Southern Style: Keeping it Knit

Despite the fact that our Cebu trip was just an overnight one, the fact that our hotel was beside Ayala Center Cebu made up for it.

After our meetings, I'd hie off to Metro Gaisano Cebu. They have a good selection of clothes and textiles, and it's always a stop-over whenever my travels take me to Cebu City.

My lightning quick visit didn't disappoint. Was able to snag a couple of chic and unique looks - mostly from their house brands.

The first find was this ensemble with a knit skirt as the key piece.

It's this thick, knit skirt with a mixed houndstooth patterns. It has a fitted silhouette that flares at the bottom. The top is a black shell top with ribbons and buttons on the side. These are from Maco - the brand that's exclusive to Metro, and a brand that I'd buy often.

This is so neat!

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.

LFTAT: The ABCs of fashion - the repeat

It was almost 5 years ago when I wrote about a Look For Less Than A Thousand that was put together using brands of Golden ABC. Yes, the Filipino fast fashion conglomerate with a lot of cool brands under its portfolio.

Yesterday, at the start of SM Megamall’s 5-day Sale, we have a repeat! presenting a new LFLTAT from 3 brands of Golden ABC.

The top is a cropped, oversized shirt from BOCU. The fact that it’s cropped and oversized at the same time is such a great play of contrasts.

The skirt is a wrap around, minimalist one from Memo. 

The slip-on sneakers are from ForMe.

I’m loving the overall neutral palette of this ensemble. Very cool and chic.

But the price is what makes it even more lovable. Yes, the entire thing is a few pesos shy of P1000.

When LFLTATs cross over

The nice thing about black, white and denim is the fact that they’re very versatile and can be mixed and matched easily.

There were 2 recent LFLTATs that featured black and white tops, paired with black and denim. While putting them together, I realized that you found switch up the tops, and the ensembles would still look as chic.

Here’s the loose, black and white top with the wide legged denim cargo pants:

And the balloon skirt with the knit top.

Now, that’s the cross over we’v Been looking for.

LFLTAT: Say Crochet

While Mark and I were roaming the underground mall in Myeongdong, there was a stall that sold a lot of outfits that were straight out of K-dramas. Summer and spring outfits, at least.

In one stall, a dress on the rack immediately caught my eye. This was despite the fact that it was sandwiched in between other dresses. 

It was a white dress with puffy sleeves, and it came with a crocheted vest.

Rushing to the stall, it turns out that the dress was one-of-a-kind and they don't have others like it anymore. Unique - check!

The price? It was just W15,000! That's less than P700! Affordable - check!

That's how a random underground mall walk led me to the first LFLTAT from Seoul.

And it's not the last.

Skort the issue

Recently, Ate Bullet has been gravitating towards skorts. It’s one of her default uniforms whenever she goes to the shop.

This attire actually reminds me of our childhood. At St. Joseph’s College where Ate Lissa and Ate Bullet studied, their PE uniform consisted of a maroon skort and a white shirt with a maroon ringer detail. Maybe  this is Ate’s homage to her childhood.

Because she’s into skirts these days, I got her this very pretty one from the local clothing brand called Ziya. They have a lot of clothes with nice ethnic prints, like this one.

Like her high school uniform, this skort is maroon. But it has details in complementary colors which make it very visually interesting.

Since the bottom is already heavily printed, I chose a simple top. This loose shirt is from Memo, and it has an ultra soft fabric and a slouchy fit. A good counterbalance to the silhouette of the skort.

This ensemble will look great on Ate. No issue about that.

LFLTAT: All white, alright!

And in other Uniqlo + SM Department store = LFTAT news.

Presenting, the pristine look from these 2 fast fashion haunts.

The top is from SM Department store's Teen section. It's a crisp, button down with a billowy ruffle detail.

It's perfect pair, a white, a-line skirt from the Uniqlo U collection. On sale. Less than P500! 'Nuff said.

You just gotta love sale hunting on weekends. And I'm sure Ate Lissa will rock this all-white ensemble.

Silver belle

It might be because fast fashion is moving faster, but I've noticed how trends seem to resurge faster than usual these days.

For example, metallic moccasins were all the rage last year. It was a combination of the style of boy's loafers, plus feminine metallics like rose gold, pale gold and platinum. Forever 21 had a lot of styles, and Ate Bullet had a few in her shoe closet.

During my weekend run at SM, lo and behold, metallics are back!

This time, it's in the form of tasseled slip-on shoes. The pair is from the Parisian brand, and it was too shiny to ignore. (And buy.)

With a pair of shoes as fabulously blinding as this, the next step was to create an outfit around it. An outfit that would fit the character of the shoes - hip, cool, feminine but androgynous.

Which this nice pair of boyfriend jeans captures perfectly. It has the right wash, the right slouch, the right cuff, and the right attitude.

Since the pair of jeans and shoes already embody tomboy chic, the top should offer a counterpoint and be unabashedly feminine.

Just like this white, crocheted beauty!

It's both simple and complex - an irony that makes for good fashion.

Summed up, you have an outfit that is silver chic!

Ate Bullet will definitely rock this outfit.

LFLTAT: Of skirts and off shoulders

 If you drop by Greenhills and H&M on the same day, chances are, you can whip up a "Look for Less Than A Thousand."

First of all, the Greenhills tiangge just reopened, so you can expect to see a lot of new stuff at the same old low prices. Then, H&M just further marked down their items, so you can expect a lot of their chic items on the cheap.

And this delightful discount duo helped me come up with these 2 outfits for the Ates.

Outfit # 1: Orange you glad it's just P950?

Yup, that's the total cost of this look. The top is from Greenhills, and it's this pretty off shoulder blouse in a bright orange hue.

To match it, I found this H&M skirt with a bright orange print against a muted blue background. And the combination is refreshingly stylish.

Outfit # 2: Don't feel blue, it's only P750!

Yup, it's that cheap! From the same shop where I got the orange one, this off shoulder top comes in a navy blue color.

To match it, I found this electric pleated lace skirt, also in blue. It was the perfect match!

I'd say this Sunday was well (and cheaply) spent.

Crimson Tied

Tyler has always been a good source of "classics with a twist."

When they were just starting, I'd often go there for their tailored pieces and easy fabrics. What I liked about Tyler's clothes was the fact that there would always be a nice detail. Whether it's a hidden pin tuck or a slight drape - it always added character to the garment.

After it was acquired by a big fashion company, I noticed that their clothes became more mainstream and commercial, and I didn't drop by as often as I did before. (Even though they have more branches now.)

But I'd still drop by occasionally, in the hopes of finding a piece that's classic Tyler. And when I did yesterday, I was rewarded with this great find.

It was a classic, well-tailored shirt dress in a bright, crimson hue. The top was cut close to the body, and the skirt had a lot of body and flounce. It was a fashionable and flattering combination.

What made it even more striking was this large ribbon tied in front. It elevated the dress from the usual to more chic!

Ate Bullet is a big fan of shirt dresses, and I'm sure she'll be glad to have this in her closet.

Double Nautical

As the rainy season rolls in and summer exits, (according to PAGASA, the rainy season will be upon us in 2 weeks,) now would be a good time to really bring out all your summer outfits and wear them as often as possible.

During the Megamall sale a few weeks ago, I was able to pick-up a few summer items for Ate Bullet. Nothing says summer like a nautical outfit, and that's what I whipped up for her.

The first item are tailored shorts with a yacht print. You can't get any more nautical than a yacht.

Second, a black and white striped top. It harks back to sunny summers in the French Riviera.

And because it's always cool to mix prints, why not combine these 2 nautical pieces together!

Because they're the same color, both prints complement each other, making the whole outfit look cohesive.

Nautical just got even nicer!