i am not jinxed after all… after the two american idol male contestants and the cool girl i’ve been rooting for failed to get past top 24 and top 20, i considered the idea that i might have jinxed them. but after my hopes from another entry were realized in this year’s academy awards, i knew superstition doesn’t live here.

congratulations to kathryn bigelow, the first woman to win best director!

avatar didn’t pull another titanic on us. congratulations to the hurt locker for winning best picture!

and all the acting awards recipients: jeff bridges, sandra bullock, mo’nique (you go, girl! from stand-up comedy to oscar-winning drama! you are my inspiration) and most especially cristophe waltz! it’s a bingo!

congratulations, sandy powell, her third oscar for costume design! while the talk of the night was merryl streep for having been nominated a record 16 times already, do you know how many she actually won? here’s a hint: sandy powell has now won more statuettes than streep, brando or deniro.

speaking of threads, perhaps we should also congratulate the best dressed ladies of the red carpet:

sandra bullock. the gold dress to accept an oscar in.

sarah jessica parker. the dress to appear on stage with tom ford in.

demi moore. i don’t know if she really means to have the dress match her skin color, but i think the cut and the details are fantastic.

molly ringwald. i love molly ringwald! i love this dress and the cuff!

kate winslet. she wore the best neckpiece of the night.

anna kendrick. i’m not too keen on the color, i think it washes her out, but i like the design and the details.

helen mirren. you go, dame helen!

queen latifah. from a queen on screen to the queen latifah.

elizabeth banks. i like the blue of the dress. and the ruffles are kind of tutu-ish without being over-the-top.

miley cyrus. i know fashion writers have been criticizing this dress for being age-inappropriate, but i actually like it…

kristen stewart. this dress must have given her better posture.

rachel mcadams. in the dress i would like to borrow.

and my three most favorite:

amanda seyfried. the corset judy jetson would wear. the bangles i would wear.

cameron diaz. this gilt made my day.

zoe saldana. i may not like the movie she represented, but i’m crazy about this barbie girl dress!

online jewelry retailer bijoux de lou has restocked her boxing ring… uh, ring.

in a previous entry about this ingenious piece of boxing fanaticism, i mentioned about boxing glove charms. i have always wanted that. well, bijoux de lou just happened to address that want:

if that’s not enough, here’s a boxing headgear ring:

how awesome are these? dibs on the boxing ring and the gloves!

in a white top that looks like a miniature version of vera’s opulent wedding gowns, cropped motorcyle jacket, cutaway gloves, black tights and leather boots, michelle took on a biker bride ensemble and was obviously the night’s best dressed contestant. i wonder, will vera wang come out with a line of ready-to-wear like this? i sure hope so.

simon gave a shout-out to the designer and no one zoned into the crowd for a shot. when we finally spotted her, she was dodging the cameras, hiding behind a friend. now i really adore her.

how else is vera involved in american idol? she also dressed judge kara dioguardi for her wedding last year to general contractor mike mccuddy (the poor unfortunate guy…).

speaking of weddings… since i am on bridal mode these days (being a major participant in this blogger‘s wedding), i have also been looking into vera wang’s spring collection.

check out these modern airy designs in traditional white:

if you are one to go against the grain, these colored wedding dresses might just be up your alley:

i hope vera dresses another contestant next week! i hope it’s lacey! i mean if she makes it another week…

michelle delamor photo from usa today.

wedding dress photos from martha stewart weddings.

this is kat:

here she is again playing co-op on ps3 with her significant other, brian (yes, boys, she’s also a bad-ass gamer):

here she is with friends (yes, she also plays guitar in a band):

get to know kat layno.

this is not related, but i think it’s funny and unorthodox how we met. remember how we met?
You were my tutor in highschool. While you did your job, I would make it impossible for you. Perfectly orthodox to me.

please tell us something about yourself.
If I was a Carebear, I’d be Grumpy.

did you go to school for what you do now?
Fine Arts Major in Advertising. Didn’t finish and honestly learned more from friends and classmates than I did from school.

kat's haliya

Kids, stay in school.

how did you start as an artist?
I’ve been drawing since I could remember. Though I think I started drawing “well” in college. All my drawings up until I was about 15 were anthro (human bodies, animal heads.. think Ninja Turtles). So I officially started drawing people at around 15.

you’re like a glitch in the family. your parents and your sibs are all doctors and here you are. what influenced you to be an artist?
My mother wanted to take Fine Arts when she was younger but she didn’t have access to that at the time. She always took me to art galleries and encouraged creativity by buying us Legos and Play Doh instead of actual figures and dolls. My siblings were actually pretty amazing at art when they were younger but I guess practicality and security sounded a lot better than being a starving artist. ed.: but you’re not even starving.

the crew from firefly

what was your first big break? how was that like?
Upper Deck’s Marvel Masterpieces III set. It’s not that big of a break ed.: what do you mean not that big?! but it pretty much made my work a lot more stable than it used to be. It was unfamiliar to me since I’d never worked on Sketch Cards before (and had to draw 100 of them) plus I was in the middle of moving back to Cebu so scheduling all that was f**king hectic.

where can we find your work these days? what companies/publications have you done work for?
Mostly online. If you search ebay for “Layno” you’ll find some of the cards I did for Rittenhouse Archive’s Marvel sets. ed.: her x-men jubilee card here goes for around $249.00. want to buy? I’ve also worked for Sadlittles.com on a card set. I have projects coming out this March for both companies.

marvel masterpieces sketch cards

how would you describe your artistic style?
In the middle of identity crisis. A little manga, a little western here and there… and a whole lot of wtf.

do you have an artistic philosophy?
To not suck. Really though, I don’t have an official one yet but something on the lines of producing the best of what is asked of me (for official work) and doing what makes me happy (for stuff I do for myself). I’m really not “artsy” am I? lol

the other woman

where do you find inspiration?
Wherever I can really. Sometimes it’s riding a jeepney. Sometimes it’s binging on films or going to the beach. My mojo’s pretty random. Which REALLY sucks when you need it to be good and it decides to take the week off.

which artists do you look up to?
A LOT…. Seriously. But off the top of my head, Adam Hughes, Jo-Chen, Jim Lee, Alex Ross, Milo Manara, Leonardo da Vinci, Rebecca Guay, our local flavor John Amor, James Neish… I’ll stop there or it’ll keep going.

if you have to choose one, which one of your works is your favorite?
Currently? The Artemis base card I did for the Legends and Lore set by Sadlittles.com. It was sort of an experiment for me because I wanted to really go for something more realistic than my usual east-meets-west style. I thought it came out pretty well. Problem is, it’s hard for me to recreate it most of the time.

artemis from legends and lore

Kids, organize your workflow.

i just posted recently about getting tattoos. you have one that’s really sick. some sort of mythical animal? did you design that yourself?
It’s a Tigon.. or Liger. Pretty much a tiger with a mane and a lion-like tail. Yep, I doodled it but I’m letting the artist figure the background out because that is what I suck at.

aside from visual art, i know you’re also a musician. what instruments do you play?
Frustrated musician. I sang before I started drawing so vocals would be the only sure thing I’m confident about. The rest that I could definitely use more practice: Violin, piano, drums, guitar, percussions and let’s not forget the awesome and ever handy recorder. Woot 3rd grade~

i need you like water in my lungs (valentine art: sid vicious and nancy spungen)

where can people watch you perform?
I’m not in a band at the moment but we used to play in Handuraw on Fridays and/or Saturdays. Can’t really find the time to go back to that just yet but hopefully, I’ll be able to some time this year. Husband inisits I go solo with an acoustic guitar. Problem: A. No acoustic guitar. B. With my current hair, it’s so Aiza Seguerra (btw I cut my hair really short before she did so f**k you to all the people who say I “borrowed” that look).

what music do you listen to? what music do you play?
Also A LOT. Mostly rock(duh), alternative, progressive… just about everything except country. That shit can never grow on me no matter how hard I try. I play mostly rock and alternative. Mostly on the lines of Thrice and Against Me! at the moment but I have never played anything that sounds like those bands in any of the bands I’ve been in.

THIS IS ARTAAAAA (produced after going on a 300 ost binge)

we’re both crazy about and crazy in ktv. very interesting to know, what songs do you love singing in ktv?
Anything that annoys my husband and makes him want to hide under the chairs out of embarassment. Mostly Disney classic songs, Wilson Phillips, Michael Jackson, etc.

what’s next for kat layno lewis?
Not really sure. Just trying to find my foothold as a freelancer. I guess we can start with actually getting decent furniture for the apartment. Small goals are a lot easier.

any words for aspiring artists?
Practice practice practice… and more practice. Learn from your mistakes, take all that negative feedback and turn it into drive. Your limit is what you believe it to be.

check out more of kat’s work here.

this is how i like my celebs. bitter, deluded, odd and bratty enough to throw the judges under a bus. oh, and shamelessly plugs his other racket when given the chance. in other words, his hometown band, wailing waters.

all right, it’s the slinking, slithering, hip-thrusting, polyester, flare jeans that got me. i love the 70′s and everything 70′s. even disco stu. when idol put the epitome of the decade into the show, my fantasies went into overdrive. there was funk guitar in the air and lsd in my eyes.

then everything spiraled into a bad trip. he wasn’t as good as i remembered him, but he looked just as time-warped. i think i could have sung that better in an open-mic bar, but i wouldn’t have swayed like that.

here are news and views from around the web:

ann powers, la times:
Consider Tyler Grady. He was a retro rocker before he auditioned for “Idol”; he’s been steered in that same direction since making the cut. Yet after he delivered a fine, hip-shaking version of the moldy arena rock fave “American Woman,” he got a lashing for, you guessed it, doing exactly what everyone has encouraged him to do.

maura johnston, fancast (thank you, maura, for also mentioning sundance head):
Tyler Grady. A rock star wannabe whose performance of “American Woman” revealed that he’d worked more on his Axl Rose slither and Marc Bolan swagger than his vocals. But his Greg Brady meets Joe Jonas looks have reserved him a place in the ‘Idol’ firmament until at least Top 12 week. Plus he had the line of the night — when Kara and Randy were telling him to be more “modern,” he retorted with “I guess I’ll have to go to the mall,” which likely garnered him a flurry of votes from sympathetic Gen X viewers.

maura johnston, fancast:
Who’s Going To Be Super-Entertaining On Tomorrow’s Eliminated-Contestants Conference Call: As soon as Tyler Grady was announced as the fourth eliminee, the sound dropped out, and lots of confusing camera cuts ensued. Did he swear in the heat of the moment? (Or was it the clearly relieved Alex Lambert, who seemed legitimately shocked that he wasn’t being exiled from the ‘Idol’ stage?) Either way, he was really angry during his pre-singout interview, claiming that the judges had misled him by telling him over and over that his style was so ’70s — and then berated him for playing to type. Oh, silly Tyler. Apparently in addition to working on your moves more than your singing — complete with the David Lee Roth-esque stunt of showing up to rehearsal clad in a bathrobe, socks, and Greg Brady boots — you assumed rationality on the part of the judges’ table? That is a no-no, even in the post-Paula era. Heck, maybe especially in the post-Paula era! Anyway, I look forward to him continuing his tirade during tomorrow’s phone call with ‘Idol’ beat reporters, and then on Twitter, and then on MySpace, and then…

jon caramanica, new york times:
And even Tyler Grady seemed sensible, taking the judges’ criticism of his “American Woman” with dignity (Simon: “You come over a lot as somebody who’s gone to pretend-to-be-a-rock-star school”), joking that if his 1960s clothes became too parodic, “I guess I’ll have to go to the mall.”

msnbc:
Tyler Grady got dinged for his 1970s vibe, which … hello? Why bring him into the semifinals if you don’t like the 1970s vibe? Isn’t that pretty much his entire schtick?

access hollywood:
Disappointed by his elimination, Tyler told Laura on Friday he was still confused about why the judges waited until the first live round to call him out for sounding and performing in a dated fashion.
“I just wish they could have been more constructive during Hollywood Week and not really contradict themselves [on the show],” Tyler said.
“There’s no hard feelings,” he added. “I don’t regret saying it and I still like them all. They’re very cool people, but I just felt like I had to get that off my chest.”

la times:
The Jim Morrison-wannabe had his own agenda: to elaborate on the contradictory critiques he received from judges and to plug his band, Wailing Waters, which he did repeatedly. Of his response to the judges’ call, Tyler said, “The media’s already claiming that I’m making excuses as far as blaming the judges for what happened on the show…. I was simply expressing my feelings at the time. As a contestant on that show, you need to stand up for yourself and go out with some diginity.”
And asked about the judges’ contradictory advice, Tyler, who revealed that his favorite bands are Kings of Leon and Led Zeppelin, offered this take: “When you’re getting conflicting views, it’s very confusing. But I don’t have any bitterness or anything from that.”

the morning call:
Grady said he “meant no disrespect and I’m not bitter at the judges or anything like that,” but he was “kind of shocked with the criticism.” “The media’s already saying I’m blaming the judges,” he said. “But I’m not making excuses. I do respect the judges and I like them very much. As people they’re all very cool.
“But the fact is, I felt that I did see contradicting views from them. I felt like I was praised for things that they turned around and criticized me for on Wednesday. And it’s very confusing to be a contestant to receive criticism at one time, and then the opposite at another time. It’s just very difficult to have that happen …you saw my reaction. I just was hurt, because I was getting praise from the judges and felt like I had a pretty good relationship on the show.”

mtv:
Q: Do you think your stick-by-my-guns attitude is what got you eliminated?
A: I can’t explain to you why I was eliminated. Well, actually, I can explain to you why I was eliminated: I didn’t get enough votes. I got one of the least number of votes out of the 12 guys; that’s why I got eliminated. As a performer, you have to stick to your guns. You have to be honest and true to yourself. If you’re gonna change your style … and be inconsistent, you won’t be able to build a solid fanbase, because people won’t be able to catch on to you. And once you build a fanbase, you need to feed them what they appreciate about you. You can’t constantly change yourself, or you’re not really respecting your fans.

ok, where’s that proverbial fanbase when we needed those votes? there are probably haters who think this kid’s living in his own world.

big deal. so was adam lambert.

photo from pennlive.

excuse me, i am in a state of mourning.

although i wouldn’t have been surprised if either he or jermaine was eliminated (or even *shudder* both of them in one night), seeing neither of them struck a very good first impression. i just didn’t think tyler would be gone this soon. admittedly, he didn’t do very well, but having taken the judge’s comments to heart, i think he would have put his act together. he was very good-natured accepting the criticism, didn’t bother disagreeing like most other contestants, and even said he’d go to the mall to get a more current wardrobe. he was right when he said perhaps the constructive criticism was too little, too late. if the judges had a problem with him being all 70′s and poser-y, then they shouldn’t have praised his swagger and his duds all through the audition season and hollywood week, shouldn’t have made all that positive reference to jim morrison as if that image would go through well on stage. i mean, how double-minded and inconsistent can they get? kara especially. someone should just gag her.

i also feel sorry for ashley rodriguez. she is not my favorite, but i have to admit that she has one of the best vocals. and good looking too. there were talks going around pre-live show that she just might be the next idol, seeing she’s got the whole package. but we all know the show is known for surprises and voters are not necessarily the ones who talk, so i am not going to make any bold predictions of my own.

anyway, i blame tim urban for ruining tyler’s chances. and to think he wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place. golightly should have been replaced by thaddeus johnson. no, i’m still not over it. if you go around the idol blogs, you’ll find tim urban fans saying how they voted for him over 200 times because he was so cute and had tears in his eyes and he looks like the cover of james patterson’s fang. it is so unfair to put one through based solely on looks, but that’s showbiz. if the disney crowd wants to spend their money on votes for mediocre contestants, that is their prerogative. but here’s the thing: i wouldn’t mind some bubblegum cutesy making it far (like david archuleta; i didn’t like him, but can’t blame the voters) as long as said bubblegum cutesy has the talent to back up the privilege. on that note, i wish these girls get swayed towards aaron kelly. better yet, alex lambert, if he musters up enough confidence to charm the camera.

like any other idol season, i am given to new favorites once the live show starts. while i am still rooting for jermaine, lacey and lilly for loyalty reasons, i find myself looking out for these two as well:

paige miles

The New York Times Arts Beat blog speculated on Thursday that because “Idol” producers have lavished plenty of airtime to some contestants and neglected to show others, that the singers with the least amount of time in front of the audience will fall away quickly once the viewers start voting. The blog post was titled “American Idol: Who Won’t You Be Voting For This Year?” The writer singled out Miles as the most obvious answer to the question since she has had the least amount of face time with America of the 24 finalists. from here.

as one fan commented last week, america won’t know what hit them come tuesday. paige miles clearly has the most powerful vocals. while many spoilers online for weeks put paige dechausse into the top 24 (the one with the asthma/anaphylactic shock back story), only few were able to point out that they had the wrong paige.

i believe the only airtime paige miles got was during group day. remember that “battle” between two groups who sang lady gaga’s “bad romance”? where one group (with todrick hall and siobhan magnus) accused the other (with paige and thaddeus) of copying their song choice? of all the preposterous accusations.

i love underdogs. that’s the truth.

lee dewyze

the paint sales clerk who got his big break. exceptional vocals. i thank simon for saying he performed best the other night.

ok, i just think he’s hot. at least he doesn’t suck at singing!

my hopes for the second night

jermaine should go back to his gospel/soul roots. i still think the best we’ve seen him was during his first audition in boston.

i’m not really into casey james, but i seriously loved him with the blues guitar on his first hollywood solo. he should do that again.

i want to like andrew garcia, i really do. as i had expected, the same people all over danny gokey last year are all over andrew garcia this year. like my friend maje and my husband. no, he is not pinoy, his wife is. wait, wife or girlfriend? whatever, the mother of his child. he will pull another “straight up” on us and i will seriously like him.

judges should be more consistent with their comments. i’m hating it.

excuse me while i grieve for the elimination of tyler grady again.

after he said he will go to the mall and after showing up during rehearsal in a bathrobe because he misconceived rehearsal as wardrobe time. i love this guy, i do. he was robbed. the way michael johns was robbed. the way sundance head was robbed. robbed, i tell you.

it’s tim urban’s fault. and the disney channel.

paige and lee photos from american idol.

tyler grady photo from top idol.

tyler grady

the broken wrists guy from the boston auditions. starting to look like the token rock dude of the show, one who wears 70′s polyester shirts and walks like morrison. he played drums for a band called wailing waters in his hometown of northampton. as his injuries kept him from playing any instrument, he got the chance to perform as frontman.

this is grady’s third attempt at the show. two years ago, he didn’t even make it past the prelims (sounds like that “bubbly” singer we know very well). last year, he managed to get a callback but was rejected after that. as they say, third time’s the charm.

jermaine sellers

the church singer who takes care of his ailing mother. finally, a serious r&b contender again. although i think thaddeus johnson sang “man in the mirror” better. i still can’t believe thaddeus was cut.

anyway…

sellers has signed a few record deals in the past (i think the earliest was at age 14) but none has been produced into an album. when his career looked as if it wasn’t getting anywhere, he performed in cruise ships (i think the royal carribean). last year, he took part in bet’s “sunday’s best”, finishing 2nd runner-up in the contest.

he’s the guy who threw a semi-diva fit at the band when the song wasn’t played according to his specifications (way to go, church singer!). thaddeus was the one who glared at the band with “i’m not bubbly… i’m man in the mirror.” i still can’t believe thaddeus was cut.

lacey brown

remember the sing-off last year with my then favorite megan joy corkrey as the judges trimmed down the pack to 24? here’s the girl who didn’t make the cut by the skin of her teeth.

as she sounds closest to megan joy and amy winehouse and squirrel nut zippers and billie holiday, she is obviously my favorite girl this year.

lilly scott

the sandwich gal with platinum blond hair and peacock feather earrings. she sings and plays guitar in a band named varlet. if you check her myspace, you’ll find that her songs have very weird titles. and that one of her heroes is “amy winehouse on cocaine”.

just like lacey, lilly also has that jazzy tone to her voice which i like a lot. i wish she and lacey and megan joy come down to fiji.

and what’s up with rejecting angela martin?

she has a fantastic singing voice, a pretty face and she has the back story to end all back stories!

want a rundown of what angela has gone through?

the first time she made it to hollywood week a few years ago, her father tragically died, thus discontinuing her participation. angela’s father was murdered by her own stepmother.

the second time she made it to hollywood week, she got a summons for a traffic violation.

on top of that, her daughter suffers from rett syndrome and her mother has been missing since december 26 last year.

catch up with angela martin here.

thank you, ellen!

photos from americanidol.com.

fortunately, my husband decided to surprise me with a weekend at an island resort for our anniversary last saturday. fortunately, my mother-in-law slipped and let the surprise out the day before that. because i don’t like surprises. but i do love resort stays very much.

we spent two days and one night in sonaisali island resort. it’s the same resort where our cousin celebrated her wedding.

we were able to score a marvelous deal on the accommodations and an even more incredible deal on the meals. we stayed in a bure with a huge room that included a king size bed and a large wicker sofa set. we also had a terrace and an entry porch overlooking the waters that separate sonaisali island from the mainland. activities like paintball, beach volleyball, billiards and jungle cruise were available apart from the usual water sports and recreation.

i’m not posting this entry to review or write about the experience. i relaxed, loosened up and willed myself to do nothing at all, i didn’t even bother making a mental rate of the resort. all i know is that i like the place a lot and i love the food so much, i’d probably go there another time just to eat.

i just want to share the sundresses i scored from ukay-ukay and wore to the beach.

even the espadrilles i wore were from ukay.

that’s watching the wellington rugby 7s with my husband (which fiji won). he took a few seconds off the game to snap this photo. i think the whole of fiji was at a standstill that night, the way the philippines is during pacquiao fights. i hope i made my thrill palpable enough. i really don’t know how i could appreciate rugby, perhaps i should just stop trying. no use feigning interest, right?

that’s how determined i was not to be bothered by anything.

when we got home, the family surprised us with a cake. we didn’t touch it during the night because we were stuffed from the complimentary meals in the resort. we had it for breakfast the next day though. and since our wedding last year was severely simple (meaning we just gave our oath, signed the docs and ate lunch), we decided to prop the camera on the kitchen rack, grabbed the opportunity to snap a photo of us cutting a cake together. with a kitchen knife.

happy anniversary to us!

at any rate (hey, there’s another over-used phrase!), i went on over to good old merriam-webster to get its operational definition.

chic, noun, 1: smart elegance or sophistication especially of dress or manner, 2: a distinctive mode of dress or manner associated with a fashionable lifestyle, ideology or pursuit, 3: a faddishly popular quality or appeal.

chic, adjective, 1: cleverly stylish, 2: currently fashionable.

in a bizarre development of fashion literature, usage of the word “chic” has embodied its very own definition. it’s almost like putting a mirror to another mirror and witnessing the infinite reflection. or something.

however, knowing its definition is only half the story. now we have to contend with its application. as you may already know, the word “chic” these days has a widespread reputation as an affix to other words that denote a particular style. below are some of the more notable partnerships.

of course, the idea is to look stylish and elegant, not victimized by certain categories. for instance, too much boho may look hippie-flower child (which i think is cute but i wouldn’t be caught dead walking around town in); too much military and you’d probably be better off wearing the official-issue fatigue uniform; too much goth… well, you get the drift. every now and then, we can treat ourselves to an indulgent piece (a sailor’s hat, a victorian corset, tribal beads), but it is best to keep the rest of the outfit sensible to off-set the quirk.

boho chic. bohemian style. key elements: vintage, ethnic prints, layers, scarfs, jandals, bangles, beads, multi-strand necklaces, maxi dress, big sunglasses, slouchy stuff like hobo bags, oversize cardigans, knit caps. colors: rich warm colors like brown, khaki, cream, deep orange and olive green.

boho chic 3 by tessaeastgate featuring TopShop clothing

boho chic 2 by tessaeastgate featuring TopShop hats

casual chic. sometimes easy chic. dressed down yet stylish; combining casual wear with fashionable dressing. probably the prevailing style in 2010 catwalks. key elements: mostly for comfort like denim, linen, khaki, cotton dresses, tank tops paired with pieces and shoes in season. color: timeless neutrals, black and white with palettes from the runway.

casual chic by tessaeastgate featuring Rupert Sanderson shoes

casual chic 2 by tessaeastgate featuring Michael Kors shoes

sunday brunch by tessaeastgate featuring Melie Bianco bags

eco chic. use of ecologically friendly materials in the construction of clothing and accessories. key elements: fair trade items, organic materials, reconstructed clothing.

geek chic. the look of geeks, once regarded as unpopular and socially awkward, has become cool by today’s standards, thanks in large part to real geeks amassing fortunes in the infotech industry. key elements: thick-frame glasses, crew-neck shirts, denim jeans, cargo pants, sneakers, surfer fedoras and baseball caps; minimal or no jewelries at all. graphic prints of video games, anime, cult films, graphic novels. colors: muted tones.

geek chic by tessaeastgate featuring Diesel shoes

geek chic 2 by tessaeastgate featuring Forever21 tops

goth chic. gothic dressing can be morbid and macabre because it takes inspiration in the victorian manner of dressing for mourning. normally associated with emo and the new punk. key elements: leather, dog collars, victorian lace and ruffles, amulets, macabre jewelry (skulls, pentacles, occult symbols), fishnet stockings, thigh high boots, corsets, gloves, stovepipe hats. colors: black. sometimes with a sudden show of scarlet, fuschia or purple.

goth chic by tessaeastgate featuring Antonio Marras tops

goth chic 2 by tessaeastgate featuring Paris Hilton shoes

heroin chic. the emaciated and seemingly addicted look, most popular in the 90′s. thank god that’s over.

military chic. applying military gear into fashion. anything from land, air or sea warfare. elements: metal studs, insignias, emblems, antique buttons, epaulets, bomber jackets, boots, dogtags, nautical symbols. colors: army green, military fatigue, khaki. navy blue, red and white for nautical style.

military chic by tessaeastgate featuring Roberto Cavalli shoes

tough glam by tessaeastgate featuring MICHAEL Michael Kors bags

nautical chic by tessaeastgate featuring Roccobarocco bags

shabby chic. the look of being worn or “shabby” but in a stylish way. it is usually associated with interior design, though it is also applied to clothing and accessories. “shabby chic” is coined by interior designer rachel ashwell, whose company is called that very same term.

i am currently quite fixated on shabby chic because i feel like redecorating with vintage finds and applying a few “wearing out” techniques on some furniture. which means i will be writing a dedicated entry on that some other time.

i am an avid ukay shopper. i thoroughly scour racks and bravely dig into crates for rare finds. i have been rewarded many many times for my patience and persistence, and i have to say i am quite proud of myself for being such a cheapskate sometimes. here in fiji, we are as big an ukay culture as the philippines, if not bigger. in all the second-hand outlets i’ve been to, there were evening dresses and prom gowns and formal wear on top of the usual casual and day wear, something i didn’t see quite often back home. two of these outlets even had wedding gowns. well now.

as the turn of events revived my fervent interest in vintage pieces and my ardent love for discovering beautiful pre-loved things burning as always, i went to my favorite vintage shop online, posh girl vintage, to look around and sigh at the dreamy wedding dresses. i may have exhausted my opportunity to wear these wonderful items, but there might be some of you out there who may like the dresses i found:

1950s organza tea length wedding dress

1950s designer wedding gown

1950s marilyn monroe halter dress

1960s empire flowy wedding dress

1950s white silk and lace tea length dress

1940s ivory beaded wedding dress

1950s white tea length wedding dress

1950s white strapless chiffon long gown

1950s tea length lace wedding dress

1950s perfect white tea length dress

1970s long hippie angel dress

and my favorite:

1950s pink and white princess gown

*sigh*