Fashion means many things.  But to the common man, fashion is merely the clothes we wear.

Men, in general, see fashion as something superfluous – nothing more than an unneccesary display of frivolity.  To most men, being fashionable is best left to women and gays.  Choosing to express one’s personality through the clothes he wear is something less important.

But in this day and age, image is very much important as emphasized by popular media.  People look up to dashing and well-put together movie stars.  TV is choc-full of fashion make-overs and how-tos.  More fashion and lifestyle magazines are targeted to men.  The workplace is no exception as well – good looking men gets the girl, or worse, the promotion you’ve been eying on.  We wonder why some “prissy” guys get the attention from women and that metrosexuality is a word often used to describe a rather “stylish” individual. 

Times have indeed changed.  I personally believe, men should not be affraid to embrace fashion.  I myself am an avid follower of fashion.  But for me, fashion is not merely putting on what’s new and hot.  Its a thought process where the end result dictates or defines who i am as a person.  I know its shallow, but people rely on first impressions, and most often than not, its what you put on that makes that lasting impact.

But i have a dillema – my day job as a copywriter only affords me with modest fashion luxuries.  As much as i would want to own a pair of leather Prada slip-ons, i can only afford something worth a fraction of that.   Specially here, in the Philippines where local men’s wear is so uninspiring and unimaginative – choices are limited, if not scarce.  Are Filipino men doomed?  Will we ever be stylish even if we only had a few bucks to spend?

This is the driving force behind Common Sense on Style or simply CSS - it aims to help ordinary Juans to become as stylish and put together as the next Jane, or Joe – without the hefty price tag.  I do believe that there are gems waiting to be discovered for the ordinary Pinoy fashion-phile.  This is our space – we can share ideas, thoughts, tips and leads on the best fashion finds for Pinoy guys of various ages, shirt sizes and waistlines.