Pretty Pastels

I have always wanted to try wearing a slightly longer skirt to work but I always thought that I would look smaller than usual so whenever I would shop for work clothes, I would still go after the shorter bandage or fitted ones.

I took a chance though when I went to Forever 21 Makati a few weeks ago to check out the Double Markdown Sale. One of the stuff I bought was a turquoise fitted skirt that that runs below the knee.

My first time to wear a skirt below the knee

I felt a bit different when I wore the skirt becuase I felt like my legs could not move that well. I live quite far from work (Imus, Cavite) and take public transportation everyday. In order to lessen my travel time, I make sure to wear flats on my way to work and just change into my heels once I am at work. This is for me to walk faster and move more freely duting my travel.

When I was wearing the skirt, my movements were contrived and I was moving slower than my usual pace. I felt like a mermaid!

With light pink sweater and a cream lace top

I guess wearing thsi type of skirt is just really new to me and takes some getting used to. I love the color of the skirt anyway so I will be giving this another try. I paired the skirt with some pastel shades–a very nice cream lace spaghetti strap top and a light pink sweater, both from Mango.

Side View

To add to the pastel vibe I was sporting that day, I had my nails painted in alternate pastel shades- cream and peach.

Pastel Nails!

What do you think of my outfit?

Fitted Skirt- Forever 21, PhP 355/$8.50

Lace Spaghetti Strap- Mango

Light Pink Sweater- Mango, gift

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE

Print on Print: Stripes + Floral

I think I have mentioned previously I am not very comfortable with the Print on Print trend, simply becuase I get too self-conscious whenever I feel like I am wearing something a bit more fashionable than everyone else.

But I guess there will definitely come a time than you would want to overcome a certain fear or inhibition and just go ahead and try it.

My Simple Version of Print on Print

My simplified version of Print on Print included my two favorite prints–floral and stripes. I made sure teh colors are subdued so I would not have to deal with people looking at me in a way I would not like. Since this outfit is for work, I had to keep everything decent.

Against a Pink Background

Please bear with the quality of the photos. I think the lighting was a bit bad and my photographer slash friend edited the photos using an Instagram-like app that caused them to get pixelated. I love how the pink background on the wall worked with my outfit though 🙂 Can you guess what place this is?

Purple Booties

The skirt I wore is made of chiffon and I like how it moves when the wind blows while I am walking. It has a black background with pretty flowers so I selected a striped top in two shades of grey, a light and a dark one. I then paired the outfit with my old purple booties. When I asy old I meant I have not worn it in 8 months! I actually think it is already disintegrating.

Pink Floral Clip

The top it all off, I wore my usual pearls as accessories and added a pink flower clip for the girly vibe. How do you like that?

 

Floral Skirt- Karimadon, old

Striped Top- Forever 21

Booties- Janylin, old

Pink Hair Clip- Forever 21, PhP 100/$2.50 for set of 2

 

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE

The Big Bun Theory: Creating the Perfect Bun Made Easy!

Ever wonder how some girls on TV would always have a perfect bun? Is it because they have so much hair and you don’t? Is it because they have a stylist and you dont?  Actually the answer is yes, hahaha. But that does not mean you cannot come up with the same perfect bun on your own.

First, let us look at the different types of buns and choose which one you wish to sport.

Whic Bun do you like best?

I personally like the Ballerina Bun because it is very girly but still simple enough to style for my everyday work. This one though, requires more hair than I currently have and works best with straight hair with same length. Since I have curly uneven hair, I would stick to the regular Messy Bun for now.

Next, let us talk about the tools we will be needing to create the perfect Bun. Don’t fret, when I say tools I did not exactly mean machines, but a few things to make the perfect bun achievable. Here goes:

A Bun Maker:

Yes this is the tool I was talking to you about. What you thought you can really do it all by YOURSELF? There are a few types of Bun Maker. The most common one is this:

Magic Bun Maker PhP 70 from Market Market!

This is the one I used and retails at only PhP 70 or less than $2  at Metro Market Market!

 

Another type of Bun Maker is the Conair Bun Maker. I only read about this in another blog and she bought it from Walmart. I am not sure about the price.

                         

Once you have a bun maker, you can also prepare a ponytail (for uneven hair) and a hair clip (for tucking loose strands) but both of these are optional.

Third, it is time for you to learn the steps. I dont want to create a lengthy prose for that so I suggest you follow this visual process instead:

Easy Steps in Creating the Perfect Bun

That was easy, wasn’t it? Now I tried it myself as well and here are the photos I took of my first serious try:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whew I am now hooked! I even bought new pretty hairclips from Forever 21 yesterday to add a little cutesy vibe to my buns. 🙂

 

Now, go ahead and try it on your own! You can also watch a simple video tutorial here.

 

Until the next post,

Claire

Not All That Glitters is Gold :)

Red Glitter Skirt form Forever 21

Some of my trainees laughed when they saw my outfit and one commented that I look like I am going to a party.

I was not very sure about that but I felt a bit self-conscious when I heard that. What do you think?

I paired the glittery skirt with a black buttoned down top and black heels that are both simple looking to minimize the party-ness (?) of the outfit. Our dress code at work is business casual, which means I do not exactly have to wear matching suits or collared tops all the time but I definitely make sure to wear an ensemble that looks decent and presentable.

If you are planning to wear something very eye-catching or glittery to work such as my skirt, keep in mind to pair it with a simpler garment, wheter it is the top or the bottom. In my case, I only tucked the front part of the top to look a bit more edgy and hide some parts of the skirt (not sure if that worked) but you can opt to also wear a plain white collared top with a skirt like this and tuck the entire shirt to look more decent.

Gold watch, Red Ring and Black + Gold Bracelet

Gold suprising looked great with Black and Red so I wore an old ring I bought in a bazaar in 2007  which has a fake huge stone in the middle. I also wore a bracelet given by my friend which is made of black woven material, gold chain and charms.

What do you think about my look?

Black Skirt with red Glitter- Forever 21, PhP 350/$9 (on sale)

Black Butooned Down Top- No brand, PhP 100/$2.50 (Bazaar)

Red Ring- No brand, PhP 50/$1 (Bazaar)

 

All outfit photos taken by Meg Calagui using an Iphone 4s 🙂

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE

Purple Lace

Lace is probably my most favorite fashion trend, if you even consider it a trend. People used to consider lace as rather old, conservative or simply boring.

It is great though that in recent times, lace has been reinvented, modernized, and is now a staple in the fashion world.

Last Monday, I wanted to wear lace to work but wanted something not too “lacey” if you know what I mean. I did not want to look virginal or uptight so I scoured my closet and remembered the very short lace dress I wore to my UP Graduation years back.

 

Purple Lace Dress Worn as a Top

The deep purple lace mini dress was pretty tight on my body so I thought I can wear it as a top and would work well with my grey bandage skirt. Believe it or not, this very short dress with small shoulders pads is what I wore to my Graduation rites in 2010. Yes, we were supposed to wear a knee-length white dress but I have always been one to go against the rules so I wore this! haha.

With Mini Shoulder Pads

 This particular lace clothing is a perfect example of how lace has evolved over the years. Gone are the days when lace looked virginal and conservative, it can now be in a modern color, with a modern twist. Lady Gaga was very popular during the time I bought this, hence the shoulder pads. Don’t you find it cute? I did.

I paired the lace dress with a grey bandage skirt to keep the sexiness. I think the colors worked well together. Now to create proportion, I added a slim white belt. The belt will also give the illusion of a slimmer waist than I actually have. I wore my go-to leopard pumps and I am good to go!

With Grey Bandage Skirt and White Slim Belt

What do you think about my outfit?

Purple Lace Dress Worn as Top- SM Department Store, PhP 400/$10

Bandage Skirt- No brand, PhP 80/$2

Photos by Meg Calagui using an Iphone 4S 🙂

 

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE

Can’t Get Enough of Peplum: The Blouse

Peplum skirt-check check. Now on to a peplum blouse. Teehee!

I was looking through the booths at a local bazaar in our place in Imus last weekend when a very pretty peplum blouse caught my eye. Not only is it peplum, it is see-through, aha, and is in one of my favorite colors–peach. Needless to say, I bought it.

I decided to wear the peplum blouse on my first workday of 2013. Just like everyone else, I believe that the way we start our year sort of affects how the entire year will play out. Whether this is true or not, I dont think I will lose anything if I dress prettier than usual of my first workday. 🙂

Trainer mode

A belt to cinch the waist

Setting my foot down

I paired the peplum blouse with a fucshia bandage skirt. The trick in wearing a peplum blouse is to pair it always with a fitted bottom–whether a skirt or pants to balance the loose part of the blouse at the bottom.

My peplum blouse is see-through so I still had to wear an inner top. I wore a light pink full bandeau inside that already comes with a detachable bra. Always make sure to wear an inner that is similar in color to your see-through top to make the outfit look clean. In my case, I wore this to work so AI do not want to look slutty. Another option is to wear either a cream or peach spaghetti strap or lace top inside the see-through blouse. You can buy plain colored tube tops almost anywhere–SM Department Stores or even in tiangges. Mine was from Divisoria and costed only PhP 100/$2 with a detachable bra. You can also buy plain spaghetti staps from Forever 21 at PhP 145 or just about $4. I have it in several colors–beige, black, cream and grey.

For accessories, I love how peach/pink looks great on gold and white, which are both sophisticated colors and great for work. A gold watch, white and gold belt and pearls with sparkles completed the look.

What do you think about this outfit?

Peplum Blouse- Local Bazaar, PhP150/$4

Bandage Skirt- Forever 21, PhP 300/$7

Slim Belt- gift, PhP 100/$2.50

Accessories- Forever 21, gift

Leopard Pumps- Janylin (Filipino Brand), old

Until the Next Outfit,

Claire

Half of a Chilly

My family and I went on a short but sweet vacation to the City of Pines over the Bonifacio Day long weekend. I found out that almost like Manila, Baguio has a slightly warm weather in the afternoons but very chilly weather at night. Our arrival was pretty much spent on eating and walking around Camp John Hay. We also shopped a little at the Mile Hi Shopping Center.

This is what I wore on our first afternoon in Baguio:

The sun shines in Camp John Hay

Since I know it would not be too cold yet in the afternoon, I wore the usual tank top and short shorts that I also wear here in Maniila when going out but I made sure to add a not so plain robe on top. Robes are currently a trend now and would usually come in chiffon or A slightly silky material. They also look better in printed to add more interest. I find Robes very versatile as they can serve as beach cover ups as well as an alternative to cardigans or jackets. I have actually worn this robe already to work previously and it did not look awkward at all.

Black + Orange

I opted for subdued black and white as my color scheme so I wore a black tank top with plain shite shorts. The robe is in animal print in black and white then I made sure to add a pop of color by wearing my very reliable orange flats and my orange and gold spike bracelets. The “spikes” also a recent trend that can be found in both accessories (bracelets and necklaces) as well as footwear but honestly I am not such a fan. I only bought my spikes bracelet because I like the color and I needed something very eye-catching for a party.

My orange flats are sooo sturdy!

Spikes Bracelet

What do you think of my look?

Black Tank Top- Forever 21, PhP 145/$3

Shorts- Thrifted, PhP 150/$3

Flats- Cotton On, PhP 500/$12 (on sale)

Spikes Bracelet- 168 Mall,  PhP 65/$1.50

 

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE

 

More Peplum Love

If other girls can’t get enough of Peplum these days, I am no different. Like I said in my other Peplum post, I have another Peplum skirt in a snake skin print. This one looks more glamorous than my plain black one. It is quite funny though that I wore the plain one to an event at work while I wore this snake-skin one to a normal work day.

I paired the skirt with a mauve blouse with lace details and another one of my animal print shoes in brown this time.

Snakeskin Peplum Skirt for Work

After wearing this skirt and doing my usual activity of checking Lookbook outfits, I came across a very similar post from one famous Filipina fashion blogger, Camille Co. The color of the skirt is similar but she was wearing a peplum belt attached to a normal bandage skirt.

Inspiration Photo: Camille Co from Lookbook

Who would have thought you can also buy a separate peplum belt to attach to any skirt you already have? It is true though, and it pretty much comes in an affordable price. You can easily buy one online through: Miss Sartorial in Facebook and Multiply. This site also sells detachable collars in different colors and material.

So go ahead and join the fashionable craze of Peplum fashion before it becomes overrated. If you are not a skirt person, this trend can also be found in dresses and even blouses. There are tons of sellers offering them online such as Apartment 8 Clothing, Simone’s Closet and Sachico Shop–all in Facebook. Or you can simply go to Cotton On, Forever 21 (if you have more to spare) and 168 and 999 mall if you are thrifty like me! 🙂

What do you think about my look?

Mauve Top- Thrifted

Peplum Skirt- Ashley Collection (999 Shopping Mall), PhP 250/$8

Leopard Pumps- Janylin

 

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE

Wild Prints

I recently bought a printed blouse in a bazaar and originally planned to just wear it as a swimsuit cover up. After wearing it once though, I realized it will be a waste of money if I will no longer wear it again.

So even if I am not used to wearing bold prints to work, I decided to give it a shot nad wear it with a plain yellow skirt. This how it turned out:

Printed top from a bazaar, skirt from Landmark, pumps from Carmellete’s and gold headband (used as necklace) from Tickles

I think the yellow of the skirt worked well with the vibrant prints of my top. It is a good thing the blouse is collared, so at least it did not look all too casual for work. I added a gold chain necklace with the top completely buttoned to give it a more formal feel. I also wore my black suede Mary Jane shoes to complete the look.

What do you think about my outfit? 🙂

Printed top- no brand, Mercato Centrale Bazaar

Yellow Skirt- SM Dept Store

Black Suede MJs- Carmelettes, Marikina Shoe Gallery

 

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE

Printed Shorts

A petite girl should always know how to choose pieces that work well with her height and body type.

For someone vertically-challenged, I must say, I am very careful in selecting the correct mix of top and bottom, prints and plains to make sure I dont look smaller than I already am.

Whenever I would wear a printed piece, I would usually pair it with a very simple plain piece. During a Sunday brunch with my boyfriend, I wore a printed shorts with red as the dominant color and paired it with a white sleeveless chiffon top since the shorts had  a little bit of white as well.

Printed shorts, plain top and white wedges

Shorts are my go-to outfit on weekends as I want to feel casual whenever I am not my corporate self at work. The great thing about shorts is that they elongate the legs and gives the illusion of height.

Until now I have never tried print on print so I opted to go printed with plain. I added a little red bow headband and white wedges for my casual date outfit.

What do you think about my outfit? 🙂

Printed Shorts- SM Sept Store

White Chiffon Sleeveless Top- The Landmark

White Wedges- Liliw, Laguna

 

Until the next outfit,

CLAIRE