The Haunt-ing

Some visits to "The Haunt" are more productive than others. And this week's visit proved to be very, very productive. Not just quantity-wise, but quality-wise as well.

A key find was this felted-wool blazer that - even on the hanger - looked unbelievably chic.



The actual color is more gray flannel than the greenish tint that registered on camera. It's got spectacular texture, a soft silk lining in contrasting colors, and it has beautiful brass buttons and an epaulet. It's the military look gone hyper-stylish. Paired with a white tank and jeans, this will look stellar.



And on the subject of jeans, I got a new - and big - stash of Sass and Bide!




The George and Dragon style was the same pair I bought a few months ago. But since the Ates swear by the fabulous fit, another pair would be in order. The Frayed Misfit style had a stovepipe leg which will make any pair of legs look kilometric. And who doesn't want mile-high legs.



Their boot cut jeans look great as well. Normally, I would hate boot cut jeans (and that deserves its own entry), but this one is done extremely well.



There was another pair - high waisted with some detailed tucks around the pocket line - which also caught my eye. This is the type of jeans you wear with a basic white shirt, a statement necklace, and a big watch.



Visits like these make me glad that "The Haunt" calls me whenever their new stuff come in. Getting first dibs on hauntingly nice stuff like these is wonderful.

Let's Dance!

We started the morning on a high note by looking at this scene from that upcoming flick "500 days of summer." It's a rom-com that stars Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt (who strangely looks like he hasn't aged since "10 things I hate about you.) In this scene, Joseph channels his inner Bollywood and engages in an impromptu dance.



I'm loving this scene. The music, the choreography, the innocence - it all works together perfectly.

And after this scene, we began talking about what our favorite dance scenes from movies are. I had to think about it for a few minutes, and these immediately made it to my list:

1. Cameron Diaz in "Charlie's Angels."


I'm torn between this scene and the "Baby's got back" portion, but since I'm a swing fan, this dance number prevailed.

2. Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde."

"The Bend and Snap." Enough said.

3. Anne Hathaway in "Ella Enchanted."

When I was still living in HKG, I'd watch this movie over and over again, and I could never get over how cool this scene was. Anne should get a musical.

4. Amy Adams in "Enchanted."

I have yet to meet a person who didn't like this movie. And this big dance number.

Of course, this list doesn't include all those campy dance numbers that pop out in Philippine movies. (Donna Cruz, anyone?) That's a topic that definitely deserves a separate post.

The next best thing to shopping...

Since H&M hasn't opened in Manila yet, (where, oh, where is it? I thought they'd open November this year?) and they don't have on-line shopping, the H&M site in HKG is offering HM-philes an interesting alternative.

The H&M fashion studio.

It lets you choose clothes, mix and match the looks, and compute how much it costs. That way, you'll know how much to bring when you actually go to the store and shop.

When I was living in HKG, this would by my uniform during the winter months.



Meanwhile, the creative girls would probably dress up in something like this:


(Wait a minute, I think I did see Nikki wearing something like this...)

And here's a look that's as relevant in MNL as it is in HKG. Cool, classic, and thanks to the hoisery, unusually chic.



Aaargh! Now I'm beginning to miss H&M.

Must... schedule... a... visit....
Must... schedule... a... visit....

Pant... Pant...

Last night, I dreamt of pants. But not just any pair of pants, but really bad-a** biker jeans. Pretty much like this:



But the wash and texture was more like this.



I hope I get over this dream soon. Or else I'd probably spend the next few weeks trying to find the pants that appeared in my dream.

Monique's a winner!

Toni Collette won an Emmy! And she received her award wearing a Monique Lhuillier! How fitting for these two amazing women to share the stage together.



The gown she chose had Monique written all over it. The workmanship and details, the fresh color - it was subtlety and flash rolled into one. If it were made with white fabric, it could be a tres chic wedding gown.

But then again, this is a Monique, so it's not far fetched that a wedding gown version of this will hit the runways soon.

Oh there you are...

As I was poring through one of my favorite on-line shop, I saw that they still have one of my fabulous finds in HKG.

The Proenza Schouler dress is still in their roster of items, and I was shocked to see the price. Even at 70% off, the price was still noticeably higher that what I paid for it. Maybe it's because they were charging pounds and my frame of refrence was HKG dollars.



The more I looked at it on the site, the more gratified I feel. That quick trip to HKG was definitely worth this dress.



Now I'm wondering when I should go back and look for more.

He gave us the time of our lives

Hollywood has another reason to mourn.



Patrick Swayze lost his battle with cancer and passed away yesterday. After Farrah and Michael, another 80s icon is gone, and it really feels like an era is ending.

But like Farrah and Michael who left us with something tangible to remember them by, Patrick Swayze will always be in our minds as Sam in "Ghost", Vida Boheme in "To Wong Foo, with Love, Julie Newmar", and of course, his iconic dance number with Jennifer Grey in "Dirty Dancing."



With something like this to remind us of him, then Patrick will be remembered for a long, long time.

Feeling Privileged

I've been sleeping late the past few Sundays. It's because of my new guilty pleasure.



Watching re-runs of "Privileged" on ETC.

The first time I read about this show was when they featured it on InStyle. There were good reviews about it, but I didn't get the urge to watch out for it. But a few Sundays ago, I caught an episode before going to bed, and got hooked. Needless to say, I didn't get to sleep early that night. Or the succeeding Sundays thereafter.

The show feels like "Mean Girls" meets "The Nanny" meets "Facts of Life" meets "Take the Lead." Like all CW shows, the writing of this show is crisp, witty and funny. Casting is great, and the girl who plays Rose is adorable. It's got the same vibe as Gossip Girl, without the "sleeping around" factor.

As much as I wish it would also be as successful as Gossip Girl, it wasn't. It only lasted 1 season, and it's not coming back on air anytime soon. And this simply means one thing: I have to find a boxed set of it soon. I wouldn't mind watching it over and over and over again after it goes off air.

New news that's old news

The past few days, I've been following - with much interest - the story of Caster Semenya. She's a South African runner who they think is a he. They say it's her muscular built and overall masculine demeanor. Which is prominent in this photo.



To counter this claim, they even did a "make over" session with Caster dolled up to look like a girl. After make up and styling, she now looks like Serena Williams. Harhar.



The international press is picking up this story as if it were a breakthrough news item. But the thing is, this happened in the Philippines a few years back.

Who can forget Nancy Navalta.



They also made her over, tried to make her look more of a girl and less of a thug. But I don't think the result was as good as Caster's. Now, Nancy is out of the spotlight, and if rumors are true, she's coaching a track and field team in some provincial school.

It's funny how the country usually pioneers in oddities like this.

Surplus Surprise

My usual route home takes me through SM Makati, and that gives me the opportunity to peruse all the wonderful and inexpensive treats the store offers. Today, as I passed through the Chowking area, I noticed that Surplus Shop set up a satellite store there. Apparently, the 2nd floor store is being renovated, which explains why they were "squatting" there.

It's been a while since Surplus Shop last surprised me. During my last few visits, their selection has become a bit drab and predictable. This is SO unlike their heyday when fabulous finds were overflowing. Going inside a Surplus Shop store nowadays is a rare event.

As I walked through the merchandise (which was in full view so I couldn't ignore them) there were a couple of items that were out of the ordinary. There were some skirts, vests and t-shirts that were unusually good. Upon closer scrutiny, the skirt was Old Navy (which I assume will be part of their Spring/Summer 2010 collection), twill and denim vests from Uniqlo (Yes! Uniqlo!), and t-shirts from H&M. (Yes! H&M!)

As exemplified by the number of exclamation points, this quick visit was a pleasant surprise. Looks like Surplus Shop is getting its fashion mojo back. And as much as I wanted to peruse some more, I was trying to avoid the MRT rush and melee, so I had to say goodbye to the goodies.

Well, not really goodbye, but "see you tomorrow."

A+B=C

This is freakin' awesome!


(video from youtube: uploaded by chascoley)

Alanis Morissette covered by Britney Spears in the 2nd leg of her concert. Coolness!

I wish I can watch her concert in Australia! I wish... I wish... I wish...

D.A.

It was a scene straight out of a bad, campy Pinoy film. But the bad and campy thing about it was, it happened in real life. Just a few feet away from me.

On my way to Citibank, I usually pass through The Enterprise Center. As I was crossing Dela Rosa, there were two women walking beside me, and by the looks of it, one was a boss and one was her assistant. Or by the way she's treated, more of an "alalay."

The boss - smoking a cigarette like contravidas usually do - was barking orders at her assistant. She rambled about calling this person, arranging another meeting with another person, etc. Her alalay dutifully nodded her head as she scampered to cross the street.

When we got to The Enterprise, there was a big sign that said smoking was prohibited in the premises. This was when things got really bizarre!

The boss - in full contravida fashion - hands her half-smoked cigarette to the assistant and barked:

"O, ayan. Ubusin mo yan. Papasok na ako."

Gosh! She made Miranda Priestly look like a saint. I just hope the assistant is being paid well for the pain she has to go through.

Tissue Issue

Whenever I come home and empty my pockets, I noticed that there's usually a few pieces of tissue or napkin from the restaurant where I ate. And since dining out is part of my everyday routine, there's a pile of tissue on top of my table, from fastfood joints like Tokyo Tokyo to Pizza Hut Bistro, kiosks like Dunkin Donuts and Waffle Time, and even convenience stores like 7-11 and Mini-stop.

It's a habit I developed a while back. Before I leave the place where I ate, I'd get the tissue that's left on the tray so it won't go to waste. After all, those usually come in handy after a sardine-packed MRT ride or a walk from Paseo to the Ayala MRT station. Strangely, though, I never get to use the tissue collected, and that explains the ever growing pile at home.

Whenever I look at the pile, my first reaction would be: "Mental note: stop collecting tissue." But that's difficult to do whenever you see pieces of tissue and think of the trees that had to be cut down to make them. It really drives home the point: never, ever waste anything. So many people waste paper so unabashedly, it's simply disturbing.

Then again, that's another issue.

It's time!

Today is September 1. And in the Philippines, it can only mean one thing!



It's the official start of the Christmas season. Woohoo! The most wonderful time of the year starts now.

Park Life

I've discovered a nice place to spend lazy weekend afternoons.



The UP-Ayala Technopark in Philcoa is fast becoming my favorite "lounge-around-area." With its wide open spaces, geometric architecture, clean creek with koi fish, nifty fountain and laid-back atmosphere, it's a great area to sit around and read. Or people watch.

Another big plus is that they've got a lot of good restaurants. There's Le Ching (for good old fashioned Chinese food), Mister Kebab (the original hole-in-the-wall place in Morato) and, of course, Kanin Club! (Our new favorite restaurant! I was there two weekends in a row.)

There are other establishments that are soon-to-open, and I'm hoping they won't have too much of those. I'm enjoying the "somewhat empty but not boring" vibe that the Technopark has to offer. And as long as they keep this atmosphere, I'll probably find myself parked around the area quite often.

Some more stylish surprises

During my last few visits to HKG, my trips to the Lane Crawford store were in vain. Last June, I went to the sale and found out that most of the stuff weren't spectacular enough to be spent on, or not inexpensive enough to get it on an impulse. That pegs my last successful visit to Lane Crawford to last year, where I bought those nice Chloe shoes.

But this time, it was different. With a few hours to spare, I swung by the store, not expecting to find anything worthwhile. But as these trips go, a few surprises were waiting.

Like this Proenza Schouler dress. It's a great color blocked dress made of heavy silk. It's so heavy, in fact, that the dress can be shaped, even without a person in it.



It also has a pleated ribbon detail that travels across the bodice, which gives a nice touch to the solid color of the dress.



From the same "design family" is this top, also from Proenza Schouler. It's made of silk and chiffon, with a pleated bottom, and in colors as rich as the details on the garment.



It combines that ubiquitous bustier style that's a staple in all Proenza Schouler clothes, and it has the same ribbon that's found in the other dress. The material of the pleated ribbon is a lighter material which makes if flowy.



Another nice surprise was this Marchesa printed chiffon dress. It's a short dress with billowy sleeves and a solid colored belt that anchors the dress.



Around the neck, it has a jeweled detail that makes the dress go from day to night. These details are very, very Marchesa.



Thank goodness I decided to drop by Lane Crawford, even for an hour. I didn't expect to find anything, but I'm surprised at what I found.

A stylish surprise

On my way out of the house yesterday, the guard handed over a heavy-ish white envelope and said that it was for me.



It was a DHL package from - surprise, surprise - my favorite magazine, InStyle. This September, they're celebrating their 15th anniversary, so everyone in magazine made sure that this issue would be spectacular. The great thing about it is, September is also the biggest month for all fashion magazines in the US, so InStyle had two reasons to really pull out all the stops and make this issue a collector's item.



First thing I noticed was the masthead. I saw this magazine this weekend at GrEat in HKG, and the masthead was the signature InStyle red color. But the issue they sent me had a silver foil masthead, had silver sparkles all around, and had the photo of Jennifer Lopez laminated. This made the entire cover shimmer and sparkle, perfect for an anniversary issue like this.



Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was on the feedback page.



I'm on InStyle!

Yup, that little photo is me and the little blurb was about me. It started with this blog entry I wrote about my 10th year of being an InStyle reader. Someone from their NY office picked it up, emailed me to ask if I'd mind being quoted in one of their future issues, and here it is! The fact that it was on their 15th anniversary issue is a an added thrill to the already thrilling fact that I got my issue from the very people who worked on the magazine. (With a handwritten note to boot!)



Congratulations, InStyle, for 15 years of stylish, relevant, entertaining and intelligent reading. You really put a new and fresh spin on style, and that's why I'm looking forward to the next 15 years of reading InStyle.

Where have all the 70s gone?

To say it was a "lightning visit" would be an understatement. Although it wouldn't be my shortest trip abroad. That honor is reserved for the "fly-out-attend-the-meeting-and-fly-back-a-few-hours-after" fiasco. But that's not what I'm writing about.

On my super-short trip to HKG, I had a chance to drop by Harbour City and check out H&M and Zara. Maybe it's the recession, but the prices aren't super-slashed this season. Last year, around this time, most of the sale items at H&M would be 70% off. I checked their store yesterday, and most of the stuff were only 50% off. If they were nice stuff, I'd understand that they wouldn't want to slash the prices too much. But these items were basics - with some even at the bottom of the fashion food chain - so they should practically be giving them away. (That's what they did last year.) Maybe they're just trying to meet their bottom-line. So every little item counts.

I miss those old sales. Hope they find their way back to HKG soon.

Economy and Society

On the flight to HKG, I was seated at the front area of the Economy Class cabin. Across the aisle, I noticed that the lady sitting there looked very familiar. And after seeing her entourage of 5 gregarious little boys, my hunch was confirmed.

She's a famous HKG socialite who happens to be Filipina. I've seen her in a number of magazine covers, but I must say that she's much more radiant in person. She has that movie star/model aura, but without the attitude. Throughout the flight, her demeanor was very pleasant and gracious, and you wouldn't think that she's part of one of the richest families in HKG.

Which probably begs the question, why isn't she in Business class?

As a friend once told me, the real, old rich are people who don't really pay attention to the part of the plane their sitting in or who shares their space. They live, act and behave like everyone else, and it just so happens that their wealth is equivalent to "everyone else's" combined. They don't like being the center of attention, or pushing people around, or brandishing their status for everyone to see. Those qualities are reserved for the "noveau riche."

Actually, this isn't the first time I was in the same plane (and in the same economy class cabin) with the rich and famous. In one CX flight, I was sitting in the same row as a Zobel, a real Zobel. I've shared a flight with a Tantoco family as well, and they, too, were very low key.

It makes me admire how they were brought up by their families. They must've been taught at a very young age that just because you have money, you should treat everyone like your paid servant. And having been on flights with the "noveaus" who order flight attendants around like they were waitresses, these people should learn a thing or two from the "real" rich.

Meanwhile, in Sesame Street's parallel universe...

There's Tickle me Emo from Depressame Street.



Where can we get this toy? I'm sure the kids of today will definitely like it! Beats Tickle Me Elmo, anytime.

Making the Grade

When I'm asked what the most challenging part of being a professor is, my immediate (albeit boring) answer is:

"Computing for grades."

After all, Mass Communication graduates aren't known for their proficiency in Mathematics. (Unlike some Economics and IDP graduates I know.) Thankfully, my basic knowledge of Math, and my penchant for computing things in my head, comes in very handy - especially at a time like this.

Yup, it's midterm grading season. I've got 24 students done, 28 more to go!

Ho Ho Ho Joe!

While Mark and I haven't seen G.I. Joe yet, I'm getting my Joe fix from watching this H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S music video.



I hope the movie is this good!

Hung Over

The Zara sale is done. Topshop and Topman have concluded their sales. Mango and Promod are wrapping up. But just as you thought it was safe to go back to the malls, another sale comes along.



Actually, Folded and Hung's end of season sale started early August. Honestly, I never bothered to check out the store because I'm not a fan of F&H's aesthetic. They had a lot of nice clothes a few years back, but lately, their selection has been bordering on blah.

This weekend, though, I wandered inside and found a couple of really good deals. They had a P300 rack, and it had boyfriend-cut jeans in a worn-out denim fabric, a jeweled tunic in jersey, a lace dress with interesting construction, and capris that are almost-but-not-quite-dhoti. The combination of the design and the price immediately put them in the "you've-got-to-be-insane-not-to-buy-it" category. So I did.

I won't be a convert to F&H anytime soon, though. Their regular items are still a bit blah in my book. But thanks to this sale, they won me over, if only for a day or two.

B(u)y a Mile(y)

Miley Cyrus is one of the new hypenates in Hollywood. She's already known as a "singer-teen icon-Disney's queen-tween's best friend", and just recently, she's adding "-designer" to her resume.

It turns out that she recently teamed up with Max Azria (yes, the guy from BCBG, Max & Cleo, and Herve Leger lines) to come up with a capsule collection at Walmart. I browsed through their website and saw a lot of "teen" stuff. They're not bad, and the price points are very attractive. No wonder most of it is sold out on-line.



And how did I find out about this capsule collection? It turns out that the shirts on the website are also available at "The Haunt." In fact, I was able to buy 3 out of the 4 "out of stock" shirts.

Thank goodness for Miley Cyrus and her designing instincts. The shirts are nice, the fabric is one of those soft, tissue-cotton materials, and the print has that nice and vintage vibe. And I thought the price in the US was cheap (US$10 per shirt), so imagine my delight when I found out that the local price is way cheaper.

Double thank goodness that the capsule collection is made in the Philippines. And triple thank goodness for places like "The Haunt."

High Fidelity

It started out as a brainstorming lunch for Grace's Dad's 80th birthday, and ended up as a conversation about old songs that defined his generation. I couldn't get past the thought that "Dandansoy" was part of his list of favorites.

Because Grace's Dad's name is Fidel, I suddenly remembered this popular song from the 80s. Once again, youtube came to the rescue because it turns out they had a video of their song in their archives.



"High Fidelity" always brings back lots of memories of my childhood. In particular, it reminds me of that time when I was a little boy and we'd spend summer in Bicol. They would play this song a lot on the radio while we'd be hanging out in the tent at night with my parents, siblings, titos and titas, and our cousins. They were such great memories, that it's no wonder why I still get a high whenever I hear this.

Pretty Smart

When I saw her photo a few days ago, it confirmed a hunch I've had the past few months. I've met our candidate to this year's Miss Universe. And it wasn't a recent event. It was a few years back, when she was still a college student in Assumption.

It happened when DY&R was still in Ortigas and I was still a CD there. She, along with her groupmates, interviewed me about advertising trends. If I'm not mistaken, she's a Mass Comm student, so this was for one of her subjects.

After introducing herself and hearing the surname "Manalo", it struck me how she looked like Katherine Manalo. Like her sister, she was very eloquent and very well mannered. Her questions and follow-up questions were all well-thought of and smart. And even if she was wearing her Assumption uniform that time, you could tell how elegant she was.

And if she was already elegant and eloquent a few years ago, then it must've grown exponentially over the years. That said, I think our country has a very good chance in this year's competition.

Full Circle

Twenty-three years ago, my siblings and I boarded our old, yellow Toyota Liftback and went around EDSA to welcome President Cory as she took her place in Philippine history.

Today, my friends and I stood in the middle of Ayala Avenue to say goodbye to Tita Cory.



Thank goodness Lyli asked me to join them in the middle of the street. I was just about ready to watch the proceedings from a distance at the Enterprise building. The energy in Ayala Avenue was different. There were so many people waiting to say their last goodbye.







There were strange and questionable occurrences. Among them, a band playing the Ayala Malls theme song (how's that for blatant promotion), and a guy attributing the presence of Assumption students to the fact that Cory used to study at St. Scholastica's College. Plus, there were unabashed displays of politicking which made me even more sure not to vote for the pedicab guy. But aside from that, it was a farewell that was fitting for a woman like Cory.



Tita Cory has gone full circle. And I feel fortunate to have witnessed her as she did.

*Thanks to Beth and Mother Lyli for the pictures

More Mango

Nope, this isn't another post about Mango, the clothing store. Although I must say that their current collection of accessories is very, very nice. In fact, I found a few pieces of layered necklaces that aren't just nice, but cheap, too.

It's about another Mango that I've been obsessing over the past few months.



Eversince our first foray into Red Mango a few months ago, it has become a weekly habit for Mark & myself. Actually, liking Red Mango isn't such a stretch for me since I really like yoghurt. Unlike other frozen yoghurt brands, Red Mango isn't too sour, which makes eating it really feel like eating a lighter version of ice cream. And when it's topped with Blueberry and Peaches - divine!

I hope they open a Red Mango branch in Makati soon. After all, the timing for it is ripe. If they do, I think we'll have another favorite hangout, aside from Tsoko Nut.

Cory's Era of Unity

While waiting for my class to end and Nath's class to start, we started talking about Cory's passing. Cory was a former student of St. Scholastica's College, so it was easy to feel the sadness around the campus. Yellow ribbons were strewn everywhere, and there was an early morning mass said for her soul.

One thing that struck me about what Nath said was this: parts of our era - Cory included - are slowly ending.

We were children of the 80s. Eventhough we were too young to understand what People Power was or the impact of Ninoy's assasination, we were there when it happened. So this entire experience, along with Cory, was part of our life and our lifeblood. It was something we shared with a whole generation, and I feel so blessed and fortunate to be part of something as life-changing as this.

Not surprisingly, our conversation steered towards the songs of that era. And this one, "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo", really captured the sentiments of that time. After People Power, people were even more proud to be Filipinos. I remember that in one of the Academy Award shows, Jane Fonda even greeted the Filipinos by holding up the Laban sign and sent out a message to "the People Power of the Philippines."



While watching this video again, all I can think of was: "Gosh! We were part of that." Our old house in Morato was near Channels 2 and 7, so when the entire People Power revolution was happening, we were right in the middle of it. My siblings and I would stand around Mario's to see what was happening during the day, and at night, we'd sleep in the sala because Lolo was afraid that we'd be hit by stray bullets should an encounter ensue.

Mom - being the gracious hostess that she usually is - would even prepare sandwiches and give them to the people who were there, participating in this revolution. Somehow, that image is seared in my mind - Mom carrying a silver tray full of sandwiches wrapped in white sandwich bags, and we'd help her distribute it. Aside from the return of democracy and the banishing of a dictator, that was what People Power - and Cory - meant to me: Unity.

She was the glue that bonded people together, and for a moment, people forgot their differences, social classes, political leanings, and just worked together for one common goal. And as Cory passes away, that's my only wish and prayer for her. That the Filipino people - as a whole and as a country - remember and continue to fight for what Cory stood for.

Unity.

Something to Choo on

This coming November, I can imagine the throngs of wild women who'll line up outside the H&M stores in HKG and Tokyo for these: When I first read about this collaboration, I thought "this is a recipe for trouble." It reminded me of that Anya Hindmarch "I'm not a plastic bag" scenario in HKG when people were lining up 2 days before the actual launch. Since H&M mass produces, I won't expect a situation as crazy as that. But I will expect the same kind of crowd that Ate Bullet and I encountered last year when we were in HKG for the Comme de Garcons-H&M collection. And given how nice the shoes are in the collection, it's easy to imagine the panic that will ensue once their stores open and ladies start getting (or grabbing) these. Question is: Shall I find myself in HKG in November and experience deja vu? Or Maybe I should just ask my friends in Europe to buy Jimmy Choo's instead of braving the usually-crazy-crowd in Asia. That's another thought I would definitely chew on.

Neutral Territory

Seems like I'm entering a khaki phase. And I say this judging by the pieces that have caught my eye recently.




Whilst these skirts come from the same color family, they're each very distinct - which is the reason they appealed to me a lot. This first one is a skirt that falls a bit above the knee. It's got a tulip feel to it, but it isn't too exaggerated and will still flatter the wearer - regardless of height and body type. True to my thematic nature, I got a camel colored belt to put a bit of color.



Here's one that is actually an "old" skirt. It's been on the rack of Crossings for quite some time, but it was only recently that I realized that - as DVF would say - "there's a lot of good design in that." The front is structured: cummerbund-style waist, some folds to give it volume - things that'll make it attractive as it comes towards you.



After the wearer passes you by, you'll see some details at the back as well. There's a big ribbon, which adds to its feminity, and there's an extra strip of fabric where the slit is. Clever!



Finally, this Calvin Klein skirt that was at the haunt. It's pleated, albeit quite randomly, and that gives it interesting volume. For added detail, it has a black gross grain ribbon, which is a nice touch. Overall, this skirt is so Audrey Hepburn. All you need is a black turtleneck and flats, and you're chic to go.



There were a lot more khaki skirts floating around in the market, but these three would definitely top the list. And on the subject of tops, skirts like these just beg for a simple and detailed top. It's quite difficult to describe, but I'll know it when I see it.

Vintage TV

Over merienda, my friends and I started talking about "the good 'ole TV shows" of the 80s. One conclusion we reached -- they don't make 'em like they used to. Back then when there weren't too many special effects and visual trickery, you really have to rely on a great story and a wonderful narrative.

Among the shows I miss watching are Sigmund and the Seamonsters:



Isis, who's obviously patterned after Diana Prince and Wonder Woman. Dig the look.



And Shazam!



I wish there was a cable channel that showed re-runs of great shows all day long. If there was one, I'd probably just spend the entire day at home watching these shows. After all, they don't make 'em like they used to.

The devil is back

Thanks to Mark and his iPod, I was able to watch "The Devil Wears Prada" again. And again. And again.

The more I watch it, the more I find the performances of Meryll Streep and Stanley Tucci brilliant! The scene where Nigel tells Andie about his move to James Holt's company - when he loses it momentarily and shrieks in delight - phenomenal! And Miranda was stunning in the whole film.

And of course, the dialogues. It's the way advertising should be written - crisp, clever and straight to the point.

Watching this film again makes me want to buy the original DVD, if only to catch deleted scenes, like this.



"That's all."

Long live Levi's!

I am SO GLAD I bought this pair of Levi's Red Tab jeans last week. They're so comfortable, the fit is perfect, and they feel so broken in, I could wear them forever! At least my Abercrombie and Energie jeans can take a rest.



And if you take into consideration the fact that I've been wearing them non-stop since I bought them, "forever" might not be too far fetched. Hope these jeans live long enough for that.

Sassy!

This week was a good one at "The Haunt." There were a lot of new arrivals, a number of unbelievable finds, including these 2 beauties.





I've read about Sass and Bide a number of times already, and how Australians swear by this brand. Since my travels haven't brought me to Oz, and they aren't available in HKG, I haven't really seen this brand - and its products - up close. Now that I have, I understand why Aussies swear by these jeans.

The fabric, the fit, the composition of the denim - they're all designed to flatter. While examining these jeans, I knew that they'd make the wearer look and feel taller, slimmer and sassier. Too bad they don't make denim for men, I'm sure they'd do a great job with that. (But the Levi's jeans I bought recently makes up for that.)

This is the second denim brand from Australia that I'm into. The first one was Industrie, which Rustans used to carry but now discontinued. With all the new foreign brands coming in to Manila, maybe a Sass and Bide store is in the offing. Now that - and H&M of course - would be worth waiting for.

I can Lee

Thanks to a dream I had last night, I suddenly had a renewed interest on Coco Lee. She was one of the big Asian singing stars in the early 2000s, and got a lot of exposure in America for singing songs from the movie "Runaway Bride" and one from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." But I remember her from this really fun and easy-to-follow pop ditty.



When I was in HKG two weeks ago, I saw a magazine with her on the cover. If I knew I'd have this Coco phase, I would've gotten it.

Schwiiiing...

Wednesday already? Where did the rest of the week go? At the rate these days are swinging by, the next thing we know, it'll be Christmas!

The funniest movie scene of all time after time!

I've seen a lot of comedy films and no scene is as knee-slapping-big-guffawing-genuinely-hilarious as this scene. It's from my favorite comedy film of all time, "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion."



Even though I've seen this scene a gazillion times, I still laugh out loud every time I view it. The choreography, the music, the absurdity -- all these contribute to why this segment is hilarious. But more than that, it's the earnest-ness of the performance of Lisa, Mira and Allan that made this scene a winner.

Really, I'll continue to adore this scene even if time after time after time passes by.

Shopping under Surveillance

On my way to get a ride home, I passed through (the new, improved, and surprisingly nice) Ali Mall, and eventually dropped by the Plains & Prints branch there. The branch manager (who usually attends to me when I'm there) had a short and interesting conversation:

BM: Hi sir. Ito po yung new arrivals namin.
ME: Thanks. (starts looking around)
BM: Ang tagal niyo na ding hindi nadaan dito, sir.
ME: Yeah. Medyo busy kasi with work.
BM: Malapit ba sa Gateway ang office niyo? Kasi madalas daw kayo nakakadaan sa branch namin doon. Nandoon nga daw kayo kahapon, eh.

Gosh! I suddenly felt like Cubao was one huge "Big Brother house" and everyone's under surveillance. Hahaha.

Once on this Island

Presenting the song that's been playing in my head the past few days.



Oh yeah. I'll rely on this song. Uh-uh-uh-uh.

Thinking Thematic

It was the first thing that Sir Conrad taught me when he took me under his wing as a copywriter trainee.

"Think Thematic."

That meant always looking at the big picture. If it was an advertising idea, the idea itself should be big enough so it could be translated to all forms of media: TV, radio, print, BTL. If it's an idea for a promo, it should be thematic and fit in with the overall concept of the brand and product. And so on and so forth.

My other Creative Directors taught me the same thing but called it different names. Sir Conrad called it "thematic." Lola O called it "an idea with legs." Even if people call it different things, I'd still call the concept "brilliant."

That lesson continues to be one of the most valuable things someone has taught me about advertising. But it's also a lesson that I've taken with me outside of advertising.

Now, it's customary for me to think thematic. Like whenever I'd organize a wedding, the first thing I'd think of is the theme or the big idea. The test whether it is a big idea is if it can be translated to an invitation, centerpiece, the apparel, and the cake. Same thing with birthday parties. And Christmas parties.

Heck, I've even integrated the "Thematic way" into shopping. The reason I take time to shop sometimes (attention Mark) is that I always think of the big idea. Whenever I see one article, my mind immediately tries to figure out what goes with it. Like whenever I see a trouser-cut jean at Mango, automatically, I'd think of two tops that should go with it. (One to dress it up, another to dress it down.) Plus, my mind starts to visualize shoes, a belt and accessories with it. Plus, there's the thought of pairing that new thing with stuff my sisters already have.

Actually, that's the reason why I always end up buying a number of things at once. There should always be a "theme" around the outfit. Sometimes I even get very, very particular that I already have the style, color - sometimes even the print - in mind whenever I see an item. That's when the perfectionist in me comes out. Even if I have to spend hours and go through different malls finding that item, I would.

Even this blog had a theme when it was created. Things that confuse me. And life as one big confusion.

Gosh. I can go on with this for hours. I never thought that advertising has such a profound impact on my life.

I'm glad that I stumbled into this industry.

Sometimes it's good to be a worm.

Rarely do I shop during the first day of a sale. The only time I do that is when it's a one-day sale, or when it's Plains and Prints going on sale. (You can't dilly-dally on a Plains and Prints sale.) The reasons are simple. One, prices of sale items freefall during the final days of a sale, and two, there are usually enough stocks to go around, so there's really no need to rush.

Last week, I received an invite to the Private sale of the RSS group. That meant Topman, Topshop and Dorothy Perkins at prices that will make people teary-eyed. Eventhough I had an invite, the thought of going didn't really cross my mind. But when Dorothy Perkins was beside the bank where my transaction was to be made, "what the heck," was the thought that crossed my mind.

Admittedly, there were a lot of things that caught my eye. Among them were a series of belted tunics. "Series" because they were of the same fabric, the same family of jewel tones, and same elastic patent belts. After checking out the price, I nearly dropped the merchandise. Cheap and cheerful, as Princess Shashie would say. There was a watercolor-print dress - even more cheap and cheerful. And a rubber-looking denim from Topshop.

There were still a number of these items on the rack, so conventional wisdom would say: just come back for it after a few days. This was wisdom I'd often follow, and the next scene would've been me putting the items down and walking away.

But since I was there anyway, and since I was there anyway, I decided not to wait until the last day and purchase them on the spot. Happy camper smile and the usual spring-in-my-step followed soon after.

Today, Dorothy Perkins was once again along the way. Swung by to check out the sale racks, and voila! All the jewel colored tunics were gone. No more watercolor print dresses. Jeans were likewise a thing of the past. The racks and racks of clothes were wiped out in a matter of days.

Thank goodness I listened to "unconventional wisdom" this weekend. I would've missed out on a lot of good stuff if I did.

It still racks!

Mark and I had lunch at Racks today, and as I told him, it's the first time I'm eating at Racks after 5 years or so.

And I must say, it's still as gooooooooood as it was years ago. The Hickory Smoked Chicken is still flavorful and the meat practically falls off the bone when you slice it. The barbecue sauce is still perfect - a bit sweet and savory, with that pronounced smokey flavor. Paired with corn bread, mashed potato, baked beans and some of Mark's mac and cheese, it was the perfect lunch.

After this, i'm sure i'll be Rack-ing some more.

You've got a point(er)

This was bound to happen.

After discovering "The Oinker Sisters" over the net, it immediately reminded me of the real singing trio these characters were based on: "The Pointer Sisters."

They were like "Destiny's Child" of the 80s. Sassy singers with wicked moves. They churned out hit after hit after hit. And yes, you couldn't go to a party or a disco without hearing their songs. Their popularity reached Manila shores, and I'm sure everyone remembers these songs:

"I'm so excited." Embarrassing as it may sound, we danced to this song at some party somewhere. (It was probably one of those family reunions in Bicol.)



As the title aptly encouraged everyone, "Jump" made everyone rise from their seats and jump.



Finally, my favorite Pointer Sisters song, "Neutron Dance." I like how it's pop with a bit of electronica like Herbie Hancock.



Looking at videos like these really drive a point. They don't make artists and music like these anymore.

Quote for the day

While browsing at Bayo, I saw this graceful old lady go inside the dressing room with a bunch of clothes on her arms. After a few minutes, she steps out of the dressing room and calls out to the sales girl:

LADY: "Miss, meron ba kayong mas malaking size ng blouse na 'to. Mukha kasi akong Santa Patron ng mga suman."

Yes, that quote made my day.

Walk this way...

All my friends know that I'm a huge Sesame Street fan. And each time they play the Sesame Street DVD at home for Javier, it automatically transports me back to my childhood back in Tomas Morato.

I've lost count of how many favorite Sesame Street songs I have. Among them are Bert's "Doin' the pigeon", "How do you get from here to there","Some/None" which features Guy Smiley, the "Grover & George" song, and of course, the "Walk" song by - get this - The Oinker Sisters.



It also has an all-star cast. Try and spot Rosie O' Donnel, Marissa Tomei, John Goodman, Kevin Kline, and Cheech from Cheech and Chong.

While looking for the video on youtube, I discovered that there was a new version of the song, also performed by a trio of girls. They're no other than...

Destiny's Child!



Looks like this walk has gone a long way. And no matter how many times I walk... walk... I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.