#TrioThursdays: Red Beret

Though I’ve had this hat since early this year (here and here), I didn’t get actually bring it with me to Paris. It’s not that I didn’t wanna look like a Parisian cliché (you do know that this hat has always been associated to Parisian artists right?) As a matter of fact, I have a very specific combo in mind using this topper that’s quite hard to pull off when you’re...well, travelling alone.

Since Dior sent its models in this black leather headwear early this year for their collection, it has become the trendsetter’s favourite accessory as seen in September’s fashion week. Back then, I still don’t have an idea that red’s going to be a big color this season but so glad that I got myself one in this color. :)

Oh and P.S. I still plan of going back to Paris one day wearing a Breton stripe, a camel trench coat and this red beret with a baguette in hand with of course, the Eiffel tower in the background? Game? @valhalla_photography? :P So far here’s how I styled it lately with red satin boots combo to be specific for today’s hashtag.

Sponsored: The Weekend Market

You know you’re a certified Tita of Manila when... you prefer a quiet Friday night so you can get up early on a Saturday to catch the weekend market. Lol.  There’s something so interesting about a weekend market - homemade specialties, unique offerings sold for a cause and products that are not your run of the mill ‘mainstream’ offerings. I seriously believe it’s not just for the foodies and health enthusiasts out there. The very concept of why it was established in the first place, think neighborhood gathering and getting to know each other, is very interesting to begin with. :)

Funny how in one article, it was pointed that this type of market is one where you actually give a thought about your clothing before going. Lol. I don’t actually believe in that (you can tell from pics below) but on purpose, I decided to wear this white pantsuit from Rosegal coz I thought it was perfect for that setting. Sheesh. It's a very breezy outfit with its criss-cross back and front leg slits that's easy to wear. Though flats are advised, my pair of sandals is kitten-heeled so it's not really a struggle going around the market. Also, they're from our very own local brand Carmelette's.

So finally, after working in Makati for almost five years now, I got the chance to catch the weekend market in my favourite village – Salcedo Village in Makati. My favorite about this market? There's a park next to the parking lot where it's setup and so can just easily have a picnic after getting your food finds. I don't know it's just that I feel Manilenos don't do picnics often and parks are not very well-utilized unlike those in Europe (specifically, in Paris mon amour <3). 

White Floral Jumpsuit

Hat: Zara; Dress: Rosegal; Shoes: Carmelette's; Earrings: Mango

This post was in collaboration with Rosegal/ Carmelette's. All styling by yours truly. Use the code RosegalChen in your purchases to get additional discounts. :) 

Airport Monochromes

Comfort over style. Perhaps there’s no other place this tenet applies better than when in the airport. And special thanks to athleisure trend, it’s now easier to look trendy while comfy at the same time during the flight or while going through the airport security. As a matter of fact, I can’t imagine what airport/ in-flight style used to look like anymore prior to this. Celebrity’s flight fashion has proven the case for this too.

But if there’s another way to look elevated while at the airport in athleisure pieces, it seems like there's one way to do it - go monochrome. Check inspo of these looks below both inspired by Vicky Beckham and Kendall Jenner. Not only these looks are couch-sitting lounge worthy but also ensure total travel success. Yup yup. ;)

Gallery 1. An all black outfit will always look elevated. Trust me. It's also a celeb's fave monochrome style. Now most people would dismiss the athleisure classification of this outfit because of the footwear but I insist. Harem pants (I featured them here 2 yrs ago) has its roots in dancing and is considered a rather "sporty" bottoms. Much like track pants where we feature next...  

Gallery 2. Now, I know we're not going to stop featuring red here and it's a little bright for the airport. Lol. But if it's a look inspired by Kendall as again seen here, then I don't see anything wrong copying it. Haha!

What about you? What's your usual airport style? :)

The Power of RED

RED, I know, has been dominating every aspect of my closet since last summer. Obviously, incorporating this color in your wardrobe is one way to make a statement this A/W '17 but last week more than ever was the best time to wear this powerful color.

You see this year alone, I talked about how this rich hue can add up to your attractiveness quotient here (clue: a red gown worn in Tokyo), or wore it for a birthmonth special here and some ways to wear items from your closet dipped in this striking color very recently here and here. 

It's classic, bold and loud and will never go out of style. At the same time, the color of love, courage, passion, good fortune and joy. Stylish women throughout the years have understood the power of this striking color and I couldn't have picked a better hue for celebrating one milestone at work - my very own product was officially launched in its second country (Indonesia). Here's what I wore to that momentous occasion. <3

#TrioThursday: Red Blazer

In continuation of all things red (the color of F/W 17), I'm compiling all un-posted looks using this blazer that you've probably seen here over and over again *roll eyes* Lol. And yes, I'm fully aware that I've just featured red trackies for last week's hashtag. :P

Red and Pink. Can't believe this was once considered a taboo combo when it's one of the prettiest and girliest combo ever! ;)

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

Hot & Cold. I can't believe this look from early this year hasn't made its way yet here. A pale shade of blue and a bright red is one that's pleasing to the eyes, agree? Also, I can't believe that after obsessing with this trend, I'm finally ready to let go of off-shoulders for next year.

Blazer/ Trousers: Mango; Shoes: Zara

A little French. Worn a few days before my trip to Paris, this look couldn't get any more French chic with the breton stripes and the on-trend baker boy hat. *wink*

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

#TuesdayShoesday: Ankle Boot Trends

Resident of a warmer coast (tropical countries, even) but die-hard fan of fall? You've got yourself an ally here. 🙋 Lol. Being an autumn lover means you've probably atleast planned a trip somewhere (hey, everybody in my FB was in Seoul lately haha!) and I'm 100% sure the first wardrobe consideration would be - shoes! And what's the best boots for fall? Of course, ankle boots!

When the temperature drops slightly (somehow we do have that here right? rainy weather, etc.) in our local zones, we think about busting out our boots to get more mileage out of them than that aforementioned autumn holiday. And because I went overboooard with this shoe trend, these styles are on my heavy rotation lately. Weird side-eyes by strangers be daaammnnedd!!! HAHAHA!!!

Red Satin Boots:

The color that took over the street style scenes in fashion month not only in clothing but in footwear as well. Don't you just simply agree that adding a touch of red instantly makes you look a standout?

Shirt/ Shoes/ Bag/ Earrings: Mango; Blazer/ Skirt: H&M

White Boots

I let go of this trend last year but so glad that designers have still incorporated this style for this season's collection just proving the lasting power of this color.

Top/ Bag/ Shoes: Mango; Skirt: Zalora

Heel Sock Boots:

Couldn't have been more excited when this updated silhouette entered the trend this year. What makes it sexy is that the sock part hugs your leg like a second skin. Did you see my other look of this boot here?

Eyewear/ Belt: Mango; Earrings/ Dress: Zaful; Shoes: Rubi

#TrioThursday: Side Stripes

Even way before, stripes have always been associated with sports. They are used in car racing, the black and white vertical stripes worn as uniforms by referees and of course there’s that iconic sports brand with their 3-stripes branding. As to when this all began still remains a mystery to me though. (I didn’t have enough time to research so would appreciate if you have the info. ;)

The stripes detail is interesting because of our item in feature today – the track pants. It has got me thinking how even without the gartered hemlines, latest iterations of this trend come in side-stripes and wide-leg cuts but still look very sporty. And speaking of reinventions, back in the 90s, you’d only see stripes paired with trainers (hello Mel C of Spice Girls! Or check out Brit Brit’s Hit Me One More Time). But with the rise of the athleisure trend, street style stars are rocking the look with heels, statement bags and with feminine touches of statement earrings. This post will feature three looks on how I styled my pairs (a sale item I got from H&M *wink*) for today’s hashtag. Because trust me, if a comfy trend like this is taking over, we must take advantage as long as it lasts. :)

Top/ Pants: H&M; Bag: Mango

Top/ Pants: H&M; Bag/ Shoes: Mango; Earrings: Zaful

Jacket: Mango; Top: Terranova; Pants: H&M

Trend Overdose

One of the major fashion mistakes most fashion editors would often say would have to be this – trend overdose. From the word itself, that’s combining multiple trends in one look. BUT, and that’s a big fat but, they never said something like that when it comes to accessories.

Two months after fashion week, it’s but natural to expect a trove of trends from its participants and apologies coz I kind of found it hard to filter them accessory-wise. So in this look, I’m sort of committing this fashion faux pas and I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether it’s Yay or Nay! ;) Plus points though, if you’ve identified all three trends but I’ll simply break it down for you. :)

Newsboy cap. If it’s not yet obvious to you that I’m a hat lover, well then now you know. Lol. You’ve prolly seen this hat before in here but this topper was unexpectedly seen all over the street style stars during the fashion month. I can only be glad to dust it off from my drawer.

Statement Earrings. Sculptural is actually more of the trend now when it comes to these jewelries but I am loving these simple oversized gold hoops simply because it’s easy to be paired with anything.

Heel Sock Boots. Fall means it’s boots season and this one is a new style that was so hard to resist. Just the way they hug your ankles is so sexy. Style tip? Just like socks that need to be shown off, this is best worn with skirts or dresses. If worn with jeans, best to cuff it to show off the sock part. :)

Hat/ Skirt: H&M; Bag: Mango; Jacket/ Bodysuit/ Earrings: Zaful/ Shoes: Rubi

#FitnessFriday: Self-Acceptance/ Self-Love

"If we hate any part of ourselves, then nothing is ever good enough."

For the last #fitnessfriday posts featuring activewear from my sponsors Rosegal and Zaful, they were always about a review of the product and making sure I somehow look good with it in the photos. I’m sure that by now the brand’s quality is pretty much established and proven trendy. So let me just tackle another point here…

The truth is, I wasn’t really satisfied with how I presented the products upon myself. Lol. Prolly not my tiptop shape to wear something ab-baring or (or lack thereof) or skintight at the moment of shoot. I was pretty sure I didn’t slip into my regular fitness routine too though I could’ve overeaten or something and there could be a whole other reasons why.

But at the end of the day, aside from the pressure from the sponsors to post (lol), I just have to finally let these pics out and say, “Sod it!” This body has run half marathons in the past, can do a back to back dance (energetic if I may add) class if needed or climb the second highest summit of the country without prior training. This body has served me well so much. What do I have to complain about?

Quick description of the items here: if you haven’t heard of the naked trend, well it has taken over the athleisure world particularly in the form of leggings. I’ve had attendees doing double takes if I was really wearing at the bottom with this nude two tone thingy. Haha! And it’s so sweet to find a cool take on the hoodie with this open front top from Rosegal.

Open Front Cropped Hoodie

Two Tone Active Yoga Leggings
Hoop Earrings

Plunging sports top, yaaay! Definitely flattering for flat-chested ITBC members. Lol. But what I appreciate the most here is the half-hand coverage through a thumbhole that doubles up as fitness gloves for tough workouts. 💪 

Plunging Neck Sports Top

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