Straightforward Clothing: Classic Everyday Clothes Made in the Philippines
Photo by Benjo Beringuela
When in Manila, there are so many online shops vying for out attention. One of the shops that stand out is Straightforward Clothing. It was my brother who first sent me a link of Straightforward Clothing’s Facebook page. He said he liked the designs; they looked classy and polished, but cost only a fraction compared to similar-looking products he usually bought in the malls.
Flash forward to a few months later, I had the pleasure of checking out their products and talking to Jerald Sze, the Managing Director of Straightforward Clothing.
Photo by Benjo Beringuela
The products of Straightforward Clothing did not disappoint! Among the products perfect for the sweater weather and also perfect for Christmas gifts are their Premium Fleece Hoodies. They come in seven colors, and the prices range from Extra Small to Large.
Maroon Premium Fleece Hoodie for P1,099
Dark Gray Premium Fleece Hoodie for P1,099
Jerald was still in college when he founded Straightforward Clothing. “My schoolmates and I were struggling with finding casual clothes that would best suit our lifestyles yet wouldn’t compromise our need to look sharp, attractive, and smart. Because of that dilemma, I decided that more than anything, uncompromising everyday wear was something essential in our closets,” he narrated.
Photo by Benjo Beringuela
This story echoes Straightforward Clothing’s tagline: “No technical, intricate designs. Just the classic comprehensible look we want in our everyday lives.” Interestingly enough, their tagline affects not only the products they sell, but also the overall feel of their website, www.straightforward.ph—where you could see and purchase all their products.
Straightforward Clothing maintains a strong online presence—its Facebook page now boasts of almost 70,000 followers as of October 2014! There are a lot of benefits of having a strong online presence, and Jerald said, “As it has become a lot easier to launch a new product, it has also been easier for me to understand and pinpoint how the brand could more strategically present itself to its market.”
Jerald also recognized a potential threat that he was able to turn around. Classic pieces are easily replicated by others, so he needed his brand to stand out. Jerald answered this challenge by turning to the quality of Straightforward Clothing’s material and prices. “I had to search deep into the garment and textile industry to source only the most premium fabric. That was when I started to take so much pride in the quality of Straightforward’s pieces—from the softness of the raw materials, the sleekest of cuts, to the most competitive prices.”
Straightforward Clothing continues to improve. They just recently added new colors to their products, and on top of their hugley popular Tailored Shorts for Men, they just released Tailored Shorts for Ladies as well!
Ladies’ Tailored Shorts for P549
Men’s Tailored Shorts for P599
Despite all this success and happy customers always posting their sartorial finds from Straightforward Clothing, Jerald has even grander goals for Straightforward. “Straightforward is for the promotion of local independent brands. My goal for Straightforward has always been to be in a strategic position to go head to head against international brands and ultimately for Filipinos to choose ours over theirs.”
WhenInManila, do make sure to support locally made products! Like items from Straightforward Clothing, they are gifts that keep on giving.
All Straightforward merchandises are available at the webstore. Some items are consigned to different concept stores. The Tailored Shorts and the Bamboo Sunglasses are at Greater Good Apparel – @greatergood at Glorietta 4. The Bamboo Sunglasses are at R.O.X., Grind, and Urban Athletics.
Straightforward Clothing
Webstore: www.straightforward.ph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StraightforwardPh
Twitter: @straightfrwd_
Instagram: @StraightforwardPh
