Spring Resolution

When springtime makes it’s way here lilac blooms reminds me f the scent of your perfume….

Sorry Boyz II Men but not only do the blooms reminds you of your lover’s perfume, it is also a reminder for us women to wear more colors this spring. :P Yup, with spring’s arrival, wearing an entire ensemble of drab colors is out of the question. Actually, a close inspection of my recent outfits showed that I was guilty of this too. See this postfor reference. :P

But all that’s behind me now with this featured ensemble today. Haha! I know for some people it’s hard to embrace colors but it doesn’t have to be all bold and loud. There are a lot of ways to incorporate colors in your outfit. For a start, to those girls who are a fan of noir outfits, you can try NOT infusing a single stitch of black in your entire look. ;) You can try something closer like a navy (hey, it’s still a color!) or subtle shades that are similar to neutrals. Last option is to pop it into your accessories (bag, coat, sunnies or shoes!)

Or if you wanna "Go big or go home", try mix and matching four different colors into your ensemble like below. Hahaha!!! Coz if my bag can do it, why can't I? Hahahaha!!! But seriously, I think I got the idea from this playground. =)))))))

Blazer: Mango; Top: Zara; Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins; Bag: Aldo

Spring Cleaning

It’s springtime and with a weather change comes the need for a wardrobe shift. Haha, yeah believe that from a girl who hails from a tropical country with only dry and wet season. Lol! But hey, this advice came from the experts themselves and I’ve their list of items to chuck out for spring so I figured I post them here last time before they render themselves unusable for the following months. J

If you’re new to this site you might be wondering why I have these winter items. Lol. It’s simple. I love myself a colder weather - winter fashion, layering and all that stuff so I make sure to travel to colder places when possible and try to wear them as much as possible if the weather permits here (read: rainy season). Lol! So here goes the list and the recommended replacements:

1. Heavy Coats. Denim jackets would be a good substitute.

Coat: Unbranded; Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Shoes: CMG; Bag: Mango

2. Chunky Knits. Replace them with lightweight sweaters.

Vest: Mango; Dress: Terra Nova; Top: Mango Shoes: H&M

3. Over the Knee Boots. Still trying to convince myself to hop into the mules bandwagon. :-/

Coat: Unbranded; Top/ Pants: H&M; Shoes: Chinese Laundry

4. Blanket Scarves. Replace with silk scarves.

Outerwear: Unbranded; Skirt: Asos; Shoes: H&M

Improvised Chokers

 Trends do come and go. I always get this reminder when my Tita would often tell me “Nauso din yan dati” when she sees me sporting something that’s reminiscent of the trend in her glory days. Hehe. An old maid in her 60s, I can tell that she’s seen so much. So you can just understand the “ancient feels” I got when I saw this trend coming back from the 90’s – the choker.

Not that I was already fashion conscious then. But it’s one of those trends that you can easily participate as a kid because the cheap plastic tattoo ones are available at school and you can purchase even without asking your parents’ permission. :P I did a quick research about the history of chokers and it’s fascinating how it’s been on since the 1800s and used for different purposes. There’s no fixed identification for different eras though– it can go as low as a uniform prostitutes in the 1860s or an elite marker in the late 1800s.

In my interpretation, this trend is a continuation of the neck scarf trend that I posted here. And if it is anything affordable like that, of course you can always count me in. :P But what’s better is participating in the trend without me shelling out something from my wallet. How?

In the first look below, I actually used the cloth belt of my jumpsuit and wore it in my neck. Come to think of it, that’s the only time I used it since I always remove it from the suit itself. :P  In the second look though, I was actually using a black rubber headband.  There are so many resources to use to jump into the bandwagon without actually buying.  How would you improvise yours? J

Jumpsuit: Topshop; Belt/ Bag: Mango; Shoes: H&M

Vest/ Trousers/ Bag: Mango; Bustier: Topshop; Shoes: CMG

Blazer: Forever21; Top: Penshoppe; Pants: H&M; Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Top: Unbranded; Pants/ Bag/ Sunnies: Mango; Shoes: CMG

Fortune Island

This abandoned luxury resort in Batangas operated from 1995 to 2006 and I was thinking, clearly 10 years isn’t enough to destroy everything that was built in there isn’t it? According to Wikipedia, this posh resort that once catered to the rich people of the society used to have a salt-water swimming pool, clubhouse, cabana, basketball court, helipad, desalinator for freshwater consumption and a museum. But there’s nothing much basically in there when we arrived except for the Grecian pillars on top of the island overlooking the waters – the main selling point for different travel tour agencies.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved how the sand felt on my feet as soon as we landed in that 27-hectare property and even walked barefoot ‘til my feet couldn’t carry the scorching heat of the sand anymore but was instantly turned off with how dirty the used-to-be main lobby appeared. That’s where we’re supposed to camp out for a night unfortunately. :-/ The island doesn't have toilets provided because of fresh water unavailability (???) so you can just imagine the situation. And then suddenly for some reason, I got annoyed. I thought about how careless some people can go just to earn money, to post pictures past caring about their environment. It didn’t help that there were innocent animals killed recently in the news just for some people to appear cool in their social profiles. If they can kill animals, they can be reckless with nature or the environment too right? There's seawater, why can't they use it to provide a decent toilet in the area? I' was generalizing but seriously, I don’t know what was wrong with me that time. Haha. Not that I needed a loo or something. Lol!

But I was able to shake it off after some time. Screw the crowded people at the "Acropolis" having their selfies taken, I was there to have a swell time with my co-workers for a mini teambuilding. And good time we all had. It was almost too fun that I burned my back with too much swimming, frolicking in the sand and cliffjumping. Woohoo! Lol! As a mini protest, I never had any of my selfies by the pillar (though in true Cassey fashion yes I did bring a “Grecian” look for the venue). But as an improvement from the last beach post, I took these pics in different locations in the island. Lol!

I may not know much but I think there's something more to the destruction (or lack of preservation thereof) of the resort than the lack of freshwater. I was also looking up for pictures of its old glory online but couldn't find one. Lastly, I do wish the caretakers would do their best to preserve the beauty and maintain cleanliness in the island. That's all. :)

Spares

Necessity is the mother of invention. But whatever took this fashion designer so long to come up with a solution to all women's woes? Yes, I know we adore high heels and its benefit as mentioned in my old post here but if there's a revolutionary solution for the pain we feel while wearing them, would you welcome it? Enter Tanya Heath, the designer from Paris, who came up with shoes that comes with interchangeable heels. The shoes are designed in such a way that you can switch height of heels with just a push of a button. Genius right? The pairs retail at 50 euros and soon (*crossing fingers) will be available to PH. :-/

As a style blogger, I do get the occasional questions about my footwear and it is often closely associated to the next inquiry - my mode of transportation to work. Lol! So, as a corporate slave working in the CBD of a third-world country (lol!) I'm gonna let you in on a secret. Haha!

But I don't think it's a secret though because I was told that even women in NY do it. As a matter of fact, women do it everywhere around the world! The only few times that I wasn't able to was when I partied up til 5AM at the Fort and I wasn't left with a choice but to walk barefoot outside the bar, much to the chagrin of my friend then (it's self explanatory we don't talk that much now, lol!) 

Packing up spare flats that matches your outfit - this is the secret! Atleast while waiting for Tanya's design to reach the country. Because you know shipping and taxes (especially this one!) cost will kill you. But no to flip-flops as substitute please. Yes, you have to bring a separate pair which means additional weight in the bag but it has its pros - like you don't have to really wear one color of shoes to match to your outfit. And with that, let this style post below guide you. ;)

By day: Lace-up flats

Blazer: Mango; Top: Kashieca; Skirt: H&M; Shoes: Zalora

By night: Red Pumps. Easy isn't it? ;)

Blazer: Mango; Top: Kashieca; Skirt: H&M; Shoes: Zara

Triple White Huarache

When a fashion designer changes her mind about something, it is MAJ and we ought to listen. Lol!

To be honest I kind of resented Vicky Beckham when she released her statement years ago about not being able to concentrate in flats. I mean I also love heels but seriously, has she ever tried running in sneakers and see how it helps one to think clearly? Lol.

But no hard feelings now since she just recently kicked off her sky-high heels and proclaimed “I just can’t do heels anymore”.  As a matter of fact, in one of her fashion shows, she showed up and took a bow wearing Stan Smiths. There’s no denying that athleisureis here to stay!

So speaking of 180-degree turns, I am showcasing a style post using this pair of sneakers that initially got me caving in because of peer pressure. The girls wanted a triple-white sneakers as one of the stage “uniforms” whenever we team teach dance classes (hence the Nike Huarache) and so I agreed thinking that this better be confined within the gym only.  But guess who now loves styling them to work? Lol. It’s so perfect especially for Friday dress-downs and also on gym or dance rehearsal days or travel or anytime! I also finally got my cleaners from a recent trip in Singapore so I can wear it more often. Yaaaaayyy!

Top: Folded & Hung; Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Nike

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

Dress: H&M; Shoes: Nike

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

Art Fair PH

A visual treat that's worth two floors of parking lot at The Link in the recently held Art Fair PH may be too overwhelming specially for a novice gallery visitor like me. It's sad that I only started to appreciate going to art museums when I started studying Fashion Styling. But what is it they say again? That art is supposed to make you feel something. So guided with that, here are my top 3 best displays from the recently held exhibit.

1. An Instagram favorite. Mark Justiniani's Infinity series. Mind-blowing. Find it here.

2. Fair Isle 59°41’20.0”N 2°36’23.0”W. A slow motion HD loop of a spot in the Atlantic Ocean. I wasn't sure if it's the same thing I saw in Singapore Art Museum but something about the placement of the display at The Link is off as I believe it's supposed to be a contemplative experience looking at it. I would suggest for it to be in a separate room or something. :-/

3. Cuckoo Sanctuary feat Jetro Rafael of Van Gogh is Bipolar. You enter the booth from a wardrobe (Narnia feels!) and it reflects the art of the artist who's restaurant made me want to visit soon after seeing his work. Guess I'll just elaborate it after the dining experience. 

I guess it's not too late to enhance one's knowledge and appreciation for art. So here's to more museum visits in the future. :)

For this outfit, I wore my cardigan as a top and used a jumpsuit cloth belt here as a choker necklace.

Cardigan (Blouse)/ Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: H&M; Bag: Guess

Glam Squad Inspired

Advanced Happy International Women's Day! :) What usually comes to your mind on this occasion? Granted there's still a lot of issues to fight about but for the sake of this post let's just focus on celebrating women's achievements. Now I know that everyone’s still reveling about Leo’s recent win in the Academy (finally!!!), but allow me to backtrack a few weeks earlier to talk about another awarding ceremony and an incredible woman in it - The Grammys. We all know that Taylor Swift just put herself in the elite category with two Album of the Year awards but that's hardly the whole story. Youngest woman to be included in Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women list? Seriously, when you think of women who's achieved so much it's hard not to think of her. 

In the recent Grammy's, Tay bagged other awards including Best Music Video for the star-studded “Bad Blood”. Of course, which music video could represent women empowerment better than that #squadgoals all-femme-fatale cast film? Lol. Fun fact: Did you know that Swift scored a $13,000 worth of costumes for this video from a fetish boutique in Los Angeles?

So what's the connect in this post? I hope you didn’t expect a style post using latex outfits inspired from the video here. No, no, no. Haha! I’m actually here to compile individual celebrity-inspired looks from some members of the glam squad including Cara Delevigne, Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss. Tay's best friends are all successful women in their own right and of course women with incredible style too. Enjoy the gallery below. :) 

Cara Delevingne:

Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Top: Bayo; Loafers: Mango

Gigi Hadid:

Top: Unbranded; Skirt: Zalora; Shoes: H&M; Necklace: Mango

Karlie Kloss:

Robe: Topshop; Top: Zara; Trousers: Mango; Shoes: Marks & Spencer