lovely-ness, a survey, and then some

photos from tomboy style and knight cat

Because I just can't get enough tonight. And because nobody would ever ask me these questions in a million years, I'll indulge myself.

If not in NYC QC, I would live in... Paris. (Ang local pakinggan ng QC kumpara sa NYC. Ayoko sabihing "ang cheap." hehe because it's not sooo.)

My dream holiday would be to... go on a roadtrip bound to nowhere in particular. Siguro masaya pagpa-Norte. Kung saan maabutan, stop over. Magbabaon in advance ng maraming wine, beer, at kung anu pang alak, chuchurya, at walang katapusang 90s na playlist. Shit ang saya.

My current obsessions are... home and furniture (lol), Rajon Rondo, Lana del Rey, acoustic version ng Never Gonna Leave This Bed, lingerie, candles, 50 Shades (shutdafrontdoor), and food lit. Wow, hindi na rin ako na-oobsess!

I channel my childhood self when I... indulge in ghost stories. I'm still the same MGB loser. Kung makahingi ng nakakatakot kala mo ang tapang. Tapang! On a side note, how I wish I could say draw. My childhood was all about drawing, coloring, and cutting paper clothes for my paper dolls.

The fictional character I most relate to is... Cedie. Charaught. Carrie Bradshaw. Hahaha. Arte. I'm shallow, boy-obsessed, self-centered, human, and blessed with really gorgeous, sweet friends.

If I had to be outdoors all day I would... lie on a hammock, drink something cold, and read a book. 

My favorite quality(ies) in a man is... ambition, zero mind games, and humor.

My favorite quality in a woman is... being comfortable in her own skin. It's gorgeous to see a woman embrace her own beauty. Pakapageant but true.

I'm terrified of... losing someone and growing old alone.

My dream car is a... convertible. Yeah, okay. I know nothing about cars. Basta something red, shiny, and convertible.

My cocktail of choice is... nothing. I'm a beer girl. Somebody educate me about cocktails.

My celebrity crush is... (definitely not "is") Rondo, Guillaume Canet, and Mila Kunis. Marami pa actually but these three first come to mind.

My beauty product of choice is... Ponds. Seriously. Sa Ponds lang ako hindi nagkakapimple. And most of my stuff (coincidentally) are Nivea. I love how masa my skin is. How masa?

My friends and I like to... hangout with good food, drinks, and LOTSA conversations. I can't get enough of it.

If I could go back in time for one decade it would be... seventies or sixties. Sakto ma-experience ko lang ang flower power!

As a teenager I was totally into... guys, gays, boybands, teleserye, MTV, PBA, and sweet valley books.

I tend to splurge on... BOOKS, books, and more books. Doesn't mean I read a lot. I just like buying books. I'm one of those who love the smell of (not old but) new books. And then writing my name on the first page like a boss.

leslie david

I don't know what these are exactly (clay decoupage?), but I love it, especially the first photo. The colors are fantastic, way to spice-up an editorial.

I stumbled upon Leslie David's work through this interview. Instant girl crush. She's living the dream: Paris graphic designer, freelance creative work, stylish apartment, and quirky style. She's very pretty even. This set is her latest creation for Please! Magazine June 2012. 

why so sexy

Zara's Lookbook TRF for May. This! This is what I'm talking about. Approachable version of Isabel Marant's aesthetic. I want each and every piece.

And can I just say how sad and sexy Sinead O'Connor is. This song makes me want to look in the mirror and emote myself to death. The second best heartbreak song since With or Without You. Hot ni Sinead!

softnesss

Anna Selezneva for Mango Summer 2012

Gorgeous beyond reasonable doubt. The soft, soft hair glistens in these sun-drenched photos, and the color palette is perfect for modern Moroccan summer. Wow, Moroccan? I'm daydreaming once again. If I could have one of those Jesus sandals and pale ivories, I'll be more than good to go. 

wishlist with a capital w

 (pc: 1, 2)

Celine sandals. Okay lang ba na hinahanap ko to sa ukay? Haha. Ganda kahit mukang uncomportable. Sabi nga ng friend ko tiis-ganda. Pwede ring tiis-bulsa.

chloe madness

Chloe's 2012 F/W Collection took my breath away. The contrast between soft and dark palettes, and the voluminous and structured silhouettes makes such a beautifully feminine collection. I like how designer Clare Waight Keller describes it as:

“It’s about a British girl falling for the classic elements of Paris . . . pearls, lace,” said the designer, a British girl who moved to Paris last summer when she assumed creative direction of the house. Asked just how autobiographical this inspirational narrative is, Waight Keller conceded with a laugh, “I really like it here. It feels a lot more grown-up.” 

The clothes strike the perfect balance between effortless and put-together. I'm not so much in-love with the lace fabrics, but the tailored coats, chunky maryjanes, and soft pales are incredibly beautiful. Her vision is cohesive and well-executed. I can easily imagine the woman behind her inspiration.

girl crush

Mina Shin for Rag and Bone DIY Project. See more here. She looks a bit like Du Juan. She just looks so fresh and natural, bordering to plain but pretty. Real feminine pretty. I'm not making any sense. Haha. Simply put, I admire this kind of beauty.

a year

My Wishlist

• ballet flats
• white polo
• blush
• candles

style qa

I miss dressing up for work. I miss the challenge of concocting outfits, even if sometimes it means I have nothing to wear. I've searched for some blog memes about fashion, and as an attempt here's one I found which I'll try to answer as truthfully as possible. Who knows I might laugh at some of the things I'm about to say 5-10 years from today.

Favorite Designers?

Over the last few years, there are two designers I really admire: Stella McCartney and Isabel Marant. Yeah, I'm not original but in light of being honest, these two are definitely on top of my list. In my dream world, I would love to own well-tailored clothes, pieces that strike the perfect balance between feminine and masculine. I also admire Phoebe Philo's work or I'm probably just smitten with the whole "minimalist" bandwagon. We'll see in the future.

Favorite Up and Coming Designers?

There's one that comes to mind immediately, Jen Kao. I'm still unfamiliar with her aesthetics but I remember falling in love with her debut collection. A close second would be Christian Siriano. I have a feeling he's going to make a big name for himself in the future. I like the theatrics of Christian's design but still he manages to make most of them wearable. 

Favorite Stores?

Surprisingly, I'm not much of a shopper. Perhaps I just don't have the funds to do it right now. I mostly buy my clothes from Ukay and Bazaars. Some of my favorite white shirts are from Bench. Given my background, I'm happy with what high street fashion has to offer, specifically TopShop. For accessories, I like Aldo. Shoe wise, still Ukay. Some people say it's unhygienic but I swear to God most of my fab shoes are the fruits of scouring the Ukay streets of Cubao. One of the most valued items in my closet is my infamous leather jacket. My friends and I are not big spenders although we love clothes. But this jacket was probably my first investment piece. I dream of the day that I can finally invest on Repetto ballerinas, and so on and so forth. Other favorite stores are simply bookstores. Whenever I go to the mall I always end up in a bookstore. So National Bookstore, Fully Booked, and those quaint bookstores in UP are some of my favorites.

Who are your personal style icons?

Kate Moss. The woman who can do no wrong in my eyes. It's not really about her clothes, but more of her attitude and how she wears them. She's probably my best example of that certain je ne sais quoi. It doesn't hurt that she looks so damn effortless in a not-so-dolled-up gorgeous kind of way.

Rachel Bilson. She's the casual wear queen. Even if she's not that original, she's totally relatable because of her petite stature. She knows what looks good on her and is not afraid to experiment (subtle at times).

Paris Voguettes. (Emmanuelle Alt and Melanie Huynh) These women are the epitome of career women: chic, elegant, and stylish. I'll add Giovanna Battaglia and Miroslava Duma. Although they're clad with mostly designer items, I look up to them for "taste" and "inspiration".

Lulu Chang. My ultimate girl crush. I don't necessarily see that we have the same aesthetics but my God Lulu is unique, intelligent, and beautiful I start to like everything she likes. I don't mean to sound creepy, but yes she's definitely one of my icons.

Others: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Garance Dore, Jane Birkin, Francoise Hardy, Kate Bosworth, Freja Beha, Gwyneth Paltrow, Erin Wasson, Hedvig of Northern Light, and Carrie Bradshaw.

Favorite New Trends?

Not really "new trends" but trends I like: Shorts of all sizes and colors, Gold watch, Basic white/gray/black pieces, red lips, nudes/neutrals, ankle boots, leopard shoes, ballet flats, tailored jackets, dainty gold or silver necklace, dresses with back details, and men's inspired fashion.

Trend Your Over?

Probably the boho look, oh wait I still wear that! It's very circa 2005, but it still makes you look pretty. I've never been a fan of Litas shoes, leggings, and uber-expensive designer bags (e.g. LV etc).

What is the best purchase you've ever made and why?

Leather jacket because I can wear it with anything.

Right now, every girl needs a...?

White polo shirt and nameplate necklace

If you could raid anyone's closet, who would it be and why?

Rachel Zoe because she's got everything in her closet. Melanie Huynh's jacket collection. Jane Aldridge's shoes. Giovanna Battaglia's dresses.

What do you buy at the newsstand?

Preview and Women's Health (those are the things I can afford). If I have it my way: I'd love a copy of Dumbo, W, Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia, Gourmet, Traveler, and Self Service.

Where do you go to stock up on great, inexpensive items?

Kelangan pa bang imemorize to? Ukay-ukay, Greenhills, Galleria's 5th Avenue, St. Francis Square, SM Department Store, Bench, Landmark, and some items from F21. Ukay for the win!

If you had $1000 to blow on one item for Fall what would it be?

Shoes: Repetto Black and Leopard Ballet flats and a Balmain jacket or Isabel Marant shorts and boots.(LOL nakakatawa to kelangan ko na gumising)

What style secrets do you have right now?

I really don't think I have any. These days, I wear my favorite items all the time. I don't really care anymore if people think I only have one pair of shorts, white v-necks, and leather jacket. I think the best lesson I've learned (and am trying to apply) is to invest on key pieces. Quality over quantity, except for trendy items. Less accessories, boyish silhouettes, and heels.

inspired

The Northern Light by Hedvig.
I was just updating my style blog and this is just a repetitive post, but I can't help it I'm hooked.
Talk about je na sais quoi.

i feel it all, i feel it all

Tao Okamoto
Vogue China
August 2011
Photography by Lachlan Bailey
Styled by Clare Richardson
via fashionrouge

I love everything about this editorial. It's been awhile since I've appreciated photographs like these. Perhaps it's because of the disheveled short hair; or the disheveled everything; or Coke Sakto!

on personal style

garance dore

White, denim, and scarf? Checks! This is the pin-up model of what I would like to achieve or have been trying to achieve in my personal style. Jennifer Aniston follows a similar philosophy. I also admire the Paris Vougettes, Kate Moss, Rachel Bilson, Diane Keaton, Stella McCartney, Isabel Marant, and Lulu Chang. In my everyday life, it would translate to something like this:

This is brought about by my new-found love, Dead Fleurette. I got to thinking about my personal style. Truth be told I share the same aesthetic as her. But it wasn't long ago that I was also crazy about colors, think boho style circa 2005. I still like the whole flower and print explosion every so often but I find myself more attracted to keeping it simple. It feels clean and you'll look clean. The photo above pretty much sums up what I have in my closet sans the black Repetto ballerinas. To some, it might look boring or lifeless but this is what I find myself wearing all the time. As I was reading this particular post, a featured quote by Isabel Marant struck a chord in me:

"If a French girl has to go out, she is going to start by dressing up, then at the last minute, she's going to grab the old jeans that she was wearing all day and say, "F*** it! I feel more me like this."

Let's forget about the francophile bit for a second and focus on the last sentence. I always do this everytime I dress up. I've planned some elaborate outfit in my head but at the last second I would always end up wearing the same things over and over again. During my office days, I had a uniform that consist primarily of black pants, white/grey shirt, scarves, leather jacket, and black heels. That's it! Yes, sometimes I feel that it is a bit safe but at the end of the day, I feel good wearing this same ensemble every single day. Sometimes I spice it up with dresses or colored, long-sleeved shirts. But there's no denying I own way more white tops than I would like to admit. Not long ago, I discovered that I can actually buy two or more pairs of my favorite pieces. Why didn't I think of that? I raided Bench for the basics, and got myself about four white V-necks and one crew-neck shirts. Up to this day, these white tops have been my default outfits.

The thing about these basic pieces is that they are actually hard to find. I'm mostly annoyed how a perfectly-made white or black shirt suddenly comes with some silly print. If they could only leave them as is, they're already perfect, cut-wise and fabric-wise. Nowadays, I find myself wearing my denim shorts almost everytime. I thought I never really knew what looked good on me, but this time I think it's the denim shorts. My petite frame can use some leg-bearing action down there so it does make me look taller.The ballet flats have these amazing power to instantly make me feel chic while also creating a slimmer silhouette for my legs. Blame it on my Kate Moss obsession. Scarves, on the other hand, are my alternative for jewelry. Thing is, if I had the money, I would like to invest in some really fancy, gold nameplate necklace, something like Carrie's staple jewelry. For now, however, scarves in various colors can do the trick in bringing some life into my outfit. But honestly, sometimes I just like how plain things are. White, gray, black, and all sorts of neutrals are elegant and delicate, somehow they project a sense of effortless-ness that does it for me. In some cases though, I'd be lying not to admit that I still have a soft spot for color given they are either gingham/plaid or gypsy prints.

In my dreamworld, I would love to achieve a well-edited closet filled with these things:

So there you have it. My dream closet would comprise something like this. Aside from the neutrals, red is also a great basic for any wardrobe. Red comes in handy for sprucing up any outfit while also screaming a teeny bit of "look at me", which I love. To sum it up, I do follow a less is more approach nowadays. I would love to start investing in key pieces, something expensive but of high quality. I realized this is actually more economical as I mostly overuse my basics. Lulu Chang is such an inspiration to me in editing one's wardrobe. She said something along the lines of, "save up for things that you truly like". And that makes a whole lot of sense to me now. In Garance Dore's words: "Sometimes it takes me 10 years to own something. It's like love. You want things to grow on you."