Maxi-mum chicness

There’s something about summer that makes maxi-dresses look for effortless.

Maybe it’s because of the breezy weather or the sun shining, but it’s nice to see something long, flowy and printed around this time.

Which makes this dress from The Ramp a perfect thing to wear. 

Yes, considering that The Ramp closed down a few years ago, this is an old dress that was dug out from “The Stash.” It has a nice silhouette, a geometric print, and the back is so summer worthy.

Dressing for summer has never been this chic!

The Closing of Crossings

It was a lazy Sunday, and I thought of making a quick stop at Crossings Department Store in Quezon Avenue.

This branch is the last remaining branch of the then-department-store-chain. The opening of their first branch in Shangrila Plaza Mall is still fresh in my memory. For me, Crossings was the midpoint between SM Department Store and Rustan's Department Store. It was classy, but not alienating.

Eventually, Crossings transformed into Crossings - The Ramp. This focused more on clothing, and it was my constant source and haunt for unique and fashionable items. My sisters' closets are still lined with beautiful dresses and shoes from The Ramp.

Slowly, the branches of The Ramp started to close. First, it was the one in Shangrila, then in Glorietta, and eventually in Trinoma. Those were sad days for fashion, but my only consolation was that the Quezon Avenue branch was still open.

Until today. Because this is what greeted me when I got there:

And with that, Crossings and Crossings - The Ramp are both completely closed.

It's sad, but it was a good run.

There goes The Ramp

Knowing that the Trinoma branch of The Ramp was already closed, I decided to check out the branch in Glorietta. There's this shift dress that I saw a month ago, and was hoping to get it for Ate.

Here's what I saw when I got to Glorietta.

It's closed, too!!!

Now I'm hoping against hope that the Quezon Avenue branch is still open.

Another Ramp bites the dust

Just this January, Crossings at Shangrila closed its doors, leaving a lot of fashion-philes forlorn.

When I passed by Crossings in Trinoma yesterday, this sign greeted me!

They're closing down, too.

Sadness!

Please keep the Glorietta and Quezon Avenue stores open. Please!

Crossings it out

It's been a while since I last checked out The Ramp at Crossings Department Store in Shangrila, so I decided to drop by today. 

This is what greeted me:

Two things immediately came to mind:

1. This is a huge area they're leaving behind, so I'm intrigued to know who's taking their place here. H&M or Uniqlo perhaps?

2. I still remember when they opened 20 years ago. They were positioning themselves as a contender to SM, and Crossings was one of the anchor stores of Shangrila Plaza back then. They had 2 huge floors, and carried pretty classy stuff. Too bad they couldn't sustain it.

Now, I'll have to go all the way to Makati or Trinoma for my The Ramp fix.

Hope those ones don't close, too.

Necks in line

Accessories can change the look of an outfit. Particularly a good necklace. Ate Bullet knows this all to well and is very fond of accessorizing her everyday outfits with a fun and funky neckpiece. 

Needless to say, whenever I see an interesting necklace, I snap it up for her. And I've been seeing a lot of them the past few months. 

An "interesting necklace" for me is something that's a statement piece. It should have a commanding presence, that's why bigger is better. There should also be a point of interest - whether it's a pendant, the color, or the material. Something should naturally stand-out. 

Luckily, the past few months, I've been seeing a lot of those in the market. Among them are these pieces:

1. A multi-colored choker from The Landmark. It has this Cleopatra-esque quality to it and will look awesome with a jewel-neck shift.

2. A gold necklace with lion details from The Ramp. The two lion heads hold together a variety of chains.

3. A bejeweled safari-inspired necklace from The Ramp. It was the Elephant pendant that did this for me.

4. A regal-looking blue neckpiece from Zara. This looks like something out of a princess or queen's jewelry collection.

5. A fabric neckpiece from Zara. Whilst this looks heavy, it's actually very light.

6. A tribal necklace from Zara. This is a eye-catching showstopper.

I've seen Ate wear some of these with her usual "white shirt and jeans" combo, and they really do lift her outfit to a much higher level.

Amazing what a good necklace can do.

A (lace) pattern forming

In the continuing saga of lace...

Most people think that lace is all about random floral patterns. But there are rare occasions where lace has this more systematic and rhythmic pattern that give it a different feel. Instead of being too frilly and girly, it becomes more architectural and art deco.

Just like this pattern. It's bereft of flowers or frill, so it's not the conventional lace.

This very unique lace fabric is from a dress that was part of Vania Romoff's capsule collection for The Ramp.

Everything about this dress is perfection. The fabric is unique, the silhouette is classic, and there's even a touch of yellow velvet to keep the look from looking flat.

It's a combination that can make non-lace believers embrace the lace trend.

Color story: Pale and a pop

While I've professed a liking for color, I also like to keep it toned down and neutral every so often. Now, my sisters' closets are full of colors from both ends of the spectrum, so I thought of adding a very neutral piece in case they want to look a bit more muted.

I found the perfect look for that during a visit to The Ramp last week.

The first thing I saw was this beige shift dress which had a classic shape in a pale, oatmeal-like color. This is actually the same party-at-the-back dress that I snagged at The Ramp last July. 

Further down the store, my attention gravitated towards a pair of brogue-inspired pumps. The heel was substantial, the peep-toe was a nice detail, and the color was a winner. It was predominantly beige - which matched the dress - and it had pops of lemon yellow. Nice combo.

Putting the pieces together yielded this simple and streamlined look, which might be predominantly pale, but has a nice pop.

With the amount of parties Ate will be attending this Christmas, I'm sure this outfit will pop out of her closet pretty soon.

Flowers on your feet

In the continuing saga of masculine meets feminine, I present these shoes from The Ramp:

The shape is that of your classic loafers, complete with the penny window. Too bad (or thankfully) penny loafers aren't in fashion anymore. I would've looked for a coin that'll actually fit in that small window.

To balance the masculinity of the shape, the fabric used is silk with a bold floral print. This gives the pair unabashed femininity.

All you need is a pair of jeans, a plain shirt and these floral loafers on your feet, and you have an outfit that's a real treat.