Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts

My Top 5 Clothing Stores for Kids in Manila

I rarely buy clothes for the kids. They get a lot of gifts and hand-me-downs that are more than enough for them to wear on non-school days. But once in a while, there would be occasions such as parties and graduations that justifies a little splurge on those adorable tiny outfits. Other times, they're just too irresistible to avoid.
 
On this easy Friday, I'd like to share the three childrens' clothing stores in Manila that I usually gravitate to when looking for outfits for my children.


I love how colorful and fun Gingersnaps outfits are. I like that how they can be trendy yet classic at the same time. The cloth quality fits the Manila weather and the designs are very playful. In fact, I like their clothes so much that I also buy them for myself sometimes in size 12.  If the style becomes too short, then I go for a size 1 or 2 in Just G (the Gingersnaps line for teens).  A lot of people have asked where my daughter and I buy our matching outfits, well there's our secret - get the bigger sizes from the children stores!
 
Gingersnaps is a local Philippine brand that started in 1994 as a department store brand. They now have more stores than you can count both locally and in international shores. Kudos to Gingersnaps!
 

I first encountered Cotton On during my regular business trips to Melbourne and Sydney. I would often purchase polo shirts for my husband, Dens, as my pasalubong. A few years ago, I visited one store in Sydney and found miniature versions of the same polo shirts that I was buying for Dens. I was so excited I bought a couple of shirts for my then 5-year old son to match with his dad.

Come 2012, Cotton On opened its doors to the Philippines. And while the ladies' clothing were mostly fast fashion, I loved their kids' line. Particular the ones for the boys. It's always a challenge to come up with trendy outfits for little boys outside of the usual shirt and shorts/pants but Cotton On gets it.
 
 

 
My son is now 8 and the he is slowly outgrowing the sizes at Cotton On Kids. This is when I found H&M Kids.  They have a host of sizes, perfect for those in-between stages. They have trendy designs for both girls and boys that definitely suit my taste.
 
I don't think H&M needs further introduction. So I will just go ahead and post my current favorites.
 
 
 
 
Early this year, my kids got the opportunity to model for Zara Kids. It was an awesome experience for them and I love, love, love the clothes that they got to wear. Maybe one of these days I will share their modeling experience.
 
When Zara first opened in Manila back in 2005, the kids section was practically covered in tiny winter ensembles. It could have been the timing of the season but seeing the collection made me wish we had four seasons in the Philippines.  11 years and 101 store visits later, I realized they do have clothes that also fit our tropical climate.
 
 
 
 
 
Last but definitely not the least is everyone' favorite Japanese clothing store, UNIQLO. On top of the basic shirts and shorts, I usually scout for pajamas for the kids in UNIQLO during sale season. They come out way cheaper than the ones you see in the bazaars. Seriously!
What about you? What do your kids wear? It's your time to share!




 
 
 



 
 
 
 

Read more...

Melissa for My Little Girl

I have a confession to make. I am a Melissa addict.

I am not really one to hoard designer bags or find the need to always buy the latest trend in fashion, but when it comes to Melissa shoes, my will power seems to go away just like that. Through the years, i have accumulated almost 20 pairs of Melissa shoes. Most of them from the Vivienne Westwood collection.
A portion of my shoe cabinet

My first Melissa is this green pair which i bought back in 2008. It looks almost as new as the day i bought them! And mind you i wear my Melissa shoes all the time. I wear them to work on a daily basis and to church on weekends. So it's not like they're rarely worn. What i like about Melissa is that it retains its shape and can be washed and cleaned after each use. They're very comfortable too!
Vivienne Westwood Lady Dragon collection

So when i had my baby girl in 2011, one of my friends who knew me well gave her a pair of Mini Melissa. I was ecstatic! I did not even realize then that they had Melissa for kids! Oh, the joy! I have tried buying other less expensive shoes for my daughter but they often just get broken soon after. Melissa shoes may be a bit more pricey but it's worth every penny. It's stylish and long lasting. No need to keep on buying a new pair of shoes ever so often.

So a few weeks ago, my daughter and i were invited to the launch of Mini Melissa's animal line. Each pair is just as adorable as the next.

Doesn't she look like Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon? Adorable!

This was my daughter's first pair but in another color. So cute and dainty!

Rhino boots! Who doesn't like boots?

White Rabbit, anyone?

Perfect with that sweet summer dress

Mini ballet - coming out in December! Watch out for it!

Cuteness overload! Gingerbread cookie for the holidays!

All little girl loves teddy bears!

Baby Melissa! Perfect for that new baby girl inaanak!
All of the above Mini Melissa pairs come in a variety of colors. It's time to grab a pair (or two) for your precious little girls' tiny feet!

Mini Melissa Shoes are available at Geleia (Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, Mall of Asia, Shangri-la, SM Aura, Greenbelt 5, Magnolia, Megamall), Rustans (Makati, Shangri-la, Alabang Town Center), Mothercare (Greenbelt 5, Glorietta 4, BGC Active Fun, Magnolia, Shangri-la, Eastwood, TriNoma), Flatshop (Eastwood and Greenhills), Selected Shoe Salon stores, Shoe Thing (Highstreet, Greenbelt 5, TriNoma, Eastwood, Lucky Chinatown).


Read more...

Paddington Bear is Now at GAP!

photo from amazon
Do you know Paddington Bear?

I had a Paddington Bear with a red raincoat growing up. I got him as a gift one Christmas and immediately fell in love. I later on received another one with the blue jacket and kept both of them until i got married and had to give them away.

I have never really read the story of Paddington Bear but i love his
jacket and how classic he is. A few Saturdays ago, the SoMoms were invited to a story telling by Project Mom authors, Amanda Griffin-Jacob and Bianca Araneta-Elizalde, to launch the Paddington Bear collection at GAP Philippines.

I did a bit of research on Paddington Bear's history and here are tidbits of what i found:
  • He first appeared on October 13, 1958
  • The story book was written by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum
  • The fictional character is an immigrant bear from Peru (that explains the suitcase he always lugs around)
  • Discovered in Paddington Station (hence, his name) in London by the Brown family who adopted him later on
  • Paddington Bear is always polite and addresses people as "Mr", "Mrs", and "Miss"
  • He has an endless capacity for getting into trouble but is known to "try so hard to get things right"

True to the iconic character, the pieces for this collection is so chic and classy!  From the basic red and blue colors to the classic duffle coat, every piece stayed true to the Paddington style.
I love love love that blue duffle coat on the upper left picture. I wish they have it in my size!

Amanda and Bianca reading an excerpt from the Paddington Bear storybook
Michelle, Cai, me & Tin
Time to visit GAP stores now!  Check out the Paddington collection for your little ones. You can see a list of the store locations here - http://international.gapinc.com/gap/ph/en/store-locator

Happy shopping, everyone!




Read more...

Fashion Forum is on SALE!

Last February, i was invited by Tin of MFO to SM Makati's Fashion Forum. To be honest, I rarely visit SM these days so I had totally no idea what Fashion Forum is all about. But the inner fashionista in me really wanted to be there. So i made sure i made time amidst my busy corporate life. And i did not regret it!
Standing, left to right: Carissa (Fashion Forum), Neva (ManilaMommy), Conci
(Memoirs of a Bitch), Jenny (My Mommyology), Pam (RunAroundGirl), Me, 
Valerie and Marge (BC Magazine), and CarRet (Fashion Forum).
Seated, left to right: Kat (Kat Dy Finds), Karrots (Live Love Lolz),
Kris (OCMomInManila), and Tin (Manila Fashion Observer).

We met at SM Makati's Prestige Lounge and proceeded to tour the Fashion Forum section at the 3rd floor.  Carisa Chan of Fashion Forum actually flies to New York regularly to select the pieces and bring them to the Philippines. Such a dream job for a fashion lover! Carissa explained that she only buys limited quantities so that you won't find yourself in the same outfit as everyone else. Fashion Forum actually started in 2008 and was revamped in 2009. They brought in more brands in 2010 and opened more branches in other SM malls in 2011.

Most of the brands that Fashion Forum carries are the same signature brands that we see in US department stores such as Nordstrom's and Macy's. They usually retail at around $100 in the US which is not bad for signature brands. The good news is that Carissa has excellent negotiation skills and was able to bring the items to the Philippines at practically the same prices or even lower! Imagine that!

The items range from day-to-night dresses, gowns, and shoes! They have sizes from 0 - 16 so most women of all shapes and sizes are covered!
Tin and Neva modeling for FashionForum. Tin wore a FashionForum dress that day while the
shoes Neva wore are also a FashionForum find.

Karrots working the Artista look in a FashionForum outfit
 
This Jeffrey Campbell pair looks sooo good when worn! I am going back for them!

Cute skulltinis instead of spikes


Now for an extra good news to all fashion-lovers! Fashion Forum is on SALE from March 15 to 17! Get great deals on branded items from the US on sale of up to 75% off!

Fashion Forum have branches in SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Mall of Asia, SM Cebu, SM Bacolod, SM Lanang Davao, and soon to open at SM Aura at Bonifacio Global City.

Read more...

  © Theme Designed by Fancy Girl Designs 2011 for Breakfast with Tiffany

Back to TOP