Color Story: You're the G(Oat)

There are days that you just want a fashion palette cleanser, and look for something that's not white.

For such days, oatmeal is a good option. 

It's not stark as white, but not too heavy like khaki, and not too plain like beige. It has the proper amount of creaminess, and still has that aspect of cleanliness.

Just like this ensemble:

The key piece here is the oatmeal skirt from the Nicolo x R.A.F. collaboration. Just like the other pieces in that collab, this has a lot of interesting details and cuts that make it visually interesting. Then, the top is from Surplus Shop, and it has an off-white hue that plays well with the colour of the skirt.

It bring the concept of "clean girl aesthetic" to a different level.

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.

Black buster week: Blowing bubbles

Nope, this isn't about that popular clothing brand from the 90s. But it's about clothes. And about black.

To cap of this week of black outfits, here's an ensemble that takes the skirt du jour - the bubble skirt.

This super cool skirt is from Surplus Shop. It has a very interesting shape and the bubble detail gives it swish and movement. For the top, it's a loose, dolman-ish style top, also in black.

Bubbles have never looked this chic!

Layered Mousse

Here's another way to wear Mocha Mousse.

Dropped by Surplus Shop last week and saw this cool dress.

It had this layered effect, with an overskirt wrapping around the waist of a shirt dress. But it's just one piece, so it's not fussy to wear. 

To keep the colour story going, the shoes are chocolate brown loafers from The SM Store.

It's layers upon layers of chic!

One skirt, two ways: Black Bubble

This skirt at Surplus Shop instantly caught me eye:

It's a black skirt with pleated details in front, and a bubble hem. This skirt looks like a replica of a Uniqlo x Marni collection for a few years back. But they didn't have it in this colour.

There were also 2 interesting tops that would look great with the skirt. And when you can't choose, just buy both, right?

The first top is a textured blouse with an oversized silhouette. But the hem is gathered, which echoes the bubble shape of the skirt.

The second top is this boxy black and white blouse. It's relaxed silhouette complements the relaxed feel of the bubble skirt. 

Amazing how many fashionable outfits you can get in one Surplus Shop branch.

Color Story: Brown town

Brown and its different hues have found itself on this blog a few times already.

And given the myriad of fashion choices that use this colour, it doesn't show any signs of stopping.

This is an ensemble that plays with different shades of brown to create a fun, relaxed and chic look.

The chocolate brown top is a loose cropped shirt from Uniqlo. The khaki culottes (yes, it's not a skirt) is from Surplus Shop. The beige Fisherman's sandals are from The SM Store.

The colour palette makes this ensemble look very chic. And worthy of painting the town in.

Pick pockets

The reason for my affinity for cargo pants is the fact that it allows me not to bring a bag.

With so many pockets and storage areas, a cargo pant helps me move around hands free, even if I'm carrying stuff.

Imagine how much stuff you can carry if you have an outfit like this:

The jeans are from The SM Store, and it has 8 - count 'em - 8 pockets in total!

The top is from Surplus Shop and has 2 big pockets in front.

With so many pockets, you can pick from so many options where to put your stuff. A LOT of it!

One shoe, two ways: You know the (Espa)drille

The CLN branch at Ali Mall is renovating soon. And you know what that means...

Renovation Sale!

Saw this pair of platform espadrilles and it was around 70% off its original price! It was too good to pass off. 

It's a very cool and versatile pair. It gives this very Castillian vibe and is a comfy way to elevate a look. 

LOOK # 1: Utilitarian chic

The main piece here is a cargo skirt made with twill, snagged from Surplus Shop. It has a dark khaki colour that works well with the espadrille. The top is the same hue of the shoe (it rhymes!) and it's from Memo.

LOOK # 2: Dressy & daring

This dress is from Straightforward. The sides have an interesting cut-out, and the back is open, with just a few straps. It might come across as casual, but the details make it dressy.

Given that you can wear it 2 times in an instant, it's proof how this shoe is such a good buy.

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?

Fashionable Farm

Qfter entering Surplus Shop, a vibrant print immediately caught my eye. It drew me in, and within a minute, the item with the eye-catching print was in my hand.

It was an Adidas running set.

Not just that, it was from a collab that they had with The Farm Rio.

Running is going to be more fun and fashionable with this dombo.

LFLTAT: Let it loose

With the current very hot weather happening in the city, you just want to wear something loose and easy. After all, wearing loose clothes will let the air pass through and make you feel a bit cooler.

Unfortunately, some people equate loose clothing with being lousy. 

Contrary to that thought, loose clothing can actually be fun and fashionable, as well as frugal. This Look For Less Than A Thousand can attest to that.

The voluminous skirt is from Surplus Shop. It has that right amount of puff and volume to make it look effortless. The top is from Jewels, which is a Shop where you can get surplus clothing on the cheap. The top is the loose, boxy shirt with a high boat neck which make it such a cool top to wear.

Together, this ensemble just cost P749!

Proof that you don’t need to lose a lot of money to look chic.

One skirt, two ways: Inside Out

 In the previous incarnations of “One Skirt, Two Ways,” it’s usually one skirt that’s paired with 2 different tops to create 2 different looks.

This time, it's the skirt that transforms to create 2 looks.

The skirt is this camouflage cargo skirt from The SM Store. Yes, The SM Store.

It's a very modern and fashionable skirt. It has a parachute silhouette with a gather on both sides of the hem. You can transform it into a full-length skirt, but it also can have a balloon silhouette when you pull the string up.

With so many details on the skirt, a simple top would be an ideal pair. Enter this knitted, turtle neck top from Surplus Shop. 

Now, here's where the second way comes in. If you turn the skirt inside out, it becomes a black shirt!

Now, the black top becomes even more fitting because it creates the illusion that it's one piece. Like a super fashionable black dress.

Thanks to SM, our OSTW reached another level.

One Skirt, Two Ways: Think Pink

You can never go wrong with a denim pencil skirt. It’s one of those pieces of clothing that goes well,with pretty much anything. Just like this piece from Surplus Shop:

It’s a washed denim skirt with front pockets and a front slit. These qualities make it as versatile as it is fashionable.

LOOK # 1: Country Club Chic

The skirt is paired with a dark pink cotton pique shirt from Memo. This gives the skirt a preppy-vibe and feels very Valle Verde Country Club back in the 80s.

LOOK # 2: Strings attached

This pink top from The SM Store has an interesting drawstring detail on the sides. It gives the shirt this parachute top vibe.

Either way, i’m Tickled Pink at how easy it is to style this skirt.

LFLTAT: Go, Cargo

Mainly because of Kurt’s brand, Ate has been into Cargo Pants of late. That’s why i’ve also been buying her cargo pants in different styles.

But recently, I spotted this cargo skirt at Surplus Shop and immediately bought it.

For the top, found this white top at The Landmark, which is a great pair with the skirt. After all, khaki and white is such a classic pairing.

Another great thing about this ensemble is the price. This pair only cost P700!

At that price point, it’s so easy to go with this outfit.

LFLTAT: Fashionable slant

Jeans with interesting details always catch my eye. Whether it's a pair for men or women, anything out of the ordinary - from the fabric, construction and style - is sure to make me buy that pair.

Case in point is this pair of blue jeans from Surplus Shop. It's a classic, straight-cut jean with a dark blue wash. But if you think it's your typical pair, check out the slanted waist band that's on top of another waist band.

It's such an interesting detail. I've had similar jeans from HKG before, but they usually look like 2 layers of denim. This one goes beyond the usual, and the slant makes it more fashionable.

To make that detail pop-out, I got this dark coloured top, also from Surplus Shop.

Great thing about this pair is that it just cost P850 in total!

Bermuda Triangle

No, this isn’t about things disappearing into thin air. It’s actually about finding things.

Back in the 80s, everyone knew what “Bermuda Shorts” were. They were the uniform of the preppy set. The length was somewhere in the middle of knickerbockers and roller girl shorts. They had a safari-vibe to them, especially when they were in neutral hues. Just this:

They’re very easy to wear and also very easy to style. The vibe changes with the simple switch of a top, And instead of 2 top options, we have 3!

The first is a Simply Vera Vera Wang Top that I snagged at Surplus Shop. It has a comfy and loose silhouette that looks great when tucked-in the short. It has a bright salmon colout that makes the outfit pop.

For something more muted and classic, the same top is available in a gray hue. This is an example of how a slight colour change transforms the vibe of the outfit.

The 3rd option is an homage to the safari roots of the shorts. This time, it’s paired with a plain, white tee from Elizabeth and James for Kohl’s. The yellow scarf, also from the same brand, gives it a much needed splash of brightness.

With this pair of very classic shorts, it’s so easy to triangulate a perfect outfit.

Color Story: Peachy Keen

The color peach, much like the fruit it was named after, is very refreshing. It’s very cool on the eyes, sweet without being too saccharine, and you can look at it for an extended period of time without getting tired of it.

That’s why i’ve always liked clothes with this hue. 

Peach dresses give out this very summer and girly vibe, but peach can also be very strong and powerful. Just like this ensemble that i’ve put together using varying shades of peach:

The knit top is from Surplus Shop, the soft blazer is from Promod, and the trousers are from The Landmark. Together, this looks like a power suit set, but with a feminine twist, thanks to the color.

Ate will surely be keen to wear this.

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.

Pant-tastic Week 2.0 - Day 3: Crop to it

From classic to chic, time to give the same pair of denim pants a more youthful spin.

That's easily done by pairing it with this very young and very current crop top from Surplus Shot. It has puffed sleeves that are very du jour, and it has horizontal stitching elements make it look dainty. But the bold colour keeps the top from looking too saccharine.

It's such a nice counterbalance and makes a young crop top look elevated and elegant.

LFTAT: Prairie Picnic

One of the shows we used to watch as little kids was "Little House on the Prairie."

It was our first peek into American country life - rolling plains, country houses, wagons, family picnics by the field - the whole shebang.

Then, there's the fashion. The women and girls wore dainty prints, loose silhouettes, frilly sleeves, clothes that looked fun and effortless.

The series last aired 40-years ago, but their effect on pop culture is still felt until today. And that effect is what inspired today's Look For Less Than A Thousand.

The top is from Surplus Shop, and has that neutral colour and frilly sleeve that harks back to their prairie dreses.

The Zalora skirt is loose and breezy, just like their dresses. And it has a red, checkered print that harks back to the picnics of old.

Together, it's a modern take on prairie dressing that can work both in the countryside and the city.

Together, this outfit cost less than P700, which is also aligned with the frugal, simple living of those living in the Little House on the Prairie.