Colombo is home to some really great shopping destinations, most of which stock both menswear and ladieswear with equal importance now; a welcome change to times where after scouring a store, you would find one ignored rack of assorted menswear somewhere at the back. However, as men become more exposed to the media platforms available, and how products and services uses them to promote and push certain fashion and lifestyle choices, the men of 2016 are now looking to wear exactly what they saw their favourite TV character or sporting idol wore this week. 

In an effort to set the record straight once and for all, I decided to take matters into my own hands and find out if some of the top retailers in our country were walking the talk by doing in-store reviews of their menswear, and how current or trendy it really was. This week, we review Embark at their store on Dickman's Road with a model that represents the average Sri Lankan male. 

Background 

Embark was launched in March 2007, with only 20 sq. ft. of space at ODEL, Alexandra Place retailing a line of 6 black and white t-shirt styles; this collection was only the beginning in what would be the change in the lives of countless street dogs around Sri Lanka. In September 2014, founder of Embark, Otara Gunewardene actually sold her interest in ODEL to solely focus on Embark and what it stood for, but many wondered what that would mean for the emerging retail brand that always eyed both sexes equally. In 2015 all fears were quelled as Embark launched their flagship store in Galle to a media frenzy, stocking an exhaustive line of clothing and accessories which even included Embark denims and shoes. Now in 2016, they are set to conquer Colombo with the return to the first store location Otara launched down Dickman's Road and I myself wanted to see the best it had to offer for the men of Colombo. 

Night Time/Smart Casual Look 

I mentally calculated many potential combinations with their line of long sleeve shirts, denims, chinos and casual cotton pants and I could easily see the addition of a line of casual blazers to the store would help complete the overall one-stop-shop for men outlook. Finally, I settled for a more of a dressed up look with their burgundy slim fit chinos and a black shirt with grey polka dots that had burgundy detailing on the collar and cuff. 

The burgundy is very current and makes a good contrast, and the detail on the shirt in the same colour ties the full outfit together well. This look is highly recommended with dress shoes or loafers, but when coupled with the instore Plimsoll’s, it becomes a trademark Embark look I’ve come to recognize. 

Sportswear/Casual Look 

Whether on purpose or not, Embark’s tshirt line and some of their shorts are perfect additions to your workout wardrobe as they are made from comfortable cottons and cotton blends that are super absorbent and stretchy when required to be. Considering that athletic wear and all blue looks are currently trending, I found this interesting relaxed look for Geoff. 

By experience, their longer jersey shorts are excellent workout wear either for the gym or outdoors, and they colour coordinate very well with Embark’s comfy line of casual shoes and flip flops, but as Sri Lankan men are prone to wearing flip flops more than they should, I thought a blue plimsoll to match would be the perfect combination. I hoped they had zip up hoodies rather than the tshirt hoodies which are more common for athletic wear, but this hoodie is light enough to wear as a tshirt and was the perfect combination piece. 

Casual Look 

For a casual look, I thought the quintessential uniform of the average male in Sri Lanka might need a redo. Love it or hate it, Sri Lankan boys and men will never outgrow just wearing slippers, shorts and a tee… but at Embark, you have some really great options that allow you to take what I’d like to call shorts & tee 2.0. 

My model Geoff is not skinny, but thankfully Embark has loads of great tees that seem to completely understand that with a great fit I’ve seen happen no matter your size and body type. Couple that with a strategic choice of a black tshirt with a massive center print and I’ve managed to give him a more slimmer look than we started off with. Now instead of going for the usual suspect, I found an amazing tailored short that came in a number of colours at Embark I would like to recommend, but the black was a perfect fit. Add to that one of Embarks more premium flip-flops and we finish off a nice casual look that still keeps you looking classy. 

Review 

Embark can be considered more of a casualwear brand, but there were many options of shirts and pants that could easily fit into a more smart casual to formal setting. Embark’s young dynamic creative and buying team have understood their target consumer well and I see they are well informed on trends and will be a reliable place to shop for discerning younger to older male audiences for virtually any requirement they might have and easily the trendiest mens section in town. Most of their accessories in store were unisex, but I didn’t find myself too comfortable with adding them to the looks I put together here at the Dickman’s Road store even though I know for a fact their Galle store had more variety. However helpful and attentive the staff were, I did find it rather annoying when certain sizes were unavailable when inquired both in shoes and in pants. All in all, Embark as a menswear destination was a pleasurable experience. 

The writer is a Stylist and Menswear Evangelist for Daily Mirror Life. Follow Jude Gayantha Perera (www.instagram.com/stylistlk) and find his best recommendations online, especially on Instagram. 

By Jude Gayantha Perera