Pink Matters 🎀

It may be the last day of October but as they say, late is better than never wearing pink for breast cancer awareness month. It’s not a cause that I am avidly in support of or what but feel that something that should be relevant personally to me because of my current medical condition.

Okay, I hope the last two words didn’t give you quite a scare but yeah for the last two years I believe I have been monitoring these cysts that I found in my both breasts. There’s nothing to worry for now but of course it’s something that I have to continuously work on and treat in the best ways/ methods that I know of. As always, prevention is better than cure and now you might understand why the dedication to an active lifestyle and healthy living. Nothing is guaranteed but your kind words of support/ understanding or knowledge sharing will always be appreciated. :)

And now to the outfit, here’s a simple chiffon dress I wore matched with this sponsored hat from Rosegal. The pink suitcase is a loved souvenir I got when I was in Paris. Coz I simply can’t leave the city without something distinctively one of the world’s fashion capital. ;)

Pink Bucket Hat

Oh and just because I wasn't able to blog it last year, look what I found through Facebook's On This Day feature. :)

Dress: Mango

P.S. Use the code RosegalChen in your purchases to get additional discounts. :) Happy Shopping! 

Pretty Woman Dress Up

T minus 2 days until Halloween. Have you got yourself a costume? You may check this earlier post on how you can recreate two different costumes using a bustier. For last Friday’s company teambuilding activity though, I decided to go for one of Julia Roberts character – Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman.

Anyway, considering that this movie was shown in the 90s, it can be quite a challenge (aside from being impractical) hunting the web or shops for the same cut-out dress she wore when Richard Gere picked her up in Rodeo drive. So, I simply recreated it using a tank top and a denim mini skirt. And okay, I’m getting to the part where it’s all messed up. Lol. The wig was purchased last minute at Divisoria to complete the look and I have to humor myself how it turned out to look like Vice Ganda. Hahaha. It was worth it though coz I won 3rd prize for costume. Yaasss!

The blazer that was tied to the waist is actually a Marvel printed hoodie which was fitting because that night was supposedly a Thor Ragnarok date night. I just had to wear it with the mini skirt and voila, here’s a Friday night movie look. Lol! 

Bag: Mango; Hat/ Shoes: H&M

#TrioThursdays: Black // White // Denim

Black can be worn with any shade of denim shirt for a rockstar look. White with any colour denim shirt looks relaxed and is easy-to-wear. Combine them all together and that's just the perfect casual cool vibe I think. Here are three looks using this combo for today's hashtag.

Top: Zara; Belt: Topshop

Hat/ Skirt: H&M; Top/ Bag/ Shoes: Mango; Belt: Topshop

Dress: J Crew; Denim/ Watch/ Earrings: Mango

Trend Report: Mad for Plaid

Another season, another big trend. Did you get the memo? It was seen all over the streets during fashion week. And when I say get the memo, this thing can literally be worn to the workplace without any doubt whatsoever because of the professional feel of it. How’s about that? Such a win-win situation. I’m talking about – the oversized plaid blazer.

First of all, let me just say that I’m a big believer in the power of a blazer. You’ve all seen in numerous posts how I revolve my business trip outfits around one piece right? See sample here. I’ve seen it tossed by editors in plain shirt and jeans combination for a polished look. It’s classic, sophisticated and works well with your everyday basics. What’s not to love? ;)

Here's how I tackled the trend, pairing it with its distant cousin - the gingham/ ruffled trend of the summer season and an of-the-moment improvised fanny pack as seen here. Took it to the streets of this historical place in Manila just to show how it's like to be a lady boss in Intramuros.😎

Blazer: H&M; Top/Belt/Skirt/Bag: Mango

Sabtang Island

Being the smallest of the 3 inhabited islands of Batanes, the usual tour reco for Sabtang is only half a day. But if you wanna enjoy their beaches (something that I wasn’t able to do coz by mistake I booked ONLY a 2-day trip, HAHAHA *facepalm*), then you are most welcome to homestay in their well-preserved villages/ stone houses - the most unique attraction of this island. It certainly feels like stepping into another world in the Savidug Village.

Here, you’re free to explore rows of centuries-old lime stone houses with their trademark cogon roofs in all its rustic beauty. And what better way to do so than wearing/ renting some of the locals’ traditional costumes that serve as protection against the weather – the vakul (headgear for the women) and kanayi (vest for the men). Batanes being the northernmost part of the country means it’s one of the most typhoon-battered island (atleast 25 average in a year). But don’t be fooled by these simple houses with narrow doors and windows – their materials are all weather-proof. And the vakuls/ kanayis made of indigenous materials have become the symbol of the Ivatan’s resilience.

My male models are a group of gay besties I met at Chavayan Village 

Or...if you wanna complete the romance of the rolling hills, you may don the vakul/ kanayis in Chamantad-Tinyan viewing point. Aaaah, my most favourite part of the tour. But seriously, you have to wait for my first day post and be in awe at the other beauties I saw there. *wink* In general, I love a tourist spot when it’s (1) utterly huge. Meaning I will never ran out of space for photo-ops without having to elbow out other tourists, lol (2) offers physical activity. Aside from some relatively challenging hike that you need to do on this place to take in more breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, you can just simply take off your clothes and run down the hill (see video below at 00:24) to swim on the glistening water. 

And I swear, from where I was sitting above, it’s just too inviting in that 10-ish morning. I did have my swimwear but unforch, the tour wasn’t done yet. In retrospect, I could’ve asked for the guide to take me back there or the Morong beach instead of lunch. Coz of course, between food or swimming? I’d def choose the latter! It's a no-brainer. Hehe.

In the usual itinerary, Morong beach should be the last stop but my guide took me here first thing because he didn't want me to compete with the other tourists at the Ahaw arch formation. Lol. Part of this beach is also where I had my set lunch. It was the last stop since the faluwa (boat) that would take me back to Batan island is scheduled on 1PM. I did try to get some outfit change for some beach appropriate shots after my meal though.

For other areas of Sabtang that weren't covered in this post, I made an amateur video below. I wouldn't make any conclusions about my short trip since this is just like a quarter of the trip. I hope you enjoy the clip below and get as excited as I am about the post on Batan island. :)

Fashion Commandments

For times when I'm stumped what to write for a certain outfit, I'm glad that this styling website never fails to deliver ideas. I am lifting one of their articles here coz I couldn't agree with them more. Although I must say...

#7 is something that I have always taken for granted. And #9 is something that really struck me the most. That's why I put the added information about it in there. It's also one that I've been trying to think of for the longest time and something that I'd like to work on soon.

Anyways, anything in italics below are my additional takes on the commandments. If you didn't click on the link above, the source is from a credible celebrity stylist.

1. Dress to flatter your body.

2. Not every trend is for everyone.

3. Spend some money on a gorgeous, clean black blazer. (Cakes: or tailored blazers)

4. Make yourself your own styling kit. (Cakes: My most powerful and favorite gear? Nipple covers. Lol.)

5. Put your money into classic timeless pieces that you will wear season after season.

6. Always have a fabulous party outfit dry-cleaned and ready to go.

7. Invest in good underwear and shapewear.

8. If your shoes are making your feet miserable, throw them out. (Cakes: I'd probably change this to always be ready with a back-up shoes hehe)

9. Know the brands that are kind to the environment. The fashion industry is the second biggest pollutant worldwide. We all need to do our part.

10. Don't be afraid to have fun. It's fashion, not neuroscience. (Cakes: Trust in mix and match *wink* So on that additional note, allow me to segue to this mixed trend look below :)

Dress: Warehouse; Skirt: Mango; Shoes/ Sunnies: Zaful

#TrioThursdays: Splattered

Blame it on my relatively tall stature but I’ve always found maxi skirts easy to wear. For me, it has its advantages like (1) no pressure to wear high heels with them (2) no pressure to check as well if legs are waxed lol. 

I've had this splattered skirt from Bugis in Singapore for years now and it's monochromatic pattern never lets me run out of ideas in styling them. You've seen it first fresh in 2014 here and have since then saw a lot of styling here. The skirt also made it to Paris coz I figured the material would do well for the chilly weather. And without any particular theme (aside from the skirt itself), here are the latest three ways I wore 'em for today's hashtag post.

Top: Zara;  Bag: Mango; Shoes: Zalora

Top: Apartment 8; Shoes: H&M

Top/Bag: Mango

Sponsored: Statement Earrings

Ain't quite nothing like statement earrings to add an impact to your over-all look, no? I love necklaces for accessories too but earrings specially structured ones are making waves in the trends for fall season and these tasseled blue ones from Zaful is just one flirty take on that.

I'd usually leave my outfit at like this sometime before (a crazy mix of prints, oh yeah!) but the addition of the earrings just gave it a bit of something unexpected. Yes? So the next time you head out, try one of those statement earrings and see the difference it makes. Oh, this earring is also available in five more colors and you can use the code below for additional discounts. ;)

Tassel Layered Drop Earrings

 

    

Hat: H&M; Top; Zara; Outer top: Here; Skirt/ Bag: Mango

P.S. Use the code ZafulChen in your purchases to get additional discounts. :) Happy Shopping! 

#TrioThursdays: Fanny Pack

I admit, I used to find it as a dorky accessory (like something my uncle would wear) but I have to say you see things in  a different perspective especially if the reigning queen of fanny pack Kendall is always sporting it. Lol!

Once upon a light bulb moment, I found a way to DIY it using a regular hand/shoulder bag and a belt (that's not even totes matching in color) and I thought I should test drive the trend without spending anything. Here are the three ways I wore 'em below for today's hashtag post. The verdict? 

For someone like me who's always carrying the wold on her shoulders (literally with my gym stuff everyday), I could really do with having a separate hands-free bag to put all my fundamentals: cash, compact powder and my phone. The additional benefit? I love that it also doubles up as a cincher while making you look "hip" at the same time. :P Would you wear a fanny pack?

Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Bag/Belt: Mango

Top: Folded & Hung; Skit: Zara; Shoes: Keds; Bag/ Belt: Mango

Top/Skirt: Unbranded; Bag/ Belt: Mango