Earrings: Im.G | Printed Blazer: Boyfriend’s Gift from Hong Kong | Black Chiffon Top: Zara Basic | Cut-off Mid-waist Denim Shorts: Topshop Moto | Every-handy Black Suede Pumps: Forever 21 | Gold Clutch: YSL | Wooden Bangle with Orange Detail: Promod
I was never really a big fan of the rainy season, truth be told. I mean, sure, if it weren’t for the said season, then this fashionable procrastinator wouldn’t be able to experience the ever-so-rare phenomenon called “free cuts” during her University years, and in effect, wouldn’t be able to cram in some valuable study-time for one of her multiple long tests/midterms/finals, (most of which) she neglected to study weeks prior (but managed to ace anyway).
But let’s face it, I’m a very petty person (I was going to say meticulous but I’m trying to do this thing where I don’t try to conceal my negative aspects and I don’t deceive my readers into thinking I’m nice and sweet and bubbly) and I don’t like getting my clothes damp–I’m very susceptible to the cold (when I am in an extremely cold country, the lines on my palms get sore and mutate into bloody welts–I have to apply a steroid cream prior my arrival to the country until days after) and I don’t like clingy fabric on my skin. Plus, I hate those tiny mud splatters caking portions of my calves.
Growing up in bucolic Cebu, storms and rain showers were pretty scarce. As I’ve mentioned in my previous entry, Cebu is a perpetually sunny city and almost everyone (save for the oldies) are in beach garb all-year-round. So when I started studying in Manila, I had to accustom myself with the weather and started stocking up on trousers (which, by the way, I am allergic to, literally), sweaters, coats, boots, and other comfortably warm pieces (more than the usual trenches and parkas I acquired from my out-of-country travels).
In fact, there was a phase where all I would wear were oversized knitted sweaters in my attempt to emulate the Japanese mori-girl trend.
Thankfully, I am way past that stage–yes, I still love my occasional oversized knitted sweaters (I am wearing one right know as I type) but I’m at a point in my life where I try to balance the edgy and the trendy with the structured and the classic. This outfit is a perfect example of my “fashion-balance” resolution attempt.
A few weeks ago, I recall telling my boyfriend that as much as possible, I didn’t want to look too informal and inappropriate next to him (or anyone important for that matter, like his parents, or my clients, or my grandparents). How you dress is a reflection of your respect to the person you’re meeting or you’re out with, that’s what I think. I mean, it’s okay to experiment–be edgy, be trendy, look however you want, but there’s always a right place and a right time to go Lady Gaga (ie: the confines of your bedroom or a fashion-oriented event).
As a personal principle, I always make it a point to look well-put-together and clean (without overshadowing my flair for fashion). My goal is to simply avoid looking busy or unkempt–I like classic and semi-feminine pieces infused with a little bit of quirk. I guess I’m pretty vanilla in that sense (explains why I cannot fathom drastic hair decisions and wearing cycling shorts underneath denim shorts, it’s honestly so tacky and kitsch!–for special guests, who don’t know the meaning of the aforementioned word: kitsch, click on the link!).
So this was how I looked when I met up with my best friend for a dinner and movie date in Rockwell yesterday. My best friend has a tendency to text me and tell me not to come over-dressed so I switched the skirt I was donning to this denim mid-waist pair. And because I was already in heels the whole day from work, I was contemplating on switching to slippers (my feet were killing me), but eventually decided not to because I didn’t want to give off the air that I was too complacent and didn’t respect her enough to actually dress nice, so I decided to brave it out and ignore my chaffing toes.
Here are some more photos of the outfit:
I am extremely in love with this blazer–granted, it was given to me by my boyfriend (along with an excessive loot filled to the brink with love and thoughtfulness) from his previous trip to Hong Kong (3 months ago, I think, when we weren’t really together yet), but it looks surprisingly amazing on me (plus it fits me so well and flatters my body type).
I’m honestly very wary with playful prints–I like to downplay my outfits as much as possible and the only prints I’ve a tolerance for would be florals. I’ve always had this notion that I’d look ridiculous in bold prints, precisely because “edgy” was never my thing. But this blazer changed my outlook. I am in love with how versatile this piece is–if I wanted to pair it up with trousers, I could go to a board meeting and not look out of place, and if I wanted to keep it casual, I could pair it up with denim shorts, and go around the mall without looking over-dressed.
So now, I’ve opened myself up to a lot of prints–aztecs, animals, digital, paint splatters, so on and forth.
