The Style List from Life & Style Weekly

Here's what’s inside Life & Style Weekly's new “The Style List” column. The Style List, which you can find in the Oct. 8th issue on newsstands now, features the top 10 star must-haves and celebrity trends of the week. (Click on image to enlarge)

BOOT CAMP— Sarah Michelle Gellar, Cameron Diaz, Lauren Conrad and Rosario Dawson show us that it’s not too early to break out your best pair of boots. Even paired with warm weather styles, these ladies pull off flawless chic looks.


GLOW, GIRL—Gossip Girls’ Blake Lively inspires these sequined looks in both clothes and accessories.


CLUTCH TIGHT— Katherine McPhee and Demi Moore go the extra mile with their long clutch bags. Life & Style found these similar clutches to help you get their look.

Clutch Me If You Can

Check out Fendi's bigger, badder and better clutches for S/S 2008...






That's practically like carrying a clutch the size of a long Manila envelope! But oh well, that's fashion! Don't ever get tempted to dump a lot of stuff just because it's big though.

Now if you've got little girls, then have them use your old Fendi baguettes (just take out the straps)! They'll be the coolest girls in kindergarten that's for sure! Hahaha!

So remember, clutches are hot. And the bigger/longer it is, the hotter it gets!

(Photos courtesy of style.com)

NYC Deals and Steals!

A reader, Nicole, asked for recommendations on places to shop in NYC. So if like Nicole, you have plans of traveling to this side of the coast soon, keep this handy! Here's the first part of a series of NYC shopping sites as recommended by yours truly =)

Let's start with discount shopping, a personal favorite of mine! See, I love hunting for bargains. Nothing beats getting something expensive for a pittance. There's always that satisfaction from getting a good deal, knowing that I get something that would cost an arm and a leg for much less, if not next to nothing.

It's also like treasure hunting in a sense. Imagine picking out a perfect pearl after shucking a lot of oysters. In shopping terms, that would mean visiting a store several times and walking out with nothing every single darn time. Then one day, your patience finally pays off and you get something really fantastic, it makes all that wasted time worth wasting!

Therein lies the rub of discount shopping, only those who never give up despite the lean times will find themselves luckier the next time around. In this sort of setting, patience really is a virtue!

Because I've had my fair share of fantabulous finds, I've been a disciple of discount shopping as far back as I can remember. In NYC, these might as well be places of worship!

Century 21
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Financial District
22 Cortlandt Street
(between Broadway & Church St)
New York, NY 10007 (212) 227-9092
Landmark: Near Ground Zero



I've heard about Century 21's long lines, the jumbled merchandise, the customer un-friendly staff and all those horror stories, but that did not stop dear Hubby and I from checking it out - after all, the place is said to be "New York's Best Kept Secret!". To mitigate the chances of that from happening, we decided to go early in the morning, around 9 am on a weekday, just to be sure that there would be less shoppers, the items have not been picked through, and the staff weren't harassed yet. True enough, it was a pleasant shopping experience! Their European designer collections are worth visiting! If your feet are size 5, 5.5, 7.5, or 10 then you are in for a pleasant surprise! Think Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Cesare Paciotti and Marc Jacobs shoes for just a little over $200 (shriek!!!).

The men in your life would love the place as much as you do too! If you're traveling with your dad, brother, hubby or boyfriend, tell them that they will have tons of stuff to choose from! From Timberland workboots to Zegna ties and Hugo Boss suits!

But you better move fast and hang on to the items you like before somebody beats you to it! I saw a Missoni scarf that I liked, and left it there so that I could think about it before getting it, and by the time I came back for it, it was gone! And to think it only took me 15 minutes to decide!

Filene's Basement
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Greenwich Village
4 Union Square South
New York, NY 10003 (212) 358-0169
Landmark: Union Square Park



This Boston institution has representation here in NYC, and though so far it seems that I like the Boston version better, this place is still a must visit. I saw paper denim & cloth jeans for less than $50 and they had a decent shoe collection (Nine West, Charles David, Steve Madden, even Marc Jacobs) . This store also stocks pieces from See by Chloe! Though their Marc Jacobs selections are pricier than Century 21, at least they had most sizes available! Add the fact that DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) is in the same building!

I've never actually stepped into the following stores, but I've heard good reviews from bargain shoppers and thought these would be interesting to visit!

Loehmann's
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Chelsea
101 7th Ave
(between 16th St & 17th St)
New York, NY 10011
(212) 352-0856



Daffy's
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Midtown East
125 E 57th St
(between Lexington Ave & Park Ave)
New York, NY 10022 (212) 376-4477

Neighborhood: Manhattan/SoHo
462 Broadway
(between Broome St & Grand St)
New York, NY 10013 (212) 334-7444



NEXT: Luxury Shopping on Fifth Avenue

(Photo courtesy of manhattan.about.com, nik t. at yelp.com, daffy's.com, ilovenewyork.se)

My Met Souvenir: The Classic Ten

I love The Met! I told dear Hubby that I can spend days there if I had my way. I really am convinced to get membership now. Especially since I would love to take advantage of the guided tours at The Costume Institute. Plus, add fact that I can get 10% off on Met merchandise!

See, they have a fantastic collection of books. Especially fashion books! Think hard to find titles! Its practically like a little slice of heaven =) And since I won't buy books until I get my membership, I only bought one when we were there - The Classic Ten.



If you love history and have a passion for fashion, then this book is just the sort of book for you! It may not be in the league of literary classics, but for fashionistas, this book is a must read!

The author, Nancy Macdonell Smith, traces the history of the little black dress, the white shirt, the cashmere sweater, blue jeans, the suit, high heels, pearls, lipstick, sneakers, and the trench coat, "things that every woman owns, or aspires to own, because they never go out of style".

As she says in her introduction, "Every item of clothing has a narrative. Some of their narratives carry greater weight, have a deeper meaning, and a more lasting influence than others. This is the story of those items."

Fashion Features from Life&Style Weekly

Here's a selection of the fashion features from Life & Style Weekly's October 1 issue, out on newsstands now! (Click on each image to enlarge)

SHINING STARS—Katherine Heigl, America Ferrera, Heidi Klum and Debra Messing shine in these winning gowns at this year's Emmy Awards. The stars were among Life & Style's choices for the best-dressed celebs at the September 16th event.


HIT OR MISS—Did Vanessa Williams, Rebecca Romijn, Ellen Pompeo, Jenna Fischer and Kate Walsh hit or miss the mark with their Emmy gown selections? Here's how Life & Style readers voted.


HEELING POWER—The right pair of heels add that extra little kick to an ensemble. Jessica Simpson's Christian Dior heels pull together her pretty-in-pink look at New York Fashion Week. Here are other best-selling looks and where you can find them.


FASHION WEEK(NESS)—Designers like Marc Jacobs and Carolina Herrera showed off their newest collections at New York Fashion Week. Life & Style has rounded up a collection of pieces inspired by the New York shows and fills us in on what celebs were saying around the catwalk.

Let's Paint The Town Red!

I always go for classic pieces, more so if it comes with a twist (yeah, such a cliché!). So when this Miu Miu spectator pump first came out for Fall 2007, I initially liked the plain one in a neutral color. Then I changed my mind and liked the winged version next.

But when I saw this photo from The Sartorialist...
I just loved her total look! I mean, I do have red dresses, but they don't look as fun! Apart fom this girl's personality, her Miu Mius really made her oufit pop!

I realized I need more color in my shoe closet!!! Aptly named the Vernice Pop Pump (in Rosso, also comes in Noce), this shoe from Miu Miu is available at Saks.com for $525.


This is the problem when you put together a girl with a limited budget and a taste for "quality". More often than not, I just want more bang for my buck so I always end up getting "practical pieces"! But practical (although usually a classic) isn't always fun, think about it!

Hmmm...then again, with 4 colors (taupe, brownish eggplant, coral and red) in one shoe, this is actually a practical piece! It can go with a lot of stuff whether it be neutrals or reds!

For those who want the look for less (I want to style for the show of the same name btw!), bakersshoes.com has a copy for only $59.99.

A Visit to The Met + the Season Premiere of Gossip Girl

I have been asking dear Hubby to take me to The Met for days now, so when we found some downtime, we hied off to the museum:

We got there a little after lunch, and I realized, I might as well have bought a membership pass so I can visit anytime the whole year round and really soak in everything, from historical artifacts to sculptures and paintings! Plus, it doesn't hurt that I get 10% off on Met merchandise with a membership!

Of course, me being me, what caught my eye that day were these sandals on the artists' subjects!





I guess I still haven't gotten over my want for ancient Greek sandals after all these seasons! I remember reading an article in a 2005 issue of Vogue about bag designer Devi Kroell and her visit to a Greek sandal maker at the Plaka District in Athens who still makes sandals the way they did during ancient times! Another thing to add to my must do list!

Anyway, after a yummy dinner of cheeseburgers, fries and rich & frothy chocolate milkshakes at the Shake Shack on Madison Square Park


We rushed home as soon as I saw this bus!


Which reminded me to watch the season premiere of Gossip Girl! Good thing we got home on time! Because I wasn't disappointed! ;-) Although I must say, Blair's posse were over acessorized they didn't look uptown at all! The on-set stylist needs to re-think those 2 girls' wardrobes!

Head to Target! Alice Temperley's Collection Out Now!!!

It's here! It's here! I just came from the Target store near our place and saw a couple of racks of her stuff! I thought it would come out in October, but well, apparently it's out now! Super nice! I love the tops and dresses! The pants were so-so since the material used looks like it won't last a couple of washes, but design wise -- fabulous!

Here are a couple of looks from the collection!






What's better, Jovovich-Hawk follows in the heels of Alice Temperley for Spring 2008. Yes! Target got the designing duo to come out with a capsule collection! Woohoo!

Milla Jovovich tells the LA Times, "Our Target line will have all our classic pieces: smock dresses, tunics, minis, all vintage-inspired, great prints," Jovovich said. "We took the things that sold the best for us but we're doing it on a bigger scale. To be able to do it with a big company that can afford to do it for a good price so that real girls can afford it. That's the reason we were interested."

(Photos courtesy of the Target pressroom. For more of the Temperley collection, check this out.)

My Woodbury Souvenir

Because my friend Pam suggested that I post about my outlet store purchases, I will give in. Hehehe! Sorry to disappoint though! I can't say purchases since I only bought 1 thing! I wish I could say I shopped till I dropped at Woodbury, but I actually just walked around till I plopped on a bench because Hubby and I really went there to accompany friends from back home who came over here for vacation, not to go shopping for myself. Feeling strong self-control ba?

Anyway, as I've mentioned, my defenses did eventually break down because I couldn't resist buying this pair of chocolate brown Tory Burch Reva ballet flats that were $30 cheaper than its suggested retail price of $195. Not bad eh? 

The bad thing is, they also had these ballet flats in eggplant and orange so I am still debating on going back for a second (and third?) helping of vegetables and/or fruits. A diet of chocolate alone is bad right? Teehee!

I think my battered French Soles are due for semi-retirement anyway...Plus, as I told Hubby, the T's in the logo just screams out that it's for me because those T's stand for my nickname (TinTin)...Hahaha! Excuses! Excuses! But it sure does feel good to finally buy something I've always wanted! Hay! When will my "wants" ever stop?

Cubao Expo October Weekend Night Bazaar

Great news for those who've always wanted to buy something from a multiply site but didn't want to risk it for fear of getting a dud! The CUBAO EXPO OCTOBER WEEKEND NIGHT BAZAAR, which will be held on all Saturdays of October, from 4pm to 12mn at where else but of course The Cubao Expo (formerly known as the Marikina Shoe Expo), will be featuring over 30 multiply.com sellers such as:

http://www.applecarescrubs.multiply.com
http://www.axxes.multiply.com
http://www.bagsonmymind3.multiply.com
http://www.bathandbodydesserts.multiply.com
http://www.binkydoodles.multiply.com
http://www.bluegayuma.multiply.com
http://www.carlainity.multiply.com
http://www.coconuthealthfarm.multiply.com
http://www.crystalscrystal.multiply.com
http://www.designandfashion.multiply.com
http://www.dianesdresser.multiply.com
http://www.dreamfashionshop.multiply.com
http://www.fazzionistashop.multiply.com
http://www.glamupurstyle.multiply.com
http://www.haloproducts.multiply.com
http://www.ilaybalilay.multiply.com
http://www.jehanmach.multiply.com
http://www.kumikitangkabuhayan.multiply.com
http://www.leyende.multiply.com
http://www.maternitychic.multiply.com
http://www.mauc.multiply.com
http://www.mhiaumali.multiply.com
http://www.myfabworld.multiply.com
http://www.nailartphilippines.multiply.com
http://www.oohwablesco.multiply.com
http://www.reasonpassionfashion.multiply.com
http://www.reddoll.multiply.com
http://www.sacsnpackshandbags.multiply.com
http://www.shopofunonline.multiply.com
http://www.stuffinc.multiply.com
http://www.toppicks.multiply.com
http://www.vitaoils.multiply.com
http://www.wovenwater.multiply.com

OTHER SELLERS INCLUDE:
C. Abede, J. Bonggalo, N. Bumanglag, A. Jose, K.Lacap, A. Rustique, M. Seguerra, E. Viado

For more information about this one-of-a-kind bazaar, check out this site. If you are interested in joining the bazaar as a seller, contact Sandy at 0917-5222100.

From click and mortar shops to a brick and mortar bazaar, this is your chance to see all those multiply goodies right up close! No fear my dears! And no need for PMs too! Heehee!

S/S 2008

Look at what we passed by last night on our way to drop off some friends! The big white tent at Bryant Park!


For those who don't know what I am talking about, here ya go! (Look to the direction of the arrow!)


Which reminds me, I have to get my fingers moving so I can show you my Spring 08 trend forecast! Fashion Week here in NY may have ended but I have yet to start posting my favorite looks! Top of mind, color blocking, exposed zippers and highwaisted shorts are pretty much the stand outs in my book!

Color blocking at Abaeté...

Marc Jacobs...

and Anna Sui

Exposed zippers from L.A.M.B .

and Daryl K

High waist shorts from Anna Sui...

and Rachel Comey

This is just a taste of what's to come for Spring next year! More looks to follow! ;-)

Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

If you happen to be planning a trip to the East Coast, I strongly suggest that you include a visit to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York in your itinerary. With over 200 stores to choose from, ranging from Gap to YSL, the place really has everything for everybody! Best of all, most of the high-end labels' stuff from seasons ago find their way here! Talk about designer heaven!








If I wasn't so excited checking out all the shops I would have taken photos of Bottega Veneta, Tods, Gucci, Burberry, Jimmy Choo -- the whole luxury bunch actually! What makes this place a must visit is the fact that labels we don't normally see in outlet malls like Judith Leiber, True Religion, Ugg and TSE have stores here!






Tory Burch and DVF have representation here too! Now how about that tunic top and wrap dress fans? Of course, remember that this is an outlet mall so stocks are limited. If you see something you like, it would make sense to just go ahead and get it because you might never see it again. See, the downside of outlet mall shopping is, the stuff may not be the best of the lot. You know, stuff that never really sold in their flagship boutiques and department store spaces. Let me put it this way, you won't see any IT bags or best sellers, i.e. the really good stuff, unless you get really really really lucky! So take it from me, if you like it, go and get it! That's my rule for outlet shopping at least!