a tulle love affair

I have a thing for tulle. It's dreamy and romantic and frothy -- maybe it's a psychological remnant when one was a child and pretended to be princesses. I don't know :)

The skirt actually came all the way from France! I was in a wedding reception of a friend (very fun, casual reception at a brewery!) when I spied a French guest wearing this tulle skirt. Like a hunter on its prey, I couldn't take my eyes off it. At home, I searched online but came up grasping straws (and a frustrated handful of my hair). So, I convinced myself it was not pyscho to contact said guest about a tulle skirt and finally emailed her. She replied, saying how she loved the skirt too and that it was from a NafNaf store around the corner from where she lived. Then! Then, she kindly offered if she could get one for me to ship to Germany. She understood the rabid heart of a styleholic!

I guess you know what my answer was.

No, I'm not obsessed.

top - Mango; skirt - NafNaf; belt - from another dress; tights - H&M; shoes - Charles & Keith

Blazer + skirt + boots

First time to wear boots in Manila! I felt a bit awkward since boots aren't exactly weather appropriate in our tropical country. But it was a night out in the posh-ier side of town (aka Makati) and I was dying to do a skirt and boots combo, might as well.

That evening we watched 'Next To Normal' at RCBC plaza. It's about a woman suffering from bi-polar disorder and her family who's been coping with her condition for years. The acting and singing were superb. (The brother is my favorite) And the songs were catchy contemporary. But for a drama, I didn't feel for the characters as much as I thought I would. It's still a good watch though.

And to contrast, my mom and I saw 'No Other Woman' the night before. It's predictable but fun to watch, especially during the barbed exchanges of the wife and kabit. Unfortunately by the third act, the writers went all out - screaming, tears, slaps, and sabunutan. It wasn't so bad, that is until the spurned lover initiated a car chase on a dark, rainy night. And you know how those end.

blazer - Landmark ; skirt - F21 ; boots - Promod (borrowed from ma) ; 

bag - from Taiwan ; necklaces - Diva and Robinson's Dept Store

One of the better work wear

Wearing a good outfit on a work day is like putting on my game face. I’d feel more equipped in dealing with people or more organized with the paper work. Strange but true. Though usually it’s my (un)lovely morning persona who blearily reaches through the closet for a no-brainer outfit (jeans and button down). Hence the love for these trousers. It’s no-brainer and yet effortlessly cool.

Just talked to J a while ago via Viber for the first time. Free international calls through cell phones. Crazy. And of course we talked about Steve Job’s passing, which greatly shocked and saddened us. I don’t think there’d be another person in our lifetime that could marry tech and creativity with such style and charisma. Thanks Steve, for Apple, for Pixar, and for the inspiration.

pants – Mango ; crop jacket – Iora ; flats – Payless

2 weddings and a dress

I still have to tidy up my room, to wash the dishes before my roomy comes back, take a shower and pack for the weekend in Berlin. And what do I do? Blog an outfit post, a.k.a. procrastination.

But if there is one dress that I would procrastinate for, this is it--the Approaching Blue Dress by Anthropologie.

I know Anthropologie has existed for quite some time now in the US, but it was only recently that I discovered its Europe online site. It's a blessing to my fashion-loving heart, but might end up being a curse to my wallet.

I snatched this one during sale for 1/3 the original price though, and as a reward for finally getting a job! Plus, I had 2 weddings to attend in 2 consecutive weekends. Aren't those reasons enough?! :)

I absolutely adore this dress...it's flowy and light, with an interesting leafy print and gorgeous blue dip-dye effect. The front hem hits just above the knees, and the back hem drapes slightly longer for a soft, romantic look. Its original cloth belt, I exchanged with a thin brown belt from a pair of trousers, which I think works better to add a hint of modern. My only issue was its too wide armholes, but it was nothing a thread and needle couldn't solve one night before the wedding event.

The two weddings, by the way, were both perfect. The first one was my MBA classmate's, who married his partner of 8 years. The wedding was held in the city were we studied, so it was reunion of sorts. For the ceremony, the couple chose a secluded open field with a couple of Roman column ruins--only reachable by winding country roads. It was intimate and expansive at the same time. For the reception, the couple chose a restaurant by the lake, which boasted a peaceful, rustic view and a cozy sunset.

The second wedding was held in Belgium. The bride was my old co-intern and flatmate, which also made it a reunion of sorts. The ceremony was held in a church in a little town, but the service was hippie and alternative. Songs from "500 Days of Summer" were sung, and in the end, all the guests were asked to stand up and clap and sing a catchy gospel song! The reception was at a guesthouse with a sprawling garden, where an elegant white tent was set up for cocktails. At dusk, the wedding party moved to a dreamy barn house for a scrumptious 3-course dinner and a dessert buffet, followed by an all-night dance marathon!

Approaching Blue dress - Anthropologie ; shoes - Charles & Keith ; cuff - Morgan

Leaving on a jet plane

Another post on weekend outfits. For Saturday night, I wore a sparkly top, striped skirt, and the most comfy wedges in the world. The clutch I got from a recent trip in 168. It's my bag of the moment - so handy and versatile with the removable straps. It has a funky smell though, but no matter. A cute clutch is a cute clutch.

For Sunday, I wore something similar to this post (which was apparently a year ago and also a weekend entry). It's just fun to pair the black top with a short skirt. So roomy.

Right now it's 2:40 AM. I have to leave for the airport in 20 minutes. I got home a bit late from an org meeting (parang college days lang, haha) so it's sort of the limbo hour. Not to mention the coffee from the meeting is keeping me awake. I guess I'll conk out in the airplane later.


outfit 1: top - Pimkie (gifted by J) ; skirt - F21 ; wedges - Parisian
outfit 2: top - Topshop ; skirt - F21 ; flats - VNC

Military boho

I wore this for my sister's birthday which happily fell in the long weekend. After our lunch at 2nds (a really nice resto), we headed back home where some cousins and my sister's friends secretly gathered for a surprise. C's shocked face and matching shriek when she entered the room was priceless. hee hee

Right now I'm staying home for a light flu. Coupled with the holidays, I've clocked 1 day of work this week so far. Relaxing and worrisome.

And because I had a lot of time to kill, here's a cool video I saw today. 100 years of style in 100 seconds.

dress - F21 ; button down - terranova ; bag - gifted by achi ; necklace - tiangge

Bye bye brush

Got a perm! I had it a few weeks after I burned myself while curling my hair. The burn on the arm wasn’t so bad except when people ask about the wound, I have to sheepishly explain it’s from the curling iron (or lie it's from cooking, haha, I kid). So off to Beauty Brick I went. The salon was recommended by a friend who got her gorgeous curls a year ago. Mr. Shin and his crew are indeed experts. They assess the quality of your hair and give honest advice on what the options are. I’m really happy with the result. I skipped the awkward Goldilocks ringlet stage and got a head of relaxed messy curls. Super like.

tank - Freeway ; crop cardigan - Zara ; skirt - Mango ; oxfords - Trunkshow