I know this much as True

No, this isn't a Spandau Ballet post.

It's about a clothing discovery made way back in December.

While scurrying around for last minute Christmas gifts, found a brand of clothing called "True Clothing."

Design wise, they're like Pink Manila. Their clothes are elevated basics made with easy yet classy fabrics. Just like this top rendered in this year's Pantone color.

The neckline gives it a fashion moment, that's why it looks great with a classic denim jean.

I'm going to buy more from this brand from hereon in.

And that's true.

Prep work

When you hear the words "preppy style," it automatically transports you back to the 80s.

It was during that decade when this style took off. From rugby shirts to cardigans to sweater vests over pique polo shirts - these were the uniforms of that decade.

That look keeps on popping back in as the years moved forward. Rugby shirts have been part of many fast fashion brands and has actually become a staple of labels like Uniqlo.

Now, that "preppy style" is going into overdrive with the latest collaboration of Target with Rowing Blazers.

Going through their lookbook was like walking to the 80s. It's so fashionably nostalgic, but with a modern touch. This suit set made of corduroy in a salmon pink-ish hue is all that! I'm sure my sisters will rock an ensemble like this.

Time to unearth all those prep stuff I've been keeping all these years.

Bateau, Bateau, Pick!

There's something very classic and elegant about a "bateau" or "boat" neckline.

One reason behind this is because of Audrey Hepburn. She's always been the epitome of class and elegance, and she would wear this neckline a lot - both in films and in real life.

Who can forget her LBD with the bateau neckline that she wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." In "Sabrina," she also wore this type of dress almost throughout the entire film. Guess that's why it's also known as the "Sabrina" neckline.

It then comes as no surprise that I'm also on the constant look-out for dresses and tops with this neckline type.

And yes, Kashieca had it!

This pretty dress is great for lounging around at home. It's made of cotton fabric with a classic heather grey and white stripe. The neckline is bateau, and it has extended sleeves. The design and print is so classic and chic, it's easy to wear it anywhere.

Now, if you're going out on an errand or a quick mall run, it's easy to dress it up with this jacket. Yes, it's the same Kashieca jacket that I wrote about a few days ago.

This combination is so fashionable, it's no wonder I picked it!

Shirt Tales

If only the shirts in my closet could talk, these are the things they’d probably say:

“When are you taking us out?”

“Are we going to work yet?”

“Can we go to the Mall?”

Gosh! The last time I wore one of these shirts is a year ago. Seriously!

Maybe I should start wearing them as pajamas. Just to get to use them.

Little Style: The Javier edition

When Jul and Carl were kids, I remember buying them matching clothes. When I say "matching clothes" I don't mean their clothes match each others. I mean their clothes match my own. Hahaha. Somewhere out there, there's a photo of me and Carl wearing the same striped shirt and blue short combination. 

If it worked for Jul and Carl, it'll definitely work for Javier. So the past few weeks, I've been buying him clothes that I'd wear myself. (If they came in a much bigger size, of course.)

First, a pair of striped denim shorts from Cotton On.

A blue shirt from Terranova.

A chambray shirt, also from Terranova.

And blue chino shorts from SM Department store.

Put these together and you can go with this look:

 Or this look:

Either way, it's a stylish ensemble that looks awesome of Javier.

Miss Manors 2

A few years back, I mused about this "dress for the manor born lady" that I found in one of my haunts. One test of a classic dress is how current it looks like even if it was bought a few years ago, and after seeing the photos, that robin's egg blue dress is definitely a classic.

But if there's a style that really captures this manor-born vibe, it's definitely the boat neck, sleeved and hourglass dress. It's the type of dress you've seen Audrey Hepburn wear a lot of, and she's definitely has that manor-born personality.

During the holiday break, I found these two dresses which I felt were really spot-on when it comes to looking like a lady. 

The first one was this Jones New York dress which came in a pale blue shade with watercolor flowers all over the dress.

The moment I saw it, I couldn't get over how classy it looked. Each detail - from the fabric, to the cut, to the subtle ruching - made it look so elegant and expensive.

The other piece was this Zara dress which also had a boat neckline, short sleeves, and a very fitted silhouette. This had a different color and print - a bouquet of flowers with peonies being the lead bloom - all against a clean, cream colored background. Again, it's such a classy number.

It's so easy to see these dresses in many occasions - from a Sunday brunch to a daytime event. And with dresses like these, it'll definitely feel like all those occasions are happening in a manor.

Roar of the Lyons

Aside from Alexandra Chung, another fashion figure whose style is non-chalant yet uber cool is Jenna Lyons. As President and Creative Director of J. Crew, she really embodies the spirit of their brand - classic but cutting edge.

Whenever I see her in fashion events, she's always immaculately dressed. And by that, I don't mean that she's overly dressed. She's the type of girl who stands out because she doesn't look like anyone else, and that's in a very, very good way.

Take for example her outfit for the MET Ball's punk-themed soiree:

She's wearing this nerdy-geeky ensemble, but with a touch of punk. That sweatshirt with a quote from the classic The Clash ditty is all the punk she needs.

With ensembles like that, she's really one of the queens of the fashion jungle.

Romoff if you want to...

Admittedly, local fast fashion and designer collaborations don't appeal to me that much. The last collaboration that really interested me was the Kashieca & Randy Ortiz collection back in 2010. After that, everything just seemed so blah.

But as I strolled along the mall today, this poster caught my eye.

I've seen some editorials featuring Vania Romoff's work, and her aesthetic has that feminine yet edgy vibe.

I'm interested to see her entire collection for Ensembles.

Three times a lady

Maybe it's the FLOTUS influence, but I've been seeing a lot of lady-like dresses and pieces everywhere. Whether it's at the mall, at the department store, or a fast fashion boutique, there's an abundance of clothes with rich materials, classic cuts and luxe details.

Such as these 3 pieces that I've gathered the past months.

The first one is a Banana Republic tweed dress in black and brown.

The high, sabrina neckline and streamlined cut makes it such a classic piece. To keep it from being too marmy, there are little touches of fun such as a ribbon at the back of the dress.

The next ensemble is a combination of two items from The Landmark and Forever 21. The turtleneck top is from the department store's knit department. It's classic and ridiculously cheap.

The skirt is a classic pencil cut skirt with a tweed fabric. Exposed zippers add a bit of zing to the otherwise plain skirt.

Finally, this elegant and casual dress from Forever 21. At first glance, the look like separates. But it's actually just one piece.

The top is silk and is done in a very blouse-y way. This balances out the very sleek and tight bottom part of the dress.

With ensembles like these, it's so easy to be a lady. Not just once, twice, but three times a lady. (Sorry, I couldn't help but make a Kenny Rogers reference. Harhar.)

Debutante diaries 1: Material world

In 2 months time, one of my nieces - Alex - will be celebrating her birthday. Both my sisters are involved in the preparations in one shape or form, so they're definitely attending this grand shindig. (I've never had the chance to attend any of Alex's parties.)

Needless to say, Ate Bullet's first question was: What am I going to wear?

Her theme is "Disney Princesses," and thankfully, guests aren't asked to come in as fairy tale characters. The only guideline that our Tita gave them was that there shouldn't be any dark colors, and they'd prefer pastel outfits. 

So, off to the fabric archive I went and found two sets of fabrics that would look awesome and appropriate for the debut.

Here's the first set, which I call the "Cool Corals." It's composed of a combination of charmeuse and dobby georgette in coral, and a silk fabric in an abstract pattern.

When I saw this, I knew that the printed fabric would be the focal point of the dress. It's just so eye-catching and current.

The second is what I termed "Girlie Garden." It's pink charmeuse, beige tulle and a pretty silk fabric with a floral watercolor motif.

The first time I saw this fabric, it reminded me of Prada's "Faerie" collection. How's that for alignment with the theme. It's dainty without being to saccharine, which is very appropriate for Ate Lissa.

Now that the materials are all chosen and set, time to figure out what to do with it.

A-muse-ing

More than a month ago, Ate Bullet told me that they were going to have their family portrait taken, and proceeded to ask me to help out in choosing what she should wear for the pictorial. In short, it was another styling (inside) job.

This task was both easy and difficult. Easy because Ate Bullet can pretty much wear anything. (As Mark said before, she can wear a sack and it will still look good.) It was difficult because she has so, so, SO many clothes that it would be a challenge to choose a few pieces.

After asking her what look she was going for, she simply said that she wanted something classic, elegant, memorable but with an eye-catching punch. This actually didn't help because almost all of her clothes are like that.

But choices had to be made, and the parameters that I set were: 1. Neutral or dark colors, 2. Classic shapes, and 3. With details - quirky or otherwise. These parameters led me to these 3 looks.

First, an all-Lanvin x H&M ensemble. It consisted of the ballerina dress, a statement necklace, and black open-toe pumps.

Second, she wore the 3-fabric dress that I designed and Aling Bright made. It really fits her like a glove! And she used the same pair of black pumps.

After this shot, we were pretty much set to call it a night. But the photographer stopped us and said that she wanted to take a photo of Ate Bullet and me, and he had a theme in mind.

"Designer and muse."

I didn't bring anything to wear, except for the clothes on my back. Luckily, Kevin's coat fit me, then I borrowed Kurt's bow tie, then Mau lent me his specs. The final product was me channeling Alber Elbaz, which is cool because I've always liked his work for Lanvin.

For this shot, Ate Bullet wore a black and nude gown which I bought in HKG more than 4 years ago. Finally, it got out of the closet and was worn for the pictorial.

As a final shot, we played around and took this crazy photo of Ate Bullet, Raymond and myself. As I mentioned in my year-end post, it looked like a very convincing photo as people were emailing me, asking if I shifted from Advertising to design. (And the answer was "no.")

In a way, Mau was right. This was a "muse" moment because the 3 women in the family - Mom, Ate Lissa and Ate Bullet - are all muses. They're all into fashion, they all have impeccable style, and they have fun with fashion.

It's an a-muse-ing family indeed.

Casual and Colorful

A laid-back lunch with Dad last Father's Day called for an attire that had the same vibe. And even if they didn't talk about it, the Morales ladies and girls were all decked in casual cool outfits.

Ate Bullet pairs a loose top with skinny marigold trousers. A black, slouchy bag completes her look.

Here's the perfect example of sisters in style. They're wearing the same style of top, but Ate Lissa pairs her teal colored blouse with blue boyfriend shorts. A slouchy, teal bag completes the look. Also, they're both wearing the Old Navy sandals that Kuya Marv got them from the U.S.

Yes, everyone must've been thinking of the same thing before heading off to lunch. Here are 3 generations of Morales women, all decked out in color. From Mom, Rose and Princess' tops, to Toni's bright and happy combination of neon yellow and pink.

Such colorful looks that are suited to a colorful occasion .

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

That's the only thing I can say.
Went to Ap Lei Chau to escape the fray,
Wanted to make the most of my short stay.
Found myself inside the store, my mind went astray,
Until I found something breathtaking,
I didn't know what to say.
It was a beauty in Chromium Gray.
One look, I grabbed it, and I was on my way.
Carrying a fantastic piece from Roland Mouret.

Yup, this definitely made my day.

Honey, they shrunk the shirt!

Horror of horrors! Mother of all horrors!

After picking up my laundry from the neighborhood laundromat, I found out that my favorite Wolverine shirt shrunk! It used to be this great fitting, Marvel themed Zara shirt. But when it came back, it's been reduced to a baby-tee!

Well, it still fits the right way on the shoulders and the body, but the length -- that's something else entirely. Though I wouldn't go as far as calling it a hanging tee, it's teeter-tottering so close to that. The bottom of the shirt ends where the top of my low-rise Levi's 521 begins. Ergo, should I shrug my shoulder just a little bit, you can instantly see skin peeking out.

And should I go as far as bending or raising my arms, heck, i'll be close to putting on a show. Low-rise jeans + short tee = flesh bonanza.

Given this shirt's sorry state, I have 3 options:

1. Give the shirt to my nephews.
2. Wear the shirt under a long-sleeved polo for that All-American College Boy look
3. Ditch the shirt and rush off to Zara for a new one.

Hmmmmm....

*think*

*think*

*think*

Maybe I should just do all three.