Love Chic

Style meets casual comfort. Green tiered top from tiangge, Miss Sixty skinny jeans, Anne Klein shoulder bag, Call It Spring booties, SM Accessories ombré necklace and cuff bracelet.

Hype this on Lookbook here and Chictopia here.

A breezy top with jeans and boots is pretty much a manifestation of how I feel about the current transitional season. It won’t be long before temperatures start rising again in time for the summer, but I’ve always been a cold-weather girl so I wanted to hold on to whatever few and fleeting chilly spells we can still enjoy.

Hot or not, I love how the bright colors of spring/summer can perk up any outfit and give it that carefree, casual feel. Check out this ombré orange necklace! It’s not really my favorite shade, but I’ve been wearing this piece a lot because it just seems to make my outfits happier somehow.

Yellow and green are a different story—two colors I love wearing. Especially yellow. I got this bag from my aunt exactly a year ago during my birthday trip to the US and I’ve been wearing it to death every chance I get… I tend to do that with gifts from loved ones.

If you’ve been a longtime reader of this blog (and I sure hope you are!) then you’ve also seen these boots a lot. Because really, what can’t you wear with a nice pair of brown boots?

I seldom wear jeans anymore and usually go for shorts or dresses, but I’m glad I went with my gut that afternoon. As with most of my outfits, I put this together at the last minute to go and attend the Philippine launch of American Eagle Outfitters. Maybe because I’ve been a fan of the brand since college, my chosen neon-and-jeans ensemble was spot on with AEO’s Light and Bright Spring Collection.

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A sample entry for the Forever21 Valentine’s Lookbook contest:
denim, leather and studded boots.

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Style steals from Divisoria. Polka dotted dress for P80…

…and a pair of distressed denim jeans for P350.
   

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Tonight’s date outfits. The chic yellow cardigan on Seph and the beige button-down on Shai are from Memo. The clothing brand is more popularly known for their crisp corporate attires and smart casual finds, but with a little bit of tweaking, the items in Memo are actually stylish enough to be worn with other pieces to create whatever look you fancy. Check out their summer collection on their Facebook and Twitter.

Memo cardigan, Forever 21 shirt, Herbench (yes, it’s my mom’s) jeans, Call It Spring boots, and SM Accessories bag, necklace and glasses. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Shai got me these contact lenses from an online shop called Japanese Candy and I thought they’d look great with these uber-cool transparent glasses from SM.

Three things my wardrobe always has: cardigans, V-neck shirts and metal necklaces.

The beads are a gift, while I got the Timex from SM’s Privado luxury accessories sale for cheap.

MSense is a brand under SM Accessories that has unique bags for guys that you can’t find just anywhere. If you’re into man-purses like me, you should check this brand out.

I always check out Call It Spring in Greenbelt. I saw these new arrivals on one of my visits and I just knew I had to have them.

Memo collared button-down, Love Chic x Chemistry shorts, Puma socks, Schu brogues, Anne Klein bag, and SM Accessories headband, necklace and rings. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Beauty notes. Face: Etude House Baby Skin base, Revlon Photoready Airbrush and Powder, Mary Kay sheer mineral pressed powder, Etude House Lovely Cookie blush in #3 Orange. Lips: Majolica Majorca Honey Pump Gloss Neo. Eyes: The Face Shop eyebrow filler, Nichido liquid eyeliner and eyelash curler, Maybelline Volum’ Express Cat Eyes mascara, Benefit Decked Out Dandelion eyeshadow palette, and Bambi Sesame Gray 15mm contact lenses from Japanese Candy. The ones I got for Seph are Bambi Chocolate 15mm. Unlike him with a perfect vision, I’m severely nearsighted, so prescription contact lenses are a necessity. Glad there’s a stylish way to deal with it!

We received a question on Dear Love Chic about how to wear necklaces with collared tops. I’d like to believe there are no rules to how you should wear accessories with certain pieces of clothing, but personally, I prefer statement necklaces like these multi-tiered chains from SM, worn under the collar instead of over it.

Continuing the chain reaction with this burst-of-sunshine yellow Anne Klein purse. I love the color, plus the chain strap could be pulled longer to make it into a shoulder bag.

When I saw these rings at SM, I thought of bubble gum and butter balls. Yum!

How gorgeous are these blue and white brogues from Schu? In lieu of the usually flat, usually neutral-colored and usually laced-up styles, this pretty pair is a breath of fresh air. Slipping it on (and keeping it on) is no problem—it’s as comfy as your comfiest pair of flats. Get Schu updates via their Facebook, Twitter, blog and online shop.

Goofing around after today’s quick shoot. Follow us on Instagram @sephcham and @shailagarde for more Love Chic silliness. Have a great Friday (the 13th) night, everyone!

Adidas shirt, jacket from Bangkok and Bench jeans on Seph, Human shirt dress and Abercrombie & Fitch cardigan on Shai. And check out these cool digs and umbrellas! In school, we are taught that there are only have two kinds of weather in the Philippines: sunny and rainy. We’re also taught which months fall in the wet season, and which ones fall in the dry. In real life though, as evidenced by the December rains, we learn that we only have one kind of weather here: unpredictable. Which is why we should always be rain-ready.

We got this katana (samurai sword) umbrella from Bangkok. The tour guide and airport clerk actually made us place this under the “Dangerous Goods” scanner, along with knives and other sharp objects. Pretty badass, eh? Perfect for guys who feel carrying an umbrella makes them less like a boss.

The greatest thing to happen to mens’ footwear: Tingley Galoshes, from ReadyForRain.com! Simply slip on your shoes (in this case, Seph’s Ferretti espadrilles) into the galoshes to protect them from puddles.

We also got this schoolgirl umbrella from Bangkok. So handy and cute!

These Plueys nude rain booties with bows from ReadyForRain.com are both adorable and utilitarian. Makes wading through mud puddles and shallow floods sort of bearable—or at the very least, stylish.

Nails that match the weather. Shai calls this the “Nimbus Gray and Silver Lining” manicure, courtesy of Freyja Day & Nail Spa.

So. They say the rains aren’t going away until at least February. Are you rain-ready? We know we are :)

We sometimes get asked how we conceptualize our shoots. Nothing cerebral with our process. This is how.

We don’t. Mostly we just check our respective closets and see how we can make what’s in them work, then we find ourselves a nice random spot (in this case, the rooftop parking of a mall) then we click away. The story comes to mind just when we’re about to post. We believe it’s a whole lot more fun that way.

Yellow Ice Watch. “Pump run” shirt and “Goodyear tire” sneaks, Adidas.

Doggie-print hooded shirt, thrifted. Doc Martens-inspired boots, Asian Vogue.

So this is just us, but yeah, it doesn’t always have to look so put-together. Pretty doesn’t always look fun, but fun always looks pretty.

Love Chic was invited to the ACLE (Alternative Classroom Learning Experience) of UP College of Engineering to talk “Styling for Different Body Types on a Budget” yesterday (thanks guys!) and this is what Shai wore.

Heart-print baby blue babydoll dress and black mens blazer, Chemistry. Brown braid belt, thrifted. Booties, Call It Spring.

No colored contact lenses on those nearsighted eyes. Baby blue nail polish, The Face Shop. Owl, vintage-inspired locket, and heart rings, all Chemistry.

These boots are divine. The five-inch heels enable Shai to actually feel as tall as Seph, but they’re as comfortable as sneakers—only a lot prettier!

Hype this on Lookbook here.