Trends to Retire in 2016

For someone who likes getting more mileage out of items in my closet (as documented in my favorite fashion app), it’s really sad seeing these forecasts.

While a lot of fashion websites made their own list, each different on their own, I’m sticking to my favorite fashion guide for this post. Not only did they narrow it down to three (THREE) items to retire (win, haha!), they also made a list of items to adopt for next year. Check it here.

Though I don’t necessarily agree with all of them, (I mean I’ve just blogged about neoprenes here *insert crying emoji*), but I’d have to agree that too much of a good thing is bad already. I guess I’ll just have to wait for them to be cool to wear again. On the positive side, I’ll make some space for others in my closet. my stubborn self insists that I can pull combos to make them cool again. Hahaha! 

Anyway, for you fashion girls hopping here, this is what the creative director of a trend forecasting company listed. Try to make positive use of this info in such a way that if you see these trends on sale, perhaps try saving instead for their list of items to adopt for next year. J

1. Peplum tops. I scrolled down my feed and noticed that it’s true that I haven’t worn them much lately.

Top: Mango; Skirt: The Ramp Crossings Shoes: Marks & Spencer

2. Neoprene skirt. Say it’s a temporary au revoir! But I really love this midi! *sigh*

Top: Apartment8; Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

3. High-Low Dresses. I have no qualms retiring this one. It was acquired on sale last year and I have maximized it’s full potential I believe. Okay, I still have one more plan for this. Haha!

Jacket: Topshop; Dress: H&M; Shoes: Adidas

The Wedding Emcee

A wedding that took 9 months to prepare. Wow. Of course I know some other rushed weddings because of unexpected circumstances but this one is different. Having it scheduled on the 24th, I know it was tough but I’m so proud of my friends for pulling it off.  As a close friend helping out on the preps the night before the big day, I felt the stress that I had to joke and tell my friends that nobody should get married next year. Lol!

But my takeaway from the wedding? Seriously. If a guy really wants you, he would really work quickly to secure you. Haha! That’s how my guy friend worked. Lol! The wedding was far from perfect what with some vital parts missing but I felt the intimacy having been a part of the couple’s relationship that only started this year. And the most shocking part was, me emcee-ing the wedding. Yes, that really made it imperfect. Hahaha!!! I got a not bad comment from a friend though. I’m gonna be okay with that. J

Dress: Apple & Eve (also here); Skirt/ Bag: Mango (also here); Shoes: CMG

Denim Top Half Style Tricks

Funny! I was photo time traveling the other day in Timehop when I found out something strange. There was a photo of me taking a group picture in the mirror of the elevator for two consecutive years (3 and 2 years ago but with a different group of friends). Apparently, aside from the intuition to wear the same dress or color code on the same time of the year as posted here, you also have the habit of doing the same things on a certain day. Hmm, I need to make a research about this theory on behavior. Lol.

Maybe this theory is responsible for this half-styling tricks that I notice I keep on doing my denim tops. Though the photos don't involve any time factor, I guess there's just something appealing to me about these tricks that I keep on doing them again and again. :P

Half-tuck. The half-tuck trend started somewhere around 2013 and is still carried on until this year according to some NYC  fashion editors here (photo taken around Sept 2014). I thought that doing this style trick in this combo resulted to a better colorblocking highlight. :)

Blazer/ Necklace: Mango; Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Half-Buttoned. The half-buttoned look is just a good way of reinventing your old buttondowns or rather in this case, my brother's acid wash that I keep on borrowing using. Hehehe. :P I believe this was worn during the height of the crop top fever so leaving a few of the buttons below unbuttoned is a subtle nod to the trend. ;)

Top: Topman (also here); Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Mango

Half-worn. Okay, I'll admit I did not wear this thing this way. Haha! But I thought it was a cool way to highlight just the other half of the distressed denim jacket so I could let my hair down on the other side. :)

Jacket/ Shoes: Mango; Top: Penshoppe; Skirt: Zalora

Traveling in Pinafores

While most of us are familiar with the word denim jumper, allow me to educate you with the proper terminology – it’s called pinafores or apron dress. This style is a cross-over with dungarees though or denim over-alls but the latter is broader since the bottom part of over-alls could take up too many forms (shorts, pants or longer skirts). The denim dress and over-alls became a trend during the summer so it's not a surprise if their close relatives like pinafores would emerge too. Why not? It’s such a versatile piece and I think is ideal for traveling.

P.S. Looks from this post were from the East Coast summer trip. =D

For traveling, I actually like to keep it sporty since it will involve a lot of exploring. While out and about in New York, I chose to layer mine with crops, as a way to welcome the summer season and pair it with my Roshe kicks as seen below. Pic was taken from the 9/11 memorial hall on Jersey side.

Top: Topshop; Pinafore: Mango; Shoes: Nike

While in Ontario, I opted for another matchy matchy in color look with this white crop top and Stan Smiths. This is one of my favorite photo by the incredible Niagara falls. 

Top: H&M; Pinafore: Mango; Shoes: Adidas

Safety Pin Style Hacks ;)

Once again, we interrupt your regular style programming to share with you the style benefits of using a drumroll please…. Safety pin! Haha! Seriously, they don’t all go missing in the gym for no reason! Atleast I can vouch for the female lockers, haha! Okay, in some branches in my gym where they don’t use the magnetic card, the locker keys have pins in it so members can easily attach them to any of their properties like towels and never forget them anywhere. That’s one practical use of it but not in styling. So…

When this article was released about it, I just simply felt the urge to share because first of all I like enumerations and lists. And funny, I’ve done 3/ 5 of their recommended use of safety pins. So let me highlight them in the post below.

1. Make your sweater figure-flattering. Without the safety pin, this sweater looks like this (7th image). 

Top: Bayo; Sweater/ Pants: Mango; Shoes: Chinese Laundry

2. Elongate a necklace. Yes, 100% guilty! I use mostly fancy statement necklaces to liven up my look and most of them could really use a little length to be emphasized more. Just make sure that the pins are safely hidden under the collar or your hair so as to not make them visible. ;)

Top: Cotton On; Skirt: Mango

3.Zip up tight boots. True story. This is the second to the last time I used this boots. :( The thing is, one time while zipping up the pull tab was removed so I had to use a safety pin to close the shoes. Needless to say, the shoe needs to be disposed but I gave it one last chance because I really need to create this Palermo look here (4th image). Haha! Check also my post about the five type of boots you'll ever need here. :)

Top: Bayo; Sweater: Mango; Shoes: Vincci; 

A Week in Monochrome

Though I always plan my outfits in advance, it's weird that sometimes I feel more accomplished as a planner when there was a certain theme for the week. :P There are times when it'd start with the first outfit decided on a Monday say, a pop of red and then decide to go on a streak thereafter or some cases when I notice later from my fashion app that I have been unconsciously wearing light colors such as pink and orange for consecutive days. For this particular week of interest though, there was a deliberate attempt to wear monochrome for four days. 

So why monochrome? As learned from some credible style websites, this is one of those slimming tips applied by celebrities. As if they need to look more slim XD I know I've just posted something about universally slimming items here but this is another style tip. Wearing one color from head to toe is visually lengthening, making you look taller and leaner. Black on its own is already a slimming choice but other options such as all white and gray works too. Btw, the gray look is taken out since it was already featured in the same link above. :)

What do you think? Do you agree with this styling tip? Sound off in the comments. :)

Bodysuit/ Pants/ Shoes: H&M; Sunnies: Aldo

Top/Pants: Mango; Shoes: H&M. Similar look here.

Blazer/ Pants: Mango; Top: Zara Man; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins Similar look here.

Trend Report: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

If you look at the S/S16 runway collection from the recently held fashion shows, one thing was obviously common among designers - rainbow stripes. Celebrities and street style stars have picked up on the trend and I'm so glad to have found new ways to wear this cheerful top I got from Mango years ago. Seriously, no need to invest in a new piece. Though it didn't hurt that this colorful bag went on sale recently. It's my new favorite. :)

It was believed that fashion designers have associated the trend with the recent advancements in equality in marriages and gay marriage rights. In any case, rainbows symbolize new beginnings, happiness, celebration, promise, good fortune, connection, and balance. It's a feel-good color so why not embrace the trend now? ;)

Top: Mango; Skirt: Forever21; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins; Bag: Aldo

Top/ Pants: Mango (harem pants featured here); Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Bag: Marks & Spencer

Holiday Retreat

Bonifacio Day holiday spent in another hero's province Rizal? Seriously, can we get any more heroic than that? Haha! We interrupt your regular style programming to give you this holiday retreat in Antipolo, Rizal. Two must visit destinations: (1) Pinto Art Museum that has some Santorini vibes and (2) Luljetta's Hanging Garden and Spa with some Bali feels in it. 

Dress: Topshop; Sandals: Mango; Hat: Cotton On

Bodysuit: Ensembles (same here); Sandals: Mango

Business Casual

If you’re still confused what to wear for this dress code, I consider it a public service to share this recent article from Business Insider about it. According to the article,

At most, the purpose of the business casual dress code is to encourage employee to project a “professional, business-like image while enjoying the advantage of more casual and relaxed clothing.”

If I decode from the word itself, I think the formula is simple. You atleast have one business and a casual item in your whole ensemble. It will be obvious from the four tips lifted from the post below. But of course let us consider the no-nos in the casuals: anything sleeveless, ripped jeans, skirt with hemlines above the knees and best to have collar for the business part. Here are some of the looks I gathered from my lookbook for reference:

P.S. I took the liberty to post more than the usual average of photos since I reckon I should look more this part at work. Haha!

1. A blouse or dress shirt paired with khakis or a skirt typically fall under ‘business casual.’

Translation: Business – blouse/ dress shirt or even a buttondown Casual: Denim skirt

Top/Bag: Mango; Skirt: Forever21; Shoes: Zalora

Top: Zara; Skirt: Forever21; Shoes: CMG;

2. A dress shirt alone or worn under a sweater or sport coat is also perfectly acceptable. Cardigans can also be worn with dresses.

Translation: Business – dress shirt/buttondown Casual: sweater/ sport coat

Top: Mango; Dress: Unbranded; Shoes: Tory Burch

Top: Mango/ Bayo; Skirt: Maldita; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

3. Dark jeans are fine so long as they have no holes and are paired with a sport coat or blazer and dressier shoes, like loafers or heels.

Translation: Business – Blazer/ Loafers/ Heels  Casual: Dark jeans/ sport coat/

First look - Blazer/ Pants: Forever21; Top/Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Second look - Blazer/Top/ Shoes: Mango; Shoes: Marks & Spencer

First look - Top/Pants: Mango; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Second look - Blazer/Top/Jeans: Mango; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

4. Bright colors and fun accessories are a good way to tone down more formal attire to make it 'business casual.'

Top: Dorothy Perkins; Dress: Unbranded; Shoes: Zalora 

Top: Unbranded; Dress/Shoes: Dorothy Perkins; Bag: Mango

Universally Slimming Items

As a fitness instructor, let it be known that I promote anything that is "healthy" through proper eating and regular exercise. :) So if I am writing a post about achieving a slim look through styling, this should (as my source suggested) suit all shapes and sizes with the end-goal of achieving an over-all flattering look. ;) So here are three looks from the list of items identified:

1. Black Midi Dress. According to the same website, choose an LBD in midi length because it is more flattering than any other length. Technically speaking, midi should be anything that hits mid-calf  and not just-below-the-knee length. But a vast majority of the dresses sold in the high street come in this length which I believe is more flattering I think like the one below. :P They should come up with a new term for that length though. ;) See related article about LBDs here.

Dress: Mango; Shoes: CMG; Necklace: Juicy Couture

2. High-Waist Trousers. Regarding the same article, the correct item should be high-waist denims but I don't think they should limit it to that article of clothing alone. I've had this trousers for more than three years now for the very reason of this post. It'd be hard to let this go. ;) See related article about neck scarf here. 

Top: Zalora; Pants: Maldita; Bandanna: H&M

3. A Line Skirt. It cinches-in your waist and flares out at the hemline to make your waist look smaller! Yes, this should be right up there with LBD on the list of items every woman should own! Check also another look of this skirt here.

Top: Apartment8; Skirt: Bugis market

The Hundred Ways I Copied Olivia Palermo

For my 100th post, how about a tribute to my forever style icon Olivia Palermo? Of course hundred is just used figuratively since it's impossible to recreate all her high-end pieces. But come to think of it, out of her endlessly-blogged-about looks, there are still styles that are recreate-able and it makes you think that the socialite/ the real-life Gossip Girl as coined by some websites is just like us. Isn't it weird that she's younger than me but I wanna emulate her ladylike elegance? Haha!

This post is more than the usual number of galleries in average so I would stop babbling now and let the fashionista extraordinaire teach you a lesson from the style tips I gathered in her ensembles. Enjoy guys and happy 100th post to me! Hahaha! :)

1. A camel coat is an absolute staple. Make it your investment piece for fall.

Coat: Unbranded; Top: CMG; Pants: Mango; Shoes: Janylin

2. When tuck-in doesn't work, tie a knot! Best on high-waisted anything like these Bermudas. Oh, stars! They're just like us - wearing affordable pieces. I was thrilled that this XS size fit me, I could've shared the same size with my style icon. Haha!

Top: Tomato; Shorts: Zara: Shoes: H&M

3. Pair your denim with everything! This time it's with her recommended 70's glamour staple according to her website - a high-waist wide-leg trouser.

Top: Unbranded; Pants: Mango; Bag/ Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

4. A colorblock varsity jacket can be worn for a date. Though I didn't have one this day, haha!

Jacket: Unbranded; Jumpsuit: Topshop; Shoes: Vincci

5. A big bag for a day of errands is a must! And that floral pants and leopard shoes combo works!

Blazer: Forever21; Top: Mango; Pants: Tomato

Bags: Zara/ Primadonna; Shoes: Rubi

6. Pull up your maxi skirt to turn into a dress! Brill! Add structure to the billowy look with a tailored vest or add a belt to your waist.

Sunnies: Ray Ban; Vest/Watch: Mango; Dress/Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

7. A draped coat over your shoulders = instant chic. The four-hand look always works for me.

Jacket: Topshop; Top: Mango; Skirt: Zara; Shoes: Marks &Spencer

8. Black and white is the chicest color combo ever. Though I had to wear three pieces to recreate the look below. :P Add brooches and eye-catching pieces like OP for a night-time look! ;)

Vest/ Top/ Watch: Mango; Jumpsuit: Topshop; Shoes: Marks & Spencer