Modern Romance

Slipping on some lace goodness...

Facile

Because dressing up should always be simple and fuss-free. At least for me.

Malasimbo Day 1 Outfit

Striking a balance between beach and cold weather...

Ruby Capricorn

Neoprene bikini lovin'.

Not Over Summer Yet

My love affair with culottes is still in full-effect...

(Click on "Read More" to see the full post)

Rise & Shine

Top: ASOS / Skirt & Boots: Zara / Bag: Alexander Wang / Eyewear: Karen Walker

Let me start off this post with a sincere apology for my long absence. After Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines with a powerful blow and left most parts of our country in a critical state of calamity, I just couldn't bring myself to blog or instagram about anything fashion or food-related -- they all seemed too trivial against the somber scene of a multitude of Filipinos starving, suffering from unspeakable damage and mourning for their lost loved ones and other possessions. It was best that I took the time off from blogging to grieve, contemplate and re-focus my time and energy on things that mattered most. It has been more than two weeks since the catastrophic Haiyan nightmare transpired but slowly, we've been seeing progress in terms of movement in relief efforts and medical aid for the typhoon survivors. It's heartwarming to see everyone reaching out and lending a helping hand to those who need it and all of the help and love pouring from countries all over the world are truly heartwarming and overwhelming.

I know my previous post was quite heavy to take in so I'm keeping all posts light, moving forward (a.k.a. "I'll try my best to revert to regular blog programming"). This doesn't mean that the aid for the typhoon victims should cease or that we should forget about the victims all at once...but move on, I should. While it may take months, even years, to rebuild lives, homes and other infrastructures destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan, I am positive that our country will rebound from this.

You can still continue donating through the channels indicated HERE and HERE.

#BangonPilipinas.

Pandora

New In: Givenchy Mini Pepe Pandora

I'll be honest. I used to loathe the Givenchy Pandora bag with a passion. I found its shape and design somewhat odd and unappealing. But when the Mini Pandora came along, I had a sudden change of heart. Somehow, a smaller size renders this bag a cute and charming appeal. And I'm quite surprised that it's roomy enough to hold way more than just the essentials.

This burgundy baby might well be my new favorite purse. #sorryimnotsorry

Modern Tribal

 Top: ATL Manila / Skirt: April 2nd / Heels: Zara / Clutch: SM Accessories / Earrings: The Jewelry Shop

Cropped tops are the perfect complementary pieces to show off a toned physique. The thing is, I don't have a toned torso and it would take 10,000 years for me to even develop one panel of toned abs (don't even ask me why!). But even the lack of a toned torso cannot prevent me from indulging myself in trying out restrictive pieces of clothing. My tip for working around those menacing love handles while donning a cropped top? Wear high waist bottoms - they're a godsend to (slightly) strategically cover those unwanted bulges. As seen in this ensemble, I paired a tailored cropped top from ATL Manila with a tribal-print high waist skirt. There's still a blob of jelly tummy peeking somewhere in this look, but at least 3/4 of the flesh monstrosity is concealed. Hahaha!

Silken & Leather Things

Top & Pants: Sheinside / Shoes: Alexander Wang / Clutch: SM Accessories / Earrings: Jewelry Shop / Eyewear: Karen Walker

Felt all sorts of giddy when I stumbled upon these perfect tapered scarf-print trousers and vegan leather bralette Zara dupes from Sheinside. Pretty proud of myself for not hitting the purchase button the moment I saw these pieces at the first release of the Zara Spring/Summer '13 collection because these Sheinside pants and top are way cheaper vs. Zara's, even at an on-sale price. In terms of footwear choice, I was contemplating on whether to match this ensemble with a basic pair of black sandals or the Alexander Wang Aline (white version on sale HERE!) but the latter seemed to be the perfect choice. A series of other ensembles featuring this top and trousers are already in the works so expect to see these pieces on the blog again soon.

*photos by Anton Aguila (using my camera)

Of Palm Trees & Panthers

Top: Neon Island / Pants: Pixiemarket / Heels: Alexander Wang / Bag: Celine / Eyewear: Karen Walker / Eye Necklace & Bracelet: Accessorize 

Le 'ol plaid button-down shirt has been subjected to various wrap around situations and permutations that I've already lost count of exactly how many they are. This time though, it's wrapping its sleeves on a tropical print tank from Neon Island and a resurrected pair of leather trousers...just because the weather permitted it (albeit the cool breeze was a bit fleeting). I think I need to maximize my wardrobe and make use of other long-sleeved tops as a wrap-around just so I won't bore myself (and you, my readers) with this overused plaid shirt. Deal? Okay.

Here's to a great week for all of us!

Shop the look with these items:

Loco Loco

Skirt: Sheinside / Top: Chicnova / Shoes: Alexander Wang / Blazer: thrifted / Eyewear: Karen Walker / Box Clutch: SM Accessories

I don't think I'll ever get tired of sporting sporty looks (wow, what a lousy wordplay! haha!). It's easy to execute one so long as you have the basics covered (i.e. a jersey type shirt, a pair of track shorts or a simple snapback). This baseball tee from Chicnova (similar here, here and here) is a new addition to my growing collection of sporty shirts. I wanted to play with a sports luxe look, hence the pairing of the tee with an oversized blazer and gasp!...another skort, albeit in a different color (got this black one from Sheinside for more than half the price of the original Zara skort)!

My love for blazers and capes is coming back so expect to see more of these type of pieces in upcoming looks!

Shop a similar sporty look here:

Mo' Marni, Mo' Problems

Skirt: Romwe (black version HERE) / Skirt & Heels: Zara / Top: Sheinside / Earrings: H&M / Wing Cuff: Juicy Couture / Eyewear: Karen Walker / Clutch: Neon Island

My apologies for the sloppy pace in posts. Apart from being preoccupied with work, the rainy season has finally closed in and I've been having difficulty (a.k.a. being lazy) dressing up for the cool, damp weather. I've also immersed myself into reading once again and my free time has been skewed towards devouring the words in the Mortal Instruments series and daydreaming about Jace (I'm a teen trapped in a not-so-womanly body. Haha!). Okay. Now on to the outfit. Yes, it's that infamous white skort again (which you can get at half the price HERE) paired with a resurrected Marni "inspired" shirt and my favorite summer clutch from Neon Island. These photos were actually taken weeks ago, back when the sun was still proudly scowling at us. This might have well been my last summer outfit post. Sigh.

Palm Springs

 Jacket: Nastygal / Heels: Zara / Necklace: Margiela x H&M / Eyewear: Karen Walker / Jewelry: Wear Mauve

Say hello to my lovely tropical-print pajama pants. This pair is probably one of the most comfortable pair of bottoms I own, next to these printed wide-legged pants. These pants need not much styling nor accessorizing, hence the somber pairing with a simple tank top and bi-color jacket.

You can get the same pants HERE or a similar pair HERE. Below are other tropical print pieces you might also fancy:

P.S. Thanks to Honey for my Margiela x H&M neckpiece!

See-Through

Skirt: Choies / Jacket: Nastygal / Shoes: Alexander Wang / Earrings: H&M (courtesy of Honey Andrade) / Eyewear: Karen Walker / Clutch: SM Accessories

I can be very particular with the cut, fit, design and make when it comes to picking out skirts. I love it when a simple silhouette, such as an A-line or pencil skirt, is amplified with interesting details such as cut-outs, flaps, embroidery, clever pocket placements or even the use of different materials. The sweet lace pencil skirt I'm sporting here (you can also get this in black) is one good example of a simple skirt which plays on different textures -- lace and mesh/net. For someone who's not a fan of looking too saccharine, the mesh/net works wonders as it adds a tinge of edge and freshness to the whole skirt.

If you're feeling more romantic and feminine, here are other variations of the quintessential lace skirt which you can choose from (my faves are the Tibi and Sportmax Code skirts!):

Minimalism

Top: Zara / Skirt: The Ramp (similar here) / Heels: Zara / Box Clutch: Made U Look / Eyewear: Karen Walker

Recently, I've been drawn to minimalist pieces in color tones of white and black. Not foregoing my love for bohemian and grunge-infused ensembles, I'm suddenly finding clean and streamlined articles of clothing more and more appealing. This stark white leather shirt, with a subtle punch of texture (in the form of mesh), is a current favorite and is a versatile piece that can go well with anything. I can already foresee wearing this with my white origami skort, my leather dropcrotch trousers or even with my printed tailored pants. I might just do a major closet re-edit though -- get rid of the trendy printed pieces and leave the simple neutral ones behind. We'll see how that goes...

...And I'm sure some of you can adopt those pieces during the Bloggers United Bazaar 5 on June 1 (cheesy segue, isn't it? haha!).