Style Inspiration: Gretel Pery, Manila/L.A.

I often talk about my personal style philosophies here at MFO, but I figured, it would be infinitely more interesting to feature stylish girls and how they found their personal style. Finding our own style is a process, and I hope that this series will not only teach us a thing or ten about how to put together an outfit and where to shop, but also to help us discover how to dress according to our taste, budget and lifestyle. 

Next up in this series is Gretel Pery, a loving wife, a mom of two kids, and get this, her work has something to do with shopping online. OMG Dream Job. I stalk her on Instagram because she is always so chic, with a classic, effortless style that defies time. She wears a lot of comfortable basics, but she puts everything together so flawlessly. Let's learn from her!

You shop for a living! What's that like?

I am the purchaser of Forexworld Online Shopping. It’s a service Forex Cargo offers to people who have no access ordering from most websites. So aside from the usual balikbayan boxes we are known for, we also offer drop ship and online shopping services. A lot of shopping websites now don’t accept orders if you don’t have a US credit card, a US billing address or a US shipping address. I do the ordering for them and ship through Forex.

What is a day in your life like? How do you spend your weekends?

I work from the house. I coordinate with our customer service reps through email and phone calls. I do the work in the morning. In the afternoon, I bring my daughter to school, go to the gym, run errands and fetch my kids from school if I can.

I’m home before dinner with my family. My weekends are spent with my husband and kids. This is the time for haircuts, doctor’s appointments, eating out, watching a movie or simply just hanging out together.

 When running errands, Gretel goes for comfortable clothing like button downs, jersey tops and dresses and jeans, paired with functional flats like espadrilles, ballet flats or classic white sneakers.

How would you best describe your style? Why does it work for you?

Clean, easy and minimal. I’ve always been attracted to structured clothing and clean lines. I try to balance it to look more flattering. This style works for my lifestyle.

How has your style evolved and how did you know you've finally found your trademark style?

When I was younger, it was all about trying to blend in and be socially accepted. I was gullible and faddish. However, even then, I already knew what I liked, and was drawn to and appreciative of certain styles. However putting them together was still a challenge. 

As I grew older, I became more confident with my choices. I think it all started when I became a mom. It was a lifestyle change. I started prioritizing comfort without looking frumpy. I would say I‘ve learned to edit along the way. 

When attending her kids' school activities, and the occasion calls for dressier pieces, comfort is still key, but she switches the shorts and button down with a pencil skirt and a boxy top, a dressier top and heels to go with skinny jeans, or a jersey wrap dress instead of a jersey tunic.

What are your wardrobe essentials?

Dark slim fit jeans, ballet flats, a neutral colored everyday leather bag, a crisp white and light blue shirt, classic black pumps, a black clutch and a bunch of well fitting underwear!

Gretel's wardrobe essentials: Dark slim fit jeans in a very current flare cut, ballet flats to balance off a poufy skirt, classic white button downs. The secret to her style is the fit. The hems are cut at just the right length, waist bands fit snugly, and tops fit well at the shoulders.

Where do you shop?

Mostly abroad and online. Locally I like Uniqlo and MUJI.

When traveling, Gretel relies on her trusty trench coats and white sneakers. Having a personal uniform philosophy, especially when you travel, takes the stress out of dressing up every day, and makes it easier to pack for trips as well

Best style advice you've ever received and what advice would you give to those who want to nail her own personal style?

• Less is more and always go for quality over quantity.  

• Style is about how you carry yourself and put everything together. You have to know what you really like but know also if the stuff will suit your personality and lifestyle. 

• Don’t get carried away by trends. What works for others doesn’t mean it will also work for you. 

•  Learn when to stop. A pair of Valentino Rockstuds doesn’t look the same on every woman.

What would your advice be to someone who wants to build her closet but is on a budget?

• You have to cover the basics first. Update in small doses. Make sure to buy something that goes well with the rest of your wardrobe. 

• Buy the best quality you can afford. Purchases made this way will endure longer in fashion and durability. Moreover this way, you don’t have to buy too much.

For more tips on chic, stylish dressing, read Popsugar's 15 Things Stylish Women Do Everyday. Bookmark it! It's a wonderful reminder that style also requires discipline, and the little things we do to take care of our things, and the time we spend to give thought on how we look, all add up to great style.

Forexworld = Shopping Enabler

Over the summer, I discovered Forexworld, a new way to ship my online shopping finds from the US to here without hassling anybody at all. Ever!

It's like, if you are on a secret shopping mission, this is the way to do it. Everything's just between you and your computer. No human contact required. Ahihi.

Prior to Forexworld I would usually:

1) Ship to my friend Me-an or sister Trina so they can ship it to me. This is usually for:

- consolidating several purchases, so they can pre-pack for me, heehee. I love Me-an and Trina!

- big ticket items, so I can have them check it out to see if it everything's perfect. No scratches, no missing parts, etc.

- shoes where I am unsure of sizing and I want Me-an to try it on for me because we pretty much know that if it's small for her then it's gonna fit me. 

- items where I am not sure if it's a good buy, and I want Me-an's approval. Hahaha.

This also allows me to make returns if needed so that I don't have to worry about shipping it back to the US.

2) Ship via Johnny Air direct. 

I'd address my package to Johnny Air and call Johnny Air to check if the package has arrived when online tracking says package has been delivered. Just to double check, because I'm sigurista that way.

I once ordered Tieks online, and it said "Delivered", but the actual package never really arrived. So I've just made it a habit to double check, doesn't hurt to watch your packages like a hawk.

Anyway, once Johnny Air confirms that package has been received, they ship the package to Manila, easy peasy. This is usually for books, not so expensive shoes and clothes, makeup, stuff like that.

I have actually heard of Forexworld's balikbayan box shipping service from our friend Paul, but it was only when Gretel Pery, Paul's sister-in-law, told me about their internet shopping and air freight delivery service that I finally got to try them out.

Because hello, we're talking online shopping support here, heehee.

To cut a long story short, I tried out their service when I bought my summer sunnies online. And I am happy to report that they arrived, intact, and complete. And to think I asked them watch out for 2 separate packages so they can consolidate my order too!

All I had to do was:

1) Sign up for a Forexworld account HERE:

2) Once confirmed, I ordered the sunnies and used Forexworld's Los Angeles Warehouse address as my shipping address, addressed to me. 

Christine Dychiao  

12820 S. Main St. 

Los Angeles, CA 90061 

Tel no. 310 - 523 - 4080

I logged on to my account and chose Drop Ship from the Order Type dropdown menu. I chose Drop Ship because I already bought the items and wanted them delivered to their warehouse. (to get the full step by step on Drop Shipping, click HERE)

You can choose Online Shop if you want them to do the shopping for you if you don't have Paypal or don't want to use your credit card. You just need to pre-fund your account via PayPilipinas or BPI or BDO bank deposit.

3) After filling in the details, I got an update with my Order ID number which meant they were already watching out for my package.

4) When my package was delivered, they notified me that it was received in their warehouse. I didn't have to make any calls or email to follow up with them anymore.

Because I decided to save on shipping by buying another pair (uhm does that make sense? haha) I made another Drop Ship order and asked that this be consolidated with my first order.

Again, I got a notification when my second package was delivered to their warehouse.

5) They put together the contents of both packages and I received another notification, this time advising me of when my package was expected to arrive.

Soon enough, the sunnies arrived at my door, just like that. Without me having to worry about where the packages were, thanks to constant updates from Forexworld.

In fact, I could also choose to check on the status of my order by accessing my Forexworld online shopping account. No need to follow up the local office by calling constantly, which is what happens sometimes with Johnny Air.

Now, how much does this cost?

Air freight charges depends on the items that we purchase i.e. item’s packaging dimensions, weight and its cost. 

Air freight shipping cost is $24.95 for the first pound (lb) with an additional $3.95 for each added pound. For electronics, the additional charge per succeeding pound is $6.95. Weight is rounded off to the next pound. 

If package is bulky, weight is measured by volume. Value calculated to get the cost of shipping is based on actual weight or volumetric weight, whichever is higher. 

Delivery takes approximately seven (7) to ten (10) days. Currently Forexworld can only service Luzon deliveries.

For Pinoys based on the East Coast, you might want to check out Forexworld's Air Freight promo for bigger packages that ship out from their Virginia warehouse. 

$95 for a small box that you may fill up to 20 lbs, and $170 for a larger box that you may fill up to 40 lbs.

For more on Forexworld, visit their website and Like the Forex Facebook page.