Pinoy Ako! Earrings

Surely, the ways to manifest love for our mother country is more than the number of stars in our flag. One can resolve to sing the national anthem with better understanding, to follow the simple traffic rules, to act as a law-abiding pedestrian, to utter good things about our country wherever we are, to buy local products, or, the one that is closest to GUTSY, to recognize our own fashion.

It is a challenge to promote the type of fashion peculiarly our own. One reason is our lack of awareness of who we are and what we possess as Filipinos. Little is our knowledge on Philippine history; modicum effort is there to polish further our positive traits; only short-sighted aspirations are there to uproot our weaknesses; lack of interest in our culture. In other words, the vague perception of our identity manifests itself even in our external bearing. Nowadays, there are more fashion stores sprouting up with the intention of bringing to the fore Philippine fashion. This is already a humongous effort on the part of these boutiques, but not enough when looking at the entire fashion panorama. We have to go across the board, influencing and encouraging Filipinos from different societal levels and walks of life to say yes to Filipino fashion.

GUTSY Fashion Team features in this article an accessory that we can call our own. This pair of earrings hails from Davao City. The array of colors is reminiscent of the vintas we can find in the South, and is truly reflective of the positive and optimistic outlook of Filipinos.

Remember this: our patriotism can always grow. The major factor for this depends solely on us, whether or not we are sincere in this endeavor.

Paper Wallet

It is high time to talk about other fashion articles here in GUTSY blog! First topic in line is our money reservoir, wallet. This could be a very popular fashion item for fashionistas to the point that they have one for each kind of attire in their closet. Well, as for us in this fashion team, we do not have that array of choices in our drawers, but what do we have is a lesson we learned from our Home Economics subject. H.E. teachers keep on pounding on the fact that citizens have to be prosumers - that is producer + consumer - especially in this time wherein recessions are not unusual. Armed with this idea and some minutes to spare, we decided to get some of our craft items and started to explore an underutilized terrain , that of being fashionably cool without cashing out a cent. The result of this mishmash of ideas and items? This chromatic, bright, vivid, colorful, spectrum-inspired paper wallet. Never did we realize that a modicum of resources could turn up to a wonderful fashion article . This could be one of the best ways to unleash our creativity and to express ourselves - desires that are very widespread among the youth. So now, we think it is more high time to grab your colored pieces of paper, adhesives, and cutter, and let yourself be absorbed in this refreshing and liberating activity.

A day in Old Manila

The GUTSY fashion team recently visited the historical walled city of Intramuros to make it the backdrop of our first GUTSY shoot. Here, some style ideas to suit the dignified and creative gutsy girl--let us know what you think. Enjoy!

Maan Lorenzo in Intramuros
Photographed by Pia Lorenzo
Styled by Nicole Bautista and Pia Lorenzo
Edited by Caryl Rodolfo

A printed cotton dress for a breezy walk in the historical city. (Wear comfy shoes!)

Studying? You can bring all that you need if you choose a roomy (and stylish) bag!

A metallic belt to accessorize a two-toned dress? Why not?

GUTSY Q&A: It's a tie

Dear GUTSY,

I came across dozens of my dad's old neckties from the 60's to the late 90's. We're giving them away but one caught my eye--I think it's just awesome! I'm keeping it. Any suggestions on how I can turn it to an accessory? Like a scarf or even a "ladies' tie" or something. It's yellow-green, grass green, with a touch of orange and damask(?)-like prints. Thanks!


What an interesting question! While a necktie is specifically made for men to wear around their neck, we women can make this fashion piece "our own," too. How? Here are a few tips from GUTSY girls:

Photo from mycherrymagazine.com

"Why not wear the tie as a belt? [According to Katherine Swan for the article 'Ties for Women: Ways to Accessorize' for Neckties.com] 'Accessorizing with a tie doesn’t have to mean wearing it around your neck. You can wear a tie in all of the same ways that you might wear a skinny scarf: not just around the neck, but also as a belt or in your hair. These looks best accessorize a casual outfit, so be sure that you are dressing appropriately for the occasion. The idea here is to hit just the right note: funky, without going over the top.'"
-Gabi

"She can use the tie as a belt if the length of the tie can cinch her waist."
-Kathy

Photo from etsy.com

"Some suggestions:

• use it as belt,
• combine it with an obi belt,
• use it as ribbon tie, or
• make a rose brooch out of it."

-Lani

Photo from etsy.com

"She can use it as a decor for her bag--tie it around the bag or roll it up and pin it. Better not to use it as is (i.e. as neck tie)--so punky! She can combine it with other belts and make a belt. Another option is to use it as a headband. Just add a ribbon or any brooch to spice it up. That's all."
-Pia Lor

Photo from etsy.com

"She can wear it as a scarf, ladies tie, bracelet or belt. If she wants her dad's necktie to stand out, she should wear it with the monochromatic colors of black and white. What I mean is, she'll wear full colors so that the necktie will be the first thing noticeable because it's the only one with the prints."
-Lennor

If you have a style question, send it to us by leaving a comment in this blog!

On Maria Callas and Accessories (No. 2)

There are several pictures of La Divina online. Sifting through them, what I find most fascinating (apart from the fantastic outfits and extraordinarily detailed opera costumes) is the woman herself. She was a chameleon, and no two pictures of her are alike. You know how, when you watch America's Next Top Model and some of them are told (and not in a complimentary manner!) that they only have "one look?" Well, Callas is the total opposite. Her "life force" is so powerful, it permeates each photo with an anima that renders even two photos taken at a single photo shoot unique in their own way. The way she tilts her head, or raises her eyebrow an infinitesimal millimeter higher, makes her a worthy subject for us ladies when studying the art of possessing an "interesting face," which to me, is a more beautiful compliment than merely saying "She's pretty."

But I digress. On to the next photo! Please share your thoughts by commenting, and tell us what YOU liked (or didn't) about the picture.

Isn't this a classy look for an evening affair... say, the prom? :) The opera-length black gloves are a throw-back to the glamorous 1950's (think Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, etc.).

The breakdown: Two solid colors. Again, we have a navy blue shawl draped dramatically against a fit gown that beautifully shows Callas' hour glass figure to advantage (and yet, not overly tight such that she can't breathe).

The face: Impeccably groomed eyebrows, well-defined eyes and a pop of bright red lipstick.

The accessories: The aforementioned blue shawl and diamond drop earrings, and a diamond bracelet over the black gloves.

But more than the dignified clothes, again, what makes this photo breathtaking is the woman herself. Observe her posture! If she were stooped or fixed her gaze on the floor, this would have been an ordinary picture.

Our style lesson for the day: There is no substitute for self-confidence and good posture!

On Accessories and Maria Callas (No. 1)

I have just come from the most highly-anticipated show of Philippine theater this year... Cherie Gil's reprisal of the lead role in Terence McNally's MASTER CLASS. She played no other than La Divina, the Diva of all divas herself... Maria Callas.

In the award-winning play, Maria Callas utters this sage advice (among several other bon mots) to aspiring student singers:

"If you want to be remembered, you've got to have a look. You have a very fine face and figure, I'm sure, but you don't have a look. How do you expect people to remember you? There are thousands... no, millions of you out there, and you all look the same. You've got to have a signature!"

Now, this might have been uttered to would-be opera singers, but I'm pretty sure that this is something all of us can learn from. After all, we wouldn't want to dissolve into the sea of humanity ALL the time. There is a difference between "disappearing into" a crowd, and "blending in." Of course, there are situations wherein we purposefully dress down (like when we know we're commuting to a potentially hazardous location), but even the simplest outfit can be dressed up just by adding a simple accessory or two. You can simply bring along some earrings or a scarf in your handbag, and put them on when you're in more civilized territory. :)

Here is the first of a collection of pictures of the famous soprano, and what I liked (style-wise):

See how wearing two contrasting solid colors (navy blue shawl against a snow white dress) can dramatically change one's look? And see how classy drop earrings look when paired with a simple yet elegant coiffure! They draw attention to the face. Let's not forget, ladies, that the most important accessory we can have is our facial expression!

Pictures taken from here.