Color Story: Sand just like that

Sand is one of the more underrated colours in my book.

Not as pristine as white, not as creamy as beige, not as strong as khaki.

But it has a touch of those qualities - pristine, creamy and strong.

Qualities that make it chic and effortless. Just like this outfit.

This sand duo - top from Mango and skirt from The Landmark - has that right balance of qualities. Add the Mary Janes from The SM Store, and you've got a look that can go from work to weekend.

Nothing rough about this sand.

White hot!

There are so many cute and hit white dresses in Mango these days. So many, it was difficult to choose one.

Solution:choose two!

The 1st one is an eyelet mini-dress with long sleeves.

If you think the front is nice, you should see the back!

The 2nd dress is a midi-dress with a ruched front and puff sleeves.

This white is so right!

Oh, chute!

Was passing through The SM Store when I saw this really cute and cool parachute blouse.

It’s made of white cotton, has thick straps and is slightly cropped. This makes it perfect for the summer.

Then, I remembered that the Mango Culottes in “the stash” and quickly brought it out.

To complete the look, these chunky cage sandals from Primadonna.

Together, this is a very chic, summer outfit that takes the basic elements and elevates them

And it all started with a parachute blouse.

Classic Cool

Walking past H&M in Megamall, they have this huge display pushing their denim line.

The in-store billboard features a big and diverse group of models wearing jeans and different types of white tops. This combo of denim and white is the ultimate “classic cool” ensemble. It’s so classic and easy that you can wear it any time, anywhere, and you’ll still look chic.

Just like this ensemble that I was able to put together.

The white top is from SheIn, the jeans are from Mango and the snakeskin sneakers are from Zara.

Cool, eh.

Mango Picking

While there’s a different feeling of joy and thrill when shopping at Mango stores, shopping online also has its unique benefits.

One recent discovery after browsing their site - the sales are bigger and the prices are lower online. Plus, there are way more items to pick and choose from. These irresistible deals led me to make my 1st order from the website. And my orders are here!

Looking at the waybill, the items came all the way from Spain! So, it’s def straight from the source!

Hello to another great way to shop for Mango!

The new Squeeze

When it comes to Mango Juice, Gina has always been the gold standard for me.

This brand has been around since time immemorial. It was already there even when I was a kid. It was the favourite mango juice of my grandparents. It was also the favourite of my Tito, Tita and cousins from Spain. Whenever they'd visit the Philippines, we would always stock Gina Mango Juice in their home.

The great thing about Gina is that it's consistent. Even until now, the taste and quality is the same high quality we enjoyed decades ago. And while I've tried other Mango Juice brands (Del Monte, Locally, etc.), Gina is still the best of the lot.

When Gina isn't available, I'd usually buy Juice Avenue. Now this brand is legit! They really use real Mangoes which they puree and serve freshly made in bottles. These aren't available in supermarkets, though. I'd buy these at their kiosks in malls and outside supermarkets. (So, technically, it is available in supermarkets. Outside, that is.)

Recently, I discovered a new brand that is almost as good as Gina. (Almost.)

That brand is Oishi Squeeze.

It has that rich and real Mango taste. It's not watered down or not sweetened unnecessarily. It's very authentic and it feels like I'm drinking juice extracted from real Mangoes. Even my sister and nephews like it, too.

So, while Gina Mango Juice will always be on top of my list, this new brand will be the fallback in case the preferred one isn't available.

Three sheers!

It's sheer genius how trends from the runway are translated to fast fashion in sheer numbers.

The past month or so, I've been seeing dresses with see-through paneling in sheer volumes. It takes sheer tenacity to wade through all the items and pick out the ones that are sheer joy.

SHEER 1: The red dress from Topshop.

Leave it to Topshop to take some of fashion's trickiest aspects and put them together in a tasteful frock. Red is tricky. Sheer is tricky. Plunging necklines are tricky. But when you have them in a nice fabric and cut with precision, you've got a chic dress with a lot of attitude.

(You can't see it here, but the neckline plunges down to the waist.)

SHEER 2: The black sequined dress from Mango.

Here's the little black dress taken to another level. The entire bodice is fully sequined, and it creates this interesting pattern when the light hits it. The neckline is modest, the sleeves are long, making it very prim and proper up front.

Then, you see the back.

SHEER 3: The purple dress from Tyler

This is another case of "classic with a twist." The color, cut and fabric of this dress makes it perfect for everyday wear. If you see it coming, it'll look like an commonplace shift dress.

But when you see it going, you'll see a completely sheer back that goes all the way down to the waist. It's that element of surprise that makes people give the dress a second, or third look. And according to Ate Bullet, that's exactly what she got when she wore this dress.

I'm sheer - I mean, I'm sure - that there are more dresses like this that will pop up in stores soon. And I wouldn't be surprised if they re-appear in my sisters' closets as well.