Love Chic

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

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This week’s cheap and chic finds. No matter the season, animal prints always seem to find their way to the top of trends lists. Our definite fave? Leopard. Men’s eyeglasses from SM Accessories. Taken with Instagram - @sephcham 

The back of our phones are now just as indicative of our personal styles as the accessories we wear. We love how today’s cases are both functional and fun. iPhone case from Mikeemarielluxe. Taken with Instagram - @shailagarde.

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

When it’s raining but we can’t afford to stay in and enjoy a steaming bowl of champorado (chocolate rice porridge), we like to recreate our own sunny day while working. Listen to beach music like reggae, house and acoustic. Watch videos or pore over photos depicting clear skies and the great outdoors. Order deep-fried or barbecued food plus ice-cold lemonade. And then everything’s not so gloomy anymore! Not so easy to do with the clothes, though—you know how crazy the sky is these days! We find that the only sensible way to dress up is wear something that’s warm enough for the rain, cool enough for the sun, and comfortable enough for either weather.
   
Shai: Simply Felice outfit, Ferretti shoes, SM Accessories hat. Seph: Chemistry outfit, Converse sneakers, SM Accessories. Photo: Jeru Czar.

Love isn’t a walk in the park. Make sure who you’re walking with is worth it.
   
Shai: Simply Felice outfit, Ferretti peep-toes, SM Accessories  sunnies. Seph: Chemistry button-down, Hang Ten shorts, Ferretti slip-ons,  SM Accessories. Photo: Jeru Czar.

Such a trite, overused word that I try to avoid 99% of the time, but unfortunately an apt description for this post. 

Photos by Seph; we were trying to do something that looks similar to his blog entry before this. Francis Libiran for Myth mens button-down, Divisoria umbrella-print tank top and denim shorts, YRYS fishnet stockings, Adidas sneakers, Nine West bag, The Belle Soeurs accessories. Hype this on Lookbook here and vote on Chictopia here.

We shot this yesterday at Rockwell, and it was really sunny one minute while the next minute brought rainshowers. So yes, bipolar: the top and shorts for the heat, the button down-turned-blazer and stockings for the cold.

I’ve always had a soft spot for menswear and androgynous pieces, long before “boyfriend polo” and “fashion blogging” officially entered the style lexicon. When I was younger, this preference for masculine apparel was often subject to subtle mockery. But really, what’s not to like? It’s slouchy, comfy and loose, like being in house clothes albeit better-looking.

Haphazard braids (the title of this post on Lookbook and Chictopia) that I did on the way while bored in traffic. Wore it for the rest of the day when Seph said he liked how it turned out. I thought I had colored my hair red evenly after the Funky Streaks experiment, but look at that! Turns out I still have four different colors in my hair. Cool.

Basic Black iced tea (without ice lol) because I have a cough, colds and a croaking voice that sounds like a thirteen-year-old boy going through both puberty and a sore throat, but it’s almost a tradition to drive thru for Basic Black on errands days.

Thanks to sisters Via and Vina Guerrero of The Belle Souers for these!

I seldom bring bags because I’m lazy like that, but on days that I do, it’s usually small ones just for my wallet, keys and phones. This one from Nine West was a gift from my cousins in the US and it’s my favorite for being the perfect size, weight and color.

Lace sneakers from Adidas that I seldom wear because I like them a lot and don’t want to wear them out! When I do my outfits, I usually have a running theme with some of the pieces. I wore these because my hair was in braids and my bag was pink (girly floral lace), but I had rugged shorts and fishnet stockings on (high-cut black sneakers). Don’t worry if you didn’t get that—it didn’t really make that much sense, haha.

In the car just before braiding, taken with Instagram. Hihi. Follow me on there @shailagarde!

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. 

There couldn’t have been a more perfect timing for our collaboration with Myth, a boutique that houses some of today’s highly regarded names in the local design industry. One of their in-house designers, Francis Libiran, is one of the hottest name in the global fashion scene right now, owing largely to the amazing showcase of his works on the Hello Kitty episode of America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion.
   
For this collab, we were invited to pick two menswear pieces each from Francis’ latest collection and come up with five looks, styling them however we wanted. Our agenda for today comprised of errands, meetings and more errands, so we opted for a chic yet comfortable look. We did the outfit shots with our friend/neighbor/boss before we went on our way.

Francis Libiran for Myth button-down, Greenhills denim shorts, Coach bag, Schu flatforms. Hype this on Lookbook here.

I got the chance to meet Francis last year when I interviewed and profiled summer’s hottest personalities for Metro Magazine. I was immediately blown away by how humble, soft-spoken and genuinely passionate Francis seemed about the local fashion industry. That, and well, his good looks too.

After hearing the good news about ANTM, I was beyond delighted! I’ve always been a fan of the show (who isn’t?) but this cycle is extra special because London is one of the cities I’ve wanted to see since ever, thanks to Parent Trap, Harry Potter and Love Actually. Anything Brit never fails to catch my fancy. This might be a dorky thing to say, but wearing one of his designs makes me feel “closer” to the show, hahaha!

Francis Libiran for Myth button-down, Bench jeans, Sebago shoes, Greenhills accessories. Hype this on Lookbook here.

I really loved browsing Myth’s shelves containing pieces from Francis’ latest menswear collection. The color palette consisted of dark shades with light accents, which is what I look for in button-downs. Something to downplay my chest and shoulders since I’m quite short-legged but also with details that pop. My frustration when shopping is that usually, the items come in either plain and boring or super loud and flamboyant. The menswear at Myth achieve a balance between classic styles and interesting details, like the piping on both our shirts.

It’s a versatile piece. You can go from geeky to smart casual to party-mode to sleek by just combining it with different pieces. I can’t wait for us to do the rest of the looks!
  
Photos by Richard Romero, post-processing by Love Chic. Check out Myth on Facebook and Twitter and the boutique at Greenbelt 5.