You're All Invited to the 2012 Belle de Jour Fair

Doing anything this Sunday, October 14, 2012? There's a whole day thing happening at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall thanks to Belle de Jour! And it's FREE and open to all!

Here are the deets:

WHAT: 2012 BDJ FAIR: LIMITLESS
WHERE: THE MALL OF ASIA MUSIC HALL
WHEN: Sunday, October 14, 2011 from 10 am to 10pm
ENTRANCE FEE: None! It's FREE!

But! For a small donation of Php100, you will get exclusive, VIP access to special activity booths. 100% of the Fair's VIP Activity Pass process will help RockEd Philippines find alternative ways of education, and will help SKR assist Romblon schoolchildren get to school. 

The first 1000 pre-registered guests get a special goody bag from BDJ brand partners. To register simply EMAIL: BDJFAIR@belledejourpowerplanner.com

Here's a list of talks to look out for! LISTEN AND LEARN from coaching experts, bloggers and celebrities! 

10:00AM-11:00AM Kick-Ass Krav Maga Workshop with IKMF-Philippines.
11:00AM-11:30AM Style Me Over! Workshop with Jasmine Mendiola
1:00PM-3:00PM      Bloggers Extraordinaire with Tricia Gosingtian and Patty Laurel

3:30PM-5:00PM      Beauty Bootcamp with Georgina Wilson and Erica Paredes  PLUS!!! Be among 

                                  the first to know about BDJ BOX the new Beauty Product Discovery 

                                  Subscription Service they're launching this October! 

5:30PM-7:00PM     Life Lessons with PJ Lanot and Fitz Villafuerte
7:30PM-9:00PM     Fierce Fashion! with Donna Cuna-Pita and Divine Lee

Apart from listening to the talks, drop by and visit the different partner booths, and take home the newest editions of Belle de Jour planner and paper products: Belle de Jour Power Planner, Navi: Your Life Navigator and the Forget-Me-Not (FMN) Notebooks at 20% off! This also includes their newest planner, everything is possible, which will also be released at 20% off!

Princess Pink Says...

My loyal subjects, in this Kingdom, I declare every day to be "Pink Day"

There are no excuses! Even our snacks have to be pink!

Our shoes have to be pink!

Olivia Toddler shoe from Tot Couture, pink BugBand

And all outfits must have a touch of pink! Bow!

Ribbon headband from Spinkie, Royal Highness t-shirt from Agoo, Gunzip pants from Fiddle Tops (all from Tita Rone Guerrero and available at her shop - Mothering Earthlings), Gingersnaps oxfords from Auntie Kristine Dee

Little girls talaga! Most of my mommy friends have daughters who are about the same age as Berry if not a little bit older or younger. They all seem to agree that their daughters never get tired of pink. Everything has to be pink. What is it about pink that just appeals to little girls? Slate.com has THE ANSWER. 

To my fellow parents with pink-obsessed girls, the good news is, this is just a toddler phase and one they will eventually outgrow. And if it takes them a while to outgrow? Fortunately, according to the article is, "The more secure a child’s sense of self, the more likely she is to stick to one favorite color for a while."

If that's the case, then, bring on the pink!

The Art of Wardrobe Building: My Philosophy

“I won’t say, ‘You must have a miniskirt.’ If you don’t have nice legs, it won’t work out. It’s not a question of must haves: it’s more about finding yourself. Who you are, what fits you, what you feel confident in — it’s more about feeling confident than having whatever look.” 

- Isabel Marant

In a world obsessed with having the latest "It" item - be it a bag, a pair of shoes, or a breakthrough gadget, people get so caught up with the hype and hysteria that they just have to have "It".

But the fact of the matter is, not every "It" item is for you, the same way not every "It" item is for me. You have to take into account your body shape (in the case of clothes), your budget, your lifestyle, and if you are lucky enough to know it, your true style.

As Isabel Marant says, "It's not a question of must haves; it's more about finding yourself". To be honest, I went through so many looks before I truly found my own style.

In high school, I did the preppy polo shirt with denims or shorts and loafers bit. I did the Doc Martens, plaid flannel shirt, oversized Girbauds look too.

I went through the Umbro soccer shorts, t-shirt and Charles Barkley high-tops phase when I was in first year college. By the time I was about to graduate, I was in my hippie phase and I kept on wearing Birkenstocks with flared Diesel jeans, flared corduroys or cargo pants. With my dad's Army issue camouflage shirts. In between I wore ankle boots from Russell & Bromley with bootleg pants and Ralph Lauren shirts, Patrick Cox loafers with  a mini kilt (inspired by the movie Clueless) and a short sleeved turtleneck top. My friend Xsa and I even went through a surfer girl phase, wearing Roxy board shorts and hoodies, flip flops from Reef and Quiksilver tees (blame it on Kate Bosworth in Blue Crush). To go to Punta Fuego. Hello.

When I started working for a bank, I tried the corporate girl look. Pencil skirt, cropped jackets, heels. It just wasn't me. It felt like I was playing "pretend office girl". Although I still like wearing pencil skirts to this day. When I moved to retail marketing/merchandising, I was into button down shirts and cropped pants, with zapatillas or driving shoes from Tods. Then I moved on to a more mannish vibe, wearing button downs with trousers and bowling shoes from Camper. I liked that look. It felt "me".

And then, because we had a corporate casual dress code in Citibank, I discovered I also liked wearing full skirts. Full 50s style skirts. And granny dresses. And shirt dresses. I liked wearing black & white Edie Sedgwick stripes and cropped pencil trousers. Then all striped shirts for that matter. Then I got obsessed with ballet flats. Because we could wear flats to work. It kick-started my ballet flats "collection".

Moving to the US was my "downfall". When you see all these stylish people in New York, and Barneys and Bergdorf, Saks Fifth & SoHo and all these cool boutiques are just too darn accessible, especially when they go on sale, there is no looking back. You buy! I also realized I was a downtown girl, and that as much as I liked reading Socialite Rank and Park Avenue Peerage, my aesthetic was really downtown.

Today, my style is an amalgamation of the greatest hits of my sartorial past. Preppy with a dash of edge. A hint of feminine, with a whole lot of tomboy. If I were to shop in five stores for the rest of my life, it's easy:

- A.P.C.
- Isabel Marant
- H&M
- J. Crew
- Barneys

Then of course, I support Filipino, so that would be:

- Anthology Shoes
- Catalogue63
- AVA.ph
- Sexy White Shirt
- Greenbelt 5 for all the local designer stuff heehee

Bottom line is, your philosophy should be to stay true to your own style, and buy things that work with your lifestyle. Don't use a limited budget as an excuse. My friend Nina M. and I often talk about this. That it's a great thing to have a limited budget. Because it forces you to curate, and really think your purchases through. So much so that you don't succumb to "It".

As a starting point to finding your own style here are five points to think about:

- your style icon. Why do you like his/her style? What resonates with you?
- the oldest thing in your wardrobe that you still use up to now, it's a testament to what you really love
- the most often used thing in your wardrobe, it tells you what is practical in your life right now
- your favorite store, ask yourself why you like the clothes there
- if you had all the money in the world, where will you shop? This tells you what you really like, if you had an unlimited budget. It allows you to go beyond what is a "practical buy" and gives you a glimpse of the "style star" hiding inside you. You can work towards buying similar pieces or will force you to save so you can get what you really want, even if it takes you years.

Take the time to think these five points through. Jot down your thoughts and try to see which direction your heart and closet is pointing to. ;)

Old But Gold

If you grew up during the 90s, then Linea Italia is something you're most likely familiar with. They used to have really good stuff, when they first broke into the scene. I was in high school at the time. All my guy friends from Ateneo High used to go there, for Closed denim and to ogle the leggy sales associates haha.

I managed to score a few good pieces from their store in Greenbelt back in the 90s. The only remaining piece from those days is this denim shirt. I've had this since I was 19, and it still looks current up to now. So yay for clothes that transcend time, and even look better as they age! Thank goodness it still fits too.

Jeffrey Campbell Skulltini

Some of these Skulltinis, if not new releases of these, will be coming to SM Fashion Forum late November/early December 2012! 

Look for these, plus other new arrivals at the Ladies Shoe Department of SM Makati, Megamall, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao ;)

Excited yet?