Second Skin

How were your festivities, everyone? I hope you all had the best time ringing in the new year with the people you love. While P was celebrating in Hong Kong, I was doing the traditional countdown by the beach with my family! Now that the dust has settled and the smog is starting to lift, I thought I'd catch up on some outfit posts.

D: vintage army jacket, Topshop snakeskin pants, JC heels

Wore this to dinner with my favorite girls, just a casual night in. All the clothes were old favorites rediscovered at the back of my closet. Thought it might be nice to get some use out of them again.

These Topshop pants used to be an old favorite so I'm glad snakeskin had a "moment" awhile back. This army-vibe jacket is super heavy with all its zips and hardware so it doesn't get much play. I do love its overall look so I can't seem to give it up.

Got to take these JCs out for a spin and they were more than manageable. It's only on cobblestone paths that they were pretty unwieldy. Fair enough.

Looking for Lola Update: We're coming up with something exciting this 2012! Admittedly, it's been quite tricky trying to maintain the store while both of us are busy with a bunch of other things. However, we took advantage of both our long breaks and shot a ton of vintage with our friend, Maina. Collection drops soon and it's going to be a good one, folks. Follow us on Facebook for all the latest updates!

Curly Cowboy

D: So blogging has taken a backseat to life and that's not exactly a bad thing, However, we are left with quite a backlog of posts to catch up on. Here's a quick outfit post from a rare occasion I had to get dolled up for a fun shoot with a local magazine. 

 vintage button down, F21 shorts and belt, Topshop lace-up boot-sneaker-wedge hybrid

Went easy on the accessories since I wasn't being shot in my own clothes anyway. I guess I still looked ridiculously over made-up while running errands post-shoot. I have been curious to know what I'd look like with curly hair though so this was my chance to see if I liked it without having to commit and pay for a digiperm.

  After 2 hours (and despite a ton of product), my stubborn mane decided to straighten itself out. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted! Maybe I'll take the plunge next year and get a more permanent fix.

And finally, check out my Western-themed shirt! I am totally into the loud and kind of brash print in subdued and faded colors. Hello, there are horses pulling on a carriage being ridden by a man with a musket on my top! That just screams awesome in my book.

Smile, Don't Smile

 

Topshop trousers, Monica Fig French Bulldog ankle boots

Felt like I met up with an old friend again. 

I unearthed these shoes (a Christmas gift from P) from the back of my shoe closet. 

They needed a little bit of loving.

The square toe and block heel are my favorite things about it.

Again, I force the issue with unflattering pants.

Can't say no to leopard though!

Oh and here's the other ring (right side) I got from Gold Dot.

It happens to be a hit with the kiddies at work as well!

This is what Orly Tiara (from the previous post) looks like without a base coat.

I think I'll move on to Happy Birthday (Deborah Lippman) soon since February is my birthday month!!

23 seems positively granny since I still feel like I'm in my teens.

Here's hoping that Feb turns out to be as great as it should be!

Have a great weekend!

Parts

 Wore this dress to work last Friday. 

I purchased it at a small vintage store in Hong Kong and I didn't even get to try it on because we were rushing. The print and the feel of the cloth sucked me in.

 I love the covered buttons and I think the cross-over/wrap detailing is universally flattering. 

The modest hemline is kicked up a notch by the swing the skirt has.I really like the fact that it has so much fabric, makes for a really kicky skirt!

 A really easy pair of suede platform pumps in nude from F21

 

My hands bedecked in horrible clashing orange polish (which I still love) and some of my favorite creatures.

Sparkle

Quick and casual outfit post from last week! 

 All comfort and slouch to offset a hectic workday. The navy bow trousers are one of the most comfortable things I own. I love how roomy it is in the leg area.

Sorry for all the wrinkles, took this after I got home from work.

I don't usually like pointy-toed shoes but the magpie in me overrode this aversion. 

I just couldn't resist the gold cap toe, the off-kilter bow, and the general blinginess of this pair.

A post or two on discoveries and inventions coming up!

Boot Loot

This dress is crazy long for me even when I'm in heels. 

Being 5 feet and 3/4 of an inch tall is no fun.

Had to do a little nip/tuck of my own to avoid soiling the hem.

 F21 dress, vintage white blazer, random accessories

These H&M ankle boots look 90% like the Zara pair I wore in this post.

However, I gladly justified the purchase using the 10% difference = the block heel.

 Fun!

Hey Spotty

Wore this to dinner last Wednesday. I checked out Landmark recently to stock up on office clothes and instead, found this cute Minnie Mouse-y skirt. They had it in black and navy blue as well. I love the little fold-over "collar" and satin buttons going down the front.

The top is from an awesome vintage store in Hong Kong. While we were trolling the Ladies Market, I stumbled upon this shop hidden in one of the back streets. They had racks and racks of vintage clothing priced as low as HKD5 or P30! I got a ton of stuff and spent less than P800! If you're heading to HK anytime soon, I suggest you hunt this gem of a store down in Mongkok!

Landmark skirt, top from HK, Parisian wedges, Msense sunglasses

Palm Beach

With P still MIA, last weekend was quite different than my usual. My family and I took a trip to Palm Beach in Laiya, Batangas for the wedding of my cousin. I've never been to a beach wedding before and can I just say, it's one of the loveliest things to witness. The grit of the sand and shore was a beautiful backdrop to all the prettiness happening in the forefront. Also, how cute was it that their wedding march was Amber? Congratulations, Ate Kai and Art!

Check out my little friend for the day!

           My cousins, Ate Lorie and Ate Jill and my brother, Vito

Lighting of the lanterns

It follows the concept of a hot air balloon. You burn the wax in the center til it fills the lantern up with hot air.

One by one they started rising

What a breathtaking sight!

<3

They've got it all for you!

While at work last Wednesday, I got a text from my cousin Jill, inviting me to the SM show at Philippine Fashion Week. She told me that bloggers were being invited to sit front row to watch the event. Now I have been shopping in SM ever since I was a wee little one and to see their latest collection front row was a thrill I was not about to miss. And when I heard they were focusing on shoes, I was there faster than you could say "Parisian!"

So I threw on random things from my closet and a pair of teetering Monica Fig wedges and dragged my tired and aching body all the way to MOA (traffic!). With P in HK for work, I was a solo blogger for the night. There was a frenzy of people outside the function room but we found our way to the front. And when they said front row seats, they meant front row!
 

My view

I am in a completely different industry of work (education) so this was a different experience. I loved the unobstructed view of shoes and clothes! Initially, my intention was to focus on the shoes. Parisian, the house brand of SM Department Store, has been upping the ante since my college days ('05-ish)! I have been hoarding their shoes since then! I love how bang on trend they are and at prices that are amazingly easy on the pocket! As a college student, I'd blow my allowance on Betty, Redhead, Parisian, WWW, etc. Now that I'm a tax-paying citizen, I end up happily turning over a substantial portion of my salary to SM. But I digress.

After seeing the first few leggy ladies walk down the runway, I realized that the clothes could not go unmentioned. So I decided to do a mini-series of sorts. I've divided the show into Work, Play, and Summer Rush. I'm also going to do a quick rundown of the gorgeous shoes plus a bonus for the female readers of this blog! Stay tuned!

 Show opener

Got the Blues

.

Wore this last Friday to the birthday party of some friends at the Fort.
Found this chambray shirt at SM Men's section. I was accompanying my 15-year-old brother who wanted to buy shirts for summer class when we spotted it. He wanted it too so I told him to get the lighter shade so I could nick it every now and then. When we got to the cashier, it was marked down from P699 to P349! What a score considering they look exactly like the ones high street stores are peddling! We ended up getting the darker version as well.

SM shirt, Topshop dress as skirt, HK ankle boots, Looking for Lola Darna cuff, random necklaces

Two of my favorite rings at the moment.
The armor ring is another lucky department store find and the panther(?) ring you can find at Looking for Lola. :)

I can't believe it's only six more days before the end of my break.
Time flew by unbelievably fast and soon, it's back to the daily grind.
Although I must say, I definitely miss playing with the kids everyday.

- D

D's Favorite Things: Shoe Edition

So I'm on a self-imposed shopping ban and to slip out of my funk, I decided to "appreciate my blessings." To keep from buying new stuff, I've been trying to organize my closet and I've unearthed things I completely forgot I had! While I'm trying to replenish my dismal savings, I guess I'm stuck with shopping the closet.

In the meantime, I thought I'd do a post on my favorite things of the moment.
Today, we shall start with shoes! My absolute favorite thing to buy! <3
I plucked my current top 9 from my closet and shot them in the garden.
(arranged in no particular order)

1. Valli knock-offs! I know, these are super old already but I still love 'em.
These are definitely not ideal for walking though.

2. I've only worn these once but they're actually pretty comfortable.
White patent is so easy for summer!
Plus the round wooden stump heel is a fun detail.

3. Tan lace-up fold-over heel
Really comfortable and easy to walk in!
I love wearing these for schlepping around during the day.

4. Nautical wedges
I'm a big fan of all things nautical and these shoes are really easy to pair with stuff.
I like 'em with ratty cut-offs, a crisp white button down, leather braided belt, and a ton of tacky, gold bling.

5. Fringe loafers
I call these my "teacher shoes." These are definitely the anti-thesis of the fierce shoe trend.
I've only worn them around three times because the leather on the vamp really digs into your foot.
Maybe there's a way I can get the leather stretched?

6. Leopard print ankle boots
Okay, these are a little fierce.
Super uncomfortable to walk in but too pretty to pass up.

7. Hot pink pump with stacked wooden heel
I love the canvas upper and how it's tacked down with gold pins!

8. Lace and suede ankle boots
A Christmas gift from P.
I love the wedge on this one!

9. Black satin platforms
Goes with anything and everything.

Tune in for the ring edition and for P's version!
I'll bug him about it!