Love Chic

If a psychic ever foretold I’d be doing this, I would’ve laughed the incredulous thought off, until about two weeks ago. Me, dive? The only time I’m ever near the ocean is when I cover beachfront events for magazines or produce summer segments for a TV show. I can swim only in waters shallow enough that I can stand up with my head above the surface—which suffices to say I can’t swim to save my life.

Yet despite my trepidations about the sea, last weekend found me at Mabini, Batangas with my friends Magel, Joanne, Chez and Chris. Not just to swim, but to learn how to sink. And as I would later find out, to learn many things more.

We got to meet Magel’s friends as well. Dan and Jonathan beside us are intro divers too, while the ones in front (Magel, Anton, Javy and Kevin) have all been diving here for years.

I met these two in 2009. We were all part of the production team of Project Runway Philippines 2 and instantly hit it off. From back then until now, Magel and Joanne have always been a source of strength and wisdom. I know I wouldn’t even think about trying this if they weren’t the people I’d be with.

Pool session with James, our instructor.

We were taught the basics of mask clearing, regulator clearing, equalizing, finning and proper breathing. To my pleasant surprise, I took to water like, well, a duck takes to water. The week before our diving trip, up to the minute I was already parking the car at the resort, I had spent so much time and energy being scared and worried how everything would go. All that wasted effort on something that turned out to be so ridiculously simple!

I volunteered to go first. Pink fins always help give a girl courage.

And then I was off to sea. There was nothing but the steady rhythm of my breathing, harmonizing with the muffled gurgle of a thousand tiny bubbles around us. Even the noise of my own thoughts was drowned out.

Underwater shots care of Javy’s GoPro and underwater camera case.

At first, I held on tight, like a baby about to take her first few steps. But as we went deeper and deeper, the water seemed to be more welcoming, beckoning us to come and see all the beauty she has to offer.

It’s gonna be okay, it seemed to say. Slowly, the current washed away the fears and anxieties and I was able to let go.

The undersea wandering left me wondering why I’ve been squandering all those opportunities in the past to try new things and see what else is out there. Why I’ve let myself be hindered by so many fears I myself conjured up, by apprehensions I allowed people to shove in my head, by regrets I willingly wallowed in.

Joanne and Chez, who were just as afraid at first. When we all came up, the feeling was indescribable.

It helped enormously that I was with three types of divers that day: the inexperienced ones who shared my fears (thank you, Joanne and Chez), the seasoned ones who showed us how awesome they feel (thank you, boys), and the teacher who helped us transition from one to the other (thank you, James).

Above all, thank you, Magel. I’ve been a hermit crab this whole year, and you patiently coaxed me out of my shell to try and do things I previously thought unthinkable.

“Dive, but don’t drown.” I texted my parents and siblings just before I went out to sea, and that’s what my dad said to me. Knowing his penchant for humorous wordplay, he was probably just trying to be funny in telling his daughter to be careful. But his words spoke volumes more than that.

As the sun sank into sea, the realization sank into me that indeed, there are many things that will besiege us. Challenges, triumphs, excruciating sadness, immense joy, failures, victories. Whichever of these pressures arise, what’s important is that we learn to equalize, to go with the flow, to take deep breaths and calmly work our way through the current and not let ourselves be swept away. To clear the fog in our masks that might be keeping us from seeing things clearly. To dive into things and take it all in, embrace what’s enveloping us, but not let it drown us.
   
I can’t wait for what the next experience will be teaching.

Candies sundress, Quirkypedia headband, SM Accessories necklace, Janilyn wedges. My third and last outfit idea for CloseUp Summer Solstice.

Hype this on Lookbook here, Chictopia here. 

As you may or may have not noticed in the first and second, there’s an undercurrent of green in this trilogy. I took it upon myself to work with three musts. First, the outfits must be from pieces I already own (you’ll see this dress in a future post; I wore it on the HK/Macau holiday).  Second, the outfits must call to mind words like summer, fresh, carefree, happy and young. And third, I must not take more than three hours from styling, to makeup and hair, to shooting everything. I like playing little games like that. Haha.

I was able to put together and shoot all three in one afternoon, and my awesome photographer (Hi Mama!) did an amazing job as usual. It was quick and so much fun!

Don’t let the height of these lace-wrapped wedges fool you. They’re quite easy to walk in! I tried dancing in them as well and I think with a little more practice, they’re a good enough compromise for the vertically challenged who don’t want to wear flats to the festival.

Let me know what you have in mind for your Summer Solstice outfit, or ask me style-related questions, here! Oh, and which one’s your favorite among the three? :)

Miss Sixty dress over striped tank top, Cole Haan wingtip brogues, SM Accessories hat and necklace, Veloci wristwatch, backpack from my sister. Hype this on Lookbook here and Chictopia here.

Just something for the summer. Been going on drives with my loved ones to nearby places that I haven’t been to in a while. Looking forward to more of these this year :)

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week so far! ♥

Lhasa pink crochet dress, Call It Spring boots, SM Accessories. Hype this on Lookbook here and Chictopia here.

Wore this to the media launch of Close-Up Summer Solstice. It’s this new tradition that Close-Up is kickstarting this year: a 12-hour non-stop music party featuring the hottest local and foreign artists. My fellow ambassadors and I were asked to go for a summer outfit that you would typically wear to a music festival.

I’ve never been to one, so I just based it on festival fashion photos I see online: boots with something breezy and low-key, injected with a few boho or hippie elements.

The media launch was held at White Space last March 5, where ambassadors gathered together: actors, fashion bloggers, Magic 89.9 radio DJs and other influential youngsters. Left to right: Rocco Nacino, Steven Silva, Enzo Pineda, Kryz Uy, Camille Co, Laureen Uy, Carla Humphries, Mike Concepcion, Nicole Andersson, Coleen Garcia, Verniece Enciso, Seph Cham, me, Vern Enciso, Jessica Mendoza, Andi Manzano, Suzy Gamboa, Riki Flores, Enrique Gil. Each of us belonged to a social group, and we were all part of the selection process of the artists.

My group! David Guison is also with us but he couldn’t make it that day.

Check out the colorful bean bags and backdrop!

So who are the artists we’ll be rocking out to at the Summer Solstice?

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Wearing summer’s bright jewel tones. Blind Clothing one-shoulder dress, SM Accessories bag and bracelet, Asian Vogue peep-toe heels, My Gilded Nest earrrings, Dickies sunnies.

Hype this on Lookbook here, and Chictopia here. I prefer to just wear a few items at a time these days, instead of having on so many layers. Part of my aim to simplify life, perhaps.

Best thing about this season? You can wear your favorite hues and pretty much get away with it. I just love color!

This is what I wore to a casual meeting today. Since it was a hot afternoon, I thought I’d go all summery chic, wear a lot of brights and bare a little skin.

Speaking of bare, I didn’t have the time or patience to do full-on makeup, so I just brushed on a little blush, put on some red lipstick and left the rest of my face alone. There’s a lot going on in my outfit already, plus sunnies make great concealers anyway. Haha.

Pulled my hair into a messy bun because it’s the easiest lazy hair style to pull off, especially when your hair is the naturally wavy type that doesn’t like to be combed.

I was never a fan of sunny days, but I noticed that a lot of the things I used to like and not like have been evolving. Lately, I’ve been thinking of the sun as something to look forward to.

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Urban Goddess top, Cotton On skirt, Asian Vogue loafer pumps, SM Accessories clutch and bangle, Wanderlust bracelets. Hype this on Lookbook here and Chictopia here.

The day started with a migraine attack. Those who’ve seen me with one, know how bad it gets every time. All I see are blinding flashes of light for a half-hour, my limbs go numb, and unless I take meds, I throw up from the pain. Not a pretty sight, and definitely not a pleasant experience. Pretty traumatizing in fact that when I feel one coming on, I panic. But this time felt different—like nothing could stop me. I was excited to get to work!

Work meant going to the press junket for actress Troian Bellisario who plays Spencer Hastings on “Pretty Little Liars.” She was in town with her boyfriend, Patrick J. Adams, who plays Mike Ross on “Suits.” While I don’t follow “PLL” as religiously as “Suits,” I watch it for Troian. I find her beautiful, smart, independent and whole, a kind of girl I strive to be. Ever since I knew about them individually and as a couple, I’ve wanted to meet them.

So as soon as my vision returned, I drove as fast (and carefully) as I could from Pampanga to Quezon City, where my friend Abi joined me. She took over the wheel so I could do my makeup and try to fix my hair—in the end though, I just let it fall however it wanted. Haha.

My nails have been craving for servicing, too. I’d been practicing on the ukulele and I thought a manicure would be counter-productive. Heh. Just hoped the skirt, clutch and bracelets made up for it.

Thanks to a throbbing head and lack of prep, we arrived late at Marriott Hotel where the junket was being held. Now I admit, sometimes I can be a worrier and panic when things don’t go my way. But for some reason, the idea that I went through all that trouble and drove a hundred kilometers for nothing wasn’t bothering me one bit. Somehow, I felt like things were still going to be great.
     
And I was right. A few minutes later, I was taking Instagram photos with Troian and taking a video of Patrick saying hi to me.

Plus this awesome video of him greeting me on my birthday.
     

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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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In March 2010 started a love story eight years in the making. Seph and I met in 2002 through my cousin Jeru, his best friend of 11 years. Through those years we were always just along the borders of each other’s lives, crossing paths every now and then in between relationships, keeping in touch and losing touch and finally finding each other many years and lessons later.
   
When we did, we were so sure we had both been prepared for this. That there must have been a reason we weren’t brought together eight years ago; that we were meant to first grow and learn from past mistakes. Things fell into place almost cosmically: the chemistry effortless, the connection unbreakable, everyone’s love and support overwhelming. This is what we’ve been waiting our whole lives for, we thought.
     
It’s been our joy sharing our story with you through this blog—our passions, hopes, milestones and memories. Love Chic has not only been a celebration of our love for fashion, but of love. Of two people whose bond is so strong that one can feel or think what the other feels or thinks without saying a word. Two people with so much in common it’s like they’ve known each other all their lives. Whose differences are so complementary that when their strengths and weaknesses combine, they’re unstoppable. Two people who have made cynics believe that true love is real after all.
    
But love as a feeling is never enough. Falling in love is the easiest thing, while staying in love requires commitment. It takes two; not one, not three, to make a relationship work. As it turns out, the worst fears and gut feelings I’ve been having for a while were real: Seph and I have stopped moving together in this direction. The things that were supposed to be just between the two of us—secrets, plans, dreams, problems, were no longer just between the two of us.
      
Due to circumstances beyond my control, our story has come to an end.
   
They say fight for what’s yours. Give it your all. But when it turns out it has no longer been yours for over a year now, you can fight and give with all you’ve got and it won’t make the slightest difference.
    
When that happens, all you can do is forgive, and move on. Be grateful for what happened, and have faith that things can only get better.
     
From here on, Seph is leaving Love Chic to me. There will be changes, but with the same name and aim of inspiring young people to be their best and confident selves. We hope you’ll continue to be supportive of us even as we go our own ways.
   
Made this on our anniversary to celebrate our story. It’s time to let it go. :)

      
To everyone who stood by us from the very beginning, when we were starting out with webcam photos on Facebook albums. To everyone who read our first blog posts and watched our first videos. To everyone who came by our talks, wrote to Dear Love Chic, dropped by our bazaar booths, watched our guestings, and read our features. To everyone who showed their faith in us, who looked up to us and made us feel like we were doing something right. To everyone who loved Love Chic, and sephshai.
     
Thank you.

Veva Dee Luxe geometric printed dress, SM Accessories geometric necklace, bangle, ring and quilt clutch, CMG wedges. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Energie Jeans tee, 101 New York jacket, Human jeans and sneakers, SM Department Store socks, Velocci watch, iNako iPad screen protector.

It’s been a while since our last blog post! Along with the coming of the new year (and the Chinese new year lol), a lot of changes have been afoot.

Change, we often hear, is the only thing that’s ever constant. The only thing that follows a pattern. At first, resistance; and fear of tipping the balance. Of rearranging anything.

And then, enough courage to embrace the reality that what has been comfortable, what’s easy, isn’t always what’s right.

Enough courage is mustered to face whatever must happen head on, with a sound mind and a willful heart.

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Hi guys! Hope you all had lovely Valentine celebrations yesterday. Just because February 14th is over, though, doesn’t mean the love season is!

Our Forever21 Valentine’s Lookbook contest is still on-going!

The contest is open to all fashionable couples who want to show off their unique sense of paired-up style in Forever21 outfits.

We’ve posted a few samples already to help get you inspired. The winning couple gets to win a P10,000 shopping spree.

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Schoolboy meets schoolgirl in collared button-downs, knit cardigans and loafers. “Campus crush” looks for the Forever21 Valentine’s Lookbook contest.

We’ve been blogging these sample entries to give you guys a better idea how you can go about your own entries for the contest.

It could be as matchy as you want, or not! It could be in a studio, or outdoors.

It doesn’t really matter as long as your theme is pretty clear, and you’re able to express your individual and paired-up styling.

Show off your sweet style and get to win a P10,000 shopping spree from Forever21.

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Denim button-downs layered over tangerines and blues, worn with nude shoes. One of the many ways we’d style ourselves for the Forever21 Valentine’s Lookbook contest.

How about you? Join the contest for a chance to win a P10,000 shopping spree at Forever21.

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

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No purchase required. Make an outfit collage showing how you would wear Skechers sneakers for Valentines, and you might just win them for you and your partner! Open to Love Chic followers on Twitter and Facebook 18 years old and above, residing in Metro Manila or otherwise able to come here in case of win.

• Follow Skechers Philippines on Twitter and Facebook.
• Choose one (1) men’s and one (1) women’s shoe from the Skechers x Love Chic album on Facebook. Create a men’s outfit and a women’s outfit for a Valentines date with your special someone. Maximum of three (3) looks per person.
• Send your entry to skechersxlovechic@gmail.com along with your full name, partner’s name, complete birthday and mobile number. One email per couple, so that your looks are submitted together.
• Tweet this: “I just sent my entry to @sephshai x @SkechersPH giveaway. Hope to win his-and-hers sneakers for V-day! http://lovechic.com.ph”
• All photo entries become property of Skechers Philippines and may be used online and in other media featuring the shoes.

To give you an idea, we created these sample entries on Polyvore. It allows you to put together an outfit collage (called “set”) by searching the web for product shots that you specify (i.e. type “mens button down” and click on a particular blue shade). We typed “Skechers sneakers” and “Skechers sneaker wedge” to see if our favorites from the Facebook album were there, and they were.

If your chosen pair isn’t found on Polyvore, it has a clipper option that will allow you to import the photos from the Facebook album to use for your collage. The nice thing about Polyvore is you can use backgrounds and frames, but you’re free to use any application (such as Picasa) or website (such as Fotor) for creating your looks. After all, it’s the outfits that will be judged and not how pretty your collage is. :)
   
Entries will be accepted until midnight of February 13, Wednesday. We’ll announce the winning couple On Valentines Day, who each get a pair from Skechers Philippines. ♥

Hot pink and purple against high-contrast zebra stripes…

And green with tribal graphics with a black and white jeans-and-tee ensemble.
  

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