Outfit Guide: Paradise IMF 2016

I'm sure you've heard... There's something lit happening on April 9. Huge names from different genres (read: from OPM to EDM to Hiphop) clumped in one surreal night. I honestly don't know how the organizers managed to pull this off, and more importantly, I honestly can't believe that I'm actually going to this music festival.

I just have an itsy bitsy problem — I still haven't decided on what to wear yet. I figured there would be a lot of us who share the same sentiments. There is no room to look crappy when it's an event headlined by Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa, yes???

With that, I assembled four sets of looks to give you some ideas on what to wear and given that one of the headliners has a very distinct sense of style and has his own clothing line, I figured maybe I could pattern these looks from that.

Look #1

Adidas Originals top, 7,920 PHP / Adidas Originals top, 7,920 PHP / Balmain brown legging, 54,735 PHP / High waisted pants, 790 PHP / Tan shoes, 8,270 PHP / Fendi backpack, 105,730 PHP / Isabel Marant bracelet, 11,385 PHP / Maison Margiela ring, 17,075 PHP / Mirror sunglasses, 555 PHP / Mac cosmetic, 1,535 PHP / Nars cosmetic, 2,035 PHP / Nars cosmetic, 1,210 PHP

Basically all four looks featured here all share the same thing: a neutral colour palette. Warm khakis, nudes, taupes, and soft pastel pinks. If you've ever seen Kanye present Yeezy Season 1/2/3, you know these are the dominant hues (well, except the pastel pink hehe).

The first look leans more on the dark side — blacks, browns, maroon. If you want a chill, quick, and fuss free look you can easily dance around in, this is definitely for you. Put on a cropped top, leggings, sneakers, your not-so-big leather backpack, some silverware and minimal nude make up to enhance that pretty face of yours and you're good to go.

Look #2

Brown t shirt, 1,160 PHP / Blue coat, 1,855 PHP / Jillian Plain Strappy Bodysuit, 575 PHP / Alexander Wang denim shorts, 13,805 PHP / Common Projects white shoes, 24,510 PHP / Burberry tinted moisturizer, 2,470 PHP / Nars cosmetic, 1,510 PHP

If you want to bare some legs and cover up above then you may opt for this look. Been raving about nudes in my past blog and Instagram posts and it looks especially cute when paired with washed out denim. If you're feeling a bit hot with the coverup, you can wrap it around your waist 'til things get a bit more chilly again. Top it off with a nude cap and a clean pair of white sneakers. Velcro, for added character ;)

Look #3

Adidas Originals sweatshirt, 19,235 PHP / Pink shirt, 1,070 PHP / Tee shirt / Adidas sneaker, 3,485 PHP / New balance sneaker, 5,580 PHP / Common Projects sneaker, 16,420 PHP / Vince Camuto scarve, 1,765 PHP / Mykita round sunglasses, 26,020 PHP / Christian Dior aviator sunglasses, 22,985 PHP / Round sunglasses, 285 PHP

Ever heard of lampshading? If not, it's simple... it's the "no pants are the best pants" look. If the first set didn't cut it for you in the laidback field then maybe this will. Just select an oversized shirt (printed or not, it's up to you), wear quirky shoes, and just dump on the equally quirky accessories you deem necessary. I find that putting on a neckerchief gives a lovely sense of contrast to this look.

Now I know this look makes you appear like you're not wearing bottoms, but please do, for your own sake. Any denim short shorts would do the trick.

Look #4

Topshop ripped boyfriend jeans, 2,760 PHP / TopShop Strappy Low-Back Body, 1,050 PHP / Common Projects low profile sneaker, 16,355 PHP / Lulu s vegan jewelry, 560 PHP / Wanda Nylon nylon cap, 2,575 PHP / White iphone case, 1,160 PHP / J.Crew rounded sunglasses, 8,360 PHP / Edward Bess palette eyeshadow, 3,995 PHP

Last but certainty not the least, the 4th set. If anything, this would be my favorite — a nude halter bodysuit paired with light denim mom jeans. Similar to the second look but, you guessed it, with pants! Hah!

Kidding aside, I love how this outfit bares just the right patches of skin (shoulders, clavicles, and back), and hugs you in the right places (namely: the waist). Protect your face from that open field sun with a cute satin cap and a belt bag for extra hands-free convenience.

What do you guys think about the looks above? Do you have any more ideas you could share? Write it down in the comments below!

If you guys want to stay updated about this fire Music Festival happening at Aseana City Open Grounds on April 9, follow them in their social media accounts below:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paradiseimf/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/paradiseimf Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paradiseimf

You can also check their website here for more details and go here if you're ready to purchase. See you guys there!

How to have a Better Instagram Feed

If you don’t know what Instagram is then you must not be from around here… and from around here I mean Earth. Kidding… Just trying to make a point how popular Instagram is right now. Basically, Instagram is a lot like twitter. You follow people, you gain followers, you can flood the public timeline with your content but instead of words, you post photos. “I already have Instagram so stop blabbering” yeah… okay but is your Instagram feed pretty? I know some people really don’t care but having a pretty Instagram feed really makes an impression to people who stalk you (heh) and it’s a nice way of expressing yourself too.

So this post is dedicated to prettifying that feed of yours. I know there are a lot of other “how tos” online but this is based on my personal experience. Also, Please do remember that “better” and “pretty” are very subjective ideas. ;)

1. USE A GOOD CAMERA

This is pretty common sense but some people don’t have that so.. (another joke please don’t take me seriously haha). No matter how much you edit your photo. No matter what filter, what light leak or whatever you apply if the raw photo is crappy then your photo will be crappy and in turn your feed will be crappy. Crisp, clear photos are the best. iPhones (4-5s) usually take great photos most especially when there’s natural sunlight. Not entirely sure with Samsung but pretty sure the latest models take great photos too. Some people even use their DSLRs just to take awesome photos for their feed. I know… effort right?

2. GET ENOUGH LIGHTING

Like I said iPhones take suuuuuper better photos when there’s enough lighting. This pretty much applies to any camera, actually. Yes, you can digitally brighten up a dark photo but go ahead, try it. It’ll be super grainy. Personally, natural light is always better than artificial light but if you have no choice, sure, go use that flash.

3. EXPERIMENT WITH THE POV

Go high, go low, go extremely high, or extremely low. Each point of view gives a photo a certain feel. This is why the “from where I stand” and “outfit grid” kinds photos are so popular now because it’s a different viewing experience. Imagine an outfit grid shot from eye level instead of top down… looks so boring right.

4. DON’T MACHINE GUN YOUR PHOTOS INTO THE FEED

A.k.a. don’t post consecutive photos with only a minute interval in between. Not only is this annoying but it’ll leave your photos with less likes. I’ve personally observed this. Probably because people will tend to scroll past your posts because you’ve annoyed the heck out of them. Oh and yeah, you’ll risk being unfollowed too.

5. DON’T POST SIMILAR PHOTOS CONSECUTIVELY

In relation to #4, try not to post two very similar looking photos one after the other. I don’t care if there is a one day interval between them. This is Instagram not a Facebook album. A feed with variety is a feed that has beauty.

6. PUT APPROPRIATE AND RELATIVE TAGS

Please. 3 inch thick tags are so annoying and I’ve read somewhere that putting irrelevant tags can actually prevent you from making it to the popular page. You don’t want that, do you?

7. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR INTERESTING THINGS TO CAPTURE

I follow a lot of people who have awesome feeds and sometimes, they post these super mundane things that are strangely still beautiful. Like half their faces streaked with sunlight and shadows of blinds. Or their tea in the morning against white washed wooden tables. It’s simple and very mundane but still very very pretty. So keep an eye out for those simple moments!

8. DON’T POST A CRAPPY PHOTO

I knoooow I’ve said this a lot of times but this statement basically sums everything up. I know we’ve all felt that itch where we just want to post this photo even though it’s crappy but please fight that feeling and tell yourself, “quality over quantity”. There’s still tomorrow go take a better looking picture.

9. TAKE IT EASY ON THE EDITING

For me, less is more. Subtle looking filters are way better than the default filters in Instagram. There are lots of apps out there that offer these so called subtle filters (I’ll do a post about them soon). Also, lately I tend to move away from light leaks and all that leaky stuff. Oh and over-edting actually destroys a photo’s quality.

10. UNIFORMITY

I really don’t do this to my feed but I’ve noticed others who do and it does look kind of nice. Some people actually use the same filter for all their photos. This’ll make your feed really nice and clean. As for me, I post all square photos. I can’t stand the one filter thing ‘cause for me each photo has it’s own filter that enhances it. You just gotta try each one.

That’s pretty much what I can share to you guys. I know I’ve slightly gone off track with some of the things I listed up there, that’s just some bonus points on how to improve your Instagram experience and how not to annoy your followers (haha). I hope you liked it!

What about you guys? What are some of the things you do to make your feed pretty? Share it with us in the comments below! :)

Top 7 Things a Girl Should Have in her Wardrobe - Chill Edition

We all know how the classic list goes - black slacks, black pumps, blazer, day dress, the perfect heels, a little black dress etc, etc. The pieces sound all so sophisticated and dressy. Don’t get me wrong, they are essentials and there will always be a time where you will need or be required to wear them. Emphasis on “a time” though, that means that these pieces aren’t really needed on a daily basis. What about those days where you just want to look casual and chill? What about those days where you don’t want to make “tiis ganda” (Conyo lol) but still want to look decent and put-together? I’m pretty much like that. Trust me, you’ll be like that if you have to think of a decent outfit every single day of your college life while taking into consideration the stress and pressure (uncomfy clothing adds up to the stress, you know) you’ll be enduring for the day. So here’s the list a made for myself and for people who share the same style and sentiments that I have ;)

First on the list, is the perfect white shirt. For real, you could make a lot of outfit combos with this piece and the fact that it’s plain, avoids people from making sure that you’ve repeated the piece over and over again (lol). It’s neat, and you could style it any way you want. Want something a little bit dressed up and sophisticated? Pair this piece with denim/leather jeans, some strappy heels, big sunnies, a top knot, and viola! Instant celebrity-ish look. Not really the girly type? Tuck this in high waist cutoffs, sneakers, and a snapback. Yo homey. Jk. You guys get my drift on how awesome this piece is, right? (Photo of how I wore mine)

Where to get it: I recently bought mine yesterday from Topman. They were on sale and I got mine for 50% off ;) but I’m pretty sure you can find one from the department store.

I swear, before, jeans were my legs’ number one enemy. All of my jeans made my legs and hips look huge. So, so sad. Finally, I found a pair from Bershka (Photo here), it looked promising so I tried it on and - oh my gosh - they were perfect. Sure my legs were still curvy and thick, but the jeans didn’t make it any more big. It actually hugged my legs in a way that it enhances my legs’ curves. After that, I started wearing jeans again and I must say, jeans really make or break an outfit. Wear one that doesn’t have a great fit, and you’ll look lousy, wear one that has great fit, well, wow. hihi. All I’m trying to say is, find the perfect jeans and the top + jeans outfit will always work, always.

Where to get it: I’ve observed that great fitting jeans are all over this season. I got mine from Bershka, Forever 21, and Topshop.

The white cami pretty much works like the perfect white shirt except it’s sexier, and can be mostly used as an inner clothing. I usually wear mine under my plaid, camouflage, and denim button down shirts. Also under denim jackets and vests. I feel kind of exposed when I wear this on it’s own (conservative loljk) but when I’m feeling extra gutsy, I do wear this with high waist shorts and sneakers.

Where to get it: Forever 21 offers the best plain cami at the most affordable price for me.

I’m not a sneaker head but I prefer wearing sneakers any time of the day. I prefer wearing one with pants, shorts, skirts, and sometimes even with dresses (if it doesn’t look wrong). I wear them almost everyday! Nothing beats the comfort and the carefree look and vibes it emits.

Where to get it: depends on what kind of sneakers you want, actually. I got mine from Vans. My current favorite, my all black sneakers (Photo here), are from Cotton On. I’m also currently eye-ing Nike’s Roshe Run and Converse’s classic white high tops.

I added the word versatile for a reason. Try to get leggings that aren’t so sheer. That sheerness could lead to embarrassment and outfit mishaps (think: underwear exposure). As of now, I have two treggings (trousers that fit like leggings) and more than 3 black leggings. Like my sneakers, I wear these almost daily to school. It’s comfy, it’s sleek, it goes with almost everything, it slims out my legs, and I can move around easily without worrying if my butt cheeks are already exposed (haha dang bandage skirts). If i want to look a little bit more formal, I usually tuck in my top into my high waist treggings. One time, I wore a plain white pocket tee and tucked it into my HW treggings, I didn’t know that that was also the day the ACG (Arts College Government) was doing their shoot and their dress code was a white polo and black pants or skirt for girls. My classmate thought I was also part of the shoot! Ha ha. See how two basic pieces, a plain white shirt and high waist black treggings, could make you look casually professional. Here are some photos on how I wear mine (Muscle shirt + Treggings // Oversized sweater + leggings // Cami top + Floral bomber jacket + leggings // Corporate-ish attire)

Where to get it: I have one hand-me-down Zara treggings from my mom. I also got one from Mango which was on sale. I saw one yesterday at Topshop but it was kind off pricey (P1,800++). As for the leggings, I bet you could easliy find one from the department store!

We all know how bipolar our weather is here in the PH. Getting a basic, fluffy, cozy hoodie is a must. Pick one that isn’t to thick but is not so thin either. I know what you’re thinking, “Will I not look lousy or like I’m going on a jog or something?” well, that’s exactly why I’m advising that you get a hoodie with just the right thickness and right material so that it won’t look lousy at all. If you do find that perfect hoodie, well cheers to you because it will not look wrong in usual daily outfits when you’re feeling a bit chilly. A blazer or structured jacket/coat is good too but it’s not as comfy as this and we are talking about chill clothes in this post, right? Ha ha.

Where to get it: I recently saw one from Forever 21 men. Also from Topman, Uniqlo, and Cotton on.

There are days when it’s too hot to wear pants and you just want to set your legs free. The perfect shorts are the answer to that. It’s important to know what kind of shorts you want. Do you like those with the classic cuts or are you into the v shaped cuts that’s very popular lately? As for me, I prefer the latter. I don’t know, they just feel more “street” than the ones with the straight cuts and street is definitely my style. Also, it’s very important to buy a size that fits you. Don’t buy a size too large because you’ll end up looking very very lousy and it would be a waste of money but don’t buy a size too small either because you want to look “sexy” there’s absolutely nothing sexy about overflowing fat. Get your right size and I promise, it will lift the right places and hide the right parts. Another thing, I also prefer investing in denim shorts rather than leather, cotton, or whatever other fabric because denim exudes casualness (cotton too but it feels more like athletic wear) and is very versatile.

Where to get it: Oh….. the shops are endless. The usual, Forever 21, Topshop, Cotton On, Zara, tiangges, but my current favorite shorts come from Vanilla Breeze Clothing (Photo of my go to shorts). I also loooove these shorts (Photo) it’s branded One Teaspon, a foreign brand that isn’t in the Philippines yet but I hope it does arrive here though.

So that’s my list of the top 7 things every girl should have in her wardrobe, the chill edition! I hoped it helped all the lazy bums out there jk, I’m a lazy bum. Do you guys have all the stuff listed here? Did I miss out on anything? What about you guys, what’s in you list? :) Comment below! :)