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OOTD

in Beauty & Fashion, Diplomatic Incidents, Fashion, Fashion Tips, How-Tos, OOTD

Modern Filipiniana: Mix and Match Terno Top

One of the things I often get asked about is my Modern Filipiniana wardrobe. For real and not just that thing influencers on Instagram say to justify an overshare. A Filipiniana section in my wardrobe is something that I’ve started building back in 2014. This was when my husband got assigned abroad.

I continue to build said wardrobe as we do need to attend a lot of events where wearing Filipiniana is actually a good way to go. This isn’t just to follow the dress code but to make sure I also get to do my part in promoting a really interesting bit of our culture.

One of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe is my terno top. It’s so versatile that it makes mixing and matching it with different pieces a breeze.

In this video, I share some tips on how to build your own modern Filipiniana wardrobe. I also show how I style my custom-made terno top with different modern pieces that I already own.

Hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful. If you did, please do share it! It would really make my day. Here’s a Pinterest-friendly graphic to make it easier!

More later.

National Day, Philippines, Philippine National Day, Filipiniana, Modern Filipiniana, Affordable Filipiniana, Mix and Match, Modern, Fashion, Tribal, OOTD, T'nalak, T'boli, Ditta Sandico Ong, Wrap, Ditta Sandico Wrap, Mariposa, Filipiniana Wrap,
in Beauty & Fashion, Diplomatic Incidents, Events, Fashion Tips, How-Tos, Video

Beauty + Fashion: Dressing up and getting ready for National Day 2016 (Without Breaking the Bank)

Ah, National Day. Usually the biggest event an Embassy or a Consulate will host for the year. It’s something that a lot of people either enjoy or stress over – depending on your role for that night.

As a diplomatic reporter and later on as a diplomat’s wife, I’ve been attending a whole lot of National Day celebrations and Embassy events from Manila to KL. Too many for me to count at this point – to think I’ve only been in the diplomatic circle for 5 years. (Diplomatic life does mean events left and right)

Such events are usually a good opportunity for a country to share something from home – their food, culture, history, the talent of their people. For us Filipinos, there’s usually a part of the program dedicated to how talented Filipino performers are.

National Day, Philippines, Philippine National Day, Filipiniana, Modern Filipiniana, Affordable Filipiniana, Mix and Match, Modern, Fashion, Tribal, OOTD, T'nalak, T'boli, Ditta Sandico Ong, Wrap, Ditta Sandico Wrap, Mariposa, Filipiniana Wrap,

One thing I love about attending diplomatic events is the dressing up that it comes with. I happen to love wearing Filipiniana – all forms of it. From the well-known Terno and Maria Clara down to the clothes worn by the different tribes all over the Philippines. However, one thing about National Dresses/Outfits is that they can cost quite a bit. I’ve had one too many fellow diplowives telling me that dressing up for National means parting with a hefty amount. The fact that it happens annually means you also have a repetitive (big) expense.

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in Expat Life, KL Shopping, KL Tips

Events: The Entertainer 2015 Launch

A blogpost! Yay! Sorry for the lack of updates the past few weeks. I’ve been up to my eyeballs with family stuff as my grandparents (mom’s side) as well as my mom and her boyfriend are here in KL for a visit. My husband and I don’t seem to have a shortage of people who love us and are more than willing to travel just to see us, don’t we?

And that’s not just because KL is so near Manila. After our current visitors, my dad who lives all the way in Sweden is also visiting followed by a friend! Or will my friend come first? I gotta check my calendar as I’m starting to confuse the dates already! Hihihi. I feel so much more loved than the usual lately, it’s just super awesome.

Speaking of love, I’m so excited to share with you guys that one of the products out there that I absolutely adore – The Entertainer – has launched their 2015 books and app! I’ve been quite excited for it as I’ve been told that this year, they will have more participating merchants which will make the product even better than last year.

Just in case you haven’t heard of The Entertainer yet, it’s a product (you can choose between a book or an app – whichever is more handy for you) that gives you access to buy 1 get 1 free offers in restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, and other awesome establishments. I previously wrote about it here and about using it in Langkawi here. Oh, and that one time my husband and I went on a quickie dessert date in one of my fave gelato stores in KL.

The Entertainer, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Launch, 2015, Starhill Culinary Studio

The Entertainer Malaysia and The Entertainer Travel 2015

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in Beauty & Fashion, Diplomatic Incidents, Events

On Diplomatic Events + Egyptian National Day #OOTD

It is only now that I realised how long I have been attending diplomatic events – National Days in particular. For someone who’s not a diplomat per se, I’ve had my fair (ok, maybe more than fair) share of diplomatic parties back when I was working as a journalist.

When I married my husband, it was like sealing the deal: I’ll be attending these things for the next couple of decades or so. Not that I’m complaining. I find such events fun and very informative – a chance to learn about other cultures – and to make new friends.

To be honest about it, Diplomatic Events (be it National Days or cultural showcases) are very important. Whether you show up or not can be deemed a statement (so always RSVP!), friendships are made, bilateral relationships are strengthened, meetings are set over food, introductions that can lead to new and important projects between governments and private organisations are made, ideas are born, and some important talks and exchanges of views between diplomats are done on the sidelines. It’s not just a party as how some people would describe it. It’s so much more.

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