Suspender Skirts (and Harajuku)

The fit and flare style is definitely not a fresh concept.  Yes, skater skirts were literally worn by figure skaters.  Flared skirts with bright colors- skaters began to wear them back in the old days.  Now they’re shorter, more modern and flared.

We’re done with skater skirts. And don’t forget the peplum dresses.  Because skater skirts become too mainstream, the fashion industry did some modifications. Although the suspender skirt idea is still not considered original and fresh, at least suspenders are cute and edgy.  Suspenders actually remind me of those androgynous looking guys in Lady Gaga’s video and  Jack of Titanic- my most vivid memories of suspenders.

I’m not really a fan of skirts. Oh well, let’s see.

Harajuku culture or fashion is popular worldwide. Even Gwen Stefani fell in love with it. The Harajuku Girls were featured in her stage shows and some Gwen Stefani music videos online.

If you like Tokyo fashion or anything Harajuku, then you should check these kawaii photos:

This Harajuku girl is wearing a Kawi Jamele plaid suspender skirt. You can click here for more details about her outfit.

She’s wearing her suspenders from H&M paired with her gingham shirt. Click here to see detailed photos of the whole outfit.

Suspender Skirts (and Harajuku)

Something Floral

Admit it, anything floral is cute. I’m not really into floral but looking at people wearing floral takes me to happy places- makes me remember something sweet, something comfy.

Here’s how I usually  wear my floral skirt.  When I go out, I sometimes wear shoes because I don’t want to go home with dirty feet.  Here in the Philippines it’s always summer. It’s a tropical country thus the humidity is high.  Obviously, the temperature is too hot and dust is everywhere. Wearing my Dr. Martens Shoreditch that I bought online from http://www.dmusastore.com/.

In the second photo I’m still wearing the laced floral skirt that I bought from a thrift store paired with my simple Forever21 top and thong sandals. This is weird because I don’t really wear thong sandals often.

Clothing brands are continuously producing floral outfits not just for women but also for men who like to explore their options when it comes to fashion. You can check other floral fashion ideas on Pinterest.

Something Floral

Dreamcatchers

Here’s my dreamcatcher, made by a friend. Because I keep having bad dreams lately, then I think I have a very good excuse of keeping one. Adios!

No matter how modern our ideas are, we still go back to old ideas, old beliefs though we live in different societies.

I grew up in a small town influenced by different stories about aswangs (vampire-like mythical creature in Filipino folklore), anting- antings (a Filipino word for “amulet” or “charm”) and other supernatural beliefs. Such stories evolved through the years, told and shared from generation to generation. Now, the aswang stories are gone. But our strong belief in the power of charms or amulets is still alive and we are consciously unconscious about it. We even buy golden frogs in Chinese stores for good luck. And dream catchers, in some cultures, could be a reflection of how humans feel the need to believe in something to survive, to adopt and to be at peace.

Dreamcatchers (dream catchers) originated in some Native American cultures and adopted by other neighboring areas through intermarriage and trade. A dream catcher can be decorated with what they consider “sacred” such as feathers and beads. Ojibwe people created dreamcatchers to protect infants and sleeping people. They trap the good dreams in the web, filter them while bad dreams would stay in the net and would then disappear in the morning. While dreamcatchers hold symbols and meanings to most Native Americans, non- Natives started to copy dreamcatchers for commercial reasons- a negative form of cultural appropriation.

While cultural appropriation is considered negative and commercialization of dreamcatchers is unacceptable for most Natives, dreamcatchers continue to become a trend in modern societies which could also be influenced by the New Age movement.  Well, I think cultural appropriation is just too  complicated to understand. And we are all guilty.

DIY dreamcatchers may look complicated at first glance but if you want to spend time making one, you can try by searching for dreamcatcher tutorials online.

Dreamcatchers

Acidrack

I know my LOG shirt is awesome.  So what I did was I cut the sleeves of the shirt because most band shirts are too big or too small for me. It’s actually more comfortable especially when it gets hotter everyday.  And the whole outfit looks simple yet badass.

Band shirts sizes are usually large or extra large. They still look big even if it’s medium sized though. This is a big problem for most girls who want to wear band shirts and still look hot. What I did was I just cut off the neck and arms of the shirt to fit. There are a lot of DIY T-shirt cutting designs online. You can check Pinterest for more DIY shirt design ideas.

I’m wearing my acid washed jeans that I bought from a thrift store and my pair of docs that I bought online.

Acidrack

MAC Viva Glam 1

I watch Lady Gaga videos not because I like her songs <though I can remember the beat of her songs> but because of her lipstick, not to mention her nice videos. So each time I think of Lady Gaga, I remember MAC.

Everything matte is beautiful. So when I buy lipsticks, it should be matte. Partly, I am quite influenced by Lady Gaga's matte-ness. When you say lip gloss, you think of teenagers. They are more concentrated on the shine, not the color. But of course, we all have our preferences in terms of gender, roles and lipsticks.

Viva Glam 1 is a deep red matte lipstick with its popular MAC trademark- vanilla taste and smell unlike other lipstick brands with a very strong chemical smell. It stays long and it's highly pigmented. Some girls say pulling off a red lipstick is hard, especially if you're not Cleopatra or when the society expects you to wear it with attitude. Yes, lipstick and the attitude can be a little tricky sometimes. What I like about my Viva Glam 1 is that it gives me a matte finish and I can wear it with my dark eyeliner and invented attitude.  

If you want to buy a good lipstick and wear it with attitude, then Viva Glam 1 is a good buy. Just remember that buying MAC cosmetics at Ebay is definitely a big risk While it can be a site to get cheap items, it can also be a place where you can get fake items. That's why it's best if you buy Viva Glam 1 or any other MAC cosmetics through their official website.

Love lipsticks? Then girls should say thank you to Cleopatra and every Egyptian for the crush carmine beetles   that motivated people to heat, mix and stir waxes, mineral oil or whatever ingredients they added to make lipsticks. 

Dr. Martens Leyton 7-Eye Boot

When I was young, I wanted to have Arnold Schwarzenegger's awesome leather jacket in the first terminator movie. Dad thought leather was expensive. So he didn't let me borrow his Doc Martens boots. Well, if you live in a third world country, everything is expensive. After I got my own money, I bought my own Docs, not some terminator jacket.

Doc Martens Shoreditch 7 eye boot is an additional pair for the Ecletic collection. It is available in black and cherry red with the classic Dr. Martens yellow stitch. The boot is made of soft lightweight leather material so you can wear them for longer hours without having to worry of experiencing any foot pain. I know a lot of people who complain about their heavy DMs boots, especially those who are used to wearing flats. My other pairs of Docs sometimes give me foot pain, but this pair is different because its soft cushioned and it can assure you a healthy and satisfying relationship with your feet.  The style is awesome, simple yet full of attitude.

Get a new pair of awesome Docs and enjoy the convenience of buying it online.

Nike SB Vulc Rod

It's not always everyday that you can find a good pair of leather shoes in Nike. Another thing:it's not just a boring leather, it's a shoe that has a cool diamond print design and a rubber outsole - designed by Paul Rodriguez.

One of the things that I consider when buying shoes is the sole. The point is you buy good shoes to buy comfort and your shoe soles can be a big influence to the whole walking experience. So here is another awesome Nike creation, another shoe in the list.

If you're interested to view more awesome kicks from Nike, click here