Jon Yongfook Cockle is the 34-year-old founder of Beatrixapp.com, a social media virtual assistant that handles Facebook and Twitter on behalf of businesses. With his Pan-Asian good looks, this half-British and half-Singaporean Chinese switches easily between dapper gentleman and casual beach hunk. Unlike other dapper men who get their style ideas from magazines and television programmes, Jon gets his from older Italian gentlemen! “Entrepreneur Lapo Elkann is always dressed incredibly well. And Reinaldo Iragorri (he does PR for DKNY and has an Instagram of his daily outfits) is always stylish with his great attention to detail,” he explains.

Jon Yongfook Cockle

1. What makes a man stylish?

Attention to small details – like the style of shoes, shape of cufflinks, or colour of belt.

 

2. How much time do you spend on grooming each day?

Not that much... I have my routine down to a military-style precision! I keep my hair quite long these days too (without product it reaches down to my mouth!), so I spend less time styling it – most of the time I just brush it back, give it a slight parting and boom, done.

3. What’s your ultimate grooming secret?

I've been a dedicated LAB Series user for a few years now, so that's what I use on my face. I also obsessively use 100% pure aloe vera gel often, like after swimming or being in the sun. I like having a tan but don't want the dry skin and wrinkles!

But I think my ultimate secret is drinking lots of water. I always carry a bottle with me nowadays and I drink four to five bottles in addition to whatever else I drink in the day. I've noticed a very direct correlation between my skin condition and how hydrated I am. If I'm lazy and don't drink enough water, I get a zit on my face!

 

4. Relate a fashion disaster that you once had.

Actually, I just might be about to have one! I'm getting a sky blue, double-breasted linen blazer tailored and I'm really nervous about how it's going to turn out. In my head it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm thinking that it's going to be a disaster...

At the Grey Goose Guild 2013

5. What's the one common men's fashion trend you don't subscribe to?

I don't exactly know why, but I have a weird personal vendetta against white pocket squares in the presidential fold style – that's the "Don Draper" style where the pocket square appears as a thin, straight fold. It just feels really clinical and cliché to me - pocket squares are an opportunity to add some personality to your outfit, not make you look like a robot!

 

Photography: Lionel Lai, AcePix; Grooming: Sophion Loh