Balls always bring out the fairy-tale fanatic in me. While Disney princesses were mostly preoccupied with catching the prince’s eye in spite of some bargained/misfortunate occurrence (Ariel only had three days, Cinderella a few hours), most contemporary girls also have pressing concerns (fitting into THE dress, necklines not being low enough to show the slightest hint of abs) but mostly ushered towards the desire to be photographable.

And before sticking your nose up and deeming the entire female population shallow, know that in the age of chronicled-everything, Instagram #selfies (filtered or not) need to look decent. So with precisely that future selfie in mind (I kid – I was mostly thinking of this blog post) I made a frantic attempt to get a dress. My fairy godmother came in the form of PR maven Ericka Bugia – but better coz sheer dresses trump glass slippers and my ride fortunately didn’t turn into a pumpkin. (Although come to think of it, I did get home before midnight and maybe my Cinderella heels should’ve been worn in an attempt to fully embody a modern day damsel.)

Had an amazing time hanging out with SMART, of course, at the SMART Mega Pinoy Pride Ball. The theme was resonant in every single aspect – the food, the music, the performances. The 10 global Pinoys -including Maria Ressa, Stephen Gan, Jerome Lorico, Jessica Sanchez and Regine Velasquez – were awarded and the big ending was the finale of Mega’s YDC All Stars. Totally agreed with the choice of winners – Emir Yamamoto and the House of Herrera. Thank you, Smart, for having us. I had a great time and I don’t think I’d pass up on a chance to get all dolled up.

We should definitely have more balls in the Philippines – you know, years post-prom when you actually grow out of your awkward adolescent phase and have, hopefully, a much better grasp of fashion than when you were 16. So again, thanks Smart, for replacing my awkward, shudder-inducing JS prom memories with that of this gorgeous dress. I may have come one step closer to redeeming my high school self.

Dress, ARLENE SIPAT | Pumps, ALEXANDER WANG | Bracelet, CHARMING CHARLIE

ph by Hannah Villasis (thank you!)

___

LADIES’ DAY IN

Women are slowly evolving into some sort of superhuman – think Jean Gray but slightly less lethal – juggling twenty-thousand tasks, a social life, home and family responsibilities all the while in perfectly styled hair, sky-high heels and a generous swab of red lipstick.

Once in a while, though, these perpetually Instagram-ready ladies (hashtag: NoFilter) just want to take a break. From everything. Since Father’s Day was just recently celebrated, we think it’s high time the ladies reclaim the spotlight and invent our own holiday – a Ladies’ Day In.

To be given the luxury of staying in – no chores, no work, no kids – we can only presume what a girl is to do. We imagine, no, recommend, one relax with a bottle of wine, eat a tub of ice cream, order some take-out and maybe a masseuse, belt out a few favorites (top 40, no less), and, of course, indulge in deep, unbridled slumber. Now, whether you take the time to indulge your closet wants via online retail therapy or catch up on the latest schemes of Emily Thorne on Revenge, that’s up to you. Here’s one thing we’re sure of though: with no need to dress up, we’ll keep our clothes off and lingerie on. If you have any preconceived notions that sweatpants are our go-to lazy look, think again, because we like being irresistibly sexy, even just for ourselves. And honestly, a red lace bra trumps a power suit, any day.

Shop in a breathable lace smock and significantly increase the number of cut-out body-cons in your closet.

Write reminders in a playful printed set. We would understand if you ditch them in it too.

Our favorite Editor-in-Chief, Miranda Priestly, is back for a sequel. Make Revenge Wears Prada your bedside bud in a one-piece suit with mesh details. It isn’t Prada but it’s indulgent enough.

De-stress with scented candles and a fun, frilly polka-dot thong set.

Catch up on your favorite magazines in this lace number. Trust us, you’ll feel like a vixen.

All lingerie items from Yamamay are available at www.pormada.com.

In a desperate attempt to chronicle outfits, I have resorted to 1) repeating looks (and sequined ones at that) and 2) harassing a face even the slightest bit familiar to take my photos. I won’t divulge how many times this outfit has been worn in the past week (definitely more than once) before it was finally taken photos of. Though the setting was not so ideal – rained in at a venue with the yellowest light possible – I’m glad it’s finally time to wear something else and start another cycle of #bloggerproblems.

I have slowly realized that my “outfit shot” predicament is due to 1) the lack of person to hand a camera to and 2) my own lack of camera know-how in the event I actually find a person to shove it to. Last night alone we spent more than 10 minutes trying to figure out which buttons to press to change the aperture. I know. Shoot me. (Pun not intended.) I’m lucky I found a guy who knows more about photography than I could’ve hoped for – turning the knobs and actually knowing what they’re for. (Thank you, Marvin!)

Bumped into him at this quaint little event for Bensimon – a sneaker brand from Paris that finally landed in Manila. The set up was this adorable market with a sit-down dinner and my favorite: retail therapy in the form of [sneaker] shopping. A confession: I have, honestly, never worn a pair of sneakers in my life. I vaguely remember cleaning the house and finding these unused pair of children’s Keds – probably the only pair I ever owned prior to last night. Even during the peak of Converse (and consequently, Greenhills’ tiangge), I never felt an urge to get myself a pair. Peer pressure just isn’t as strong if not from Regina George. My feet are, for lack of a better term, errrm, sneaker virgins.

And at the risk of sounding like a ditz, I have to say: Wow, sneakers are comfortable. Not sure if this is true for all brands but I’m really liking my new pair of Bennies. Still trying to mentally calculate a la Clueless which wardrobe pieces would go with them. But I am determined to wear them out.

And if I’m miraculously evangelized – heels banned from my vocabulary – you’ll have quite a selection at the next BU. But let’s not make such drastic forecasts just yet.

Tank, NEON ISLAND | Sequin jacket, H&M | Shorts, COTTON ON | Heels, ALDO | Headband, DIY

ph by Marvin Conanan

Filed under: What I Wore Tagged: Aldo, Alyssa Lapid, Bensimon, Cotton On, H&M, Marvin Conanan, Neon Island, outfit, sneakers ]]> http://alyssalapid.com/2013/06/12/shine-and-shimmer/feed/ 0 alyssalapid IMG_5291 IMG_5287 IMG_5301 IMG_5310 IMG_5319 bens http://alyssalapid.com/2013/06/11/team-manila/ http://alyssalapid.com/2013/06/11/team-manila/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2013 06:38:44 +0000 Alyssa Lapid http://alyssalapid.com/?p=4748 ]]>

I barely stopped myself from headlining this post “A Walk to Remember” – but it kind of rather was. Team Manila was kind enough to invite a few bloggers to walk the runway for their fashion show last Saturday at SM Manila. And though my nerves didn’t bring me to tears this time unlike the last show I was previously part of, events prior were very interesting.

It’s funny – my hair turned Goldilocks at one point and my brows were filled in an unforgiving shade of charcoal. Thankfully, no photos were snapped of that pre-intervention stage and everything was resolved with a thorough hair whipping and relentless brow wiping. And though there were a couple (okay, a lot) of on-stage (and backstage) blunders, it all sort of worked out in the end. I think.

One thing I really looked forward to though was being styled by Proudrace‘s Pat Mosby and Rik Rasos. For some reason, stylists hear the term blogger and next thing you know you’re decked out in neons, mullet skirts, bib necklaces and matching drop earrings that seem to be as heavy as the weights you refuse to lift. Okay, that was slightly exaggerated but true. I knew with Pat and Rik it would be different – confirmed by my predominantly black outfit. I trust their tastes 100% as I am pretty much an avid consumer of it in the form of Proudrace goodies I love so much.

I realized Team Manila is a store I would love to tinker around in more. I gravitated towards their Lomo cameras that I’m pretty certain I can’t optimally use but am very tempted to purchase anyway. I honestly thought they only sold slogan tees and was pleasantly surprised they had cropped shirts and pieces that don’t necessarily refer to my Filipino meal preferences. (Although, shall I find you in one, I’d probably agree that I, too, enjoy my balut). On a more serious note, I’m glad I got to be a part of it and I think I found a brand I’ll be posting a lot more about. Rumor does have it – Team Manila’s future is looking bright.

My modeling career? Probably not as much.

Varsity jacket and crop shirt both from Team Manila 

After disposing beloved stuff (too much if you ask my now seemingly incapacitated closet), I’ve been finding myself inside store after store. I’d end up empty-handed with a slightly sullen look each time I’d go out, but I did leave with an observation: all the stores were extra colorful despite all reminders (i.e., sudden downpours) that summer has been cut short.

The lack of black was probably the reason I didn’t shop much. I’m obviously not the biggest color fan. Color seems to demand such a hard upkeep – like you somehow always have to be perky to match the energy your clothes are radiating. And though I actually already am overtly enthusiastic, color might demand an even more insane Alyssa – one that would require an absurd amount of coffee.

But I do love summer. So when my good friends from way back when, Aira and Chi, gifted me with some pieces from their new brand, Neon Island, with palm trees and tropical birds abound, I knew I had to forgo my blacks for a short while. I went the opposite way, in fact, by pairing their tank with bright red pants – a color feat I’m patting myself on the back for.

There’s just something about the idea of summer, even in the gloom, that makes me happy. I got a swimsuit in the mail today –  probably a nudge from the Universe to book that beach trip already. So okay, Universe. Whatever you say.

Tank, NEON ISLAND | Pants, BAYO | Heels, SUITEBLANCO | Sunglasses, FOREVER21