Love Chic

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

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Photos by David Guison. 101 New York striped knit top, shorts, hat and bag, Aldo socks, SM Accessories beads, Divisoria sunnies, Cole Haan brogues. Hype this on Lookbook here.

An easy-breezy outfit for traveling or weekend walking. I really love to take walks, especially around this time of year when the days are shorter and the air is a bit colder (or at least that’s what I’d like to hope). If we only had the same weather as San Diego or San Francisco, I don’t think I’d ever ride or drive to anywhere!

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Wedges and boat shoes from Crocs. Hit newcrocsnewyou.com for their latest lineup of stylish shoes!

Matchy in mismatched outfits, a tribute to the equally kooky weather we’ve been having. There are just days that have you sweating buckets and taking the heat, and days when you’re all wet and washed up.
  
When you think about it, that’s basically how you could describe life’s not-so-pleasant moments too, eh? Which is why rain or shine, we try our best to keep a sunny disposition and just go with whatever’s thrown our way.

CPS Chaps top and skirt, SM Department Store socks, SM Accessories ring, Call It Spring feather hairclip, and clutch with feather. Hype this on Lookbook here.

This feather hairclip is so pretty, but the way my hair is naturally messy like that, I’m thinking it would probably stand out better on straight hair. Still, I’m a sucker for feather accessories and I just love this.

When it comes to accessories, I like to work with a certain subtle theme. Sort of like an inside joke with myself. In this case, a ring leaf because my bag is green.

Gold shoes are quite hard to pull off for a casual look, simply because gold is associated with glamour. But when it’s a pair of flats in a simple enough design that’s comfy to walk around in, gold makes for fun footwear.

CPS Chaps shirt, Celio polo and shorts, Aldo socks, Call It Spring sneakers. Hype this on Lookbook here.

I haven’t been out of the country much, just Bangkok and Hong Kong. Hawaii is just one of the places I would like to see when I get the chance. It must be great to try out surfing and other water sports there.

When I’m not going crazy for boots or brightly colored shoes, I’m gawking at crisp white sneakers. There’s just something about statement shoes that I get a kick out of. Perhaps because it’s one of those things that can totally change a look—like if I wore flip-flops with this outfit instead. It would look too at-home, wouldn’t it?
  
Speaking of being at-home, we’ve got a nice giveaway for homebodies out there who would love to sit back, put their feet up and enjoy a nice book or DVD. If you have been missing out on the fun, click here to join!

From our first shoot together up to today, we’ve come to realize that the less we care how our photos will look, the more we like how they turn out—whether or not the amount of “likes” or comments on the post says the same thing. Most of the time, we don’t really plan what to wear or how to accessorize or what contrived and complicated poses to do. Even the title and the writeup just come later on, literally minutes before we sit down together and post.

CPS Chaps sheer floral top, The Ramp at Crossings skirt, SM Department Store socks, Call It Spring color block wedges and shades. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Beauty notes: Maybelline Pure Liquid mineral foundation, The Face Shop Face It designing dual shading pact, Topshop lipstick. Don’t you just love how the sunglasses match the top perfectly?

Wedges again! I added yellow orange to the black and white colorblocking to amp up its ’60s-era feel.

Celio button-down, CPS Chaps jeans, SM Department Store socks, SM Accessories shades, Call It Spring shoes. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Hello, Shai peering at my shades!

I don’t usually wear dressy shoes like these because they’re generally not that comfortable to walk around in (plus it can be difficult to pull them off without looking too corporate). But if you want to look polished and put-together, especially for a swanky party or a serious meeting, you’ll make a good impression with this pair. Something every guy should have. My late dad used to say, shoes are like car tires. If they’re dirty, that says a lot about the owner.

So why the title? Because we humbly and sincerely believe that the best way to blog is to be yourself.

Long before it was considered an actual career option, blogging in its purest sense was all about putting your heart and soul out there in an honest yet considerate, opinionated yet eloquent, consummate yet ethical way. And to play with the phrase’s actual meaning, we believe that it’s your self you should be seeing when you look in the mirror that is your website—not a stranger in a costume striking a pose. Otherwise, therein lies the danger of losing touch with what’s real and what’s important.

One of the many reasons we’re glad we have each other.

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!

Clouds are one of the most beautiful everyday things we see yet seldom take a look at. With our busy schedules, we’re always looking at the road ahead of us: things we have to do, places we have to go, people we have to interact with. But if we’d look up every so often, we’d find these cottony, feathery wisps of white so hard to ignore. 

We saw these while driving to work this afternoon and just had to pull over quickly to take a few Instagram photos. We returned to the daily grind with a goofy smile on our faces, talking about how as kids, we thought you could touch the clouds when you ride on an airplane.

We may not be able to touch the sky but we sure can wear them. A simple look for a sweltering summer day: CPS Chaps shirt, F&X shorts, Call It Spring shoes, Timex watch and SM Accessories glasses. Hype this on Lookbook here.

I like that these shoes are made of fabric which makes them comfy and cool enough for summer, but doesn’t get scrunchy or slouchy which can be a hassle when walking. The interesting texture also makes it stand out despite having a simple neutral color.

Gray and white embellishments reminiscent of Cirrus nimbus clouds (or so we say, hehe). Kashieca top, CPS Chaps skirt, Call It Spring sandals and clutch, SM Accessories headband, glasses and bangle. Hype this on Lookbook here.

I seldom wear sandals because they’re either too flat (having a tall boyfriend has its inconveniences) or too strappy (I’m a brisk walker and straps end up hurting my feet or snapping after a while). But these aren’t just sturdy enough; they also have cute kitten heels! Perfect shade of brown for the summer too.
   
What about you? What mundane things do you find breathtaking? If you haven’t stopped and smelled the proverbial roses in a long while, this season would be the best time to. Beauty can be found in the simplest of things—all we have to do is look. :)

Heading off to church for the nightly Christmas mass!
     

On Shai: Shirtdress and cardigan, Herbench. Pleated skirt, Human. Shoes, Sebago Docksides. Hype this on Lookbook.

On Seph: “We have no CTRL” tee, Human. Jacket, F&X. Jeans, Bench. Shoes, Sebago Docksides. Hype this on Lookbook.

Photo by Richard Romero

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 :)