When the world ground to a halt, you could get by on the bare minimum. The days stopped being dictated by a need to do more. Whiling away a weekend on Netflix was not only accepted but also encouraged. A testament to your willpower, in fact—by resisting the temptations of the outdoors, you were carrying out a public service.
Those days are going away now, and a return to normal—although it’s a cause for celebration— comes accompanied by a sobering truth. Life before the pandemic wasn’t free of complaints. Commutes are making a comeback, dressing down is fading out of fashion, and things feel as they did at the end of 2019: confusing.
As we step out into this faster world—with busy roads and people who walk with a purpose—getting up to speed can be a real challenge. Racing driver Claire Jedrek likens life to the asphalt. “If there’s a big turn coming up and you go full speed ahead, you’ll never make it,” she says. “You’ll get understeer and crash into something.”
This story is from the September 2021 edition of Esquire Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2021 edition of Esquire Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE MILD HANGOVER
Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment
EYE OF THE TIGER
Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?
FUNNY BUT TRUE
A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.
Watches rock
Nobody needs a wristwatch. But it’s the things we don’t need that we covet most—and watches certainly fit the bill. They can be talismans of success, conversation pieces, expressions of taste, or simply good investments. In 2022, a banner year for top-notch releases, these 12 new watches were all of the above. That they also happen to tell us the time—without reminding us of all our unread emails—is really a bonus.
MEASURE OF TIME
Longines marks its 190 years with three exclusive and classic designs from its Master collection.
A WORLD OF ITS OWN
Ralph Lauren's Double RL line occupies a close and personal place in the American designer's sprawling universe-and it's finally here in Singapore.
FRESH FIGURES
Resort, Cruise, Pre-spring-call them what you will. The collections destined for boutiques towards the end of the year are packed with big ideas. On masculinity today and how it looks and feels; new shapes in tailoring and even a little fetish-garbed commentary.
NEW ROADS
Italian luxury menswear brand Zegna has quietly but surely embarked on a new direction. Its Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori tells us why this one makes all the difference.
