Double Denim week: Blowing bubbles

 No, this isn't a post about that popular 90s clothing brand. But that begs the question, "What happened to Blowing Bubbles?"

But that's not what this post is about.

We're on day 2 of Double Denim week, and today, we have this outfit that's centred on a bubble skirt.

The skirt is from Penshoppe, and was on-sale! Then, the top is from SM Woman, and it was also on-sale at 50% off.  

This outfit is another example of "classic with a twist." The top is a classic looking button down, but the bubble skirt is the twist part of the story.

And now that I"m realising that this is also an LFLTAT outfit, I'm blown away!

LFLTAT: Stuck on Rugby

During my stint in HKG, one of the things that Hong Kongers would anticipate was the HK Rugby Sevens. It's a sporting event that became part of pop culture, and people would show up - costumes and all - to watch the rugby games.

That's why around April, you'll see a lot of Rugby themed merch floating all over the place. 

I'm actually a fan of Rugby shirts, and I've always had 1 or 2 in my closet. Right now, there are 3 in my rotation - 2 from Bench and 1 from SPAO.

While passing through SM Cubao, saw a Rugby shirt that was on-sale. Conveniently, there was a pair of baggy jeans that had the same colour story as the shirt. Those 2 sale items gave birth to this outfit.

This is so sporty and fashionable. The best part, it rang up to less than P1000!

Let's play Rugby!

LFLTAT: Thrift to Tabaco

As a fairly often Tabaco visitor, one of my learnings is that you shouldn't sleep on Tabaco ukay-ukay

The few times that I've been to ukay shops there, I've found a number of fashionable pieces at provincial prices.

And my last trip yielded a number of great outfits, such as this:

The top is a wool vest with a side pleat detail, and the a-line skirt is made of a ponte-wool blend. The color of the 2 pieces are so similar that you'd think that they came as a set, but they didn't.

How much did these 2 pieces cost? P170!

Yes, one hundred and seventy pesos only.

This ensemble alone made the trip worth it.

LFLTAT: Nylon is now!

From kids wear to teens wear to adult wear, it looks like the nylon-ish fabric is making its presence felt in fast fashion.

At first, this utilitarian fabric was used for streetwear essentials like parkas. Then, it transitioned to more every day wear, like the nylon dress at Uniqlo. Then, they started showing nylon coords for kids. Then, there was nylon everywhere.

Recently spotted this nylon skirt at The SM Store. It was a parachute style skirt made of nylon material. It had cargo details, and the bottom half was detachable. Very well-thought of details. 

The best part is, it was 50% off! So, even after pairing it with this muscle shirt from Human - also 50% off - the total outfit rand up to just around P700!

Further proof that a little nylon, and a thousand bucks, can go a long way in fashion.

LFLTAT: Straight to No. 1

No, this isn't about the song by Touch and Go.

What it is is another post-Christmas sale ensemble.

For less than a thousand, of course.

The top is from Kashieca, which is a lace top (it's long enough to be a dress, actually) with an interesting, Chanel-esque print. The skirt if from The Landmark, and we all know who affordable fashion items are there.

Despite the P800 price tag, this look definitely has a lot of class to it.

LFLTAT x Color Story: Taupe tier

Sales about after Christmas day.

Retailers know that people have a lot of Christmas money to burn, so they give them a gentle nudge and suggestion on how to do it. 

Because of these sales, it's so easy to churn out a Look for Less than a Thousand, that can also be a Colour Story. Just like this ensemble:

It's a very classy and classic taupe look, but with something extra. The top is from Baleno at The SM Store, while the pants are from H&M. The pants are particularly interesting because it has that faux layered look, thanks to the lace overlay.

For the price - which is just around P900 - is a top choice!

LFLTAT: Color of the Year

So, Pantone announced the 2026 colour of the year - Cloud Dancer.

It's basically a variation of white.

This reminded me of a LFLTAT from my previous Japan trip.

The culottes are from GU, while the top is from Uniqlo. They're both in various permutations of white, and they blend together seamlessly and perfectly.

It's a look that'll bring you to Cloud Nine!

LFLTAT: Resort to this

Here's another yield from the SM Megamall sale.

And because it's a sale, you can be sure that it's a look for less than a thousand.

The dress is from Coco Cabana, which is The SM Store's resort wear line. Actually, they have a lot of nice clothes - both is style and in prints. Mom has a couple of Coco Cabana clothes in her closet.

But this particular dress is for Ate Bullet. It's a linen dress in an olive green hue, and the halter neckline is what makes it very interesting. The slides aren't from SM but from The Landmark. It's a brand called Shooz, and this jute slide fits the resort vibe of the dress perfectly.

All you need is a beach and this outfit is good to go.

LFLTAT x Color Story: Caramel Cool

There was a dress in The SM Store that caught my eye the moment it was brought out a few months ago. It was a caramel coloured shirt dress with an interesting pleated overskirt that ties in front. It was so classic and chic, and would add a touch of sass to any closet.

Strangely, though, I never got around to buying it. The dress magically disappeared from their shelves.

Now, I know why.

At the recent SM Megamall sale, the dress was back, and it was 70% off!

And after checking out Solemates, which is one of SM's house brands, saw a pair of caramel coloured flats what would look great with the dress.

Thus, today's cool outfit was born.

What' cooler is that this outfit added up to only P698!

You gotta love SM!

Color Story x LFLTAT: Season of Grays

So, it's the SM Megamall 5-day sale, and it's obvious that there will be a lot of LFTATs that can be created from the finds in that sale.

True enough, was able to snag a look that wasn't only a "Look for less than a thousand," it also falls under a "Color Story" post. And here it is:

This is such a classic, chic, a bit British, a bit Thom Browne and all affordable. 

The pleated gray skirt is from Uniqlo, and the sweater top is from The SM Store. Together, this look just rang up to P989.

But yes, it looks much, much, much more expensive than that.

LFLTAT: Rock the Oats

There's something very aesthetic about the colour oatmeal.

It's not as stark as white, nor is it as utilitarian as beige. It's somewhere in between simple and classy.

While at the mall, chanced upon 2 stores that had clothes in that nice, oatmeal colour. And it's an ensemble that's less than a thousand pesos!

The skirt is from Surplus Shop. It's a high-low skirt made of twill that's light enough, but has volume. Than, there's the top from For Me which has a boxy fit and a detail in front.

It's an oatmeal ensemble that's easy to rock.

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!"

Color Story x LFLTAT: Feeling your oats

Oatmeal is a nice shade.

It's not as stark as plain white, not as flat as beige, and not as heavy as khaki. 

That said, there are very few pieces that have this hue on the shelves. Whether it's a local brand or an international fast fashion brand, it's hard to come by. So, after seeing these 2 pieces, my first instinct was to grab them and put them together into an outfit.

The top is from Penshoppe. It's a two-fer top, with an inner tank and an outer mesh blouse. It's paired with a cargo skirt from The SM Store - a skirt with a classic column silhouette and a light denim fabric.

And as the title suggests, this ensemble is just P950 in total!

That ought to convince you how great this look is.

LFLTAT: Rocking it!

For this year's first LFLTAT, here's an ensemble that I've put together for Mother Lyli.

Being one of the original fashionistas in DY&R-A, she's always been partial to interesting outfits. She's also into jeans. So, this look is right up her alley.

The jeans are the classic wide-legged jeans in dark denim, bought at Penshoppe. And the top is a rocker-chick chic top with a mesh overlay and a rock-band graphic, snagged at The SM Store.

Putting together LFLTATs really rock!

LFLTAT: Jump Twice

There's this stall inside Puregold Cubao that has long caught my eye but never gotten around to check out. It's a small stall filled with denim products in all shapes and sizes.

After a grocery run, the decision was reached to finally stop by and check out what they're selling. And boy, it was such a good decicsion.

They had a trove of denim jumpers, and the price was surprisingly cheap! And with less than a thousand pesos, was able to put together not just one look, but two!

LOOK # 1:

This light denim jumper had a tapered silhouette and pockets in front. To keep things simple, got a ribbed tank top from Straightforward to complete the look.

LOOK # 2:

This one was a dark denim jumper, also with a shape that's cut close to the body. To create a contrast, the inner blouse is a loose, striped shirt from Uniqlo.

This is twice the chicness for just less than a thousand!

LFLTAT x Color Story: Black-buster

There's something very elegant and very expensive about an all-black outfit. It's a statement that's true, even if the actual outfit is less than a thousand pesos.

Just like this:

The dress was on sale at The SM Store, so, it was 50% off. The belt and shoes are both from The Landmark, both on sale, with an extra 10% on top.

With all those discounts, this outfit rang up to a few pesos shy of P1000!

It's a blockbuster deal!

LFLTAT: Gotta Lovit(o)

Here's the first Lovito outfit that's also a Look For Less Than A Thousand!

It's a boho-chic combination made up of a loose, printed blouse and a denim skirt with an asymmetric detail.

This outfit rang up to less than P800!

This is a great first outfit from Lovito.

And it looks like it won't be the last.

Color Story x LFLTAT: Grays Anatomy

Trust Surplus Shop to give you a twofer!

This ensemble is both a colour story post and a Look For Less Than A Thousand.

Composed of a gray knit top and a slate full skirt, this ensemble rang up to less than P900!

Who says gray has to be drab?

LFLTAT: Chute-ing Stars

One peculiar thing about The SM Store is the fact that their stores don’t carry the same items. There are things in one store that aren’t available in others.

Just like this denim jumper from their SM Manila Branch.

I’ve been to a lot of branches, but this item was never in any of those stores. The jumper was made of a light denim fabric that draped nicely. And the silhouette was very loose, like a parachute. These are just some of the reasons why I quickly snagged this after seeing it.

Of course, it helped that it was on sale! So was the red, striped tank that eventually became the inner blouse on this ensemble.

Together, this outfit was just around P700!

Makes me wonder what other finds are hiding in other branches.

LFTAT: The ABCs of fashion - the repeat

It was almost 5 years ago when I wrote about a Look For Less Than A Thousand that was put together using brands of Golden ABC. Yes, the Filipino fast fashion conglomerate with a lot of cool brands under its portfolio.

Yesterday, at the start of SM Megamall’s 5-day Sale, we have a repeat! presenting a new LFLTAT from 3 brands of Golden ABC.

The top is a cropped, oversized shirt from BOCU. The fact that it’s cropped and oversized at the same time is such a great play of contrasts.

The skirt is a wrap around, minimalist one from Memo. 

The slip-on sneakers are from ForMe.

I’m loving the overall neutral palette of this ensemble. Very cool and chic.

But the price is what makes it even more lovable. Yes, the entire thing is a few pesos shy of P1000.