Forever Summer

what i wore: tank top | Cotton On, boardies | Hollister, sunnies | Fly  what she wore: bandeau bikini top | The Swimwear Project, bikini bottom | Billabong, tank top | diy, sunnies | street find

location:

Dahican Surf Resort

Mati, Davao Oriental
https://www.facebook.com/Dahicansurfresort
 

That night I danced until I can dance no more.

i was going for that trashy/grungy hippie look.  trust me, i have no idea what i was doing.

my accomplices for Sinulog weekend! for the love of edm & having a good time!

the stage, what i came there for- AN21&Max Vangeli, the massive crowd, and one crazy edm worshipper

kick out the epic motherf*ck#r!

My obsession with electronic dance music is pretty much neck & neck with my addiction to the beach.  I would occasionally find myself watching the Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival aftermovies like they're big hollywood blockbusters.  And by "occasionally" i mean i watch it everytime i get a chance to which is quite often.  Yeah I know it sounds crazy, but i am crazy!  I would watch it over and over again hoping that when I go to catch some zzz's, I'd dream about actually being there, wasted and dancing like it's nobody's business.  And then I see myself & my friends waving the Philippine flag getting captured by the camera in slow motion like in the aftermovies.  I'd fist pump, stomp my feet, bang my head, til i can do no more.  I'd lose my voice from screaming the djs' names every time they step on stage to spin.  Aoki, Skrillex, Hardwell, Chuckie, Swedish House Mafia, Guetta, Avicii, Alesso, Laidback Luke, Zedd, Porter Robinson, are just some of the names I'd let out in a loud deranged scream.  But just like these festivals and the aftermovies, these dreams always come to an end and i'd wake up a loser.

The EDM gods must have pitied this loser.  A week ago, on Sinulog Friday, an epic outdoor dance party called LifeDance hit Metro Cebu.  I missed the first installment last year when i decided to go that crappy summer-ender beach party and I still recall bitching about it for months.  I wasn't going to miss the event a second time.  This probably was the closest thing to Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Fest!  Yes i know it'll pale in comparison with the other international music festivals for now but it clearly has the makings of becoming something massive- the place was packed!  I have to say I was not disappointed, I had a blast!  From the venue, the stage, the technical stuff (audio, lights, etc.), the staff, even down to the comfort rooms.  You can tell this thing was carefully thought of and planned.   And oh the dj's!  I loved each and every one of them- from the local dj's (loved all of them! made me dance even when no one else did! lol) to the international acts!  I danced 'til my legs got sore.  That's how hyped i was!  Thank you LifeDance!  Encore this summer maybe?  LOL

Stroll around the mall.

Stroll around the mall. by theartfularcher featuring rock shoes

Vans rock shoes
$95 - generalpants.com.au

Fossil Estate Messenger Bag
$240 - theiconic.com.au

Ray-Ban Clubmaster Black Sunglasses
$190 - vanmildert.com

PREMIUM BY JACK & JONES Field Chino Rubber JOS
$77 - jackjones.com

River Island Blue Acid Wash Denim Jacket
$71 - riverisland.com

The friend, those festivals, and fashion.

Day 1 | LifeDance EDM Festival

Day 2 | Sinulog Festival

So here's my friend/officemate/accomplice during Sinulog weekend, working two different looks I created for her.  The key item for both looks- high-waisted denim shorts!  The one in the first photo is a DIY courtesy of myself, pat on my back- it came out really nice!  Found this pair of Levi's from a vintage clothes store we visited.  I love that it's in dark denim!  Cut it short, did some distressing and voila!  The floral print denim shorts in the 2nd photo was a steal!  It fit her perfectly!  Thank God for vintage clothes stores!

Through urban fields, and suburban life.

diy tank top - old Swasnine tee

denim cutoffs - diy, see previous post

sneakers - Vans

sunnies - Fly

bag - thrifted

Wore the same pair of denim cutoffs from LifeDance on Sinulog day.  I have a fetish for worn-out, ripped, torn denim.  Guess I was right, this diy denim shorts just became my new fave!  From where I'm from, this Sinulog festival is the festival of all festivals.  People from all over the world country swarm the streets of Cebu for this annual revelry.  So you have to dress for the occasion- comfort over style.  In my case, I think I did both!

Last night a dj saved my life.

tank top - diy from old People Are People tee

denim cutoff shorts - diy, see previous entry

bandana - borrowed from brother

sneakers - Vans
bag - thrifted 

sunnies - Isis

DIY Distressed Denim Cutoffs

all you need is an old pair of jeans, scissors, tweezers, patience & a little creativity!

the not-so-before and after shot

music festival ready!

"Stop! You have done enough damage!", screams this old, fugly, pathetic pair of jeans. The thing even called me "sadistic" at one point. Well, you should be thankful I revived you back into fashion life! And guess what, you might just have become my new fave pair of denim cutoffs!

Skinnies+Sneakers Love

What I Wore | 10.19.12

graphic tee - Swasnine

skinnies - thrifted

cardigan - SM dept. store

sneakers - Vans

sunnies - RayBan

What I Wore | 09.28.12

shirt - thrifted

jeans - thrifted

cardigan - SM Dept. Store

sneakers - Vans

sunnies - Rayban Folding Wayfarers

What I Wore | 09.14.12

shirt - John Lawrence Sullivan

cardigan - Topman

pants - thrifted

sneakers - Keds

What I Wore | 09.07.12

shirt - Zara Man

jeans - Thrifted

sneakers - Vans (Distressed Era)

I'm thinking of posting photos of my different looks in this blog just to see how my style evolves in time.  I'm no expert when it comes to style.  I just wear what's comfortable and what I think looks good on me. No, I'm not going to create a lookbook account anytime soon!  I'm way underqualified for that.  I'm thinking of posting something that looks like the photo above but in a better quality of course!  These photos were taken using my mobile phone so I'm sorry for the quality. 

FASHION | Summer somewhere and what I love to wear.

I'm no fashion expert but I know what looks good on me, or at least I know how to dress comfortably.  This summer's got to be the hottest and if you live in the tropics, you have to know what to wear to beat the heat and look stylish at the same time (again, i'm no expert at this so feel free to disagree..lol).  And my favorite look this summer?  Semi-loose tank top, denim cutoff shorts, sneakers and a good pair of sunglasses!

Location:

Hidden Beach

Aloguinsan, Cebu

The Swimwear Project: Fourth Installment

Eight different looks from the fourth batch. These bright-colored swimsuits will surely turn heads at the beach!

The Swimwear Project in action!

Here are a few of the swimsuits from The Swimwear Project worn by my lovely friends- Krishna, Sher and Carmelli (L-R, 2nd and last photo). All three wore bandeau two-piece swimsuits, of course, in three different designs/style. Thank you ladies, the swimsuits look great on you!

The Swimwear Project: Third Installment

Finally! A complete twelve piece collection from my little project aptly named The Swimwear Project. These are one of a kind pieces, fabrics and prints carefully selected by moi! Oh boy, I'm proud of the final outcome! Big thanks to my seamstress (+ her wonderful crew) and to my sister for modeling these swimsuits! Watch out for the next installment in two weeks or so.

The Swimwear Project

I love fashion as much as I love the beach. Okay, I'm lying. I love the beach more than fashion! If I were to make a chart counting down the stuff I like, the beach will grab the number one spot, fashion at number two. I've been told a million times that an accounting course in college over fine arts was the mistake of a lifetime. Well I have to agree with those million people but hey, screw it- I can't do anything about that. I don't really have regrets over getting an accounting degree because that's where I met the most amazing people some of whom I now call friends, real friends. Alright, enough drama. This post is really about this little project that I ventured into. I told you I love fashion but I'm not really into it the hardcore kind of way. I mean, you won't see me dressing up like a fashion freak just to prove a point, call me the subtle type. I'm happy with basic v-neck tees, skinnies, plaid shirts and sneakers. And that's it. My love for fashion is more on dressing up or styling other people more than myself. I'd be sought for fashion advices every now and then like I do that for a living. I get surprised when that happens and at the same time I'd itch to glam that person up! I'm a fan of fashion blogs, magazines and websites. Is that enough proof for my obsession? LOL Anyways, going back to that little project. I've always wondered why ladies' swimsuits (the stylish ones) cost a fortune when I'm out in malls or boutiques. So when the opportunity to create stylish swimsuits (affordable ones) came, I had to try it! Did a few sketches here and there, showed it to my friends and got nods of approval. Thank God for this very talented seamstress and her garments from heaven! These swimsuits were selling like pancakes when I brought the first and second batch in the office. Somehow, I'd like to think that this project was a success. Above are some of the designs from the first and second batch. You can tell I'm a fan of bandeau tops. And did I tell you these are one of a kind pieces?

Models:

May Ann

Rea May

Aza Leah

Shot in:

Snake Island, Palawan

Sabang Beach, Palawan

Malapacua Island, Cebu

Achromatic!

ACHROMATIC
ach·ro·mat·ic ( k r -m t k). adj
1. designating color perceived to have zero saturation and therefore no hue, such as neutral grays, white, or black.
2. without colour
3. the result of Archer's boring and lazy Sunday

I must say I just had the most boring Sunday today! I woke up late and was a couch potato the whole day. It's my "rest" day after all - emphasis on the word "rest". I was supposed to go to the mall earlier in the day to pay the bills but the weather was way yummy for a day of pigging out in front of the teevo. Who wants to go to the mall anyways just to pay the bills! I got bored after I drained myself watching whatever was there on cable, then an idea bulb lit up! All I needed was my camera, my brother slash sister's make-up kit, my closet and my little sister! And just like that, an instant photoshoot took place in my bedroom. So my grey vest turned into a top, my metallic grey necktie into a cinch, did her hair and make up - and there, boredom turned into something chic! I aptly named this shoot "achromatic". There definitely was no color today because of the weather, hence the inspiration for the black, grey, white styling of the shoot! Oh yeah, I love how this one turned out!

Model: May Ann Singson

Everything Else: Moi!

My closet is now infested by plaid shirts!

Lookbook: Lunch with friends by theartfularcher featuring merino wool tops

Nothing much to blabber about. I just woke up from sleep and thought of posting this look in the blog. This is how you would typically see me dressed up in the office (drop the hat - i don't wear hats at all). My closet is now infested by plaid shirts!

I am addicted to plaid button-down shirts!

Lookbook: Office Geek by theartfularcher featuring canvas handbags

So I wasn't too lucky yesterday with my vintage jacket find but I was lucky in another piece of clothing. Honestly, I wasn't that ready to wear a denim jacket just yet, after all, summer's fast approaching. My everyday number consists of plaid button-down shirt, white v-neck tee, skinny pants and sneakers. Occassionally I'd top these with my ever-reliable (the office gets crazy cold at times) but stylish cardigans. I have this addiction to plaid button-down shirts. So even before I spotted that jacket, I already bought two of them. They were a little pricey for vintage but they looked brand new. Can't wait to show them off!