(Apartment 8 top, Lowrys Farm shorts, Mango bag, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

There is an abundance of lines in this outfit, and I’m loving every centimeter of it. I resurrected these shoes from a long time ago! Right now, clear/transparent elements on shoes are quite big, and I’m glad this pair has already been lying around on my shoe rack for a while. If you’ve noticed, I’ve also been into a lot of open-toe footwear recently! There’s nothing else quite as spring and summer, I think.

(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!

(Chicwish top and skirt, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue boots, Balenciaga bag, Forever 21 earrings) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

When in accessory-doubt, just wear clothes with embellishments. These two items from Chicwish are a match made in heaven because of this. The detailed collar makes for a good necklace alternative, while the little pearl studs on the skirt are on the same level as my hands, serving as alternatives to arm/finger candy. 

(Sheinside top, EMODA bag, from Singapore Far East Plaza skirt, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

A must-have in every spring wardrobe is the floral print skirt! I’ve quite a few of them, in varying colors fit for both dark and light color schemes. This one is a confused don’t-know-if-winter-or-spring kind of skirt but I love it all the same, because it fits all the black things in my closet. 

Anyhoo, as you all know, black and white is a huge trend this coming season, and it’s the perfect time to stock up on these classic two-tone goodies that can last you even until after it’s over. Recently, I’ve been trying so hard to ban myself from shopping just so I can save enough to splurge in my upcoming Japan trip, but the force is weak with this one! Just can’t get enough.

Also, I’m in a love-hate relationship with my current hair. I have a very strong urge to cut it short because the last 4 or so inches are immensely damaged (don’t know if it’s obvious in these pictures) from a recent dye disaster, keeping me from going out with straight hair or even putting my hair down in general. So many people have been telling me to get the same length as the wig I’ve been sporting in my last posts because it looks more chic, but I’m a little scared because my hair has always been my security blanket…

(Time Depot Haurex watch, Choies shirt, Romwe skirt, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges, Satchi Store clutch, Lannel Boutique Mac Pure Zen lipstick - authentic but cheaper than in stores, Japanese Candy Chapi Brown circle lenses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Hello to my compromise between winter and spring. These artsy prints on my sleeves make such a good combination of dark, majestic colors and their pastel counterparts. So much that they me want to have more of these uniquely-placed watercolor-like prints on all my plain button-downs (if only I could).

This is generally a simple outfit, as usual, that makes use of almost zero accessories except my staple earrings. I’m not a huge fan of arm candies/arm parties where you wear a ton of wrist accessories all at the same time, but I’m definitely someone who values the beauty in simplicity and minimalism. This being said, I only wore my new Haurex watch as an accessory for this particular ensemble. The pale lavender-pink strap has to be my favorite part about it! It’s so hard to find this color everywhere. Anyhow, Haurex is a brand from Italy that is currently being sold in Time Depot, and this particular style is available in both 36mm for women and 40mm for men. All the colors are super sophisticated, perfect for those who want a simple but mature watch. I’m eyeing the military green men’s version next!

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(SpRay jacket, Greenhills top, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue boots, moussy bag) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Debuting my lighter hair color in time for spring/summer. Actually, this is only my lame excuse for simply being fickle about my hair. No bleaching involved since my hair ends are pretty much fried already. I just missed the light brown after 3-4 months of dark hair. To be quite honest, as much as I loved my previous color (which was quite *mature*), I think I was really made for this in-between brown and blonde thing. Makes me feel lighter and brighter too!

I can’t believe I’m already on my 5th day (LOL, it sounds like I’m talking about my period) of MOFW, which means I only have 2 more purely Japanese fashion features after this! Sad face.

On a lighter note, this outfit is very me circa early 2012, back when I was obsessed with wearing oxblood with light blue denim and black. I also came back from Japan around then, so I’m pretty sure they’re the ones to blame for all the red that I’ve been consecutively wearing. Never a bad thing though, because I love it anyway. Matches the red of my blog layout!

This jacket is from a brand called SpRay which I was able to visit in Tenjin Core Fukuoka (but they also have a store in Shibuya 109). The whole place looked like my closet because they had so many sweaters, jackets and collared tops a.k.a. my default uniforms. And the prices were comparable to CECIL MCBEE as well, which I previously mentioned is already an affordable gyaru brand compared to most. 

Spazzed like a crazy person as soon as I laid my eyes on this jacket, because it was perfect in so many ways. I’ve been meaning to get a red varsity jacket (since I already have a black and a pastel one) but it was so hard for me to find the ideal length and design since I usually only found short ones with like, weird embroidered text. :))

Paired the jacket with my ever-so-trusty moussy bag, also purchased in Fukuoka. It only occurred to me now that the handles look very Givenchy!

(CECIL McBee sweater, EMODA bag, Romwe skirt, Forever 21 necklace and socks, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue shoes) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Thanks Kristin for helping me with these.

“My Own Fashion Week” is back, and this time, I’m featuring Japanese brands! I wear them regularly, even when I’m not explicitly promoting them, but for this particular series, I’m going to be wearing my new purchases from my recent Fukuoka trip last December 2012 (so it’s still MOFW 2012). I couldn’t be more excited for this, really. Totes right up my alley because my personal style is deeply rooted in Japanese fashion. Well, I can say that my style at this point in my life is also mixed with Western high street fashion, but I still follow ViVi, etc. like bibles! 

Speaking of Japanese magazines, this sweater was featured in a recent JELLY issue and worn by one of my fave models Miyagi Mai. Perpetually a fan of black and white, I couldn’t take my eyes off it when I walked into the CECIL McBEE in Tenjin Core. These are the kinds of sweaters that anyone can always wear regardless of trends. Classic. But for this look, I went all-out trendy for a change! I paired it with black and white items too, since black and white (together) is going to be huge this spring/summer. Good for me - I always wear them anyway. 

CECIL McBEE is a brand I *always* go to when I’m in Japan. They sell stuff relatively cheaper and more affordable than most gyaru brands, and they usually have huuuuge store spaces with the widest variety of styles to choose from. I’m sure they’re one of the highest-selling gyaru brands because of this! They also sell cosmetics, bags, etc. So much love. Paired the color block sweater with my EMODA bag (which I ordered online some time last year) that is super popular in my Instagram, haha. Because they think it’s a Phillip Lim. :))

(Just G top and pants, SM Accessories necklace, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges, Time Depot Baby G x SNSD Tiffany watch) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Loungewear? Really? For a change (and quite a major one), it’s my first time to ever try wearing sweatpants out and incorporating them into an actual outfit. The result? To hell with its fundamental function. To wear something as comfortable as this is similar to the feeling of bliss. I’m two years late with this trend, but I think it’s a good way to spice things up once in a while, considering that my comfort zone usually includes dressy collars and button-downs that don’t really give off the same chill vibe as sweats. Normally I would reserve these things for home but now I suddenly have a strong urge to wear them out for a second time. This time, probably with a cute blazer and some booties!

(Sylvia Park for Love, Bayo top, Bayo shorts, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue heels, Junk Shop Manila accessories, Time Depot Baby G watch) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Seems like I was wrong for preempting the Christmas breeze by mentioning it on my blog once. I can’t believe the temperature rose up to 33.9C a few days ago. And it’s the middle of December! Darn you, climate change. It has been unusually warm in the afternoon, and I was suddenly forced to dress up comfortably with this light and breezy summer ensemble. On a brighter side, it *did* give me chance to finally use my Sylvia Park for Love, Bayo top, which I finally got my hands on! Sylvia Park is an 18-year-old Korean girl who won in the first ever SoFa Young Designers competition.

Some of the pieces that I wanted from the collection were sold out by the time I visited the store, but I’m happy I managed to get my #1 pick. This lace top with shoulder cut-outs is perfect on so many levels. Adorable but with a little edge. The cut-out detail makes for a subtle sexy twist to the common conservative lace top.

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(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!

(EMODA top and cardigan set, bag, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue boots, Forever 21 necklace) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

This is what I wore to a shoot I did recently for Apartment 8’s holiday collection. Right now, I’m super fascinated with the whole concept behind wearing tops and outerwear made from the same fabric. Consider me a new fan of these things called “twin sets”, thanks to this particular EMODA set that I got from my last trip to Hong Kong. I saw it first on EMODA visual merchandiser Naoko Kuroishi’s blog header, and instantly fell in love. I have yet to style them separately, but I’m really determined to replicate this twin set effect with other patterns. New information and ideas make me so excited. <3

Bonus photo of me and my friend Ernest, the designer for Apartment 8’s Paris collections. We simply found it amusing that we wore similarly-themed outfits the day this was taken. I was also telling him that I will totes wear his whole outfit in a heartbeat. Love the crisp button-down with the checkered sweat pants. Dressy but still simple and laid back. Just the way I like it!

(:CHOCOOLATE top, Sheinside jacket, Soeurs shorts, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges, Forever 21 bag, EMODA earrings) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Hair curled with a triple barrel curling iron that I got from my salon (Indigo Salon).

Cats are everywhere on this blog! They’re on my wedges, on my headband, on this shirt, on my favorite shirt (1, 2, 3), on my platform heels (1, 2), on my sweater, and on my skirt. And this still doesn’t include the things that I haven’t taken photos of.

Cats will always tickle my fancy, it seems! I think I would survive, if someone were to dare me to inject at least one feline element to my daily outfits. I don’t even know when my penchant for cats started. I’ve also never had a chance to own a cat before. There’s just something about them that draws me in. I just turn into a little ball of fluff when I see cats on the street or at friends’ houses. <3

My friends in high school used to tell me how I reminded them so much of cats. I guess I’ll have to admit that I may have odd cat-like behaviors at times. I’m a creature of the night, and I’m always lazy and sleepy during the day. I can be really silent when I move, and I am very obsessive-compulsive. Being alone doesn’t bother me either - it has never been an issue for me to go to shop or even eat alone in public places. If I’m busy, I prefer not being pestered into doing things I don’t like. I don’t normally have a lot of energy, but when presented with something I really like, my enthusiasm can shoot through the roof. Some may think I look snobbish, but I’m just really shy around strangers. And based on my nail pictures on IG, I obvs have a special relationship with my nails… 

Changed my eye color for this entry to get light blue-gray cat-like eyes! Thanks to Japanese Candy for the COCORO GRAY lenses. :3

All the talk about cats in this entry was brought about by the cat print on my shirt! I have a similar one that I’ve posted a number of times before, but this one is not sleeveless and has “MEOW” spelled correctly. :CHOCOOLATE, where this shirt is from, is a brand that you can’t miss if you go to Hong Kong (or Macau). They have this lovely minimalist black and white store design that complements all the clothes that they sell. They have wonderful selections for BOTH boys and girls - my mom and my brothers would always find something they like in this store. :D They produce really good basics and classic patterns that will surely last a long time in your closet. Even their packaging and window displays look cool.

Boyish outfit for a change. A predictable me would’ve worn this with a girly skirt and platform heels, but I realized I should wear my shorts, boots, hoodies and leather jackets together more often. How do you like the change?