two dee me

Fantasy Shoe No. 1 - Valentino Studded T-Bar Lizard Pumps

2010-10-30T00:35:00.000-07:00

I want these studded, strappy Valentino heels so much that I remembered I haven't had a Fantasy Piece post in a while.

These shoes seem to be everywhere, on everyone. The Sartorialist snapped a few pairs of the kitten-heel version on spectators at Paris Fashion Week. Alexa Chung rocked the (only somewhat) more practical flat version at the Miu Miu show.

Photo taken from Net-a-Porter, where the fantasy aspect of this pair is reinforced by the unattainable price of $1,195.

Birthday Suit

2010-09-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here I am in Manila during my birthday month in an outfit made of birthday presents. The bag was a gift from my boyfriend, Wayne. The top was a gift from my mom. And that hat, a gift from myself, is 90% paper (the remaining 10% is less-noteworthy polyester).

Nylon tote: Burberry, Top: Zara,Hat: Muji.

Sydney in Winter

2010-08-29T08:17:00.001-07:00

An impromptu trip took me from sweltering Singapore to chilly Sydney. I have to admit that this isn't the most fashion-forward of looks but with the amount of layering I had to do not to freeze (and my lack of proper winter-wear), I was just glad I didn't look like a bag lady.

Layer 1: tank top and leggings, Layer 2: Uniqlo tank top and Cotton On denim jeans, Layer 3: Forever 21 sweater with a convertible neckline, Banana Republic sequined scarf, and Steve Madden suede boots. Not pictured was Layer 4: a camel trench coat from Gap.

Balancing Act

2010-07-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

When it comes to accessorizing, I tend to be too-bare or too-decorated. I've looked into a washroom mirror at midday and realized I should've put on earrings or been in the MRT in the morning and removed a ring and bracelet because I felt I looked too "busy". This one above, with a chunky agate necklace and a ruffled leather bag, I think I got right. I think. I think.

Agate necklace: Aldo Accessories, Black ruffled leather bag: Steve Madden, LBD: Cotton On, Cardigan: Zara.

Imagine a Ruffled Dress...

2010-07-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

If you try to imagine a dress covered in ruffles, you probably won't imagine this one. This refreshingly non-dainty take on a ruffled dress is by Japanese duo Hokuto Katsui and Nao Yagi for Uniqlo. Then tied at the waist with a neon green belt, I think it leans much more to charmingly quirky than overtly girly.

Dress: Uniqlo, Belt: Mango, Bag: Forever 21, Shoes: Charles & Keith

Summer Dress in the City

2010-05-31T09:07:00.001-07:00

My feet never touched sand nor saltwater this summer. Instead, they touched a whole array of strappy flats which I wore with light sundresses. These gold rope sandals and white eyelet dress were my favorites. Maybe one day I can wear these to a seaside brunch or some occasion more appropriate than a suburban grocery run.

White eyelet dress from Topshop, sunglasses (which, by the way, makes my entire field of vision look lit by a warm sunset) also from Topshop, bag from Cotton On, sandals and butterfly necklace from Accessorize.

New City, New Clothes

2010-05-04T03:23:00.001-07:00

I've spent the last 2 months moving from Manila and settling into Singapore. It hasn't been too long yet but I feel like this new city is already changing the way I dress. I do more walking here (I used to drive in MLA) so I'm replacing high heels with comfy flats. I also live further away from work (a mere 10 minutes back home). More travel time means less time to put together an outfit. So I end up choosing very basic, non-fussy pieces and the same bag day after day. I even chopped my hair to cut down on morning prep-time.

I'm a bit nervous about letting go of heels, outfit-specific bags, and "fussier", less versatile pieces. Let's see how this all goes...

Dress from Cotton On, zebra print belt from Topshop, cross-body bag from Zara, and purple snakeskin sandals from Classified.

Killer Heels

2010-02-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Those sparkly gold heels were lined with sandpaper and shark's teeth. With some band-aids and pride, I managed to last until 6PM. But one last walk to the Starbucks a few blocks away did me in. I went home in flip flops.

(Tank top from Topshop, skirt from Forever 21, gray belt from Bia as a Christmas gift, and shoes from hell.)

T-Shirt and Jeans

2010-01-28T17:17:00.001-08:00

This doesn't happen very often. It had to be documented.

(T-shirt from Bench, jeans from Gap, boots were a gift from my mom.)

To Fozzy and Chips' Vintage-themed Wedding

2010-01-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

This dress was not overtly vintage. I think only the ruffled sleeves and the eyelet at the back suggest anything vintagey. And the fact that the fabric was so thin I had to wear a slip!

(Dress from BCBG Max Azria, bag from Nine West, shoes from Schu.)

Why hello there...

2010-01-03T23:57:00.001-08:00

This dress actually gave me discernible curves! Hooray for cinched waists, darts and pleats! :D

(Dress from SM, cardigan from the kid's section of American Eagle Outfitters, cocktail ring was a Christmas gift from my very fashionable co-worker Crissy)

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-31T02:01:00.000-08:00

Because there's no better accessory than a great big smile, I wish everyone a very, very, very happy New Year! :)

(Dress with origami pleats from Forever 21. Snakeskin heels from Charles and Kieth. Both Christmas gifts from my generous and stylish mother.)

I Love Wearing Animals!

2009-12-12T06:00:00.001-08:00

The felt panda pin is another accessory hand-made from Aranzi Aronzo's patterns.

(The dress is from SM. The day after I bought it, I saw the same dress at Topshop. Exactly the same, except for the price. This one, thankfully, was about 70% cheaper. SM rocks.)

Visual Height

2009-11-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

Today Ben, a co-worker, said he was surprised to find out that the tall female stranger he saw in his peripheral vision turned out to be me. He said maybe it was the illusion created by skinny jeans and heels. It must be a pretty powerful illusion because at 5 feet I am, by all standards, extremely petite.

(Ben, master of compliments, also happens to be a master of vector illustration. Check out his stuff at http://bendelu.deviantart.com)

¡Hola Señor Acid!

2009-11-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

I love love love the cross-dressing feeling that comes with donning menswear pieces such as this tailored vest.

Cuffed Jeans Look No.1

2009-10-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this photo from The Sartorialist, I've been wearing cuffed jeans to work quite a lot. Here's my first attempt.

I'd prefer slightly slouchier "boyfriend jeans" rolled-up a little more haphazardly and worn with heels. Still searching for the right pair though (both jeans and heels).

Bang! Bang!

2009-10-10T01:36:00.000-07:00

What I like most about this is not the lady-like pleated dress or the soft pink cardigan but the small necklace pendant hanging from a delicate silver chain: a semi-automatic handgun.

Art Attack

2009-09-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

This strapless dress from Mango appears to have been frantically dabbed over and over by a brush dipped in black paint. And then repeated with red.

Size does not matter...

2009-09-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

...when you're panic buying at H&M in Hong Kong. Having flown from a country without H&M, I didn't care that this beautiful shirt dress - with puff sleeves and tuxedo top details - was a size too big.

Maxi-dress on a mini-girl

2009-09-03T03:11:00.000-07:00

I'm 5 feet tall. This dress, before I shortened it, was just about that measurement as well.

UPDATE (07/09): This look made it into FabSugar's Looks of the Week!

Creatives and Suits

2009-09-02T01:06:00.000-07:00

Supposedly, you dress for the job you want and not the job you have. Very luckily, I have the job I want. It is, though, a job that tolerates the wearing of concert tees, sneakers and the occasional flip-flop. Which is great but on this particular day I felt like looking more businessy. What's more businessy than a blazer?

Fantasy Bag No. 1 - Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM

2009-08-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

I'd love to stash my battered mobile phone and daily stock of Tiger biscuits in this classy, classy thing on the left. On the right is my 2Dme with my fantasy bag perched on a giant L in a fantasy Louis Vuitton ad.

Slight Chance of Rain

2009-08-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

Manila hasn't seen a lot of sun the past few weeks. So in anticipation of more tropical thunderstorms, today I threw on my new Zara jacket. I didn't get to spend a lot of time outdoors though. Instead of shielding me from the rain, it ended up shielding me from our office's 59 air-conditioning units.

Alice at the Office

2009-07-31T03:12:00.000-07:00

A black drop-waist dress over a gray t-shirt whimsified with felt rabbit pin. I made that fuzzy little doll with patterns and instructions from a book by Aranzi Aronzo. Mighty cute book. It inspires the creation of many felt rabbits. And falling after them through holes as my 2Dme is demonstrating.

Pasong Tamo Ext.

2009-07-27T03:06:00.000-07:00

Here we are wearing a floral bubble dress I found at Bugis, Singapore. I like wearing it to work but have always found it to be too cute for the Pasong Tamo industrial zone. My 2D self has instead decided to wear the dress to a tree-lined street with a wandering cat and a parked vintage bike.

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-07-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

On the left is me in my favorite shirt inspired by my favorite book. On the right is my 2D self marching around the place where the wild things live.
The film is coming out soon. I'd definitely wear this shirt to opening night. Or maybe Max's monster suit if I can find one.

Hello!

2009-07-20T03:22:00.000-07:00

That's me on the left. And that's 2D me on the right. Today we're wearing a bubble dress from a Hong Kong sidewalk vendor, a pinstripe vest from my mom's closet, a bag from Topshop and shoes from Landmark Department Store.