Friday, October 28, 2016

shoes coming my way...


After much window shopping around yesterday and today, I finally bit the bullet. 

I'm a little skeptical of most faux (synthetic) leather but let's see how these fare. One is the only highest-heeled ankle boots I could find on Zalora and the other got me by its tons of buckles, the latter ordered in a deep brown so I can look about how to play around with it.

after H&M Ayala Centrio's opening

photos by Candice Calonia
 
vintage bag and ankle boots; D&G longsleeved shirt; Forever21 shorts; Robinsons' department store tight; aizilim necklaces; beaded bracelet and rings; dad's sunglasses

H&M opening was fun but really, really crowded. The line to get into the first of the store's 2 floors was pretty long and I'd say, everyone was most likely there. Well, those who had the time to go, anyway. Notable things from H&M in Ayala I found I'd sort of like to have: the cozy sweaters (which I'd likely get 2 sizes larger than me for the slouch, off shouldered, long-sleeved...longer than my arms would allow anyway...effect), triangle bras that's somehow all I really wear on a daily basis dresses and tops, and that faux (?) but really, really soft (like butter) leather tote that reminds me a bit of the Givenchy Nightingale I'd probably overuse for some occasional shopping. In the end, the shopping partner and I didn't get anything because there was too much people in there and either it drove us mad or gave us a headache. I don't really do well with crowds.

I didn't really get a lot of things from the random trip to the mall except for a bottle of virgin coconut oil I usually use on a lot of things (thank you, Watson's for providing me with a really cost-effective option---reason being it's, like, 10 Php or so less than my usual coldpressed VCO brand) and a choker from my shopping pal's favorite accessories stall. There was a one-shouldered dress in both black and white incarnations from Mango that hasn't yet left my mind however, it's on sale, and a pair of cross strapped wedges from Primadonna also on sale I really wanted and could see myself wearing a lot but decided not to get somehow.

Met some people here and there...a newly discovered favorite dish from Tokyo Bubble Tea---their pork-less tofu steak which was so vegetarian/pescetarian friendly and really, really good and a funny, sort of weird incident later, after all that, in Cotton On on our way out that had us scrambling to take the taxi to the city center...all in all, it was a good day to be out.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

white, dusty pink...and military green


mock neck top from bangkok (from mum), Mags shorts, CLN wedges, random socks and bag, aizilim necklaces, forever21 filigree cuff and cat ears ring (not too visible in the photo), aizilim gem ring (not too visible in the photo)   

Sometimes I like to dress up really girly in white, off white or cream and dusty pink and pretend I'm just around Ginza, the posher, girlier part of really vast city, Tokyo. Was I able to get their style right? No? Yeah...I don't really know either.


with thrifted parka/hooded trench

And then there are times like this, when it was threatening to rain though still pretty hot and humid (typical oven-like temperatures in place like these that's only a few kilometers or so from the equator), I have to spring for the parka. It can be quite relieving to have this around when it's cold and raining. Especially when it's raining. It is raining hard tonight. I'm good at being redundant, yes. 

This bag is becoming a favorite since getting it from my aunt last Christmas. It's just the right amount of cute---since I can only tolerate cute in the smallest doses---and edgy black to complement some girly stuff in the closet and even those that aren't really that girly which, coincidentally, I own in large quantities. I dress too much like a tomboy...on an island I sometimes think to myself I should've been born a boy. But...I'm happier being a girl and having too many options for dressing (and especially high heeled ankle boots I'm currently thinking of acquiring soon) so...yes...there.  

Every female here must be a-buzz for H&M's opening tomorrow at Ayala Centrio. I'm going there with the bff and frequent hang out buddy and shopping buddy all-in-one to play, hence I'm sleeping early tonight.  

It's my camera stand that's having problems hence the photos where the backdrop is askew. I probably need to get a new one or something...hmn...

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

back to the denim cut-offs uniform


thermal/long sleeved t & levis denim cut-offs, vintage; bag, Coach; wedges, CLN; necklaces, random boutique (via Limketkai/LKK mall) & aizilim; rings, aizilim & forever21; flower footless tights, daiso 

2 things: one, H&M in Ayala Centrio is opening two days from now, the 27th...definitely going and playing there with a really close friend since high school on the said date (kind of excited for it, kind of not because there's bound to be a ton of people going there by then) and two, I'm really, really enjoying Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (more than Kamen Rider Ghost) the past 3 or so episodes I've seen of it so far. It's been awhile (since Kamen Rider Drive) that I'm watching something that's fun~ It's only a plus that one of my favorite Jpop artists, Miura Daichi, is singing the opening theme for this. So darn cool~


Friday, October 21, 2016

possibly 10 or more-year old stripe dress


striped bodycon from Hongkong, Old Navy denim vest, forever21 cat ears ring and leaf necklace, aizilim rings and cross necklace, beaded necklace as a bracelet, vintage laced-up ankle boots

Intense downpour outside at 10 or so minutes past 4 in the afternoon limited my options to shooting this one indoors. Insane how it started raining despite the sun still being high up. But I'm hardly really surprised anymore because it is the rainy half of the year here.

The dress is an old find in Hongkong, at a clothing warehouse (it was actually more of a factory with a store within it) mum and I visited  with a few others in my teens. Crazy how this still fits a decade or so later. I still do wear a few other things I own and have acquired years and years ago, from time to time no matter how old it is. Rediscovering old treasures and styling them to meet today's times is pretty fun.

Hmn...I wonder when I'll be able to go back to Hongkong on a random trip... (It's definitely a city to go back to plus it's just an hour or so from Manila by plane though I'm not that much fond of chaotic NAIA (terminal 3?) to be honest) Kind of miss that chaotic but fun city to be in...

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

mesh over a slip


vintage fine mesh top, slip, and lace-up ankle boots; terranova over-the-knee socks; coach iphone wristlet/pouch; aizilim rings and necklaces; random dreamcatcher necklace; forever21 cuff.

My idea of layering in rainy but still humid climate. Good thing I didn't go out to shoot today because it rained minutes after this.

The last time I wore this fine mesh top thing was while frolicking with a friend in Siquijor Island which was a couple years ago or so. Not entirely sure when I can go back there but I WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK there. Until then, I'm happy with just Camiguin Island being a few hours away from here by bus and the barge. 

I lost the knit cap/beanie in the same color as the socks worn here somewhere in transit from the Philippines to Philadelphia to California and back, late last year and early this year. Come to think of it, I lost a lot of things in that single trip alone...including a really warm, fuzzy and cozy cashmere knit scarf---used it as a reinforcement blanket on the plane somehow---mum brought back for me from her, dad's and an aunt's trip around Europe years ago (it's from Italy and thank heavens, the gray cashmere sweater is still around as it is one of my favorite, warmest things to wear when it's too cold or something close to it) and then the finely checkered/plaid black and white/grey 4$ fedora from Burlington in Philadelphia I'd been wearing non-stop during the trip. I might've lost the last one on the Philippine Airlines flight from Manila to here in Cagayan de Oro /cries. Sometimes I wish Philippine Airlines had some way of informing some of their passengers of some things left in the plane so they get those back to them somehow.   

Note to self: get something that's the approximation of a blanket when travelling next time. Not that the airline issued blankets aren't any good...I just need something else...warmer. I get too cold way too easily as someone who's lived all her life in the warmer part of the globe.

Still my favorite things: peppermint lip balm and the lip creme in coral charm (their nudest possible shade) from HumanheartNature and the lipstick brush from Watsons. Just in case you're wondering what else I put in the Coach phone case/pouch other than the minuscule and pretty ancient iPhone 4s. I'm currently thinking of HumanheartNature's day-to-night eyeshadow palette at the moment. It's really practical and handy in four compact shades when you're on the go. Beats having to think of getting the 600+ Php nudes palette from Maybelline as the former is just less than 500 Php. I'm happy and content, at the moment, with my older ones including an Almay 3-color palette for the same purpose as Maybelline's nudes eyeshadow palette and the HumanheartNature one I want, however.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

millie

Currently thinking of the Millie top among others from holyswimph. They have a lot of everything wearable for the beach and the pool.

Yes, my mind is perpetually on beach mode...never mind that storms have been frequenting this place as of late. I guess it comes with living in the islands year in and year out. Wouldn't exchange this for anything.

Monday, October 17, 2016

lingerie topping

with the What a Girl Wants lacy top (which is really more of a bralette than anything...)

without the WAGW top/bralette

Gaisano City (department store) collared top, thrifted cut-offs and ankle boots, Coach purse (it's for the iphone/android phone, really), multiply (forgot which shop there it's from) cross earrings, forever21 arrow necklace, vintage and aizilim bangles and rings

The What a Girl Wants (RIP that favorite local clothing brand of mine, they already closed down and folded late last year) lacy bralette number is something that has a dual purpose for me: one, as a regular lingerie and two, as a topper...to spruce up some boring stuff in the wardrobe. Definitely one of my favorite finds from the shop that just closed down last year. /cry. I still have a few other things I own from them in the closet I rarely wear these days. One of them still being tagged since having been bought. Haha.

The collared army/dark green top is a boring but interesting to play with one from the women's section of Gaisano City's department store. Mum found it in the sales bin while all three of us, me and the 'rents, traipsed there to look for things for appropriate to wear for the colder weeks in the U.S. It takes awhile for me to figure out how to wear things including this top so I've never really worn this out to anywhere. It's perfect for layering however and I can picture it with a good layer of chokers and necklaces as well. Maybe a body chain of some sort? The top definitely goes with any bottom possible and even though I'm averse to collared stuff lately (unless they're button-ups, that is), the collars on this one doesn't really bother me as much.

The family might be going back to really sunny (but colder later this time in the year) SoCal (specifically Long Beach, CA) for the grandfather's birthday (mum's dad) in December. It's his 80th. Not sure yet if we're all going somehow.  

Saturday, October 15, 2016

boho-ish


dress/top, slip (underneath) and laced-up boots all vintage; ninewest clutch/wristlet; old watch as bracelet; vintage, aizilim and souvenir shop bangles/cuffs; aizilim rings; f21 leaf long necklace; aizilim cross and dreamcatcher necklaces

Sometimes I like to dress like I'm in boho-land. Sometimes.

The last time I wore this top/dress out was on a trip with an aunt to Iligan City. This one goes well with a slip underneath best, it seems. Probably one of my best thrift finds after a few other things in the wardrobe. It works well as a cover-up, too, on a beach/pool weekend trip.

 

Friday, October 14, 2016

2/4ths ribbed

(my photos)

sea blue tally weijl zip-up ribbed sweater; diy bleached bettina ribbed tank; forever21 gold stem heeled/stiletto ankle boots and arrow necklace; ninewest bag; aizilim rings and necklaces  

Ideal outfit for a mostly gloomy day like today. It rained for a bit after this was taken. It's beautiful weather for the tropics and I know a lot of people like this kind that isn't really too hot and sunny. I'm more a fan of the latter. For me, personally, the hotter and sunnier the day is, the better it is. Just make sure to be armed with sunscreen if it's that kind of day, however.

Loving this Tally Weijl sweater dad picked up when he was in Germany early this latter half of the year. The length of the sleeves does it for me. Definitely really useful to wear with slip dresses, tank dresses and more. Considering the barrage of every incarnation of blue in this blog lately, yes, I'm a huge fan of the color/shade. It's my favorite right up there with black and white, gray and brown or everything neutral and earthy. 

And yes, I had my hair re-bleached yesterday. I'm considering a third and a fourth bleach session maybe in the next two months to get the lightest blonde I can get. I notice it's skewing towards the orangey side here so hopefully the purple toner can fix that with the random, drugstore anti-dandruff (Guard) shampoo I use every 2 or 3 days or so in the coming few weeks.

24-25 PhP (Philippine peso) sheer black tights...I can never get enough of. I tend to end up purchasing one or two pairs from whatever department stores that carry them to keep in the bag for emergency wear when going out in shorts or mini-skirts. Really cheap, really handy to have on the go, anytime, anywhere. I think some Watsons branches carry them, too. The runs on this pair makes the outfit grungy fun enough as if the tie-dyed ribbed tank doesn't give enough edge to it already. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

oddly comfortable secondhand gap tissue t

(my photos)

secondhand gap tissue t and denim cutoffs; vintage light blue-gemmed ring; old watch ring; aizilim ring, necklaces; forever21 long leaf necklace; (above) vintage laced-up ankle boots; (below) CLN wedges; ninewest clutch.

The CLN wedges chosen by the uncle (one of my favorites among my mum's about 7 siblings---they're eight in the family) finally put to good use, spicing up an otherwise dull outfit of the day...thing with other pops of color items. One can never have one too much accessories to liven up a dull black and dark denim blue palette.

Gap t is very, very comfortable (secondhand gap stuff are really good aren't they?) and this is in medium so I had to cut the lower part of it a few inches down so it'd fit well and not really go past the cutoffs at all---making it alright to look at un-tucked.

There seems to be more denim cutoffs in the wardrobe more than the regular denim shorts for some reason. Hmn...

This is pretty useful on a daily basis by the way. Just kind of sad this isn't available in the department stores here. /cries. It's a pretty fine find at Marshalls or maybe it was some other store in the US sometime last December 2015. Definitely beats the yellow one I often use.

Monday, October 10, 2016

vintage almost everything


vintage hot topic shirt, belt and (from mum) bag; forever21 shorts; primadonna wedges; secondhand watch ring; random rings; aizilim necklaces 

I have so few shoulder bags of the huge, spacious kind. This one from mum is one of about two, I think.  And a lot of the huge spacey bags I have are sling bags...including the really almost microscopic ones I use most days of the week when going out. Still, I hardly ever really use this one as the tote bags often are the ones to get much use for their convenience and the huge space they offer that beats this one's.

The ring watch totally doesn't work anymore. It's from an aunt so it's only worth wearing decoratively. I'm not too fond of watches of the working/functioning kind for some reason.

Random music talk: last night was listening to Rachel Platten's Wildfire album/record. Her Lonely Planet is officially a personal favorite. Today's is Halsey's BADLANDS record's. I'm usually a fan of electro/synth-pop like Halsey's work/s but I do like me some regular soul/r&b-type/hinted pop music, too like Platten's.

Friday, October 7, 2016

something kitschy fairy this way comes

(my photos)

Emoda reversible top (purchase a couple years ago or so on sale); reworked vintage bodycon dress with fern pattern; Daiso (from a bff now based in Davao City) flower-patterned footless/stirrup tights; vintage, f21, random souvenir shops and some aizilim bangles/bracelets; aizilim necklaces; Idk where I got them rings; Primadonna heels

Indoor shots because it was threatening to rain outside. Pardon the messy background. Think of it rather as me shooting in some decrepit, desolate, trashy location elsewhere outside, haha. That's how messy and random the second, where my bedroom can be found, floor of the house is. 

I've had this Emoda top since forever (say, maybe last year or so? or two years ago?) and still tagged. Well, I finally found use for it and finally cut off the tag off it. It'll see more use later, I suppose as I do have some slips somewhere that could be livened or spiced up by this one. Looks like this reversible floaty top is finally getting some use. I'll even think about packing it with me to the next travel adventure I may be going to...I'm not sure yet. It certainly does fit the beach setting somehow, in the late afternoon. I'll probably even use it to a festivity...sometime...soon. We'll see...

I know I still have a few other things still tagged in the wardrobe that haven't seen the moonlight or the light of day rather. It takes me eons to figure out how to use those things exactly and what occasion to bring them out for but yeah, this does save me from having to shop around a lot and reign in the shopaholic tendencies---though I'd deny having it anyway. Ah...yes...Daiso...sometimes the three branches we have here have the most intriguing, cutest things around just waiting to be bought. I might've already littered my room with a lot of things from the Daiso branches I visit from time to time...a couple of them being a silver skull decor thing I use as a tealight candle holder---it is absurdly useful when it's earth hour and when there's no lights or electricity at all---and a pair of fun-looking, really cute Hello Kitty earbuds/earphones. That store along with 7/11 convenience stores now prompt me to stock up on a lot of their transparent rain umbrellas like those in Japan. I'm...pretty sure I have a few other random trivial/intriguingly weird things from there. I'm a random, weird shopper and all so, yeah. Figures.
 

bye bye summer, hello stylish vision for fall/winter 2016 /17


(my collage)


What I'm currently thinking for the fall-winter season although fall/winter here in the tropics is all rain. I haven't been able to post any outfit shots this week due to it, rain. It rains in the afternoons lately this week.  

Yep, everything is from Zalora as when I'm not window shopping elsewhere for stuff---Forever21, UO, etc---I'm usually just settling for there. Zalora is actually a really convenient, one stop place online for me to shop stuff if I feel like my wardrobe needs updating. I also go there to window shop online to keep me from browsing shops in real time in the numerous malls we have here. I find malls, nowadays, a tad too crowded and it flares up my social anxiety issues. I'm not really very good with being around a lot of people as a natural-born introvert. I only go there now when I'm meeting with the best girl friend/s and maybe to watch movies but for anything else except may when accompanying the mum to the occasional sunday trip to the houseware section of a department store and the grocery store there...I don't really wander into clothing, shoes and bags stores there anymore much lately. Some of my favorite stores---What a Girl Wants, cue me, crying rn--- have closed down anyway so sometimes, I don't see the point of going. 

Shopping habits-wise...I haven't been shopping as much lately either. Before, when I stayed in Dumaguete City for school, thrifting was a norm. I frequently went when I'm done with school stuff that I find stressful. I went almost every other day or every weekend but I never bought anything as frequently either, I just go there to browse mostly. Lately, as there's little access here to those that carry good vintage finds, I hardly really go anymore. The last time I bought something from Zalora was a month ago or so. Before last month's purchase, I think my last purchase was when I came back from a Cebu trip around April or May. Last time I shopped from any mall boutique or the department stores...I don't really remember anymore. I've been more about investing on more versatile pieces lately, I'd rather buy things I could wear in whatever way possible than impulse buy whatever I can get my hands on or find wherever I am...although...I usually don't really have anything in mind I need and want to buy when I go online store browsing or window shopping in the mall/s or even the thrift store. Shopping online or offline at least twice or thrice a year is enough for me. If I could even go with shopping just once a year, I'd be good, even. I'd like to think I have a pretty good handle on my spending on most days. I'd rather spend most money now on traveling or something else much more useful. But don't get me wrong, I still do love fashion and everything about it, clothes, shoes, bags etc.

It's a dark colored palette for me this latter half of the year but I'm not exactly sure why. Haha. I guess they were the things that attracted me in the online store, Zalora. I've been dressing in lighter colors during the day however, as it is eternally sunshiney here unless the skies threaten to rain, then it's gloomy, dark-ish until the late afternoon and night time. I suppose it's a sign that sunny summer, my favorite season, has passed. Also, I've been feeling really cold lately. I woke up cold tonight from a quick nap from the late afternoon until the early evening. Hmn...faux leather biker jacket; trivial but yeah, yummy (?) velvet dress---the u-back detail is really, really good, though; black crocodile leather detail boots; and a random silver heels for going into parties to brighten up the dark-ish palette...yes, yes and yes. The shawl cape, I can picture being used in the mountains when I get the chance to go there somehow. I'm not sure when, haha. I've been itching to go however and to the hotsprings and beach as well. I know, crazy that I want to go there when it's been raining more and more, right? I mean it's not exactly summer anymore but an escape elsewhere but the city would still really be so, so nice these days. It should be enough to keep anyone (especially me) from getting too depressed. In my case, I've been known (mostly by myself) to get season depression at this time of the year so a trip somewhere else sunnier is always a welcome distraction for me. 

It's a good thing I have SOLIDEMO's Orange track to keep me perked up these days. It's a recent release. Such a feel good sunshiney summer track along with Da-iCE's Paradive one. Thank heavens for really good summery stuff from the favorite all-male jpop groups to carry me through the rainy seasons at least until early next year or so.