Leetol Miss Joyce's latest fashion pet peeve

I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to clothes. I'm the type who'd just live and let live whenever I see something outrageous on the streets/school hallways. However, there are just a few things in life I don't understand. Are humans still evolving, and is bad taste in fashion part of it?

I could've mistaken that for your underwear

Today's Special: Shorts with the pockets showing.

Am I the only ones to notice how hideous these things are? Isn't this considered a faux-pas anymore? Honestly, this look has been around for about 3 years now, and all this time I've been waiting for the trend to just hang itself and die. But no~

 Are these supposed to be sexy? Am I missing something important here?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not hating on denim cutoffs. I've worn denim cutoffs a thousand times in my heyday. I'm a big DIY fag and it's the only way I could wear those hideous hand-me-down denim jeans from my grandmother. I'd cut them up a few inches below the rise and I would forget to hem them on purpose so that it would fray and get shorter and shorter with every laundry day. I considered those shorts disposable. Ahhh, good times.

If you don't think these are hideous, something is really wrong with the world.

BUT. THOSE POCKETS. No matter how short my cutoffs got I always remembered to tuck/ trim and sew the pockets in. It's actually a sign of when I have to throw them out -- when half the pocket flap is already showing. I don't know what these kids are thinking, but there is nothing pretty about showing pocket flaps on purpose.

Whenever I see these on the streets, my scissors itch to cut a hole on the pocket flap so that whatever change they have in there would fall out. Oh, I forgot, it's fashion faux pas to put anything in your pockets (they bulk up your silhouette, so they say. WTF are pockets for now???)

L: Check out how the rips were strategically placed to reveal the 

pocket. R: Printed pocket flaps!

Who invented these things? I'm guessing it's some high fashion casual wear designer from a collection I missed (Wang?) Please tell me so I can give him a serious beating.

WHY?

Not only can you achieve the look with some old jeans and a pair of kitchen shears, but wanting those pockets in particular is beyond me. Why would anyone want to buy these things??? WHY???

All photos from Lookbook.nu  but I was nice enough to crop and not reveal their faces.

X-posted to: The Joyce of Living

Uncanny Similarity between Rajo Laurel and Alice Auaa's Creations

A couple of years ago when I was still a young anime-loving college student, I was so into that Japanese gothic/gothic-lolita/punk subculture. Fashion-wise, this lead me to be familiar with brands such as BtSSB, Metamorphose, Alice and the Pirates, etc. One of those brands that I followed was Alice Auaa. Aside from dark, victorian long dresses and coats, what set this brand apart for me was their net dresses that resembled spider webs/cobwebts. It was brilliant and fit in just right with the gothic subculture for which it was created/marketed.



I was surprised to see local actress Ruffa Gutierrez in a very similar dress! I checked the comments of the photo and found out the dress was supposed to be renowned Pinoy designer Rajo Laurel's original creation.

Now, I don't know much about fashion. I don't know when this whole "spiderweb" fabric trend really began (I see a lot of ripped shirts and really threadbare fabrics nowadays). I'm not aware of a lot of designers and their works, or how trends evolve. But from what my eyes are telling me, this dress is not exactly unique/original.

On top is Rajo Laurel's Dress as worn by Ruffa Guitierrez. On the bottom are Alice Auaa's net dresses.

Coincidence? A common trend in the fashion world? You tell me.

What to wear in 2010: Leetol Miss Joyce's thoughts on this year's trends

Ah yes, it's that time of the year again, where almost every fashion magazine collate tidbits of fashion shows for the next season (which always happen months before), hoping to forecast the next 12 or so months in trends. Let’s face it, part of a lot of vain people’s resolutions for the new year involves dressing better.

Now, I’m no expert. As much as I love to ogle at new collections ever season, I don’t have any fashion background. Obviously, I can’t do predict trends with my fail credibility, so instead I’d pluck out some forecasts from other, more reliable sources.

First, a review of 2009 trends that chose to stay behind. (No kids, whether we like it or not, 2009 will come back and haunt)

Boyfriend clothes

Shirts, pants, blazers – we’ve seen them all last year. I loved it! Everything is oversized and it’s a good disguise for weight gain (haha!). Also, everything looks old. Since the concept is borrowed from the boyfriend clothes are almost always worn (read: rommy and comfy) and cheap (borrowed/secondhand). Now if only I had a boyfriend to borrow from.

Bodycon


Silhouette-wise, it’s almost polar opposite of the boyfriend trend. Bodycon accentuates every curve in the female body, making it look real tight and sexy. I love how bodycon dresses (particularly those Herve Leger-ish bandage ones) hold up and support curves where you have plenty, and yet constrict and create curves where there’s none (hahaha my description sounds like something for a pantyhose ad but whatever). I never really saw this trend flourish in the Philippines. Maybe I’ll watch out for it this year.

Playsuits


Oh no, those onesies (whether short or pants style) are here to stay. I admit, they’re comfy yet fashion forward, but I CAN’T PEE without stripping myself first!

So that’s it for the review. I’m sure there are actually more trends of 2009 that we’ll be seeing again (or more of this year) but these are the ones that re-appeared on the runways and stuff. Now it’s time for the stuff to watch out for this 2010.

Note: much of these are those that they nicked from SS2010 RTW. I didn’t include a lot of resort/AW stuff because we don’t have winter in our country anyway. It’s like SS season all year long.


Stuff I liked:

Military



Oh god I’m such a military-look fag. Berets and military caps, fatigues, camouflage prints, uniforms. I have so many army-green colored clothes. When I was in college, I even wore combat boots with a poofy skirt to class (proof). I love everything that has to do with Military. This season’s reincarnation focuses more on the colors (olive-green/khaki) and the jacket. Actually I think those “military” jackets are a bit exaggerated. Well, maybe army band jackets. Owell, they’re pretty nonetheless.

Exagg shoulders


Often coupled with the Military “band jacket” trend are the strong shoulders. The last we’ve seen of this, shoulders were pouffy and princess-like and came coupled with voluminous sleeves. This time around, shoulders are still emphasized but in a more structured way, either by way of cut or through shoulder pads (soft shoulders are in again, although they might remind us of the horrors of fashion past, shoulder pads are sort of a hit with the guys... they like to lean on it more. :3)

Short/Pekpek shorts



The fashion people have a different term, it’s either boy shorts for the tight ones (really, why do they call it boy shorts? As far as I can see, boys like their shorts real long and loose) and tap pants for the loose ones. As for me, I call them pekpek shorts hehehehehe. I love the whole look and all, but maybe not for me since I haven’t quite toned my thighs. A lot of women look awesome in them though. Maybe I’ll dare myself to wear this to fight the scorching Philippine summer.

Maillots/One Piece Swimsuits


Speaking of summer, I’m loving the new swimsuits in the form of maillots. One-piece pieces are always more forgiving than bikinis and it’s just about time that designers redesigned these. Just look at those pictures, the new maillots are anything but boring.

Stuff I don’t quite fancy

Bodysuits


I guess it came with the high-waist and the presumption that tucking in your top is cool again. Bodysuits are indeed easier to wear under your pants. But what’s up with these outfits? Really. (Also, even if you wear them under pants, it's awfully hard to pee)

Hot pants


Hot pants are an exaggerated version of the short shorts. These have negative hemlines. Same with the bodysuit, please. I don’t care what supermodel you are, I don’t want to see butt cheeks on the street. Just say no to negative hemlines.


Sheer trends gone wrong

Need I say moar? Maybe a peekabo here and there would be nice, but please don't show us your nips.


Miss Joyce's Verdict

Ah, well looks like we're in for a pretty awesome year. Before I end this entry, I just want to note that I don't really wear trends. I'm not telling everyone that you have to wear these things to look good this year. I don't have that mentality. However, I do think that if you're in love with some of these looks, this is the best year to stock up on pieces since once trends water down to the mass market, they tend to get cheaper. ^_^

Also, we never take runway to the streets. These are just artistic depictions and designs of fashion artists and designers. There is always a way to make things look wearable.


_{Image credits: Harper's Bazaar.com Fashionising.com Style.com}

Sole searching in Liliw, Laguna

Liliw... that little, middle of nowhere Laguna town is my Mecca for open footwear. Sandals, heels, flipflops... they have everything and they have it cheap! I find it hard to buy footwear for cheap. For one, I can't buy shoes at thrift shops/ukay-ukay because my feet are just too darn big (size 39-40). Liliw is heaven for me because they have my size!


It was almost an hour drive from Los Baños, Laguna where I live. We navigated through hilly road of sorts to get there. It's literally a middle of nowhere town. There's nothing much to see except rice fields and cliffs on the way, so I camwhored.
On my face: Maxipeel conceling cream, Sansan 2-way powder. My pores are invisible!


Parking proved a bit difficult since the streets are narrow and lined with shoe shops on both sides. We parked near the Liliw church and proceeded to the main shopping street on foot.


But first, fuel. Need energy for a lot of bending down to try on shoes. They have an new food center now, progress! :D


Dressed for the occasion. Shorts and slip-on sandals are best for shoe shopping. I wish I wore a jacket though. I didn't expect it to be so cold there. It's even colder than Elbi!


On with the wares. Everything you see here cost only Php180. I dare you to beat that price. I got the grey ankle strap ribbon-y front one that you see here.




A bunch more shoes. Price ranges from 3-for-Php100 (cheap flipflops, not in pic) to around Php400(for those prettier ones). You can always haggle, too.



One store was prettier lit than the others, although there's not much difference in price. Check out those metal stud thingies. Hardware is very big in footware nowadays. Much love!


I love the faux-lizard leather used for this pink peep-toes. It kinda reminds me of those lizard finish Sony Vaio Laptop I covet til now.


Out on the street they are selling... achara (pickled papaya). It cannot be explained.



Not everything there is stylish, of course. In fact, I would rate most of the wares pretty low on the style meter. I mean, you can browse around and pick out a couple of gems, but generally the stuff are pang-masa. Just look at those psychedelic wedges and too colorful children's shoes.


But for the price, I'm not complaining, hell no! Besides, browsing through so much stuff to get exactly what you want is the fun in shopping right? Imagine a place where everything fits and you love everything. That would hurt... your purse.


For the cosplayers/DIY fans, they are selling raw materials too. I saw meters and meters of sheet foam rubber and leather for sale. There wasn't anyone knowledgeable managing the store so I wasn't able to get a decent quote, but I believe I can get a good deal. PS. They have Patent Leather OMG DO WANTTTT~~~~


Espadrilles, cage wedges and ankle straps for PHP250-350. They all fit well.


I got the Cage Wedges. Maybe a season too late, but I'm hoping people will still wear them next year. Also, it's only Php300 anyway.


Soon, it was time to buy pasalubong, as we were already happy with our shoe purchases. Well, not really. My mom was happy with her (rather big) haul, but not me...


Auuuugh, the pair that got away! I really really wanted to get this but my mom decided I have a lot of heels aready and the heels are too high. Only Php330 and they have my size. *cries*

And that concludes my Liliw shopping experience. Although the trip is quite boring and the place is a bit hard to find, it's totally worth the drive. If you're up for a new shopping place and a roadtrip at the same time, I urge you to head on over to Liliw, Laguna. It's in the middle of nowhere but their footwear will definitely take you places.

Love,
-Joyce