Style and Soul

Christmas may be over but the act of gift-giving definitely runs all throughout the year. Now that you're all done worrying about what to give to other people, it's time to think about what to give to yourself without the feeling of guilt!

Yes, despite your recent expenses this Yuletide season, shopping this 2013 will never put a weight on your conscience as long as you put your money in affordable and worthy purchases. 

As a self-proclaimed budget fashionista, I will continue to remain true to my advocacy of practicality and frugality. I buy a lot of my personal things with careful thought and consideration with how much money I actually make in real life. Even if you're saving for rainy days, make sure you don't deprive yourself of life's little pleasures. There's definitely a way to go around shopping without indulging.

Not everyone has celebrated Halloween yet. A lot of you have probably waited until the very last minute (again?!) to decide whether or not you'll attend a "spooky" drinking-slash-costume party this weekend. I'm guessing you're not really digging the idea of wearing a costume as well but you sort of have to just so you won't be such a pooper. 

Without much time left for you to be "creative" enough; plus you aren't really willing to spend, what now? 

It's crunch time and the only choice you have is to go for the overused characters. Luckily, you have a closet to scour and here are a few ideas on how to stylishly pull off the costumes that almost everyone has been wearing.

Not unless you're a client who's willing to shell out thousands of pesos for a designer creation, or probably a close friend, then I'm assuming it's not usual for most people to get access to the personal work space of renowned Filipino designer Rajo Laurel.

A week before the launching of Rajo! For SM Parisian collection, I had the opportunity of visiting the House of Laurel  (thanks to work) to check out Rajo's exclusive sketches and designs for The King and I. He was also nice enough to hand us a personal invite to his Rajo! For SM Parisian Fashion Show (which I missed to attend due to work as well, ugh) and he graciously shared with us a sneak peek of his entire shoe collection which is in collaboration with a department store empire, even before its official release.

To those who haven't been to House of Laurel, here let me show you around first. 

To find one's edge is essential. "Edge" is what keeps you different from the other and makes you stand out -- that little extra something that puts you one step ahead of the pack. It's in you all along but most of you haven't found it yet. In order for you to do so, you need to explore the world around you, learn new things, experience life out of your comfort zone, jump into the uncertain and push yourself to do the impossible. Achieve all these things in the realm that knows no boundaries and you'll come out bolder and edgier than you've ever been, ready to take on life's greatest detours and challenges.

Although this idea of "edge" may not be the direct and exact point of Wrangler's Fall/Winter 2012 Collection campaign, I think it's good to exercise thinking and interpreting a brand's ad campaign beyond what its press kit says. For Wrangler, the Boundless Traveller is a free-spirited, adventure-seeking nomad, always on the move to his next destination day and night. Its latest campaign for the season "Find Your Edge - Boundless Traveller," revolves around the tale of two people who are driven by their passion for discovery and armed with "functional yet edgy outfits for every journey."

Others can probably relate to the campaign for they are experienced jet-setters who have toured many different places while in their most stylish yet comfortable clothing staples. I, on the other hand am a boundless traveller myself for I have lived my  life without rules. I've taken some short cuts, I've taken a detour. I once turned left from the 'right' path, deviated from everyone else's route. I've run away and on certain moments I've taken my time. I've constructed my own road and walked on it freely. Looking back, I know I'm miles away from where I began. Each one of us has our own journey - literally and figuratively.

Wrangler's empowering slogan for its campaign is not only open to one's relative understanding. It is also accompanied by a collection of bright-colored tops, tailored cover-ups and light-weight denim bottoms. A few weeks ago, the brand showcased it's new array of apparels at Robinsons Place Manila. Let the Wrangler #RoadShow begin!

As always, our Shop Vintage collection is comprised of specially-curated and one-piece-per-item-only thrift and pre-loved treasures for YOU – my fellow budget fashionista!  Everything is in good, wearable condition and reasonably priced so that a lot of mid-income earners and trend-savvy students who depend on their allowance savings, can afford to “splurge” without actually spending too much.

This is really my goal in keeping  F-STOP up and running. When I started getting more interested in dressing up, it has been difficult for me to SAVE a lot of my hard-earned money because like any other normal girl, I do like to shop. Thank God for ukay (thrift store)! I’m able to maintain a “stylish” lifestyle on an incredibly tight shopping limit. This is what I want you, the busy (no time to go thrift shopping) but stylish recessionista to experience. 

Of course, I’m not selling the products for its ukay prices because you also have to consider the effort, investment and profit. However, I always put myself in the shoes of the shopper and make sure that my pricing is fair enough. Exceptional pieces like printed or colourful blazers, fur vests and leather jackets are sold for P900 and below (I never sell any product for over a thousand unless it’s brand new), chic dresses, tops and bottoms are priced for way less than P500 and basic yet equally trendy items are around P150 – P350 only.

In this time and economy, imagine what items you can actually buy with those prices. 

Even though I’ve been incredibly busy these past few months, my “attempt” at time management has allowed me to squeeze in a few hours for some thrift treasure hunting. Here, below are some of the items you’ll find in F-STOP store this month.

UNIQLO, the Japanese homegrown apparel brand, will open its flagship store in the Philippines this June. 

Fast Retailing Inc., Uniqlo's umbrella company announced the brand's upcoming arrival last February at Hotel InterContinental in Makati. The casual wear company has partnered with SM Retail Inc. for this project and will open the clothing chain's first shop at SM Mall of Asia. It is said to cover 1,500 sq m, and will carry men's, women's and children's clothes.

To those who aren't very much familiar with the brand, it's best comparison and US counterpart is said to be Gap. Therefore, expect more classic and basic pieces that are less disposable than the fast fashion and trendy outlets here in Manila.

For further visual references, I went to Uniqlo's US website and grabbed lookbook photos of its products. Just by looking at the sets, another brand worth noting as a point of comparison is Giordano. With one glance, you'll know right away that Uniqlo's apparel lines are all about minimal details, clean cuts and simple silhouettes.