that are decent, but nowhere near as good as your tailor. The problem is that since they cater to tourists, there's a salesman at the shop that has no idea about bespoke fashion (the actual tailor is rarely there). So basically, I have to ask him to write down exactly what I want, and sometimes I have to go back a few times with the same piece of clothing to get it right. Obviously, once they get it down, then I'm set. But, I have to be careful about making adjustments for the sheer risk of getting something back that was nowhere near what I asked for.

The sad part is, I had to go through at least six tailors before I settled on those two. There are some tailors where I'd show them certain stitching and asked them if they could do it, and they would give me an awkward smile and say they could not.

Naturally, when I'm back in the states, I get most of my tailoring done (and go on a shopping spree), and the one who does mine is exceptional. Same one that does a lot of celebrity clientele including the likes of Diddy. In fact, they are tailoring a few shirts I picked up from Jermyn Street. I will be sure to take a photo of their "wall" when I get there to share.

But your tailor - seems to know a thing or two. No doubt, you have recognized this and keep going back, which hints at your appreciation for detail, something I truly respect.

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Added on June 22, 2011, 3:47 pmBedroom window is considered sophisticated. Most people don't realize the effect it can have.
Your camera was correctly dialed to meter the clothing and not your hand, which naturally appears overexposed.
Well composed.

Lil Freak needs to get a camera. No excuses. We will keep bothering him until he succumbs to our will!!

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Added on June 22, 2011, 4:37 pm

When it comes to bespoke fashion, I am very particular - afterall, that's the point.

For this haul, I had the tailor add in a very fine silk Batik to the collar, homage to my love of Malaysia.
I was also particular about the cuffs - had to be able to be buttoned for more casual appearances, but also had to accept a pair of cufflinks for more formal occasions.

I explained precisely what I wanted and that's what I got.

The fabric is cotton with a silk weaved pattern throughout. Very happy with the way these turned out.

This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 22 2011, 04:41 PM

getting old?! you can easily pull it off. a 40yr old man could do it and we're the same age.

bespoke = you. f--- what anyone else thinks.

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Added on June 24, 2011, 3:32 pm

Solid brass collar stiffners ftw.


I'll be here in the states for a bit to get some work done. As such, I've dropped off some clothes to get tailored.
As promised I've attached pictures of P. Diddy's personal tailor. You can see a signed picture of him on the wall along with some other celebrities.

Sorry for the picture quality and composition. I'm actually not allowed to take photos in here, but I wanted to share.





During the Cannes Film Festival, Diddy takes this guy with him to the South of France as his 24/7 personal tailor. He's also quite well known for servicing celebrities during red carpet events such as "Oscar Week."
Anyways, the best part is that they are not terribly expensive and the service is good. The two ladies you see here in the picture are actually quite good at taking measurements and providing a very good adjustment.
I always chat with them and ask them what the latest trends are in fashion. They usually know whats going to be hot before the style gets really big in the mainstream magazines like GQ/Esquire.

Unfortunately my beautiful shirts won't be ready until tomorrow.





This post has been edited by CHiNO730: Jun 24 2011, 03:32 PM