If All Else Fails, Make The Heels Higher

"If all else fails, make the heels higher."

We’ve all heard it before right? The benefits of wearing high heels. They add height, make legs longer and butt look great. I’m not really sure about that last part though but they miss ‘out one thing – they enhance your calves too. It’s just funny how some men are into calf muscles. Obviously, it was through comments in my social media account that I found out about this. But I digress.

I know that those who don’t’ have a high threshold for pain are already taking about their disadvantages - sore ankles, pinched toes, swollen feet and the list goes on. But if there’s another thing to motivate you in slipping into those killer pairs, it’s this. According to a study  in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, you’re hotter when you wear high heels. It was published in Time – high heels increase a woman’s attractiveness! And it was confirmed through a social behavior study in France as mentioned in the same article.

But if you’re still not satisfied with that, then I’m gonna add another motivation here. This article from Business Insider says that being tall could make you richer and more successful which is also based on a scientific study. Well, that article says nothing about “genetically taller” so I guess the “fake it ‘til you make it” strategy can work here. Haha. Fake being tall in high heels, why not? =))

And for those of you who got inspired to wear heels from this silly post (lol!), then I’ve got this trick for you to make that teetering in sticks a bit bearable. Meanwhile, enjoy the gallery below showcasing some of my highest pairs. :)

Dress/ Shoes: Dorothy Perkins; Skirt: Asos; Sunnies: Unbranded

Blazer: Mango; Top: Unbranded; Skirt: Warehouse

Sunnies: Aldo; Shoes: Zalora PH

Dress: H&M; Skirt: Forever21; Shoes: CMG

Harem

The very first thing that I googled while working on this post is the difference of harem and jogging pants. Perhaps I made a limited research but there wasn’t anything I saw on the net. One article mentioned that harem trousers are the dressier version of jogging pants and I found myself agreeing to this.

Well, my research revealed that these clothing are believed to have originated in Persia around 16^th century and were popularized by exotic belly dancers. It became a craze as well around the 1980s because of MC Hammer. STOP! Hammertime, haha! Harem and Hammer, what a coincidence. ;-)

Perhaps it’s the athleisure trend or its earlier associations with dancing but I am finding myself rediscovering ways to wear these pants that I have since forever. I swear, I wore them less in the past almost making it to the regretted purchase list. But what’s not to love about them? They’re billowy and I particularly love how it tapers down to a narrow, tight fitting ankle cuff making them perfect for different shoe types.

Most of the style websites I found insist that the top should be structured because of the relaxed fit of the bottoms but the gallery below proves otherwise. First is another billowy top and the second one is a shirt from the men’s section. Black and white will always be my favorite go-to combo for business looks but it wouldn’t hurt to inject some color too.  J

Top: F&H (same here); Trousers/Clutch: Mango; Shoes: H&M

Top: Zara (same here); Trousers: Mango; Shoes: H&M

Necklace/ Bag: Unbranded

Rebel Pout

“She was the kind of girl who wore dark lipstick and didn't need to speak a word to seduce you.”  - Stephen F. Campbell

Again, it’s late but I feel compelled to write something about the National Lipstick Day that happened last week. Why? Here’s why.

Simply because I’m a lipstick girl. I know nothing about cosmetics in general (and honestly this thing called contouring all sounds like rocket science to me *smh) but at the same time, I also don’t know anything about lipstick. But the difference is, when it comes to the latter, I assure you I will buy one and put it on simply for the fun of it. There are people who care most about the eye make-up but I am happy for days when I can just pull-off a sunnies and lippy and I’m good to go. ;-)

In the past, I’ve worn shades that have got people, strangers even, asking me for the tones which is kind of flattering since I just stumble upon them in the mall, haha! But though I’ve started using bold colors way back in college (hello red lips!), I feel like my foray into the lipstick world is just beginning with the recent introduction to lip liners and primer. Blame it on Mac!

Speaking of which, I’m into my third shade (What? They’re pricey for 16USD a pop you know! And the tax in NYC gave me a mini heart attack, lol!) and it’s something that a MUA recommended to me a year ago. I took no notice of it until a friend of mine and I hit the shop recently and a recent fascination for dark lips. Rebel is a shade that people are terrified of in the bullet but it is such a bold color that is sometimes enough to make it a style statement. Yes, the whole point of this post is that, sometimes there’s nothing better than a dark lips to make the statement of your whole look. ;-) 

Vest: Mango; Top: Mango; Skirt: Forever21

Shoes: Unbranded

Borrowed Button-down

For someone like me who regularly borrows a man’s button-down (my brother's), I should have noticed it already before. But as it is, I had to chance upon a Business Insider’s article (yes, a Business Insider! Haha!) to actually learn this trivia. And then it hit me that one time I think I stopped and got confused while buttoning up and then simply shrugged it off.

So, have you ever noticed why men’s and women’s shirt buttons are on different sides?   Okay, wives who styles their hubbies must know this already. As for girlfriends, go check your beau’s shirts. Lol! So, according to this,

Mens’ buttons are on the right side because men have always tended to dress themselves and most men (and women, for that matter) are right-handed.

Womens’ buttons are on the left side because years ago (say, during the Victorian Era), the women that could afford fancy clothing with a bunch of buttons would rely on maids to help dress them. So, if a servant (most of whom, naturally, would be right-handed) is going to routinely buttoning up a shirt/dress for someone else, that servant is going to prefer to have the buttons on their right side (which would be the left side of the garment).

Ooh, I love trivias like this. Haha! So, for this post's gallery, I'm featuring this pale blue buttondown that I usually borrow from my brother and how I've styled it in the past so far. 

Blazer: Mango

Buttondown: Lacoste

Skirt: Topshop

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Bag: Marks & Spencer

Sunnies: Unbranded

Buttondown: Lacoste

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Buttondown: Lacoste

Top: Aeropostale

Jeans: Mango

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Roooaaarrr!!!

"I've never met a leopard print I didn't like."

One of the outdated fashion rule is to never mix print on print. I believe it was created before for some aesthetic reason but as we all know, rules are meant to be broken.

As quoted above, I love myself a leopard print. But a leopard on leopard? That's just double the fierceness if I dare say. I was really excited when I first visualized this look in my head but hesitated when I first tried it on a regular "dress rehearsal" that I had to abandon the idea completely. It was just too strong for my eyes then.

I gave it another try the week after and, in the words of my fashion styling instructor (yes!!! breaking news, I'm studying :D), "for some supernatural reasons, it worked." Lol! I just had to keep everything else minimal (aka stick to black).

I guess this just proves another point I knew all along. Leopard is a neutral. I've seen it worked on numerous occasions and in different pairings. I guess this is what our ancestors were thinking when they decided to use animal hides for cover (well, practical reasons aside of course!) Aaah, too many takeaways from my styling class. Expect more of that in my future posts. Tata! =)

Dress: H&M

Skirt: Apartment8 Clothing

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Bag: Charles & Keith

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

The Scalloped Edges

Warning: Cheesy post

As mentioned in my last post, I love myself a good night market find. One good example is this gray midi skirt I got from my trip to Taipei one month ago. I have been looking for a nice ladylike skirt in this hue as a result of a recent realization about gray's versatility.

The skirt is made of cashmere fabric and has that scallop detail at the waistline. I wasn't even thinking about this red crop top with the same scalloped ends when I bought it but there they were - looking like the better half of each other.

Wear it on a Valentine week (RED!!!) and expect a single girl to come up with hugot lines. Seriously, if these scalloped clothes were able to find their way together then what prevents me from finding my own perfect match someday? 

My faith in love has just been restored through fashion. How is that even possible? Lol.

Top: Apartment8 Clothing

Skirt: Night market in Taipei

Belt: Unbranded

Shoes: H&M

Necklace: Zara

Gray Area

“When I was a little girl, everything in the world fell into either of these two categories: wrong or right. Black or white. Now that I am an adult, I have put childish things aside and now I know that some things fall into wrong and some things fall into right. Some things are categorized as black and some things are categorized as white. But most things in the world aren't either! Most things in the world aren't black, aren't white, aren't wrong, aren't right, but most of everything is just different. And now I know that there's nothing wrong with different, and that we can let things be different, we don't have to try and make them black or white, we can just let them be grey. And when I was a child, I thought that God was the God who only saw black and white. Now that I am no longer a child, I can see, that God is the God who can see the black and the white and the grey, too, and He dances on the grey! Grey is okay.” 

― C. JoyBell C.

You may have noticed that though I post outfits on a regular basis (shamelessly plugging my Instagram and Lookbook page here for reference), it takes time for me to post them officially on this blog. Why? As an aspiring book author (chic-lit please), my goal is to write a li’l something about the outfit. It could be a anything – a fun story about how I got an item or something that inspired what I wore albeit celebrity-inspired. Otherwise, I feel that this won’t make any difference from my other social posting sites. No? 

But as the long quote above stated, sometimes it doesn’t always have to be about the rules or the black and whites. There are gray areas, the compromises and the in-betweens. Since I have just recently made a post about timeless color combo of black and white, let this outfit post serve as a reminder of that beautiful area between extremes - the abstract and ambiguous.

P.S. Not liking the serious tone of this post. Lol!

Blazer: Forever21
Shirt: Mango
Pants: Mango
Bag: Mango
Shoes: Zara
Necklace: Zara
Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Vest: Mango

Top: Penshoppe

Skirt: Topshop

Bag: Marks and Spencer

Shoes: Zara

Earrings/ Watch: Mango

Them Thigh Highs

Late news but as a style/fashion blogger I feel a bit compelled to write something about this fashion giant and its recent opening in our country (their 55th!) – H&M.

I had my first experience about 5 years ago. I was in HK and much eager to see this retail brand that one of my favorite lifestyle bloggers is raving about. It was January, end of season sale and let’s just say it didn’t take minutes for me to love the shop upon entering. Lol! My very first treasured purchase is a pair of snakeskin cutout booties for just 100 HKD. I call them my “hooker shoes” and I wore ‘em to an event here.

I had my hesitations when this Swedish company announced their opening here. H&M visit is always a highlight of my travel abroad (lol!). I cherish those spring in my steps when I finally reach a mall that has their store. And them opening a branch in the mall where I go to during weekends would only mean bankruptcy for me. Lol.

But I guess all that changed when I found these thigh highs in the shop last month. I’ve been ogling these babies since late of 2013 and could only ooh and aah over the style mavens wearing them. As a shoelover, I was completely hopeless that I’d find anything like this here in our country but there they were displayed in my size at H&M Makati. Yay! What can I say? It was definitely meant to be. Lol.

I’ve worn it a couple of times and even performed a Latin track in them. Oh my. Click here. Dress over pants trend is the new louche layering for 2015 and this is somehow a preview of that look. Not sure if I’ll completely try it though. We’ll see.

Top: Unbranded

Skirt: Maldita

Shoes: H&M

Watch: Guess

Necklace: Zara

2in1: Monday Blues

“If Monday were shoes, they’d be crocs.”

I’m so happy that Olivia Palermo and I share the same view about crocs. She said she wouldn’t try it. “It’s never going to happen” . Oh I can just feel the shudder at that last sentence.  You see this is the reason why she is my style icon. It’s not like I have to emulate her POV or something. These things just come out to "us" naturally. :P But I’m not here to talk about crocs. Rather, it’s about sharing how bad I feel for Monday and all its ugly quotes. It’s not Monday’s fault isn’t it?

A lot has been said about Mondays and about needing a day between the two-day weekend. But I feel that if this thought would escape the hypothetical realm, meaning that we’d have a 3-day weekend, I don’t think we’d give up the thought of TGIFs (since we love it so much) that the governments would have to arrange for the third day to be Monday isn’t it? So what’s my point? Nothing. Hahaha!

I’m not here to preach about finding a work you love and all that jazz but I just want to share my tricks when it comes to Mondays. What I do is think of a really pulled together outfit for the start of the workweek and that alone sort of motivates me already. In fact, I feel like I’m always best dressed on the first day and the other days can just be blah. Haha. Well you can adapt the same thinking too and see how it goes? After all, nothing can make us more motivated and focused when we’re dressed up smartly and sharply for work. There was an actual study about this case and it is called “enclothed cognition”. Click here if interested.

"Clothes may not make the man but they do hold a strange power over their wearers."

So to literally translate those Monday blues, here’s a gallery of my recent blue-inspired corporate styles. Enjoy. J

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Blazer: Mango

Top: Dorothy Perkins

Skirt: Miss Selfridge

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Watch: Mango

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Top: Penshoppe

Skirt: Dorothy Perkins

Bag; Unbranded

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Sheer & Hosiery

Not really proud of this but I think I’m a huge fashion rule-breaker especially at work. You’ve seen me rock lots of cropped tops in the past (with blazer cover-up of course or a really high-waist bottoms) and though I don’t have great legs, I’m not one to shy away from mini skirts. Of course it’s pretty understandable why these are not allowed at work and can even be explicitly defined in the handbook but there’s a particular type of clothing that is I believe is in gray area when it comes to appropriateness at work. I’m talking about a sheer fabric.

You see I’ve seen credible style guides preach about sheer being a big no-no at work but I have a different take on this. I love sheer fabric for the fact that perfume smells even stronger when sprayed on them. Don’t you agree? For me, sheer is okay as long as you have additional covering underneath.

Some say that women purposefully wear it to give a sneak peek of their lingerie but to me this isn’t the case because uhmmm, I don’t have great lingeries for display. Lol! Granted, it’s an aspect of my wardrobe that needs an upgrade perhaps but it’s just that I can’t see the point when it is hidden.

So if it’s true that sheer and minis are a big NO NO at work, then this ensemble just qualifies for a - as Rachel Zoe would call it- MAJ ground for warning. But perhaps the tube top underneath and the hosiery made it a bit acceptable as per company standards. =P

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Top: Tomato

Bag: Charles & Keith

Skirt: Topshop

Hosiery: Dorothy Perkins

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Coords: Stripes on Stripes

You know a trend is here to stay when you see Billboard’s Woman Of The Year Taylor Swift rock it in countless ways. Which trend am I talking about? Of course, the matching set.  It didn’t take me further research on the origin of this trend. In my other lifestyle blog, I learned that this trend has been on since early Feb 2013 as seen in my post here – whereupon two months later I was able to surprisingly come up with my own here (albeit admitting in the earlier post that the trend is daunting, hahaha!).

But mine was more of subdued print and work-appropriate. In last year’s summer/ spring runway though, the trend grew in full bloom to include different prints and textures. Again, you might think that because of late blogging this post feels like a trend review. But what do you know? Designers have continued to create clever knit matching sets to rally on this trend in the fall and winter season and they're already seen sported by some celebs like Rihanna. So somehow this post has a bit of a “current” feel to it. :P

For this 2 in 1 post (how very apt), I picked two looks from the third installment of the same topic here. I would like again to reiterate that mine feels more like coordinating separates. What’s the diff? Well, in my case they weren’t really purchased in sets. They just “magically” coordinated themselves as soon as I started digging my wardrobe for different pieces. Haha! And again, if you think of a soundtrack for this discovery, this line from a love song never felt more appropriate,

“Who’d have thought? This is how the pieces fit?"

Lol.

Top: Unbranded 

Skirt: Unbranded 

Coat: Maldita

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Blazer: H&M

Top: Forever21

Skirt: Unbranded

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Acid Wash

Fridays. They should be reserved for fun dressing you know. Relaxed and casual. Or “cool biz” as the Japanese would call it - something I learned when I started teaching Business English to them (it’s my part-time job). Trivia: Cool biz means for them “no suit”. But I digress, fun dressing for me on the last day of the workweek sometimes mean injecting colors.

This acid wash top is something I’ve been borrowing from time to time from my brother. Haha. It is a great “base palette” for colorblocking as I’ve paired it with a watercolor skirt too before. I reserved this for a Mockingjay move night with a friend. In the toilet though, after the movie, I realized with utter mortification that I was unconsciously sporting the Katniss Everdeen braid. I mean, I love the character and JLaw of course but I didn’t want everyone to think I’m copying the heroine’s hairstyle on the day of movie viewing itself. That is just so uncool for me you know. =P Just for fun, I agreed to my friend’s request to take a photo side by side with the movie poster (lol) but not posting it EVER. =D

Top: Topman (my brother's)

Skirt: Topshop

Clutch: Primadonna

Shoes: Zalora

Sea Colours

Having had this dress for years now, I was pretty sure that I've exhausted all possible ways to style it. The graphic print makes it versatile for pairing with red or black shoes with matching belts. Sure, it worked with some layering and hosiery too. But one thing I realized recently is that updating a look doesn't always have to be with the use of accessories. Sometimes simply changing hairstyle can be a great factor too.

Admittedly, it’s my first time to experiment on a crown braid and I think (?) it worked for this look. Funny, I didn’t even watch some tutorials on this and just trusted my instinct on how to do it. Not bad I guess for someone who has zero hair styling talent. :P Even funnier, I haven’t had a repeat hairstyle since this ‘do from months ago. =))

And as for the title of this look? Let’s just say I should’ve added something yellow to complete all the names of the seas. =)

Dress: Petit Monde

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Bag: Charles 'n Keith

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Blazer: H&M (my brother's, lol!)

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Necklace: Unbranded

And because I believe there's really no rules in doing the crown braid, here's a close-up of my work.

Blank Space

We all love our LBDs (little black dresses) but one thing that is as equally versatile as them is the LWD. Wearing white is always a great way to instantly create a fresh, chic look. And just like their counterpart, a solid white base leaves lots of room to play with. You can contrast it with darker outerwear (think leather jackets) or let it be a stylish backdrop for displaying interesting accessories.

For this unbranded LWD with peplum detail, I simply decided to match it up with a bright color to draw attention to my cobalt lace-up sandals. To stay true to the blue and white combo, I threw on my striped blazer and accessorized it with my flashy lens. For some reason, using it as a blank canvas reminds me of one of the Billboard’s Woman of the Year 2014 song, as the lyric goes…

"but I've got a blank space baby, and I'll write your name"

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Blazer: H&M

Dress: Unbranded

Shoes: Ezra by Zalora

Japanese School Uniform

Japanese school uniforms are interesting because they are quite different from the standard school uniform of Western schools. It has been an iconic look of students in Japan because of the mangas and has even become uhmmm a fetish item for adult entertainment (what?!?!). I really didn't get that latter part but one look at it and I could say that it could pass for a corporate look - I mean the top part of course.

Today's #ootd feature is inspired by these so-called seifuku. It doesn't even have that sailor collar that reminds me of Sailor Moon but I learned that the students vary the layering styles according to seasons - hence here it is a blazer with a color that harmonizes with the skirt (it's actually a bright orange). The necktie is also another variation since most pictures would feature a bow. I just realized that I have experimented with different accessories before - suspenders, belts and hats but never a necktie. Why? Because I don't know how to do it. Lol! So what's the solution? Find a ready-made one in the kiddie section of the department store. Hahaha. I remember my brother having this when he was younger. =))) Of course, if the need arises like getting married in the future, I'd have to learn how to do the proper one for the husband. Right??? Riiiiiggghhhtttt! =))))

 Blazer: Mango

Buttondown: Mango

Skirt: Topshop

Shoes: Marks and Spencer

Bag: Charles 'n Keith

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka

Pleated Culottes

A skirt-trouser hybrid – this is what makes this piece tough to pull off. It is also the reason why I’ve had this for a long time but wore it only a couple of times thinking it’s not that bad since like the PVC skirt in my last post, I got it also on sale from the same shop. :P

But with its recent resurgence in the runways, countless inspiring ways have emerged to wear this wide-leg bottoms  and I just couldn’t help being inspired. So, in a matter of months, I’ve managed to wear it in three ways as seen in my other blog here. :P But my personal favorite would have to be the one below: with my inspiration for losing weight this year – the cropped top (haha!) and a tailored jacket.

My favorite feeling is whenever I walk down the stairs.  What with its volume, yes it flows and sways but no need to fear on seeing undergarments because it is essentially a pants. Haha! 

Blazer: Mango

Top: Forever21

Trousers: Topshop

Shoes: Ezra by Zalora

Bag: Charles 'n Keith

Sunnies: Flea market find

PVC!

When this skirt first caught my eye, it was on sale. The color is neutral and makes for an easy palette. Plus, it has my size. What’s there not to like? My friend Ana reacted in a way that says – “Go! Only you can pull that off.”  But seriously, PVC in a pencil cut is just like any other normal work skirt. Need further proof? Check the three ways I wore it here. It’s just a material that can be quite uncomfortable at first and inconvenient if you’re not in a say, well-ventilated area. Paired with a white buttondown below, it couldn’t be more office-appropriate.  J

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Top: Mango

Belt: Mango

Skirt: Topshop

Shoes: Janylyn

Necklace: Zara

Lime Green & Cobalt Blue

Just when I told myself I don't need 'em lace-up booties, a sweet sweet sale online appears at my computer screen telling me they're practically a steal for around 17 USD.  They did not come in my intended color ( I originally wanted a black) but these cobalt babies looked better anyway! Don't you agree? In my Instagram caption (cassey_cakes), I highlighted the dotty top which is again borrowed from my brother (do you even call it borrowed without his permission? haha!) but there's no doubt about it, the shoes are the star of this outfit. It was really a good score! :)

As for the skirt, it's recently one of my favorite versatile piece and I will highlight it in another post perhaps. :)

Top: Zara Man

Skirt: The Ramp Crossings

Bag: Jatujak Market

Shoes: Zalora PH

Watch: Mango

Sunnies: Ray Ban