Fall at the country side

Hi guys! How do you like my regular blogging attendance? :)) 

Let's take a break from the backlogs, here's a more recent look I wore out last saturday.

Last saturday was chill-day, cheap-day for me and the boyfriend and I was dressed for the streets! I woke up early, tried to organize all that's on my to-do list that day but ended up preparing all the items for shipments and meet-ups for Blind Clothing. The next thing I knewI found myself in Mactan Island attending my friend's house-warming party.. then straight to meet-ups, rushed to the courier, then to a meeting with a home-accessory supplier, and then finally to some dinner and R&R. This is my formula outfit for an anything-goes day-----shorts and booties. It allows me to move around a lot, and run around wherever and do whatever without my feet getting dusty cause I hate that.

Noticed anything? 

1.) For the first time I'm giving in to the tie-waist trend.

I've always wanted to do this since summer because it had a very laid back, cool vibe to it (Infact I used this a lot when I styled for Blind collections here and here ) but every time I try to do it on myself, I tend to feel funny cos I'm suddenly reminded of my fourth grade self. Who else did this back when they were kids? Raise of hands please! :)) I used to wear "hanging" tops, cargo pants, and then tie a jacket around the waist a lot, especially as dance costume. It's very 90's and it doesn't help that it reminds me of Jao Mapa. HAHAHA. Am I the only one my age who remembers him? When I was little, he was the bomb! Lol.  So anyway, I managed and it felt damn sweet! I think the 2013 twist to it is that now people use lighter material like polos, back then we used jackets. 

The prime reason I got sold on wearing this was it covered my thighs when I needed it to and parts of my tummy that showed too much. Later that day when we watched a movie, I got to wear it as a polo over my midriff to feel warm and cozy. Talk about functionality! 

Also.. another new thing about this look on me is:

2.) I am finally in PLAID. For the first time in my whole life (since I was conscious).

I don't know why but I tend to steer away from plaid because I felt that it was too country for my taste.

I still don't own anything plaid, this was my dad's, and it did all the accenting for my all-white ensemble, it tied the entire color palette together and gave it a very autumn feel. 

It was a good day for plaid. A good day for a laid-back look, a fresh fall palette, visiting a friend at her new home at a neighboring island, a Nicholas Sparks country movie dvd at Hello Hans, and a good night massage like I promised myself. Good day, good day. :)

Top: Topshop (This again.. )

Shorts: Tres Marias Online

Plaid Polo: Pappy's (what I call my dad)

Bag: Mom's present from HK

Shoes: Thrifted

Thanks to Bud for taking my photos! You're getting better at taking outfit shots, my fasting and abstinence is working! Haha Kidding. 

Feria

Here's something that I would wear to work when I have to head straight to dinner without putting on or taking off anything. My first ever client, Ninang Memnet, took Buddy and I out for dinner, because we never got to celebrate their newly renovated home which we finished late last year since we went straight to board exam reviews in Manila. I only got to visit the finished product last summer and we all agreed to plan a dinner then to celebrate our passing the board. So this was it. It's better 8 months late than never, and it's always a joy to see the couple.

Ninang took us to Feria. I like buffeting when I'm out on beach trips with the family (Imperial Palace buffet bring my favorite for its wide-range of cuisines and quality dishes) but it was my first time at a Radisson Blu buffet, and that night what they had was Italian Thursdays. I surveyed the banquet before I picked up a plate and found myself drooling over fresh salads, cold-cuts, various kinds of cheese, bruschettas, pastas. Because I love cheese,  anything tomato, fresh spices, red and white sauce, olives, bread,  I'm a huge fan of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Even if  it was Italian night, there was still a japanese sushi bar, a dimsum corner, a dessert bar, and even a Filipino section at the far end. We were all stuffed silly, I imagined more rounds in my head but only ended up with 3. I need to practice my buffet skills! Thank you, Ninang, for the date. :)


On to the outfit, I wore a glittery knit sweater with my Zara origami skort dupe. Corporate wear varries from work environment to work environment, from industry to industry. Some are strict with slacs and blazers and long skirts but for those who have more freedom or those who are not required to dress corporately (but just want to because it helps you feel more confident like me) here are a few tips:

1.) After I got my professional license, I've been realizing how important thin sweater and pull-overs are to a working girl's wardrobe. They are a great substitute for polos, and can easily look effortlessly chic and stylish when mixed and matched. I never thought I'd fall in love with Uniqlo but now, It's one of my fave places because of their wide range of basics. Glad they're opening here in Cebu soon! (Or am I?) Play with texture, color, print. They're great with pants, great with skirts. They're also great with shorts for lazy weekends!

2.) Low Heels. I dont remember the last time I bought high heels.  I used to think: the higher the heel= more value for money but now,  I say low heels are a great investment! If you spend on high party heels why not on something you're more likely to wear more often? They are more comfortable, add instant height without the torture, and are the best touch to any corporate look! They make your look appear polished. Pointed shoes and ankle straps are my fave, they look extra classy. 

3.)  Never forget to wear a watch—preferably, a classic lady’s watch that’s both simple yet chic. Most people equate wearing a time piece to meaning business. It also gives the impression that every second of your working day counts. I'm not sure about the third statement, way too judgemental for me lol, but I think it's a must-have. Didn't realize this also until I owned one. The bf gave one to me on my birthday last year cos he thought "every architect needed one"-- I was still reviewing then.

4.) You are a woman. You don't need to hide it to look tough. You want look professional while retaining your femininity so do pepper your wardrobe or outfit with hints of it, such as lace, soft colors (in my case, some glitter)  or even subtle accessories such as...  pearl earrings! :)

5.) Prim and Proper. This isn't really applicable to creative industries like mine esp here in Cebu (love the island life!) but we could all use some "prim" when we're meeting clients or attending conferences. So aim for structure. Go for either: structured/ neatly-ironed/ well-tucked in/ geometrically striking pieces.  If you want to inject a bit of  fun, do it subtly, using scarves, simple jewelry, or a vintage/ colored office bag.

So there. Just a couple of style secrets you may or may not take. Dressing well makes a woman feel more confident and good about herself especially at work. And it surely won't go entirely unnoticed! You never know who you run into through-out the day! 

Oh and loose tops are great for buffets! ;)
Later, guys. <3


To add a little more info on Feria, let me quote:
"Another point in Feria's favor is that it changes the theme of its buffet from day to day, and if you time your visit right, you'll end up paying just half the usual rate for a spread this large. That means there's something for everyone on every day of the week. If you love seafood, check out Monday's Fresh Catch (P1,190 net for lunch/dinner). You get an array of selections for half the price on Unbelievable Tuesday (P595 net for lunch/dinner). Take a culinary trip around the world on Wednesday with the international buffet (P1,190 net for lunch/dinner), or savor the flavors of Italy with pizzas, pastas, and more onAmazing Cibo Thursdays (P595 net for lunch/dinner). If you're visiting on a Friday, it's well worth it to go twice over as Feria serves its international buffet for lunch (P1,190 net) and US Prime Rib buffet for dinner (P1,300 net). Lunch or dinner on Saturdays with your family or barkada is all about pigging out on great Chinese food with Feria's Wok on Saturdays (P595 net), while you get to end the week with the international buffet (P1,190) for both lunch and dinner on Sundays." --- www.kristn.com

Feria is the the restaurant on the ground floor of the Radisson Blue Hotel Cebu on Serging Osmeane Boulevard, corner Juan Luna Ave, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.

**Top: Stylestunner Manila** Skort: Miss Mannequin**Shoes: Fashioncookie

Google them girls, they're all online! ;)

Street Chic

Hi, everyone! I will not even begin to rant about why I've been an inconsistent blogger again, I'm sure you've had enough of those.  My last  post was roughly 2 months ago and I have all the reasons in the world. Starting from the 7.2 earthquake that hit Cebu, our business trip to Japan and the assignments that came home with me, Blind Clothing backlogs, my birthday, both my parents' birthdays, my weekly visit to the doctor, the severe typhoon Haiyan and relief campaigns.. all those neatly packed in in 2 months left this blog quiet for some time. Well to be honest, I haven't been taking much OOTD's either, not very diligently, that is. So do forgive me if the next few posts will be of phone or digicam pictures-- struggling with grain and lighting and all like this one.. composed of either me and my casual saturday clothes or my work outfits, seriously in crisis she's going to be a blog post or a mere instagram post.

But this is me, you see. I rarely plan what I wear. Not even on events, sadly. I throw on what I see on the day and work my way around it. Then whenever I see an opportunity to take an outfit shot, I squeeze it in. Believe me, Im not lazy, just uhm, pre-occupied. But I always try, I do. 

So there. Let the backlogs roll. 

:)

To begin the backlogs, let me start with something I will probably laugh at the most 20 years from now.

Something I probably would not want my future clients or future graduate study professors to see. Haha. This was back in September when I hadn't chopped my hair off and got a full fringe. It's that long ago. I wore it to watch the play starred by my good friends Chris and Eden called The Seminar.  (Congrats, friends! :> )

Who remembers my last look in these suspenders? The good girl-school girl look? Like I promised, here's a different approach using the same key piece: skater skirt with suspenders from Love Eleven Shop.  One skirt, two different Dawns. Isn't it fun to mix and match pieces an make them look completely different? :) To those who haven't read that post, click here.

 

See it now? :)

Well here's her evil twin, the one that spends break times in the field with the jocks while her good twin spends the entire day at the library and eventually landing an internship with google. Haha. Kidding aside, Street sexy is all the rage lately... muscle tees, band tees, sneakers, denim cut-offs, midriff tops, and I'm a big fan! Admit it, we all want to go "medjo bad girl" (fashion-wise, at least) once in a while. Don't lie. :P But when you have an event to grace or a person to meet and you're not in your teens anymore, you can't go all Kesha-yolo right? When I want to inject some feminine class into a street sexy look, I pair my snapbacks with heels.. black little bracelets with tri-color ones.. and midriff-bearing tees with skirts with suspenders. 

I hope you like it my high street-chic meets downtown street-sexy look! 

Dear do I miss blogging. More catch-up posts soon! 

Wishing everyone an epic weekend! I don't know about you but I'm getting a massage!

x

Dawn

:)

***********************************************************

Snapback: Vans

Midriff Top: Blinkydoodles

Skirt with suspenders: Love Eleven Shop

Shoes: Fashioncookie

Bag: T. Hilfiger

Slip Away.

Sometimes, the best way to wear a dress is to wear it with very little fancy intervention. Slips have always been my personal favorites because they're so feminine (feminine, not girly--they can be different) and effortlessly chic (That's right, my two favorite words. deal with it. lol). They exude a certain sense of vulnerability that I am very much drawn to. Maybe that’s because slips were originally used as sleeping clothes along with night gowns and also as underslips in the late 19th century. I love the innerwear-as-outerwear trend!

 

This dress, much to our surprise, is the best-seller among all our designs for Blind Clothing's A-List collection. It was the very, very first I insisted on developing. We ended up with two failed prototypes but continued to develop. When all other designs were already perfected while this still wasn’t, we were about to give up on it and just move on with shooting  the look book. At the last minute however, days before the shoot, I decided to fight for this dress and got down and dirty with our seamstress. Haha!

I'm no fashion designer by profession. Its buildings and architectural interiors I design and I always thought this would be fairly easy. But we had to think and redo-- the choice of fabric, the distance from strap to strap, the tightness of the dress at the torso,  the flare of the lower portion, the shallowness of the v-profile at the front, even the order of the X strings at the back. You see, our head seamstress is good with technical stuff as she had vast experience abroad but is kind of caught up with the profile of the clothes from the 70s-80s. :P

I like the soft feel of the fabric on my skin I can almost sleep in it. I like the drop of the dress from the chest downwards and the spaghetti straps at the front that intertwine into an interesting x-detail at the back, and even the overall length of the piece.  I've always wanted a slip dress for myself but never found one. Now that we've made one, I'm excited to share it with all other girls who aspire the same. 

It's great for a day look, great for a night look.

And there I was feeling very Rumi Neely and Ashley Olsen in my string slip dress. Something about the sun, wind, my dress and my hair that day made the entire world around me feel surreal, like I was slipping away from reality. It’s a good thing I got company throughout the day—that kept me on earth for sure! Shout out to Buddy, Chardy, J-Carl, roomie Trina, and Ninz (also for taking my photos)! :)

 Dress: Blind Clothing

Shoes: Fashioncookie Shoe Avenue

Bag: Tommy Hilfiger

ID Necklace: PlusMinusTimesDivide

Here are other ways you can wear a slip dress. I compiled them just for you!
Have a great weekend! :)

School Girl

High cut boots with colored socks that matched my shirt paired with skater skirts, denim vests, and jumpers were my mom's outfit choices for me when I was little. She would tie my hair in pig tails using colored clips and bands (that still matched my shirt!) even if there was hardly ever any hair to tie. I was the only child for 5 years so you would understand :)) This outfit reminded me so much of those days somehow. 

Growing up and realizing I was a petite girl, I've been avoiding anything that will make me look well--- pretty and kiddy. These included pieces like flouncy skirts, skater skirts, shirts with fun prints, ribbons, ruffles, and jumpers. After getting the hang of weight-gain and exercise, I somehow got to shove off my insecurity and for the first time in a long time succumbed to skater skirts (My first coming out here). It also did  not help that it became a just a really, really irresistable trend! Here's another first, me in a jumper from Love Eleven shop. The first since I was 7 atleast. ;)

 

I enjoyed how preppy and fun my jumper looked that day. I mean, it's basically just a skater skirt with straps right? But the straps make all the difference in the world! It made me look more-- friendly and approachable, don't you think? :))

This one from Love Eleven Shop is just perfect for me-- its like the skater skirt I've never EVER had.  The cloth had just the right amount of flounce and weight, and the length was perfecto! I really think that for petite girls, choosing the right length for skater skirts or any other flouncy skirt for that matter  is very crucial.

 

I paired the jumpers with a textured, tailored version of a midriff from Blind Clothing to give my look a more adolescent factor,  and to deviate from how I would usually style them when I was little. 

 I really love the fabric we chose when we made this piece. It gives "the midriff" a new kind of sophistication, different from how we would usually see a midriff---in plain spandex/ lycra! Nothing wrong with spandex, I just like variety! :) 

I chose one with a tie-back to make it even more playful. See, there's more going on! :)

Definitely getting more jumpers! Maybe short-jumpers next time? :)

Thank you Charm for helping me find my inner school girl. Notice the suede boots? and satchel? and the RARE PONY TAIL? Definitely looking the part! Now where are my books! lol

Moms really do know best after all, yes? :))

I actually styled this jumper another way just to prove how versatile it is, that one on my next post! Missed blogging, and definitely missed you all!

 Jumper: Love Eleven Shop

Midriff: Blind Clothing

Booties: Call It Spring

Necklace: Accessorize

Oh and remember my previous look? It got the chance to be featured in the papers the other friday! :) Many thanks again to Ms Joanna of SunStar Daily! :)

Clear blue skies and creamy neutrals.

 

Clear blue skies, no work, some sun.  Last monday seemed like a perfect day and I needed an outfit that spelled "holiday". What comprises most of my holidays when not on a good beach vacation? Errands, a little chill time somewhere with great company/drinks/bites, and a little bit of work somewhere nice and pleasant to make me feel productive. That day specifically, I needed something rugged enough to let me run around to do my errands, pretty enough for a nice merienda date, but decent enough for a casual meeting. Outfit of choice? Jeans. You heard it.

When it comes to day looks, I like to keep it refreshingly minimal and as per usual, effortlessly chic. I threw on faded jeans (these are actually lightly stamped with flowers but you can't see them because my photos are too bright) and a semi-loose tank top for the ultimate laid back effect. Then I injected some feminine class into it by choosing the pastel and sequined kind. I just had to finished it up with white my new favorite pointed shoes and some gold and brown accessories here and there.

These days, this is all you'll ever see me in as far as arm party is concerned (okay maybe a little bit more but JUST a LITTLE BIT). I'm glad minimalism is back, I'm too tiny to over-accessorize and I hate fuss.

These jeans have been laying in my closet untouched for some time now because I've had hoarded better fitting ones. But that day, by some alien intervention, I just randomly pulled the pretty thing out, folded it up and began working my way around it. I really enjoyed how it turned out. Mommy/ boyfriend jeans are something I've never tried before, and this is my closest attempt so far. Haha.

  White pointy shoes took Spring Summer 13' by storm and I admit but I'm a little late but it took me so long to find the perfect one! This still doesn't fit me perfectly after inserting two damn corks inside but who cares, it's my favorite! I like how it took my slightly loose jeans to chic perfection. I can't imagine pairing it with anything else!

Nothing like pastels/ creamy neutrals, light colored jeans, and some white and gold for a perfect sunny day off! :)

That afternoon, we've finally finished making my logo and business cards for Atelier de Aurora, my architectural design firm in the making (where I'm a sole practitioner AND my only employee as of the moment. lol. baby steps, baby steps! ) next up on our list should be the more formal portfolio and the renovation of our tiny helpers bedroom turned into my temporary home office. Well, it's worth a shot. My fingers are crossed, intensely, and so are my arms, legs, feet, and, what else?

I hope everyone's having a dandy day! :)

Details:
Sequined Tank Top: Forever 21
Floral Jeans: Topshop
Ankle-strap heels: Fashioncookie Shoe Avenue
Sunnies: Dashdolls
Satchel: Mom's present from HK

If you're looking for a nice place to sip on tea and snack on sandwiches or pasta, try trading the coffee shops for Nice Things in the second floor of BTC. They have all you'll ever need-- wifi, lots of outlets, good food with reasonable prices, peace, and well, "nice things" for sale for your interior design needs.

At a stand still.

Welcome to Forks!

Last Saturday was a gloomy day in Cebu and everything was at a standstill-- time, wind, me. I know my last post was a black and white feast yet again and this outfit is so plain it  probably isn't even worth blogging about but while I hate to bore you, it just felt like a "meh" kind of day. The kind where "wearing colored pieces to make you feel happy or make the day brighter" just doesn't seem effective.  Don't worry dear readers, colors have not left my system.

While I felt plain and passive, I was excited for meet-ups day. We were gonna personally hand pieces from our S|S 13 collection to those who ordered them online-- for the first time. Since I wanted to look decent for the people I was meeting that day, I wore this Blind Clothing original high slit skirt (still from the collection). Bias aside, it really did the job for me. Back when we were sampling this, we went through about 3 revisions just to get this profile right--shape, slit cut, garter! What I like about it is that even if you don't dress up much or accessorize much, and though it's so comfortable and easy to wear it's almost sinful, it WILL still make you standout. Subtly sexy, modern (not your usual slit) , but still decent and never screaming for attention. You know what they say "Keep it classy, never trashy, just a little nasty."  Lol. What the.  

Moving on.. :)

Inside one of the boxes

We decided to sort of match like twins. Hello to Ninz' new boots-- will be stealing you, I mean borrowing you soon, when my conscience allows it.

Ninz and her dates: study materials and mudshake

No eyeliner on a saturday-- how'd that happen? :))  Just BB cream, powder, brows and nude lipstick that day. Just mehhh.

Buddy caught up with us shortly after. Haha finally a photo of us in my blog, this rarely happens.

Me enjoying my new fave drink! It's a chocolate-mint smoothie (the menu said it had liquor but I can barely taste it and that's a good thing. It was just enough to give it a twist and omph)  You have to try this from Chocolatier!

Meet-ups done! Off we went to watch Mortal Instruments!
Oh Jace <3 Jace in my dreams and in my wallpaper!

Midriff top (So overused, how useful is this piece in my life!) : Topshop

Skirt: Blind Clothing (similar here)

Shoes: Fashion Cookie


Thanks to Ninz for taking photos of me on her iphone.
Thank You Bud for leaving my dslr thus the grainy photos. 
Haha. Just kidding :P