like any christmas break in the philippines, many urbanites start heading to coastal areas for some holiday fun and frolic in the sea and sand. as for fiji, we get a wave of tourist arrivals from the frigid northern hemisphere, wanderlusters averse against the bitter cold to bask themselves under the pacific sun.
it’s fun to fashion-watch holiday tourists in the resorts. it’s like walking into a brochure. of course, it would be so rude to just snap photos of resort guests who come here for rest, relaxation and privacy, so just trust me that most ladies wear bright printed sundresses, wide-brim hats, oversize sunglasses and rubber flip-flops. while this kind of ensemble is very apt for the nature-inspired vibe of the island, sometimes i get to see some jordi labanda-esque tropical wear which i happen to favor an awful lot.
instead of invading the tourists’ private space by taking sudden photos, i assembled some diva-style tropical outfits in polyvore taking cues from the famous pop-art of jordi so you can get an idea of what i’m talking about. to make it more timeless, i stuck to neutral black and white with denim. plus washes of gold because i love how they reflect the sunlight and how they complement the sparkle of the sea.
poolside
resort shopping
clubbing
a few tips on how to look like a fashionable work of pop-art in the resort:
over-accessorize. if you want to look like a diva, there are times you have be fearless about wearing jewelry at the beach or poolside (that is, if you don’t intend to swim; you’d rather not risk losing them in the water). sleek or chunky watches, thick or piled-on bangles, bumblebee or aviator sunglasses, unique hats.
wear figure-skimming outfits. as much as possible, keep away from babydoll dresses and other cuts that de-emphasize your figure. you can only wear an oversize top if it is a sheer cover-up over your bikini.
limit prints. solid colors, especially deep shades, make you look leaner and, combined with the previous tip, even taller. if you want more color in your tropical diva wardrobe, opt instead for wide stripes or color-blocking.
give your flip-flops a rest. no diva will be caught dead in these. rock your strappy sandals.
nail polish. hands with bold nail colors make a strong statement. and they look fantastic holding that glass of mimosa. toenails with the same or complementing shade makes a fabulous end to your bare legs.
waterproof mascara. abundant lashes with your naturally glowing skin, thanks to the tropical sun, makes you look like a complete knock-out.
sun-seekers, hope you have fun in the holiday sun!
as i am now in a resort culture, my first fashion entry coming back from a dry spell is reasonably one about resort collections.
it wasn’t too long ago when the fancy term “resort” made its way into the glamorous jargon of annual fashion events, squeezing itself among the blur of fabrics that are “spring-summer” and “fall-winter”.
so what exactly is the resort collection?
though the term gained solid existence only in recent fashion history, resort wear itself goes far back when the wealthy jet-set formed a viable market for high fashion appropriate for escaping the bitter winter as they fly off to warm tropical climates. it used to be primarily made up of light materials, gossamer fabrics, billowy hats, open footwear and multifarious swimwear, but designers have now considered the other side of the jet-set who run off to aspen rather than the bahamas by including toasty materials, furry hats, snug boots and warm gloves.
my favorite pieces from resort 09 collections:
badgley mischka
luca luca
narciso rodriguez
nicole miller
rag & bone
while girls in many countries blessed with year-long sunshine prefer their wardrobes to consist mainly of jeans and shirts, i think it would be a fine idea to introduce some dresses and hats (yes, hats. why is it that not many women wear hats in the philippines?). i like jeans and shirts too, but i find myself wearing dresses more often here in fiji. they are more comfortable under tropical heat, plus they are easier to pack and wash. and i always wear a hat.
don’t forget your sunscreen.
FIJI!
will resume regular posting very soon. hope to see you around here!
the lion fish, so called for its fins that look like a mane.
look! a tank of clown fish like nemo and marlin! they even have anemones like their ocean home.
puffer fish, martin scorsese in a shark’s tale. remember him?
another species of puffer fish. with more interesting markings.
check out the garden eels. they just poke their heads out from the sand like that. isn’t that just trippy?
the kalaliman area of the park has the coolest sunken ship theme.
the tunnel was awesome!
the sharks were pretty hard to capture on camera because they kept swimming around their tank. but these shark species were very docile that time, they stayed put at the bottom of the tank. though i know these species are well known for the most ravenous feeding frenzies.
outside the oceanarium, there is an asian food museum and adjacent to it is the most charming restaurant that serves fares from different regions of the continent. photographs were not allowed in the food place, but i didn’t read the notices until someone pointed it out to me. that’s after i had already snapped a few photos.
too bad we won’t be here when the h2o hotel opens and the jellyfish tank forms part of the marine exhibit! i love jellies! well, not get stung by them, of course… we used to catch them from the sea and put them in water-filled jars as little kids. then we release them back into the ocean.
go visit the manila ocean park!
located behind the quirino grandstand, luneta, manila. admission fee: P400.00 for adults, P350.00 for children below 4.5 feet. other attractions: fish spa, glass bottom boat ride, mermaid show and band performances among others.
we are leaving soon which should expalin the panic at going around manila to experience it fully before our personal itineraries become extremely hectic. i am quite ashamed to admit that it was our first time to go to manila ocean park last saturday.
it was drizzling the whole time we were there, but we didn’t mind one bit.
unfortunately, flash photography is prohibited in the park as the light might create undue stress to the marine animals. we don’t have a very sophisticated camera, so many of the photos don’t do justice to the real thing.
another unfortunate thing is my poor memory. i cannot remember the names of all the species.
here’s the first fish that met us inside the park. i believe it’s called an arapaima, the world’s largest freshwater fish. he is longer than the average human is tall.
visitors get to walk on a bridge over the crocodiles.
the philippine crocodile isn’t as big as many of the crocs we see on animal planet, but i’m sure he’s just as vicious.
i have mentioned in an entry before that my fondest childhood memories are filled with smells of sunblock. it should go without saying that it also involves the smell of the seashore.
so walking into the dalampasigan area was quite a nostalgic experience. especially when i saw the starfish. every summer as children, we would look forward to walking along the low-tide sand dunes that were almost completely covered by starfish (most of them the sand-colored skinny ones. but we also ran into those bright blue ones and the chocolate-chip species shown in the photo; yes, they are called chocolate-chip starfish).
some colorful fish in the shallow waters.
and corals.
the enclosed area of the park shows more exotic and, well, weirder species of marine life.
seahorses are often depicted in fantasy and animation as vibrant creatures with manes that sway to and fro with the waves of the deep blue sea. real sea horses look nothing like that. they look nothing like horses, either. i’ve always thought they look sort of freaky. in an interesting kind of way.
my favorite sting rays on display. those bright blue spotted ones. they’re my favorite rays, but i can’t even recall what they’re called. i told you i have poor memory. and look at his eyes! it seems as if he’s always glaring at the people.
my favorite fish in the park are these spotted red-eyed freshwater ones. i believe they are a species of cardinal fish. unlike the other fish, they don’t swim around their tank at all. they just stay there suspended in mid-water, aimlessly floating with the current. with those glassy red eyes. it’s like their stoned or something.
the corals are beautiful!
here’s something trippy: shark eggs. illuminated so you can see the development the fish inside the eggs. they look like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
snowflake moray eels. they look cute but they’re lethal.
more of the manila ocean park experience tomorrow!
Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner
Subscribe to i am shallow
