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! :)

To the office, and down the streets.

We all know that the workplace requires clothes that aren't too fancy or flamboyant because these connote unprofessionalism. Structured, no non-sense, neatly-ironed, clean pieces are the absolute office go-to's and somewhat requisites for one to be taken seriously (especially young people!). One can always inject some fashionable fun, but never too much fun!

This has always been clear to me. My workplace does not require a dress code but impose it on myself to do so somehow, someway no matter how little, because it helps me work better. But what's a girl to do when she needs to be at work and in Kalsada Ph (Bjorn Manila's streetstyle movement, read about it by clicking the link) all in the same day? The possibilities are endless, challenging and fun. 

Here's my take:

Because of my usual snooze disease leading to mid-morning-cram, my quick savior were these hounds tooth pants. I don't know why but I feel like though this pattern is "fashionably fun", it's something the corporate world would honor. Is it just me? :)) I wore a cardigan instead of a blazer for a decent but more laid back effect, I made sure it was a printed one to make the look more interesting: pattern-on-pattern. I completed the look with my fave trusty and versatile heels from fashioncookie, they always solve my day to night dilemmas. I think yuppies should invest in fashionable pieces that are work-place friendly and in minimalist accessories that don't steal attention but rather supplement and compliment the look. This necklace from +-x/ is my current fave because it gives any outfit that extra omph and you can wear it with almost anything!

To give my outfit more street vibe for Kalsada, I wore a midriff  (which I concealed by closing my cardigan at work), would then don on some aviators, mess my hair up a bit and brush to the side, swipe some red lipstick, and voila! :)

Sadly though, very very sadly, work poured down unusually that day that I wasn't able to participate in Kalsada and meet Bjorn Manila with the other bloggers, but I'm sure my fellow CFB loves and everyone else from fashionable Cebu gave the hometown justice it deserved! I could only wish I was there to see it happening! :)

Have a good week, loves! Maybe I'll write more about corporate dressing soon for those who just graduated/ passed licensure exams, I need to relearn it myself too! Until then!

xx

Dawn

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Another instagram moment turned into a quick blog post! 

Thank you, cellphone! and I miss you, DSLR.

 Details:

Cardigan and Pants: Fashiondiary Cebu

Top: Topshop

Shoes: Fashioncookie Avenue
Necklace: Plusminustimesdivide

Bag: Mom's present from HK
 

Island Cruise Photodiary

Summer came early for me last February when I got back in Cebu from all the board exam fuss in Manila. My friends planned on a banca cruise and my arrival in the home town was just perfect timing. The beach, my friends (whom I haven’t been with in ages).. two of the best things in the world. I was first to arrive and you can just imagine how giddy I was as I watched everyone arrive in batches and get off their vehicles.

You know the drill: Snorkeling, Island Hopping, Lots of Pictures, Food, Wading, Music on board, Leisure Swimming, Afternoon naps on the boat, Sunsoaking (not too much though), and a whole lot of catching up. It was priceless.

These guys and I grew up in the same youth group and we called ourselves “Jamsesh” (I coined that since it was too long to say Jam Sessioners) because our friendship started with single guitar and a random jam session in a boat back to Cebu from a youth camp back in 2005, and we’ve been family since—we do volunteer work together thru Elim/Genrev, fight and argue (C'mon there are about 20 of us), go out and play or hang, and grow (in number) like family too. I know, I know that was a little too cheesy but come on. :)

Since this is a photodiary, I’m just gonna let all the photos do the talking. Luckily, we have a lot of camera- wielders in the bunch, spared me from doing a lot of work in this photo diary:
Maj and I on Canon, Julz on Pentax, Mic on Iphone.

(Raises Glass Coconut ) To Summer? To Summer! <3

Can you feel the high I felt that day? Haha.
I hope you enjoyed it! More summer photo diaries to come! :)
You too can book your own banca cruise here.
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Outfit Post time! :)

Nothing fancy or frilly for beach this time. Light clothes you can split and cartwheel in work best for days when you intend to run wild. Hahaha. I happy kind of blue for my bottom, and a basic white polo for that chic factor and later changed into what I'd like to call my baywatch tank (red) which I bagged for 200php at Penshoppe. I think it was supposed to be a sleeping garment or something. Haha. I intentionally got one 2 sizes bigger and I'm sure you get why. ;)

Polo: Guess

Shorts: bobson

Baywatch Tank: Penshoppe

 Bandeau: City of Vintage