30 for 30 Remix Summer Edition: Week 3

Aside from bright colors, white is my favorite thing to wear in the summer. Nothing beats a white top, white skirt, and white pants to counteract the summer heat especially if they're made of breathable, pure cotton. Which is why my white sleeveless cotton top from SM's Copa Cabana has got to be one of the most versatile (and therefore much used) item in my 30 for 30 Summer Remix challenge. And of course, if I believe that no closet should exist without a little black dress, then it's also true that each closet must have its essential twin, the LWD (little white dress).  Especially in our tropical country where the heat has been soaring and peaking.

Lookbook: Visita Iglesia

What I wore on our day trip going around the churches of Manila for Visita Iglesia on Holy Thursday. April 2011.

Calypso white button down cotton shirt
Ralph Lauren dungarees
Bazaar find colorful bag
Cotton On canvas eco bag
SM embellished flats
Ray-Ban aviators
Bangles from Boracay, Celine, and gifted

And I even scored some turquoise and coral finds on a side street in Ongpin to go with my ever-growing bracelet & bangle collection :)

How to Wear the Summer's Bright on Bright ColorblockingTrend

I know, I know, the official weather bureau had already declared that summer is officially over :( Boohoo! But living in such a place as Manila, somehow, I still believe that the Philippines is really the land of eternal summer, interspersed with some rainy and stormy days every now and then. And it just took today's hot and humid weather to vindicate my belief that, yes, the heat is still here even if the rainy season has officially "started".

Yellow Chill sweetheart neckline tube dress
Fuchsia pink bazaar cardigan
Baby blue SM Department Store belt
Red 168 Mall sling/shoulder bag
H & M bangle set
Gucci sunnies
Charles & Keith peep toe heels

And so I share with you some of what I wore this summer, focusing on the colorblocking/ "bright on bright" trend. Once in a while, I ask one of my closest friends who's immersed in the fashion industry what's the "it" trend and she mentioned just one thing to me. "Bright on bright". Here are some of my tips on how to wear this trend.

1. Work with what you already have. This is my first and most important tip. Well, important for me because I've vowed to maximize the items I already have in my closet. But if working on your existing pieces will also save you money AND make you up to date, isn't that a really good thing? :) This trend is not about patterns nor about textures but about colors. So unless your wardrobe is mostly black and neutrals, I'm pretty sure you already have existing pieces that you can tap for this trend. Think bright, solid colors. And yes, you can even bring out your neons too :)

Everything that you see in these outfit posts were items I shopped from my closet (and this top was even raided from my aunt's) :)

2. Go full-on bright on bright. And be happy! I read somewhere once that when you're feeling down, wear a solid, bright color and it will instantly lift your mood. I've deliberately done this on sad days and I can really swear this tip works! :)

I've also been lucky enough to have been able to work in a firm which didn't really have a very strict dress code, which one would stereotypically associate with a law firm. Yes, I'm a lawyer and I wore these outfits to work and I got nothing but compliments for wearing such happy colors. A welcome alternative to the classic black, certainly and quite right for the summer :) (Although I made sure I didn't have client meetings when I wore these outfits :)).

3. Pair a bright skirt and a bright top. Or a bright dress with a bright cardigan. And add a third bright color with a belt. And if you dare (like me!), add another pop of color with a bright bag:)

My tip is to stick to bright colors that don't clash---but I won't be able to tell you which colors will clash with what colors because it will all depend on the shades and the overall look. So I just say, trust your color instincts (and if you don't have one, well, practice!) The color possibilities are endless. I have even paired blue, red, and white (although I've been good-naturedly ribbed for wearing the colors of the Philippine flag).

Here, i even wore four colors :) Blue, yellow, pink, and green :)

And I even wore bright accessories too :)

4. If you want to edit the brightness, then go neutral with your accessories. Go bright with your clothes, then tone it down with neutral bags and shoes. And please remember, this is not the era of your grandmother where your bag has to exactly match your shoes! I paired my bright ensemble with nude peep toes and a black structured bag.

Lemon yellow Kamiseta ruffled blouse
Hot pink high waist Landmark pencil skirt
Green Celine belt
Black Longchamp leather bag
Prima Donna nude peep toe heels
Accessories from everywhere

When everything else is bright, keep the accessories neutral

With H&M bangles

5. If you're not color brave enough to go all out bright on bright, then colorblock with small pieces. If you think that the bright colorblocking trend is too much for your palette or for your work environment, then you can start small by colorblocking items such as your bag and your shoes and/or accessories such as your belt :) Or pair a bright, solid scarf with a belt or a bag. Try two colors first then gradually move on to three colors in each outfit.

6. Wear this trend all year. This trend is perfect not just for the summer. Won't you want to wear happy colors when the rain is pouring too? :)

As in all things related to fashion, just have fun and play with it :) And summer may be officially over but I know that its colors and the joy it brings to my spirit will never fade. :) Wishing you all all the brightness and happiness of summer all year through! Cheers! :)

Lookbook: Kids & A Bohemian Summer

Inspired by the maxi skirt trend, I shopped my tita's closet and found this gorgeous patchwork skirt, which I learned she bought in the States way back in the 80's. And it is still as fab as ever, with the colors still bright and the cotton not frayed at all :)

I know I should keep everything else simple but the colorful skirt made me want to go all out bohemian and lean towards the "more is more" philosophy. This skirt is so forgiving and may be worn even on "I feel fat" days and even if I'm petite, I think I still pulled it off even with flats :) In fact, some even say that long skirts can even make petite women look taller since it lengthens the look, especially if you pair it with wedges or clogs.

But keep in mind that this trend is still not as easy as other pieces to style. From Glamour Magazine, I found some Easy Steps for Pulling Off the Maxi Skirt in Style:
#1. Define that waist. There's one surefire way to look like a shapeless sack in a maxi skirt--by hiding your gorgeous figure under too much fabric. Glamour suggests adding a belt to give you a distinct silhouette and help emphasize the waist.

#2: Show a little skin. Glamour says that a little flash of flesh will keep your maxi skirt far from grandma territory. I decided to pair it with a beaded white cotton tank top, which I chose over a brown tank top because it was all looking too dark.

With my first choice of brown tank top from Mango.
(I only included this photo because I look so happy here!)

#3: Mind your proportions. Glamour cautions that this one is especially helpful if you're not a supermodel--don't go big on the top and big on the bottom, because too much volume can give the appearance that you're bigger than you really are. So to flaunt curves, tuck in a fitted top or if you want to cover up, you can use a boyfriend blazer and cinch your waist with a belt. I used a fitted top and a belt for definition.

I tied the look together with a brown fringed satchel bag with turquoise details, stacked wooden bangles, and embellished flats, all in keeping with a more-is-more bohemian look.

White cotton embellished tank top -bought in bazaar
Vintage brown leather belt- gift from A.'s mom
Vintage maxi skirt-from Tita Gay's closet
Thrifted brown fringed satchel bag
Camel embellished SM Department Store flats
Bangles from The Landmark, Boracay, and Ilocos

I wore this outfit one Saturday afternoon spent malling and shopping with my nephews and nieces (children of my cousins) who are always a joy to be around, and such joys to photograph also. :)

Bunny Ray, Christine, and Chayana

Distracted by these super cheap summery espadrilles. I want the coral one!

The kids being kids

Chandrika strikes a pose

And for my blog's first ever "share the contents of your bag" feature, I present to you my 8-year old niece, Chayana and her Hello Kitty bag :)

Nail polish & lip gloss

8 years old and already with H & M Hello Kitty lip gloss and eyeshadow! Talo ako!

She even has an eco bag, toy cellphones, a real cellphone, and pink sunglasses :)

And then we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon enjoying the simple joys of McDonald's and hot fudge sundae :) I'm sorry for so many pictures of these kids but I'm being such a stage tita :)

My cousin-in-law Myra and her son, Ethan

With Chayana and Tintin

Ethan loves his sundae!

And his sister Eirian too!

"No more sundae?"

Wishing everyone lazy Saturday afternoons, super cold ice cream, and the pure joy of children (or being like children) :) Cheers!