Layering Like A Pro

A few days back, I received an e-mail from Janelle of Sasha Bowman Personal Shopping & Image Consulting. She’s a fashion stylist based in Pennsylvania. Boy was I ecstatic to read her e-mail! She asked me to try out her latest easy and foolproof layering technique. Although it really was an easy way to layer clothes, I became hesitant as layering clothes simply isn’t my thing. This then became my personal challenge: to go out of my comfort zone (in fashion), and LAYER UP!

 

Wearing layers may seem troubling for women since it might make them look bigger. Add the fact that the Philippines is a tropical country, and layering is not something people are accustomed to. It’s just “too hot” to layer clothes! But a big thanks to Janelle, I was able to pull off layering that is appropriate with the Philippine’s climate, and it only takes FOUR steps!

 

STEP 1: “L” Layer –> Choose a long tank or top. It should fall below the hip.

 

I chose this peach Forever 21 blouse with lace detail. It’s long enough to fall below my hip. Plus, the material’s light enough for layering.

 

STEP 2: “C” Layer –> Choose a cropped cardigan or jacket.

 

I had a hard time with the “C” layer because I don’t usually layer blouses with jumpers. I always wear a tank top underneath my sweaters, so this ensemble is quite new to me. I chose this beige Forever 21 cropped jumper, so I can pair it with the peach blouse and my printed blazer.

 

STEP 3: “O” Layer –> Choose an overlapping accessory or an oversized piece of clothing.

 

For the “O” layer, I originally wanted to wear a couple of long necklaces. But I’m not that kind of girl, so I ditched the idea. I chose a lavender lightweight scarf because they’re versatile: I can wear it around my neck if it’s too cold, or wrap it around my bag if it gets warm.

 

STEP 4: “S” Layer –> Choose a structured piece to finish the look.

 

For my “structured” piece, I chose this houndstooth printed blazer from Pixie Dust. The material is not too heavy, and I just love the print! It went well with my cropped jumper pretty well. The different textures didn’t clash at all.

 

Eyewear from Cool Cats MNL | Flats from POSH Pocket Shoes

 

Very easy, huh? What I love about layering is that you can take off any layer if it becomes too warm, and just put back the layer if it becomes too cold. Layering can drastically change an outfit, so it’s worth trying.

 

Have you tried layering lately? The weather’s quite forgiving to layering! Let me know your thoughts, ayt?

 

 

 

Love,

Technorati Tags: fashion,2014,sasha bowman,layering,la mere layering technique,forever 21,pixie dust,cool cats mnl,posh pocket shoes,sm Store

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Trip Down South

Last Saturday, my family and I headed down south for our last trip before the holiday break ends. We visited Paseo de Sta Rosa and Solenad at Nuvali.

Top from Topshop, Maxi skirt from SM Store, Bag from Charles & Keith, Shoes from Parisian

I have a love-hate relationship with maxi skirts. I feel so intimidated by it because I’m petite, and I don’t want to look any shorter. The trick for petite girls to make maxi skirts more wearable is to choose dainty prints, such as the one I’m wearing. If you choose to don solid colors, the color should be on the lighter spectrum. Choose pastels to get that girl-next-door vibe. In addition, the fabric should also be light. Think chiffon or light cotton fabrics. Avoid the heavy structured fabrics coz it will make you look heavier. I looooove this particular skirt (which was also 50% off at the SM Store; talk about a great deal!) because of its floral print. I also like the pleats, coz I think it made me seem taller. ;)

Paseo de Sta Rosa is an outlet store heaven. It has tons of outlet stores which will make one’s wallet whimper. Haha! More stores have been added in Paseo 3 & 4, so better check it out. I especially love the Bench Outlet, Nike Park Outlet, and Nine West Outlet stores. You can score items at 20% to 80% off the tag price! Great deal, huh?

Ooooh, my 4-month old Shih Tzu, Princess Kate, made new friends!! YEY! She was a good girl the entire trip! She was quiet during the trip to Sta Rosa, and she was asleep the whole time going home.



Next stop was Solenad at Nuvali. This is one of my favorite places to dine. I used to go here often in college, since ‘twas less than 20pesos away [before the SLEX toll hike happened!] from school. Perks of being “away” in college; you can stay out really late. LOL



Nuvali has two different “areas”: Solenad & Solenad 2. Solenad area has loads of restaurants to choose from! Favorites include Crisostomo’s, Conti’s, Yellow Cab, Claw Daddy, and, of course, Starbucks! I love the Starbucks branch at Solenad coz it’s really cozy! The interiors are also aesthetically appealing. In college, we used to visit this particular branch of Starbucks because it’s “conducive to learning.” [Echos lang. Gusto lang talaga gumala haha]

Solenad 2, meanwhile, contains lots of shops. Unlike Paseo de Sta Rosa, it doesn’t have much outlet stores. A few lang, like Payless, ALDO, Shoe Salon, and Stoked. Forgot the others, but yeah; you get the idea.





My mom LOOOVES Christmas a lot! Especially Christmas decors. So, when she found pictures of her friends and their families posing on a quaint Christmas village, she wanted to visit the place.



Apparently, it’s not a Christmas village; rather, the model houses of Brittany & Crown Asia were dressed up in Christmas themes (Candy Land & Santa’s Toy Box) especially for the holdays.





Here’s a picture of my adorbs puppy, Princess Kate! I think she’s too hot from spending so much time under the sun. Poor, baby!



Aside from dining at Solenad, there are activities that you and your family can enjoy. There’s a boat ride at the lake (Php30/head), bike around the area (bikes for rent at Php60/hr), enjoy a picnic (totally free!! Lots of “grass” to lay down on LOL), and feed Koi fish in the lake (Php15/packet of fish food). We chose to do the latter because the heat was totally unbearable, so we opted out the boat ride & riding a bike.



Sadly, wasn’t able to buy anything. I became more kuripot ever since Pixie Dust came to life. HAHA! But I enjoyed this last trip that we had. My cousins from the province really enjoyed their vacation. There’s nothing like spending the holidays with the family <3

How did you spend the last few days of the holiday break (and the first few days of the year)? Hope you had a blast, just like I did. ‘Till next time!

Love,

Dianne

Technorati Tags: family,love,fashion,topshop,SM Store,ootd,outfit,puppy,puppy love,Shih Tzu,paseo de sta rosa,nuvali,laguna,shopping,fish,koi,fish feeding,parisian,charles & keith

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