#TrioThursday: Wicker

I’d like to think the world has finally reached its peak French Girl obsession with these bags of the moment. Straw, wicker, raffia – woven bags are officially everywhere! And they’re not just styled by the beach, you see! Have you seen a style influencer carry it with her winter wardrobe last season? Do you think they match? Probably not. But does it look cool? Hands down, yeah! :D

If you’re into anything vintage, by now you’d know that this is actually a seasonally-backward trend. French actress Jane Birkin was probably the inspiration for living this 24/7 fishing basket life. She styled it with everything (even with a cocktail dress at Cannes Film Festival mind you!). And I intend to do the same with my recently acquired basket bag from Mango. It has its advantages.

Everywhere I went, strangers from all walks of life, from the sales girl at the grocery, random people in the gym to the hotel receptionist in Jakarta, went out of their way to praise my basket bag. I honestly think it’s one of the reasons why those little girls donned in white telekung solat took a photo of me (as though I’m a celebrity lol) while passing through a mosque in Jakarta. Hehe.  

It’s that one bag I couldn’t pack away with my floppy or wide-brim hats as they go so well together as proven by the three looks below. Oh, and a floral dress. And you’re about to see more of it in my summer escapades. :D

Dress: Zaful (see here); Bag/ Hat/ Sandals: Mango

Dress: Rosegal (see post here); Bag/Hat: Mango

Dress/ Bag/ Hat: Mango

#TrioThursday: White Ankle Boots

Nancy Sinatra may be wearing brown tall boots in her 60’s sensational music video “These Boots are Made for Walking” but we all could deduce that she’s referring to white boots then. A brief check of history of white ankle boots revealed that it was actually introduced by designer André Courrège in his “Moon Girl” futuristic collection for Fall of 1964. The original ones were in white, low-heeled, mid-calf and were also called go-go boots.

This concept of fashion boots was said to be revolutionary then since prior to the 60’s, women’s boots were purely worn only for riding or walking/ protection from the rough weather. And as expected, the rise of Sinatra’s song to the Billboard charts only fuelled the purchase of these go-go boots and helped establish them as symbol of female power.

54 years later, we’re seeing incarnations of these go-go boots in cosmic/ galatic themed runway looks (see Chanel Fall of 2017) and certainly not to be missed in model's off-duty footwear. They’re versatile, easy to walk-in and an easy stand-out in a sea of black ankle boots. ;) In the fabulous style of the 60's, they're often worn with mini skirts. So here's how I styled them in three ways using mine :)

Dress: Zara; Bag/ Shoes: Mango

Skirt: H&M; Bag/ Shoes/ Belt: Mango

Dress/ Skirt: H&M; Bag/Shoes: Mango

TrioThursdays: Trail Blazer

One night when I entered the gym and the sight of my crush greeted me in one of those arm machines, I still remember how his eyes were fixated in one item of clothing that’s hanging in my gym bag – my glen plaid blazer at work. Is it just me (haha!) but it’s as if I can already read his thought bubble about me “Oh, she’s that power woman at work.”

Okay, so maybe I’m just willing for him to think that way because unfortunately he still hasn’t talked to me (but I’m positive he will VERY SOON, haha!) which means he has zero clue about what I do except for the fact that I teach a dance class in the gym. BUT, it’d be wrong for him not to think so especially for some big shot like him in the journalism world. :P  Because, inasmuch as you know you like me babbling about my crush, I’m gonna segue now to today’s topic – blazers and its power association.

As Vogue said, you don’t need a complete suit to channel power - just a good blazer. A good blazer can take you beyond the usual 9 to 5 of interviews and presentations to looking polished even in the happy hours. You could tell how I’m such a proponent in my earlier posts like here. And while you know that it’s not the first time I tackled this plaid blazer trend, I’m reiterating now how this is such a “buy now, wear forever” piece that should be in your closet specially that blazers will be a major trend this S/S 18. So for fresher ways to wear it, here are my three latest looks for today’s hashtag. Enjoy :)

Look#1: Plaid and Floral

Blazer: H&M; Top: Topshop; Shoes: Missguided

 Look #2: Plaid and Pinstripes

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

Look #3: Plaid and Plains

Blazer: H&M; Top/ Boots: 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

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! 

#TrioThursday: Ugly Shoe Trend

You know it’s time to start talking about rainy footwear selection when you just had one of your favorite work go-to flats damaged from walking in the puddles. It happened one fateful night, I was already contemplating switching to my “ugly shoes” after teaching my Wednesday night class when for some reason (apparently it’s laziness to go back to the gym and change, 🤷) I decided against it. A heavy downpour occurred and bye bye flats. Lol! 👋

Did I just really say I’m gonna wear something ugly? Let’s discuss what the ugly trend is. While I would directly point to a croc shoe (sorry to their fans 🙊) as an ugly shoe, ugly fashion is actually more than that. Simply put based on this article, this genre is driven by influencers because of their desperate desire to be unique that they choose article of clothing that may not be the most flattering or aesthetically stunning in the moment. Think: deconstructed tops, sporty slides or chunky boots for example. Get it?

It’s no-brainer why my entry for this trend would have to be these Adidas alpha-bounce I got earlier this year. It’s simply because I purchased this from the men’s section. The color was never made available to the women’s and I reckon I wouldn’t have a size for it in that division either. It still piques my curiosity what other people think when they stare long at it whenever I’m wearing it, could it be that they find the style too manly for a woman or what. But I actually don’t care. This pair is actually one of my best decisions when it comes to gym footwear and I love the support it gives me while dancing. And since it’s in black, I wouldn’t mind getting it all wet or splashed in the puddle this monsoon season. 🙃 Although, I still have another entry for my list of rainy day looks in boots soon and I hope you wait for that. 😉

Jacket: Mango; Skirt: Zalora; Shoes: Adidas

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

Top: Mango; Skirt: Zalora; Shoes: Adidas

#TrioThursday: Ring My Bell

Thursdays are for three ways to wear and also for throwbacks. What about throwbacks you mean? From the focus on shoulders last year, the trend ended up on voluminous sleeves which is as you know a nod to the influence of the 70's. The look is still going strong as of late and one advantage of the bell sleeve trend from the off-shoulder is that you'll never have to wonder if this is work-appropriate. Lol! Here we take a look on how I wore this Mango top to different days at work. :)

Top: Mango; Skirt: Zara; Belt: Dorothy Perkins; Shoes: Zalora

Top: Mango; Skirt: Apartment8 Clothing; Shoes: Zalora

Top: Mango; Skirt: Zalora; Shoes: H&M

Millennial Pink

In 2016, a light shade of pink named Rose Quartz was named one of the two colours of the year by Pantone. This year, it was declared to be Greenery. So whatever happened to Greens and what is this millennial pink that’s taking over IG feeds, fashion lines and restaurant decors recently? Lol.

While we do know that us girls will always be partial to pink but this type is not saccharine like Barbie pink but rather one in a soft muted shade ranging from beige to blush. It’s hard to tell how it slowly crept into our lives but many sources say Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel might have been one influence.

Experts believe that this hue is currently in vogue because it represents androgyny and rejects the feminine/ girly girl associations of the color of the past. Add to it the fact that this is generally flattering to everyone and easy on the eye. I don’t know about this though because I’ve known men from way way back some guy friends who purposely dress up in soft pinks (to you know, score pogi points to girls, lol!).

As for the movie influence, what of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and my fashion icon Audrey’s Funny Face? Perhaps what I’m saying is, this color isn’t really something new and has been around for a while. It’s just having its moment today (and being monetized at that). As this article points out, “once it’s named. The trend is over.” So how long will this last? That one we have to wait and see. Not that I’m in favor of it dying real soon. Lol.

And as much as I wish that there exists a hotel like that of Grand Budapest’s, for now I’d be happy to achieve #millennialpink and #feedgoals in this not so new café with #interiorgoals.

Dress: Zaful; Skirt: Mango; Hat: H&M; Shoes: Zalora

Long Live the Skinny

While a lot of fashion sites have predicted the death of this denim silhouette, a quick look at the global trendsetters such as Olivia Palermo, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid prove otherwise. Indeed, there are trends that elevate their status from fad to a classis closet staple because of their versatility and skinny jeans is one of them. If we just observe the varieties of skinny we have now from different rises (high or low), color, prints, destroyed and yes even the activewear such as leggings and jeggings, there's only one thing we can deduce - skinny jeans are here to stay.

If you've observed, I'm rarely a jean-type of person but I do own a few pairs (and also because of this) and I will share how I simply styled two of my pairs below - both from H&M. I guess their staying power stems from the fact that they're very easy to style. Trivia: In the first photo below, I got this pair from the Swedish's retailers kids' section. Hihi. It's one of the reasons why I love this store. I can find pieces at a kid's price (haha!) and even more if it's on sale. It's really BONGGA! Haha!

Top: Mango; Pants: H&M; Shoes: Zara

This second look below is inspired from my style icon - Olivia Palermo. I like how she classically sticks to this silhouette and does not experiment on the other emerging trends such as the cropped flares. Anyway, if there's another trend that I wish is here to stay, I hope it's the off-shoulder trend. :P

Hat/ Pants: H&M; Top/ Shoes: Zalora

I've always wanted to do another DIY with one of my skinnies like what I did here but I still can't find time as of the moment. Will update soon. :)