Slip Dress

Playing with a slip dress for Day 1 of the 7107 International Music Festival.

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Midriff

Ah, the midriff. Such a quintessential 90s piece.

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Them Cool Kids

Jacket, Jeans & Boots: Zara / Tank Top: Topshop / Bag: Alexander Wang

I am not ashamed in admitting that I'm a notorious clothes repeat offender. In fact, I thrive on repeating clothes to get me through a hectic work week, or month. When your brain is all mush from overuse and stress, it's challenging to produce a decent outfit on a daily basis. And when I'm stuck in a fashion rut, I tend to gravitate towards familiar pieces that I can wear over and over again. I've worn every piece in this casual ensemble multiple times, in different style permutations. A great-fitting black motorcycle jacket (real or faux), a nice black camisole and a hardworking pair of chunky boots can give your wardrobe great mileage. So never ditch the basics. They're called basics for a reason.

I hope y'all are doing great! Cheers!

The Bund

Top: ASOS / Leather Pants: Uniqlo / Cardigan: F21 / Bag: Celine / Shoes: ASOS

Hi, guys! Do you still remember me? Did any of you miss me? I hope you did! *doing the Puss In Boots pleading-eyes look* Haha! I really apologize for being such a nasty blogger lately. Admittedly though, blogging had to take a backseat so that I can work on a newfound passion and necessity, of which I've touched on here. But finally, here's a long overdue outfit post from my Shanghai trip last year (it's so overdue that it's coming off as an eon late!). These photos were taken along The Bund, a waterfront boardwalk overlooking the beautiful Shanghai cityline and Huang Pu River. All of the outfits I packed for Shanghai were unfussy and were all about comfort and coverage, to keep me warm from the cold weather. The weather during our stay in Shanghai is quite comparable to the chilly weather we're currently experiencing in the Philippines -- perfect for donning thick trousers and light layers. I hope the weather here stays like this for much longer. I wouldn't mind wrapping myself in leather jackets and comfy sweaters on a daily basis.

P.S. Yes, my feet are huge. Don't judge. :P

New In: Obsedia

A late Christmas treat for myself. Quite obsessed with this Obsedia bag (get the wordplay? haha!) from Givenchy.

P.S. A new outfit post is coming up soon! Please bear with me. :)

Into The Woods

 Sweater: Zara / Skirt: Nava / Bag: Celine / Shoes: Zara / Necklaces: Mauve & F21

It wasn't my intention to leave the house looking like a sly and puckish schoolgirl ready to put a hex on someone but somehow, the woodsy backdrop and the aloof demeanor projected on camera managed to give off that impression (at least that's how I see it). I know I rarely smile in photos but I think this photo set made me look "meaner" than usual...or maybe I was just hungry and wanted the photo session to be over and done with. Haha! Anyhoo, you might be wondering why my posts have been way too erratic and have become less and less frequent. Let's just say that I've been too absorbed with a newly discovered passion - fitness - and it's taking a big chunk out of my remaining free time. Don't worry, I'm not about to inundate this blog with gym selfies or other fitness-related photos (I've decided to do this on my Instagram account instead. Hahaha!), lest you lot start to brand me as just another random individual who's riding on the "fitness fad". While I will not contest that images of fit women that I see online and on print have inspired me to pursue this new active lifestyle, I am mainly doing it for the sole purpose of improving my health. Long gone are the days when I can binge and still remain skinny. Aging is definitely taking its toll on me and it's high time that I start taking good care of my body (before it decides to give up on me). Being fit and healthy is one of my goals for the new year and I'm resolute in achieving it. 

Oh God, help me. 

P.S. I've been nominated as Best Blogger of 2013 by Stylebible.ph! If it's not too much to ask, I hope you can show me some love by voting for me! Just go here: http://www.stylebible.ph/best-of-2013/blogger/. You can vote as many times as you like and there's no need to register! Thanks in advance, guys!

Black on White

Cropped Top: Zara / Tank Top: Cotton On / Leather Pants: F21 / Bag & Shoes: Celine

Hello, everyone! Happy 2014! 

I'm leaving you with my 1st post for the new year, sporting a clean and minimalist ensemble and dark auburn hair. This year, I'm going to be partial to basic pieces, simple silhouettes and neutral hues. I'm still going to throw in some hints of color and boho-grunge elements every now and then but I'm definitely welcoming minimalism with arms wide open.

What's your fashion resolution this year?

Nava

Sweater: NAVA / Skirt & Hat: F21 / Boots: Zara / Bag: Alexander Wang / Eyewear: from Shanghai

Geez. I feel like December just dropped in without even formally saying, "Hello". And then of course, another new year is about to usher in. I'm not sure if the adage, "Time flies fast when you're having fun" could apply to me as I rarely get enough "fun" time (I'm always swamped with work) but it's comforting to know that Christmas is just around the corner...which only means I'll finally get a long overdue break from work! Haha! But every year, I always look forward to December and the chilly breeze that comes along with it because I have the perfect excuse to wear knit sweaters (not that I abide by the fashion rules of the Philippine weather anyway -- Case in point: I still wear sweaters and leather pants during summer). While sifting through piles of clothes inside my closet and editing which ones to let go of for the upcoming Bloggers United 6 bazaar, it just dawned on me how much sweaters I have -- tons, I tell you! And I just added a new piece to my sweater collection with this rectangle-tiled black and white knitwear from NAVA (as seen in the photos above), which I have to say, is a keeper! I'm quite obsessed with its tight-neck round collar -- I feel a bit cool and prepster-like (lol!).

Nava recently released a lot of other cold weather-appropriate pieces (with this 'Creme de la Creme' sweater) and you can spot them HERE.

And the good thing is...

...NAVA has also decided to join Bloggers United 6! They will have a booth inside the BU6 area where you could shop trendy clothes to your heart's content. And if you purchase at least Php 1,000 worth of regular-priced items from their booth, you automatically get a 10% discount! Cool beans!

I hope to see you all at BU6 this Saturday! Don't forget to bring cameras and tons of shopping money! Haha!

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.

Crackled

Cardigan: H&M / Skirt: Zara / Top: Topshop / Boots: Zara / Necklace & Ring: Tiffany Kunz

Before leaving for Shanghai, I set a strict shopping goal for myself so that I don't end up wasting money on unnecessary items and spending way beyond my budget. My goal was to only splurge on one luxury item (and shop for the usual "pasalubong" for the family, of course): a pair of sunglasses from Celine. Unfortunately, that didn't come intro fruition as the Celine stores in Shanghai did not have any stocks of the sunglasses I was looking for. To compensate for my futile Celine shopping jaunt, I decided to just shop at H&M instead. H&M may not be the best option over Celine but hey, I'm a fan of this fast-fashion brand. With barely less than an hour to scour H&M's countless clothing racks, I ended up grabbing only two items: a marbled overlap skirt and a cardigan with a crackle finish (as seen in this post) which reminded me of Balenciaga's FW '13 collection. Do note that these two H&M items were the only items I bought for myself during our whole stay in Shanghai (cute souvenirs and food are not counted!). I usually go all-out when I shop abroad (but only when the price point and currency conversion rate is considerably low) but I have to give myself a pat on the back for restraining myself and not going on a crazy shopping binge while in Shanghai. I must've been possessed or something. Or I might have just learned the true essence of being a "responsible adult". Haha!

Le Paris

Sweater: Choies / Jeans: Zara / Shoes: ASOS / Bag: Celine / Necklace: Mauve / Eyewear: from Shanghai

Our last day in Shanghai was spent roaming around Nanjing People's Square (which was conveniently situated behind our hotel) and hoarding all of the sweets my leftover yuan could buy from Hershey's Chocolate World. Just beside our hotel was this lovely strip of coffee shops which somehow reminded me of Paris (although I haven't been anywhere near Paris) and it seemed like a perfect backdrop to compensate my casual sweatshirt-over-jeans look. Believe it or not, all of the clothes I brought with me to Shanghai were overly casual and I only packed one pair of sneakers for our 4-day trip. Yes! You "heard" that right! Just one pair of shoes! And I survived! When I went to Seoul last year, I made a stupid decision of wearing heeled boots to ALL of our walking trips (as seen HERE). Those boots nearly killed my feet! I've learned my lesson from that trip though and chose comfort over fashion for a meet & greet with Shanghai. So for the succeeding Shanghai outfit posts, expect to see Ms. Burgundy Sneakers again.

P.S. Watch out for my Shanghai photo diary too, to be posted soon.

Tiffany Kunz

Sharing with you yet another new acquisition: beautiful jewelry from Tiffany Kunz. I discovered Tiffany Kunz months ago via Instagram while I was on a jewelry-hunting high. I've been quite obsessed lately with stacking really simple brass and gold accessories atop each other and these Tiffany Kunz pieces fit the bill perfectly. The Basal Ring is quite a cult blogger favorite and is mine as well, but my ultimate favorite amongst these three pieces is the Arc Cuff (also available in silver HERE) -- I just love how straightforward and unpretentious the design is, which makes it a perfect candidate for stacking and layering with my other cuffs and bracelets. All of Tiffany Kunz's pieces are made from reclaimed metals and are handmade with love and creativity. If you're into understated but beautiful jewelry, you might want to take a look at Tiffany Kunz.

More about the brand: Tiffany Kunz Collections are cast from locally sourced reclaimed bronze and silver and finished by hand in Tiffany’s studio in Los Angeles, CA. Each piece is dipped in an organic coating to protect from tarnish and sensitivity and to ensure longer wear ability. Tiffany Kunz strives to create art in an ethical and environmentally responsible manner using certified fair trade stones and reclaimed metals. All supplies, from pricing tags, look books and business cards to shipping parcels and jewelry pouches, are made from renewable resources or recycled materials.

Is It Summer Yet?

Top: ASOS / Shorts: on sale HERE / Bag: Alexander Wang (black version HERE) / Boots: Zara / 'Kookie' Necklace: oNecklace

Seeing photos from Soul Surf 2013 on my Instagram feed makes my heart pine for summer and for some vitamin sea. While I am loving the colder weather at this time of the year (which means Christmas is just around the corner), I can't help but daydream about the beach and the saltwater brushing against my feet. But just about a month ago, I did get the opportunity to have a short summer retreat by the beach (at Kamana Sanctuary in Subic Bay), albeit for work. En route to Subic, I knew we will be greeted by the scorching sun so I smartly packed this super lightweight chiffon top with me. I've been squirreling a lot of thin-strapped tops like this as of late. I realized how invaluable they will be come summer and how they could also serve as the perfect inner tops for layering under blazers or jackets on colder months.

P.S. I've been experiencing some editing issues with my photo editor lately. Close up shots of my skin always turn out speckled with unidentified marks or spots (see shoe shot above). It looks as if I have a skin disease! Ugh!