Shopping for drama

It looks like great deals aren't the only things I'll be watching out for on the Shopee App.

They now have Shopee Drama!

Yup, they're vertical, micro-dramas that run for about 20-ish minutes, but broken down into 1-minute mini-sodes.

I've watched 1 or 2 of these dramas, and they're so cheesy and campy.

So cheesy and campy that they're actually entertaining.

Must. Resist. Watching.

Obi One

No, this is not a Star Wars post. 

It's a post about the interesting things you find when shopping on-line.

Was browsing the Shopee site and saw this obi belt in an ikat fabric. It's being sold by a store in Indonesia, so you know it's legit.

Having an affinity with Indonesia, the item eventually ended up in my cart, and ended up at home.

What's nice about this obi belt is that it can easily lift an outfit. 

Here's an LBD from my recent Lovito purchase. On its own, it's an interesting piece because of the front pleats and the button belt details on the waist. 

But when you add the obi belt - boom!

This is just one of the many ways to use and style such a versatile fashion accessory.

LFLTAT: French flair

One of the quintessential French outfits - especially in films and TV shows - is the jumper and striped shirt combo. This is usually worn by women, usually paired with a beret and a cross-body bag.

With that image in mind, I pulled together today’s Look For Less Than A Thousand.

The top is from Surplus Shop and the jumper dress is from an overruns shop on Shopee. Together, this ensemble cost me just P550 to put together.

It might not have a beret and bag, but this outfit has that Parisian flair down pat.

How about Whos-its and Whats-its galore?

Further proof that you can find everything on Shopee.

Now I know where Ariel of The Little Mermaid shops.

Life in Mono

Nope, this isn’t a post about the song by “Mono.”

But to make things clear, I like that song.

The “mono” on this post is about the innate chicness of monochrome outfits.

Observe:

This Khaki ensemble has a sense of utilitarian chic to it. Aside from the color, the cargo pants add to that vibe. The top is from Shopee while the pants are from Bench.

And for something more chic and Audrey Hepburn-esque, time to do a monochromatic outfit in black.

The top is the same design as the khaki one, and it's from the same shop on Shopee. For the pants, this one is from the Elizabeth & James x Kohl's collaboration. You can never go wrong with Mary Kate and Ashley!

Who would've thought that you can get so much fashion from just one colour.

  

Cheap (on-line) thrills

iIt’s so random and trivial, but this is what made my day today:

 

I got a P50 phone load for only P1!

Yes, just P1!

Amazing what you can get on Shopee.

Christmas Harvest

Of course, we can't end the year without the requisite post about this year's Christmas wrapping theme!

After 2020's back-to-basics theme, I wanted this year to be more vibrant, more colorful and more hopeful. Since 2021 was a year when people were able to adapt to the new normal and things started to pick-up, especially near the end of the year, it was something that I wanted to reflect in this year's wrapping.

Basically, it's an homage to the fact that 2021 was, and the wish that 2022 will continue to be - Fruitful!

First, I was able to harvest these fruit-themed wrappers in the middle of this year. Thank goodness for The SM Store's call-to-deliver service and they were able to find the right quantity and had it delivered to me. (Oh look! A free plug!)

Then, the ribbons followed the fruity hues as well. Again, ordered online through Michelle's Lace and Ribbon Shop.

The cards came next. And just like in previous years, the theme was so inspiring that I ended up designing 4 different gift cards.

Now, thanks to Shopee, I found these fruity erasers which were a perfect fit for the theme.

After all the elements were there, it was time to get wrapping.

Et voila! A "Fruitful Christmas" for 2021.

Before we welcome 2022, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

This Oreo has Brownie points

Another day, another new Oreo flavour discovery!

There's this shop on Shopee that usually has imported Oreos. But their stocks usually run out fast.

A few days ago, I chanced up on this awesome flavour, and they still have it on stock!

We all know what happened after that!

Oreo as excited as I am?

Printed Matter: Some bunny to love

The moment I saw this print of two bunnies dressed up in very proper Victorian-type dresses, it was love at first sight. It really looks like a work of art.

And because that print is in a dress, then it's a work of art that can be worn everyday!

Oh, the lovely things you find online!

A play of contrasts

The nice thing about shopping on-line is that you see items that you normally wouldn't see in a mall.

Not that I've been to a mall in the past year and a half. But you get my drift.

One of my recent and interesting on-line purchases is this co-ords consisting of a top and skirt.

What caught my eye is the contrast of the 2 pieces. The top is voluminous while the skirt is slim. The top is cropped while the skirt is long.

It's that play of contrasts that make it such a unique and fashionable set.

Fashionable lines

The first time this top and skirt set popped up on my Shopee feed, it definitely caught my eye.

It has this vibrant combination of coloured lines, set against a neutral background.

Apart from the colour and print, the details were top notch as well.

The top had balloon sleeves, and the skirt was slim, then flaring out to an interesting mermaid silhouette.

Amazing what fashionable ensembles you can find on Shopee!

Side to Cider

I've been seeing this Apple Cider Donut Oreo on American grocery websites like Target and Krogers. 

From the colour to the flavour - I'm intrigued at how this cross between a donut and an Oreo will taste like.

And surprise, surprise! There's a local online seller that carries it.

We all know what'll happen next.

Wash granted

As discussed with Mona and the other Frendz, you know you're getting old and knee-deep in the "adulting" phase when online loot like these make you giddy!

Yes, I get excited shopping for laundry detergents and fabric conditioners from Lazada and Shopee.

It makes washing clothes a lot more fun. And fragrant, too!

Rave Review

One of the things that make online shopping different from the usual physical process is the fact that you can actually give reviews on purchases you do online.

That's why even if it takes a bit of time, I try to make it a point to do a review of stuff I buy both in Shopee and Lazada.

And if what I buy is really great, the review box is where I rave about it.

It's a strangely satisfying experience.

Color Story; Khaki Cool

For most people, the colour khaki is reminiscent of grade school. 

After all, if you studied in a boy's school - like me - you wore khaki shorts from Grades 1 to 3, then khaki pants from Grades 4 to 6. But if you studied in Ateneo High School - like my nephews Kevin and Kurt - they wore khaki in High School.

That said, it's easy to look at khaki as very plain, bland, and school-ish.

I don't look at khaki that way, though. For me, this hue is very chic, fashionable, and ultra-classic! It's easy to wear, season-less, can be formal and casual, and very clean-looking! And when rendered in uber-fashionable designs, it's simply awesome.

Here's proof. Two, actually. 

One, this dress that looks like two separate pieces. 

It looks like a blazer and pleated skirt ensemble. But it's actually a full dress. Looking at it, the dress is very Paris, and looks like something that Carine Roitfeld would wear.

Two, this shirt dress with an exaggerated, pleated bodice.

Somehow, this dress looks like a cross between Giambattista Valli and Lanvin. But wearable for everyday. Surprisingly, these 2 dresses were found on Shopee, and each one cost less than P1000!

And to up the fashion ante for these 2 khaki dresses, I paired it with this:

Woven mules, in brown. The pointed shape and pattern is very Bottega Venetta. But of course, this is just a Korean brand from Lazada.

See? Khaki can be so fashionably cool!

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?

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.