Style Essentials and Shopping Tips for the 20-Something Year Old’s

I used to be an impulsive shopaholic—buying clothes and shoes left and right and realizing after that I’m probably only going to wear them once or twice.

All this changed when I graduated and started working, and most especially when I was given my own credit card. Bills would eat up my paycheck, and it really hurt my wallet to buy something impractical or something that’s going to be kept in my closet 363 days in a year.

Because of this, I have mental notes whenever I go shopping. Aside from limiting it to once a month, I always take into consideration things like how often will I be wearing this piece, or how can I mix and match this article of clothing with the rest of my closet?

My style has always been classic with a twist—I love sticking to basic pieces, or pieces that I know will never go out of style. I’m super into lace, florals, and animal-prints. I get my inspiration from reading Preview magazine and just recently, Stylized: Liz Uy’s Ten Style Essentials.

Floral Jeggings from Topshop

Lace Top from TopShop, Beige Skirt and Grey Cardigan from Forever 21, Gold Ballet Flats from Parisian, Bag from Kate Spade

Dress from Forever 21

Hoodie from Alabang Town Center, Leggings from Forever 21, Sneakers from Converse

According to Liz Uy, girls should have these as staples in their closet:

• white v-neck shirt
• little black dress
• blazer
• white button-down shirt
• slacks
• leggings
• jeans
• tank top
• shorts
• pencil skirt

I frequently resort to blogs as well—blogs like WhoWhatWear, Lauren Conrad, Miss Jones of StyleBible.ph, Ezra (love their Chinese New Year Collection!), and Storm Trooper Fashion.

When shopping, I’m more particular about the style and the quality rather than the brand. My favorite stores are Zara, TopShop, Ever New, and Miss Selfridge but a lot of times, I also go through each and every store in Shoppesville and Greenhills Tiangge to look for quality pieces that aren’t branded, aren’t fake, and are priced between Php300 to Php1000.

Here’s something I did with a very versatile little black dress handed down to me by my aunt. I played with four styles that’s perfect for the office, a date with the Cupcake, drinks with girl friends, and something casual I can wear to the mall.

  For the office attire, I paired it with a blazer. To give it a little color, I added a red belt and a gold necklace.

Blazer from TopShop, Necklace and Belt from Greenhills, Shoes from Aldo
For a date night with the Cupcake, I just removed the blazer and belt, and replaced the necklace with some pearls.

 A night out with girl friends is always fun. To dress up my LBD, I paired it with an animal-print jacket and ankle boots (both from Forever 21).

 Lastly, you can easily play down an LBD with a denim jacket and sneakers. The denim jacket I’m wearing from Old Navy is really versatile as well, and goes hand-in-hand with my Converse sneakers. Add life to your look with a vibrant bag, like this one from Kate Spade.

 Another discovery, aside from flea markets like the one in Greenhills, is online shopping—which can be a little dangerous to your credit card if not used wisely. So always think, think, think before you purchase! But really, online shopping proves to be incredibly convenient. I love looking through Zalora’s brands! Especially dresses from Ezra, like these two, which I bought last Tuesday using gift vouchers.

 

Photos grabbed from Zalora

Just a quick tip: make sure that when you visit an online shop, you research about them first. I’ve heard and read about some online shops that have poor customer service and items, or ship items weeks after they were ordered. Be careful of scams as well!

Lastly, whenever I go shopping and I see something that I like, I ask myself questions like: Do I really need this? Is the price worth it? What other outfits can I pair this with? If I’m really convinced, I go ahead and buy it.

Otherwise, especially when I need to tighten my belt, I tell myself an old saying that came from my great grandmother: “Ang maganda, hindi nawawala.” In English, it means, “Beautiful things don’t run out.”

Which is true. There will always be a prettier skirt, or a prettier dress, or a prettier top—that will probably look similar or even better than what I initially wanted but couldn’t afford at the moment, and maybe that skirt, dress, or top is more meant for me. In the end, it’s really about choosing wisely, knowing what clothes fit you best, and where to find them.

Style Essentials and Shopping Tips for the 20-Something Year Old’s