I’m sure by now you’ve already seen Bayo’s new “A Colorful Life” campaign all over the place! How do you like it so far? I personally love the styling on all of Jasmine’s photos, and I’m so happy they didn’t disregard black and white too! *biased forever*

To see what the campaign was all about, I dropped by the nearest store to get a few pieces from the new collection for myself. Everything I picked was super versatile that I managed to come up with three different outfits with primary colors as the theme! 

(Bayo jacket and pants) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Still obsessed with blue. This jacket is one of my most overused items in my closet nowadays. I wish they had it in other colors too!

I love these printed pants with a very loose silhouette. Such a refreshing change from all the printed skinny bottoms that I’m always wearing. Pair it with heels and it can create a chic office-appropriate look.

Matching blue nails. <3

(Bayo top and shorts, Forever 21 heels, Yesstyle headband, Plusminustimesdivide collar chain) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Hello to my first ever pair of bright red shorts! I paired it with a crisp, white, collared shirt and loafer heels to attempt to look like a little school girl.

Added a collar chain…

…and a spiked headband (that’s all the rage right now!) to add edgy, rocker elements.

(Bayo glasses and pants, Romwe top, Zara heels, Team Manila ambassador pin) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Yellow pants and star prints for a laid-back, casual look that you can wear while you go on a coffee date with your girl friends. 

Can you tell that this is inspired by ulzzang and Korean fashion? 

Pastel yellow pants reminiscent of Sooyoung from SNSD’s Gee days.

A pin from Team Manila’s recent campaign. It’s about time someone thought of a movement to spread good vibes in Manila! Keep positivity trending everyday. 

I hope you liked these three coordinates from Bayo’s newest collection. Live a colorful life and you’re off to a good start!

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Hype this look on Lookbook here.

It’s been said that every girl must have at least one little black dress for her closet. I totally agree! Lucky for us, little black dresses come in different styles so you’re not only limited to ones like bodycon dresses that don’t fit most body types. Personally, most of my little black dresses are the sweet and casual type, complete with lace and poofy skirt details that give the illusion of a fuller bottom, as well as that certain look that makes it totally possible to wear with flats.

This one is my newest find from Apartment 8, and it is quite interesting as it is a hybrid between a bodycon dress (which I never wear) and a peplum dress (which I love). I can never emphasize enough how peplum is such a lifesaver for people who have straight bodies like me!

To attempt to make this look more polished and put together, I paired my little black dress with a black and gold bag and pearl accessories ala Audrey Hepburn.

What I love about little black dresses the most is that you can wear them during the day without looking overly done, and also at night without looking underdressed even with the littlest accessories. If you haven’t gotten an LBD for yourself yet, you should head to your favorite store right now to find the perfect one for you! 

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After arriving in Fukuoka on Christmas day, our super hectic 9 AM to 9 PM tour around the city finally commenced on the 26th of December. Fukuoka is a very small and simple place compared to other places in Japan I’ve been to (Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto and Osaka specifically) but it has its own charm, I believe. It used to be a merchant town with a very rich history, being the gateway to Japan a long time ago. I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting this place every so often - such a quaint place perfect for a much-needed peaceful vacation.

Photo-heavy entry ahead:

Early morning at some random street. I love how everywhere you go in Japan, it’s always so clean and orderly.

Couple holding hands before crossing the street.

Hakata-bei at the Rakusui-en Garden. The locals didn’t want the ruins of original Hakata buildings to go to waste after the war so they made these patterns and used the materials to create these famous Hakata walls. Recycling at its finest.

Lovely Japanese garden. Here also lies a reconstructed Meiji period tea house where I was able to try out their maccha tea along with some complementary Japanese sweets.

Authentic green tea that was rather bitter but meshed so perfectly with the sweets served with it.

Took a photo of this vending machine because my brothers ended up getting addicted to Suntory Boss Coffee Rainbow Mountain Blend.

Passed by Canal City for about 5 minutes on the way to Kushida Shrine. Canal City had a grand sale the day before I left Fukuoka so I ended up going here the second time during my stay.

In Kushida shrine, there was this magnificently decorated float dedicated to the gods Ohatanushi-no-mikoto, Amaterasu-omikami and Susanowo-no-mikoto.

Our tour guide Hiro-san showed us an artwork of how men would look like during the Yamakasa festival. She said her previous tourist clients would always giggle after seeing this. I could only imagine.

She also mentioned something about this rock in the shrine that locals use to determine whether or not someone is fit for sumo wrestling. And of course my 100-105-pound brother Juju accepted the challenge.

Heard a story about the wind of god or kamikaze.

After Kushida Shrine, we went to Tochoji Temple, a family temple of the Kuroda family, lord of Fukuoka province.

The sight to see here was this Fukuoka Daibutsu or the Great Buddhist statue, one of the largest wooden figures of the seated Buddha. Used my ninja skills to take this picture.

Behind the statue is a small museum in a dark tunnel of sorts that shows a collection of paintings of hell, etc. However, at the end of the narrow tunnel, where the light eventually goes out, you can find a thick ring if you’re lucky. They say you can go to heaven if you find this ring. I did!

Giant five-story pagoda.

Failed at showing the epicness of it for the sake of taking an artsy fartsy shot with a tree in front of it.

One of the regular temple visitors asked me out of the blue where I was from, and gave me a really interesting gift. He gave me a Delta airplane figurine, which I guess he carries around with him everywhere. And now it’s with me! I hope this means more travel opportunities in 2012. Thanks, Delta-san.

If Ultraman transformed into a car, this would be it.

A few blocks from Tochoji Temple was a quiet Zen garden in the middle of the neighborhood.

Suddenly, my collar.

Managed to snap a photo of Family Mart while on the way to Tenjin. Everyone here is crazy about KARA! Gekidan Hitori is pleased.

Picture of a girl in the bus mirror. Quite eerie, yes? My brothers were joking how much creepier it would be if I opened this photo in my laptop and found the girl looking at me all of a sudden. Ahh, chills.

Snaps of people on the way to Tenjin…

…where people look like aliens!

Had lunch at one of the most popular sushi restaurants in the area. I wasn’t able to ask what the restaurant was called but I still vividly remember their gourd logo.

Stockings at 0-4°C. All that fur on her ankles just might’ve been her savior.

Obligatory Arashi photo.

Two girls looking like they’re having a very fun conversation. Snidel paper bag, I see you!

My brother Chase. It’s all bokeh behind him but after lunch we headed straight to Dazaifu City via subway. Dazaifu may be a very popular tourist destination, but a lot of locals also go here to pray for success in their examinations.

And for the strangest reason my siblings and I were all so coordinated.

Had a ¥700 cafe au lait at one of the coffee shops there. I don’t want to think that I just paid for the immensely dainty cup and saucer lol

Some local treats like Umegae-mochi (sweet rice cake with bean jam) and Onigawara Monaka (sweet bean jam sandwiched in mochi wafers) were being sold on the way to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

This shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, also known as the god of learning.

Found a street performer in the area who was able to make this monkey stand on a pole.

The girls on the right were brisk walking because they were in such a hurry to get to a place with a heater. Brr.

Girl at the Dazaifu station.

It was freezing like crazy when we decided to go to our last stop of the day…

Fukuoka Tower stands at 234 meters, making it the highest seaside tower in Japan. Fun fact: They change the lighting and decorations around the building depending on the season. They would have, of course, the standard lighting on an ordinary month, but they would have a “Milky Way decoration” in July and August, a “St. Valentines Day decoration” in February and March and a “Blue Christmas light decoration” in November and December.

Just after sunset, this was how the wonderful city of Fukuoka looked like when I was there. <3

Back at Amu Plaza in Hakata Station, we had a late dinner. We were already so hungry but we decided to brave the waiting line for this much-hyped restaurant.

The verdict? BEST RAMEN I’VE EVER TASTED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. All the ramen that I’ve tried now fails in comparison.

Where can I find authentic barikata Hakata noodles in Manila?!

(Romwe dress, Guess heels, Topshop necklace, Diva accessories) Hype on Lookbook here.

If the situation calls for this sort of fashion, my top-of-mind choice of dress would be one of my little black dresses with a super straight cut and long-ish sleeves. Throw in a nice golden clutch and this could transform into a good evening outfit. For quite some time now, I’ve been setting my eyes upon dresses that I could wear both during the day and at night. I was never the type to have a million outfit changes in a day, so dresses of this sort are classic examples of wardrobe investments.

My mum would always tell me as a kid that there are certain kinds of clothes that can last you 10, 15 or even 20 years, and that these are the ones that you shouldn’t skimp on or overlook. Last weekend, I splurged on the exact same dress that I saw her wear a couple of weeks ago. Thanks for being the ultimate inspiration!

P.S. (On a much heavier note) Praying for the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Visayas in Mindanao. Going to donate a lot of what I can for now - my clothes.

(Just G top with bowtie and skirt with belt, San-Sue bag, Clothes for the Goddess wedges, Forever 21 ring) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Upon realizing that my teal nail color matched my floral bowtie perfectly, a part of me just naturally picked clothes out with cool tones as a theme. Luckily, I was able to purchase a nice floral skirt that deviates from the normally pretty pastel pink color scheme that I fancy. It came with a really interesting-looking bright blue belt, which turned out to be a key-item in this whole ensemble, as the contrast worked so well with the paler shades of blue that I used. It’s so convenient buying clothes that come with something else that will easily complement what you’re getting. In this case, my polo top came with a bowtie, and my skirt came with a belt. Call me somewhat cheating but this kind of set-up was totally made for days when some circumstances don’t work as well as you think they would be, and when the inspiration and motivation to dress up is temporarily in the failing department. Keep cool and you just might find some overlooked blessings in the guise of two-in-one items available at your favorite store. :)

(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!

(Photos by Calel; Just G top, skirt, collar necklace, pug necklace, Alice pouch, Gold Dot “Charm” wedges) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

It’s back to school for everyone in the country! Reading tweets and status messages on Facebook from my fellow Ateneans concerning their teachers, classmates and schedules made me miss college a bit, so here’s an outfit inspired by the colors of my university.

Here’s a clearer view of the pendant of my necklace and my super adorable Alice in Wonderland pouch where you can find all things sweet and dainty - hearts, keys, crowns, card suits, tea pots, and cakes!

My new favorite shoes. It’s a combination of everything I like in footwear - lace-ups, wedges, platforms, cut-outs, peeptoes and buckles.

Here’s a versatile tiered skirt that you can mix and match with different tops and shoes depending on how casual or dressy you want to get.

My favorite find from Just G is this acrylic necklace shaped like a peter pan collar.

Just G boutique stores can be found in SM Megamall, Market Market, Sta. Lucia, SM Southmall, Eastwood City, SM North Edsa, SM Manila and SM Cebu. Just G and Gingersnaps share spaces at Shangri-la, Rockwell, Robinsons Metroeast, SM Baguio and SM Pampanga. They also have department store corners at SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria, Landmark Trinoma, SM Makati, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Festival Mall, SM North Edsa, SM Cubao, SM Pampanga, SM Southmall and Robinsons Ermita.

(Photos by Calel; Summersault dress, Diva necklace, Forever 21 earrings) Hype on Lookbook here.

Lipstick does wonders sometimes. This look would totally have a different vibe if I were wearing my usual nude/pink lippies.

(Photos by Calel; Astars top, Madewell jeans, Five by Five shoes, H&M Accessories, from HK connector ring, Forever 21 hat) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Vintage inspiration. I almost never go out in jeans but these are just pure love - they are so flattering and I love the slightly hippie flare going on at the bottom. Got them for free when I was in New York and Tumblr had an event of sorts at Madewell (Broadway at Broome - I still remember!)

To complete the laid-back ensemble, I paired my jeans with a really nifty loose knit top with cool zippers on the side seams. It was sent to me straight from the US by Astars. Thanks a lot!

(Photos by Calel; make-up by Cindy Pineda-dela Cruz for Shu Uemura; Forever 21 racerback lace top and ring, From New York floral skirt, Topshop belt, from Singapore necklace, from Korea glasses, Debenhams bag, Aldo wedges) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

On the last day of May, I wore lace and florals. It’s going to be gloomy again soon because of the rainy season, so I might revert back to my black ensembles with cross necklaces and platform shoes.

Instantly fell in love with this skirt when I went inside some random store in Soho, way before my girly-vintage style came to be. The dark gray used to have a little blue in it, but for some reason it faded into a color which, fortunately, I ended up loving even more.

The bag is something I got at 50 off about 3 years ago. I always pair it with these particular wedges because they seem like a match made in heaven, with almost the same kind of brown with studs and all.

(Photographed by Calel; Just G polo, floral high-waist shorts, and accessories, H&M socks, Asian Vogue wedges) Hype on Lookbook here.

After all the rain last week, the summer sun finally decided to appear again! Bright weather calls for happy clothes, thus the outfit-

The one thing that sold me this cute powder blue polo was the uniqueness of the pockets. The shape of the pocket flaps isn’t something I normally see in similar tops from other stores. What’s even nicer is that this polo also comes in a nice salmon pink shade that reminds me of strawberry sorbet.

The bracelets are 2 separate ones that I decided to wear together. I also got a cute plastic baby ring to match the pink flower accents on my shorts, as well as to make the whole outfit happier and more playful.

Life has been stressful lately but I choose to be happy by making an effort, by having the will to be so and by focusing on blessings instead of bad vibes. I’m glad that my friends are also incredibly positive - being surrounded by these wonderful people is always a pleasure. Surround yourself with happiness, not just while the sun is out, but forever.

As my friend Feanne would quote Audrey Hepburn, “Happy girls are the prettiest girls!”

Just G boutique stores can be found in SM Megamall, Market Market, Sta. Lucia, SM Southmall, Eastwood City, SM North Edsa, SM Manila and SM Cebu. Just G and Gingersnaps share spaces at Shangri-la, Rockwell, Robinsons Metroeast, SM Baguio and SM Pampanga. They also have department store corners at SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria, Landmark Trinoma, SM Makati, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Festival Mall, SM North Edsa, SM Cubao, SM Pampanga, SM Southmall and Robinsons Ermita.

(Photography by Calel; old dress with giant pockets from somewhere, Gold Dot mustard purse, from Singapore red flats, Quirkypedia lego ring) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Lazy day outfit for a lazy girl. I overused this dress back in college but somehow completely forgot about it until recently. My old clothes have sentimental value so it’s hard for me to throw them out or give them away, and in yesterday’s case, I guess that proved to be a good thing.

I know I just got back from my recent Singapore trip but I’ll be out of the country again for a week starting tomorrow. However, not excited for freezing weather since I don’t have a lot of cold weather clothes.

So, all my siblings have Lookbook accounts now. We all like to dress up but it’s interesting how we all drifted into our own different styles through the years despite having more or less similar influences. We have overlapping concepts every now and then but I guess that’s inevitable since we’re related.

Juju : Grungy, rocker vibes. He has some “desert wanderer” ensembles which you have to see to understand. (Also, he really does enjoy drinking Coke.)

Calel : Typical college boy fashion. Generally into all the clothes from Topman. I have yet to photograph his awesome selection of ties (since he goes to school in a pseudo-uniform).

Chase : He designs and sews his own clothes! Into formal stuff and outerwear. Obviously into J-rock too (if you haven’t noticed it yet).