Layering Commandments

Cold season may be over but that doesn't mean that we can't apply the art of mixing and matching through layering. After all, as much as we want to in all these sweltering heat, we can't go to work in just strappy dress and shorts right? We still have to pile on stuffs and find ways to look at our wardrobe in a new light. These tips below are lifted from the reference article below and these tricks are tested and proven by street style stars. So good they have been elevated to "commandment" status. So how do they do it? They...

1. Add a Belt. Layering bulks up (even if it’s just a trench coat) so you might wanna put a figure to that look by cinching a belt. Now most trench coats come with a built-in cincher, but since I haven’t met a leopard I didn’t like....

Dress: Apartment 8; Belt: Mango; Shoes: Zara

2. Make a turtleneck your #1 staple. This turtleneck is like my winter MVP when I travel to colder countries. It’s been with me for like 8 years now and honestly I think it needs to retire. Lol. In summer months though, we can rely on tissue turtlenecks (thin ones) to provide contrast under dresses, blouses or jackets.

Top: Unbranded; Coat: Here; Trousers: Topshop; Shoes: Mango

3. Try Mixing Textures. This styling trick adds a little intrigue to your look. Lace, faux suede and patent below, everyone?

Top: Zara; Belt: Topshop; Skirt: H&M; Shoes: Mango; Sunnies: Here

4. Play with Prints.  Mixing prints is one of my favourites as you can see in one of my earliest post here.  Stripes on stripes with a leopard. Because I can. 😉

Vest/ Belt: Mango; Dress: Plains 'n Prints

5. Use the shoulder shrug.  Because shoulder was the body part du jour last year and there are a lot of ways you can wear your jacket to make you cool. 😎

Jacket: Mango; Dress: H&M; Shoes: Converse

6. Think in 3s. Because if it’s a little colder, you just wanna add something to make you warmer. Cape to the rescue!

Cape/ Top: Mango; Skirt: Zalora; Shoes: Nike

7. Layer a blazer over casual tee. This simply takes the slouchy or sporty out of your outfit even if you’re wearing trackies for work. 🏃

Blazer/ Shirt/ Sunnies: Mango; Pants: H&M; Shoes: Zalora

8. Wear long sleeves with everything. Because it allows you to look at your dresses in new ways. 👗

Top: Unbranded; Dress/ Shoes: Mango; Bag: Here

Reference: The 9 Commandments of Layering Like A Street Style Star

Collab

Aaah, this whole social media thing. It’s fascinating isn’t it? It’s a good platform to showcase your interests alright but to be noticed and be tapped as a talent is something even better. And something I never thought would happen to me.

While I was in Maldives, I received an email for a collaboration with a clothing brand in China. They wanted to send me dresses, shoot high quality photos with it and send it back to them (I get to keep the dresses! Yay!). I believe the images will be used for marketing purposes to their online shops. Yay!

What’s fun about this whole project is the challenge for me to make the looks my own given that normally these are not the clothing within my “comfort zone”. I’m actually chuffed about how I styled them so here are the five looks that we shot around Makati one fine Saturday. Oh and don’t even get me started about loving this city on a weekend! J

Look #1 The yellow print suit

Look #2 The chevron dress

Look #3 The Mint Lace Dress

Look #4 The Orange Maxi

Look #5 The studded jumpsuit

Balmain x H&M Recreation

You are probably wondering (as a fashion enthusiast), what are the items that sold out in record time last year? No? Well, let me atleast tell you some of it anyway. =))

I'm only going to talk about one of those items and you could have guessed that Kendall Jenner being one of the endorsers played part in it. I mean seriously, anything that that family touches turns to gold! And let's just add the fact that Adidas Yeezy Boost sneakers that the whole family wears got sold out in 15 minutes. Yowza! Anyway I digress, I am talking about the Balmain x H&M collaboration. The entire collection was sold out in minutes too.

Like this is news right? H&M's collab with designers is one of the most anticipated events in the fashion calendar. This is already their second collab this year after Alexander Wang and we knew what happened there (30 mins record). My favorite pieces from the collection would have to be the jackets and the jewelries. But as though I stood a chance there. Sigh. So, what a girl's gotta do? Re-create. ;)

First look:

Top/Boots: H&M; Skirt/Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Second look:

Coat: Zalora; Belt: Dorothy Perkins; Shoes: H&M

Universally Slimming Items

As a fitness instructor, let it be known that I promote anything that is "healthy" through proper eating and regular exercise. :) So if I am writing a post about achieving a slim look through styling, this should (as my source suggested) suit all shapes and sizes with the end-goal of achieving an over-all flattering look. ;) So here are three looks from the list of items identified:

1. Black Midi Dress. According to the same website, choose an LBD in midi length because it is more flattering than any other length. Technically speaking, midi should be anything that hits mid-calf  and not just-below-the-knee length. But a vast majority of the dresses sold in the high street come in this length which I believe is more flattering I think like the one below. :P They should come up with a new term for that length though. ;) See related article about LBDs here.

Dress: Mango; Shoes: CMG; Necklace: Juicy Couture

2. High-Waist Trousers. Regarding the same article, the correct item should be high-waist denims but I don't think they should limit it to that article of clothing alone. I've had this trousers for more than three years now for the very reason of this post. It'd be hard to let this go. ;) See related article about neck scarf here. 

Top: Zalora; Pants: Maldita; Bandanna: H&M

3. A Line Skirt. It cinches-in your waist and flares out at the hemline to make your waist look smaller! Yes, this should be right up there with LBD on the list of items every woman should own! Check also another look of this skirt here.

Top: Apartment8; Skirt: Bugis market

The Black Skinny Trousers

It was heartbreaking. We’ve made so many good styling history together. A week after my US-Canada trip, I found out that my perfect pair of trousers disappeared. And the worst part is, I don’t really have a clue where I left it as the transpacific flight back home was all pretty much a blur to me. It was in my extra backpack as I intend to change outfit on the way back.

Apparently, there are some other things in life that I was able to relate this too. Finding someone who seemed to be “the one” – that perfect fit in your life – who filled you with visions of  "forever".  But to steal a line from Whitney, nothing is so good it lasts eternally. And then all of a sudden one day, poof! He’s gone, leaving you desperate, questioning yourself and finding out what went wrong.

Luckily since I’m not new to this, my acceptance came quickly. I knew what to do. So I carried on with my styling life and focused on some aspects worth looking at – a harem to explore here and ooh changing my idea about jeggings here (because who couldn’t resist this chambray one? Haha). Of course, however nice they are, there’s quite nothing like that long and slim black high waist trousers that fit my abnormally-shaped lower body perfectly.

But just when you’ve forgotten all about it, once upon a normal shopping routine, there it was! I must admit I had my doubts when I found it, I’ve never had a trouser from this brand ever. But if you open your heart to something new, life will reward you. They may not be of the same glossy quality but the importance is how it fits. I guess three months is enough to mourn the old pants, so I'm welcoming this new one in my life. Haha!


Here's the old pair:

Top: Topshop; Pants: Dorothy Perkins; Shoes: Miss Selfridge

Newest pair: :)

Top: Mango; Pants: H&M; Shoes: Miss Selfridge

Spoils from the East Coast

Now that parts of the North America trip were covered, let’s talk about the spoils of the trip. To be honest, the plan was not to really spend on too much shopping. But I did have my eyes set on some items – sneakers for gym to be specific but I ended up unsuccessful. Oh well.

Usually when I travel, I’m always in the lookout for H&M-like (cheap and trendy) shops abroad. New Look in Singapore works for me as well as markets like Bugis street or Jatujak of Bangkok. In the US, we went mostly to outlet stores and since H&M is already present in the country, one particular brand that of interest is J.Crew.

J. Crew’s catalog has always been in my inspo board and it’s all because of the amazing woman behind it – Jenna Lyons. According to Wikipedia, Jenna Lyons has been the creative director and president for J.Crew since 2008 and 2010, respectively. Nicknamed the "Woman Who Dresses America," Lyons' creative force and style have been called the reason that J.Crew has turned into a cult brand and has had profits more than triple in a ten-year span (2003–2013). Imagine that!

You don’t actually have to Wiki her to know the “force”. Check out how she steps out in her stylish ensembles and you’ll be a convert. Or leaf through their catalogs and see how she turns basic clothing from blah to BAM! Basically, I wanna be like her. But I don’t know how. Lol. Maybe the first step is to actually get a shirtdress from the store and style it creatively in so many ways. Yes, perfect! That's a good first step. Haha! 

Dress: J Crew Bag: Jatujak Market Shoes: Sirens

A One-Piece in Three!

Before I left for the East Coast, I had a chance to work on a styling gig in a yacht. Yes, I was the stylist here but of course I didn’t pass up for a chance to have some stills for myself (you know me, wink!).

It’s a tricky one because I had to do it without interfering the whole shoot itself. So to quickly pull off three different looks, I chose a very versatile top that could be styled in many ways. And at this stage, allow me to segue a bit to talk a li’l something for my fellow IBTC (itty bitty titty committee).

You see, I’ve always been proud of being flat-chested. And since a lot of sites have already highlighted how lucky blessed we are in this department so from their posts, I will gather the “styling advantages” of us who belongs in the A-team. *wink*

1.  1. Plunging necklines are never an issue. I once had a friend who was jealous that I can wear low necklines without giving off an overtly sexual vibe. She simply can’t do it. And I am simply not envious of girls who has men’s attention because of their decolletage. Ugh, no thanks.

2.   2. Backless tops are flattering. There’s no cut of shirt that is completely off-limits, swimsuits included. Haha! And I always make a joke that should there be a swimwear malfunction, I don’t give two hoots. Lol.

3. 3. Bra-less anyone? This may be too much information but I can pull off a no-bra at workplace, and have been doing it many times. Enough said.

Granted, this top is actually a swimwear that is worn as a bodysuit so indeed there’s no need to go bra-less but I was in a yacht so it’s only appropriate. Also, if you noticed this is the same top worn in my New York post. A swimsuit and bodysuit in one? Aaah, I love it! J

This cruise was actually a short one in Manila Bay. And I will work on my styling portfolio for this soon. Watch out for it.

First look: Hat: Zara (worn here); Top: Ensemble (same here); Skirt: Mango (worn here)

Second look: Skirt: Unbranded; Shoes: Mango

Third look: Cover-up: H&M

Rain Boots!

Not only is June known as a wedding month, the rising temperatures of its days also heralds the start of rainy season in the Philippines. Pag-asa,a local institution for weather forecasts, has just reported to expect the wet season from the second week of this month and I’m pretty sure that we’ve all felt it by this time.

I would understand that it’s not for everybody but I love myself a heavy downpour especially when you just can’t take the humidity anymore. Yes, I’m a pluviophile. While it’s easy to list down all the disadvantages a rainy day brings, I’d rather not justify the reason why. It’s just the feeling that comes along with it. I guess it must be true love. Lol!

After seeing a lot of my beloved flats drown in Manila flood, guess you can say it took time for me to work on my rainwear couture. Lol.  But I found my “long-term solution” last year when I found these babies at Payless. Ideally, my perfect rainboots would have to be the Hunter Wellies (oh in red, please!). While these may not be made of vulcanized rubber, the amazing price I got it for (Php 700 or 16 USD) doesn’t give me the slightest regret if I use it again and again for rainy days. The cushioning is good that I even used it once for a dancing gig. Not bad isn’t it? J

Dress: Mango; Scarf: Mango; Leggings: Forever21; Shoes: Payless

Specs: Flea market in Osaka; Bag: Pedro; Coat: Unbranded

Of Whites and Weddings

It’s June! Can you believe it??? Five months of 2015 have passed!!! And as I do my reflection on this sixth month (a WEDDING month nonetheless!!!), I can’t help but have mixed feelings over the fact that two of my longest-running guy friends are getting married this year. Lol!

Since I don’t wanna delve on the current affairs of my heart (or the lack of affairs thereof, lol!), let me just babble about the exciting new chapters in my friends’ lives. The one happening this month is going to be in Canada so there’s gonna be some sort of a transatlantic reunion of friends which hopefully I can be a part of. And the other one is sort of promising because there’s some kind of unusualness to it.

It's unusual because they just met this year, got engaged two months after (the official proposal of which I became an accomplice in Seoul) and getting married by the end of the year. Whenever I tell this story to some guys, they all think he’s or they're crazy. But I’d like to believe that things like this happen and that I will have my own soon.

So while I am waiting for my time, let me just post this ensemble I concocted that has a kind of wedding-y feel to it. Because after all, what better way to represent a wedding month than all whites and laces? ;-) 

Blazer: Mango; Top: Mango; Skirt: Miss Selfridge

Sunnies: Mango; Necklace: Mango; Shoes: Miss Selfridge

And since I really have a backlog of outfit posts here, I have decided to add two more white on white looks using the same skirt as above. :)

Top: Folded & Hung; Skirt: Miss Selfridge; Shoes: Aldo

Necklace: Mango; Belt: Meg; Bag: Mango

Top: Cotton On; Skirt: Miss Selfridge; Shoes: Marks & Spencer

Sunnies: Ray Ban; Bag: Accessorize; Necklace: Zalora PH

Corporate Cool!

One of the things I learned in my styling workshop is the different areas that the stylists are working on. There’s TV, editorials, celebrities and so on. But I think there is something that is missing in that list – stylists should be hired or atleast have a “consultative role” in drafting the company policies too – in the dresscode department. :P

Let’s take a look for example, at the shorts. I don’t understand why shorts (I’m talking about the appropriate length here) shouldn’t be considered as wearable at work (for most companies) when there are different ways to make it look corporate-y enough.  I can pull off a hundred galleries of women who makes it work (first thing in mind: Olivia Palermo of course!). It’s the same thing for school policies too. I remember being “awarded” a violation slip for wearing sandals that are wedge-y enough to look formal for school but still not within the “should-have-straps-at-the-back “rule. :P Guess I’m really notorious for violating dress codes even back then, lol.

Having said this, I do know that there’s a lot of considerations that employers must make in instituting dress codes at work (public image, nature of work and the type of environment, etc). But stylists are exposed to different looks, materials, outfit combinations and what-not to cover atleast everything that should fit the company's general image but still giving enough leeway for the employees. And as for this shorts? For a casual Friday without the need for meeting up clients, this look should be appropriate enough. Come to think of it, the first half of this day was even spent doing the fire drill. Lol.

Fire drill. In that heels. I seriously didn’t get the memo. And let me just add that thankfully, we’re not in the 41^st floor anymore. Lol!

Blazer: Forever21; Buttondown: Lacoste; Shorts: Unbranded

Sunnies: Flea market in Osaka; Bag: Night market in Seoul; 

Shoes: Ezra by Zalora

An Anderson Reference

“The details, that’s what the world is made of.” – Wes Anderson

His movie poster for The Grand Budapest once caught my attention because of its whimsical nature. I remember saving a copy of the picture itself simply because “I like seeing pretty things.” Come to think about it, I didn’t even bother to get to know who the director was then.  Shame.

As fate would have it, the name Wes Anderson would eventually be revealed to me when our styling instructor grouped us to create an editorial inspired by one of his movies. He briefly gave us a background of the director – his penchant for sticking to a certain palette per movie.

Now that I have gathered more details about him for this post, the more I find myself curious to actually watch one of his films. Yet again, double shame because given the tight schedule, me and my classmate focused only on the color composition aspect per se of the movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Had I known how meticulous Anderson is when it comes to details, I would’ve seen the movie itself and gone gaga for this editorial. Like seriously. Reading this beginner’s guide to his movies is just soooo inspiring that I wanna apply his filmography techniques to styling. Haha!

But with a one week deadline, this is the by-product of our humble effort - red and blue by the bay. Still, I am proud of our collaboration given our meager resources (aka an iPhone5  for the shots and us taking photos of ourselves – the group was taken by Teray’s nanny) and I had really fun working with this girl.

Honestly, I had so many ideas for this homework that were not executed. The fashion styling class is over (*sob*) and a lot of the editorials submitted will be featured here soon. Wait for it. :) But I know to myself, this Wes Anderson editorial is not yet over. Haha! I don’t have to be in a styling class to work on it right? All I need is time and imagination….Soon…

Red gown: Mango