new obsession: peplum party!

 I tried out this H&M pola dot peplum top that's been sitting in my closet for months and I realized just how much I love this shape! It gives you an hourglass figure and makes you look slimmer around the waist. So I sought to find more peplum tops and, safe to say, they are currently my new obsession!

top l-r: balenciaga, giambattista valli, jason wu, givenchy celine

bottom: rodarte, lanvin, proenza schouler, louis vuitton, jil sander

 

 

1. Alexander McQueen
2. Kenzo
3. Marc Jacobs
4. Suno
5. Julie Haus Novak
6. Drothy Perkins
7. Topshop
8. Jane Norman
9.  Lipsy
10. River Island

xx

Best of the Met Gala (2012)

Anna Wintour in Prada; Gisele Bundchen in Givenchy, Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren, Carey Mulligan in Prada, Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello

Scarlet Johansson in  Dolce & Gabbana; Candice Swanepoel in Rag & Bone; Christina Ricci in Thakoon, Caroline Sieber in Christopher Kane, Giovanna Battaglia in Dolce & Gabanna

Jessica Stam in Dior, Kate Bosworth in Gucci, Marion Cotillard in Dior, Rooney Mara in Givenchy, Lana del Rey in Altuzzara

I stayed up until 6:30am to catch the livestream of the Met Gala. The tiny screen was desaturated and pixelated so I really couldn't see the dresses properly, but it was still so exciting to see the people come in and spot an amazing dress and try to guess who was wearing it. On my Twitter, I did commentaries that just consisted of "OHMYGOD" and "WERK!". It was also pretty fun to see who wore which dresses and what alterations they made like January Jones  who wore a gown version of the yellow Versace couture.

What I really love about the Costume Institute Gala and what I look forward to every year is when designers bring their "dates"- models or artists or whoever is their muse or whoever represents their design aesthetic. This year there were a lot of very interesting pairs! Olivier Theyskens and Caroline Trentini went together and I was so excited, because I love Olivier so much and Caroline was my first ever favorite model when I was younger so it was so cute to see them together! Joseph Altuzzara brought Lana del Rey which was fabulous, because he dressed her in a killer sequin and cape combo. Alexander Wang brought Azealia Banks and I was just thankful that he didn't bring the Die Antwoord guys. Riccardo Tisci went with Rooney Mara, which wasn't surprising, but I was hoping for a much cooler date like last year's, but I guess since MCB's pregnant, it wasn'y going to happen. Of course, Rooney made it into my best dressed, seeing as she's wearing a custom Givenchy which she also collaborated with in creating.

I think the best thing about this year's Costume Institute Gala is that there was no Katy Perry in a light-up blinking dress.

Why Miley Cyrus' Haters Need to Stay Pressed

I've just gotten news that I'm getting free tickets to Miley Cyrus' Gypsy Heart concert in Manila! You guys have no idea how much I have been waiting for these tickets and how much my friends and I have bothered the sponsors to give us free tickets. All those annoying text messages have finally paid off! My friends Czar, Ana, and I get Gold B tickets! I know what most people think of Miley Cyrus and I can already foresee the eye rolling and laughs I will have to endure when the day of the concert gets closer and closer and I cannot help but flail excitedly in public.

The thing is, not most people understand my devotion to Miley Cyrus. Sure, she dresses well and always has the cutest arm candy, but really, she's an inspiring person. I'm not going to turn her into Gandhi or whatever, I just want more people to see why they should stop hating on Miles.

1. She is unpretentious and genuine.
- Probably the worst thing about Disney stars is how boring they are. Miley isn't cut from the same cloth. She's funny and honest and sincere. She's unapologetic for being a real person. Everyone on Disney always have to please the masses, but Miley thinks being real is much better than being liked.

2. She's funny.
- I adore Miley's stints on SNL. She's got such a great sense of humor and she knows how to laugh at herself, which I think is great. Her latest SNL stint's opening number was hilarious. The girl can go on stage and sing about her mistakes. Watch her interviews too. She's just very charming and likeable!

3. She can't be tamed.
- I love the part of Miley that grew up right in front of us. I love that we saw that she's a real person. Her "scandalous" photos and salvia smoking are parts of what makes her a real person. I also love how unapologetic she is about it. Salvia smoking is legal and I think it's shitty that Disney makes her apologize for being a teenage girl. Nonetheless, Miley continues to be herself and have a good laugh about it.

4. Her songs are catchy.
- Don't you even deny it.

5. Awesome: A Demonstration.
-


Now I am sure everyone will still find things to hate about Miley, but I'm not going to ramble on about that whole "She's just a teenager and lalala". I unapologetically unironically adore Miley Cyrus.

Good afternoon! I'm in a good mood despite having a 6 page culture paper due in 24 hours, blood gushing out of my lady parts at a gallon per millisecond and not having eaten anything since last night 7pm. Usually, I'd be a grumpy bear, but today I am not. It's because I just saw the photos from the 2011 Met Gala and they have turned my frown upside down. If you know of anything that pretty dresses cannot cure, please tell me.

After the royal wedding, all my excitement was shifted to waiting for the Met Gala. When I found out months ago that the event was to commemorate McQueen, I was thrilled. I haven't seen anything aside from the the attendees yet, but I'm excited to see reports of how the night went on. For new, I'll give you my best dressed.

Three stars:



These ladies I have given three stars. First is Michelle Williams in a Miu Miu dress. I love Michelle and I like this look, but I feel like it has aged her a bit. I really cannot get past her pixie cut and I still wish she would grow it out as she looks so much fresher with longer hair.
Dakota looks gorgeous as usual. She opted for a Valentino dress which suits her perfectly. The dress is gorgeous, but I only gave her three stars because I feel like she can do much better. He hair and make-up is okay and the look is okay. It's just not very surprising.
Stella McCartney's dress was a stunner as was she. Only problem: accessories or the lack thereof. The pulled back hair doesn't help either.
Last is Mary Kate. Shocked she didn't get 5 stars? Well, I loved her look when I first saw it. The red dress and the green accessories- match made in heaven! My issue is with the fit. The dress looks like it's swallowing her in some photos. Other than that, it is perfect!



In the category of Four Stars are these lovely ladies:
Ashley is my favorite Olsen. Here she is in a vintage Dior dress. The slit and cleavage are so sexy, but still tasteful. She looks like a movie star.
Beyonce's was the first gown that caught my eye. The Pucci dress (which I think was altered from the runway look) is so her. A dress this decadent wouldn't work on anyone else and I have to give her props for that.
Diane Kruger, always the red carpet favorite, looks stunning in a Jason Wu creation. I gave her 4 stars because I feel that she, being adventurous with fashion, could have gone with a more risque choice. Still, I think she looks amazing!
Zoe Saldana looks fresh in Calvin Klein Collection. Zoe is someone who can work these minimalist designs and make them stand out. I think the reason I put her in 4 stars is because I keep thinking of her purple Givenchy gown (you all know what I'm talking about) and nothing can measure up.
Last on this list in Emma Stone. I look at Emma and think that she can wear anything she likes and get away with it. I was a bit disappointed with this look, but she is beautiful, nonetheless. I think I put her here because 1. She is wearing Lanvin and 2. I am a stan.


Finally the five star females!
Nicole Richie wore a white Jason Wu with a black embellished clutch. This is probably once of my favorite Nicole looks ever. She looks so radiant in white! Also, does she age? I think not.
Liv Tyler wore Givenchy Haute Couture with a yellow clutch. Obviously, anyone who wears Givenchy and doesn't look like a trainwreck will be on the top list! She kept it simple with her hair loose. I'm sure someone else would have styled this dress better, but I'm not complaining. She looks great.
Ginnifer Goodwin wore this green low-cut dress. I think the necklace was the best part. Also, Ginnifer is one of those rare people that can work the pixie cut, in my opinion. I'm unsure about the shoes, but the rest is great!
There's Freida Pinto in Chanel. This woman is the epitome of beauty. That face! She wore this look well. I have nothing more to say.
A surprise addition to the usuals is Amy Poehler. Yes, that Amy Poehler. She looked stunning. Again, the necklace was the cherry on top of this sundae.

So, that is it for my best dressed list. I'm probably going to update this once more photos come out, but that will be after I finish this culture paper. Gah, school! That's all folks. I have to go check out how there is a man pounding out my window in my second story room.

I just download the (fairly) new Taylor Swift album, because I really like Enchanted and Mine so I figured I might like all the other songs. It makes me feel a little hypocritical when I am so against the message she sends to girls. I won't lie, her songs were once my anthems, just like they were any other young girl's. I spent the whole 13th year of my life crying to Teardrops on my Guitar. There was a boy I stalked and my song for him was "I'd Lie" (because the lyrics just fit everything). So yes, I used to like Taylor Swift's songs very very much. I used to think she was extremely talented and that the sun shone out of her ass. She seemed like the perfect role model for young girls. She wasn't like the Lindsay Lohans of the industry (even though I have always loved and will always love Lindsay Lohan) who shaved their heads and went to rehab. She was sweet little virginal Taylor.

It wasn't until Fearless that I started to dislike her. Of course, I had grown up a bit by then so, naturally, my taste had matured. I noticed Taylor's lyrics were getting very repetitive. I used to make fun of it (to myself, with no one else, because everyone still seemed to think Taylor was Albert Einstein of music). I've come to conclude that 1. Taylor enjoys kissing in the rain 2. That events in her life always happen around 2 am 3. She likes to stare at the driver while she sits in the passenger's seat of a truck. It was fun to dislike Taylor then because she was getting so much recognition and so many awards when all she wrote were diary entries of a young girl that rhymed. Eventually, after reading an article (which I am too lazy to look for) about why Taylor Swift is so horrible, I realized so many things that I wish I knew when I was younger. You see, up until I read that article a few years ago, I used to think Taylor was the messiah. Wow, the unpopular smart girl gets the guy. Yay! What I did not notice was how the current girlfriend was portrayed. She was popular and pretty, liked shopping and make-up. How was it that Taylor turned such harmless qualities and made us think that these qualities make someone the devil's spawn?

I like to make fun of Taylor, because even though she is an adult, she acts like a fourteen year old girl. I downloaded her album last night and started listening to it today. It was all good when Better Than Revenge started playing. I was honestly cringing the whole time, but I could not help but listen.
She's not a saint and she's not what you think
She's an actress, Whoa
She's better known for the things that she does
On the mattress, Whoa
Soon she's gonna find
Stealing other people's toys on the playground
Won't make you many friends
She should keep in mind,
She should keep in mind
There is nothing I do better than revenge


I don't know in what universe this is considered good. How could anyone want children to model themselves after somebody who thinks like this? For one, it shows that she is a bitter name-dropper, which makes her very immature, specially since she is famous (The song which was written for Camilla Belle. I might be a bit biased because I really like Camilla mostly for her amazing fashion choices. That's besides the point). What irks me the most about this song, aside from the obvious slut-shaming, is the hypocrisy. The main gist of this song is that Taylor is angry at a girl who stole her boyfriend (This whole boyfriend stealing concept is so baffling to me. Why do women blame themselves when it is the cheating man to blame? Taylor manages to portray all forms of anti-feminism). Now, in her other song, Speak Now, she is the one bursting into a wedding and stealing the groom. This just confuses me as to what Taylor's stand on "boyfriend stealing" really is. It just leads me to the conclusion that it does not matter to Taylor which is the wrong and which is the right side, what matters is which is her side. In both songs, Taylor manages to portray the other girl as some villain.

Another thing is her whole glorification of virginity (which I think a whole lot of "role models" are guilty of). In Fifteen, she talks about how Abigail is distraught after being left by the boy she gave her virginity to. Hey, Taylor. Guess what? Your virginity does not make you any less or any more of a person. "Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind". Really? Taylor thinks your virginity is EVERYTHING?

Also, the whole Madonna/Whore complex that has been so widely talked about is a big factor. Just like I said, the unpopular girl should always get the guy (according to You Belong With Me, where I just realized, she also steals someone's boyfriend.). The girl who is virginal and timid and simple is better than the girl who has a functioning vagina, because, apparently, EW SEX! I cannot stress enough how ridiculous I find this mentality to be. I am so outraged by this because I have to deal with it every single day of my life- people I know in real life hurling insults at someone because that someone enjoys sex. I could maybe understand it if you are a Christian, but even then, you shouldn't judge people.


Also this music video is pretty much like any other teen movie from the 80s where- hell, I don't even have to explain the plot of this. Taylor, I'm sorry that you were such a freak in high school. I mean, you were a skinny, blonde, white female who wore glasses?!?! How did you even survive?


But really, the worst is that Taylor loves boys so much that she hates girls. That's the whole summary of Taylor's message. Better Than Revenge was about her hating a girl for stealing a boy. Speak Now was about her stealing a boy from a girl. So was You Belong With Me.

Another thing that I hate is that Taylor is 20 fucking years old and yet she insists on waiting for you prince charming. She insinuates that everything will be rainbows! butterflies! happiness! once the love of your life comes and when he leaves, everything is horror! sadness! meaningless life! Way to take a giant shit on feminism, Taylor! You're becoming dangerously close to Bella Swan 2.0! How about singing about independence? No, you wouldn't have any real life material for that.


Now, that seems like too much effort and analysis in what seems to be such a harmless thing- listening to Taylor Swift. But a few years ago, I used to be a Taylor Swift fan. I used to emulate her, thinking that it would make me the kind of person that people will look up to and like (I mean, isn't that what people feel about Taylor?). Then I read something similar to what I wrote (only more coherent and objective) and it opened my eyes (lol corny). And really, if I could save a young girl from having these TSwizzle values ingrained in her mind before it's too late, then this post has served its purpose.

AWARDS SEASON!

I love award shows for many many reasons. The main reason being that I enjoy when movies are recognized for their success. 2010 has been an amazing year in cinema. I actually found it hard to pick a favorite movie for this year because they've all been so wonderful! Inception was my favorite, but after The Social Network came out, I had a change of heart. The cinematography, the acting, the script. It was flawless. I am so so so proud that it won so many awards!

Of course, as we all know, there's the fashion aspect of these award shows and that is my second favorite (usually my most favorite, but the movies were just so amazing this year I couldn't help but feel more excited about them). I present to you my best dressed (in no order):


Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive
This is so perfectly styled. From the hair to the bag (Can't see the shoes but I'm sure they're perfect). Is R Zoe still her stylist? In any case, well done!




Jennifer Lawrence in Louis Vuitton
I don't know anything about this girl aside from she was in Winter's Bone. I adore this dress and her clutch. I don't know what shoes she's wearing, but does it really matter?



Leighton Meester in Burberry Prorsum
Our girl Leighton did not disappoint. She's known to be very risky with her fashion choices, but today it seemed like that worked for her. This dress is absolutely stunning. Her shoes are perfect for this. I actually really love her bag because it's so quirky! Amazing job, Leighton!



Emma Stone in Calvin Klein
Emma has always had really good outfit choices over the span of her short career. I still don't consider her a fashion icon, though. I actually think it's quite unfair because everything will look amazing on her no matter what she wears. This is no exception! I didn't think this was Emma's style, but I'm glad she chose it! She looks amazing! I cannot find a photo of her back, but it's got a hole in it and it's fantastic. My only issue is her tan. I liked her pale.



Claire Danes in Calvin Klein
Not unlike Emma's dress, Claire's is also from Calvin Klein and has a bare back. I actually can't decide which one I prefer as they are both gorgeous, but I think Claire has done the minimalist look too many times before and I'd rather see her in a different more edgy dress.


Dianna Agron in J. Mendel
I really liked this dress when I saw it on the runway and Dianna looks great in it too. I think it's the necklace that's bothering me so much. I wish she hadn't put it on. Also her hair is a bit too Quinn Fabray. I don't know, she's a sweet girl, I just wish she'd mix it up a little.



January Jones in Versace
I expected a lot from January and I expected her to wear Versace too. She didn't disappoint (in fact she exceeded my expectations). I knew she would wear something sexy, but she took this dress and turned it up even more by making it red! Definitely on the top 3! Just something with the shoes. I wish they were different.



Hailee Steinfeld in Prabal Gurung
This amazing girl is, believe it or not, only 14. She has amazing and mature style for such a young girl. Maybe she has a stylist? I dunno. But still most girls her age prefer the outrageous gowns, but Hailee gets fashion. Do not like the bracelet, but everything else is flawless!



Julianne Moore in Lanvin
I admire Julianne Moore so much! She is such a classy lady, but still has lots of personality. She is so beautiful and ageless! I love this bright pink Lanvin dress she wore. it goes to show how fearless she is. The sleeve is a bit weird in some angles, and the creases bother me , but Julianne can work it!



Olivia Wilde in Marchesa
Olivia is absolutely stunning. The way this outfit was styled is great. her hair goes wonderfully with the dress and so does her make-up. What I don't like is her choice of footwear (not shown here but you can google it). I think it was pushing it. I think I like this look so much because I think of Olivia as such a sex symbol and a badass so it's nice to see her looking really girly!


Well, that's it for my best dressed. I didn't want to do a worst dressed anymore, but maybe I will next time. Who were your favorites?

We had no classes today because well I actually have no clue why, but I'm glad we don't. I spent all day watching Fushigi Yuugi, an anime I used to watch on TV when I was a kid. I also finally saw S02E02 of Misfits. I cried so hard. This is like the best show ever! It sucks so much that they only have 6 episode per season, I mean this show deserves more! E4 has got the best shows. I wouldn't recommend everyone to watch it, because it's kind of a love it or hate it thing. Aside from that, I also browsed a bunch of gossip sites and fashion blogs. I'm rounding up my picks for best dressed these past days (basically because I'm going insane from boredom). Here we go!


It's hard to believe this girl, Elle Fanning, is only 12. Here she is in an Azzaro dress looking every bit beautiful. I think the look is very festive and it's not just because she's next to a Christmas tree. The shoes are amazing! I need my own pair! The jewels on the shoes and dress, plus the silver headband give it a princess-y feel.



I always saw Eva Mendes on The RZ Project, but never paid attention to her style. After seeing this look on her I googled her past red carpet looks and I was shocked I never noticed them before. The Prada dress is doing all the work here. She has just a ring and black open toe mary-janes as accessories. Very simple. Hair simple and down. But somehow it all still works.



To me, Camilla Belle will always be Joe Jonas' ex-girlfriend and Taylor Swift's scorn enemy. This dress is making me think of her as someone who could be known for something other than her Hollywood relationships- known for her good fashion choices. The Carolina Herrera dress is stunning. I'm not too keen on the clutch she paired it with and she could have lost the bracelet on her right hand, but the dress makes up for everything! Well done, Camilla!



I'm sure January Jones drove the men mad with this salacious black number. I honestly did not recognize her at first, probably because it is so different from all the clothes she wears on Mad Men. I mistook her for a model (it was the hair that I usually saw on runways). This look is definitely in this week's top 3!



Carey Mulligan is officially on my style icons list. To me, if you are able to look absolutely stunning in a bob cut, then you're in. This Chanel dress she's wearing is tricky and will only look good on a few people and Carey does it justice! I am not a fan of the booties, but I think the clutch is spot on. This look is A+




I have always adored Kate Bosworth and her outfits are always there to inspire me. This specific one is gorgeous. The black gown with sheer details are a trend right now and here it is executed perfectly by Kate. The sheerness is subtle, but still there. I love how she styled it with silver dangling earrings and her hair swept back. She is stunning.



Everyone's always said Gwen Stefani has great style, but I never really saw it- until now. I always thought that the Harajuku Girls phase was tacky (even though I went through a phase when I was very much fascinated with eccentric Japanese fashion). So I figured she is unable to wear something sophisticated and classy. Wrong I was. Here she shows off that side with a LBD by Chanel. Everything here is great. I think she's better off without the tights, but either way it's a great look.



Last is Alexa Chung. Believe it or not, as much as I love them Brit It Girls, I was never obsessed with Alexa and her style. I thought she got away with her granny clothes and was called a style icon just because of her skinny model body. Sure she has those OMG moments where she totally shuts it down, but I find no consistency. Here in one of her to die for looks is a Proenza Schouler dress. Alexa is always working that baby doll dress and she looks good in them.

Star Magic Ball 2010

Once again, it is time for the Star Magic ball. For us Filipinos, it's that time every year (Okay, so it`s only on its 4th year, but it`s become an annual thing now) where we turn on our TVs to watch out local celebrities walk the red carpet. It was only last year that the event caught my attention. Gorgeous gowns, photographers everywhere, red carpet- I don`t know why I didn`t take interest in it before! Last year, the gowns were exquisite and I was stunned when I realized these were worn by local celebrities! Fashion really is improving in the country! This year, the dresses were prettier, the ladies more beautiful and the men more dapper.



When it comes to local fashion idols, Anne Curtis is someone I will never forget to mention. She is never afraid to try trends and almost every time, they work for her. At the ball she wore Michael Cinco (Who I think is a genius and whose dresses I dream of wearing). Her gown was gorgeous with such beautiful details. What's questionable is her styling. I am still confused whether I like it or not. I admit I am a fan of the dark lip on the right person, and I think Anne can rock anything, but with this dress, I`m just not so sure. It does match the nails, I`ll give her that. Maybe if the bag matched, it would be a hit? Either way, Anne still looks gorgeous.



I haven`t been hearing enough of Kelly Misa these days. As a pre-teen, I used to idolize her when she graced the spreads of Candy Magazine (my then Bible). Now she is as pretty as ever and as stylish too! This look of her in a dress by Joey Samson just reminded me why I loved her in the first place!


Bea Alonzo is my Dad`s crush. His reason being that she seems like such a nice, simple, polite, down-to-earth girl. Don`t get me wrong, all those are great qualities- in fact if you are any of those, I look up to you! It`s just that she doesn`t strike me as someone who would wow me- but that she totally did! Last year, she was one of my best dressed, but I saw her at a mall once looking not so fabulous and I figured she just got a lucky break. Now I have been proved wrong- either that or she has an amazing stylist. Again, Michael Cinco successfully makes beautiful girls even more beautiful in his creations.


Kim Chiu- hated her before, adore her now! How could I continue loathing her when she shows up in such amazing outfits? This jaw-dropping dress has to be my favorite of the night! It all looks so harmonious- her silver accessories, silver clutch, Furne One Couture dress, and flawless make-up. But back to the dress! OHMYGOD IT IS AMAZING. The intricate details. The sheer bottom. The structure of the bodice. I am salivating. (over the dress and not over Kim`s rumored boob job- although I must say, nice rack!)


If any boy deserved to be on the list, it is John Lloyd Cruz! This isn`t just me being biased. Ever since he dated Liz Uy (My fucking Queen I love her ohmygod), I have noticed he has become so fashyown! Here he is in Lanvin. FUCKING LANVIN. Need I say more? (I am sorry but hot men make me curse) PS. Please forget about that THING beside him. I could not find a nicer solo photo.


Maricar Reyes. I have only been aware of her existence for a short time ( I`m not sure but was she involved in the whole Hayden thing?). In that short period, I have come to know of her as a classy beautiful lady (Props to her if she was in that scandal, she made an amazing image despite it). Here she is in Ezra Couture looking her classy fabulous self!


Maja Salvador in Anthony Ramirez. Adore the neckline! This sheer thing is looking like a trend- a good one too! I am a bit iffy about the lace, but good look all in all!


Lastly, Cristine Reyes and her amazing Francis Libiran gown! Three words: D. I. E. !!!! The skeletal back is to die for! Her make-up and accessories complete the look! I am in such awe. This dress! JUST WOW.

Now I think I have run out of words due to so much beauty! So tell me which was your favorite look? :)

OLIVIA PALERMO

It`s not just her style.
It`s that angelic beautiful face.