(Just G printed top and skirt, SM Department Store ruffle socks, Five by Five Miu Miu-inspired heels, Forever 21 necklace, from Korea glasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

I often get questions like, “Do you ever recycle your clothes? You always wear different items on Lookbook!” Like any other person, of course I do! :)

If you look closely enough at my outfit entries, there are bunch of stuff that appears in not just one outfit entry. On more normal days, I usually work with what I already have instead of going out of the way and buying new clothes just so I won’t be caught wearing the same thing by other people. I’d rather save up for camera lenses, to be honest!

A few examples:

1) Mustard peter-pan collar top: 062911 and 020711

2) Sheer button-down top: 031511, 050911, and 051411

3) Loafer heels: 090411, 090611, and 101111 

4) Ribbon bag: 033011, 041811, and 101111 

It might not be obvious until now, but that’s completely the point. You can re-work a single item just by wearing it in different ways, and by mixing and matching them with other existing clothes in your closet. Talk about economical!

In this entry, I decided to work with just one key item (in this case, a printed button down top) to create 3 casual looks for various occasions.

Outfit 1: Print Play

Floral print meets some sort of beehive pattern meets cat print.

This is the most “me” in terms of styling, and I would totes be able to wear this on a casual brunch out with my lovely girl friends. This skirt is also a gift from heaven because while it’s not the usual A-line style that I always sport, it gives the illusion of wider hips… which I don’t have, unfortunately! *stuck in a teenage body forever* :(

While it’s tempting to wear printed socks with the track of thought that we’re going with, I kept it minimal by just pairing my cat-print doll shoes with ruffle socks.

And I only wore one piece of accessory to complement the print of my top and the color of my hair.

(Just G printed top and shorts, Tribute flats) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Outfit 2: Summer Sunbathing

Flowers and flats on a warm afternoon.

By unbuttoning the first few and last few buttons of your top, and by tying the bottom ends together, you can recreate this laid-back beach look. A collared top is commonly mistaken as something you could only wear for more formal and dressy days, but here’s one way to spice it up and make it more versatile.

To finish it off, I decided to be OC by finding flat shoes to match the purple buttons on my shorts. If you want a challenge, try working with these little details that are normally overlooked. These small details can surprisingly make an outfit look effortlessly put-together. :)

(Just G printed top, paper bag shorts, and bracelet, Posh Pocket Shoes flats, Sundae / Gold Dot bag, Chainless Brain detachable collar) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Outfit 3: Collar Switch

Hide the existing collar inside your shirt and wear a detachable one with a different pattern.

Blue and white in (late) celebration of Ateneo’s 4-peat feat!

What could scream “preppy” more than a satchel? This particular one from Gold Dot I love for its mustard color (here I am obsessing again with anything that slightly matches my hair), so I was overjoyed when I got these just-as-yellow flats from Posh Pocket Shoes in the mail a few weeks ago. Played matchy matchy with my outfit’s colors again, and voila, here is the result - an outfit I’d go to school in… if shorts were allowed! Dress codes in consideration, a nice pair of high-waisted trousers in tan or dark blue would also work well with this theme.

That’s it for now. I’ll try to challenge myself more next time with more relate-able concepts and a more limited number of items. I hope this entry can also challenge you to think of more innovative ways to work with the stuff in your closet. Now you can never use “I don’t have enough clothes!” as an excuse all the time anymore!