Burning Hot in Blue
by Iya P. Joson on July 28, 2010
Even Tyra can’t pull this catwalk off.
The ramp? Spiraling, sky-high staircases. The lighting? Bright fluorescents glaring against cool linoleum. The critics? 20,000 screaming UAAP enthusiasts.
No, this isn’t Bryant Park, nor is it the season for Fashion Weeks and Anna Wintour. Rather, it’s that time of the year when boys, basketball and the vibrant colour of blue come together, giving a dashing adrenaline-filled spectacle to its viewers.
In this era of televised games and fabilioh.com, gone are the days when going to the Araneta Coliseum decked in a white tee with a frayed blue lanyard hanging around your neck was enough. Sure, we’re all for the toothy smiles and feisty fist pumps, but nothing quite says devoted school spirit like eye-popping clothing, especially when they come in the most royal of blues.
Don’t slack off for Round Two, g tells you how to watch your favorite UAAP games in style with comfort to boot.
Say it with us: Comfort! Comfort! Comfort!
First things first: don’t let the bright lights delude you, because a basketball game is still a basketball game. That means high heels, shoes without straps, plunging tops, pit-stain-prone shirts and irritating hair accessories are out of the question.
Wearing any of these would immediately hold you back from truly experiencing the very essence of a live game—jumping up and down, raising your hands up in the air, and actually watching the game without unsightly headgear disrupting your view.
Migo Salvador, a classic blue-blooded male, shares that he already has an array of Ateneo shirts and jackets to choose from for the UAAP season. The Loyola Schools Bookstore (MVP Basement) and the A-Shop (Xavier Hall) are common stopovers for tees.
But where you get the goods hardly matters; the important thing is, as Migo says, “you better come in blue”.
Party dresses: Only patronized at Patron
Pia Ojeda, the Blue Eagles’ student manager, says that she’s had her share of seeing ringside spectators decked out in full dresses and Barongs. However, for the rest of us mere mortals who don’t own multi-billion peso companies or have a say in running the Philippine government, we need not dress up formally to see the Eagles run around the court.
In the Upper Boxes, where the fun really happens, ripped shirts are picked over party dresses, and face paint has the upper hand over fancy polos. And for as long the screeches of basketball shoes are within hearing range, the art of ‘grunging’ up a shirt and painting your face in the name of style aren’t considered tacky. Just like the Eagles’ fighting spirit, these trends aren’t dying anytime soon.
Accessorize with caution
Third Fernandez, campus celebrity and a fiercely loyal UAAP fan, admits a love for accessories. But when game time comes, Third says chunky chokers and the other fancy brouhahas are better off inside your bag, and nowhere else near your body.
Roxy Valencerina, a former fashion intern at the Robinsons Specialty Stores, says that stringing your wrists with baller bands is a much safer way of accessorizing. Even better, this trick applies to both girls and guys too.
So leave your bling collection at home and make sure the bags you carry with you to the game aren’t little clutches or purses. We like backpacks and shoulder bags, because they’re practical, safe, and nothing short of cute. Plus, when a bag is attached to a body, the possibility of them disappearing after a jumpshot becomes nil.
Comfort and security with a dash of spicy style— that’s the trick to looking good while watching the Blue Eagles slamming the basketball court right in front your eyes. Now all you need to do is cheer your heart out and hope to the sweet face paint on your cheek that we all come out of Araneta Coliseum with a fresh victory in hand.
