In Gingham We Trust

If there's one trend that I fully embraced last year, it'd have to be the off-shoulder. See this post. (Here and here too *wink*) To say that I'm happy that the trend is still going strong this year is an understatement. I'm waiting for the style deities to proclaim it as an "evergreen" piece.

Speaking of evergreens, in today's post I am going to feature this print that has stood the test of time and is currently being declared as the "It-print" this summer - the gingham. A two-color combo (the other one being white) pattern that is mostly known for its Dorothy association and uhmm it's place in the picnic should not stop you from wearing it to work for fear of being teased. But did you know that it was once worn by French bombshell Brigitte Bardot in one of her weddings and caused total shortage of the print in France right after? So if it can be worn to a matrimony, then yes you can definitely bring it to the workplace. Rigggghhtttt. Lol.

Seriously. If paired with the right pieces such as white buttondowns and midi skirts, this geometric pattern lends itself very well to the boardroom too. Wanna know how? Then check out how I styled them below. :)

Hat: H&M; Top: Unbranded; Skirt: Topshop

Dress: Unbranded; Skirt: Zara; Earrings; Mango

Top/ Earrings: Mango; Dress: Zara; Shoes: H&M

Tulle Time

Remember when you were just a young girl where you can choose whatever you want to wear? Did that include channeling a ballerina with a tutu skirt? With this perennial trend still going strong this year, expect different ballet-inspired items (think rosy tones and delicate fabrics) worn by bloggers and IT-girls in the blogosphere. One favourite item? A romantic tulle skirt.

Wearing an item that is typically reserved for brides and ballerinas may not be the most natural thing in the world but we have Carrie Bradshaw to thank for putting some semblance of normalcy in it. :P Grounding the look by pairing it with something neutral may be helpful to nail that daytime chic look and this is just simply achieved by this set from Gamiss.

This tulle skirt is cinched at the waist to give you that flattering figure and comes with a separate on-trend striped top in off-shoulders that can be mixed and matched as you like. I added a very chic hat and pendant earrings to complete my look as seen below. :)

Striped Off the Shoulder Tulle Two Piece Dress

Sheer Here

Mesh/ sheer fabric would make most HR employees cringe. But thankfully, we don’t have HR employees at work. Haha. Anyway, as mentioned here, this top in sheer fabric ( I'd usually joke it in my gay lingo as Ed "Sheer-an" lol) was really purchased for gym purposes but knowing myself, I wouldn’t stop finding ways to get more mileage out of it. It’s true what most write-up would say about sheer, it’s one of those fabrics that looks appealing in the runway but hard to translate in real life.

I guess the easiest way to do it then would have to be through the third-piece rule (read it here for reference). A third piece such as sheer clothing adds a definition to your garment. Heck, a suggestion of skin (in the right places of course) makes your outfit instantly sexy. Here’s how I paired mine.

Under a black jumpsuit,

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

Under a crop top, just opt for high-waisted trousers/ culottes  for extra coverage.

Top: H&M; Crop top/ Culottes: Topshop; Shoes: Marks & Spencer

And of course, under an LBD that guarantees you daytime chic and can be extended at night for that evening glamour.

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

Are you a fan of this sheer trend? How did you style yours? :)

Sweetheart Frocks

Splurge or Save? If the item in question is something that got sold in just over 24 hours, then good luck splurging on it. Lol. I’m talking about one of the most sold-out dresses of 2015 by Self-Portrait. Sammydress has a replica of this Azaelea dress as seen below. It is a flattering lace-cut dress with dropped waist skirt and it is fastened neatly at the back using a concealed zip. It is another one of those conversation starter dresses and it’s just perfect for special occasions this summer. Wedding invitations, please? Hahaha. What’s best is that you can get this dress in budget-friendly options thru the link below.

Hollow-out Lace Midi Cami Dress

Well, speaking of sweetheart dresses; can I just feature another one from Sammydress? I just love how the bff looked sweet sixteen as ever in this fit and flare frock in pastel pink. I actually told her that she could have a chewing gum with a blowing bubble and look even younger. If you’re looking for universally flattering dresses for every body type, always rely on A-line dresses like these. And if you’re into these exact styles, then shop ‘em on the links below :)

Crochet High-Waist Openwork Flare Dress

Fuji-san 🗻

Three days before the trip and Japan is already teaching me a lesson. Like I already don’t have an idea on how disciplined this country is. Just a little bit of a background, I spent a little over three years teaching English online to Japanese students. :) You see the problem is not that “critical”.  As it’s already been established that one day of our trip will be spent in Mt Fuji, the thing is we couldn’t get a JR pass in time.

The very same T minus 3 days before leaving, just when I found time to finally sit on it and plan the itinerary (because who else isn't busy these days duh), somebody introduced me to Hyderdia and I.WAS.HOOKED. I was never that obsessed in budgeting and planning transportation routes to the point of creating a spreadsheet of our departures and expenses but there I was flourishing the Google doc to my travel buddies and proving that indeed we need a JR pass to save on expenses if we are also to visit the cherry blossoms in Shizuoka Prefecture. See post here.

Agitated, I consulted my friend Glenn around midnight (haha!) and asked for some workaround. For someone who’s been familiarized with the Japanese system, he also aired his frustration about the “old-school” methods of this country. The root cause of the problem was that: a JR pass can only be delivered 3 to 5 days upon purchasing online via postal system which means that my fault was not being an “early planner” aka not being able to but it ahead of time.

But I’m sure you’d agree with me here, it doesn’t make sense for a transportation ticket to be used in another country to be delivered in a different one. Like why can’t I just purchase it online and receive it in Japan where I'm gonna use it hello? Or even better, make it available in their railways. Not letting this concern pass, I contacted their customer service and brought up this suggestion. Apparently, they are already making changes in the system and will make it available in Japan itself but sadly it will be 3 weeks after our trip. OWWWWW.

As this post is already long enough (haha!), I’ll cut it short and say that yes we did reach Mt. Fuji but it was too moody then and it didn’t show up. Boo hoo. We lingered around the very pretty Lake Kawaguchiko (one of Fuji’s five surrounding lakes) and waited for the clouds to clear up to no avail. We then proceeded to visit Fujiten Ski Resort in the afternoon only to find out that first timers like us need instructors but unfortunately they’re all booked and it’s freakin’ raining. Haha. Seriously, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a losers were we that day? Haha. Atleast the Hoto Fudo veggie ramen (a ramen specialty in Fuji) was comforting enough before we retreated back to Tokyo. 

Coat: Zara; Pants: H&M; Shoes: Chinese Laundry

Band Tees Ala G

It's Coachella weekend!!! And if your feed is not chock full of Palm Spring OOTDs, then you're following the wrong people. Lol! I will make it short and sweet. Coachella will still be all about bohemian-inspired pieces but for those who opt something less complicated: denim cut-offs, sneakers and a band tee is your most comfiest bet to look appropriate for the occasion.

And since I'm just a wishful attendee (lol!), here's how I incorporated my band tee looks at work and on off-duty. First is a Rolling Stones shirt that's already been featured here and second, an old Bowie muscle tee with each tee a look inspired by your favorite It-girl Gigi H. :)

Blazer: Mango; Shirt: Zara; Pants/ Shoes: Zalora

Tee/ Trousers: Mango; Shoes: Topshop

And on off-duty days:

Tee/ Dress: Mango; Shoes: Zalora

Gigi paired her Rolling Stones shirt with leggings with mesh panel and ankle boots:

Shirt: Zara; Leggings: Here; Shoes: Mango

Biyaheng Sorsogon

How many beautiful beaches does our country have? Do you ever vow to visit atleast a new one each year? Well, I do. Although I love visiting other countries, I also make it a point to travel locally. Last year I got acquainted with the Burias islands of Quezon as seen here and last weekend, as you may have already seen in the previous posts, got to see the beauty of Sorsogon – a province located at the southern tip of Luzon.

The name has always been associated with the gentle giants/ whalesharks (or butandings) in Donsol but I was particularly after their pinkish beaches in Matnog island (you can see the crushed red corals that are responsible for the rare pink sand color) because I want something that’s slightly out-of-the-radar for most tourists. Being the last point of Luzon means you can get there by land and so we sat in a 12 to 13 scenic ride from Manila after which we took a 30min boat ride to Subic Beach. Basically, we covered only Tikling and Calintaan islands and the Juag Lagoon Fish Sanctuary as you will see below. And they were all worth it.

And since this is a style blog (lol!), I will take this opportunity to plug also my partners and the swimwears they sent me. The very ones I should’ve worn long ago during the cruise (see here!) but received them late because of the very efficient postal system. Ugh.

Rosegal: Polka Dot Striped One Piece Swimwear

It turns out, I love myself a print on print number in swimwear too! ;)

Rosegal: Backless One Piece Swimsuit

Anything that's black and white for me is so hard to resist. 

👒 Do Not Disturb 👒

Who’s excited for the long holidays? 🙋🏿‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️ Christian or not, this long weekend is an excellent opportunity for us to escape from our daily routine and hopefully have a meaningful break. Since it’s summer, most people flock to the beach resorts to get that much needed undisturbed R&R. And for those doing so, here’s a summer accessory from Gamiss that not only gives you a chic ‘gram but also a stylish way to create a barrier between you and the rest of the world. 👒👒👒

Wide Brim Ribbon Sequins Letter Straw Hat

And as for this skirt, you'll see more of this here soon. Here's the product from Gamiss too!

Striped Off the Shoulder Tulle