The Bustier for Halloween

If any of the F/W 16 catwalks is an indication, the new body du jour is the  waist. I'm just hoping that the bare shoulder will  make a comeback by next year. ;) And the accentuating pieces that would be popular? Bustiers and corsets/ big belts. 

Thank goodness I've invested in these pieces from long time ago. Because seriously, who doesn't wanna invest in waist-slimming accessories? Actually not only are they good in highlighting the smaller part of your body but they're also good pieces in creating your Halloween look! Don't believe me? Trust how I used a bustier below to recreate Katniss Everdeen and a Catwoman look. And for sheer fun, I edited the pics using some special apps that can customize background. Haha. Who are you dressing up as this Halloween? :P

P.S. These pics are old and been meaning to post them last year but didn't make it. Haha!

Catwoman. What you need:

- Bustier

- Mask and Whip

- Leggings

- Black Pumps (P.S. Haven't had my black thigh high boots yet this time. Lol!)

Katniss Everdeen. What you need:

- Black turtleneck

- Bustier

- Black Skinny Jeans

- Black Combat Boots ;)

- Of course I missed the weapon here. Haha! Please add that one too. =))

JKT Part 3

Move over slung-jacket look, draped vest is now the new in! :P Or at least according to me. That, and jumpsuit and the double buckle belt was the theme of my recent JKT biz trip ( if you’re new to my themed dressing , you can click here and here).

I had a scare this biz trip coz I arrived around midnight feeling under the weather. Things got worse the next day when my whole body was in pain and I was chilling for some reason. I had my checkup at the hotel itself and cried after. It’s so hard to be sick when you’re away from home. But I am extremely grateful to my friend Leq (one of our SW engineer) who came with me and my Indonesian girlfriend Ule for sending over some meds. Our plan to drop by my favorite restau/bar pushed through when I was better the next day. Yay!

Anyway, more of the buckled belt looks in my future posts. As mentioned previously, waist is now the body part du jour for fall/ winter so expect more corsets, bustiers and big belts soon. ;)

Jumpsuit: Unbranded; Vest: Mango; Belt: Topshop; Shoes: H&M

Jumpsuit: H&M (also here); Vest: Mango; Belt: Topshop; Shoes: Miss Selfridge

The Floppy

Each year, trends come and go. And it seems to me there's always a little part of the '70s being thrown back into the present each year. Last year, a study revealed an increased tracking of fringed items making it one of the top trends in the western world and this Fall/Winter, the '70s revival is once again upon us when it just named velvet as its It-fabric of 2016. 

While there are many other popular silhouettes (flares, maxis) and detailing (fringe, embroidery) from the disco era that are still relevant today, I'd like to focus on today's post on one of the accessories that emerged from our groovy past - the floppy hat. A little history digging of this topper gave me this info below:

Floppy hats were a fashion essential in the 70s; women tended to have colorful hats made of felt which matched their special dresses. It was also in the same era when style icons such as Bridget Bardot gave it a sexy flair. It ultimately became de riguer as a 1970s fashion essential when it became part of the uniform worn by the women in the 1975 film "The Stepford Wives."

I've had this hat for about 5 years now and I find myself incorporating it into my style lately. It's face-framing, a good cover-up for a bad  hair day and provides additional protection from the sun. This is certainly one of my favorite hats. :)

Top: Zara; Belt: Topshop; Skirt/ Shoes: Zalora; Hat: H&M

Dress/ Shoes: Dorothy Perkins; Hat: H&M

Top: Topshop; Skirt/ Shoes: Zalora; Hat: H&M

Fashion Month Report: Key Trends

Another thing I love about my birth month September? Fashion month! This means fresh street style inspirations from my favorite style icon and fashion bloggers from New York to Paris (hello, Olivia Palermo!) And from what I've seen so far through the numerous coverage in Instagram, they were indeed glorious! 

Imagine though, different shows from four fashion capitals of the world, that could mean hundreds of outfits and could be a bit overwhelming. Luckily for us, this credible website has identified 12 key trends as observed from the treasure trove that according to them will stick around. Plus, they have predicted below what will be the new erogenous zone for 2017. Sadly, it's goodbye collarbone. Bye for now, off shoulders. :(

And I'm elated to report that out of the 12 key trends, I have identified a total of seven entries from the past. Yay! Some of these outfits went as early as June which looks good since these key trends will still work for the coming months. ;) Though street style are not really wearable IRL, you can still check how you can incorporate some of the items below in your outfit. Enjoy. :)

Khaki. This classic fabric emerged in covetable shapes and silhouettes like ruffled skirts and tailored trousers.

I guess it was wise of me to invest in this khaki vest thinking it's a super close cousin of the camel trench coat. ;)

Vest/ Top/ Bag: Mango; Skirt: Apartment 8; Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Menswear. A masculine-meets feminine that always circles back around in divine fabrications.

Well, the entry below isn't exactly the oversized clothing from the looks below but still an androgynous look. ;)

Hat/ Top/ Jumpsuit: Unbranded; Shoes: Zalora

Shiny Leather. Patent leather makes a bold return as seen on women wearing it on coats, skirts, boots and beyond.

Sparkle. Ladies infused their outfits with a little daytime sequin sparkle, which makes us rethink keeping our cocktail dresses captive in the closet.

I had once a colleague who would tease and call me "shiny disco ball" for one outfit choice in the past. Seriously, why would we limit our sequined dresses to night parties or NYE? *roll eyes*  

Jumpsuit: Dorothy Perkins; Shoes: Zara

Tartan. There's always a plaid of the moment, and this time around, it's tartan.

Again, the entry below is a close relative of the tartan - a simple gingham skirt. ;)

Top: Apartment 8; Skirt: Zalora; Shoes: H&M

White Shoes. For perhaps, the most dominant street style trend of fashion month, ladies in all four cities skipped black boots and slipped into crisp white heels instead.

Top: H&M; Dress: Mango; Shoes: Zalora

Corsets. Back in August, we predicted bustiers  weand corsets would be popular, and after a slew of stylish women were spotted wearing the trend throughout fashion month, we know it's a trend to try.

Seriously, who doesn't want pieces that highlights the waist? 

Bodysuit/ Shoes: H&M; Belt: Dorothy Perkins; Trousers: Mango

Other key trends observed were the following:

Big Bags.
Circular Cutout.
Eastern Influence.
Statement Knits.
Stirrup Pants.

You can check the said article for more detailed info. :) 

Transitional Dressing

"Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody ever seems to do anything about it."

What is transitional dressing? Basically, it means extending your clothes  from one season to another. We may not have all the seasons in the PH but it applies here too as we approach the colder/ rainy -BER months. These days it can be kind of confusing how to dress up feeling fresh on a sunny morning without leaving you cold in as the temperature slightly drops in the night time.

The four looks below will highlight how "repurposing" your summer pieces can be they key to transitional dressing. Transitional dressing is all about having those key pieces you already own work by smartly pairing them with next and newest must-haves that will still keep you looking cool while feeling warm. ;)

Summer Piece: White Trousers (as seen here) + Lightweight Turtleneck. I ain't sure why I keep on joining those style bloggers who's proving that "no white after labor day" age-old adage is wrong. Lol! Anyway, I like to transition my summery white trousers to fall by teaming it up with something in a darker shade such as this turtleneck and following the third-piece rule by adding up this vest.

Vest/ Trousers: Mango; Shoes: H&M; Top: Unbranded

Summer Piece: Bodysuit + Long Cardigan. The long cardigan is actually an update to an otherwise summery ensemble which I actually wore one date night in Cebu. Lol!

Bodysuit/ Skirt/ Cardigan: H&M; Shoes: Zalora

Summer Piece: Off shoulder top + Moto Jacket. Don't pack away those off-shoulder tops yet. Slung over the basic moto jacket for a season refresh. 

Jacket: Topshop; Skirt: Zara; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins; Top: Zalora

Summer Piece: LBD + Bomber Jacket. That sexy LBD which I prepared for a date night this day (that got postponed, BOO! Lol!) can span the season with the addition of the on-trend and It-girl friendly bomber jackets.

Dress: Mango; Jacket: Kashieca; Shoes: Keds

Umbrella-ella-ella-eh

"I didn't invent the rainy day, man. I just own the best umbrella."

So, you got your proper footwear recommendation here, your layering pieces here and you're all set for the rainy season. Nope. We're forgetting one accessory necessity here - the umbrellas. 

Did you know that forgetting umbrellas is one of the leading causes of getting flu here in the Philippines? Nope? Yeah because I just  made that up. Lol! But seriously, just last week one of my colleagues got sick because he had to brave the rain without his umbrella. Admit it, it's one of the most neglected items in our lives, haha! This year I already lost my two collapsible umbrellas, one of which got lost the next week after I bought it. *facepalm*

And recently, the weather has just become so unpredictable that forgetting an umbrella at home or worst leaving it on purpose because it was sunny in the morning is considered sheer stupidity, lol. I have some friends though who doesn't bring them because it doesn't look cool for them to use it. But seriously, why sacrifice your health over style when you can be stylish enough with them? My solution? Buy those prints that matches your outfit as seen in the gallery below. Hehe. 

I used to be a fan of the collapsible jolly brolly only but my recent shopping revealed that the non-collapsibles have much better print. Besides, I remember reading an article before that carrying an umbrella wards off female attackers since it could be a good defense weapon. :P So win, win for me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy how I styled my brollies (I used to spell it brelly) in the past. ;)

Top: Maldita; Skirt: Zalora; Belt: Unbranded; Shoes: Zara

Jacket/ Clutch/Umbrella: Mango; Top/ Skirt: Unbranded; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Dress/ Shoes: Mango; Skirt: Unbranded