Love Chic

The cool thing about department-store shopping is you have everything you’re looking for in one place. The cool thing about online shopping is you can browse, add to cart, and check out items with a few mouse clicks. Combine both retail experiences and you’ve got an online department store that houses the brands you love: ZALORA. 
   
If the name rings a bell, it’s because they’ve been all over local cyberspace lately. You check your Facebook, view a funny viral on YouTube or admire a blogger’s outfit of the day and a ZALORA ad is on the page, beckoning one and all to check it out. Check it out we did, and we like what we found.
   
   

❤ User-friendly interface, with categories neatly lined up in tabs on top, a menu bar at left, and a nifty “Need assistance?” pop-up. Search by category, brand, color, price, size, even occasion. You can finally search for “wedges” and not get photos of fried potatoes.
❤ Helpful rollover options: aside from brand, description, price and available sizes, you get a view of the item from four angles. The customer perks: 30 days return, free shipping nationwide, same day delivery, cash on delivery, help hotline and FAQ.
❤ The variety. From foreign brands to local faves, high-end to budget-friendly, apparel  and shoes to gadgets and lifestyle items. And they’re just getting started, so we’re expecting many more brands and items to come in soon. 
   
We also found these. We like to call ‘em… ZALORAROIDS. Haha. 

❤ Shai’s pick: I love pastels and wedges and these Chic Yamada shoes is all that. I imagine it can easily be worn with pieces I already have, and without discrimination—dresses, skirts, shorts, pants… Plus, that lime green candy color looks good enough to eat!
   
 

❤ Seph’s pick: Boots have got to be my favorite footwear. I love how they instantly make a plain outfit stylish. These 5CM boots would be a cool addition to my growing collection, with its classic design combined with interesting details that make it stand out.
   
 

❤ Shai’s pick: I’m a fan of small bags because I’m too lazy to lug my entire world around in a huge tote slung over my shoulders. This XOXO handbag is the right mix of dainty and edgy, which means I can wear it a lot of ways. Perfect for carrying just the essentials.
   
 

❤ Seph’s pick: Unless I’m off to the gym, I’m not a fan of backpacks as they tend to look too sporty and seldom go well with my outfits. I prefer messenger bags, murses and sleek satchels, like this one from 5CM: simple, elegant and goes well with my wardrobe.
   
 

❤ We recently bought a condo unit that we’re furnishing little by little. We want to have as much of the furniture and gadgetry as possible to come in white. We also want a decent sound system for our daily music fix. This Logic3 dock would be a cool solution to both!

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So what’s the inspiration for this? We believe an effective way to get what you want is to create a visual board with pictures of your goals, dreams and aspirations. You feed your subconscious with these images and they eventually make their way to you at the right time. The Secret, we believe, is similar to online shopping: you decide what you want, confirm your order, make the necessary payments and expect it to be delivered. We thought this was a good way to articulate those two ideas. And well, it was just really fun to do. Go ahead, create your own wishlist, too.
  

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.

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.

Landlocked lovers making do with the nearest body of water around. Shot at the pool area of the condo we bought together.

CPS Chaps floral-print maxi dress, Call It Spring wedges and headband, SM Accessories bangle. Hype this on Lookbook here.

This pair of Call It Spring wedges look amazing, notwithstanding my un-pedicured footsies. The color is right between my two favorite shades of red, corral and watermelon. I can’t think of any season I wouldn’t wear this, but the wooden element makes it perfect for the summer.

Celio button-down and shorts, Call It Spring shoes, SM Accessories belt. Hype this on Lookbook here.

I’ve always loved shoes in red shades because it doesn’t require a lot of effort to stand out when you’re wearing them. These are one of my favorite. They’re breezy, comfy and perfect for strolling around. The only limitation is I don’t think I’ll be able to wear them when it’s rainy, but for sunny days, they’re the best.

Hope you’re having a wonderful summer, wherever you may be at right now!

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. :)

We had no plans of weighing in on the recent controversy involving FHM Philippines’ March issue, but while uploading these photos for just another fashion post, we were reminded of it by word association. Colored background, black and white… It might’ve been in the back of our heads all this time, as an issue that’s close to home for us both. So what the heck, let’s throw Lookbook captioning out the window for a moment and throw in our two cents.

Unless you’ve been in hibernation, you probably know that the magazine’s original cover this month featured British-Filipina actress Bela Padilla posing for the camera in a swimsuit, surrounded by five dark-skinned Filipinas in blackface who are either looking down despondently or looking up in awe at this fair-skinned beauty who is “Stepping out of the shadows” (the caption). Guess we don’t need to elaborate on the message this cover clearly sends out. Following a slew of comments from offended netizens, the men’s magazine has recalled the cover and released one with the photo and caption replaced.

All should be well and good now, except it quite isn’t. Because this isn’t the first time we Filipinos have displayed ignorance and insensitivity regarding this, and it probably won’t be the last. Not while the people involved admit outright that they see nothing wrong with blackface, and do not regret having participated in it. Not while again and again, TV shows portray characters in blackface who would be maltreated, ridiculed and hated just for being dark, while becoming lighter-skinned would bring them a better life. Not while we’re okay with how newspapers and magazines continue to paint non-black models black for the sake of art or advocacy without realizing or considering the impact the photos would have, regardless of the accompanying text’s intentions. Not to mention the comments on blog posts about the issue that go along the lines of, “Things are blown out of proportion. What’s so racist about that cover? What’s wrong with painting them black?”

What makes it ultimately tragic is the irony of it all—how we as a people have been victims of white supremacy and racial discrimination for centuries, and yet we ourselves have been participating in it, knowingly, willingly and unabashedly.

Look at Charice. Immense talent, charm, dedication, but with looks that don’t fit the bill as far as Filipino audiences are concerned. She’s been trying to make it in the local music industry but nobody here would give her a break, preferring the mestizos and mestizas with less than stellar vocal pipes. But when Ellen Degeneres gave her a break and the western world embraced her, “Oh, she’s world-famous now, I’m so proud to be Pinoy!”

Seph: In my work, I’ve always been aware of the preference for fair-skinned, foreign or half-foreign models over moreno Pinoys. Whenever I book a project, they would tell me to avoid getting dark or risk getting replaced. In go-sees I attend, we often don’t stand a chance once Caucasians come in. Just watch a random TV commercial, attend a fashion show, or flip any magazine and you’d notice the trend yourself, if you haven’t already.

I used to work with an actor-model when he was starting out and he used to say, “Gagawin ko lahat para maibalik sa Pinoy ang trabaho.” (I will do everything to bring Pinoy models back our work opportunities). He worked hard, kept fit, honed his craft and went on to become one of today’s most popular mainstream stars. It’s just one little success story, but I took it to heart. Today, I see everything I do as an opportunity to make it and be able to say, “You don’t have to be of a certain descent or skin color to get to where you want.”

Shai: When I was younger, I auditioned for a TV project. After my turn, I was told flat out by the casting panel, “You’re really good and we want to get you, but the audiences will want something else.” They ended up casting a pretty Caucasian who couldn’t act or memorize lines. The project eventually bombed. Rejection is part of the industry I work in, and it would’ve been fine each time it was because I screwed up or wasn’t right for the part. But what stung was each time that it was because I’m not the typical Pinoy standard of beauty: porcelain skin, aquiline nose, bright-colored eyes.

So when I got to work for a teen magazine and then as producer for TV shows, I made the most of the opportunity: since everyone else was already pitching the standards, I made sure Pinay models and local talent weren’t ignored—those who weren’t just book-worthy because of a foreign-sounding last name or paper-white complexion, but models who actually knew how to pose and project, whose faces were actually for modeling. Talents who actually had talent other than smiling about their easy-earned stardom.

We get to talk often with teens and young adults about their personal issues, and colonial mentality and the insecurities it brings is one that affects us most. We’re happy to notice the changes for the better: morenos and morenas taking the international fashion world by storm, global artists of Pinoy descent proud of their roots, among others. But with something as recent as the cover photo brouhaha, it’s obvious we have a long way to go. We’ll just have to keep doing the little things we can until we get there.

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On Seph: Zara button-down shirt, from Bangkok leather jacket, Bench jeans, Skechers shoes, SM Accessories eyeglasses. Hype on Lookbook here

On Shai: Zara button-down shirt, SM Department Store cropped blazer, The Ramp skirt, Aldo mens socks, Skechers wedges. Hype on Lookbook here
Photos: Jeru Czar | Hair and makeup: Ariel Barrios

How is everyone? It’s been a while since we’ve heard from anyone outside of family and a few close friends, owing to a string of events both pleasant and otherwise that have temporarily kept us away from the chaotic monotony of our respective freelancer lives. Thankfully, we’ve slowly been getting back on track and getting some much-wanted downtime to post things here and there. Let’s get spring/summer started in this here blog, shall we? :)

On Seph: CPS Chaps shirt, F&X button-down, Bench jeans, Call It Spring shoes, SM Accessories glasses. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Denim on denim on denim was the idea for this layered look, taking advantage of the occasionally chilly afternoon breeze blown our way by the winds from wintry countries.

On Shai: Kashieca dress with cowl neck, SM Department Store socks, SM Accessories cuff, Call It Spring wedges. Hype this on Lookbook here.

Bright floral prints never fail to liven up drab days. If you’ve seen our blog Archives (or if you’ve been reading this blog long enough—and thank you!) you’ll notice how we love playing with prints. One of the reasons to love summer.

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

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

Hi from Bangkok! We’re here with Shai’s mom to do a little bit of touring and a whole lot of shopping. It’s Seph’s first out-of-country trip and second plane ride.

We wore really casual outfits for this nighttime flight, as it’s a hassle taking off socks and accessories and layers of clothing for security checks in the airport. Not to mention that Bangkok is just as hot as in Manila. Adidas shirt, Ice Watch, Human shorts, blue and grey Sperry Topsiders, man-purse from a bazaar. Hype this on Lookbook!

Chemistry top, Human drop-crotch pants, silver Sperry Topsiders, SM Department Store hairband, Forever21 bracelets, and Charles & Keith shoulder bag. An outfit that takes five minutes to put on. Hype this on Lookbook!

Food. It might seem like a silly joke (“We came all the way from Manila to eat KFC”), but a country’s fast food says a lot about their culture as well—we found out for example that Thai fast food chains offer yummy chocolatey drinks like Milo, and seldom have anything on the menu that isn’t spicy or doesn’t taste like curry. Like these shicken strips.

Instead of gravy, this is what they have, other than ketchup (which they call tomato sauce). After dinner, we took a walk outside looking for dessert, because Bangkok’s street food has a strong reputation for being truly awesome. Alas, there weren’t any stalls open nearby and we ended up here.

The sandbags are for protection against unexpected flooding, as areas surrounding the city have been experiencing the past few days before we got there. Getting inside McDonald’s became an adventure in itself.

A tall glass of Ovaltine Swiss. Why don’t we have this here? If we did, we wouldn’t need to go to our coffee and tea places for our frap fix.

A seriously delicious drink that we ended up gulping down before we could take more decent pictures.

We’re glad we brought our Sperrys to this trip. Pretty handy and stylish for traveling, as we found out the next day.

On Shai: Blue Forever21 shirt with puffy cuffs, Landmark button-fly shorts, Charles & Keith purse, Topshop stockings, Sperry Topsiders. Hype this on Lookbook!

On Seph: Human blue on white patterned shirt, Bench jeans, Sperry Topsiders. Hype this on Lookbook!

We spent our first day in Bangkok on a tour to different Buddhist temples. This is the temple of the Reclining Buddha, a 200-year-old giant statue.

Which we found pretty awesome, considering we’re only used to seeing Buddha images seated like this.

As if being a massive statue wasn’t enough, the Reclining Buddha even has intricate designs on its feet.

These must make amazing footprints on the beach.

View from behind: Buddha’s got spiky hair

Souvenirs were being sold outside the temple, but we got a different kind of souvenir.

Some dude on the street randomly placed this giant snake on Seph’s shoulders and made us pose for the camera, then made us pay 360 baht. Can you say “holdap?” Lesson learned: Learn to say “No, thank you” when in a foreign country.

We went back to the hotel for brunch after a tiring and fulfilling morning.

Chili-filled rice meal with chicken, veggies, peanuts and special sauce for Seph.

Chicken fillet with crunchy bits of we don’t know what, and cucumbers in some sweet and spicy vinegar sauce for Shai.

In their food courts, you exchange your baht with coupons and use these to pay. We had some extra coupons left, and bought these.

Milk tea (won’t be the last time we’ll be having this, as you’ll soon see) and chocolate ice cream. Both tasted heavenly.

And then it was back to the city for round two of the temple tour.

Spotted: Reclining Buddha, now standing tall. Whoa.

Oh hi, how’s the weather up there?

On another note, we couldn’t help but marvel at the elaborately designed roofs and buildings on the temple grounds.

Other than taking pictures and goofing around, we spent some time reflecting and being thankful for our blessings inside one of the smaller temples. Day 1 has been wonderful so far, and we have a feeling it will keep getting better.

—and Adidas x Jeremy Scott has both.

Too darn cute!

(Taken with iPhone at the Adidas Originals store in Trinoma)