Saturday, December 5, 2015

hello from philadelphia


And finally, I got to use the beanie from Terranova bought eons ago. Going onto the second day of being in Philadelphia, nearest the conference center. Swapping the heels for something more comfortable tomorrow. That's in the cards for tomorrow after having gone through blocks and blocks of alternate limping and walking through to the hotel for dinner, rest and sleep. The latter was done fitfully well. 

Surprisingly, 11 degrees celsius from early morning to mid-afternoon isn't so bad as it is tolerable in layers but I'm not that experienced in layering much so the sun shining up high and hitting whatever was on the ground was a blessing I preferred mostly to stay on them than to bear the coldness of the city in the shade. That or the heated indoors. I really likely won't survive anywhere that's cold including those that have four seasons yearly. Yep, eternal tropical denizen indeed. I love the heat so much, even the extreme one, I'm missing it after just a day and the night before in Philadephia at this time. 

coat, sweater and bag, thrifted; skirt, Mixed Berry; beanie, Terranova; scarf, (I don't really recall anymore where from...); tights, either sm or robinsons department store Burlington; pointed heels via Footstep

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

S M K



Just a few iconic things that stuck to my mind while browsing around notjustalabel's online shop---which is a wonderland of sorts to browse for tons of one-of-a-kind, rad items on, by the way (structured coats, silhouettes, beautiful and at the same time not-too-girly jewellery...)---from Sandra Meynier Kang's (now, you know what S M K means...) casual wear line before the inception of her more edgy line, yesimfrench. The vinyl bag goes with just about anything I have in mind.

Also, how cool is it that there's a yesimfrench shop in Hongkong?! S M K is also apparently sold in Hongkong. HK is only a few hours away from here...by plane. Although it might be awhile before I can go back there...hmn...we'll see. My last Hongkong trip was back when I was about 11-12 years old and Disney HK was just in construction then, if I recall correctly.   

Saturday, November 14, 2015

two-tone felt coat


To get or not to get, that is the huge question. I need to pack for the cold weather by the end of this month and I feel a coat like this would be something perfect to have in the suitcase. I'm still conflicted regardless of 350 Php being a pretty decent, really affordable price for it (it's on sale at the showagw site!) because it's two-tone---I would be stumped as to how to style it as I feel I'm often better with the one-color/one-shade kinds---in opposite shades and made of felt fabric/material. I don't know exactly if felt can help me withstand the cold in Philadelphia, first trip to the US (and spending a good 5-7 days there) before going to the sunnier state of California. It's in large which is likely oversized which is something I'd probably really like. How it's styled here isn't exactly the way I'd wear this thing should I end up eventually caving in and getting it.

see it here

in east asian tradition: on toku wardrobe

I watch a lot of tokusatsu (Kamen Rider, Super Sentai - Japanese super heroes on early Sunday mornings, Japan time). Like, a lot. I think I might have established that in some of my previous posts. I'm admittedly a Japanophile but no so much an aniota/otaku or worse, a weabo. I'm already done with that phase of my life. I guess I just have a healthy appreciation for the Japanese nation, culture and general lifestyle. If you followed my occasional public posts on LiveJournal, you'd know. Going back to the topic of tokusatsu: sometimes, I wonder if I just watch tokusatsu to look into their casual wardrobes...Super Sentai has really good wardrobes per main ranger/sentai character as they are often designated their own colors when the transform and de-transform in the show these days. Some Kamen Rider shows have really good wardrobes as well---Kamen Rider OOO comes to mind.

Ressha Sentai Toqger casual, un-transformed wardrobe is currently what I'm obsessing on. Plus, the series has a pretty solid plot although the last few episodes seem so rushed to complete the whole series. It has a kiddy/childish premise but in true tokusatsu tradition, there's also something intangibly grown up about it. I'd like to think it's because it's always been the way Kobayashi, Toqger's head writer, structured this and every other work she does for the sake of Toei's toku arm...Kamen Rider OOO has a pretty similar philosophical theme to this one. They share the same head writer after all. This deeply philosophical theme (although one that isn't so difficult to comprehend even for those slow on the uptake) is something you have to look deeper into while watching every toku series she makes, whether it's Kamen Rider or Super Sentai.

Toger's Red, Right (played by actor Shison Jun---obligatory: he's so adorable, right?! /cries) in this collage makes me want to own a varsity jacket in the same color, predominantly red and also with an R in it. The color-blocked sweater on the last picture to the right and the, what seems to be a knitted color-blocked jacket/sweater hybrid on the opposite end are also pretty covet-able. As for the printed shirts with hoods in here...yeah, I'd go for them. The prints aren't too overwhelming plus I love hoods just about everywhere including regular t-shirts. I live in an eternally summer region of Asia, however, this fully loaded wardrobe isn't really something conducive here. It's more appropriate in the areas of the world that experience 4 seasons or those where it's cold...eternally (*shudder* I wouldn't live in a place like that...I thrive in the heat, I won't survive extreme and even the mild cold) I can dream... 

As to Right's defacto regular wear in the series: the varsity jacket with the R monogram, I like it so much but personally, I prefer Goseiger's Alata's Skyick jacket. I remember obsessing on it so much once but I had no idea to what occasion and where I would wear it and even if it would fit in my all too casual and dull, mostly casual wear wardrobe. I'd probably wear it out for cosplay but I don't cosplay, so... I also remember, at one time, really wanting Alata's dainty-ish wing earring. I tried sourcing something similar as it doesn't seem to be so difficult to look for online but most of the ones I found were pretty medium-sized to gigantic. They aren't fitting enough to be worn casually on a daily basis. Something microscopic and light would be more apt for everyday wear. Bonus points if the wing design is on a light, medium-sized chain and dangling.
 
I like red, don't get me wrong. I wear the color on some days in sparse amounts because being decked in color isn't something I'm known for but blue---coincidentally, also Toqger Tokacchi's color---is my color. Rather, it is my favorite right up there with the white shade and the black shade. Also, shirt (and the more feminine alternative, a dress or even just a white or black t-shirt) + vest? Count me in! I don't think I'd wear patterned vests like the ones on Tokacchi, though. The ones I keep staring at but never really ended up buying because none of them felt me at that time at a thrift store in Dumaguete City now makes me feel regretful why I never tried actually acquiring one of them for realsies. One of them would have been great to use to emulate an Olsen twin's (Ashley, if I recall correctly) street style. I'll look for a decent one next time. My trip to the US, specifically in Long Beach, California, to spend time with the maternal side of the family I've been missing so much might just yield me a decent vest for street wear on some days.

I'm more of a Mio-girl than a Kagura-dainty-type-girl but I can take cute and dainty in small doses. I tend to fixate on feminine Ginza street styling on females (see Tokyo Street Style's site for it, their Shibuya healthily edgy ones are to die for as well). Something tells me it's time to invest on a blush jacket or coat of some sort...along with a pair of over-the-knee stockings in several plain black, semi-transparent pairs that Kagura sports so well in the rightmost snap of this collage. The latter continues to elude me although I found some of it in olx.ph somewhere then lost it again. Yep, back to olx.ph it is to search for something similar and ebay.ph as well. 

There's no Hikari here because for some reason, I can't connect with his style. I do like some of his sweaters and shirts. The cargo pants...hmn...I used to sport something similar and even more baggy when I was in 4th or 5th grade...they used to be the rage. I'd consider that an embarrassing phase of my fashionable (?) childhood life growing up. Yeah, I grew up a tomboy and less feminine in terms of dress. I'm still often garbed in everything tomboy-ish. There's a reason why I put up even Right and Tokacchi in here... (I tend to wonder if I should have been a boy in this lifetime because I'd dress like Right or Tokacchi if that were the case...maybe in the next life...)

More than the plot of the story, it was the wardrobe of Kamen Rider OOO cast that really drew me in to watching and finishing the series. Especially the show's designated heroine, Hina's. Eiji's bohemian-eternal wanderer style was arresting, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that here, but it's always been Hina's I'd been crazy about as the series went on.


Lots of pretty dainty florals; dainty, airy dresses; healthy amounts of denim; rad wide belts; and gladiator flats and heels to complete the look and some occasional oxford flats. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. This might have been the thing that pushed me to purchase two denim and floral mixed material airy dresses in Bangkok on one trip there with an aunt... I'm still searching for a decent wide belt somehow. I'll find one, one day, even if its the type with the garter at the back or something.


Satonaka's varied white or cream blazers---want. You can never have too much of it. Satonaka's edgy, bad ass all-black look with the right leather jacket---want. I have a somewhat similar cream bordering on white blazer I thrifted in Dumaguete City before going home this year that I've just as much worn to death everywhere. It's taken quite the beating if it's never taken any before. It's also become defunct airport wear recently on top of white ts and black skinny jeans with zippers on the ankles. I'll experiment some more with it.

And a bonus...

....random thing. 

I won't be caught dead channeling gothic lolita like Satonaka in the left here but I'd sport a random neko-mimi (cat ears) headband occasionally. Only very rarely, when I'm feeling playful, most likely. I was able to nab a decent sized cat ears headband that's also pretty fluffy when touched from a 20 (vente)-peso store in Robinson's Place Dumaguete a year ago or so I sometimes just wear around the house as a headband to keep my hair in place. These things are a fun thing to play with. For those like me here in Cagayan de Oro, I've seen similar, so much more cuter ones in Comic Alley in Ayala Centrio. I just liked the plush Mokona (from Rayearth and xxxHolic if anyone watches or watched those animes and read the mangas---I'm looking at you, Clamp fans because I went there one time although I already outgrew my Clamp obsession/fixation) figures in Comic Alley along with a few anime novelties that can be incorporated to some daily wear and activities and not so much the cosplay costumes. The only time I'd probably cosplay or go out as someone else is during Halloween. Note that I don't join anime/Japan-related events and conventions here in the Philippines. There are some in my locality but having had minimized my anime-watching and manga-reading---I only follow Hunter x Hunter now both in anime form and manga form---I don't see the point of me going to the conventions... 

Right now? I'm currently working my way to finishing Kamen Rider Drive two to three episodes, one night a week until I finally get to rewatch the first three Kamen Rider Ghost episodes and catch up with the rest of the series. Waiting for the release of one Kamen Rider Ghost episode a week, subbed by wonderful people online in English then resumes. This is me, rewatching Kamen Rider Drive but it's only because I felt I didn't pay a lot of attention to it on the first, while I was watching it per week, per episode the time it was airing. Kamen Rider Ghost is the rider series that's currently airing at this time. Shuriken Sentai Ninninger---a ninja-themed super sentai---also isn't finished yet (it replaced Toqger when the latter ended). Regarding this one, Ninninger's story development has got me lost recently and I just find it boring and dull now that I've altogether stopped following it. No idea when I'll pick it up again or if I ever will. I'm this close to deleting the whole series in my hard drive.

I'm also looking forward to watching about three currently airing Jdramas, two of which do not have English subs yet but stars Takeuchi Ryoma (Kamen Rider Drive's Tomari Shinnosuke, titular kamen rider/main rider/hero) and Kiriyama Renn (Kamen Rider W's Hidari Shotaro, the Joker half of W). Oh and also, catching up to the funny livaction manga adaptation that stars the guy who played Kaito in Kamen Rider Gaim (the rider series that preceded Kamen Rider Drive). It's a fun high-school set jdrama that's still pretty relate-able whatever age the viewer may be.  


all collages are mine, made via ailis on ipad/apple os but photos/screenshots are from all over the net (googled)

Thursday, November 12, 2015

blazer and striped shirt combo


Surprisingly, these gladiator-esque heels are the easiest to walk in against the other one that's in really thin wedges. I'll try the socks and heels thing next time. They look pretty rad in a ton of magazines I've been perusing.

Originally, the shorts are long-ish but it has this mechanism you can role its sleeves (?) up and pop and lock it up. 

The blazer's buttons have leaves printed on them and it's going to up on sale some time soon. How soon? I'm not so sure yet as I will be away to somewhere from December this year onto the next. 
Primadonna heels; vintage/second hand shorts, shirt and blazer; forever21 and others necklaces; Ninewest bag; black bangles/bracelets from a souvenir shop in Dumaguete City; vintage/second hand silver bangle/bracelet rings (not pictured), from a local shop from ages ago.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

like in spain but not really


Middle of last week was for a number of things: errands in the vast metropolis up north (I was running around Metro Manila with the family) and a quick vacation in Bagac, Bataan, where some of my mother's relatives had a house by the sea in. Beautiful, ideal place to live in but the local language, Tagalog, isn't exactly my first language. The place isn't for me.

On the upside, we were able to check out the new resort called Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. Participating in the day tour there with a superb tourist guide was pretty much like living how the ilustrados and other sorts of Filipinos of the past lived.

I was this close to getting a couple of trinkets from a shop by the resort's playroom before I stopped myself, telling myself I didn't have a lot with me. Oh, and this one shop in one of the houses by the resort's entrance had pretty tempting organic products although they really cost a lot more than my usual brand: Human Heart Nature. When I was told the after-sun spray I picked up cost Php 1, 200, I noped out of there quickly. The packaging of what they sold in there were pretty and marketable but price-wise, I suppose even Healthy Options (which, by the way now has a branch open here in Cagayan de Oro, in our own Ayala Centrio) have cheaper stuff than those. Personally, I'd still go with Human Heart Nature. The only thing purchased in there were 6-7 pieces of their self-baked pan de coco and a jar of cashew cookies. I only consumed a tiny bit of the latter. The cookies can be washed away by tea, yep. Yum.

shirt, skirt and bag, vintage/thrifted; necklace, from a souvenir shop in Dumaguete City; slip-ons, Footstep in Dumaguete City

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

the necessary tank


Living in a region of the world where only 2 seasons, the rainy season and the sunny summer season, makes a basic tank like this one from Bench necessary. I liked this one a lot I had to stock up on it in 2 colors---grey and white. Bench, right next to Zalora Basics is probably my favorite local place to hunt up everything comfortably and basic. Now, if only they made beautiful, delicate lace triangle bras...

tank, Bench; shorts (cut-offs), vintage levi's; clutch, vintage Chanel; belt, vintage; shoes/heels, Primadonna   

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

button-up denim


I'm picturing this denim dress/tunic/shirt with a pair of leggings or opaque tights and thigh-high boots. It works with just a pair of ankle boots as well. 

Oh, right...I've been absent for so long due to so many things but I'm sort of back? I'm working on something however. It'll come to light probably next month or around early December. 

Also, note the changes to a lot of things on this blog and probably, primarily the title. It's one of the things I'm working on as well.

denim dress/shirt/tunic, vintage; boots, payless; dreamcatcher necklace, from a souvenir shop; bangles, vintage 

Sunday, March 1, 2015

ongoing obsession with a '90s trend: the slipdress

While everyone within Twitter (any social media, including facebook and blogging platform, Tumblr) vicinity were discussing what WhoWhatWear dubbed a "rather unattractive" blue-black/white-gold dress a couple days ago - I swear I had just been lurking around there the whole time then and surely some are still catching up to the hype - I have been nursing a week-long obsession with the 90s, Kate Moss-inspired trend, slip dresses... And ways to make them functional when out on the streets. 


(photos from whowhatwear)

The thing is that...lately, I seem to be having an influx of them in my closet here where I go to university for grad school and back home. All of them are lovely vintage finds I'm not sure how I keep running into them but I get them when I can anyway. I also seem to have an affinity for them so every time I run into a nice slip dress or something that resembles it, I make sure to leave space in my shopping bag for those. 

 (photo from fashiontoast)


My reason/s for stocking up on them? It's mainly that they are the easiest to grab onto and don either on a hot summer day or on some nights out to dinner with myself or with some friends. I've done the latter (and even during dinner out with myself, I dragged myself in it, randomly, briefly cavorting downtown to get groceries at around 8-9 in the evening before going back home at that time) to the two that I have in my uni town wardrobe arsenal. I've yet to do the former which is something I'm looking forward to as March is officially in and it's summer in the tropical region of the world I'm in.

Slip dresses aside, I'm definitely nursing a sleep wear obsession because the circuits in my head tell me that they're the best things to wear on most lazy days and nights - you can sleep in them, you also can go out in them if you dared (and I actually do, so heh...). This include sleep rompers, silky/satiny pajamas, etc.

....and because it's a Sunday today and I've just handed in my thesis paper to my adviser late afternoon yesterday, it's time to get off my computer and do some chores... then maybe go downtown to look into some things. Yep.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

hi 2015


1. and 2. What I wish I wore out yesterday vs
3. What I ended up wearing minus the flats which were re-translated into vintage laced-up boots I've probably been holding onto since forever...

And in which case, there's a notable disconnect between the post content and the title but hi, 2015! I am well aware I did not do any year-end post for the recently concluded year but holidays at home have been so busy I couldn't spend much time online. Other than that, the storm that just passed us by may have broken the wifi or internet connection at home so I've been sparse online recently, including on social media (Twitter). No matter. At least it leaves me to focus on a lot of things, especially school and that shop on tumblr that'll be updated on Friday this week. Regarding the internet connection thing, I do have the smartbro plug-it which I love to abuse when I'm in Dumaguete City or when I'm traveling around the country however it's bothersome to use when at home when there are other alternatives such as being in my favorite cafe (CBTL/Coffee Bean and Tea Leaves). ....however commercial - as commercial as Starbucks - the cafe may be. I normally prefer those that serve local coffee, tea among others but there's not much cafes to choose from when in Cagayan de Oro City apparently so here I am, in CBTL, Lim Ket Kai. 

The denim vest...I unearthed this one from my box I sent home from Dumaguete City when I was last home around between October and November last year. I thought I'd lost it but turns out it was just lying around in a box from the dorm. And demin vests...they never really die. This one is a pretty old one from Old Navy. Denim stays classic, straight from the 90s which is probably one of my favorite fashion eras.  

Because yesterday, the rain continued on until the late afternoon, I ended up going out in the thrifted knit zip-up jacket and beanie from Daiso, now my favorite store to get everything random which is...I don't really know much about either. I just wander there once in a while. The place has some interesting stuff in there at affordable prices which is cool. (And on the recent trip, a pair of Hello Kitty earphones were purchased because I needed earphones. I figure I was reliving the obsession of one of my early grade school friends when I decided, spur of the moment, to get those. They have yet to be used because I'm currently abusing headphones more for the sake of listening to a lot of electronic dance music. EDM just doesn't sound so good when one listens to it through the earphones...)

As for resolutions, because I figure everyone or almost everyone has them, I don't have any resolutions for 2015 not only because I see them overrated but more because there's really no use to me having them. I wouldn't follow them through either way. So here's to more of 2015, I hope. 

1. & 2. (favorite) vintage dress, forever21 ankle boots and cuff, old navy denim vest; 3. Daiso beanie, gifted shirt (from Hongkong), vintage denim cut-offs and navy knit jacket, BDG flats, forever21 necklace