Color Story x LFLTAT: Mocha Madness

Here's another LFLTAT that doubles as a colour story.

And not just any colour, but Pantone's colour of the year!

Here's the look:

The top is from Baleno at The SM Store. It's a ribbed tank with a semi-haltered neckline. The fabric is so cool and easy to wear, which is the best way to describe this tank as well. The culottes (yes, they're pants) are from Bench, and were on sale! It has a nice overlap and cargo pockets that elevate the look.

This combo of a pant or skirt plus a tank is one of Ate Bullet's go-to outfits these days. So, this outfit calls for that classic line:

"One Mocha for Bullet!"

Denim & White: Go wide

Sometimes, a simple detail can elevate a classic. 

For example, wide-legged jeans with an exaggerated cuff.

This is actually a semi-D.I.Y. pair. The jeans are from the Patty Ang x Bench collaboration from 2019. Found it in one of the Bench sale racks recently, and snagged it without any second thoughts.

The original pair was designed to be very long. That detail is what made me decide to have it cuffed. Actually, cuffed jeans are making a comeback in the fashion world.

After our modista did her magic, the jeans looked so different from its original look. The contrasting colour of the cuff gave it the oomph it needed.

Of course, the shirt had to have a detail, too. Thankfully, Memo had this white shirt with an oversized silhouette and a ruched front. 

And to cap the outfit off, the red ballerinas from Stradivarius.

This is so chic in so many levels.

Rugby Boy

It’s been decades since my last foray into rugby shirts. It was probably way back in college.

While Rugby Shirts are very much around, they just don’t appeal as much as they used to. Adding to my reasons to not wear it was the Uniqlo Rugby Shirt fiasco of 2022.

But recently, there was a rugby shirt that actually made me stop and fit it. This shirt:

It’s a Rugby Shirt from the Bench x Lesley Mobo collaboration. 

The fit, fabric, color and patch were so nice on the hanger. Once I tried it on, SOLD.

This even had a green version. SOLD1

Funny how the right design can change my mind.

Inside Out

During my younger days, unusual and experimental jeans were my thing. Whenever I'd travel abroad, I'd be on the lookout for shops and brands that sold jeans that had styles and designs unlike the conventional ones.

This is what led to my discovery of brands like Koyo Jeans, Chocoolate, Tough, Evisu, among others.

In MNL, there are several small, indie brands that create one-of-a-kind jean pieces. Kurt's brand - Meraki - is one of those. They have a number of interesting and unconventional materials and styles that are cool and eye catching. 

Admittedly, though, they're too young for me. Harhar.

Imagine my surprise to see a pair of super cool, super unique and super different jeans at The SM Store!

How unique? Check this out!

It's a pair of jeans designed to look like it was turned inside-out! How novel is that?

Because the jeans are a statement piece already. the top has to be a bit more neutral and classic. This pique polo shirt from the Bench x Lesley Mobo collection fits the outfit to a tee. Literally.

Oh, SM, you never fail to surprise me.
 

Western Influence

Whenever we’d watch old Western films, we’d often see the protagonists wearing 3 things: flannel, corduroy and denim. That’s why whenever I see these items of clothing, thoughts of Western movies and series come to mind.

Not to say that these items are costume-y and only belong on television or movies. When done right, these can look very contemporary and chic.

Just like this combination of corduroy and denim.

The shirt is a navy blue corduroy shirt from the Patty Ang x Bench collection from 2019. The flared skirt is from Stradivarius. Both have that western feel, but done in a very modern way.

You can say that this is “the best from the West.”

LFLTAT: Prep’s Cool

Back in the 80s, preppy or prep, was the rage in fashion.

It was the era of pique shirts, khaki pants, culottes, baggy shorts, knitted vests, argyle socks and many others. Back then, during “civilian” days in school, everyone would be dressed up in their best preppy wear

With this in mind, I was able to put together this LFLTAT that captures that preppy vibe.

The top is a pique shirt from Bench, particularly the Lesley Mobo collection. I paired it with these loose shorts with an asymmetric detail and a built-in belt from The Landmark.

This ensemble rang Just cost a total of P850 to put together.

How cool is that?

All you need is Lavender

Out of curiosity, I bought a can of the Bench Antibacterial Spray in Lavender.

Gosh! This smells so good! It has this very calm and spa-like scent that really fills the house. Imagine, I sprayed it in the living room, and I could smell it from my room on the 3rd floor.

Best part, it's antibacterial! So, it keeps the air clean while keeping it fragrant.

You gotta love that!

One Top, Two ways: Vested interests

I'm going out on a limb here, but vests are one of the most underrated and underutilized items in fashion.

A vest - when properly used - can elevate an outfit. It's such a simple piece of clothing, but it has a transformative effect. Given the right cut, color and fabric, it can totally change the overall look and feel of an outfit.

Here's an example: A simple denim vest from Bench. It has jean-like details like rivets and metal buttons. The shape is loose and the length is longer than usual. On its own, it looks quite nondescript.

 

But if you add it on to other pieces, it takes on a totally different fashion form and feel. See how these two dresses from Zalora transform with the help of this vest.

Place it on top of a patterned maxi-dress, and it gives a very boho-chic vibe that's very California in it's look and feel.

Wear it on top of a swiss dot prairie dress, and you've got an ensemble that's very chic-Western. It's something that will look like something from Texas or Arizona.

And those are just 2 ways to style this denim vest. If you start wearing this with separates, then it takes on a different persona.

Interesting how one little piece of clothing can do all that.

Spray it, don't say it!

These days, disinfectant sprays are a must in every household.

At home, you can find cans of Lysol, Homebright and Bench Alcogel disinfectant sprays all over. Because of that, I'm always on the look out for new scents, so as to avoid "Disinfectant Spray smell fatigue syndrome."

Recently, I discovered a two-fer! It's my go-to Bench Alcogel Disinfectant spray plus my favourite Bench Better Goods scent:

"Ring around a Rosey" is now available as a disinfectant!

Keeping the house clean is going to smell so good!

Printed Matter: Fowl play

When I was loving in HKG, i’d pass by Kowloon Park almost on a daily basis.

One of the reasons why I enjoy passing by that area was the fact that they had a small aviary of sorts. The space held several members of the fowl family, particularly Pink Flamingos and Peacocks.

Those fowl friends suddenly came back to mind when I saw this print. 

They're 2 peacocks perched on a branch of beautiful flowers and greens. And this print is from the latest Spring/Summer collection of Plains & Prints. A print that’s on a comfy and fashionable t-shirt that I couldn’t resist buying.

Because the print is already ornate, I thought of pairing it with a plain, belted and wide-legged khaki trousers from Bench. The shape complements the shirt and gives the entire ensemble a very chic and carefree vibe.

Nothing and everything about this ensemble is fowl.

Splice of Life

Presenting my latest favourite buy from the Bench store at Lazada!

It's a spliced t-shirt!

These are 2 shirts spliced together. The left side is a graphic tee in navy, while the right is a heather gray cotton tee.

Actually, I spotted this shirt as early as September, but they'd run out of stocks quite quickly. But wanting it so bad, I'd place it in my wishlist and check every so often to see whether it was available again.

And true enough, a piece (yup, just 1 piece) was available early November. Knowing the 11.11 sale was just around the corner and this will most likely be snagged by then, I didn't waste any time in adding it to my cart and checking it out.

Now, this shirt is mine! Woohoo!

It's been a while since I've been this excited about anything from Bench. So, that says a lot.

Free Willy

It was during one of my random browsing on the Bench store in Lazada that I discovered this collaboration.

Actually, the first thing that caught my eye was the quality and design of the denim jeans. After clicking on the photo, it turned out that it was part of a designer collaboration between Bench and NY street wear designer, Willy Chavarria.

Considering that this collaboration was in 2019, I'm surprised that I didn't get wind of it. After doing some research, it turns out that it was launched around September, which explained a lot. But going through the look book online, it turns out that this collection had a lot of nice pieces.

Willy Chavarria is a big name in street wear in NYC, which explains his loose and comfortable silhouettes and use of denim and twill

Good thing that this collection was still available online. Was able to snag 3 pairs of pants from the collection!

So, I can now say "Whee" because of Willy!

Bench. Fresh.

Yes, it's true. I miss my routine visits to Bench.

Before, I'd drop by Bench on a weekly basis - several times a week, at that. During lunch break visits to Galleria, I'd go to their store at the 2nd floor near TopShop and TopMan. On my way home, I'd come in through the back entrance of Megamall, near National Bookstore, and I'd go to Bench Megamall since it's along the way.

Whenever we'd have meetings in Makati, it would be the huge Bench Glorietta Branch. If Mark and I would have dinner at Shangrila, it would be the Bench/Edited store on the 5th floor. Then, on certain weekends, it would be at their branches in UP Town Center and Trinoma.

Then, there are the random visits to Bench in Ali Mall, Gateway and Farmer's Plaza where I'd usually find great items on sale.

In fairness, my last visit to a Bench store was 2 months ago in Trinoma. But it was just a short, 10-minute visit just to buy hand soap and cologne. No meandering around racks and browsing through clothing.

Thankfully, there's Bench online, and this is now my version of a "routine visit." It's nice to see their fresh drops, but admittedly, it's different when you're checking out the items physically versus looking at them virtually.

But there are certain items that look good online and I know they'll look good IRL. Case in point is this ensemble that arrived from their online store after ordering it a few weeks ago.

The top is from Bench Kamisa, which is a collaboration of sorts. The bright florals and the loose silhouette with the flowy sleeves caught my eye.

The top is paired with this pencil-cut denim skirt with an interesting detail at the front. It has a slit and a contrasting light denim detail.

Together, it's a fresh outfit that will look great on a lazy and relaxed weekend.

Thank goodness for online shopping. 

LFLTAT: Victorian era

Yes, it's true!

The cuffed jeans from Bench really looks like the one from Victoria Beckham!

When I bought this pair, Lazada was on sale, so it was less than P500 for the pair. 

A fashionable pair of jeans deserves an equally fashionable top. Enter this shirt from the Anna Sui x Uniqlo collaboration. This was bought a few months ago, also on sale. It was just P290 for this beautiful tee!

It's a designer and a designer-esque combination for less than a thousand!

If that ain't a good deal, I don't know what is.

Mall-most. But not quite.

Instant gratification.

That’s one of the reasons why i’m such a Mall Rat.

Whether I was in HKG, SG, JPN or here in MNL, the mall was always my happy place.

Back when we were still going to the office, i’d spend a lot of lunch times going to the mall. Then, on my way home, i’d pass by the mall, too. Often with Mark.

Usually, these mall runs would end up with me carrying a bag, or 2, or 3, or 4. Because when i’d see something nice, i’d buy it immediately.

Instant gratification.

That’s why I never got a hang of these shopping sites like Shopee and Lazada. It usually takes too long for it to arrive. And I don’t have patience to wait.

But of course, since the whole CQ situation started, I learned and started to like online shopping. Aside from my default Zalora, of course.

Recently, i’ve been shopping at Lazada, and while some vendors take time to deliver, some are actually very fast. Just like Bench.

After ordering the VB-esque pair of jeans through Lazada, it actually arrived a day after!

It’s not as “Instant Gratification” as a mall, but it’s pretty close.

Bench it like Beckham

Upon checking emails, my usual alerts from the Victoria Beckham clothing line popped up. It was an email that introduced their latest collection of denim.

Looking at it closely, it sparked a memory in my head. 

That memory was a pair of denim jeans from Bench which had the same feels as the VB one.

In case you didn't notice, there's a P26,201.00 price difference between the two. That's considering the 2 pairs actually look pretty much the same!

This pair from Bench has been popping up on my screen for some time now. After seeing the VB option, this might be a good time to buy it!

I just might.

Wait. I just did!

LFLTAT: Modern Filipino

One of the classic looks for Pinoys is the barong and black pants combo. It's become a staple that it works for any occasion - whether it's for an event or as daily office wear.

And while it's considered "traditional," there's always a way to modernize it and bring it to daily living.

Just like this Bench ensemble from Shopee!

The top is a barong-style shirt, made of crisp, white cotton and with embroidery on the side, like a barong. This was paired with a pair of black trousers that are wide-legged and with a belt.

Together, it's an outfit that's a modern take on the barong-black pants outfit. Best part is, this cost about P800! 

How's that for a patriotically fashionable deal?

Best Laid Plaids part 2

Back in the 90s, plaids were a big trend.

From shirts, shorts, jackets, even Tretorn shoes, you can find plaids in different colours. 

Since then, the pattern has been finding its way back to fashion in one way or another. In one decade after the other.

Just like right now.

After my plaid outfit post last month, we have another one:

This outfit from Bench takes a more classic route. The plaid skirt is in pretty primary hues of blue and green, with an A-line cut, with functional pockets in front. Echoing the blue, a navy blue tee completes this outfit.

And before you think that the blue tee is your usual design, check out the back!

Now, that's a fabulous plaid outfit!

LFLTAT: Bench warmer

One of the places I've been frequenting the past few months - albeit online - is Bench.

With their presence both in Shopee and Lazada, it's akin to "visiting several branches" of this local fast fashion giant. But instead of hopping from mall to mall and branch to branch, I just hop from website to website, from the comforts of home and my ad hoc workstation. Before, visiting a Bench website or online store wasn't really appealing, but now, I've been warming up to the concept more and more.

As always, Bench doesn't disappoint in terms of fashionable clothing at reasonable price points. Back in 2019 and early 2020, I'd very regularly drop by Bench stores in Megamall, Galleria, Glorietta, UP Town Center, The 30th, and Shangrila, almost on a weekly basis. (Daily, in some cases.) And more often than not, I'd walk away with a bag of goodies which are usually LFLTATs.

The past months, I've also had a lot of LFLTAT purchases online, but never got around to documenting them. But as they say, better late than never, so let me start February with my first Bench LFLTAT.

These 2 items - a pair of wide-legged jeans and a cold shoulder top in a dainty print and colour - were purchased from their payday sale. So, not only is it discounted, you get additional discounts when you purchase more than one item. (Which was easy to do considering the loot they had.)

It's an outfit that has a boho-chic, 70s vibe, and the whole ensemble cost less than P800. There were actually shoes in their online store that was less than P200, but they didn't have Ate's size. Boo!

But still, this outfit is a great deal considering the quality and design of the clothes. And while I miss visiting Bench's physical branches and getting lost in great buys, shopping for it online ain't bad at all!

(Still, I'm missing my daily trips to their branches at The 30th and Megamall!)

P.S. Yes, that top is the same top from my proofreading post. Yes, it might have lacked an "h", but it didn't lack style. Harhar.

Silent H

Last time I checked, "shoulder" is spelled with an "h."

That's right, right?

Makes me wonder if this is post for Bench in Lazada is just a case of silent "h." 

Proofreader, please.