Sip & Shop at French Sole

So this happened one easy breezy Thursday afternoon.

A few of us were invited by Tin of ManilaFashionObserver to the opening of French Sole in Greenbelt 5. The food and drinks were divine and the shoes did not disappoint.


Tin Dychaio

Neva of manilamommy, Tin, and me

"French Sole first began life as a gleam of an idea when Jane Winkworth made her initial collections of bespoke ballet flats back in 1968, working with Gamba and Annello and Davide in London. Later in 1989 after a period as a trained restorer and painter of fine porcelain, Jane Winkworth started French Sole after a chance meeting with a shoe salesman from the French Hirica factory, called Philipe Cassalis.

Philipe, together with the factory he represented - who still today make the famous ballet flats that they first created back in 1950 - encouraged Jane to set up her business specialising in selling only ballet flats and loved her chosen name of French Sole.

The shoes were made using Jane's own materials, to her own designs and trimmed in the unusual contrasting colours never before seen on ballet flats and under the label of her new name - French Sole." - French Sole website

 

 
I must tell you they do not come cheap with price points of P6,000 and up. But if you have been on the look out for that perfect pair of ballet flats, then here are five reasons why these are worth your peso.

1.  They use real leather. Every pair is ultra-soft and comfortable.
2.  They have half sizes! A shout-out to all the ladies who have given up finding that perfect fitting ballet flats!
3.  As if half sizes were not enough, some pairs have adjustable ribbons. You can tighten or loosen the fit to your liking.
4.  They clean and maintain the shoes for you! How cool is that? In case you get your pair soiled, you may bring them to any French Sole branch to have them cleaned.
5.  They are just so pretty on the feet! They have a special pointy style that other ballet flats do not have.

A semi SoMoms reunion (L-R): Michelle, Tin, Kris, me, Neva, Michelle, Noemi

French Sole Philippines have branches in Solaire, BGC, and now in Greenbelt 5!
Like French Sole on Facebook to get updates on styles and promotions.
 

Read more...

Karada!

Following my recent post on having good posture to avoid stiff necks and shoulder pains, another way to relieve them is to get a good massage.  A few months ago my friends introduced me to Karada. 

 

I did a little bit of research and found out that Karada means Body in Japanese. It was founded by Mr. Koyasu Yuki. After he was successfully treated through Chiro following a car accident, Yuki-san decided to merge the science behind Chiro treatments with the relaxing nature of getting a massage . This resulted to what Karada is offering today.

 

What differs Karada from a regular Spa is that it does not only relax stiff muscles, hence providing temporary relief, but it also addresses the source of the problem which , in most cases, is improper bone alignment.  

 

My research convinced me enough to give it a shot. I visited the Greenbelt branch which was very easy to find and conveniently located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 1.

The place is clean and simple. Do not expect zen interiors and relaxing music. Karada claims that they are not a place for relaxation anyway but for revitalization.

Here is a list of services that Karada is offering. I opted for the AP (Atlas & Pelvis) Balance for 60 minutes which costs P1,195. This included assessment and 30 mins of muscle treament (a.k.a. massage) and another 30 mins of bone alignment.

Before the treatment, you will be asked to change into more comfortable clothing. It's basically a black shirt and drawstring pants available in various sizes.

They will also provide a large basket for your things which will be kept safely under your treatment bed.

So this is me in my Karada outfit. Oh, by the way, they also provided rubber slippers which I really hesitated to wear. But then again, my heels did not match well with the Karada uniform. Oh well.

The place has several office-like cubicles with treatment beds inside. It does not offer much privacy but everybody is busy with their own treatment so nobody is snooping around anyway.

The initial assessment proved that my bones were not aligned.  This reflected in uneven leg lengths which was corrected immediately after the treatment.  It was pretty cool to see results after only an hour.  But then again I also know that the results will not last long since I cannot commit to completely avoid bad habits that may result to poor bone alignment. My biggest ones are sitting cross-legged and frequently carrying shoulder bags.

My overall assessment of Karada is that the treatment felt great but was not long-lasting. The therapist told me that they usually advise regular treatments for the first few sessions (i.e. once or twice a week) and then longer intervals after that.

Try it and see if it works for you. A lot of my friends swear by it. Some of them experienced long-lasting releif even after only one session. That may happen to you too. Let me know how it goes, okay?

You can learn more about Karada through their site.
 

Read more...