CHIC IN THE TROPICS | A Detroit Style Blogger and Filmmaker: what i wore

A Sporting Life

leather-baseball-cap-mesh-pencil-skirt-sporty-look

Chicnova '85' tee | NastyGal contrast leather biker jacket | Forever21 mesh pencil skirt | Charles and Keith flared gusset bag

all photos by Thaad A Sabolboro

Augh! Sorry for the lack of outfit posts lately, you guys. Juggling quite a number of pending reviews and other backlogged posts. Kapoy jud kaayo usahay bitaw kung magpatung-patung na imong kailangan suwaton :(( (translation: I'm a little exhausted. haha.) I've taken quite a number of outfit shots that are awaiting their light of day. Weeeell, getting rid of one backlog a day, as ush...

Aside from the obvs reference to my sporty look in this post (haha sorry for the Hermes tagline use, lol) I've really literally quite led "a sporting life" of some sort-- I have been taking my personal fitness goals quite seriously and have been cross-training for almost a month now. It's been a good journey so far, but it does get super painful sometimes. I haven't lost a f**kton of weight yet, but I AM feeling huge changes with my levels of energy and strength. And yes, seeing a bit of muscle tone! Once I start making a lot of progress I'll make sure to blog about it sometime.:)

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chic in the tropics

Throwback OOTD: Studs, Spikes, and Everything Nice

The Base fitted jacket with studs | Yves Identify spiked white-button down shirt | corduroy pants from MeMoi | studded boots from Figliarina | Tonic oversized envelope clutch

Such a backlog, it's ridiculous! Lol, don't even ask me because I totally forgot which month this outfit post came from. I think either November, December or January? Haha... I also haven't been this blonde in a loong ass time.

I know it's been a little slow on ze blog lately and I'm sowwy :( On the upside though, I just started with a cool new job back in the real world! I've been working from home for awhile (a good 2 years ++ that I thought a change of environment might be necessary. I think though that I'm genuinely in the right place now and I absolutely enjoy where and what I'm doing-- that of which I'll be sharing with you all pretty soon!

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blog backlog

Throwback OOTD: Team Player

cat-eye-sunglasses-oversized-neon-jumper

thrifted jumper | leather-finish pencil from Forever 21 Philippines | cuff from ShopWAGW | Cat-eye glasses from Romwe | earrings from Vintage Attic Batangas

photos by my long suffering partner Thaad Sabolboro, taken on my bestfriend's rooftop

No, I did not wear this printed-jumper-and-leather-skirt combo recently. As much as I reeeally want to flip my middle finger and be like, "f*ck you, weather! I'll wear whatever the f*ck I want", these days Cebu City just feels like one big fricking sauna. This intense heatwave has rendered nearly half of my wardrobe useless, considering how much I love my leathers and all. Unless I do a huge wardrobe update (money, wherefore art thou?), I'm sort of screwed.

Here's me "trying" to be a good blogger and getting rid of my mountain of backlogs, beginning with this outfit post taken back in January. Back then I had gotten pretty fricking sick of my peroxided blonde hair, but now that I'm suffering from doll bangs (really not a good idea during the summer, unless you have Blake Lively hair or something), I'm kind of bored with my current look and I want to go back to the bottle again. After having sooo many hair color changes, I seriously ran out of ideas. Thoughts and suggestions?

Anyway, you guys are love. Thanks for visiting!

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Dorothy Perkins

Gunmetal Gray

metallic gunmetal gray bodysuit (gifted by Yves), DIY semi-mullet accordion skirt, silver cuff from Forever 21, lucite bangles from downtown, envelope clutch from Dorothy Perkins

Back with another very quick outfit post for you guys. Wore this rather comfortable ensemble during a guest judge stint for an all-male fashion show go-see (backlessness of my top not intended for that purpose, lol). I know I've been wearing a lot of color lately so I decided to break that streak with something that felt a lot more like me. Its amazing how bodysuits can be incredibly versatile, and this gunmetal one is no exception.

I've been hitting the gym semi-religiously for nearly a month now, and while I haven't exactly lost a drastic amount of body weight just yet, I definitely feel and see the differences at least based on my personal metrics. Didn't see back love handles popping out of my bodysuit, so that 's definitely good!:) I've had a long love-hate relationship with my body and my fluctuating weight, and admittedly I've tried taking "shortcuts" before (crash/fad diets, diet pills=no good, everything will bounce back faster than you can say uncle), but this time around I vowed to be kinder to my body by actually working for my goal. Slower, yes, but you'll really start to love and appreciate your body this way.

Life's about to majorly change for me tomorrow (you'll find out soon enough!) so do bear with me and my blogging "lapses" if ever. Love you all xx

** Mucho thanks to Yuno Lloyd Bastareche for the shots as well as Robinsons Specialty Stores for ze clutch :)

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bestfinds xclusives

POSTURA Day 2: Electro Navajo

Navajo-print shirt dress gifted from Bestfinds Exclusives, accessories bought from downtown, wedges from Gold Dot

Day 2 of me trying to keep up with the #PosturaPH 30-day Blogger Challenge... as well as my newfound craving for bold colors. I fell in love with this printed piece in a collection posted by Ephraim of BestFinds, and he was kind enough to send in the piece to me. Speaking of which, I'll be having a mini-giveaway collaboration with them shortly, so make sure to look out for that!

I can't complete the 30-day challenge without at least featuring Gold Dot, one of my absolute favorite Filipino brands online since time immemorial. Always swerving towards pieces that defy convention, this bold shoe and accessories line has definitely made its mark on the buying public, constantly innovating by gamely introducing bold new trends to the market. Head honcho Ally Duazo is just one of the sweetest people in the industry I've had the opportunity to meet, and it's also awesome that style blogger extraordinaire Karl Leuterio is now also designing for the brand. What's not to love?

Much love to Gold Dot Cebu's Cha Fuentes for these timeless GD Bena wedges, which seemed the right choice to tone down the "loudness" of the print. Thank you once again to Yuno Lloyd Bastareche for this 2nd set of pictures! :)

Thank you so much for your comments and visits! I'll do my best to reply right away. Much love xx

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, by Unknown

cebu fashion blogger

POSTURA Day 1: Summer Ultrabrights

Join the CITT x Blind Clothing Shopping Giveaway here.

DIY fluorescent yellow metallic cuff, bazaar find peplum skirt, stud and spike cuffs from downtown, Soule Phenomenon Lynka booties, metallic belt by Nava. Electric pink button-down by Yves Identify

The day has come... for my readers to see me in something very, very pink! I know you guys know that candy-colored articles of clothing aren't too high on my list, but I'm in love with very electric/shocking colors lately. It's too damn hot to wear black outside to be honest. And besides, I have all the reasons to wear a lot of color these days. Someone VERY important to me is coming back, sooo... everything seems to be vivid now. Char!:p But, yeah. I'm about to be very, very, very happy.

This by the way happens to be my first entry to the POSTURA 30-Day Blogger Challenge, which has been making a lot of waves in the interwebs as of late. The challenge is to be able to incorporate something Filipino-made in our outfits for at least 30 days--and what better way to start the challenge than something from my bff Yves Camingue? His RTW sensibilities are always on the spot, and this button-down is no exception. And with his up and coming stint in Project Runway, more and more people will know of him soon. Truly proud!:)

Mucho thanks to the hugely talented Yuno Lloyd Bastareche of Blanc Magazine for these amazing shots. I think the clothes, the colors, the palm trees and the heat all came together beautifully. Awesome job, Yuno!:)

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DIY neon necklace

Highlighter

Join the CITT x Blind Clothing Shopping Giveaway here.

scallop tank from Topshop, thrifted leather patchwork pants, Soule Phenomenon Lynka booties, DIY fluorescent yellow bib necklace and lucite necklace

Sharing what I wore the other day to sit as a main judge for a hotly-anticipated all-male fashion show here in Cebu (okay, it's the 2nd installment of The Male Factor! More tasty details later). Quite a simple day ensemble of things i've already worn before here, which got the kick with these accessories and the Soule Phenomenon Lynka booties. As I'm getting older I'm becoming less and less risky with my clothes per se, but I haven't stopped adding to my accessories archives. Great accessories can really stretch out and maximize your wardrobe, no matter how many clothes you have.

I finally got around to DIYing the fluorescent yellow necklace from the Sass and Bide SS12 collection, which I've been hoping to achieve for months now. I did it just in time for a shoot I styled yesterday, which made ALL the difference. Worth the hours of laborious spraying (and not to mention the demise of some of my brain cells, probably...), if you ask me.

Check it:

DIY Challenge WIN! This is for Yves Camingue by the way, who said I couldn't probably do it. Take that Yves. :p

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, by Unknown

asianvogue shop

Mint and Ash

Join the Blind Clothing x CITT Shopping Giveaway here.

thrifted mint knit jumper, pleather shorts from Ace Eboutique, wedge booties from Asianvogue Shop. spiked cuff from Metro, Rockcandy talon ring, Punk X Pretty ear cuff

Yes! Finally back in the blogosphere. Apologies for the hiatus. Took the time off waiting for my computer to get fixed to focus on some work and a bit of RnR. Got a lot of catching up to do for sure. I'll do all I can to reply to your comments asap.:)

Just sharing a quick outfit post of what I wore to an intimate press conference with Casa Verde, one of Cebu's favorite restaurants (more on that later) during the launch of their new website. I'm currently in love with this refreshing color, it's supposed to get really big this summer, and it's just lucky that I managed to thrift this awhile back. Unfortunately though, this might be the last time that I'll be able to wear this in the next few months-- summer is in full swing, and it's ridiculously hot. Someone make it NOT a crime to step out in underwear, pls. Kidding. But it's definitely time to strip down the layers.

I made the choice to go ash blonde. I got tremendously sick with my red hair and the perils and costs of having to deal with it(red is definitely the hardest hair color to keep up with. proceed with caution if you're thinking about it). I think the annoying "grandma" comments from my mom made it worth it in the end, cuz I genuinely liked how it turned out, damaged hair and all. Haha.

Thanks for stopping by xx

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, by Unknown

Blind Clothing

Electric Youth

Join the Blind Clothing x CITT Giveaway here.

wearing thrifted electric blue mesh shirt, inner turquoise tank from Topshop, assorted accessories, black wedge booties from Asianvogue Shop, tribal-print pants from H&M

Backlogs, backlogs and more backlogs! I have a significant number of interesting things to share with you guys--however, I am crippled when my desktop pc decided to flake out on me again. My good apps such as AP Lightroom, and yeah, basically ALL my pictures and important files are in there... quite a horrendous situation to be in if you ask me. Crossing my fingers that the tech guy fixes my computer with all my sh#t intact. :(

Anyway, here's my final shots from Cebuano fashion photographer Roland Icban during the Cebu bloggers shoot we had last November. As expected, Roland delivered way above what was expected and we all loved our own individual shots. Liked how the hues and prints came together in this particular set and the slightly industrial finish. Great job as per ush, R!

I can't wait to update you with what's been happening lately, but for the meantime, don't forget to join my ongoing giveaway with Blind Clothing!

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, by Unknown

damgo ni eleuteria

Soft & Sharp

leather tuxedo-cut jacket from Forever 21, metal plate cuffs from Forever 21, sequin clutch from Tonic, vintage sunglasses, gifted dress, DIY detachable collar and spiked platform booties

Yay, finally some free time. I'm done with the premiere night promotional stints for Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria (Cebu, our Cinema One movies will still be in SM Cinema 3 until the 16th. Please watch! #quickshamelessplug), which took up a lot of my time lately, sooo I'm hoping to be able to catch up on my blogging life already.

Just sharing this quick outfit post of a little something I wore last week going to the gym. I've been trying to squeeze in taking shots of what I'm wearing whenever I go to the gym because this is about the only time I step out, working home-based and all. I got this dress from my aunt in Europe, and so i thought of toughening it up a bit with one of my favorite jackets and the stiff collar (and the weather totally permitted this.)

I also wanted to proudly share the newest addition to my shoe closet. Proud because I plucked these babies from a thrift store for Php450 (around $10) in perfect condition, and because I DIYed the badassery into them with the spikes. Very sick. Yes, you don't always need to cough up four or even five figures for great shoes. You just have to look really hard.

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cinema one originals

Erase and Rewind

thrifted textured blazer, Topshop scallop tank, Atmosphere shorts, lace-up suede wedges from Asianvogue shop, XOXO messenger

I apologize for my silence in the blogosphere. I desperately needed to hit the pause button with the flurry of events that have been piling on lately. Unfortunately the only thing I can take a step back on is my blogging, thus it took the hardest hit in my schedule. I'm sowwy. I am human after all and I have no sidekick/temp worker to do ghost writing for me.:p Things will normalize really soon (next week?), and when they do, I'll have interesting stories to tell. For now, let me fill you in on some snippets of what's been happening in my life lately:

1) Been busy promoting the Cinema One Originals film I was in called "Damgo ni Eleuteria". Do Google it--it's won all over Manila and in different film festivals abroad. It's proudly made in Cebu. Unfortunately, we're only able to show it to our fellow Cebuanos just now, two years after it was made. Very psyched for our big screen premiere here. Very proud of that film, kinda shy to "brag" about it here on my blog. But I'll update you more with this for sure.

2) Joined the gym recently. Not feeling really good with myself lately fitness-wise (looking like a total slob and all), and this has worked wonders. Especially during the freak earthquake-tsunami panic that just hit Cebu. Heard of that? Glad we're all safe.

3) When not working, or at the gym, I've been spending too much time staying in. Someone puhleez drag me out and show me a good time.

I'll drop in and respond to your comments whenever possible. And thank you to the ever awesome ASIANVOGUE SHOP for sending these babies in. More details later! ILY all xx

**Photos by Hazel Jane Pacaldo

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bloggers united 2

Cebu x Manila Blogger Love

with my love Mike Magallanes of toxicdiscoboy

Aisa and Melai and their partners Mich and JR. Supportive lang with their blogger gfs!

with Dred and my good friend Jeff Songco of Thinline Advertising in Makati

everyone at Borough!

with Sarah Tirona of Fashion Eggplant. she's adorable!

uma-outfit lang lahat. hehe.

bear hug!

wearing Forever 21 leather tuxedo-cut blazer, H&M galaxy-print shirt, BimBim Haus shorts, Soule Phenomenon wedges

A few of the things that I loved during our brief stay in Manila for Bloggers United 2 were the sidelights before and after. We got to tour Tagaytay, tried a few impeccable restaurants, and met a smattering of new and interesting people here and there. But what absolutely topped my list was being able to catch up with awesome blogger friends from Manila, as well as meet the others I've been stalking for awhile.

We all decided to meet up for Borough in Ortigas the night before our flight back to Cebu. Though not a lot were able to make it, I'm still glad to have met finally most of those I really wanted to meet in the first place-- Mike, who I've been exchanging comments with since 2009; Ava Te of Artsy Fartsy Ava, who is as sweet in person as she is on her blog; and Sarah Tirona, who's just crazy fun. And of course there's Aisa and Melai--all in all, an awesome yet incredibly humble bunch. I think I left a little bit of my heart in Manila because of these guys.:)

Thank you Mildred for most of the shots

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, by Unknown

chinese new year

Seeing Red

H&M red knit top, metal plate necklace and leather skirt from Forever 21, SM Accessories minaudierre, Gucci belt, shoes from Michael Antonio, Farah Abu gold wire earrings

I hope you guys are doing great! I know I've been a delinquent blogger for the past few days, but I have pretty good reasons. There's been an overwhelming chain of events as of late and I still haven't processed all of it, but you'll find out soon enough.:)

Just sharing this very quick outfit post of what I wore ushering in the year of the water dragon at the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa here in Cebu. The premiere establishment threw a lavish event and dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year with their patrons and the media, and I was one of the few bloggers lucky enough to have been invited (more of the event photos later). In every special Chinese event, there is no other color more symbolic than red to usher in good fortune and joy. As I had to be in something a bit dressier and the red selection is very limited in my closet, I went with this pretty knit top and my new leather skirt to still give it that kick.

I'll be back with a new post tomorrow! Much backlog to catch up on xx

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, by Unknown

for shoes we fall

Cut Out

cut-out mesh and cotton top from Oxygen, ear cuff with feather and cross detail from Punk x Pretty, silver cuffs from Forever 21, thrifted shorts, Soule Phenomenon wedges (thrifted from Patricia Prieto)

I finally got the chance to wear this amazing top from Oxygen's new collection which I got for myself over Christmas break. It's pretty risque and I wasn't sure if I can pull it off, but what the heck, I don't say no to anything with the words "mesh" and "cutout" in one article of clothing. Paired it with the magazine print-shorts and my favorite fluorescent yellow belt to break the monotony.

I left most of the accessories at home in favor of this ear cuff which was gifted to me by online shop owner/blogger Valerie of Punk x Pretty, which is by all standards an awesome chick. Not only does she make custom accessories, but she also brings thrifted items back to life and quite possibly one of the best DIYers I've ever encountered.

To check out more of Valerie's custom trinkets and clothes, as well as her insane shoe collection (I'm talking about you, fully spiked loafers!), check out Valerie's blog here.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back w a new post tomorrow xx

Photos courtesy of Rabsin de la Cruz

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A Sporting Life

Throwback OOTD: Studs, Spikes, and Everything Nice

Throwback OOTD: Team Player

Gunmetal Gray

POSTURA Day 2: Electro Navajo

POSTURA Day 1: Summer Ultrabrights

Highlighter

Mint and Ash

Electric Youth

Soft & Sharp

Erase and Rewind

Cebu x Manila Blogger Love

Seeing Red

Cut Out

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