Bali-based DJ requires wardrobe assistance.

January 16, 2008 12:41 PM

How can my Bali-based US DJ friend improve and extend his wardrobe?

My US DJ friend currently living and working in Bali poses the question: "How does a Western producer/DJ of House, Rap, and House and Rap mixed with ethnic Asian music dress exactly?"

He has no idea what sort of look to go for, due mainly to these considerations:

"Bali is ridiculously casual so, however I decide to dress to project this image fashionably, has to be only very very slightly more dressy than shorts, tshirt and flip flops. Unless of course I'm making a video, in which case I probably need to be about as dressed up as Puff Daddy on his way to the Grammies. Add to that the fact that Bali has very limited options for buying anything imported from Italy, America or pretty much anywhere else, and what little there is is usually in Asian-dude sizes (ie. xl is a smallish medium, and no one carries xxl).

I've been a reasonably well dressed guy at various points in my life, and I'd like to get my current wardrobe up to par, but I'm at wits end as to how to do it!"

I guess, to summarise: what options are open to him locally, and what is available in terms of reasonably priced imports that will provide him the greatest choice of what to wear, so that he can define for himself a style outside the limitations that are presented to him currently?

posted by urbanwhaleshark to clothing, beauty, & fashion (4 comments total)

Perhaps focusing on stylish accessories is the way to go? A slick pair of sunglasses goes a long way as long as they are a good fit and style for your face.

If Bali is very casual, preppy summer-wear worn with a thick dose of irony might work to be stylish. Especially if set against an obviously non-prep haircut and the above-mentioned shades.
posted by explosion at 1:50 PM on January 16

What kind of clothes is your friend looking for. Will some well made dress shirts in slick colors cover his needs or is he looking for something more unique?

If his tastes run towards the classic there are a few nice and non-cheesy men's boutiques in Seminyak. Some have imports, but others carry clothes by up-and-coming local designers. They cater more to upscale tourists, so there is a better chance of finding larger sizes.

Another option would be to find a good tailor. They'll make what he needs in a size that fits. The tailoring I encountered wasn't as good as Hong Kong, but we were working without references. I'm sure with a little guidance from local friends he'll find someone competent for not too much money.
posted by Alison at 1:56 PM on January 16

Many thanks explosion/Alison. I've dropped M a link to the page. Apparently AskMe has claimed another convert :)
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 11:49 AM on January 17

seconded - i'm the bali-based us dj. so thanks explosion and alison. a couple quick follow up questions:

explosion: i like your idea, and theres actually a decent lacoste store in the area. but how exactly does one wear preppy summer-wear with a thick dose of irony? i've got several pictures in my mind, but i'm not sure if i want to a) get huge biker tattoos all down my lower arms and neck just to offset my new short sleeve lacoste polo, or b) dress top-to-bottom, to a t, like a new england old-money yachtsman's teenage son on summer vacation from prep school (i'm picturing docksiders, leather-strapped breitling and an ivy league haircut) to dj at a nightclub. but i dont think thats quite what you meant is it?

alison - yeah, well made short sleeve dress shirts might do it, but tailors are tricky in bali - the quality is only so good (bangkok's infinitely better, and i wish i had the time and money to go there every 6 months to get new clothes tailored!) and the real trick is getting decent material: most tailors can turn out a decent-to-good copy of my favorite shirts, but a big part of the appeal of fashioable shirts is inevitably their cool, unique material of some sort or another, which for some reason i've had a lot of trouble finding in bali. don't suppose you can recommend a shop to me with really excellent materials in stock?

i've been to those men's boutiques in seminyak, but the blunt truth is their clientele seem rather, erm.... flamboyant? not that there's anything wrong with that! but it's not really the image i'm trying to put across.
posted by messiahwannabe at 10:41 PM on January 25