No kidding, I’ve seen a lot of men who wear bonnets and leather jackets around here in Manila. The bonnets are usually worn by teenagers who grew up watching hip hop videos on MTV. The leather jackets, I only rarely see people wearing them, but the point is there are actual people who do wear them! Apparently, they think the weather here in the Philippines is the same as in the US.
The bonnets and leather jackets are in the same league as in scarves, but these are more ridiculous-looking. I’m a believer in the freedom of expression even when it comes to fashion, but when I see someone nearly dying of heat stroke just because he wants to pull off his new bonnet or leather jacket, I know something is very wrong.
In a tropical country like ours, there are only limited types of clothes to wear. We only have two seasons: rainy season and summer. Unfortunately, bonnets, leather jackets, and scarves aren’t fit for those two seasons. Unfortunately also, some people don’t realize this. Why they make a fool of themselves wearing inappropriate clothes to look “cool” is beyond me. Fashion should enhance your best assets, not make you look like a total idiot.
There are however, a lot of alternatives of looking “cool” without sweating like a pig. Some items of clothing I find very trendy nowadays are gladiator sandals and short summer dresses.
Gladiator sandals are just adorable. The higher, the better, and the more attractive they look, especially when you’re long-legged. Short summer dresses are cute and comfortable to wear. Plus some come in bright and eye-catching colors.
I hope some “fashionistas” realize in the future that they don’t have to copy every fashion craze that hits the U.S. because our countries are literally worlds apart.