Miranda-Inspired

As I analyze this #ootd, I couldn’t help but realize how eclectic this casual look was – Breton stripes, distressed jean jacket, PVC skirt and red MJ-like shoes. For someone who’s into coordinating pieces like me, you can easily tell that I wouldn’t come up with this idea of my own accord. Credit where is due, this is actually a borrowed look from the style maven Miranda Kerr. The original look is in the photo below. All I had to do though  was to improvise the pleated skirts since I don’t have it. The PVC fared well I suppose.

Oh Miranda Kerr. What a maverick! I have bookmarked and came up with a lot of her styles for the last year. Whether simply doing her errands or going to the airport, she never fails to supply me with covetable style. Not to mention, her always ready sweet smile for the paps and her cutest accessory, her son Flynn, a spot-the-difference that filled the comments section of my Facebook when I posted this. Haha! I will probably come up with a threeway look again here using one of Miranda’s favorites so watch out for it. J

Jacket: Mango

Top: H&M

Skirt: Asos

Shoes: Promod

Original look:

NYE: Sequins on Sequins

Did I say sparkle overload in “The Holiday Look” post below? Hahaha! How about this three sequined pieces in my look for NYE? Should I justify it with the rather dull colors? Nah. NYE is nothing if not the night of sparkly, sequined dresses. Period. Funny I was just reading an article about men’s POV on glittery dresses for tonight’s special occasion. “There’s only one room for one disco ball on NYE, and it should be hanging from the ceiling?” Whaaattt??? Haha, I’m sorry I will never EVER dress up for this type of guy. Lol!

I was inspired by the tip from the same website to look deeply on my wardrobe and create a budget-friendly and party-ready look. What I got is a revival look, more like! This dress was worn like 5 years ago for a supposed-to-be all-girls night-out in Singapore, when two of my best girls decided to check-in at the then newly built Marina Bay Sands! What did they say about nothing like scents to bring back memories? No, add #ootds in there too. Good times, haha! :D

Wishing everyone the best of 2015 has to offer! :)

Top: Forever21

Dress: Tomato

Clutch: Accessorize

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Orange is the New Black

I miss Bangkok. On the day I wore this dress (around June this year), I was supposed to leave for that city which includes sidetripping to Myanmar by myself. But I never left because I didn’t get time to prepare and the leave would entail 5 vacation leaves on a critical situation at work. Sigh.

I’ve gone two solo trips to Bangkok in the past and I never fail to visit the Jatujak weekend market. Never mind that I haven’t been to Pattaya and other interesting places near the city as long as I get to go to the JJ as what locals call it. Hahaha! Seriously, they aren’t called the Ladies’ market for nothing. For someone who gravitates toward the dresses during shopping, this market has really found its appeal to me. In the last hostel I stayed at though, the way going to the train is already peppered with side street stalls that sell pretty and ladylike dresses. It was all too much for me to handle that it made me realize then and there that one day I’m gonna live in Bangkok and sashay everyday in these unbranded dresses sold at the streets. Haha! I still fancy of going back next year. Hmm...

Necklace: Unbranded

Dress: JJ market (Bangkok)

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Vincci 

Bag: Charles & Keith

Sea Colours

Having had this dress for years now, I was pretty sure that I've exhausted all possible ways to style it. The graphic print makes it versatile for pairing with red or black shoes with matching belts. Sure, it worked with some layering and hosiery too. But one thing I realized recently is that updating a look doesn't always have to be with the use of accessories. Sometimes simply changing hairstyle can be a great factor too.

Admittedly, it’s my first time to experiment on a crown braid and I think (?) it worked for this look. Funny, I didn’t even watch some tutorials on this and just trusted my instinct on how to do it. Not bad I guess for someone who has zero hair styling talent. :P Even funnier, I haven’t had a repeat hairstyle since this ‘do from months ago. =))

And as for the title of this look? Let’s just say I should’ve added something yellow to complete all the names of the seas. =)

Dress: Petit Monde

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Bag: Charles 'n Keith

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Blazer: H&M (my brother's, lol!)

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Necklace: Unbranded

And because I believe there's really no rules in doing the crown braid, here's a close-up of my work.

The Holiday Look

One of the things about embellished skirts is that they are the ones you’d usually find on sale post holiday season. Right? And if you’re a girl who’s into glitz and glamour, your inner Becky Bloomwood would justify the purchase with a thought in your head that it’d be okay to wear it only during the festive season since it was acquired at a say, half the price. Well, the good news is sequined skirts can be toned down in a lot of ways and can even be work-appropriate! But since this is for festive dressing, here’s how I styled this sparkly skirt I got on sale.

I’m not usually to discuss do’s and don’ts in dressing here but I agree to stick to the rule that you should avoid sparkle overload when it comes to sequin-dressing. So, I simply matched it with a red peplum top and committed to the two-tone look. And for the accessory, I was just so glad that I have this gold sequined evening clutch in my closet. It couldn’t even fit my pressed powder, but yay it still is fun to have. Haha!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! =)

Top: Kashieca

Skirt: Mango

Shoes: CMG

Necklace: Mango

Bag: Accessorize

Watch: XOXO

Belted Scarf

If the third pic of this post (June 2013) is anything to judge by, then we do know that Burberry F/W 14 runway didn’t really start the belted scarf trend. It was me. Hahaha! Honestly, I remember that look I created when I first saw Olivia Palermo pull it off in a fashion show. It was just too bad that in the picture, it didn’t really show it was belted because I still recall that on that day – it rained and unfortunately, I left my umbrella. Meaning, what better way to use my scarf right? And once indoor, it didn't take long to realize that my plain bag needed more accessorizing than my already printed ensemble. Scarves indeed are so useful. =) The reference pic is also posted below after the jump.

In the revival of the look here though, I opted to use this pink scarf I got from a trip to Siem Reap around January last year. We were enjoying our coconut juice then after seeing the Terrace of the Elephants when some persistent peddlers bugged us with their merchandises saying repeatedly “Lady, 1 dollar.” Haha! It was so hard to resist them and so was this scarf's light girly pink shade. So to keep up with the trend I used it in this off-shoulder floral dress and staying true to the color, matched it with this flower-structured bag I got from Bugis in Singapore and suede pumps of the same hue. It used to be a fashion trend to match color of bags and shoes but I guess adding your scarf to it wouldn’t hurt too. =)

Scarf: Unbranded from Siem Reap

Dress: Warehouse

Belt: My Aunt's (lol!)

Bag: Unbranded from Bugis

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

#OOTD in THREE

Okay, so I have this nagging question within me that I don’t wanna know the answer. I was talking recently to a friend of mine who went to a trip to Korea and I teased him about his persistent use of a “monopod” since he was just third-wheeling during the trip. Lol! He replied that he had so much fun using it (yeah he’s corny like that, haha!) and that every selfie he takes reminds him of me. Say what???

Selfie. A self-portrait typically taken with a cameraphone meant to be uploaded to social networking sites. Yes I understand. This is very much what I do. But part of me wants to argue that I am not exposing different angles of my face for the world to see because I think I am pretty but that I am doing a self-timed shot of my whole body for a purpose – and that is to chronicle my style, however unprofessional that looks. Obviously, the legit ones have a devoted photographer with them - something I can’t seem to do for now. I want to propose that #ootd shouldn’t be categorized as a #selfie. Lol! How can I ever justify that? Haha! Anyway, Wiki didn’t say anything about documenting outfits so maybe that friend of mine has a wrong misinterpretation of the word. Or is it me? Lol.

Anyway, in my other blog I would often post a #threewaythursday article to show styling of a certain item in three. Today, I will feature this #OOTD shirt I got (it’s a men’s clothing) from a local brand. I’m an abuser of the hashtag and it’s screaming MEEEEEEE so I didn't have second thoughts buying it as soon as I saw it - even if I was just supposed to watch John Legend's concert that night. Lol! Check it out!

Shirt: Folded & Hung

Jeans: Topman (my brother's)

Bag: Charles & Keith

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Hat: Cotton on

Shirt: Folded & Hung

Skirt: ASOS

Watch: Mango

Shoes: Zalora

Necklace: Topman (my brother's)

Scarf: The Landmark

Shirt: Folded & Hung

Jeans: Mango

Shoes: Converse

Bag: Marks & Spencer

Specs: Flea market in Osaka

Blank Space

We all love our LBDs (little black dresses) but one thing that is as equally versatile as them is the LWD. Wearing white is always a great way to instantly create a fresh, chic look. And just like their counterpart, a solid white base leaves lots of room to play with. You can contrast it with darker outerwear (think leather jackets) or let it be a stylish backdrop for displaying interesting accessories.

For this unbranded LWD with peplum detail, I simply decided to match it up with a bright color to draw attention to my cobalt lace-up sandals. To stay true to the blue and white combo, I threw on my striped blazer and accessorized it with my flashy lens. For some reason, using it as a blank canvas reminds me of one of the Billboard’s Woman of the Year 2014 song, as the lyric goes…

"but I've got a blank space baby, and I'll write your name"

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Blazer: H&M

Dress: Unbranded

Shoes: Ezra by Zalora

Shoot with Photozuela

In one of my social networking accounts, I got an invite from the GM of a photo equipment brand Photozuela to participate in their "Photozuela Crown Project". The objective is to showcase real-life beauty around the Photozuela brand and the concept of "live your passion well-equipped" and "technology that emerges."

I told Ale, the general manager, about my hesitation since I'm not a pro model but he comforted me by saying that the target is to do it with amateur ones so I gave it a go. It wasn't for the modeling sake but more of a showcase of my styling talent. That day I realized that modeling isn't an easy life. It just looks fun and glam in the pics. :P If you must know, my whole body ached the next day from the different poses that the photographers made me do.  There were about six of them you know. Lol!

But I had fun as well networking with talents and have become friends even with some of them. For this post, I'm going to feature the work of one of the photographers who was quick enough to upload - we call him Sir Chip. Hehe. :) Please click on the link below to know more about the talents behind this shoot. And check out www.photozuela.com for all photography enthusiasts out there. =)

Overjoyed

Photography: Chipoy Cruz

Hair & Make Up: Anne Cillo (makeupmavenforever)

Styling: Cassey Cakes (that's me, lol!)

Sway

Photography: Chipoy Cruz

Hair & Make Up: Anne Cillo (makeupmavenforever)

Styling: Cassey Cakes 

C&C: Camel & Cobalt

For someone who like me who lives in a tropical country, it’s a big wonder how I developed this much love for capes! I’ve long noticed this wonderful invention when I blogged about it 2 years ago here in my other lifestyle blog and the pursuit hasn’t stopped since then. I really do think that this is one of the fashion industry’s excellent layering piece. It’s like a poncho, scarf and a draped jacket all rolled into one. Also, it is such a statement that can serve as a focus single item in your look that whatever is underneath becomes entirely negligible. Although I think when done in a really striking color combo (read: camel and cobalt below) can also make a big impact. Check also Atlantic-Pacific’s lead in an almost similar combo here.

It may have helped Superman fly in the air but let’s face it - wearing it does also have its inconveniences. Think: how to carry your shoulder bag, how to raise your arms and in this country, how to escape funny comments from bullies at work. Lol! I know that comfort must always precede fashion but sometimes you just gotta feel like a super girl with a super chic accessory! ;-)

Cape: Mango

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Japanese School Uniform

Japanese school uniforms are interesting because they are quite different from the standard school uniform of Western schools. It has been an iconic look of students in Japan because of the mangas and has even become uhmmm a fetish item for adult entertainment (what?!?!). I really didn't get that latter part but one look at it and I could say that it could pass for a corporate look - I mean the top part of course.

Today's #ootd feature is inspired by these so-called seifuku. It doesn't even have that sailor collar that reminds me of Sailor Moon but I learned that the students vary the layering styles according to seasons - hence here it is a blazer with a color that harmonizes with the skirt (it's actually a bright orange). The necktie is also another variation since most pictures would feature a bow. I just realized that I have experimented with different accessories before - suspenders, belts and hats but never a necktie. Why? Because I don't know how to do it. Lol! So what's the solution? Find a ready-made one in the kiddie section of the department store. Hahaha. I remember my brother having this when he was younger. =))) Of course, if the need arises like getting married in the future, I'd have to learn how to do the proper one for the husband. Right??? Riiiiiggghhhtttt! =))))

 Blazer: Mango

Buttondown: Mango

Skirt: Topshop

Shoes: Marks and Spencer

Bag: Charles 'n Keith

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Midi Madness

If you ask me, I don’t have any problems going back to the time when women wear skirts as full as this – the MIDI.  I was checking a brief history of women’s fashion prior to working on this post and I learned that this particular type of clothing was designed after the World War II, by Christian Dior nonetheless! It was referred to as the “New Look” silhouette, characterized by a small, nipped-in waist and full skirt falling below mid-calf length. I was actually tempted to wear my gloves (for shooting purposes only) but ran out of time to do so. That look would require an updo.

The skirt’s splat pattern is something familiar to you maybe. It was popularized by some style bloggers and fashion editors (Tibi) but I got mine from my trip to Bugis in Singapore two months ago. It was one of my happy finds. J

Dress: People Are People

Skirt: Bugis (Singapore)

Shoes: CMG

Bag: Marks and Spencer

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Blue & Pink Sneakers!

Dear Isabel Marant,

I may never afford this coolest invention of yours when it comes to footwear but thank you for brilliantly coming up with the wedge sneakers.

Love,

Cakes

Lol. Those high-top beauties. I never imagined myself integrating rubbers into my casual looks but if a popular French fashion house introduces it and celebrities follow suit then you might as well jump into the bandwagon. Thanks to many online shops, I found a colorful pair that is actually too colorful for my liking, lol. But I didn't wanna buy a pair that looks like anything from the original designs lest mine may look a cheap replica. Moreover, this pair I have is actually not wedge at all which is all the more great for dancing in the gym. ;) I've had this pair since 2012 which was debuted in this post and have worn it in countless ways but only noticed now that there's never a #threewaythursday post about it in my other blog, lol. So here's one of the look I pulled off using the sneakers. :)

Cap: Cotton On

Watch: Swatch

Dress: H&M

Buttondown: My brother's

Shoes: Online shop

Queen Bee

I'm fairly certain that if this were our high school uniform, I wouldn't look so prim and proper like below. But I love this style so much that I don't give up on recreating the look even if it means I'd have to wear this to work. Haha! But hey, costume holidays would be a nice excuse anyway. :D And what better inspiration to draw from than Queen Bee herself? I believe I've always been a Serena van der Woodsen kind of girl but allow me to be a Blair Waldorf this time. :) 

Top: Bayo

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Tory Burch

Socks: Forever21

Bag: Jatujak Market

Pleated Culottes

A skirt-trouser hybrid – this is what makes this piece tough to pull off. It is also the reason why I’ve had this for a long time but wore it only a couple of times thinking it’s not that bad since like the PVC skirt in my last post, I got it also on sale from the same shop. :P

But with its recent resurgence in the runways, countless inspiring ways have emerged to wear this wide-leg bottoms  and I just couldn’t help being inspired. So, in a matter of months, I’ve managed to wear it in three ways as seen in my other blog here. :P But my personal favorite would have to be the one below: with my inspiration for losing weight this year – the cropped top (haha!) and a tailored jacket.

My favorite feeling is whenever I walk down the stairs.  What with its volume, yes it flows and sways but no need to fear on seeing undergarments because it is essentially a pants. Haha! 

Blazer: Mango

Top: Forever21

Trousers: Topshop

Shoes: Ezra by Zalora

Bag: Charles 'n Keith

Sunnies: Flea market find

PVC!

When this skirt first caught my eye, it was on sale. The color is neutral and makes for an easy palette. Plus, it has my size. What’s there not to like? My friend Ana reacted in a way that says – “Go! Only you can pull that off.”  But seriously, PVC in a pencil cut is just like any other normal work skirt. Need further proof? Check the three ways I wore it here. It’s just a material that can be quite uncomfortable at first and inconvenient if you’re not in a say, well-ventilated area. Paired with a white buttondown below, it couldn’t be more office-appropriate.  J

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Top: Mango

Belt: Mango

Skirt: Topshop

Shoes: Janylyn

Necklace: Zara

Plumage

I don't have much to say about this dress except that this is an old one, like more than 6 years ago. I bought it for a cocktail party (a phone launch) when I was still working for Samsung. I was also 10 pounds heavier then perhaps, if I may add. Haha! Back then I wasn't much into trends and I don't know if this animal print is going to make it to a leopard or cheetah status so as to proclaim it "the new black". What are the chances? I can't tell. But I like it and I love wearing dresses from way back.

I ditched the original belt included with this dress ( a plain black one) and used my leopard belt to channel Katy Perry's songs - Roar and Peacock. Hahaha! :D

Dress: Petit Monde

Belt: Mango

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Bday Suit

Has it happened to you before? You're in another country spending your birthday weekend and all of a sudden, you receive a fancy lunch invitation from someone. I was even so proud to have packed lightly for my 4-day trip (everything in just one medium-sized tote with just a ballet flats and slip-ons). So you could just imagine how panicked I was when I got the invitation. This is truly a "I have nothing to wear" moment. Lol! I initially considered taking a raincheck but luckily I did my shopping quite early and scored this marked down high-low dress at H&M (15 SGD baby!). Well, the shoes were something new as well and somehow matched this vest (my airport-look!) though I know the whole look is best with heels. The earcuffs? Yes, I got them the same day with the dress. I've been looking for this since forever. I mean, don't you just love H&M? Haha! 

Oh and if you're asking, yeah the lunch date turned out fine. It was a good day! :)

Vest: Mango

Dress: H&M

Shoes: Rubi

Earcuffs: H&M

Watch: Mango

Lime Green & Cobalt Blue

Just when I told myself I don't need 'em lace-up booties, a sweet sweet sale online appears at my computer screen telling me they're practically a steal for around 17 USD.  They did not come in my intended color ( I originally wanted a black) but these cobalt babies looked better anyway! Don't you agree? In my Instagram caption (cassey_cakes), I highlighted the dotty top which is again borrowed from my brother (do you even call it borrowed without his permission? haha!) but there's no doubt about it, the shoes are the star of this outfit. It was really a good score! :)

As for the skirt, it's recently one of my favorite versatile piece and I will highlight it in another post perhaps. :)

Top: Zara Man

Skirt: The Ramp Crossings

Bag: Jatujak Market

Shoes: Zalora PH

Watch: Mango

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Crochet & Coral!

In my other blog, I made a round-up of another current events inspired outfits.  This post would've been a good outfit candidate for a June 12 Philippine Independence Day celebration holiday - a modern take of our very own traditional baro't saya. Sadly, I got the outfit idea a bit late.  I was more in sync with America's July 4th! But, since the SONA (State of the Nation Address) was recently held with everyone talking about the red carpet muses, I thought of sharing this post today.  Plus, it's August - Buwan ng Wika (National Language Week) which makes this a very timely post to embrace everything Filipino. :P

P.S.  I also got some "First Lady" comments when I wore this weeks ago. *wink*

Top: Cotton On

Skirt: Mango

Bag: Dorothy Perkins

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Necklace: Zalora

Emma-fied!

I still remember that moment where we all thought "Wow, look at her. She's all grown-up!"  It's that photo of her that circulated in the web soaking some sun while filming one of her movies two years ago.  And that was that.  Late and early this year I was on the lookout for Lupita Nyong'o's red carpet moments which are let's be honest, not exactly copy-able.  I wasn't looking much for style inspiration but there she is - always coming out everywhere looking so chic and sophisticated.  So when I found this ensemble that she wore for a Vogue Foundation Gala recently, I knew that it wouldn't take long for me to copy her look.  To deviate a bit, I injected my favorite animal print in my look. I've just been Emma-fied! I super duper love her! :)

Blazer: Forever21

Tank top: H&M

Belt: Mango

Trousers: Mango

Clutch: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Bebe

Sunnies: Sunnies Studios

Distressed DIY

I have this habit of raiding my brother's closet for some items to wear.  And today, it was this white V-neck tee with a bad chic print (not that I am, lol!).  I guess I'm never really a shirt and jeans type of girl so that's why I had to borrow from him.  As mentioned, you'll also seldom find me in jeans so when it occurred to me that I haven't worn this one below for about a year now, I reckon it  was a good guinea pig for some DIY project (and not my Pop's Levi's that I've been eyeing for some time now lol!).

Since distressed jeans are so fasyon right now, I attempted to be creative with my scissors last night. Riiiight.  Attempt is the term.  I believe the clothing material of this jeans wouldn't allow for some tassels as usually seen in the normal ones.  I didn't have the time as well as it was a flash bulb moment just as midnight was approaching (good job cakes! lol!) so this is all I came up with.  Haha!  But it earned about 13 likes in FB and around 17 likes in IG so I guess it's not that bad. Lol!  It's interesting though the likers in my Facebook are from some of my guy friends who don't usually like my #ootds.  Hmmmm.  Maybe they liked the shirt. Haha!

Blazer: Mango

Shirt: Triple P

Jeans: Human

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Watch: Mango

Sunnies: Flea market

Floral On Stripes

Credit where it's due, I have to admit that this look was copied from Nicky Hilton's last year as seen here.  Did you click on the link?  Coz if you did, you should've realized that this is quite a different take on her look. :P As soon as I saw her picture, I knew that however classy it looked, it's gonna be quite a challenge to recreate it.  It's really sad that some have predicted peplum as a transitional piece and hence finding an exact one in floral is not gonna be a good investment.  So, what to do?  I tried to "engineer" a floral peplum through layering - and in an unexpected way if I must add. Lol!  As seen below, here's a floral bustier thrown over a peplum top.  Yay or Nay? Haha!  The striped pencil skirt is something new and you could read a bit further about that in my other blog here. :)

I really love the peplum effect and here's to hoping it's here to stay! :P

Bustier: Topshop

Top: Mango

Skirt: Unbranded (Greenhills store)

Bag: Zara

Shoes: Marks and Spencer

Sunnies: Dotonbori market (Japan)

Lace x Lace

Call me shallow but apart for getting style inspirations from current events, I do dress up when I think of a nice caption too.  I don't know why, lol! You wouldn't believe what a corny caption did I manage to pull off on this one but hey, atleast it's a good combination.  Haha!  This skirt which has always been a yardstick of how much I gained or lost has been fitting really well for the least month thanks to my improved diet! So much that even layering a lace dress underneath is even possible.  Yes, this is a lace dress indeed! It has that same stretch material as that of the skirt which needless to say is only worn when I'm feeling super fit.  So hopefully, you'll get to see more of this dress in the future.  Oh and by the way,  still haven't mentioned the caption yet right? I'll save you the trouble of going to my IG (cassey_cakes is the handler if you must know, lol!).  Ready?  This.

Lace on Lace.  Because everybody feels "lacey" on a Monday.

Ok, kill me now! =)))))))

Sunnies: Dotonbori market in Japan

Dress: Mango

Skirt: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Necklace: Accessorize

Watch: Guess

The White Buttondown

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think nothing spells corporate more than a crisp white buttondown shirt.  Think: iconic looks like Miranda Priestly's in The Devil Wears Prada.  I myself had survived and championed (if I may add) many job interviews using that paired with of course the classic black pencil skirt.  But just like denim, this classic staple is not only limited to a basic black and white pairing.  It's a very versatile piece and can be worn in so many ways.  Here's another corporate styling using a gray wide-legged highwaisted trousers.  I may have channeled Miranda Priestly a bit in here.  So the question is, will this look pass for a fashion EIC? Haha!

Shirt: Mango

Trousers: Maldita

Shoes: Miss Selfridge

Necklace: Mango

Sunnies: Unbranded