BASIC IN H&M

Finally back to blogging after a loooong hiatus!

I’ve been out of the blogging scene that I almost forgot how to navigate through Blogspot, lol. I’ve also been using my iPhone to take photos so using my dslr after so long brought me back to the day when I first operated one!

Enough of those minor adjustments and let’s go straight to the outfit, shall we? I’m sure no one is unaware about the opening of the first ever H&M store in the Philippines located at SM Mega Fashion Hall. Hennes and Mauritz is a Swedish multinational retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children. Count on H&M for all your clothing needs! The brand has been planning to open a store in the Philippines for almost four years and now it's finally here! And of course, I shall not miss its opening day for the world…

…and wear some of the things I purchased immediately.

H&M shirt and pants | Sunnies Studios sunglasses | Nike Roshe Run

HOW TO WEAR KHAKI: HYPE-STER

Here's the second outfit that I came up with wearing my favorite khaki! If on the first look, I went for a neat and clean, this time I styled it the hipster way featuring my new earrings to complete the look! (Lol photoshop lang)

Hype this on lookbook here.

This pullover reminds me so much of Topman X Hype collaboration so when I saw it on a bazaar I knew I had to get it right away! It's also a plus that the material used is not too thick yet soft -- sweat free me!

Matching top and shoes won't ever fail you. Never. Wore printed socks para hipster na hipster!

Supahshop pullover | Bench khaki | SM Department Store socks | Vans shoes

CHANGES

January marked some major changes in my life. I started working 2^nd week of this month after being a house bum for about 2 months. My work starts at 9 in the morning. I live in a place that’s 2-2.5 hours away from my work place so I have to wake up 3 or 4 hours earlier to prepare myself and all. I was never a morning person. Since the start of my 2^nd year in college, my schedule was set in the afternoon so waking up before sunrise is definitely new for my body.

Before, I usually get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a day. Today, 6 hours is the max I can get. Coffee is the only thing that keeps me alive; as if it’s the element that circulates into my veins instead of blood. I couldn't imagine myself surviving a day without caffeine. (I usually have 3-4 cups a day at the office.)

When it comes to working environment, I’m adapting steadily. I’m fortunate to have the most congenial officemates in the world that helps me to adjust quicker. I’ve learned to enjoy the work itself, and I am grateful to have new and old friends as my co-workers who make the workloads bearable. My focus towards work is not perfection but gradual improvement; precision takes time.

Mondays are always the death of me. It's the day when the lines going up the MRT station reach 1 kilometer long. The travel going to my office has been my daily battle for almost 2 months now. I've become a pro in judging (both constructively and destructively) people based on how they dress up, and I've mastered the art of playing asleep inside the train so I won't have to give my seat to other people (sorry girls for not being a gentleman, I NEED to sit). The case changes for elderly women though.

I never realized how hassle it was to travel via train during rush hour until I experienced it myself. My usual travel time is this: 15-20 minutes from my place to MRT station; 30 minutes – 1 hour falling in line (here's a picture of how long the line is but I think this is quite shorter compared to what I experience daily); 30 minutes from MRT to Ayala Station; 15-20 minutes from Ayala Station to the office.

A friend told me that the biggest challenge in work is not excelling but finding a work-life balance. I guess I failed at this challenge as my lifestyle is slowly changing into something I never saw coming. I only get to go out with friends during Fridays and I'm afraid I can no longer do such thing come our busy season. I'm already missing the good life.

Uniqlo button up | Straighforward Clothing shorts | Swatch shoes | NYS Collection sunglasses | Flying Dutchman bag

Hype this on lookbook here.

Native

Hype this on lookbook here.

Cotton On plaid polo | Sweat shirt | Forever 21 jacket | Vans shoes

(Lol my cheeks look sore because of braces)

I dream of living in a place where no one gives you judging looks because you wear layers and layers of clothes. I tried to picture myself as a native of Baguio and all I can see is me in this getup everyday—like most of the people living there. IMO, cold weather is a lot more bearable than high temperature. The only challenge to face is taking a bath, but heaters exist anyway so less first world problems!

The universe did not conspire in my favor about the cold weather to stay forever. It’s getting hotter as the day passes by and I’m already afraid of the day when going out of the house at noon would be totally impossible because of the scorching sun. Good thing the ventilation in my office is a hundred percent (that is to say, I can still wear jackets)! 

My 2013

Can’t believe we’re down to the last few hours of 2013! This year went by so fast; everything was a blur. It was a tough and memorable year for me, especially during the 3^rd quarter where I experienced a lot of mishaps- my LRT moments and being held up that cost me my iPhone, Swatch and purse. If I could just reformat my mind to erase that holdup incident, I will do it in a heartbeat. It was the most traumatic I’ve experienced by far, and it still gives me chills whenever I remember the incident and I still get paranoid everytime I ride a jeepney. If there’s one thing I learned from it, it would be to be more cautious and never use your smartphone in public. I mean, I’m aware of it but I didn’t expect that it would happen to me. At noontime.

2013 is also the year when I turned 21! It was a fun, fun night and definitely one for the books! I was able to gather my friends from elementary, highschool and college + my relatives! 6 months had passed but the memories are still fresh like it was just yesterday. I am thankful to have such amazing friends and loving families whom I can always count on.

Uniqlo buttondown | Coach chino pants | SM Dept Store socks | Swatch shoes | Axis watch

But the highlight of my 2013 is me finally graduating from college (though the graduation itself is yet to happen on March/April since my university doesn’t have October graduation)! I just got my diploma a week or two before Christmas, and it was the best Christmas present I’ve got. I cannot wait to have it framed and post on our wall in line with my brother’s and sister’s! I had a major separation anxiety leaving my Alma Matter, UST, and still have an entry left in my UST bucket list. Hoping to strike it off on my graduation day!

Hype this on lookbook here.

I am looking forward to 2014- not only because it’s a new year but also because I’m starting off with another chapter of my life. I’ll begin working on the first Monday of January and I am beyond excited and nervous about it. Ahh, the thought of me entering the real world gives me shivers! But I am ready to face it and do the best that I can. Here’s to a wonderful and successful 2014! I’m claiming that it would be a year of achievements for me!

BLUE BANDANA

Here’s what I wore to Paskuhan last December 20! My friends and I actually just dropped by at UST for less than 45 minutes. The heavy downpour turned the UST field into a mud garden. Palay nalang ang kulang! Lol. We can’t take to dip our feet in the mud so we decided to just hang around Timog/Morato. Also, the rain just made the weather hotter and the fact that there were no fireworks was enough for us not to stay longer. Not even Joyce Pring or Parokya Ni Edgar made us stay. Lol 

Hype this on lookbook here.

According to my friends, this button-up looks like a bandana. Does it?

Uniqlo button-up | Jag jeans | Vans shoes

2 days past Christmas and 4 days before New Year! How was your Christmas? Mine was quite different from last year’s mainly because I didn’t receive as many gifts as before for the reason that I’m starting to work by January! Not that I’m complaining but I’m not used to it yet, lol. I mean, I always wanted to receive gifts. The feeling of excitement upon opening them is incomparable. But dad reminded me that it’s always better to give than to receive. To which I added: until you have nothing to give. Ha!

BLUER THAN BLUE

Hype this on lookbook here.

Flying Dutchman rucksack

Topman button up | Fossil watch

Bench jeans | W brown suede shoes

One color, different hues. Blue will always be relevant to my life. Half of my clothes are in this color and I’m still continuously adding more and more of it. Button ups are my current thing: I’m investing in this type of clothing as this will be my uniform once I start working. Just a small tip: always be very particular with the fit, color and style. I tend to buy classic ones in pastel colors coz I know I can wear them years after years (not to mention that pastels can make everyone look clean and tidy).

DAY TO NIGHT

I managed to style an outfit in two different ways that's perfect from day to night events!

Folded and Hung plaid polo (Thanks Myca and Alyssa for this!) | Artwork shirt (Thanks April!) | Wrangler jeans | Vans shoes | Casio watch

Here's the first look that's very fitting for a getaway during the day! The vibrant colors and the loud prints on my shirt gave life to the whole getup and made it more youthful! It's also very chill and relax but still trendy. You can wear your plaid polo in two different ways; either by wearing it with an undershirt on or by tying it around your waist like a professional hipster.

Hype this on lookbook here.

The second look is more formal and grown up - you can wear this to a dinner or night out with friends! Ditched the shirt, buttoned-up the polo and changed into a more formal shoes to make everything cohesive. What do you think?

MISMATCHED

Dark eyes caused by the final exams! I've been so stressed (and sentimental) the past few weeks. Will try to make a separate blog entry about it.

Anyway, here's my take on mixing two different elements! As you can see, it's all sporty from head to upper body but I finished off the look by wearing jeans and a pair of dressy shoes! Looks mismatched but I like how it turned out! It's actually fun experimenting. It's also my way of challenging myself to come up with a unique/new style. What do you think?

SM Accessories snapback | Uniqlo shirt (Thanks K!)

Nike bag | This has been my default bag! It's big enough to fit my big books, notebooks, pencil case, umbrella and tumbler (yes, I bring a lot of stuff with me) and has a laptop compartment (but since I don't have a laptop, I only use it to keep my jacket and bury my wallet under it lol for safety purposes!). It's also very comfortable to carry!

Just to make things clear, we have a uniform in school. I wore this when I went out to study at my favorite coffee shop :)

Hype this on lookbook here.

ROAR AS ONE

Got no words to say coz we lost the 2^nd game of the Finals! LOL but believe me, Tigers get braver and growl louder when wounded so you better brace yourselves Archers! Haha Game 3 on Saturday and I’m really hoping that UST Growling Tigers will be able to bring the crown back to España! PLEASE

Hype this on lookbook here.

Don’t you just love the statement on my shirt? This is by far my most favorite UST shirt; it’s full of school spirit! Also, Katy Perry should see this and be proud! LOL but I can’t help but think that her song Roar is especially made for us… Cannot unsee.

Of course I had to wear some of the ballers I've gathered throughout the years! (Maka throughout naman ako!) All-out supporter here!

Forever 21 Men cap (thanks Nikki and Kim!) | UST shirt and ballers | Casio watch (thanks Oya and Cherrie!) Jag jeans | Vans shoes

But I was still beyond happy despite our lost coz I've finally had my OOTD taken in front of this UST standee! #babaw Feels so good to strike one entry off your bucket list! Part of my list is to bathe myself in the fountain behind me! Coz you know, #YOLO Pascual