White Feels Right

The heat has been just too oppressive, it feels like the only right color to wear is white. Popped on over to Zara and saw so many nice tops that I'd want to be wearing now!

Ok, this is not white, but it looks so presko!

What's your go-to summer outfit in this heat?

20 Weeks: Green is In

This is me and Xavi, who is now 20 weeks old. We had our ultrasound last week, and it's confirmed! Dragon Dychiao is a boy! So we have a new nickname now, Xavi, just like the Spanish footballer. (Although Kat & I agree that Xabi is more guapo, haha).

Last weekend, we went to my good friend Ivy's wedding, and it was just a lucky happenstance that I had this dress on standby. I got this from MYTH last year. I didn't really have an occasion to wear it to then, but I got it any way. It's by Joel Escober. It's not a maternity dress, but it had ample room to fit our growing baby boy. 

Sometimes, it really pays to get a great dress and just wait for an occasion to wear it to. Instead of looking for a dress when an occasion calls for it. At least you end up wearing a piece you love, not something na "pwede na" because you had no options.

Since the dress is a bit of a statement by itself, I accessorized minimally. Just my simple pumps from Louboutin, a pave bracelet from J. Crew, Tom Binns chandelier earrings and this gorgeous agate ring from Kristine Dee and Paul Syjuco!

Here's what I wore another day to meet Mikka at Rockwell, and stroll around the mall. An old dress from Zara. I searched high and low for this dress! Combed Manhattan for this in my size.  Found this in Zara on Broadway. Still something I can wear till full term I think!

Paired it with a FEED 1 tote and these Marni platforms that are the same shade as my dress! Chamba lang! Please excuse my grunge-y polish, wahaha! 

Incidentally, Marni x H&M happens tomorrow, March 8! My friend Naomi is asking her nanny to line up for her in the morning and will take her place when she brings the kids to school. Hay! So excited for her, and me! Heehee!

Dragon Dychiao at 15 Weeks

Of course, a rundown of my pregnancy outfit: Zara top, J.Crew trousers, Anthology Beas in Leopard

Thank you to everyone checking up on me, noticing the spare postings in the blog. I am fine, albeit still nauseous and perpetually hungry and never feeling full these days. It's like I can't decide if I want to eat or puke. It's been 15 weeks, but I am not yet totally over the first trimester hump, heehee.

Say hello to Dragon Dychiao, I hope you shower this Little One with the same love and affection you have all showed Berry. Berry is so excited to be an atchi/big sister, and she can't decide if she wants a little brother or a little sister. I think like us, she would be happy either way. This Little One is a blessing, as we have been praying to God to bless us with another happy, healthy baby. I am also praying for the nausea and all to go away. I just want to be able to eat a really hearty meal without fear of puking or heartburn. 

On another note, I haven't been window shopping, shopping surfing or doing any bit of shopping. Which is good news for Dada, but bad news for the blog! No eye candy to share! Hahaha! 

Please bear with me, I will get back into the groove of things shortly. I have lots of people and companies to thank, product and restaurant reviews to share, shopping news (Alexis Bittar coming out with a bridge line, oooh!), wardrobe ideas, and so much more.

And did I mention we moved back to Manila? For good! So yes, we've come back full circle.

Manila Fashion Observer is finally back home! 

Miss-Matched!

Thanks so much Pierra Calasanz-Labrador for the fun challenge of creating looks on Miss-Match and having us turn it into real life outfits for our Little Misses feature! 

From VIRTUAL...

to REALITY:

Me: +J Uniqlo shirt, Zara trousers, Anthology leopard Bea sandals, FEED bag

Berry: Zara t-shirt, Baby Gap jeans, Tiny TOMS

Check out the full feature, HERE!

Go for Gold

We were invited to visit Kuala Lumpur to attend Dada's graduate school classmate's wedding in their home two weeks ago. It was such a beautiful experience and one of the most gorgeous, intimate ceremonies I have been to ever. I thought I'd share with you glimpses from the wedding, and of course, what we wore!

Prior to the bride and groom's exchange of rings, the "exchange of vows" was actually between the groom, and the bride's father, as per tradition. So it is basically like a contract between the groom and his father-in-law.

Like the Chinese Ting Hun, the couples exchange gifts. But unlike the Chinese Ting Hun, this was done during the actual ceremony. The ones at the back are for the bride, from the groom's family. The gifts in the pretty carriages dripping with pearls and on gilded trays are from the bride's side, for the groom.

I spied wedding cakes, a Macbook Air, the Koran, clutches from Furla & Ferragamo, watches, perfumes, and fruit platters amongst a host of other gifts. But it was this unique, organic arrangement of fruits that caught my eye. I love the raspberries cradled on the "nest". How adorable!

The following day, we attended the formal wedding reception, held at a hotel in Bukit Bintang. I enjoyed watching what the guests wore, from silk batiks and baju melayus for the men to baju kurungs and Indian saris plus the random modern cocktail dress or gown.

I thought this buffet style of serving guests was brilliant!

Everything was laid out inside in front of us, so no need for guests to stand up and get food at the buffet table. I think this is the best alternative to a sit down dinner. Plus can I say, there was bottomless rice! OMG! I had two servings!

There was a mini wedding ceremony held on this stage...

Where the principal sponsors got to greet the couple, sprinkling potpourri over their heads, and lightly splashing their hands with oil. The principal sponsors read like a who's who of Malaysia - from a former Prime Minister to high ranking government officials and industrialists.

And of course, there was us, aka the friends who flew in, heehee.

For the wedding ceremony, which required proper attire, the bride suggested that Dada wear a baju melayu or a batik shirt and long pants. While I could wear a long sleeved blouse and a long skirt. After weeks of researching and scouring the shops here in Singapore for something appropriate to wear, we ended up wearing these:

Look at Dada's batik shirt, he looks "resplendent" as his friend put it. Prince Jefri is that you? Wear a songkok and I'd mistake you for President SBY!

Meanwhile, I found a long pleated skirt at River Island, and a long sleeved top from Zara. I just paired it with my Rebecca Minkoff MAC, a Fenton/Fallon cuff and the metallic peep toe slingbacks I wore to my own wedding.

This outfit would have been perfectly appropriate, if not for the Bio-Oil stain on my skirt! Buti na lang I had Grandma's to the rescue, and it washed off right away.

(Photos 6,7,9 were taken by Detania S.)

Vancouver 2011: Little Lawn Daisy

Fallen cherry blossom petals on grass, so dreamy and romantic. I feel like I should be wearing blush sandals with a silk chiffon dress, carrying a straw basket filled with freshly cut flowers 

from a nearby meadow

You know how ads or packaging for weedkillers would have little lawn daisies (actually, the proper name is daisy fleabane) on them? Well, I always thought it was a shame to kill this type of weed because they look so cute. Like tiny little flowers on grass.

Apparently, Berry likes them too. When Angkong plucked out a daisy from the grass and gave it to her, she was so thrilled, you'd think she was 16 and her crush gave her a dozen roses, hahaha!

Gap parka from Ate Carissa Carale, Zara jeggings from Auntie Kaye Yao, 

 Trumpette boat shoes from Uncle Toni and Tita Sarj

She wouldn't let go of it, and held on to it until we got home. So precious. She also held it ever so gingerly between two fingers, like a dainty little girl and not the "Destructa" (our nickname for her because she's in that stage where everything she comes across turns to smithereens) that she can be.

I also think Berry's look suits our lovely backdrop. Pretty in pink and red. I was the jarring image in grey and black leather. This was the same photo that came out in Style Bible, my look "inspired by downtown NY and French girls".

Striped top from Saint James (French), a cardigan from J.Crew (bought in Prince St.), 
a Hoss Intropia leather jacket (Spanish, but the showroom is in downtown NY) with J Brand jeans (uhm, got this at Barneys but downtown girls shop there too), Isabel Marant scarf (French), Celine luggage (French) and clog booties from No. 6 (Centre Market Place in Little Italy)

Right Said Red

Ugh, I have a backlog of posts from our vacay in Canada, but just wanted to show you these photos while we were at the bus stop. I wore my red pants, finally got something bright for a change...

Shirt from +J Uniqlo, pants from Zara, oxfords from Cole, Rood & Haan, Celine luggage tote
(photo taken by Ate Lizette, Berry's nanny)

While waiting for the bus, something fell off this tree...

It was this flower, so pretty, in a shade that I would say is closer to Nantucket Red (you know red, that has been bleached by the sun and saltwater, maybe a common shade of red in a resort town like Nantucket. Incidentally, this color is a trademarked name owned by Murray's Toggery Shop in surprise surprise, Nantucket). First time I've seen anything quite like this. Like a kalachuci but bigger. I think it might be some kind of orchid because its plant was anchored to the tree...

It's huge too. The size of my palm. I wanted to bring it home and let it float on a bowl of water. Berry thought it was pretty too and she wanted to hold it. But she ended up plucking two petals out.

Shirt from Carter's, skinny jeans from Baby Gap (Thanks Tita Florence!)

And I couldn't help but notice, the red of the flower was strikingly like her plimsolls. Like they were meant to meet. Eventually, I want my red pants to fade to this shade. Maybe I should wash and wear it until it does.

Ztill at It

Za za za dami nang gusto ko sa Zara...yez, I am ztill at it. Lovin' these looks from the Spring 2011 Lookbook featuring Stella Tennant. Zigh.

Who Wore It Better?

Who would have guessed that 19 months after this photo was taken:

That little baby girl sleeping so soundly in the middle would start ransacking my closet? Here is the culprit wearing the same top I wore 2 months after she was born:

Berry has been after this top since yesterday, when she stopped playing dress up with her clothes, and went for mine instead. I was expecting this to happen, but not this soon!

Zortov Obzezzed!

I am sort of obsessed with these looks from Zara! Looks so simple, fresh and clean, crisp yet relaxed! Whether the looks are colorful or neutral, I think casual polished is the right term for this. I can't decide which is better, I would go for all! Haha!

My style these days is more like TRF though, rumpled and a bit disheveled. Hey, try running after a toddler the whole day! To compensate, I think I want those bright colored pants, or maybe bright colored flats. Just to add some energy to my outfit. I'm always in greys, blacks, army green, blues and plaids. In short, my uniform, but more 80s Bagets kind of colorful.

I Will Show You Why...

...I have no outfit posts.

Because a little girl we all know very well has been asking me to document her outfits. Each morning, after she takes a bath and dresses up, she points at her Dada's camera, insisting that I take her photo. She thinks taking outfit shots is just a normal every day thing, yikes! Apparently, she's been observing my every move, heehee!

Wearing a top from Auntie Frances & Alexa, Gap jeans from Ate Carissa Carale

Zara top from Ninang Aileen and Gingersnaps harem pants from Auntie Kaye

Gingersnaps top and random leggings from Grandma & Grandpa. I promise you, all these, particularly that last shot, she posed all by herself without any direction from me!

Meanwhile, all I have to show you are my attempts at getting a decent shot of my mommy outfits, because Berry won't let me be, hahaha! (Mommy, baduy ka naman! Ako na lang!)

Me: H&M top, Levi's Curve ID jeans, Toms

Berry: Zara dress from Tita Dianne, Saltwater sandals

Me: A.P.C. top, Old Navy shorts, Sperry Top-siders

Berry: top from Auntie Frances & Alexa, Gap jeans from Tito Ver

Oxfords This October

Only at ZARA!

UPDATE: According to Shobe Jean at Zara, the one on the leftmost has been marked down, the brown one next to it is all out (I am not surprised, that's my fave!), the dark blue ones after that are also marked down (I'm actually liking these blue suede shoes too!). The one on the rightmost has limited stocks left! My oh my, it's only mid-month and stocks are flying off the shelves!