Color Story: Brown Butter

One of the more popular coffee flavours at my nephew’s coffee shop is a concoction the call “Brown Butter Coffee.”

It combines coffee with this homemade, golden caramel syrup, and it creates this combination that’s both strong and smooth.

Well, at least that’s how their regulars describe it. It’s common knowledge that i’m not a coffee drinker.

But Brown Butter Caramel is the color inspiration behind this outfit that I gave Rose for her birthday.

The top is a golden butter color with dolman sleeves from ForMe, while the caramel colored jeans are from Betshka.

To complete the look, a pair of brown mules from Zalora.

It might not be coffee, but this look will surely perk a person up.

LFLTAT: K, fine

It's something I've noticed since my first trip to Korea.

The Korean sense of fashion.

Their way of dress - whether traditional garbs or street wear - have a distinct look. It's so distinct that you can actually use their country name as an adjective. Like: "Her outfit is so Korean!"

It's something that's also evident in the few Korean series that I catch on Netflix. Whether it's a rom-com, an action film, a mystery-thriller or a drama, the characters are always distinctly - and beautifully - dressed.

One of the recurring fashion themes is the pencil skirt and turtle neck blouse. This is their usual office wear, and it's usually topped with a trench coat or a loose blazer during spring or winter. But during summer, or while they're in their office, the pencil skirt and blouse is a go-to for women.

That look is what inspired this LFLTAT.

The top is an old top from Maldita. It's something I've written about 2 years ago. 

It's a top with a mock turtle neck and draped sleeves. The fabric is cotton jersey, so it's perfect for the local weather. And it has a muted colour - another recurring Korean theme.

Then, there's the pencil skirt from Zalora. But to give it a fashionable twist, it's a wrap skirt with a subtle drape in front. And it's dusty pink hue is a perfect match for the gray top.

For an outfit that's less than P800, this ensemble is not just okay, it's a "K"!

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.

One Top, Two ways: Vested interests

I'm going out on a limb here, but vests are one of the most underrated and underutilized items in fashion.

A vest - when properly used - can elevate an outfit. It's such a simple piece of clothing, but it has a transformative effect. Given the right cut, color and fabric, it can totally change the overall look and feel of an outfit.

Here's an example: A simple denim vest from Bench. It has jean-like details like rivets and metal buttons. The shape is loose and the length is longer than usual. On its own, it looks quite nondescript.

 

But if you add it on to other pieces, it takes on a totally different fashion form and feel. See how these two dresses from Zalora transform with the help of this vest.

Place it on top of a patterned maxi-dress, and it gives a very boho-chic vibe that's very California in it's look and feel.

Wear it on top of a swiss dot prairie dress, and you've got an ensemble that's very chic-Western. It's something that will look like something from Texas or Arizona.

And those are just 2 ways to style this denim vest. If you start wearing this with separates, then it takes on a different persona.

Interesting how one little piece of clothing can do all that.

Wanza-pon a time

One of the dresses that Plains & Prints came up with during its Holiday 2020 collection was this sculptural dress with color blocking detail that was both simple yet elegant.

The dress was called “Wanza.”

I’ve been meaning to buy that dress, but i’d always be derailed by another item and would end up buying the other piece of clothing.

Then last week, I went to Zalora’s site and found out that they still had the Wanza there. At 50% off!

So, that’s the reason why I didn’t buy it in store at regular price. The sale was waiting for me.

There’s really a perfect time for everything.

Getting (She)Into it!

There's an online fast fashion brand that's been around for years now. 

SHEIN.

That name has been synonymous to fashionable and trendy clothing at very low price points. They've also been subject to their own sets of controversy, particularly selling knock-offs of clothing made by independent designers or bigger fast fashion brands like Zara.

Some online influencers abroad have even featured SheIn in their haul videos, and they swear by the brand for cheap and trendy clothing.

Although I've been looking at their website for years now, I've never gone around to buying from them. After all, I get my fast fashion fix online through Zalora, and I'm assured of the quality of their products. 

Then, I discovered Shopee and Lazada, which is a virtual mall selling brands that you find in physical stores.

But last Christmas Eve, my niece - Princess - talked to me about SheIn and how it's her go-to shopping place for fun and fashionable clothing. She talked about it with such excitement, that it rubbed off on me and I found myself checking out the site again.

More than checking out, I eventually bought a few pieces, just to give it a try.

So far, so good. The quality, fabric, designs and construction seem to be good, especially for their pants and jeans.

And here's a fun fact. When I looked at the address of the store, the name of the building sounded familiar.

Wing Hing Industrial Building is one of my usual haunts for Export Overruns in Kwun Tong! I used to frequent that building when I was still living in HKG, and even wrote about it in an inflight magazine.

Looks like I'm meant to be (She)In this place!

The long and short of it

Here's another cool purchase from Zalora. 

This dress is from the New Essentials collection, which is basically a collaboration between Zalora and young designers. One of the dresses from this collection was this Dennis Lustico dress.

Now, this dress is also a collaboration between Zalora and Ivar Aseron. Just like Dennis Lustico, Ivar is one of the avant garde designers who made it big in the 2010s.

This easy dress has a loose silhouette that's very easy to wear - whether you're lounging at home or going out at night, it's can transition easily.

Ivar Aseron is known for thoughtful details, and this dress has one of those, too.

The hem of this dress is actually detachable. Just pull the strings and you can remove the lower part of the dress.

So, you can change from a midi-dress to a mini-one in a matter of minutes!

Long and short of it, this is a very creative and chic dress. 

Lusti-Cool

Back in the 2000s, there emerged a new breed of fashion designers in the Philippines. 

They were young, creative, bold and imaginative. They stormed fashion shows and fashion magazines with their cool, architectural and avant-garde designs.

Among these names were Joji Lloren, Avel Bacudio, Ivarluski Aseron, Dennis Lustico, Rajo Laurel among others.

I've always liked the work of these designers, and thanks to some of their collaborations, I was able to snag pieces from them. There's Joji Lloren for Rustan's, Avel Bacudio for Landmark, Rajo Laurel for Plains and Prints, among others.

Last year, I saw that Dennis Lustico - along with other designers - had a collaboration with Zalora. I'd often go back and check out these dresses on their site, and always planned to get them. 

A few months ago, I finally did!

This dress from Dennis Lustico is true to his aesthetic. Very sleek and architectural, with feminine details like point d'esprit lace.

From the color (or non-color), to the construction and design, this dress is so cool! And I'm so glad I was able to snag it!

LFLTAT: Building (Colour) Blocks

While the past year hasn't been conducive for "dressing up," it doesn't stop us from putting together dreamy, colourful outfits that will eventually see the light of fashion day.

Because of trawling online shops and the almost-monthly sales, it's quite easy to come up with a fashionable Look For Less Than A Thousand.

To add more colour into our days, that's the theme of this look. Bright, happy pops and blocks of colour!

The dress is from the Zalora Occasion collection. It's a classic, architectural silhouette, made with a combination of fuchsia and burnt sienna.

Then, there's the pair of block heels from The SM Store. Also on sale, and it was a bargain! The great thing about this is that the style is very classic, and it goes well with anything. But because of the fuchsia hue, it goes well the the dress as it mirrors the top part of the dress.

This is an outfit that makes you feel dressed to the nines, and it's actually just P900 in total! It's a (colour)blockbuster indeed!

What’s the Occasion?

 

It's Zalora Occasion!

Apparently, there's another sub-brand under the Zalora name. I'm familiar with Zalora Young, Zalora Basics and Zalora Core. But a few weeks ago, while browsing the Zalora site, the discovery that there's yet another sub-brand presented itself.

Zalora Occasion is a collection of party dresses and more fashionably unique options. Going through this section of the site, there were a lot of more luxe fabrics like lace, jacquard, silk gazar and silk charmeuse. Their dresses also have more embellishments like velvet, gross grain, even beadwork and crystals. Just like this dress from the collection that ended up in my cart. And at home.

For the price paid for this dress (less than P400), it's definitely a steal. The fabric was silk, the beadwork carefully sewed on, and the design, very chic! If this dress were in Zara, it would probably be in the P3000 level.

Looks like I'll be in this section of Zalora on more occasions.

Black lace and promises

It’s been almost a year since i’ve Last stepped into an H&M store. And for me, a year with no H&M is equivalent to 5 years! Harhar.

My promise was once things ease up, i’ll visit the one nearest the house - either Gateway or UP Town Center and buy something. Let’s show H&M some support!

But it turns out the promise would be kept at a nearer branch - their online store at Zalora!

While the selection isn’t as vast as their physical stores, there were still some interesting buys. Like this black lace dress.

What made it more interesting? The fact that it was on sale. And really cheap!

And with this online purchase, part of my promise was kept.

Too good to Miss

One good thing about Zalora is that I'm beginning to discover some popular brands abroad that are unknown or under-the-radar here in Manila.

Last year was a year of discovering Tussah, Chancery, Willa, among others.

And today is the day of discovering MissGuided!

They've got very feminine dresses with contemporary details which are great for going out and making a statement. Best part of the discovery is that they're on sale, with additional discounts on top of the already big discounts!

It's a deal that's too good to miss, if you ask me.

Color Story: Pantone sets the tone

As the Year starts, Pantone has already named their “Color of the Year.” 

In the case of 2021, Make that “Colors of the Year.”

They have 2 this Year. It’s a shade of yellow called “Illuminating,” and “Ultimate Gray.

Providentially, through the course of the year, i’ve been buying yellow dresses and other items of clothing on Zalora. And now that the color is officially one of the colors of 2021, time to bring them out for Ate to wear.

First is this bright, breezy shirt dress. It’s so easy-to-wear and easy-to-dress-up-or-down depending on where it will be worn. Hopefully, there will be more opportunities to wear it this year.

Second, this scalloped jumpsuit that’s chic and unique. The reason why I snagged it initially was because it reminded me of Victoria Beckham’s collection for Target. It turns out, the color will be a big trend! How’s that for forward thinking?

There are a few others in the stash (or as Mark calls it, “the Magical Stash”). Will have to dig those out first then premiere them once I do.

Un-dressed to the Nines

Hard to imagine this, but it's been 9 months since I've stepped into an H&M store.

Time was when this was unimaginable. Heck, even when H&M wasn't in Manila yet, I'd get to see it at least once every 2 months with my travels abroad.

Now, I'm relegated to just "visiting" H&M online.

Of course, there's still no comparison to actually being there and touching the merchandise, and browsing racks and racks and racks of clothes for hours. Especially when there's a sale.

Soon, H&M. Soon.

Testing... Testing...

It's always a thrill whenever you catch a website in the middle of testing or loading data, photos, and other posts. 

Just like when I visited the Zalora website and caught that moment when they're testing and trying to upload new products:

And yes, you know you visit Zalora too much when you catch moments like this.

The Belters

"Where are the belts?"

"Why is no one rea-dy?"

Well, as it turns out, Zalora is ready with the belts. In fact, they have a very wide variety of choices of dresses with belts. They have them in different lengths, styles and materials.

And here are 2 of the more notable ones.

First, a chambray, button down dress with pleated sleeves. I'm liking the length and ease of this dress - very weekend.

Second, a maxi-dress with puffed, ribbon-tied sleeves and a bright red-orange colour. It's a great dress to wear on a fun, sunny weekend.

Of course, it's easy to see the commonality among these 2 dresses - thick belts that add shape and definition to the wearer.

These are just 2 of many dresses that they have on the site. (And some of which I eventually bought.) 

Fact is, there are more belts in their website than a Pinoy singing contestant.

Puff the Magic sleeves!

Sleeves are making a big comeback these days.

What's even more interesting is that they now come in different shapes and sizes. So, it's no longer the traditional shirt sleeve or cap sleeve, or even the split sleeve. Now, they're getting bigger, and the shapes, more interesting.

Like this dress from Zalora which has an all-around pleated detail which creates an interesting puff shape on the sleeve. 

The tapered edge of the sleeves add a dramatic touch - making it look voluminous yet streamlined at the same time.

That's what elevates this dress from a seemingly simple silhouette to something more fashionable. Amazing what magic sleeves can do.

High Necks in line

One of the interesting trends that I saw on Zalora of late are their high neck dresses. Browsing through the brand, they have a number of nice dresses in different lengths and styles. Two of the most eye-catching ones ended up in my cart.

And eventually, at home.

The first one is this mod, 60s style shift dress. What I like about this is how the high neck is exaggerated to an almost turtle-neck style. Plus, the colours and colour blocking are also very stylish.

The second is another colour blocked number, this one with a stark black-and-white combination. Plus, the shape of the white part creates a one-shoulder illusion.

While high neck styles are often seen as too modest and conservative, these Zalora dresses show that modesty can still be so fashionable and chic!

S & M

Nope, it's not about that S&M.

Nor is it about Rihanna's hit, "S&M."

This is about this dress from the Zalora website.

"Asymmetric" seems like an easy word to spell, right? One "s" and two "m"s?

But apparently, they thought it was the other way around.

Proofreader, please.

I Chu-s you!

Although not "Sex And The City" or "The Devil Wears Prada" in scale, the film "Crazy Rich Asians" had some fashion moments as well. It wasn't as prominent as the jewel moments, but there were a few ones that are noteworthy.

Of course, Astrid would be the resident fashionista of the film. Her first scene - wearing that ivory shift dress with the shawl neckline - that was fashion gold. And when she bought those pearl and ruby drop earrings - that was cherry on top of the icing.

But the main character, Rachel Chu, had her fashion moments as well. Of course, her style was very no-nonsense, New York economics professor. But thanks to Peik Lin and Oliver, she transformed into a 70s disco Goddess and an ethereal wedding guest in Giambattista Valli.

It's a far cry from where she started. This simple and pretty red shift dress which she bargained for in NYC and was supposed to wear for her outing in the Young household.

And if you watched the film, you know that the Goh family pooh-poohed this dress and found it extremely pedestrian. Despite that, I still love the simplicity of it. It was a dress that fit Rachel's character quite well.

During a routine Zalora website visit, I saw a red dress that had the same feel as Rachel's dress. It had the same color, the same neckline, similar cap-sleeves, and the same striking simplicity that I liked. Because of that, in the cart it went, and soon enough, it was here!

It's a dress that was an easy choice.