Fashion for the (play) boys

MANILA, Philippines - Action Jackson, Sporty Spice, these are standard monikers in my family and my close-knit friends. Most of my cousins were fairly to very active when we were young; I myself was always found outdoors playing sports, soaking up the sun and immersing myself in the deep blue on many weekends out of town. In those days, my beach-bound male friends and cousins relied on buying their clothes abroad, as board shorts and stylish surf and turf tees were not easily found at local retailers, and I remember closets filled with neon bright No Fear cotton crewnecks and even brighter Rip Curl rash guards. On a recent beach trip to celebrate the coming of the New Year, I was happy to note that my sun-and-fun loving male friends were looking very stylish in the locally designed and produced sporty label called Stoked Inc. A brainchild of former jetski enthusiast and competitor JV Borromeo, the brand is all about active lifestyle functionality and fashion. Being an athlete himself, Borromeo understood how clothes should move in and out of the water for maximum comfort, and still flatter the athletic form without being too tight and constricting.

Borromeo showed me the newest Twisted Nature Collection, designed primarily to entice every man’s “inner daredevil.” He expounded, “We’ve put together a series of core-oriented T-shirts that reflect the double life of the action sports enthusiast. On the one hand, he is a hardworking, driven, accomplished urban individual. On other days, he takes to the challenges of the natural environment and charges waves, ramps, and trails with the wicked abandon of a legitimate weekend warrior.” It is probably this design philosophy that attracted the brand’s ambassadors who, Borromeo is proud to note, approached him rather than the other way around. These “play” boys are no lightweights in the action sports field, namely footballer Anton del Rosario, runner and sports personality Rovilson Fernandez, surfer Akihiro Sato, and the Amazing Race Asia Philippine duo Rich Herrera and Rich Hardin. Of course, not all men are hardcore “play” boys like the abovementioned men, but they would at least be chic and comfortable in the board shorts made up of water-repellent material and a wider range of T-shirts that depict local images such as the Philippine eagle (The Flight series) or The Destination series which name-checks a certain choice surf spot on our shores.

Even if the clothes were designed primarily for the active male, Stoked Inc. is coming up with a women’s line that they plan to launch by summer of this year. I could imagine myself throwing on a Samurai tee or The Strip Tee, which is slimmer in fit and has an eye-catching “layered” logo look on it. The board shorts such as the Slaysh and Esquivel models are made with four-way stoked stretch material and inner-way lined pockets with a drain system — a great way to avoid the waterlogged look. It is interesting to note that the brand has also evolved since it started 10 years ago: it is now expanding (aside from a woman’s line) to accessories such as hats and backpacks, not to mention stores in Metro Manila, Cebu and Camsur. Prices won’t also break the bank, with T-shirts ranging from P820 to P850 and shorts P2,500 to P2,800. I try to support Proudly Philippine Made whenever I can and I’m quite happy to add this to my list of go-to stores whenever I think of a great gift for all those “players” out there.

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To get your hands on Stoked Inc., visit www.stokedinc.com.ph or ring 724-5886/721-2696 for store details, and on facebook.com/stokedinc.

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