OOTD: Christmas Vintage

Hiya, guys!

It's the last day of 2014, and while I struggle to sleep at this wee hour of the day, here I am writing a post.

Here's a fun fact about me: I love to dress up. Whenever I get the chance to dress up for something, be it for a costume-themed gathering or a party, I kinda tend to go all out. (Want proof? Read here and here.) The reason behind it is that those occasions are far in between, so when an opportunity comes, I go all out. Of course that is subject to a few limitations, such as not going for a look that I'm not confident to pull off or being careful not to upstage an important person in that party (ie. a birthday celebrant or the bride in a wedding).

Anyways, two weeks ago I attended the Christmas party in my new school. It was the first party that I attended in a long time, at least for the one that needs a little dressing up because the venue was at a hotel! There were a few challenges for deciding on what I should wear for that party, ie. the masquerade theme (Must. Look. For. A. Mask!) and color coding -- black for third year students like me.

The (almost) entire law school community. Photo courtesy of the college's BarOps director Panky Obbania

So what did I wear for the party? Click 'Read More' to find out.

All About Thigh Chafing (And An Unusual Way To Prevent It)

Hiya, guys!

I have a question for you: what's that one clothing item you have but you hate to wear?

photo credit here

Mine would probably be skirts and dresses, because every time I wear them, my thighs would rub vigorously every time I walk. And this chafing in my inner thighs (otherwise known in the plus-size fashion blogging world as chub rub) would be very painful at the end of the day, that afterwards I would swear not to wear skirts and dresses ever again.

But then I like -- no, I LOVE -- the look of skirts and dresses on me. It makes me more feminine-looking and it gives me that much-needed break from the masculine look of pants and jeans.

I believe that this problem with chafing inner thighs affect nearly every woman who has no thigh gap, and particularly those with bigger thighs like me. And because trying to achieve that thigh gap is not an option for me (because it's not possible, at least for me), I have to find ways to enjoy skirts and dresses without cursing them later in the day.

Discover more of my journey towards a stress-free skirt and/or dress day when you click 'Read More.'

Celebrate Summer #TheDumondWay

Hiya, guys!

Summer is coming (or is already here), and I'm sure almost all of you have already booked your travels and look forward to doing almost nothing when you get there.

On the other hand, there are those who, for some reason, will stay in the metro and do office work or attend summer classes. I'm one of those people because so far I don't have plans for this summer so I might spend my time in the office -- that is, if I have a new job by that time.

Anyways, whatever the situation I am in, I'm pretty sure Dumond got me covered style-wise. Why? Because their Brazilian way of approaching style, beauty and fashion and their premium quality products is a perfect fit for every Filipina, no matter what occasion she may be in, especially this summer.

And I love that they have that healthy mix of classic and trendy styles in their collection, particularly their most recent one -- the Spring/Summer 2014 collection. It's perfect for those who, like me, prefers to keep things classic but indulges in trends every once in a while.

Summer in the Office #TheDumondWay by jesselle46

Fact: I love big bags. Probably because their ability to carry more suits my overpacking tendencies, especially when going to school and the office. I personally prefer the classic black bag, but this summer, I won't shy away from color. I mean, this eye-popping Hibisco red bag adds color to the otherwise subdued office outfit, doesn't it?

More of my Dumond choices when you click 'Read More'

How To Remove Lint From Your Clothes -- The Razor Method

Hiya, guys!

Ever had clothes that has so much lint (himulmol) that it looks old than it is?

I do. Lots of them.

Case in point: my polo shirts, which is some of my favorite pieces of clothing. It looks like a normal shirt, but once look closely, they have this nasty lint balls all over them. Because of this, the shirt looks older than they actually are. Kinda like stress-induced wrinkles on our skin, no?

Usually, they are removed using lint rollers -- those kind with sticky sheets wrapped around them to remove lint and fuzz on clothes. They usually cost around P200 a pop, but because I'm on a penny-pinching mode (how often do I have to repeat this fact on myself?), I thought, there must be a way to get rid of these fuzz without spending that much money.

So I scoured the Internet for more lint-removal ideas, and came across an idea that will make you go, 'Why haven't I thought of that?'

The only thing you need for this trick? A disposable shaving razor.

photo credit here

Yep, you read it right! Find out how to do the shaving razon trick when you click 'Read More.'

#ThrowbackThursday: Where Are You in Toon Town?

Hiya guys!

Last week, I blogged about the yearly Halloween party in my previous company where I dressed up as Mulan during my last year there. This time around, I'm gonna do a throwback on the same party, but a year before that.

The theme for Halloween 2012 was all about cartoons, which was a more general one unlike last year where we did a Disney theme. So a variety of characters came out from our officemates -- Powerpuff Girls, South Park, Flintstones, Looney Tunes...

But guess the character I dressed up as?

Find out the answer when you click "Read More"

#ThrowbackThursday: Recreating Mulan

I ended my stint at a major TV network during our department's Halloween party-cum-trick or treat for the employees' younger relatives. Almost everyone are looking forward for this day, as it allows them to unleash their creative side, at least for a day.

Our group's theme is Disney, and so we dressed up as any Disney character for a day. I chose Mulan because, besides being my personal favorite character, she was one of those characters that is quite a challenge to pull off. And I love challenges...

And I did challenge myself. I sew my own costume and did my own hair and makeup.

The result? Here are the photos that I grabbed from my officemates:

'Mulan' and 'Snow White'

 More photos and how I did my makeup when you click 'Read More'

The 'Toy' That Revived My Passions

I've long been interested in all things fashion - from how they are made to how they are presented to fashion fans all over the world. So much that there was one point in my life that I wanted to be a fashion designer. But after discovering how the fashion industry could be a dog-eats-dog world, I decided to just settle to having it as a hobby.

Which is why I listed down on my bucket list that I wanted to design and wear an entire outfit someday.

But that 'dream' took a backseat (read: way behind) because of many things in my life; in particular, my work and my law studies. However, every so often, I look up to fashion magazines, books and websites, just to keep me updated on the latest fashion trends.

I was contented with this routine, until I saw the Project Runway activity kits at Rustan's Toy Department last week, when I accompanied BF in buying gifts for his godchildren. The kits reminded me of some of the things that I really want to do, and that is to design outfits just for the heck of it. Besides, I'm a big fan of the show, both the US and the Philippine versions. (off topic: I really hope there would be a third season of Project Runway Philippines) I promised myself to buy one of those when I get the funds to do so.

Some of the Project Runway activity kits

Turns out, I don't have to do that.

Last Monday, BF dropped by the house carrying a Rustan's paper bag with him. He said inside it was a gift for me, and I was wondering what the hell he is giving me. I mean, he have not given me a gift as big as that, so I thought he must have put a bomb or something in that box (just kidding!).

But imagine my surprise when I pulled the wrap off the box.

 

It's a Project Runway Lightbox Activity Kit!

Apparently, BF must have seen me going wide-eyed over the Project Runway kits back at Rustan's. However, I don't what has gotten into his mind to actually get one of these and give it to me.

This particular kit contains a battery-powered lightbox, 10 sketch films, sketch papers, 12-pc colored pencils and a design guide. This kit is the kind where you light up the lightbox, put a film over it, and trace the desired design over the paper provided.

 

The lightbox when lighted

Right after putting on the batteries in the lightbox, my lil' sis and I started to draw right away. BF, being a drawing junkie that he is, shares some coloring and shading tips to us. And even after BF have left to go home, lil' sis and I continued to draw more designs by, of course, tracing the patterns underneath the lightbox.

 

Some of the drawings that we have made upon opening the box

That night, it occurred to me, and I have said this to BF over FB chat that night: that 'toy' not only revived my passion for fashion, but I actually get to 'draw' clothes according to my liking. It makes me wanna enroll in some short course in fashion design to at least sustain my newfound hobby.

But then again, wouldn't it be much better if at least one of these drawings actually come to life? Or even better, if I could at least wear one of these? Hmmmm....


By the way, these are some of the drawings that my lil' sis and I have done to this day...

 

An idea for a corporate attire... Should I make the jacket a tweed one?

 

Winterwear (like there's such thing as winter in the Philippines)

 

Simple 'going out with friends' outfit... Skirt too short, should I add leggings?

 

The 'debutante' (read: for lil' sis's 18th birthday) outfit, with Taylor Swift as peg..

 

Some unfinished bag designs...

 

An undetailed bag and an undetailed flat shoes... Ideas, anyone?

 

Lil' sis's idea of a wedge shoes. With a wooden sole. 

 

The clutch bag which BF helped in detailing... Still lacking details in the flap though...

 

My idea of a bootie, which BF interpreted... Did the upper part looked like a sort of a fur?

 

My attempt to recreate Kermit Tesoro's heel-less shoes (Google the name to know what I'm talking about), with animal print to boot... I traced the wedge template on the paper (see third drawing from above this one), erased the heel line, 'carved' the sole and traced the whole thing with gel pen... I drew the zebra prints with the same gel pen, and I was thinking of coloring this yellow or yellow-orange to make it a tiger print...

 

Lil' sis's idea of a clutch bag with tassel... Didn't almost noticed the tassel because of her coloring... If only I could redo the whole coloring to make the tassel stand out from the rest of the clutch...