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

That Little White Dress

Although a dress that’s always associated with the summer season, this little white dress (LWD) from Zaful is still the perfect way to break the “no white after Labor Day” rule. The high neckline with lace-up details and bodycon silhouette would often suggest that this is the perfect dress for a romantic date night with an S.O but I like to shake things up a bit by wearing it in a sporty way.

For someone who has a penchant for tennis outfits, you can say that I’m always game for an LWD year-round. ;)

Lace Up Mock Neck Sleeeveless Bodycon Dress

If I ever decide to take this dress to a formal evening, I think minimal two-strap sandals would do and pair it with this cute little handbag from Dresslily. What do you think? You will see more of this bag in the blog soon. :)

Trendy Solid Color and Zip Design Women's Clutch Bag

Malaysia Blues

Compared to the previous business trip, this was a rather fun one with more colleagues from work joining in and more importantly, without me getting sick. :P So it was a bit of a contrast though that I chose blues to be the theme of this particular trip and feature my patent leather ankle boots too. ;)

I also find it pretty amazing how I managed to stick to this theme scheme for all the trips this year. It can be really exhausting planning outfits mind you and I ain't sure how long can I keep up to the challenge. With that I'd like to ask myself, what am I trying to prove? Haha! Anyways, here are the looks for this trip:

Blazer/Top/Pants/Sunnies/Shoes: Mango

Dress: Dorothy Perkins; Shoes: Mango; Belt: Topman

It was also good to see this beauty again. :)

Sponsored: High Slits

Now if we're talking body! You've got the perfect legs so give me them slits. Haha! Revising lyrics, eh? Anyways, this is a refreshing welcome to this blog as I've been highlighting the shoulders since like, forever. *roll eyes* Today, these sexy pieces from one of my favorite brands Zaful got me exposing them a different body part - them gams! :D So if you've got those sculpted or miles-long legs, check these out!

This wrap dress feels on-the-moment because it combines two trends this fall: dark florals and pyjama dressing. I love how comfortable and breezy this maxi is.  I don't know about you but when I'm not in the mood for thinking about what to wear, I always reach out for my maxi dresses on weekends. The wrap-around silhouette is one of my favorite style for dresses because it sorts of defines the waist. Check it out:

Cross-Over Collar Floral Print High Slit Dress

If the previous maxi feels too subtle for you, this other denim number has a rather uhmm daring slit with an s! Lol. This is really an insanely sexy piece coz as you can see from the link below, you can also uhm wear it as it is without any layering piece. *gasps* But at the same time, it can be worn as a pinafore and the denim cloth means you can basically pair it with anything. Watch out this page for more styling wizardry on this dress. ;)

High Slit Plunging Neck Sleeveless Denim Dress

Wishlisting: Dezzal and Dresslily

If you're into anything trendy or have been reading this blog religiously (who does that? lol!), then by now you know that anything with circles in it is considered a key trend this season. So, when I found out Dezzal 's Thanksgiving Day Promotion, I couldn't help but fantasize about their crossbody bags with ring-like details in it. Admit it, the metal ring adds a minimal classy feel into the accessories. Check out my picks below:

1. Loop Flap Crossbody Bag

2. Suede Splicing Loop Crossbody Bag

3. Stitching Design Loop Crossbody Bag

One thing that I always check out when some of my favorite websites go on sale is outerwear such as jackets and trench coats. Why? Because in a tropical country like us, the outerwear mileage wouldn't be enough if you buy them in full price. :P So in that case, you should take advantage of Dresslily 's 11.11 Big Promotion. They have good selection for outerwear and it's a perfect place to shop if you are traveling somewhere wintry next year! Not saying that I am. :P For outerwear, I'm more into trench coats so here are my picks. Oooh I would just really love to have item #2 because of the on-the-moment PJ dressing going on in the western world!

1. Double-breasted Check Wrap Coat

2. Longline Satin Duster Coat

3. Belted Faux Leather Pocket Design Coat

Happy Shopping!!! :)

Sponsored: Zaful Burnt Orange Maxi Dress

Did you know that brown will be the It-color of this F/W season? No? I remember during my styling workshop at SoFa when our instructor challenged us to wear something in our least favorite color. Like most of you, I came up with a closest brown color in my closet coz there’s literally nothing in pure brown in it.

Most of the style icons like Olivia Palermo have started embracing the color but for most of you who are not ready to jump into the bandwagon, how about a color that’s somewhere close to it? Like, a burnt orange perhaps? :D

Enter this gorgeous dress from Zaful. A feminine burnt orange maxi dress in a lightweight pleated fabric. This is probably my last valiant effort to hold on to the off-shoulder trend (hey, it’s the year of the shoulders!). But if you look closely at the gorgeous crocheted lace detail of the sleeves and neckline, I know you wouldn’t resist this as well. I specially love how the sleeves are draping like they are separate pieces. The best part is that it is free-flowing and billowy that simply makes you just wanna twirl in it all day long. :)

Lace Spliced Spaghetti Straps Short Sleeves Pleated Dress

This is just one of the many dresses available at Zaful. Oh, and they’ve got cool sunnies in affordable prices too. My recent frames? This pair in irregular squares. Aren’t they just the coolest? 

Irregular Square Metal Sunglasses

Iconic Styles (Holly & Carrie)

Since we’re talking costumes or dressing up as someone this Halloween, I’d like to feature two Hollywood style icons who I tried to dress up as in the past. A lot of women revered one of them (the other just simply wanted maybe, lol!) and here’s my take on both of them.

When we hear the word, “timeless look” one couldn’t help but think of Audrey Hepburn. The name that is synonymous with 1950s/60s styling, her look as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is probably one of the most recreated looks in cinematic history. Why? Because of that beautiful woman in black dress that exuded class. And we definitely want to be that classy woman, right?

Her looks however high fashion they may be are attainable. But as possible as it is to recreate her dress style though, admittedly there is still an underlying sense of frustration about ever achieving a similar elegance. That I guess, is the appeal of Audrey Hepburn to us.

Dress/ Shoes: Mango

From a true real life role model like Audrey Hepburn (read this), let us now turn to one who’s fictional character we should never emulate -  Carrie Bradshaw of SATC. Haha. 

It's true we all wanna be Carrie (her friends, her apartment, her shoes and her men) but we don't wanna be her because of this. Haha. So let's move on to her style. Lol. P.S. I still love Sex and the City.

The dresses that were made for her character though in the TV series are all masterpieces and very difficult to recreate but thankfully I got the chance when SATC part 2 movie was made and I saw another one of her unforgettable modern corporate looks as seen here.

Vest/ Top/ Trousers: Mango; Shoes: H&M; Bow: See here.