(Choies top, Bayo shorts and bag, Stradivarius blazer, Forever 21 necklace) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Chinese porcelain print on my top! I’ve always loved how blue and white Chinese ceramics looked like, and it’s quite amazing being able to wear it. There’s something about actual things being printed onto fabric, kind of like that book print top I got from Lacoste L!VE some time ago. I’m not talking about the usual themes (i.e. nature - flowers and trees, clouds, the sea; animals - cats, dogs, bunnies, etc.), but unconventional ones that don’t appear everywhere. I wonder what’s next? iPhone print top? Refrigerator print skirt? Any other ideas?

The possibilities are endless, but I’m actually willing to try them out!

(Yesstyle top, Sheinside skirt, Dorothy Perkins belt, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Thanks Tracy for helping me with these pictures.

An older look which I only got to posting here today. A lot of people were fooled into thinking this was a dress, when in fact I was actually wearing two separate pieces. Sometimes you’ve just got to improvise. In this case, I didn’t have any dresses with this kind of silhouette, as you all know how much I absolutely love wearing loose shift dresses. So I made my own version of the off-shoulder top and peplum skirt dress, and put it all together with my trusty shiny belt.

I know I could’ve put some sort of color contrast with the shoes, but I couldn’t help breaking fashion rules for this particular pair of wedges!

(PUMA x Mihara Yasuhiro MY-66 wedge sneakers, Romwe top and skirt, EMODA sweater, from Japan headband) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Bringing back the “dated fashion” trend with this one, though paradoxically I don’t know if you can call it dated anymore if it’s currently in? Sue me for shifting styles so easily (Who could’ve predicted that this outfit could be worn by the same person who wore that simple and girly outfit in my previous post?) but I simply couldn’t resist the experimental mood I’ve been in since I got back from Japan. I arrived back in Manila with a variety of images in my head - images of the current street style trends in Japan, including this prevalent “modernized 80s-90s style” that I kept on seeing everywhere. Wedge sneakers were definitely the footwear of choice, so I figured I could do the same-ish style with my new designer Pumas!

(Sheinside dress, Zara bag, Gold Dot wedges, EMODA earrings) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Thanks Tracy for helping me with these photos.

Went quite mod one day, when I just felt like throwing on a simple dress out of sheer laziness. If only summer would end soon, then I’d probably have more energy and drive to dress up as if I put even the slightest bit of effort. Summer has never been my element, sadly. 

Thanks to the blue detail on this little shift dress, I am reminded of the ocean’s waves. I’m not going to the beach any time soon, but I could use a whole day of playing in the water to put my mind off the heat. T_T

(Apartment 8 top and skort, Michael Antonio heels, Forever 21 accessories, Digitalism watch, I Do Nails nail art, Japanese Candy Chapi Green lenses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Off-shoulder tops and dresses have been around for the longest time (I remember wearing a lot of them back when I was in 7th grade), but I’m so glad they’re officially “in” this spring/summer. This top is *the* example of a perfect combination of sexy and cute (Crazy, Stupid, Love, anyone?) and I absolutely love the long, slouchy sleeves that balance out the bare skin on top. Dare to bare your shoulders for a subtle sexy “come hither” effect that’s sure to make a statement!

I wore a very similar top back in December (see here), only from a different website and a different color, but YAY we can finally rejoice since Apartment 8 decided to make it in different colors! I’m eyeing the black and white ones next! XOXO

Sponsored post.

Photos by Rg Gabunada

If you followed my Twitter last week, I’ve been raving about a new brand called Lacoste L!VE. I was able to go to the official launch at Whitespace, where I donned an almost-full-Lacoste L!VE outfit which apparently surprised a lot of people! 

“Is that really Lacoste?!”

Well folks, you can say hello to Lacoste’s rebellious offspring, Lacoste L!VE. It is hipper, quirkier and a lot more fun with this super fresh twist to the signature crocodile that launched the preppy trend way back in the 80s. Think cute twists to the classic Lacoste look that we grew up with.  

Before the launch, I was fortunate enough to pick my own Lacoste L!VE outfit to style, which was a dream come true as I immediately fell in love with the gravity-defying interiors and store displays in the new Glorietta 2 store! 

And boy, was it my lucky day or what? This top has books printed all over it. BOOKS. Now, where else can you find this print? This is something that all bookworms should definitely have!

Hype this look on Lookbook here.

I went all-out Lacoste and wore the preppiest stuff that I could find. I wanted to create a mix of formal (with the button-down long-sleeved top and skirt) and casual (with the cap, sneakers and satchel), and I hope I did a good job. 

I think it’s only the second or third time I’ve ever posted a shot of myself wearing sneakers. I dared to go bright red this time. What else could be a better statement than bright red shoes? 

As I’ve mentioned a few posts back, I’m a little obsessed with flat brim caps now that SNSD’s IGAB brought it back. Lacoste L!VE is a good place to find these caps, to those who are interested to get high quality ones! Available in other colors too, like black, blue and white. :D

Here’s another Lacoste! LIVE outfit where I decided to keep it more simple and me. I used the same space-age sheen bag but styled it with another printed top. The short sleeves are ideal for summer as it’s getting quite warm already!

Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Paired it with trendy pointy heels for another of that formal-meets-casual effect. 

Don’t you just love this print? It is another one of Lacoste L!VE’s original prints that can not only be found in this t-shirt style, but also in a one-piece dress style that’s very chic and appropriate for all occasions. Personally, it reminds me very much of old Japanese patterns. The peach-pink color accents also add a more feminine twist to the normal printed tee which we all love.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Wearing Lacoste L!VE with David (OMG HIS JACKET, RIGHT? I WANT IT) and Lissa. Bumped into our friend Patricia and the 4 of us had to take a photo together as we were all reminded of the good old days where we would attend certain events as a group! 

Also bumped into my friend and forever muse Julz who rocked her blonde hair so much  it made me miss that time when my hair was super light too! I feel like she would be the ideal type to wear all of Lacoste L!VE’s products in a heartbeat as her style is quite edgy and fun like the brand!

Models lined up with their colorful statement outfits.

They were having such a blast on stage!

Something I’d wear. 

Loving the colors on this outfit!

Bumped into my virtual friend of 3-4 years, KT! The world conspired to bring us together after so many Facebook and Twitter messages to each other. <3

The Lacoste L!VE event was a really a gathering of people like her who evoke a kind of quality that makes you want to take the world very lightly and just have loads and loads of fun!

In the Philippines, Lacoste L!VE is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) and is located at New Glorietta & Rustan’s Tower Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Do drop by as soon as you can as their recent SS13 collection is to die for! 

Sponsored post.

(Chicnova sweater, Forever 21 shorts and accessories, Mango heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

The last hurrah for sweater weather. I can’t go out like this anymore, as of this writing. Though I can still manage with light knits, I’m going to miss my chunky sweaters for a while… until I go to Osaka and Kyoto next month! Excited for spring weather, even if it’s a little sad that sakura season started early this year and I won’t be able to be there at its peak! 

(Apartment 8 cut-out top, Ellysage denim circle skirt, Comfit heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

I can’t even start talking about this top. I have to have it in all colors possible! For girls with small shoulders like me, this is seriously the best style to show them off. The high neckline and the cuffed sleeves make it all the more perfect. Striking a balance between sweet and sexy is difficult, and this top pulls it off so well by providing peekaboo cutouts in the right places.

Somehow, before I knew it, I found myself going back to this sweet style again. I blame it on the major life changes that has been happening recently. Let’s just say that it involves a lot of ties being cut off, both in physical and emotional aspects. Because I can’t go on sulking forever, I’ve just learned to accept these things that I can’t change and have no control over. Praying about them every night keeps me sane.

Anyhow, speaking of going back to sweet style, I’m quite proud that this has zero black or white in it. Huzzah! I missed this so much. Apartment 8’s Blair is back with a new look, and no, it’s not about this wig that people think is my real hair, or my newly revamped pre-summer layout. XOXO

Sponsored post.

(Haute Lifestyle dress, EMODA earrings, SM Accessories clutch, SM Parisian heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Last December 19, I attended a wedding with a strict formal dress code. I wore a periwinkle blue dress that must be the most perfect fitting dress that I’ve ever owned in my entire life. I thought my lack of curves was a hopeless case but this dress made me think otherwise. With a proper fit, you can turn a straight tree stump body into something like this! I’m thoroughly impressed - I was panicking for a dress two weeks before the wedding when the Apartment 8 team volunteered to make me one, under their made-to-order Haute Lifestyle brand, and finished the dress in only 2 weeks. They got all my measurements right the first time, and my first fitting was a breeze. Haute Lifestyle, you are doing it right! <3 I’m sure most of my readers who are still in highschool are still looking for prom or graduation ball dresses around this time, so I definitely recommend contacting them asap. The dress’ design was a collaboration between me and the brand, and that was pretty fun to do too. :D

For more details, email them at hautelifestylemanila@gmail.com, visit them at 33B Scout Borromeo, South Triangle, Quezon City, or call them at 709-7338 / 0917-5751502.

(EMODA top and bag, Kristine’s Collection jacket, Choies shorts and shoes, Time Depot Baby G x SNSD Sooyoung watch) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Kitty wedges! Enough said.

(mysty woman jacket and skirt, Romwe top, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue boots) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Thank you Christmas breeze for allowing me to wear jackets without going out feeling like death. It’s about time! I feel like I was made for cooler weather. I prefer wearing long sleeves and chunky knits instead of tank tops and swimsuits. This particular jacket is from Japanese brand mysty woman, which you can also find at The One Mall in Hong Kong. They have a ton of cute autumn-winter stuff out right now, making me wish we had all four seasons here in Manila. 

Been immensely busy with my upcoming travel posts recently, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. My Indonesia photos are too many to compress into one post, so I’ll be distributing the photos in two entries or so. Can’t wait to finish writing it and sorting out all the photos!

(Choies top and skirt, Sugarfree boots, Louis Vuitton bag) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

A few months ago, I had a magazine shoot with styling that was mostly dependent on my own personal style. Unfortunately, I was out of the country when they had a meeting for it, so I only found out about the discussion in my email a few days after.

Other bloggers who attended that meeting and who were also part of the shoot, spoke on my behalf when the magazine team ask the question, “What is Tricia’s personal style, in a nutshell?” And they answered - sweet preppy.

It’s interesting when other people describe your style for you. It makes you think about how you yourself would answer, if presented with the same question. Honestly, I would probably say that I’ve a mild case of identity crisis, and that I think I lack consistency when it comes to how I dress up throughout the year. If you’ve been following me and my Lookbook for a while now, I’m sure you’ve already noticed how I instantly become some sort of sparkly flower fairy every March to June/July, and try to be all sorts of serious with my more structured, simple black outfits for the rest of the year. Talk about seasonal dressing… or just being plain moody.

During the shoot, I brought my own items, but the stylist also pulled out items that she thought I could wear for the shoot. She did some research on my Lookbook… which I think was slightly embarrassing, haha. But seriously, it became, again, one of those amusing instances where you see other people interpret your own style for you.

True enough, I saw a lot of collared button-downs, sweaters, and dainty high-waisted skirts… a.k.a. my uniform, LOL. I thought, “Ah, is this the image that I project in public? I am consistent after all?” I guess it’s because I know myself the best that I’m surprised by how incredible people minds work, how they can instantly say something about you and your style, solely based on some pictures posted online. People seem to know you more than you know yourself.

Recently, I’ve been trying to practice my judgment skills, so I can be as good as these people. However, for some reason, I can’t quite describe other people’s styles (or anything, for that matter) in just one or two words. I remember being asked to describe Laureen’s personal style in our Preview cover shoot, and it took me about 4 awkward sentences to express myself. (The gist of my description of her style was that it was a head-turning one that can be seen from miles away.) 

Heh, will get there eventually.

Anyhow, I’m finally back in Manila after a week long sponsored familiarization trip to Indonesia. I have tons of backlog to work on, like my sponsored posts for this month (my monthly posts for Just G, Bayo, Apartment 8, etc.), as well as my Hong Kong travel post, MOFW Hong Kong, but do expect more frequent posts starting today. Cue fireworks! Now, where are all the Filipino food…