Corporate Fashion: Dressing for the Rainy Day

Last Tuesday, I woke up to howling winds and heavy rains. By 7 am, power in our house went down so I had to scramble to assemble an outfit for work. Lesson learned: prepare your outfit the night before. Typhoon Pedring raged across the metro causing havoc in its path. And here's what I wore to work:

As you can see, I obviously dressed for comfort.

My gray jacket is another export overrun find. It's by a brand called Apt. 9. Did some internet research and this brand is available at Kohl's. You can get my jacket in black for USD48.10 (on sale from USD 74). I got mine for way less. Other color available was an olive green. The jacket is in a ponte material which has a very knitty feel to it. It kept me warm throughout the day so was pretty happy.

I added the floral printed top to put in a better mood in the dreary weather. I love how the floral pattern transforms me to happy summer days. The ruffle at the neck adds a nice detail. I plan to wear the top with jeans in the future. My top had no label but you can find a similar one in a different print at Banana Republic.

My black pants are another K and Company sale purchase. Invest in basics like these for your office wardrobe.

Finally, my shoes. Ah, the perils of dressing in the dark. Struggled to find pumps to wear and just grabbed the nearest pair. The shoes are O Oscar by Oscar de la Renta. It's his lower-priced line which does not seem to be available. They're round toe, patent platform pumps in BROWN. Sigh, it's a good thing it's not so noticeable in the picture. Yes, I know that I black and brown can be worn together.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Finds: Prints Crazy

Weekend Finds

The Corporate Fashion Slave was very busy last weekend. Made a trip with friends to our favorite store and, as you can see, I went a little overboard with the prints. With the weather this gloomy, prints are definitely one way to brighten your mood.

Catch these prints in my next posts.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Corporate Fashion: Red Trench Coat

Rainy days and Mondays get you down? Wear a red trench coat like I did:



Red trench coat by Mango

Got the red trench coat when Mango went on sale last year so I don't think it's available anymore. The fabric is waterproof and perfect for trudging around in this rainy weather. Check out the beige and blue versions being sold by Mango on their website.

I wanted rain boots to go with my outfit instead of plain heels but I had a sneaking suspicion that I might end up looking like Paddington bear. What do you think?

Here's what I wore underneath the trench coat:



Dress by New York and Company

 The dress is from my favorite export overrun store and is from the brand New York and Company. They have similar dresses now on their website. Check here, here and here for the animal print version. The dresses on the website go for about 70 to 80USD but I got my dress for only 600php (USD15, approximate).

Heels are from Nine West and my ring is from H and M. Actually, it's my sister's ring which I borrowed. I'm hoping wearing this ring will cure my obsession for the YSL Arty ring but I doubt it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Corporate Fashion: Amazon FSG - Luxe Cardigan

Here's the Refined Cardigan look from the Amazon Fall Style Guide:

Photo: Amazon

And here's how I recreated the look for less:

Key pieces:

Outdoor Shot

The original cardigan recommended by Amazon is the Joie Liz cardigan for USD248 (Php9920 approximate). My wallet would have cried. The green cardigan is the Camilla boyfriend cardigan from Plains and Prints (Php995, USD20, approximate). I went with green as I wanted to update my color choices.  It worked really well with the navy tank. The cardigan also comes in black and gray. Tempted to get all colors.

My navy silk tank is a find from the Shopaholic! brand at the Girls Teens Wear section of SM Department Store. It retails for (Php499.50, USD13, approximate). It also comes in lilac. Here's a tip, if you plan to buy items worth Php1000 or more from the Girls Teens Wear department, ask the salesladies for a coupon to give you Php100 off. Every little bit counts.

More finds from SM Department Store include the snakeskin print belt (Php149.50, USD4 approximate). I went a little crazy at the belts section because I wanted to update my look with new belts. SM really has it all for you! You can't beat this price.

The pleated skirt is from Iora, a Singaporean brand. I bought this several years ago when I went to Singapore for vacation so I can't remember the price. I do know it was under Php1000 upon conversion and was 70% off.

My shoes are by Dolce Vita, purchased from My Habit. I only wore the shoes to fully recreate the essence of the look for this shot since I don't own booties. The shoes are surprisingly comfortable despite the 5" heels. However, I actually used a more conservative pair of gray peep-toe pumps for work.

The long necklace is my mother's. Grabbed it (with permission) from her dresser.

Have a nice day and thanks for stopping by.

Recreating the Amazon Fall Style Guide

I was checking out the Amazon website and saw their Fall Style Guide feature. I was so happy to see that I can recreate many of the looks featured.

Here are the looks in case you want to recreate them as well:

 All images from Amazon.com

I checked the pieces they recommended for these looks and with prices at the USD200 range for one item, it was time to shop my closet and find similar items to recreate. Do check out future blog posts as I try to recreate these looks with items from local brands.

Corporate Fashion for Less: Bag Look-alike

On her recent trip to Seoul, South Korea, my sister brought home this bag for me. Doesn't she look familiar? Here's why:

Oak Mulberry Alexa in Buffalo Leather (Buy here)

My sister knew that I was obsessed with the Mulberry Alexa so she got me a look-alike which she got from one of the popular shopping haunts there. Having seen the actual Alexa up close and coming within five minutes from getting it (my mother found me just in time and gave me the "look"), nothing really compares to the soft, supple leather of the Alexa. Also, the colors are not an exact match with the Korean bag having a more orange-y tinge than the Alexa. However since the Korean bag was only Php3000 (USD 75 approximate), it was a good way to try out the cross-body bag trend without committing to the Alexa's 785 pound price tag.

Been using the bag for a while now for work and for weekends and it's getting pretty beat up. I actually like the fact that I can sling the bag across my back since it's very convenient. The bag does get heavy and I think the Alexa will have the same problem. 

I may still get the Alexa in the future when I see one for a good price. Since the Alexa is looking to be a part of the permanent collection of Mulberry, I'm hoping to get the real thing very soon...unless my eyes wander towards the Celine Luggage Tote. But that's another blog post all together.

Do you buy look-alike bags to test trends?