#TrioThursdays: Canadian Tuxedo

Google Canadian Tuxedo and the very first image you'll see is an image of Brit Brit and JT's in AMAs circa 2001. Don't fret, Canuck tux simply means a double-denim outfit. I'll spare you the details of it's history but you can read up on it here. 

If you're a total trivia junkie though and did click on that link lol, you'll notice that the emphasis would have to be on the denim jacket and not just any denim top. Before, donning a double denim outfit used to be a fashion faux pas but not anymore with different celebs championing the trend and giving it a nod of approval.

With that, I gathered here three looks for today's hashtag using my distressed denim jacket pair from Mango with some style tips included below. Check it out! ;)

1. Why scrimp on two when you can actually make it a triple denim? *wink* Inject some yellow shoes for a pop of color. :)

Jacket: Mango; Top: Unbranded; Bottom: Zalora; Shoes: Call It Spring

2. Wear your jacket offshoulder for a different take on the"tux" not to mention making it look on-trend. ;)

Jacket: Mango; Bodysuit: Here; Skirt/ Shoes: Zalora; Sunnies: Mango

3. How about wrapping around the sleeves of the denim jacket and tie it at your waist to make it look like a tube top? Layer with a white tee for some modest approach. :P

Jacket/Shirt: Mango; Bottom: Terranova; Shoes: Zalora

Sponsored: Athleisure ala G

Just in case you haven't realized it yet, athleisure is alive and well and is here to stay. It’s now the cool It-girl style. While the debate is still on whether leggings are acceptable to be worn as pants, we look at one master of athleisure who’s fighting the good fight on making them acceptable – Queen G.

But how do we make our exercise gears in leggings totally elevated? It’s been proven that stylish gym wear can be the key to a great workout. Of course we turn to her inspiring ensembles and break down some pointers.

First look: It’s all about the bag. By adding a simple structured purse into your athleisure mix, you bring an extra ounce of polish to your look as demonstrated by G her. I also like the way she wrapped the cardigan around her waist. Obvs, G won the athleisure game here, style slam dunk! ;)

Second look: The bomber. I myself in the past had my second thoughts about the longevity of this trend so whether to invest in a piece or not was a crucial question for me. However, the answer came when Dresslily offered me an opportunity to choose an item from their jacket collection and I just really had to test drive the trend.

Also, you have to admit that it's very hard to resist owning a piece especially when you see how cool it looks when worn by Gigi and Kendall. Like hello, when was the time they look otherwise? *roll eyes* Lol!

Well, if you're not sure about how long this trend will last, the key here is to invest in cheaper pieces like Dresslily's piece below:

Pilot Zipper Bomber Jacket

At such an affordable price, you can always look cool like Queen G below. ;)

Planning Outfit Formulas

Ask any style blogger the secret to a great outfit and you will probably get one common answer - careful planning. And planning of course always require that precious time.

Of course, allotting time differs in each situation. When I was working for Intel factory in Cavite, I would plan my entire 5-day outfit on a weekend and I think that's where this whole "theme dressing" for business trips came about. There were weeks when I would do a black and white theme, a floral theme, etc. And for those of you who are wondering why I have to plan outfits in a factory setting, let's just discuss it in a different post shall we? Haha!

If you're not a morning person like me, the best way to do it is to plan outfits the night before. Some call it the 8-hour rule. It makes sense right? Because you wouldn't wanna scramble out of bed in the morning and feel the added pressure of thinking what to wear. By allotting atleast an hour for your outfit helps you pick outfits that makes you look put together. ;)

And for those of you who were motivated to give this planning a try, here are some trickier outfit formulas that takes a little additional effort to try. Find out what and why below.

Mixed Prints

Mixing prints in any ensemble is no easy feat but is a rewarding one. If you give yourself extra minutes, you'll be able to curate an attractive mishmash that's not clashing.

As I've mentioned in this post, the safest way to do mixed prints is to start with black and white pieces. Here's a striped and splattered pattern for the color-averse out there.

Top: Maldita; Skirt: Bugis in SG (also here); Shoes: Mango

Another favorite of mine is the stripes and floral pattern. I guess seeing two example of stripes in mixing here gives you an idea that it is the easiest one to start out with too. By the way, this is also an update of an old look found here. :)

Top/ Dress: Mango; Bustier: Topshop; Shoes: Zara

Ruffled Statement Shirts

Anything that requires a lot of ironing is the perfect piece to give some attention when you have time.

Dress: Unbranded; Skirt: Zara; Shoes: Zalora; Bag: Here.

Canadian Tuxedo

This fashion phrase (I just learned recently, too) means a denim jacket and jeans combination. The ensemble below doesn't strictly apply to this though but the denim feels of the blazer and jeggings made me think this is a qualified look for this category. You gotta admit that finding the right jean pieces also takes time.

Blazer/ Pants/ Shoes: H&M; Top: Mango; Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Three Looks, Three Style Tips

In a style rut? Here's a compilation of my recent #ootds and style tips as lifted from my source below. Check it out. 

1. Plan your outfit with a theme in mind to keep it looking consistent. 

One of those summer/ spring trends that has stood the test of time is the nautical look. To create this, you only need two ingredients: (1) horizontal stripes and (2) dark blue and white color theme. You can spruce it up by accenting with something red or yellow as seen below. This also happens to be one of my favorite themes in dressing. :)

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

2. Mix black-and-white prints for an instantly eye-catching ensemble. Add unexpected pops of color to a monochromatic look

If you wanna test drive the print on print look, you're always safe with black and whites. Pinky swear.;)

• 

Dress/ Shoes: Mango; Skirt: Bugis in Singapore (also here)

3. Get more use out if your workwear pieces by pairing them with athleisure items.

A very office-appropriate cropped blazer, a flirty high-low dress and athleisure sneakers in one. But somehow it worked, no? :)

Blazer: Mango; Dress: H&M (first seen here); Shoes: Converse

Source.

White Sneakers at Work

Rainy season is upon us! Atleast here in the Philippines. You know what that means? That omnipresent white sneakers that is largely associated with the athleisure trend may not be appropriate anymore (maybe for some days). Splashing puddles in your Stan Smiths or triple white Huaraches (see the looks here)? NO, NO, NO. Trust me, I bought this highly recommended cleaner in Singapore last January but never really got the time to clean my shoes. :-/

So in what I would say a temporary adieu to my white sneakers, I’ve collated these looks on how I wore them to work for the last six months. As a bonus, I’ve added tips on how to make them work-appropriate. Atleast for casual Fridays? Check out these looks on how to elevate your white sneakers to work.

#1 Dress it up with a midi-length skirt or dress. You can always start with the basic colors (black or gray).

Dress: Zara (also here); Bag: Marks & Spencer; Shoes: Converse

Top/ Clutch: Mango; Skirt: Night market in Taipei; Shoes: Adidas

#2 Team it up with prints for a playful take at work.

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

Blazer/ Dress: Mango; Shoes: Converse; Bag: Marks & Spencer

#3 Take cues from Kendall Jenner and MOD (model off-duty) it up in all-black. She isn’t the queen of Pinterest boards for nothing.

Outerwear: Topshop (also here); Dress: Terranova; Bag: Balenciaga; Shoes: Adidas

Jacket: Topshop; Dress: Unbranded; Shoes: Adidas

#4 Shirtdress. It’s versatility is endless. You should really invest in this timeless piece. Glad I found mine from this trip.

Shirtdress: J Crew; Blazer: Zalora; Shoes: Adidas

Dress: J Crew; Bag: Mango; Buttondown: Unbranded; Shoes: Adidas

Spring Essentials

In this post, we talked about the items that you need to get rid of for spring. But what to replace them with? Well, here's what.

I have intentionally missed out one item from the list of four previously to give way for a separate post soon. Stay tuned for that. 

Denim Jackets. As a recap, it's time to free up your closet space from heavy coats and replace them with denim jackets.

Denim Jacket: Mango; Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Shoes: Adidas

Lightweight sweaters. They should replace your chunky knits and turtlenecks. Fun fact: I've been looking forever for long cardigans like this and I didn't know that I can only find them in...... 

my brother's closet. Hahaha! Ssssshhh!

Cardigan/ Pants: H&M; Top: Topman; Shoes: Miss Selfridge

Silk scarves. I'm forever a huge fan of blanket scarves but it's time to give way for silk scarves. Pick something in color that would pop such as red! ;)

Jacket/ Bag: Mango; Dress; Scarf: H&M; Shoes: CMG

Denim Top Half Style Tricks

Funny! I was photo time traveling the other day in Timehop when I found out something strange. There was a photo of me taking a group picture in the mirror of the elevator for two consecutive years (3 and 2 years ago but with a different group of friends). Apparently, aside from the intuition to wear the same dress or color code on the same time of the year as posted here, you also have the habit of doing the same things on a certain day. Hmm, I need to make a research about this theory on behavior. Lol.

Maybe this theory is responsible for this half-styling tricks that I notice I keep on doing my denim tops. Though the photos don't involve any time factor, I guess there's just something appealing to me about these tricks that I keep on doing them again and again. :P

Half-tuck. The half-tuck trend started somewhere around 2013 and is still carried on until this year according to some NYC  fashion editors here (photo taken around Sept 2014). I thought that doing this style trick in this combo resulted to a better colorblocking highlight. :)

Blazer/ Necklace: Mango; Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Half-Buttoned. The half-buttoned look is just a good way of reinventing your old buttondowns or rather in this case, my brother's acid wash that I keep on borrowing using. Hehehe. :P I believe this was worn during the height of the crop top fever so leaving a few of the buttons below unbuttoned is a subtle nod to the trend. ;)

Top: Topman (also here); Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Mango

Half-worn. Okay, I'll admit I did not wear this thing this way. Haha! But I thought it was a cool way to highlight just the other half of the distressed denim jacket so I could let my hair down on the other side. :)

Jacket/ Shoes: Mango; Top: Penshoppe; Skirt: Zalora

The Hundred Ways I Copied Olivia Palermo

For my 100th post, how about a tribute to my forever style icon Olivia Palermo? Of course hundred is just used figuratively since it's impossible to recreate all her high-end pieces. But come to think of it, out of her endlessly-blogged-about looks, there are still styles that are recreate-able and it makes you think that the socialite/ the real-life Gossip Girl as coined by some websites is just like us. Isn't it weird that she's younger than me but I wanna emulate her ladylike elegance? Haha!

This post is more than the usual number of galleries in average so I would stop babbling now and let the fashionista extraordinaire teach you a lesson from the style tips I gathered in her ensembles. Enjoy guys and happy 100th post to me! Hahaha! :)

1. A camel coat is an absolute staple. Make it your investment piece for fall.

Coat: Unbranded; Top: CMG; Pants: Mango; Shoes: Janylin

2. When tuck-in doesn't work, tie a knot! Best on high-waisted anything like these Bermudas. Oh, stars! They're just like us - wearing affordable pieces. I was thrilled that this XS size fit me, I could've shared the same size with my style icon. Haha!

Top: Tomato; Shorts: Zara: Shoes: H&M

3. Pair your denim with everything! This time it's with her recommended 70's glamour staple according to her website - a high-waist wide-leg trouser.

Top: Unbranded; Pants: Mango; Bag/ Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

4. A colorblock varsity jacket can be worn for a date. Though I didn't have one this day, haha!

Jacket: Unbranded; Jumpsuit: Topshop; Shoes: Vincci

5. A big bag for a day of errands is a must! And that floral pants and leopard shoes combo works!

Blazer: Forever21; Top: Mango; Pants: Tomato

Bags: Zara/ Primadonna; Shoes: Rubi

6. Pull up your maxi skirt to turn into a dress! Brill! Add structure to the billowy look with a tailored vest or add a belt to your waist.

Sunnies: Ray Ban; Vest/Watch: Mango; Dress/Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

7. A draped coat over your shoulders = instant chic. The four-hand look always works for me.

Jacket: Topshop; Top: Mango; Skirt: Zara; Shoes: Marks &Spencer

8. Black and white is the chicest color combo ever. Though I had to wear three pieces to recreate the look below. :P Add brooches and eye-catching pieces like OP for a night-time look! ;)

Vest/ Top/ Watch: Mango; Jumpsuit: Topshop; Shoes: Marks & Spencer

All Black 101

"Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. ... [Its] beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony."  - Coco Chanel

By now, the month long show of S/S 2016 catwalk season have ended with the last leg held in Paris last week. Needless to say it’s an ultimate dream of mine to get into these shows (any of the fashion capitals would do) but for the mean time the closest I can get to is ogling the gallery of the most fashionable attendees and gathering some trivia.

For instance, did you know that you’re not supposed to cross legs in the front row? Wow, I should totally keep this in mind if I get the slightest chance of getting that seat in the future. Haha! And ok, I’m coming closer to my topic. Did you also know that, most of the people who work for the show (PR girls for example) go for dark colors, mostly black?

Obviously, wearing all black is your fail-safe option for these occasions. It does a lot of wonders but at the same time wearing one shade can be a bit one-dimensional and boring. Luckily, all over the style blogosphere, the style tricks to avoid looking bland are pretty much the same so I am going to demo how I’ve styled it in the past using three pictures below. You can also check out another all black ensemble here and here.

Style trick 1: Show some skin/ Accessorize with Abandon. Don that wide-brim hat and opt for strappy shoes instead.

Top: Forever21; Skirt: Topshop; Hat/Shoes: Unbranded

Style trick 2: Play with silhouettes/ Make way for metallics. The subdued color palette allows you to play with interesting silhouettes and volumes like peplum and circle skirt in leather. ;) Wearing gold accessories make them stand out too. :)

Top/ Necklace: Mango; Skirt: Topshop; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Style trick 3: Show some skin/ Vary the fabrics and textures. The beauty of all-black is that you can mix textures without fear of creating an overly busy ensemble.

Top: Unbranded; Skirt: Zara; Shoes: H&M

And if you wanna know what the survey says about people who wear black and only black, click the link here. :)