Black magic

I think I may need help from the occult arts to get over this one: my article deadlines come crashing (come to think of it, I haven't posted an article for quite some time now) and here I am still pondering whether I may still have time to finish my long overdue Thom Browne post. (Am already half done.)

Very soon, and shortly! Will need to hem and put a cuff to my habits of procrastination. In the the meantime, here's what I wore today.


Micro-checkered shirt, Ben Sherman; micro-houndstooth pants, Custom Made; thrifted leather elfin slip-ons, Camper; skinny leather belt, APC; plastic necklace, Qeelin; fingerless gloves; Debenhams

Photo by Patricia Suzara

Chains that tickle

Even if the day was mostly downcast, here's some color amid the gray and black. Bought the shirt from yesterday's bazaar shopping at Greenhills.

A friend once said that I never really was a teenager; that I was already old even during those years. Well, that doesn't stop me from wearing Elmo on my shirt.

And hanging something in front of his nose.

Tee, from Greenhills; nylon jacket, Izzue; thrifted jeans, Two Percent; skinny leather belt, APC; leather sneakers, Helmut Lang; black plastic necklace, Qeelin; stainless steel necklaces, 168; handkerchief, local department store

My latest fix: Black open bonnet

Open bonnet hat, 5cm; striped tee, Izzue; skinny jeans, Two Percent; skinny leather belt, APC; plastic necklace, Qeelin; plastic ring, Saizen (Daiso)

Lace dress for Halloween

It's amazing how things come full circle. I remember wearing this thrifted lace dress as a scarf for a goth Halloween ball last year, and a picture of that outfit, which was primarily composed of thrifted items, was part of my very first cameo post on this blog.

Now I am wearing the skirt on top of a shirt and have instead worn a cardigan as my scarf.




I like the way the lace is only obvious at the sleeves and over my bum, and the way it is cut — which makes me think more of pirates than drag queens.




I suppose this is the casual variation of my goth outfit, even if I am actually wearing the lace dress.

See, it can't be that hard.


Tee, cK by Calvin Klein; jeans, Two Percent; sheer double-breasted cardigan worn as a scarf, Zara; filigree belt, Brave Beltworks; agnès b riding boots and lace dress: both thrifted; necklace, Qeelin

How to wear white jeans

So shoot me. My first advice would be to wear white as if you don't care getting dirty. This is the most important thing to keep in mind. Otherwise don't bother.



Okay, so after ignoring my Alfalfa hair, let me say that this is a real escaltor stepped on by all sorts of people. The good news is I thrifted this pair for a mere pittance, which makes this picture doubly alright.

In this instance, I have chosen a black and white ensemble. In order that I won't be confused as an orderly (!), wore a plastic necklace, two wooden necklaces wound together and worn as a bracelet, and another bracelet made of tiger's eye — which serves as the outfit's accent.

The stripes on the shirt's collar and sleeves help to establish a theme.



And so does this skinny belt, barely seen. I think this is best done at the back or on either side, not in front.



So there. White on white can be quite tricky. Accessories not necessary if you have well cut trousers, a nice shirt, and, most importantly, the attitude.

So how have you worn your white jeans?

Tee, Zara; jeans, thrifted; belt, APC; plastic necklace, Qeelin; sneakers, Generic Surplus

Photos by Cecilia Aycocho

Bag denim on denim

Instead of wearing the usual denim shirt on jeans, I opted for the simple white shirt, but accessorized it with a denim tote and plaid scarf. The key is to wear different shades and textures of blue. The necklace is my male pearl substitute, since I wore this outfit to a premiere of Coco avant Chanel.


Shirt, Zara; jeans, Levi's; scarf, vintage; necklace, Qeelin; thrifted tote, Gap

Taking it slow

Am wearing a turtle pendant given to me by Cecille. Used twine as necklace, and paired it with my usual plastic Qeelin.


Tee, & by Dolce & Gabbana; belt, A.P.C.; pants, Y-3

Photo by David Loughran

Wearing nothing but two vests and a cardigan

This is my latest effort in finding a solution for layering in tropical Manila. The base of my top is a sheer double-breasted cardigan, which is a bit big and long. So what I did was to pair the buttons with the wrong buttonholes. The effect not only shortens the piece but also gives the impression of having more than two layers.

Since the collar of the sheer cardigan is quite low, I wore a thick vest, without buttons, on top of it, using two safety pins as fastening. Then finally on top is another vest to give the entire look more polish.

This top set is not at all warm. I may even need an actual jacket when it rains hard.


Sheer cardigan, Zara; buttonless vest, Dean & Trent; five-buttoned vest, thrifted; skinny jean, Two Percent; plastic necklace, Queelin