Printed Matter: Dainty details

My penchant for botanical prints is well documented on this blog. In fact, Ate Bullet has a number of nice, botanical print clothes in her closet.

But there's always room for another one. Especially if the print is this cute.

This is a botanical print, but done in a dainty way. The prints are small and delicate, simple in its execution and colour, and spaced adequately so that you can appreciate it more.

And this dainty print is from an equally dainty dress from The Landmark.

You really can never have too many botanical print dresses. 

Prep work

Uniqlo called it. 

The preppy-era is back, yet again.

Time to bring out those polos, cardigans and sweaters.

But here's a reimagined way of looking at preppy.

Put together this ensemble using pieces that are normally preppy, but with little twists here and there. The top is a knit polo, but with a slightly exaggerated shoulder and a drawstring at the bottom. Got this at Landmark. 

The SHEIN skirt has an asymmetric waist detail and an off-centre hem.

Finally, the shoes are a cross between sneakers and ballet flats, with very preppy primary colours. This is also from SHEIN.

See? Looking preppy AND modern doesn't take a lot of work.

Color Story: Foxy Browns

Brown is a colour that always has a space in my shopping basket, and eventually, Ate Bullet's closet.

For me, it's just like black and white clothes - you can't have too much of it.

That said, here's another outfit inspired by this hue.

The top is an interesting piece. It's made of a suede-like material, and it has a boxy fit. Trust Zara to come up with something as fashionable as this. The skirt is from Landmark, and it has an interesting texture - it reminds me of those foldable Chinese lanterns. And the sneakers are also from Zara, a pair of brown sneakers that have a soccer vibe.

This mix of textures and shades make this brown ensemble a standout.

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.

Color Story: I've got the Pow(d)er

At one point, powder blue was a popular colour for weddings.

Take it from me. I'm a wedding planner. (Or used to be, at least.)

 But powder blue is a great hue for everyday wear, too. Just like this combo.

The knit top is from Penshoppe, while the floral skirt is from The Landmark. To ground the look, beige flats from Parisian.

You won't get the blues with this ensemble.

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: 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.

Black-buster week: Neck deep

Recently, Ate Bullet has been into black outfits. This is mainly because of her 2 current favourite shoes - the black Tabi Japanese shoes, and her Zara ballet flats.

So, this week is going to be about the outfits that we've put together for those shoes.

The first one is inspired by a black, ribbed mock turtle neck top from The Landmark.

This blouse is super nice because of the fabric. It's so soft that it sculpts itself on the wearer's body. The texture makes it go beyond basic black, which is always a plus. Whether it's tucked-in or untucked, this blouse elevates the look. 

And we're tpairing it in a mixed-fabric skirt from Incerun. Again, this brand has been delivering consistently, and this black skirt is a winner.

This is going to look great with the black, ballerina flats.

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!

One shirt, three ways

Plains & Prints came out with another Barbie collaboration. It's inspired by country club chic, and it's reflected in most of the pieces of the collection. There are a lot of pieces inspired by tennis, some sportswear inspired pieces in tweed, plus some preppy items.

Despite all the colours and prints that it has to offer, my fave piece is this classic white shirt.

It's a crisp and clean white shirt with a standing collar. The overall shape is very unique, having this oversized silhouette, a longer back hem, and the sleeves are both cuffed and dropped. So much chic details!

While it's unique, it's also very versatile. Here are 3 ways to wear it, each with its own vibe.

First, it's paired with a flared denim skirt with buttons in front. The skirt is from Dockers, and it makes the look very carefree. It's something that you can do weekend errands with, but in an elevated way.

Second, with a long, denim skirt with a high side slit which is from The Landmark. This gives the shirt a casual yet sultry vibe, but still keeping the classic shirt and denim combo.

Third, it's paired with a classic, straight cut jean from Muji. This is the quintessential classic - but lifted.

Three cheers for this versatile piece!

Layered Lime

Since Ate Bullet is into loose dresses lately, my eyes are always peeled during mall runs.

Et voila, saw this lime green dress at The Landmark.

It's an easy-breezy dress with a fitted top, an airy skirt, and flouncy ruffles at the hem. And when you turn around, that's where it gets even more interesting.

Tadaa! A lace-up cutout detail at the back. Chic and sexy at the same time.

Incidentally, there was also a knitted top that had touches of lime in the design. It felt like a perfect layering piece, so off to the shopping cart it went.

So, the dress can now be worn two ways. And the top can also be worn separately.

It's lime time!

LFLTAT: Wide and Narrow

In fashion, it's always nice to play with proportions. Pairing together opposites usually creates a move visually interesting ensemble.

With that thought in mind - and because of recent sales this weekend - we have a Look For Less Than A Thousand that embodies that thought. An ensemble that plays with wide and narrow.

The "wide" is this wide-legged jeans from Penshoppe. This pair is such a winner! From the silhouette, to the dark denim material, to the white stitching, plus the fact that it's a cargo pant! So many wins in one piece of clothing.

The "narrow" is this knitted top from The Landmark. It's cut close to the body, and has a semi-turtle neck to bring the silhouette all the way to the top.

It's a play of proportions that's so chic, you'd think that it cost a lot to put it together.

(Guess what? It's less than P600.)

Rio Grand

What was the Christmas Gift Wrap theme for 2023?

Sometime in June, we went to National Book Store in Cubao to buy some supplies. Part of the 2nd floor was turned into an NBS outlet, so I decided to go up and check out what they had.

One corner of the area was set aside for gift wrappers. Rolls upon rolls upon rolls of different gift wrappers of varied designs where jammed into cardboard boxes. Of course, I had to check out the designs they had.

There was one design that jumped out of the plethora of rolls. The wrapper was covered in different tropical birds doing a celebratory dance. Immediately, this reminded me of the film "Rio," one of my favourite films. That sealed the deal.

Since the wrapper itself had a dark colour, the ribbon had to be light and bright to serve as a contrasting element. Looking at the many, many colours on the design, my eye singled out yellow as the main ribbon, while coral and baby blue served as the additional hue.

With the wrappers secured, it was time to look for the accent. I knew exactly what I wanted - clothespins with a bird design. But gosh! It was so difficult to find! Went to 168 - none. Checked out Shopee and Lazada - none. Just when I was about to give up, a random stroll at The Landmark proved to be the end of my search. 

They had clothespins with a flamingo design. Woot!

Aside from that, found 2 other worthy accents - a red robin clip-on, and a wooden keychain with a bird motif.

Then, the cards. Made the usual 4 designs, but was only to take a photo of 2 since the rest ran out already.

With all these elements together, here's the final theme.

Just like "Rio," it's frivolous, festive and fun! Which is what Christmas - and Christmas gifts - should be.

Color Story: Our Blues

Three different shades of blue in one outfit?

Why not!

You’ll never get the blues with an outfit this blue.

LFTAT: Ohhh-K!

This is a fact: People watch K-drama for the fashion.

The clothes that the actors and characters wear suddenly find themselves in the streets of MNL. I've seen people - both strangers and people I know - who wear outfits that are reminiscent of K-dramas.

Some of my previous LFLTATs were inspired by the K-Look. And thanks to a recent mall run, here's another ensemble to add to the list:

You'll usually see characters wearing something like this during wintertime. The GU knitted top has a mock turtleneck and puffy sleeves. The skirt is from The Landmark, and is a tulle skirt with a subtle window-pane design.

Together, this ensemble rang up to P900. 

And that's an affordable way to get your K-vibe without even going to Korea.

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.

Make mine Magenta

It's no surprise that fashion brands are suddenly bringing out their best magenta outfits. After all, Viva Magenta is Pantone's Colour of the Year for 2023.

Because the family wants to welcome the new year wearing this coming year's colour, it was off to the mall to find outfits for Mom. Luckily, there were 2 outfits that fit the bill.

Outfit # 1 is from Stella at Robinsons Department Store. 

It's a loose cotton jersey shirt and pants combo that's as comfortable as it is colourful.

Outfit # 2 is a combination from 2 shops.

The Susan Graver top is made of jersey and has a mock turtle neck and extended sleeves. The pair of jeans is from The Landmark.

Okay, Pantone! We're ready for 2023!

Nifty Nineties

Back in the 90s, wearing a white t-shirt inside a dress was all the rage.

My Ates were big fans of this look. Ate Lissa had this favorite ensemble consisting of a white t-shirt worn inside a spaghetti-strap floral dress. She had it in several hues and prints, but it’s the black floral dress that I remember the most.

These days, the look seems to be coming back. Not surprising since fashion usually has a cycle of 2 decades before trends come back.

Yesterday, I wrote about this nice, white t-shirt from Elizabeth and James for Kohl’s  that was part of the “Bermuda Triangle.” Today, we use the same shirt for a more 90s outfit.

It’s now worn inside a cream-coloured knit dress from The Landmark. The cable-knit of this dress adds much needed texture and plays well with how plain the shirt is. It also updates the look from being to 90s to more 2020s.

Amazing how versatile a white shirt can be.

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: 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?