Hey everyone, I have made a great discovery!! Have you ever wanted to design a printed tee exclusively for yourself? Or did you ever dream about launching a clothing brand but don’t have the know-how for an online shop? Well, I may have just the answer.   

  Last Saturday, my friends over at CustomThread invited me and some other fellow bloggers to their website launch, and for an afternoon of tours, entertainments, and utter delight. But first, you may ask, what is CustomThread exactly? Well, I had the same questions, so I made a little research here and there. Over at CustomThread, they take customizing apparel to a whole new level. From T-shirts, jackets, sportswear, corporate uniforms, to casual outfits, they offer personalized designs whether you’re ordering one or one million pieces.   

  Having had an experience in the fashion retail industry as an owner of a retail line once, I’ll tell you that this came as a surprise to me. I was surprised that they’re not some little kiosk that prints t-shirts, but can handle every step of your fashion needs--from creating designs, sourcing fabrics, down to tailoring little details like zippers and buttons. I mean, of course, big companies like that have always existed but they always cater business owners who order in bulk, not individuals who just want to have fun with a shirt of their own. And this, to me, is where their magic comes from.   

  For the first time in the Philippines last Saturday, they have launched an all-inclusive platform with a build-your-own-design app, cost estimate "calculator," and seamless services for handling payment to delivery. It’s every fashion entrepreneurs’ dream, indeed, but it may also be a dream come true for many of us who just want to create a shirt of our own.   

  As for the afternoon itself, I admit it was a bit hazy because of the open bar that I may have abused just a little bit. HAHAHA! I am only glad that I was able to take some outfit shots before well..you know.  

Have a shout-out on the comment section down below. Did you like my discovery? What do you think of this attire? 

 Hello, guys! Let me yet again welcome you all to my humble page. For today’s post, let me first share a realization. I was having a (maybe drunken) conversion with my non-blogger friend a couple of days ago about why I blog. He queried, “so Ronwell, why do you blog?” And I was like, I don’t know; I like doing it. I like styling myself, and I like sharing said style to others. In my mind, my only mission is to inspire my readers & followers alike to find their inner style. However, as pointed out by this friend, I never really considered that as a Filipino blogger, maybe I should aspire for something bigger; that is, to help promote local clothing brands for so many reasons such as to help Filipinos overcome colonial mentality, help those who cannot afford foreign brands feel assured and proud of what they wear, etc. And that got me thinking.  

 One problem with so many Filipinos (myself included) is that a lot of us would rather buy foreign rather than local brands. Some do this by choice, others by habit. Personally, I just never really got used to buying local because…well I don’t know; I never got used to doing so. I excused this by saying that local brands are of inferior quality, but really, we all know that’s not true for all. There are many of those that strive to be as competitive in terms of design and quality as their foreign counterparts. My friend then went straight to pointing out that after a year of reading my blog, he never saw me wear any locally produced/marketed piece of garment. And this, he said, raises a problem. First, it supports colonial mentality, and second, it is insensitive to those who can’t afford foreign brands. To be honest, I never realized this at all because…well, I never really (over)think things but when I did, I realize he was right. As a menswear blogger and influencer, I have the ability to help others give local brands a try, to help them see that it’s not so bad at all. So let me make a promise that I’d be more patronizing of these brands, especially those sold by small enterprises.

  Anyway, here I am, wearing my SM Youth apparel from head to ankle HAHAHA! Shoes are from Dr. Martens so I couldn’t really say head to toe TEEHEE.

To say a few words, I love how the shirt has adopted that long tee street wear addiction right now; it’s very 2016. I also love how the bomber jacket is just as good as its foreign counterparts in terms of design, while having in mind the condition of the weather here in the Philippines in terms of its production. I mean, unlike foreign brands, it’s not as think and thus not as hot, perfect for the tropical weather here in the country.

 A quick update on what I’ve been doing, guys. A couple of days ago, I did a shoot for my friends over at JustThingsPh, which, in their own words, “is a one stop shop for your street wear needs”. And it was truly that. From your favorite baseball/snapback caps, to your favorite long tees, to everyone’s favorite sneakers (including limited/hard to find ones), and even to the littlest things like accessories, etc., you name it- they have them all! As a lover for all things street wear, I was pumped to say the least. 

 Located in D lucas commercial center in Antipolo, it has become a hub for celebrities, street wear enthusiasts, and sneaker lovers alike. It was a little hard to find them at first (like most places), but once you found them, you know you’ve hit a treasure mine. Besides, you can always use Waze. Duh  

 Anyway, here’s some shots from the collab. Visit their Facebook Page for more, or follow them on Instagram: @justthingsph. Also, you may want to follow @justthingssquad for your daily street style inspiration. 

  Let’s take a break from my travel outfits and focus our attention on one clothing piece that I have grown to love just recently: pullover sweaters.   

 Correct me on this, but I seem to remember a time when sweaters, especially knitted pullover sweaters, were dorky and everyone was advised to stay out of it lest you get teased. Personally, I was advised (by myself) to keep at least a 10mile distance away from it. HAHA! And I did…for a time, that is, until recently.  

  For some reason, the law of fashion had shifted, and sweaters were given a proper place in the men’s fashion world. Since then, it has snaked itself through many guy’s wardrobe, and has placed itself as a player in many “style”- be it the preppy look, the laid-back, etc. Just recently, it has even made its way into street fashion. Now looking back, I don’t even know why I hated them. I ransacked my parents’ wardrobe and salvaged tons of sweaters I remember hating on them but have grown to love now. Had I started buying and collecting them all those years back, they’d be novelty by now.  

 This knitted pullover sweater is a good example of how sweaters had made its way into street fashion. It represents what all good sweaters should be to stay relevant in the street style industry- fresh without being odd, fun without being goofy, and loud without being tacky. I paired this particular sweater with jogger pants and sneakers to maximize that street-look effect. Maybe this is just men, but I also felt like it has a bit of that Korean flare despite the city written on it hence I paired it with some black rimmed glasses that Koreans seem to love.   

  Tell me your thoughts on this outfit on the comment box below. 

  Hey, all! How has it been? As promised, here’s part two (day 2) of my DC trip. But if you haven’t read the part 1/day 1 yet (which is a mistake), you may view it by clicking on this link     

  Anyway, day 2 of our DC trip was surprisingly cold. It, being on the start of summer, I thought I’d be forced to wear tank tops and the usual attire you’d expect to wear on a usual summer day. But such was not the case, as you can see- me wearing leather and all, clad in black. Thank god I was prepared; well, I had to be since I blog fashion and stuff. But more on my outfit later.   

  First, let’s talk about my day 2. Hmm..day 2. What can I say? It was just all about the usual city tour and whatnot. Very tourist-y, I know. Had it been my way, though, I would have avoided the city tours (just for a day) and instead explore the non-touristy sites in Washington. Maybe a coffee shop only a few know about, or a bar behind an alley, or maybe even go on a hike. I don’t know what and where these non-touristy areas are but I know they exist and DC surely has some, maybe even a lot of them. But alas, I was touring with my family and they’re the most tourist-y of tourists you can prolly meet. HAHA! Still, it was fun.   

Going around the city, I realized the magic behind DC. As I mentioned on my previous post, DC has successfully combined the charms of both the North and the South. I like that. You can live the city life with the suburban feel. 

  Having been born and raised in the metro, I’m used to crowded areas, and that hectic, fast-paced life. I’m not sure if Washington is all these too, and I just didn’t realize it because I’m not living in it. But based on my experiences with it so far, it wasn’t like that at all. Well, maybe just a bit but not what one would expect on a capital city. For while DC may be a city, it also exudes the charms of a suburb- that relaxed, worry-free feel. Case in point, a guy in a suit biking to god-knows-where. A park in the middle of the city full of skater dudes. A coffee shop full of hipsters reading a good novel, and not giving an eff about life. These are not something you’d see in every metropolis. And for these reasons alone, I have fell in love with a city.  

What I'm Wearing: Leather Jacket (Zara), Shirt (H&M), Jeans (Topman), Sneakers (Bershka)

  Moving on to my attire, as I mentioned, I wasn’t expecting for a cool weather. I was prepared with backup outfits to my shirts and tank tops but not much. Good thing I brought this very trusted leather jacket. I had long since realized that it’s always advisable to pack one just in case. Case in point, this surprise of a weather. Anyway, you could pair it with pants or with shorts, and you’d still look good. For this particular outfit, though, I wanted to bring more of that street, highsnobiety look (for a lack of better term to describe my idea) into it but the leather jacket wasn’t making it very easy  (this is one reservation I have against leather jackets) Thus, the baseball cap. Truly, accessorizing is key. 

What I'm Wearing: Snapback (Bershka)