How to Roll Up Your Sleeves

Ever since ex-President FVR folded-up the sleeves of his barong to appear more like a hands-on President, wearing the sleeves folded up has been an acceptable thing in the workplace.

I really believe rolled-up sleeves gives a guy an immediate air of “I’m ready to get down to business.” A guy with rolled-up sleeves is the go-to guy - the one everyone turns to when things get hectic and tense. Rolled-up sleeves give the impression that a guy is quick to act, no-nonsense and respected. Now below are some guidelines on looking cool while you keep the "I'm a hands-on type of guy" aura about you.

STYLE 1:

1. First, unbutton your cuffs.
2. Flip the cuff over, then pull it up toward the elbow, smoothing it as you go. Stop when the cuff is just above the elbow.
3. Evenly roll the inside-out material hanging below the cuff up until it covers half of the cuff.
4. Leave the rest of the cuff visible, so that it peeks out of the roll.

STYLE 2:

1. Unbutton your cuffs.
2. Fold the cuff up to the same width as the cuff.
3. Continue folding the cuff, making sure that the folds are the same width as the first cuff fold, until your sleeve is the desired length.
4. Be sure to smooth the fold after each roll to prevent lumps and wrinkles.

STYLE 3:

Italian Style

1. Unbutton your cuffs.
2. Flip the cuff up, then pull it up until it reaches the middle of the elbow.
3. Fold the shirt material below the cuff up either once or twice, depending on your length preference and how thick you want the roll to be, until it reaches the top of the cuff.
4. An Italian fold never goes past the elbow. The roll is always tight and flat, without any bulk.

Chinggay Andrada

I've always been a fan of Chinggay Andrada. From a Monster Radio DJ, an FHM Cover Girl, host, model to television fitness guru, Chinggay has reinvented herself countless times and has succeeded in everything she set her mind to.

Last year, I had the chance to work with her while still handling part of the Marketing of Skechers as we tapped her to be one of the fitness brand ambassadors. After the launch of Skechers PROSPEED in Fitness First Trinoma, she actually asked me to do exercises in the Trinoma hallway in full view of everyone --- I couldn't understand what she wanted me to do!

But to my surprise, she got down on the floor and demonstrated to me what I was supposed to do while some curious onlookers were actually there calling out her name. I suppose the people realized that Chinggay is the same Coach Chinggay in the Biggest Loser Philippines --- I mean what they see on TV is actually how she is in real life --- the way she would bark orders, how strict she was and at the same time how she always has a ready smile to put you at ease.

Hopefully sometime soon, I do get the chance to work with her again.

By the way in the photo, am wearing my loose jeans (A BIG NO NO!), my too tight Fred Perry copycat bought in Greenhills (some said tama lang ang fit) and my size 11 Skechers Prospeed which I do use for running, and my SOMA watch (feeling sporty again).

How to Wear Jeans - Basic Guide

Wearing jeans are the most normal thing for us Pinoys as the national casual wear is jeans with a sports shirt or a plain tee. Below are some very basic guides on how to wear jeans.

1. Baggy jeans are a no-no unless you're going for a slim shady, hip-hop look. Chances are if you're reading this blog, you do own these baggy jeans for comfort because of your size --- but wearing them makes you and I look fatter! Go for the straight cut my friend.
2. Wear your jeans just below your waistline. I've seen guys wearing them too high and they just look downright silly.
3. As for the fit, AskMen.com gives this advise: A good tip to know if your jeans fit properly is to try them without a belt; if they fit and stay on without having to wear a belt, it means they will look even better once you slip one on. Also, be sure you can still breathe when you have them on, because having extremely tight jeans looks as silly as when they are hanging on your knees.
4. I've also seen a lot of guys sporting what the British call "turn-ups" --- folding the cuffs of the jeans from anywhere between 4 to 10 inches. If you don't like the look, just have them altered to your length.
5. As for color Dark blue is the way to go. Dark-colored jeans easily match with most types of shoes, and can be combined with a variety of colored shirts and sweaters.

Gaby dela Merced!

Veering away from fashion for a while, let me just share with you one of the people who have inspired me the past years, Gaby dela Merced --- actress, race car driver, and all-around nice person (by the way, she's Godmother to my baby girl).

I've had the chance to work with her before when we got her as a brand ambassador to one of the online games I used to market called Crazy Kart in Level Up. Read more about Gaby here.

Oh, did you notice the shirt I'm wearing? It was a shirt we designed to give away to players of Crazy Kart (similar to Mario Kart). This is my favorite design in the set.

The picture on the right is the Crazy Kart Game Management and Marketing team (aka Steamroller, DriftKing, RaceBoss-me-, Slingshot) with Gaby.

Happy Weekend!

Should I buy the PUMA Easter Basket?

I just love sneakers!

A friend of mine, Andy Smith is selling a PUMA Easter Basket. I don't know what's so special about it except that they do look pretty neat. Researched a bit and found this on the web via http://sneakernews.com.

The Puma Basket might not be as famous as its similar siblings the Clyde and Suede, but there’s little doubt these are the best fit for this pack. The Puma Easter Basket is a play on words that translates well to the lowtop silhouette.

The black joints feature icy greenish-blue and deep purple accents. It favors an Easter egg design in lieu of the Puma logo on the heel tab.

Hmmm at Php2,500 it does seem like a steal. So what do you think?

Sporty

I do try and lose weight by running and by walking most of the time. SO after doing a 3K around the neighborhood or if sometimes I get the chance to run laps in ULTRA, I want to keep that sporty feeling the entire day so I end up wearing this set.

Putting Collezione Back on the Map

Had the chance to be a consultant once for Collezione C2 and one of the things I said was we needed to get the brand back on everyone's fashion radar --- a distinctively young, fresh and nationalistic idea or take on the designs and collections --- this was the time that the youth was decidedly very pro-Pinoy.

And fashion designer and now Collezione C2 creative director Rhett Eala stepped-in and did his magic of coming up with the Philippine Map designs.

Oh this did wonders for the brand but then again after a few months and after getting so much acclaim for the designs, Collezione C2 suffered the most flattering insult --- it got copied by everyone! How hard was it to put the Philippine map on a shirt right?

If I were still the consultant, I would be asking and finding a solution to this question: SO after the Philippine map, what's next?

Anyway, three things the copycats didn't do right were the "burda" of the map --- it was downright sloppy unlike the one made by Collezione C2; and another thing was the quality of the polo shirt itself. The quality of Collezione-made polo shirts is, really for me unequaled since the 80s (kudos to Mr. Joey Qua and family).

The third and last is the most important --- the cheaper copycat versions didn't have OUR size!

As I wrote before, if your waistline is somewhere in the vicinity of 40 to 42 inches, get the 2XL from Collezione C2.

By the way, they still have sizes up to 4XL. GREAT!