(Eclipse dress, Capacci Lovely purse, Sugarfree heels, Forever 21 cuff) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Black and gold for an event I attended last Thursday. This dress was something I purchased in Malaysia May last year, when I was sent there to cover the Mega Sale. The saleslady showed me how to wear it in 3 different ways, so I figured this would be a purchase I would never regret. True enough, little black dresses really are the most versatile. They have an inexplicable kind of understated vibe that makes the wearer spell classy almost effortlessly.

And yes, I’ve been wearing these shoes for 3 consecutive Lookbook posts. Obviously in love.

(Olive des Olive blouse, from Korea skorts, Sugarfree shoes, from Japan bolo tie and glasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Wore this to Poveda last Saturday, where I talked about my photography! It’s always overwhelming to be invited as a speaker, but it’s a totally different kind of honor for me to be able to talk about my photography work more than anything else. So excited for tomorrow as I’ll be shooting Glitterati’s summer collection with one of my most favorite designer-bloggers, JL.

Wanted to keep it dressy but casual, so I balanced my wine-colored button-down blouse (which I keep wearing every week, btw) with high-waist shorts. Also managed to get some snaps of my outfit outdoors for a change, and just before sunset too (magic hour!), thanks to the boyfriend!

Glasses I couldn’t resist purchasing when I went to Fukuoka last December. Way too cute!

I spy, with my little eye, my favorite bolo tie.

My second pair of Sugarfree shoes - perfect shape for staple booties that match pretty much everything I wear, perfect shoes for that instant “chic” effect.

Today I can don romantic lace and ribbons from head to toe. Tomorrow I can wear combat boots with crisp, preppy shirts. Such a bipolar personal style calls for versatile clothes, like this pair of studded high-waist shorts that I wear a lot nowadays. It has just the right balance between femininity and masculinity, shorts looking like a skirt but with studs to keep it kickass and all. 

Yesterday I challenged myself to wear the same shorts on two different occasions. During the day, I opted for my usual retro-girly look:

(Bayo sheer loose top, Bayo high-waist shorts, Romwe detachable collar, Poise heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Like these pictures? I have to thank my boyfriend for helping me take my pictures outdoors this time. He takes wonderful pictures of everyday life and writes interesting stuff about them, and we always joke about collaborating for my blog.

And it finally happened. It was fun to teach him how to take portraits like this since he hasn’t really tried it before. One of my most favorite outdoor outfit shoots to date, this turned out to be. You’re such a natural! 

Anyhow, this is so blinged out and sparkly that I decided to keep my wrists and fingers free from any other accessories.

Circle lenses and bottom lashes from Japanese Candy.

My hair is fading back to bright blonde again. Itching to touch-up the ash I got earlier this month.

Very unique-looking shoes an online store sent me last Christmas!

When evening arrived, I opted to wear something more polished and preppy:

(Bayo loose polo top, Bayo high-waist shorts, Five by Five “Olsen” boots, m)phosis accessories, from Japan glasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Managed to somehow pull it off without being too explicit with the shorts. I actually cheated by showing the studs on the shorts in my girly outfit, while hiding them in my boyish outfit. Ironic, eh? These small details make all the difference in the world. :)

So which of the two do you like better? Are you only inclined to either girly or boyish outfits, or are you bipolar like me?

Sponsored post.

(Topshop top, Romwe skirt, Snupped laptop bag, Patch Avenue heels, one spo detachable collar) You can hype this look on Lookbook here.

Orange and purple are two colors that together, I never thought I’d wear. But I did, all because I created an outfit based on a laptop bag that I’ve been using for the past 3 months or so, thanks to Snupped. Having gone through multiple airport scanners and the strangest corners and surfaces that you can find, it’s surprising how it’s still in mint condition and how I’ve never really worried about it dying in the middle of an overseas trip.

Snupped is a Singaporean company specializing in creating customized bags and cases for your most favorite gadgets. They say, “All Snupped cases are hand made and each Snupped case that leaves our hands is never the same as its older siblings. Instead of being mass manufactured by a machine in an offshore factory, our cases are handmade by real people, custom tailored to fit your laptop perfectly.”

And they really do fit perfectly. I chose a extra-handle zipper sleeve for my 15” Unibody MacBook Pro with a Love de Cru exterior design and a lavender polkadot interior design. As much as possible I’d want all my gadget cases to look as chic as they are functional, and I’m very happy my laptop is dressed in this particular one that I customized myself.

(Cecil McBee sweater, Topshop pants, Esperanza boots, from Japan necklace, LV bag) If you like this, you can hype it on Lookbook here.

Wore this yesterday to meet with people for some exciting 2012 collabs, and to the Rockwell sale with my mom. First Lookbook entry of the year.

Recently, I’ve been buying everything in this lovely wine color. Before I got rid of the blonde, I made a conscious effort not to wear too much red so as not to appear too cartoonish - Ronald McDonald, anyone? My recent Fukuoka trip, however, made me realize that this kind of dark wine red slash maroon is something I (and my hair) very much approve of. It’s not too bold or shocking (not my personality at all) but still makes a pretty good impact when paired with most of the neutral colors in my closet.

I wish I could’ve taken a photo of a random Japanese guy rocking similar pants at Hakata Station a week ago. He made me want to try out the color scheme he was wearing, and at the same time made everyone around him want to check him out because he was working it like such a pro.

Chikako from ViVi also inspired me to go back to my more neutral Fall looks, temporarily. Spring is just a few months away…

(Romwe oversized top, from Korea oversized polo shirt, Topshop leggings, Doc Martens boots, Kissaholic satchel) If you like, you can hype this look on Lookbook here.

On lazy mornings when the weather is chilly and when your bed is trying so hard to keep you from properly starting your day, oversized clothes are absolute shelter for me. It’s like carrying on with your life wearing only a super-upgraded version of your pajamas.

(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.