tropical layering

top, emoda. cami and skirt, vintage. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora ph (similar non-heeled). clutch, from a bag from aunt (possibly kohl's). bracelets/bangles, forever21.

Who says you can't layer in the tropics? When done right, like how I did here with a vintage cami and a reversible, flowy, dreamy top...it works fine. Yes. Yay! I'm finally learning how to layer? Yeah, I'm not so sure either. I still have a very long ways to go and a whole lot of things to learn where this goes.

For layering and everything else, a reversible top is always useful to have in the wardrobe such as this one from Emoda in Japan. It's a relatively old purchase but a goodie classic. It goes so well with a lot of those I own I also consider classics such as these ankle boots. The clutch back is currently showing a bit of wear here and there after I'd used it so much since around early 2016, I acquired it Christmas of 2015, and I like it that things like this get a lot of use before they have to be disposed in time to come.

....and the next two weeks will be busy for me. Well, just real life stuff I have to deal with. I probably won't be online a lot outside of browsing twitter at times through the fangirling twitter here an some instagramming here and there (yes, it's a verb now that we're in the era of everything sns/social networking sites...) so in short, I'm on very rare mushroom/pokemon mode from this point on. 

Anyway, yes! Hanyu Yuzuru and Uno Shoma placed first and second respectively at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics' figure skating individual men's event! I am so, so happy for them especially Shoma as I'm a huge fan and he deserves this. Yuzuru, too, since this is his first skate after being out of figure skating for about 3 months thanks to injury he had to and still has to recover from. Well, did you keep tabs of the Winter Olympics this year too? Are you still following it and how is it for you?

I'll...uhmn...post music some other time. Just not now. I can't think of a good one...yet. Although Highlight's Yang Yoseob's new record just came out today and he's been busy promoting it everywhere in South Korea since. I admit I haven't checked it out yet nor do I feel like doing so. It might be because I'm still high on Winter Olympics 2018 figure skating men's euphoria...or I'm just feeling lazy or I'm not really just up for anything ballad-y...I don't really know. I'll likely post about this one next time.

slick in all black

top, something borrowed via zalora ph (similar in the lightest of pink). quilted leather skirt, vintage. boots, rubi by cotton via zalora ph (similar). clutch, from a bag from an aunt...most likely a kohl's find. 

The last time I brought out this leather skirt that's a vintage find, to wear out was when? Exactly. I don't remember either. Setting that one aside, I love how slick this one looks sans the dainty cute top from Something Borrowed. 

I was out for half a day today for stuff including a trip to the dentist. ....and I'm not really a huge fan of dentists, to be honest.

Music of the day today, rather night since it's night time here already...:

I'm not a hero but I suppose we all could be, at some point. Tove Lo is love and with Alesso...enough said. I'm good. This is an oldie but a goodie and I go back to this from time to time whenever I feel like listening to a lot of western pop/dance music. 

4-5 days until Valentines' Day, what do you guys have planned? Me? I'll be waiting for the 19th. Highlight's Yang Yoseob is releasing a mini-album/solo work by then. *insert all the hearts in the emoji keyboard here...*

fairylike

dress, zara. boots, rubi by cotton on. bangles, from souvenir shop in dumaguete city and vintage. bag, kohl's (? I'm not sure...)

This Zara dress hasn't seen the light of day since I acquired it from the year end/season end sale around late 2015 to early 2016. This was basically two or three seasons ago. I've only taken it out of its hanger, from the rack with the most pieces I get most wear from on a daily basis, today. And I've just removed it's tag today as well. I know, really weird, right? I have the habit of keeping some pieces I get that I find I really like still tagged and left hanging on a rack in the bedroom until the mood and the occasion calls for me to get them out and finally wear them out with. I'm pretty sure I was able to get something else from that particular sale apart from this one but I forget what that was...hmn...

And in fandom news: there's only 5 days left until Highlight (the only male quintet kpop group I really stan where that part of pop is concerned...) releases Celebrate. Needless to say, I am pumped! I can't wait to listen to what this is going to be like. Highlight, since their period as Beast, has been delivering really well on the music front since time immemorial. Also, for the Jpop side of things, I've been obsessing with Da-iCE's 君色 (romaji: Kimi Iro) single/EP since last night. I love, love, loooove the b-side that is Fly Higher as much as I do the title track, 君色 (Kimi Iro). One is as good as the other. Yudai and Sota's solos are really, really good too. I rarely do get disappointed by any Da-iCE release. I'm finding lately that I rarely get disappointed by lol's releases as well. I suppose this is me getting used to anything Avex Japan, which is the main Japanese entertainment management agency I'm really into.

And so, until the next post, I leave you with this pretty, pretty (I'm not at all sure if I've attached this one to a previous post last month...it's taking me long nowadays to update this space with things for personal life/issues reasons...):

keeping the heat and humidity away sans the intermittent rains

tank, bench ph (similar). lace shorts, tally weijl. denim vest, old navy. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora. bag, kohl's.

A white tank or t is default wear when I'm at a loss as to how to style highly detailed bottoms. I'm currently thinking of stocking up on more basics from Bench...sometime soon, I guess.

Here in the Philippines, there are two giant clothing companies that are competing: Penshoppe and Bench. It's easy to spot chains of these two in malls and in small, quaint city centers. They are just everywhere here. When I was younger, say, around late grade school to early high school and with not much knowledge of fashion and styling I used to prefer Penshoppe. I noticed more people I came to know preferred Bench then so I'd go the other way and choose the one people don't pay much attention to which was Penshoppe. There's just so much fun in going the opposite way from what most people go to or for. But having grown older now and at the same time, growing to love basics more than the frivolous non-basics, I've grown to appreciate Bench more. Nowadays, Penshoppe does seem to get more of the notable faces in the fashion industry, however. I saw on instagram in passing last night that they were able to get Kaia Gerber---yes, that Cindy Crawford's daughter---to endorse them. This is when they've had Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and even Cara Delevigne among a few others as their pretty recent past faces or endorsers. I'm notorious for sticking with brands that aren't overly endorsed by such well-known people so as of the moment, I'm enjoying all the basics that Bench offers. I might be the only one though...I don't know. It doesn't matter. It's more fun this way.

b & w

top, h&m. shorts, secondhand lowry's farm cut offs. bag, kohl's (apt. 9). boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora ph.

The top and the black denim cutoffs in black are both new additions to the wardrobe. The former is new from H&M in (Long Beach) California from an aunt while the latter is something new-old, rather, secondhand from a thrift shop I frequent---it's really just a block away from Silliman University---whenever I find myself in Dumaguete City. 

I've been hunting down black denim cut-offs or jean shorts for a while now since losing a dressy plain (trouser-type?) shorts of the same color somewhere I've likely forgotten about long, long ago. I have the dressy black lace shorts but I frequently feel too dressed up in said pair so this is a welcome addition to the wardrobe this latter half of the year. This is definitely one of those I can wear with everything in the wardrobe with thus making the dressing up daily even more fun than usual. As for the top, I like the dressy, draped nature of it. It feels and looks low maintenance (no need to iron it!) to me and is alright to be worn with skirts, too, to any occasion. It is nearing the holidays so definitely, I'll be in this should I find the usual dresses I haven't replaced with anything new or something close, very repetitive. I was hoping the neck portion would go lower as a v-neck but it being not the case is actually alright, too.

button front skirt

 forever21 shirt and silver chain necklace, secondhand buttoned skirt, CLN wedges, apt 9 (via kohl's) bag, souvenir shop black shell bangles, from aunt yellow beaded necklace as bracelet, aizilim necklace and rings, smashbox (at Ayala Centrio) netted choker, random socks, vintage hammered bangle

The skirt is one of my most-prized secondhand/thrift finds because of the make of it. I wanted to sell it on ebay or include it to the items I am putting up there but after this, I'm on the verge of rethinking doing so though I hardly really wear it much compared to others I have. This thing is just teeming with so much potential after this experimentation for me right now. It works best with a boyshort but I suppose patterned tights will work well with it too. It is sort of high-waist so when shirts are tucked into it, it looks like it's banded around the waist. It's also the least basic with the buttons in front black skirt I own at this time. On the other hand, after so many isolated wears and washes, it seems this f21 shirt is about to give up. Hmn...

Well, Christmas parties are being thrown here and there now and it's still a week or so more before that fated day. Yep, it's becoming more and more festive now. I haven't yet decided what to wear to one this coming Friday at an aunt's place. The again, I normally dress according to mood so we'll see how that goes later...