A mandarin jacket.

I seem to have an unconventional liking for mandarin jackets. These are jackets with mandarin collars and those horizontal buttons.

To be frank, I do not have any idea why I like them, but they just appeal to me. They look sharp and unique. Go onto a street and barely anyone, if anyone at all, will be wearing the same thing as you. Even to weddings, either yours or someone else's.

If you are really intending to buy one, try not to choose those that are overly loud. Gold is ok. Black is better. Red too, although not that often and more commonly seen during festive seasons. For me, I would prefer black, although I do have some gold ones and even a red ones.

Wear them with a normal pair of pants, or even a pair of jeans for that blasé and casual look. It does not need to be Chinese New Year for you to wear them. Sure, you'll get some looks, but who cares? If you wish to carry off a blasé attitude, do it all the way! :)

For additional fun, try wearing two layers of it. One as the base shirt, and another acting as a jacket. The inner layer is buttoned all the way to the top, and the outer, jacket layer is worn unbuttoned. A standard ensemble for me, and I like it very much. Mix and match. It does not even have to be a mandarin shirt for the inner layer. A polo shirt, a regular long sleeved, even a t-shirt.

Of course, weather might make this rather unfeasible, but it will be useful once you are within an air-conditioned environment.

Or go sleeveless! Wear a sleeveless mandarin jacket over a long-sleeved garment (a short-sleeved garment would look odd).

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