My Days as a Jolog
June 8, 2002
Jologs ako nun at hindi ko talaga pwedeng ipagkaila. (Kung jologs pa rin ang tingin mo sa akin ngayon, i-cancel mo na ang subscription mo sa GQ 'no!) Kasi naman, nung nasa college ako, I loved wearing this pair of curdoroy pants na baston cut at rust-colored. Pag naglalakad nga ako sa UP campus from the residence hall (I stayed at Kalayaan) to Palma Hall at namumulaklak ang mga firetrees sa daan, blend na blend talaga ako sa kapaligiran kasi kakulay ng pants ko ang mga bulaklak ng mga punung-kahoy.
Fave ko rin nun yung kung-fu shoes. Mura kasi at next best thing siya sa classier na espadrilles which I can't afford at saka hindi ako sanay mag-shop sa Cash& Carry or Cartimar. Meron kasing mga taga-Kalayaan na taga-Pampanga at me access to these PX goods. Yun, bumili rin ako ng isang black pair at isang brown pair.
Saka nun, hindi pa ako aware na dapat ang socks e terno ang color either sa shoes mo or sa pants mo. Keber ko ba? Basta ba me socks ako e hindi ko na worry ang color coordination. (Pero hindi mo naman akong mahuhuling naka-red socks nun 'no.)
Pero kahit siguro pa'pano, me flashes of intelligence din naman ako nun sa pananamit. One time, suot ko yung Collezione ko na navy blue na medyo see through ang effect. Tapos suot ko din ang grey canvas pants. Nagkataon naman na meron akong rubber shoes na grey with navy blue stripes (forget ko lang though yung brand nung shoes ko, pero Adidas yata). Aba, I got compliments sa get up ko huh.
Pero most of the time, clueless talaga ako sa pananamit. Hindi rin naman nakatulong na wala rin akong pambili ng whatever is stylish or in vogue nun. After all, literally iskolar ako ng bayan. I was working in Kalayaan as a resident assistant (R. A.). In return for my services, UP didn't charge me anything for enrolment fee and miscellaneous fees. Me allowance pa akong P150.00 a month. Libre din ang room at food sa dorm.
As an RA, primary role namin ang maging big brother nang mga freshmen. Kaya nga, we check on the freshmen assigned to us (RAs are assigned two to each floor; with two residents per room and with about 25 rooms to each floor, we are kuya to about 50 young men) every night to see if everyone is in his room and not engaging in 'neighboring', check if the freshman has issues which he may want to talk about, and generally make the freshmen feel na hindi sila alone. On the lookout din kami for potential problem areas such as the recruitment of the freshmen as frat neophytes or if there are drug or marijuana users among our wards.
On the administrative side naman of running a dorm, we help the dorm management plan activities such as acquaintance parties, quiz shows and sports tournaments, to keep the residents busy with non-academic pursuits. Meron din ngang supervision of dorm residents' leadership council elections. We also man the dorm counter after the regular dorm employees have gone home. While manning the counter after working hours and on weekends, RAs are expected to entertain visitors of residents, specially in terms of locating the residents (through a paging system) whenever visitors come a-calling.
During my time as RA (1980-1984), there existed a family atmoshere among us RAs and the dorm management and staff. Which meant that like any other family, hindi lahat ng pagkakataon ay smooth-sailing. Napakarami ring rough spots specially in our inter-personal relationships. Without going into the details (at least dito sa Robertisms issue na ito), the experiences nonetheless contributed to my growth, lalung-lalo na emotionally. I mean, ikaw ba naman ang masadlak sa isang bahay with many strong-willed and independent-minded people who are also supposed to be smart, hindi malayong maging frequent ang clashes of personalities, not only over ideas but even over eccentricities as well.
Sadly though (although pwede din happily kasi wala rin naman sa kanilang naging fashionplate), no one among the RAs influenced me to be a trendier clotheshorse. Mas malaki pa ang credit na ibibigay ko kay Dennis. Si Dennis naman, subtle lang mang-influence. Hindi ka naman iha-hard sell. Basta, mai-imbibe mo na lang ang fashion sense niya.
Pero siyempre, in time, I would like to think na I evolved my own style which I look at as veering toward the classic and conventional. Kung titingnan mo ang wardrobe ko, ang daming plain/solid/block colored shirts as well as checkered/plaid ones. Long-sleeved dapat although me paisa-isa ding short sleeved. Marami din akong whites. Unusual sa akin ang printed. Most of my trousers are of the classic colors: black, brown, grey and midnight blue. For pants, I go for the usual denims and khakis. I once attempted wearing a screaming tangerine pair of cotton pants after having seen it worn by a Chinese mestizo-looking Filipino, topped by a simple white shirt. No dice; hindi bagay. Since then, loud colored pants have been a no-no.
Actually, maraming no-no sa wardrobe ko. I do not exactly know why pero even if you see vests in my cabinet, hindi ko siya laging nasusuot [and for that matter, even the vest-type (sando) undershirt; I used to wear them when I was a boy though]. Meron din akong bath robes pero hindi ko siya madalas gamitin. Meron din akong suits (the very first ones I bought at nun lang 2001 ito at sa Istanbul pa) pero hanggang hanger lang sila. Formal wear has never been my cup of tea. Siguro kasi, wala naman talagang maraming occasions to wear one. Sa mga kasalan and any event that might warrant formal wear, a barong tagalog is the easiest to get away with, I think.
In my fashion sense evolution, I learned that it is important to always think na you have this imaginary wardrobe which you are trying to build with every garment or accessory purchase you make. Dapat lagi mong iisipin kung babagay ba siya sa wardrobe na yun. Meron ba siyang ka-terno so you could easily mix and match it with anything already in the wardrobe? Consistent ba siya with the look and silhouette you want to achieve? Saka when you buy your trousers, meron bang socks that will match? When you spy a nice pair of shoes, itatanong ko muna to myself if available kaya ang belt in the same shade?
The look should permeate even inner wear such as undies and yung mga pambahay. Wala akong pyjama habit kaya pashorts-shorts na lang ako. Feel ko hindi masyadong bagay sa aking ang puruntong shorts kaya mas marami akong Jockey-like versions.
Kay Dennis ko rin nakuha ang pagkahilig (ng konti) sa accessories. Yang mga trinkets na yan, wala akong kamuwang-muwang diyan noon. Pero ngayon, dapat ang mga iyan ay color-coordinated din. And this goes for glasses and watches too. Never been fond of caps kasi I hate the imprint caps leave on your hair.
Another important lesson I stumbled upon is to buy from trusted brands. Saka yung huwag masyadong maging eclectic pagdating sa sources mo ng damit and accessories. Hindi naman sa pagiging brand-conscious pero it pays to buy this higher-priced merchandise kasi iba naman talaga ang feel ng fabric. It's a wiser strategy though if you buy at sale time.
If my funds will allow it, ayaw ko ring bumili lang ng isang piece. Gusto ko maraming pieces from the same 'collection' para pag isinuot mo, you not only make a fashion statement but a whole paragraph. Borders on the Imeldific pero....
Finally, I believe that I must have the body to wear these clothes kaya ang next project ko is body building.
