MANILA, Philippines ? Singer Jan Nieto is a self-confessed neat freak when it comes to his closet space.

?If you notice, the clothes are arranged according to color,? he points out. ?It makes looking for specific items easier, especially if we have a color motif on (the GMA 7 show) ?SOP.??

The neatly arranged cabinet?s color palette, he explains, ?moves from white to brown, black, blue, green, yellow, orange, red.?

?The more colorful shirts are all on one side; while the suits and barongs are on the other,? says the singer who launched his eponymous debut CD on iMusic and Universal Records.

The orderly closet reflects his personality and, by extension, his career: no-fuss, clutter-free, everything in its proper place.

Tops

Jan describes his fashion sense: ?I can be experimental, but I?m also conservative. I know it sounds weird.?

He admits that he favors red and orange shirts from the G2000 and Spring Teen brands. ?All my long-sleeve shirts are either in bright shades or striped. Weakness ko ang striped shirts.?

He can also wear black, gray, or white. ?But when it comes to the design,? he says, ?I prefer the shirt to have a little twist.?

Jackets

He says that he?s currently rebuilding his wardrobe.

?I?m in the process of collecting new jackets,? he notes. ?The old ones are extra large. I?ve lost 50 pounds since leaving my old corporate job (in Unilever) and joining show biz. I used to weigh 210 pounds.?

He has passed on his plus-size shirts and jackets to an older brother who?s only too happy to oblige.

?He likes the same style as I do: stripes and all,? Jan says.

Scents

When it comes to scents, his current fave is Bulgari Aqua: ?It smells good.?

He also likes Acqua di Gio and Burberry Weekend. ?I?m partial to citrus scents,? he says. ?I don?t like strong perfumes. For everyday use, I prefer light fragrances.?

Family and friends often gift him with different brands. ?My fans gave me Bulgari Aqua on my last birthday,? he recalls.

Likewise prominent in his perfume collection are Joy by Jean Patou, Sun for Men by Jil Sander, Ralph Lauren Romance, Ralph Lauren Polo Black, Davidoff, Calvin Klein Crave, Issey Miyake and Kindred Spirit.

Gadgets

Apart from scents, his fans also gift him with gadgets.

For his birthday two years ago, they gave him a cell phone. ?They?re so sweet,? Jan says. ?I?m using the cell phone now.?

He installed a state-of-the-art home entertainment system in his bedroom as well, for marathon movie and concert-viewing sessions.

He also recently picked up photography as hobby, with his Canon 450-D. ?I?m fond of shooting landscapes, sunsets and still life,? he points out.

During this shoot, he got an impromptu lesson from the Inquirer photographer.

?Since I don?t know how to draw, I might as well take pictures. It?s another creative outlet and I usually post photos on Facebook,? Jan says.

Shoes

Although he has amassed lots of leather shoes, he also collects Converse Chuck Taylors. He likewise has Adidas and Nike Air, but nothing beats Chucks for daily wear, he says. ?You can wear it everywhere and it can go with anything.?

He also bought a shiny silver pair from Giordano Concepts: ?It?s perfect for shows.?

The most expensive pair in the shoe rack is Prada, but his all-time fave is the Gucci pair he got in the US seven years ago.

?It has sentimental value,? he notes. ?It was the first pair I bought with my salary in Unilever. It?s already worn, with a hole, but it?s still with me.?

Slippers

He also favors flip-flops. A fave is a pair of plain black Havaianas. ?I wear them everywhere,? he says. Until a well-meaning friend, director Mark Reyes, admonished him not to wear slippers in public. ?He says that, as a celebrity, I should look my best when I go out.?

Souvenirs

He displays souvenirs from his ?Philippine Idol? days?from photos to stickers and other trinkets?in the bedroom.

Fellow ?Idol? finalist Ken Dingle gifted him with laminated coasters with pictures of different travels with the entire gang.

The shaker is a memento from ?SOP.? ?I started on the show as a shaker boy,? says Jan.

The teddy bear is a gift for a niece. ?It was an excess present from last Christmas,? he recalls.

The entire home is brimming with various souvenirs from his parents? trips as well?from Japanese dolls to Murano crystals.

Bedroom Nook

The Japanese bed is from a shop along Wilson St. in Greenhills. ?It was low and had wenge finish, like the cabinets,? says Jan.

He got the cartel chair from a store on Gilmore, Quezon City: ?I got it cheap. It was on sale.?
The leather rocking chair, where he usually sits while channel surfing, was part of the old sala set. ?I just had it reupholstered,? he says.

The old wooden chest came from a brother?s house.

Jan makes fine use of his decorating skills in his new restaurant, Pow Food with a Punch, which he co-owns with fellow singers Gian Magdangal and Harry Santos and manager Paolo Bustamante. Jan?s job is to spruce up the venues when the resto has catering assignments.

Pocket Garden

His bedroom leads to a pocket garden with a small pond which serves as nursery for plants. He has a green thumb, too. ?I like gardening,? he says. ?I display fresh plants in my room.?

His mom takes care of the cacti and orchids, while he?s in charge of the topiaries and bromeliads.