VS Swim Special 2015

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Okay... so the geniuses in Victoria's Secret decided to give us the MAJOR ego torment not once, but TWICE a year, now that they've come up with the very first Victoria's Secret Swim Special featuring all our favorite VS models and a look behind the scenes while they shoot for the 2015 swim catalog and more in Puerto Rico.

Oh hey, that's just great. Prance around with your perfect tan and your perfect hair and your long perfect legs, why don't ya? Speaking of perfect, I don't think anyone can bash these girls for looking great. They look fit and healthy and you can't throw the Photoshop excuse...so let's just admire them, shall we?

Image via vspressroom.com
Candice Swanepoel is an alien. Do not attempt to look like her, it's just impossible. 
Click here to stream the show online! You're welcome, boys and girls.

And now I shall contemplate about this cream cheese danish. Should I have just one? Or go all the way and give in to two? Times like these, I need a dose of WWCD--- What Would Candice Do.

Toodles!


Fruit Fashion Files: New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015

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February is always a chicken dance delightful month for me. Why? Fashion Week, that's why. 

New York Fashion Week, also known as the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, just wrapped up with its final show for the Fall/Winter 2015 collections. The most prominent trend among them are fringes and feathers. These details may seem over the top if not executed properly but we all know that everything is always good in moderation.

Here are some of some of my favorites:

Tadashi Shoji ventures into sleek and modern silhouettes and he doesn't disappoint.





Rebecca Minkoff rocks out with leather pants, over-the-knee boots and lots of attitude.





Reem Acra This collection is probably my fave among all the NY shows...maybe because Reem Acra hits the nail on the head when it comes to using multimedia materials (e.g. lace, leather, feathers in one piece). Or it could be because the collection is dripping in Victorian-inspired fashion (my ultra fave)---oh, and check out that black gown with the crystal encrusted sleeves! *Drool, wipe, drool*







Ralph Lauren gets chic and cozy with wide-brimmed hats, comfy cashmere dresses, suede panels, and fringed handbags and cardigans.





Nicole Miller teaches us a thing or two (or three or four) on mixing prints. Prints after prints after prints!





Anna Sui is definitely not afraid of color. Ever wonder what a sassy little Bohemian girl would wear during winter? This is it.





Hervé Léger by Max Azria (and wife) are at it again. It's amazing how this dynamic duo can whip up something different but never strays away from the essence of the iconic bandage dress.






Donna Karan has gone to the dark side and I want her to stay there. This is like my ultimate dream wardrobe--- filled with black, midnight blue and the darkest grey ever...and maybe a wee bit hint of color, here and there.





all photos via style.com
Next up, London! Sashay, Shante.

Toodles!

Ash Wednesday

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As I was sashay shantey-ing my way around town, I was getting a lot of comments from people who were kind enough to point out that I had "dirt" on my forehead. After explaining to the nth person  that I wasn't rolling around mud but in fact, I am Catholic and it is ash from Ash Wednesday, I realized that not everyone knows what this tradition is about.

I'll spare you the holier than thou babble but for the sake of educating those who do not practice it, Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, and the purpose of Lent is to take the time for atonement, prayer and penance before the celebration of Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday. Putting the ash in the shape of the cross on the forehead signifies repentance of sin, and the general abstinence of meat every Friday is observed. Nowadays people abstain from something that they like to indulge in, aside from meat...like breaking a hard habit (smoking, etc.), or giving up other indulgences like ice cream or Facebook (yes, people really do it.) for Lent.

When the ashes are placed, the priest says, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." It's a lot to take in but it also makes you reflect and be contemplative of how precious life is, how everything has a beginning and an end. I think about what I have done so far, the good and the bad---which of them will I be remembered by when I am gone? Have I apologized for the bad things that I've done? I know it's hard to say sorry, what more to ask forgiveness for our sins---but we gotta do it to better ourselves. You don't have to be a Catholic or a Christian to understand this feeling because I know we all seek for the same answers to the same questions.

Say hello to my fat fingers.


I say not eating bacon in exchange for Jesus dying for us is the least that I could do. Oh crispy bacon, do not tempt me.

Toodles!



Jamie Brewer Makes History In New York Fashion Week 2015

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Jamie Brewer. She's a talented girl from American Horror Story and now she makes fashion history as the first model with Down Syndrome to sashay her way down on N.Y. Fashion Week's runway. I personally think it's a big step for an industry that revolves on the realm of physical beauty and pretty much calls the shots of the definition itself. Jamie was one of the many women that participated on the show entitled, "Role Models Not Runway Models", which was carried under designer, Carrie Hammer's fashion line. Hammer selected women who are beyond the traditional classification of a fashion model to help promote self-confidence instead of self-loathing.

You go, Jamie. You go!

image via usmagazine.com

Sashay, Shante!

Toodles! :)


It's a Butt Day

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So today, I managed to rip my pants while at work. It didn't rip at the seams, I didn't even hear nor feel anything weird 'til my happy undies waved back at me while I was checking myself out in the restroom (I check my own butt, so sue me). Naturally, when I got home, I told my siblings about it in our group chat. I was hoping to gain some sympathy but I think I might have just opened Pandora's box. Berry, Peachy and Orange are my older sisters--- one is a lawyer, one is a no-fuss kinda mom and the other helps manage my Dad's law firm, so I was expecting something more in line with a nurturing, caring reaction.
Pshhh. Yeah. Right.

This is sibling love, Exhibit A

Some words are in Filipino but you get the idea. To those who don't know, Shangi is my nickname only used by my family. Don't ask me how it evolved from Pears, it just did.


Exhibit B


I'm just thinking out loud... Is it right to say walked into that one instead of walked RIGHT into that one?

I got 99 problems and a pair of ripped pants is definitely one!

Toodles! :)


A Single's Survival Guide to Valentine's Day

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Are the red cut-out hearts giving you migraines? Do you cringe when you get a glimpse of the greeting card aisle around this time at the grocery store? Do you just feel the urge to shoot down every cherub in sight? Well my friend, it's called Valentine's Day and we singles need to stick together to get this day over and done with, with our sanity fully intact.

Technically, I'm not single. But the boyfriend is thousands of miles away and we usually don't get together during Valentine's Day due to our uncompromising schedule and lest you forget, this is my blog and I can write about being single even if I'm not technically single. Now let me just write this thing before I start beating my chest like a gorilla.

Here are some fool-proof tips to survive the apocalypse:

1. Avoid every restaurant like the plague. Not only would getting a table be a pain in the butt, you will be surrounded by a heavy mixture of cologne, gushing sounds and grave sexual tension...GRAVE. Being there would be akin to being trapped in a lion's den with a bunch of raging hormones googly-eyed 16-year old kids---only this time with better hair, better cars and a lot more credit cards.


2. If you're gonna have a DVD night with your co-single friends, no matter what you do, do not pick out LOVE ACTUALLY. Ignore it. Skip it. Kick it to the curb. It's one of the best movies ever but it will make you feel sadder than a spinster, a cat lady and a hoarder rolled into one. Instead, pick out movies and shows like Hostel, American Horror Story, Nightmare on Elm Street ...basically stuff that will make you feel grateful for just being alive. Who cares about your crush when you're busy trying to figure out if there's a shadow staring back at you in your closet? Good luck with the nightmares but hey, at least you forgot about your Valentine woes! Problem solved.
3. Give in to junk food. Nobody looks good wallowing in a bunch of carrot sticks, celery and a smoothie. Get the good stuff, you deserve it. Kettle chips? Yes. Belgian chocolate? Yes, please. In-N-Out animal-style fries? Si. Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough? Uhuh. 



4. Down that junk with a couple of drinks. Wine, vodka, tequila, Diet Coke, probiotic drinks---whatever it is you have in your fridge will do. Drink lots of it and hope it will drown out your pity party of one.


5. Now that you've got some swag juice a.k.a. alcohol in your system, don't even think about grabbing that phone. You want to drunk-text your ex or worse, you're tempted to post some weird quote about relationships, matched with a very awkward background photo that has NOTHING to do with the quote, on his or her Facebook wall. Stop it. Get a hold of yourself, dammit!

Oh snaps.


6. Don't cry yourself to sleep to your favorite Barry Manilow album. Instead, belt out to some karaoke-worthy music...crying is still optional, of course. You can try to sing Manilow's songs too but don't say I didn't warn you.


7. Go on a date with your folks, or with the rest of the family. You can do a simple get-together at home or maybe even do a little R&R like booking a relaxing massage at a luxury spa. Remember, boyfriends and girlfriends may come and go but family is forever.

Image via www.plunhof.it

When all else fails, think about this: Dates can get pretty expensive, especially for the dudes out there. You have to get all cute (easy on the cologne, Prince Charming), buy overpriced flowers, get chocolates, buy a gift---because obviously overkilling is the name of the game, have your car washed, spend an arm and a leg for a meal at a swanky restaurant, get some tickets to a show, book a helicopter tour around the city, give a 3 carat diamond encrusted bracelet and file for bankruptcy. Times like these, being single is great. You don't even have to worry about getting out of your pj's. No one's gonna judge you and you'll still have a fat piggy bank by the end of the day. You're a winner in my books, my friend.

image via mybookbuyer.com

It's just one day, my single minions. And like any cockroach after a nuclear disaster, YOU WILL SURVIVE! Relationships are complicated so take advantage of your single blessedness and remember that you have to love yourself first before you can understand its entire genuine premise.

And to the rest of you who are gloating right now for securing a date on Valentine's, I have only two things to say to you...One: I'm happy for you, I really am. Two: you look fat in that dress.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Toodles! :)



Elie Saab Haute Couture: Spring 2015

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Just when you think that the couture genius has done it all, Elie Saab pushes the envelope further in his Haute Couture Spring 2015 collection. I'm seeing feathers (which he pulled off fantastically), elegant petal-like embroidery , exceptional bead work (would you expect anything less from him?) and even a little bit of sultry lace and lingerie-inspired pieces.

As usual, I am very biased with his stuff so I'm just gonna put it out there and say that I LOVE this collection. Although it's still in line with the whole collection's aesthetics, the wedding gown surprised me the most. It's quite a departure of what he usually does but it's quite refreshing to see him step out of his comfort zone and create something so magical. (Hint: It's not a white or champagne color! Scroll all the way down to check the wedding gown!)












Who says a wedding gown has to be white? :) Can you imagine how they painstakingly placed the crystals and sewed in the embroidery by hand? Simply gorgeous and breathtaking! 

Images via style.com

Sashay, Shante!

Toodles!


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