FMM: Success!

Since Pant-tastic Week was successfully completed, let this Friday be a celebration of that fashion feat!

Let's bring out Roxette to sing their classic 80s ditty about the merits of being "Dressed For Success"!



Don't you just love the 80s?

(The 80s fashion, though, not so much.)

Pant-tastic Week, Day 4

We all know how versatile the pants are for the day.

But is it something you can use for a girl’s night out?

Of course! Just add this fully sequined blouse which I found in one of my haunts.

Together, the ensemble is fit for a night in the club. It’s just the right sparkle, and the dark wash of the jeans just sets it off.

It’s effortless chic that’s very Milan.

Pant-tastic Week, Day 3

Mornings are now a bit colder, which I feel is the belated Christmas breeze.

Because of the weather, a bit of layering is in order. And those versatile pair of pants work great on a layered look, too.

Behold:

The plaid jacket is a nice, masculine touch. But the bright pink-orange blouse balances it out with femininity. Like the pants, both items are from Bench.

Very New York Chic, eh?

Pant-tastic Week, Day 2

Now, let’s get into a bit of fashion minimalism.

I like this top from Maldita because it’s the proverbial classic with a twist. The fabric is gray jersey - ultra classic, but the cut is very 3-dimensional.

Together, it’s such a Paris-worthy ensemble.

On to the next,outfit!

Pant-tastic Week

Once in a while, you find an article of clothing that’s so classic and versatile that you can style it many different ways.

I found one at Bench, and it’s this pair of cropped jeans with a selvedge cuff.

This piece of article can be dressed up, dressed down, and the possibilities are endless.

For starters, let’s go a bit preppy. I’ve paired the jeans with a loose, striped shirt from SM which has a very relaxed silhouette.

Together, the combination has the British-cool vibes.

One outfit down, more to go.

Rock the Botanical

Wait a minute. I haven’t written about last year’s Christmas wrapper theme.

The first time I saw Botanical Prints in a museum as a kid, i’ve always been enamored by it. There’s something fascinating about the artistry and science behind it. Since then, i’ve been on the lookout for these types of prints. Whether it’s a framed piece in SM Department Store, or a full exhibit at the Museum of Prague.

Imagine my delight when I found this beautiful wrapper at National Bookstore sometime last year.

It’s a black, printed wrapper with a Botanical motif. Immediately, I was sold! And of course, I proceeded to order 100 pieces of the same wrapper. Harhar!

Botanical prints are predominantly green and white, so I also chose ribbons of the same color. The combination was deep green and off-white.

Then, in keeping with the Botanical theme, I decided to include seeds along with the gift. Each brown envelope included a seed of an herb, flower or vegetable. If you don’t recognize what seed this is, it’s Citronella, just badly spelled.

Finally, the tag. Botanical print - check! Botanical script - check! We’re all set.

And here’s the 2019 Christmas wrapper theme - Botanical!

Oh, the wrapper had an opposite side, too.

Of course I had to do versions using that.

This made this year’s Botanical theme twice the fun!

LFLTAT: Well, well, well, Madewell!

In the U.S., Madewell is known as the younger, hipper sibling of J. Crew. Whereas J. Crew is very classy and classic, Madewell is younger and more trendy.

In the Philippines, not a lot of people know Madewell. Or J. Crew for that matter. But anyone who’s traveled to the U.S. knows how cool and covetable this brand is.

Occasionally, I go to their website and check out items to see what the trends are. One of the items that caught my eye was this chambray skirt with front buttons. And as it turns out, a lot of people eyed it, too, that’s why it’s sold out!

But lo and behold, as I dropped by one of my haunts today, look what I found:

Yes! The same “Palisades” skirt in Manila. And on the cheap, too!

Immediately after getting it, I had to find a top that would be a great match, and I found it at this comfy, cool shop called Lazy Fare. (More on them later.)

Together, it’s an Uber-chic look for less than a thousand!

My day is made!

FMM: The Divine Miss Devine

Friday Fun Fact!

Better yet, Friday Magic Madness Fun Fact!

One of my favorite actresses, Loretta Devine, isn't just an awesome actress. If you've seen her in Boston Public and Grey's Anatomy, you'll know what I mean.

She's not just a good comedienne. If you've seen her in Madea, you'll know what I mean.

She's also a good singer! And now you should see this, so you'll know what I mean.



Loretta Devine was on Dreamgirls! How awesome is that!

And yes, her performance is simply divine.

Hui will, Hui will rock you!

Hui Lau Shan is a thing in HKG.

They're a permanent and often seen feature in the HKG food landscape. You can see them everywhere, teeming with its mango-colored goodness. No surprise since most of their best sellers are mango-based desserts.

While walking through Emerald Avenue, I found this!

Yes, Hui Lau Shan is finally in the local food landscape. And my mango-loving taste buds are thrilled!

Welcome to Manila! I hope you rock the dessert world in Manila.

Two B or not Two B

Bulalo and Bangus.

These are the 2 Bs that I thoroughly enjoy at LZM.

It's been a while since D' Frendz ate here. And I've always wanted to bring my folks here but haven't had the chance yet.

I'm definitely doing those this February.

WATN: Searching for Grace

They showed "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" on TV recently, and in one scene, I noticed a familiar actress:

Yes, that's Maggie Grace.

During the 2010s, she was one of the big stars who you'd see in a major film constantly. Aside from "Twilight," she's best known for the film "Taken" where she plays Liam Neeson's kidnapped daughter.

Back then, until now, I found her face very refreshing. She was also a joy to watch. Unfortunately, you can't see her that often these days.

Yes, she's been in some TV shows, but I think she deserves another big screen appearance.

Kohl the Olsens

Here's another high-low match-up that's made in fashion heaven:

Elizabeth and James is the diffusion line of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. It was named after their siblings, which is cute. Of course, Elizabeth Olsen is better known as the Hollywood actress who played Scarlet Witch in the "Avengers" franchise.

Seems to me that Kohl's is really upping their fashion cred. First, there's Vera Wang who still has a line with them, and now this.

I can hear Kohl's calling me.

About Face

Here's another favorite find from this season's Purple Sale:

Strangely, I haven't seen this dress before. Which leads to the theory that it might be one of those "sale only" items that they produce during the sale season. I've seen a couple already, like the blouse and pants that were made from the fabrics of the Vania Romoff and Aranaz collaborations.

What I found interesting about this dress is the print. The top part features a painted portrait of a woman, done in a very fashion illustration, 50s kind of style.

Then, the skirt features different faces of the same woman, and it shows her different moods. Very interesting for a fashion piece.

Let's face it, despite the many faces (which might come across as creepy to some), it's a really pretty dress.

Ruffle prize

Needless to say, i’ve been visiting Plains and Prints quite often because of their Purple Sale. And as expected, it does not disappoint.

One combo that I got that was on sale is actually from the Vania Romoff x Plains & Prints collaboration from 2017. I guess it took them more than 2 years to deem the collection to be sold at 50% off.

Of course, I couldn’t resist getting my hands on some pieces. Particularly this combo:

It’s a whole lotta ruffles, but tastefully done.

The top is a navy blue ruffled top which is sleeveless, so it keeps it from looking too heavy or belabored.

The bottom I chose for it is a ruffled culottes. It’s made of light denim fabric and is roomy, which gives it that relaxed feel.

What’s cool is that the ruffles run all the way to the back!

With this ensemble, it looks like you’ve won the ruffle prize!

FMM: Where does it take me?

I've been doing some research on songs about traveling and journeys for this year's service awards in school.

Thanks to that, I've been reacquainted with this oldie, but super goodie by John Denver.



This was big in the 70s, and more than 40 years after, it still sounds happy and fun.

Good - and old - songs transport you that way.

Happy Birthday Hostess!

Hostess - the maker or my favorite snacks in the U.S. like Twinkies, Ho-Ho's and Ding Dongs - is turning a century old!

Whoa! That's 100 years of bringing smiles and unbelievably sweet treats to dessert freaks like me!

And of course, they have to celebrate this milestone in an awesome way.

Hostess Birthday Cupcakes!!!

I'm so on board for this. Take my money. Please!

Gimme Mor-bius!

Jared Leto is sick in the trailer of "Morbius." (Figuratively and literally.)



The Marvel Cinematic Universe is really full of interesting characters.

Javi-Davi-Do-n't grow up too fast!

Javier has always been the baby of the family. I've called him Javi-Davi-Doo since he was a toddler, and I still do so until now.

It's been a year since I last saw him, and I'm surprised to see how much he's grown within a year!

Don't grow up too fast, Javi-Davi-Doo!

Into the blue

I've been looking at the poster for S&R's Blue Cheese fries for quite sometime now. But strangely, I'd always end up ordering my usual Savory fries.

That changed today. I've finally had the guts to try it.

It's good! The blue cheese flavor is strong without overpowering. The coating is generous. And the price per fries ratio is great value.

Will definitely come back for this again.

Domo Arigato, Matsumoto

Mark and I had a number of favorite stores in Tokyo.

There was G.U. and Uniqlo for clothes, Hanamasa for groceries, Don Quixote or Donki for pasalubongs, and Yodobashi-Akiba for anything else in between.

Then, we have a favorite for perfume and personal care stuff. This place:

Matsumoto-Kiyoshi is like a warehouse for personal care stuff and is all over Tokyo. They had a branch in Roppongi that we’d often visit that place, eventually buying some stuff like cooling wipes and powder.

Occasionally, they would have perfume on makeshift shelves, and on super sale! Whenever that would happen, Mark and I would have a field day and eventually buy stuff for pasalubongs and gifts.

I miss the shop so much that i’m asking my nephew to make sure to drop by this store when he goes to Japan next month.

And hopefully we’ll go back there, too.

Pleat-ing moments

Looks like the pleated skirt is here to stay.

It’s been popping in and out the fashion radar, so i’m not sure whether it’s still current or not. But judging by how prevalent it is in fast fashion brands’ collections, it seems like it’s mo,ent in the spotlight is still on.

They have 2  dry nice ones at For Me.

First, this black faux leather pleated skirt. It’s very chic-rock star.

Paired with a black mock turtle neck - also from For Me - and you have an outfit fit for Paris.

It’s black, but not at all basic.

Then, they also have this mixed material pleated skirt. It has plaid and solids meshed into one pretty skirt.

Taking the solid yellow color, I found this shirt in the same hue.

Together, it’s a relaxed chic look with a fashion edge.

Yes, pleats are still having a moment.

FMM: Melodic

It's been a pretty chill week so far, so I thought that today's Friday Magic Madness song should replicate that chill vibe.

Then, I remembered this Natalie Cole song from the 70s that my Dad would listen to on cassette. Yes, a cassette tape. It was a song entitled "Mr. Melody."



There's so much to like about this song. First, the melody (duh), then, Natalie's cool and soothing voice, the peppy feels, and - of course - Natalie's scatting. That's definitely worth the price of admission!

TGIF-MM!

Freeze!

Ugh! I haven’t seen “Frozen 2” yet.

Though i’ve heard the story from several people several times. So, spoilers have been spoiled.

Still, I want to watch it!

The Color Purple

It has begun.

Plains and Prints kicks off its sale season with their exclusive Purple Sale for BDO cardholders.

And I have a BDO debit card.

We all know where this is going.

Not a Cinderella story...

Once upon a time...

Cinderella used to be the biggest and hippest place to buy clothes. Back in the 80s and 90s, the fashionable set would flock to Cinderella to catch the latest trends in fashion. They were seen as the brand that's super cool, super fashionable, and a must-have for everyone who wanted to look preppy and fashion-aware.

Inside their stores, you could find the coolest brands like Esprit, San Francisco, Seventeen, British India and Reno. They had the must-wear jeans, shirts and jackets. And they even had an exclusive Model's club which every teen wanted to be part of.

Among the retail stores in its class, they had some of the biggest stores. Their Glorietta branch had 3 floors, the one in SM Megamall had 2 floors, and the Ali Mall one had 1/4th of the floor area.

Then, the global fast fashion brands came in. Forever 21, H&M, Zara, Pull and Bear - that batch changed the landscape in fashion. As these brands grew bigger, Cinderella got smaller. Their merchandise started to become not-so-cool, and the fashionable set started to shy away.

By the 2010s, their stores became smaller, and their clientele, much, much fewer.

Last December, I went to Glorietta with Mark. The space where they had their 3 floor store was boarded up, and this is what was left of Cinderella.

Cinderella is now a small blip of a shop, selling evening wear which looks like overruns.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a guy who wore a lot of Cinderella, and I'm still hoping that they'll make a comeback and go back to the stature they had in the 80s.

Let's hope that happy ending happens.

Monki business in Manila!

They might be a little Johnny-come-lately, but I guess better-late-than-never.

Monki - the young and more frivolous brand in the H&M family - is finally coming to Manila! As evidenced by their board-up in SM Megamall.

Their designs are quite loud, so I'm not sure how the local market will react to this brand.

We shall see.

My brother is not a...

Yup, I'm surprised that they know the spelling of "Fig." But "Fie"?

Proofreader, please!

LFLTAT: See the Zebra

Whenever you say “Animal Print,” the first thing that comes to mind are cheetah spots, leopard prints and tiger stripes.

Now, there’s a new addition to the roster - Zebra Stripes!

I’ve seen it appear in fast fashion shops, and even at SM Department Store! So I thought this would be a good time to put together a look for less than a thousand featuring this wild print.

And here it is:

The key piece, a zebra print trouser with a tie belt. Very relaxed, very chic, very now.

To counter the loud print, a white button down shirt with dropped sleeves.

In total, this safari-esquire look cost only P900! Thanks to the fact that I got them at my usual haunts.

I’m sure Ate will go wild over this ensemble.

FMM: Just a Pop!

For today's Friday Magic Madness song, I'm channeling my inner child and playing the theme song of one of my favorite cartoon shows as a kid.

Well, recalling the show got a little help because we had this for lunch.

I might not be eating "me spinach," but "me chicken" sure is good.