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

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls

Did you know that there’s more to La Union than just the swell for surfing? There’s this hidden gem in San Gabriel called Tangadan falls that’s worth visiting if you’re a nature-lover. Not only does it satisfy the inner nemophilist in you, the place also brings out the daredevil in you with cliff-jumping opportunities. Check out my video here.

Waking up at 6AM (instead of the planned departure at that time) from Caba, I was disappointed that the trek would have us reaching the place late in the morning in a crowded state. Luckily, that Saturday morning, there were only two groups of visitors and it was rather easy to squeeze a li’l shoot by the rock in the middle of the pool with a view of the 40-ft cascading waterfalls.  

I believe we took the easier route going in but we opted to unleash the Dora explorers in us on the way out by looking for that cliff in the video. In all fairness, the trek (and the body pain that came after) is truly worth it and the views of the gorges, boulders and cliffs are very rewarding. I'd hate to see a very overrated photo of flocking tourists in here soon but the place really deserves a recognition. 

Swimwear/ Denim cuutoffs: Topshop

The Neck Scarf

While keeping up with trends is important, one should decide carefully as to which ones are worth splurging or saving. Just because something is trendy, doesn’t mean it’s worth a chunk of your shopping budget right? But what if this is a street style trend that actually costs below $10? It’s a no-brainer; I’m jumping on this bandwagon.

It was referred to as the statement necklace of the summer – I’m talking about the neck scarf. Of course, we’re all no stranger to this vintage trend but a fashion makeover occurred when Prada started sending down models down the runway in silk skinny scarves for their fall 2014 and Saint Laurent followed suit in their Spring 2015 show. After that, it was all over the street style stars during the summer season.

I must say, this jaunty trend lends itself well with the shoulder-baring look or deep V-neck as demonstrated in the gallery below. I picked this classic red bandanna I got from H&M for a start and the color just simply brings that particular pop to a monochromatic look. Simple, affordable and high-impact! And with all other uses for the said accessory, I must say this is one genius trend! ;)

Bandanna: H&M Top: Zara; Skirt: Zalora; Shoes: Sirens

Bandanna: H&M; Vest/ Skirt: Unbranded; Shoes: Sirens

Something About Gray

“You’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back [yet] that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.”- The Devil Wears Prada

All in the name of making his company successful, Mark Zuckerberg wears the same nondescript gray shirt everyday. According to the CEO of Facebook, breakfast along with clothing are some of those “silly or frivolous decisions” he doesn’t want to spend too long making. He even pointed out further that other influential people like Apple founder Steve Jobs or President Barack Obama have the very same theory with regards to choosing their outfits.

Frivolous decision. Hmmm. For someone like me who devotes an obscene amount of time planning outfits, I think this is a bit offensive. But in all fairness, I do have some areas in my life where I don’t want to spend too much time thinking on too. Take for example, my whole packed lunch for the week – a carefully selected set of veggies if you must know. Which brings me to the point, it’s not just about "thoughtlessly" picking out a color. That even though it is uniform, it is somehow carefully thought of. Like for brand building purpose or something. Heck, he could've just said it's his favorite color and we all stop wondering. In that note, I kinda like how this article by the Gurdian questioned the CEO’s statement about it here.

Anyway, gray is such a color that is both understated and unabashed. I have pointed out in the past how I have appreciated it that eventually led me to purchasing a plain shirt. Fact: you will never ever catch me in a plain shirt (except for some moments in the gym). Also in the same post, you will see this very same shirt below styled in layers. But to prove how classy this color can be on its own and somehow taking a leaf out of Zuckerberg's book, let’s turn to celebrities for inspiration. Here I present to you two gray shirt ensembles care of the two models I look up to when it comes to styling: Miranda Kerr and Kendall Jenner. Enjoy!

Top: Mango; Skirt: Warehouse; Shoes: Zalora PH

Top: Mango; Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Miss Selfridge