Love Chic

Francis Libiran for Myth men’s button-down, Chemistry dress, Schu brogues. Second outfit for the Myth menswear challenge. Hype this on Lookbook here and vote for our outfits on our joint Chictopia here.

We had a meeting with some wonderful folks yesterday for an upcoming project. They requested that we come in our usual complementary outfits but without being too dressy, so they could take photos for their pitch.  

I wore this men’s button-down over a sleeveless Chemistry dress. It was too long, so I left the last three buttons undone, tied the bottom of the shirt into a knot and tucked in the knot upward.

Good thing the sleeves weren’t too long for my arms and could pass off as stylishly oversized, like a loose Korean top. Except of course with crisp details on the cuff, collar and pocket.

This pair of brogues is beginning to be one of my favorites. Just change the socks or wear it without and your outfit’s “vibe” instantly changes. 

Francis Libiran for Myth button-down, Chemistry harem pants, Call It Spring boots. Hype this on Lookbook here.

I seldom find harem pants that fit me right because I have weird proportions. When the upper part fits just right, the lower part is too tight. Or vice versa.This pair is one of the prototypes which I had designed for Chemistry. 

I got a couple of questions from male readers about what shoes to wear with harem pants. I’m thinking boots or other kinds of chunky statement shoes would be your best bet, as ordinary-looking sneakers might “drown” in the rather loud attitude that harem pants give off. I just don’t know if that makes any sense to anyone else… Haha.

I love that this button-down has all these details that stand out. From afar, it even looks as if I’m wearing a skinny tie. Plus, check out the double collars. If only more menswear pieces had Francis Libiran’s attention to the little details.

We thought “manning up” would be an appropriate title for tonight, not only because of the menswear element in this outfit post, but because of what’s currently going on in our lives. Lately, we’ve been rethinking and reassessing a lot of our major decisions the past few months. There are steps we have been afraid to take, fears we have been hesitant to overcome, hesitations we have been allowing to get the better of us.
   
Maybe it has something to do with being in your mid-20s? That feeling of not being quite sure what you’re doing with your life, whether or not any of the things you do still make you as happy and fulfilled as they used to, and a nagging uncertainty that causes you to feel inadequate when you happen to compare yourself with people your age who seem to have come so far. This upcoming project is one of those things that we hope would help us get out of this current rut, something to take our minds off the shallow things and empower us to, well, man up. Already, we’re beginning to feel a change. We can’t wait for the better things to start coming. 

“Uy, Flores de Mayo in the province! That’s as legit a Sagala as can be!” was the reaction of one of our good friends to whom we had just mentioned that we were invited to participate in the festivities back in our other home, San Fernando Pampanga. We live in a suburban village 45 minutes away from Trinoma, and everything that’s in Manila can also be found here (except for the extreme pollution, overcrowding, traffic jams and always-humid weather, heh). So it wasn’t nearly as probinsya as one might be inclined to think, but even so, it was indeed legit. Legit, and an amazing experience.

Shai - The first and last time I joined a Sagala before this was when I was six years old. I don’t remember what my role was, or how the event went in general, but I do remember getting dolled up and walking around the village in a beautiful gown and a tiara. I borrowed this ball gown and tiara from my cousin, literally the night before the event. She has participated in a lot of town festivities in our other province, Iloilo so she has a lot of gowns. I really didn’t want to spend on having a designer whip something up, or on gown rentals, for something that I’d only wear for one night. Thanks to my mom’s awesome sewing skills, we didn’t even have to spend for the slight alterations. And while everyone else was having their hair and makeup done and retouched, I did my own. Suffice it to say being kuripot leads to DIY skills and resourcefulness. Haha!

Seph - Mine is the same outfit I wore to my maternal grandparents’ 50th Anniversary wedding five years ago. Good thing it still fits! I never really had any reason to wear a barong again until now. I was born and raised in Manila; most people have relatives and ancestral homes in provinces, but the closest thing my family has is a membership in Fontana (Clark) where we rent a villa on weekends and special occasions. Needless to say, I’ve never gotten to take part in any town festivities. Even in Manila though, Sagala wasn’t really my thing ‘cause I could imagine all the hassles and thought it would just be a waste of time. But I wanted to be Shai’s escort and thought I’d give it a try. It was the first time the village decided to organize something like this so I also wanted to show them my support. I didn’t expect that it’ll turn out so great. They seem to have more fun in the provinces indeed, ‘cause of the tight-knit community. It feels like all of the people are relatives.

Goofing around, spoofing Disney princesses (for this shot Ariel waving on the ship deck after being wed to Prince Eric) while waiting for everyone else to get ready for the motorcade.

Photos by Shai’s cousin and Seph’s best friend Jeru (yes, the one that brought us together. He’s also the older brother of Hannah, the owner of this gown. Hurrah for cousin support!) In this shot, Jeru was making us spoof a typical pre-nup pose. We failed from so much laughing.

For the motorcade, we went out of the village and made the rounds in nearby areas. We had to wave and smile all throughout, and it reminded us of a lot of princess-themed chick flicks where the ugly duckling is given a makeover and a coming-out parade and ball. Or maybe we were simply amusing ourselves during the ride. Either way, we gladly obliged!

Coming back from the motorcade, we had to line up according to our roles and walk the procession.

Flores de Mayo, Santacruzan, Sagala… We always thought these were pretty much just synonymous terms referring to the same thing. We also didn’t have a very clear idea as to the significance of each of the different roles being portrayed in the pageant and procession. As far as we knew, it was a procession of “flowers” (i.e. the girls) for Mama Mary. This has been a yearly Filipino tradition for many years now, but only last Sunday did we really get to learn so much about it.

The sash says “Veronica,” the woman who wiped Jesus’ face during the walk to Calvary. Out of a dozen rehearsals, we were only able to make it thrice due to our busy schedules in Manila so we were pleasantly surprised to still have been given a role.

The “Reyna Elena.” Paulina isn’t just a neighbor; she is a friend of Shai’s younger brother Vince, and a cousin of Shai’s best guy friend Emang who also lives in the same village and went to the same high school. For college, Emang went to Mapua with Seph and Jeru. (Did we mention it’s a tight-knit community?) Beautiful, classy, smart and genuinely nice, Pau certainly made a great Queen that night.

The ball followed the procession and mass. Each pair was introduced in a sort of fashion show where you had to do a mix of a catwalk and a pageant walk, posing here and there with your partner.

Next was the Rigodon de Honor, similar to a debutante’s cotillion where partners danced the waltz. And then some ballroom (Bonnie Bailey’s “Ever After,” which brought back college memories), and then a medley of hip-hop and contemporary (which we opted out of for a lack of practice and an abundance of bloopers).

Other than the significance of upholding certain traditions, we rediscovered a lot of things that Sunday. Like how much we would have loved it to have been each other’s prom dates, or debutante and escort, if we had gotten together earlier. Or how we’ve forgotten how nice this neighborhood really is, as when we’re here we usually just sleep, eat, do photoshoots or watch movies and rarely go outside. Above all, how much you can rely on your family. All the parents who organized this, all the relatives who pitched in and lent their vehicles, their clothes, their artistic and culinary skills, all the siblings who drove and took photos and were just on call for everything.
  
We’re so glad we did this. Our friend was right: this was as legit as everything could go.

Today’s outfits: his for pull-outs and gym, hers for a couple of client calls. Photos by Richard Romero and post-processing by Love Chic.

Memo cardigan, Topman shirt, Bench jeans, Sperry topsiders, Chemistry camera pendant, SM Accessories eyeglasses and bag. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Memo dress, Chemistry men’s blazer, Asian Vogue pumps, SM Accessories bangles. Hype this on Lookbook here.
   
We are now on Chictopia too :) Go to our ChicBlog here.

Couple shirts from Me&U. “Cookie Monster” watch, pendant and earrings from True Fidelity. These clay accessories were handmade by Seph’s sister Janine, and you can win them by joining her giveaway here. As for the shirts, we’re thinking of making different sizes and styles available in our online shop. Tweet us @sephshai and let us know what you think!

Photos by Richard Romero, post-processing by Love Chic

The last of eight layouts we shot for Call It Spring  last February (i.e. when the temperature still permitted the wearing of socks, closed shoes and long garments). We went for a nature-inspired palette: blue, white, brown and floral.

CPS Chaps top, flea market chiffon skirt, Aldo socks, Call It Spring wedges, SM Accessories belt. It’s the same style of shoes I wore in this layout except in a different color. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Barette and men’s eyeglasses from SM Accessories. Red bangs, black roots and blonde tips. Ayayay. Clearly, the ombré hair needs retouching.

Metal with petal. Connector ring and studded clutch from SM Accessories. With just a rose ring and a beige bag, this look would be too sweet and feminine for my style. I like how all the hardware adds toughness to the whole look.

F&X collared long-sleeved shirt, Bench jeans, Dickies socks, Call It Spring shoes. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Eyeglasses from SM Accessories. I just love wearing these even if my eyesight is thankfully healthy. Just like shoes, wearing eyeglasses seems to make even a small difference to an outfit.

One of my favorites from Call It Spring. I like to fold the cuffs down to show the colored socks. When they’re pulled up, the boots look different without the fluffy white trimming. It’s a versatile pair of sneakers-slash-boots.

Happy Sunday, everyone! If you haven’t joined our Etude House and Mandaue Foam giveaways, now would be a good time to. Click on the links to find out how.

…And it’s because of these shades. Ba dum tsss.

Celio top, Bench jeans, Aldo socks, Call It Spring shoes, SM Accessories shades. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Self-mocking aside, we tried to do something edgier for this layout, since all of our other Call It Spring shoots were in our usual fun-fun mode.

These shoes aren’t my usual style, since I’m more of a sneakers and boots kind of guy. But every now and then, we come out of our comfort zones when it comes to fashion to explore other options. You never know how it will turn out until you try, right? These aren’t bad-looking at all.

Kashieca chiffon tiered dress, Call It Spring shoes and accessories, YRYS fishnet stockings. Hype this on Lookbook here.

If the shoes aren’t Seph’s style, in my case it’s the dress. It’s floral, in white, and in tiers of chiffon. Plus the wedges are in floral, too. I opted to edge it up with metals, animal print shades and this.

Enough said. Hahaha.

What about you? Share naman diyan! We’re always the ones posting pictures or telling you random stories and we really appreciate it when we hear back. What look would you consider to be your comfort zone? Which fashion pieces do you usually stay away from?

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!

An “anti-Valentines” Valentines post, by request of a reader who just came from a relationship and wanted to see if we could come up with a couple post with our “usual style” but more gritty than lovey-dovey… are we doing it right? Haha.

On Seph: Folded & Hung shirt, Skechers military boots, SM Accessories eyeglasses and wristband, Built to Wear necklace. Hype on Lookbook here.

Got these badass boots from Skechers Philippines. Good thing they don’t make just sporty shoes anymore!

Handmade with Lego blocks by Kat Austria of Built To Wear. Check out her other stuff on Facebook!

On Shai: Zara tank top, YRYS jumpsuit worn as dropcrotch pants, Skechers studded flats, Timex mens watch, Built To Wear lego necklace. Hype on Lookbook here.

Comfy flats from Skechers Philippines are more than pretty—they’re studded with peace signs! So cute.

Our lego necklaces surely got us cracking a lot of heartbreak jokes and puns. But truth be told, a broken heart ain’t no laughing matter, especially since it’s Valentines season. To our reader who wished to remain anonymous, we hope this post made you feel at least a little bit better!
  
So yes, we read everything and try when we can to incorporate some of the requests we get into our posts :) Feel free to ask, rant, or request away here, or leave us a Disqus comment.
  
Photos by Jeru Czar, makeup by Ariel Barrios

We were advised to dress comfortably on the second day of HKFW, and this is how we wore our matching Keds.

On Seph: Forever21 coat, R.A.F. shirt, Bench jeans, GAP scarf, Timex watch, SM Accessories glasses, grey Keds.
Hype on Lookbook here.

On Shai: Human cardigan, thrifted starry top, Abi Ong Project skirt, Topshop stockings, gray Keds, SM Accessories necklace.
Hype on Lookbook here.

This was the day we got to cover the Hong Kong Fashion Extravaganza, the most anticipated fashion show in all of Hong Kong Fashion Week attended by local celebrities and covered by national media. We had to be literally on our toes for the flurry of activity that happened that day: designer interviews, press conference, lots of picture-taking, and other fun reporter stuff that didn’t really allow for painfully dressy shoes. Stay tuned for this story!

A week ago, we were blessed with the most amazing opportunity: to do coverage of Hong Kong Fashion Week for Love Chic! We actually received the invites to be official Overseas Journalists (OJs) of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as early as Christmas time, but we didn’t want to believe it until we actually had the plane tickets on hand. In effect, we were still completely surprised when they arrived in the mail!

The flat little building amidst all the skyscrapers is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), where the fashion shows, trade fair and press conferences all happened. We’ll be posting all about these in the coming days, but for now, the obligatory outfit posts.

Topman shirt, Forever 21 Men plaid shirt, Bench jeans, Adidas sneakers, 101 New York scarf, Kissaholic satchel bag. Hype on Lookbook here.

From Bangkok dress, H&M shorts, Topshop stockings, Aldo socks, Parisian at SM Department Store booties, Kissaholic satchel bag, 101 New York scarf, SM Accessories connector ring. Hype on Lookbook here.

It’s our first time in Hong Kong, and also our first time to go out of the country alone. So despite being terribly underdressed for the fashion capital’s winter air, we were feeling warm and fuzzy inside. We can’t wait to share more photos and stories with you!
   
Happy Year of the Dragon, folks!
   
Special thanks to Miss Vivienne Chee and Chloe Kiosk of the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council for inviting us to be Overseas Journalists.

Matching gray Keds! We wore these last week to the super fun relaunch of sneaker great Keds in the country, held at Ronac Art Center. “Keds: The Original Sneaker Exhibit” featured a gallery of shoes, designer collaborations, print ads and photos of Hollywood icons who have worn Keds through the years. Some of the shoes were shipped all the way from the US and Japan archives!

Among the many celeb Keds fans present was rock legend Pepe Smith. We couldn’t resist having a photo taken with him!

The main stars of the exhibit, however, were these sneakers, painted by some of today’s most talented young artists.

By our dear friend, Valerie Chua

By CJ de Silva

By Danika Rio Navarro

By Julius Sebastian

By Soleil Ignacio

Even the food looked (and tasted!) great.

With Val, her friend Irene, and Keds Philippines’ Katrina Ong, who also handles the marketing for Sperry Topsiders. Check out the Keds Philippines Facebook Page to view more photos and learn more cool stuff about Keds. For example, did you know that the term “sneakers” was all thanks to this brand? It’s because when you wear Keds, your footsteps are so quiet you could sneak up behind anyone.
     
See the latest styles here, then grab your own pair from any of these stores: Complex Lifestyle Store Eastwood Mall, Festival Mall and Alabang Town Center, Hideout Greenbelt 5, SM Supermalls, Rustan’s, Shoe Salon, Ayala Center Cebu and the Keds x Sperry Top-Sider Pop-up Store in Mega Atrium SM Megamall.
   

Additional photos courtesy of Valerie Chua and Keds Philippines.

“It’s a love story. Baby, just say yes.”
 
We met each other nine years ago but for so many reasons, neither of us said yes to pursuing anything (not even friendship) until last year, when the timing was finally perfect. We still wish at times that our story had started earlier, but we’re glad it’s finally begun.
   
On Shai: Dress from Bangkok. Tank top, Zara. Clogs, Ferretti. Teen Vogue Handbook. Shoulder bag and socks, SM Accessories. Watch by Seph’s sister Janine (for orders, click here). Hype on Lookbook.

On Seph: Shirt, Chemistry. Jacket from Bangkok. Espadrilles, Ferretti. Jeans, Mossimo. Eyewear, SM Accessories. Hype this on Lookbook.
   
Photos: Janine Cham

Laid-back looks for the lovely weather we’re having—not too hot, not too cold. Despite what hassles the gloomy drizzles may bring, we prefer being kissed by the cool breeze than by the warm sun.

On Seph: Shirt, Chemistry. Jeans, Bench. Socks, Mossimo at SM Department Store. Shoes, Adidas. His bracelet and ring, Me&U.
Hype this on Lookbook.

On Shai: Mini dress from Boracay. Maxi skirt and platforms from Bangkok. Necklace, SM Accessories. Hers bracelet and ring, Me&U.
Hype this on Lookbook.
  
Photos: Janine Cham

“You make me feel like I’m living a teenage dream.”
    
On Seph: Shirt, Chemistry. Jeans, Mossimo. Shoes, Adidas. Socks, Dickies. Bag and hat, SM Accessories. Hype this on Lookbook.

On Shai: Dress from Bangkok. Stockings, Topshop. Lace-up wedges, Janilyn. Scarf, SM Accessories. Hype this on Lookbook.

Just us lollygagging around this dilapidated playground. Little wonder everything’s so rusty here. What with gadgets and the Internet and cable TV, nobody’s come out to play real games, outdoors, in years. It’s something we’ve resolved to do more often.

On Seph: Shirts, Chemistry. Hat, SM Accessories. Shoes, Ferretti. Hype it on Lookbook.

On Shai: Outfit from Bangkok. Hat, bangle and ring, SM Accessories. Shoes, Ferretti. Bag, NaRaYa. Hype it on Lookbook.

On another note, the Bloggers United Bazaar is only a few days away! (See sidebar for deets.) We’ll be sharing a booth there with Feanne and we’ve got loads of cool stuff to sell. Here’s more: we’re giving away 20 guest passes! Be sure to check back here tomorrow if you want to score some for you and your friends.
  
Photos: Janine Cham