I’ve noticed during the course of my … er, stay here in the Philippines is that a lot of the spreads, layouts and ads now are referencing at least one of these things:
1) Upper-class preppy schoolkid - no doubt thanks to Gossip Girls, a show I’m actually not keen on. (Wow, I must be the only kitty I know who doesn’t enjoy watching that show, but it must be because I studied in a private school. >w< While I miss being in a more XX-laden school, I do NOT miss the cattiness that came with it.)
2) Gyaru - yes I am seeing this a LOT more now. The make-up is such that everyone looks tanned or au naturel, even if you see soon enough that they use bronzers and tanners and nude shades of lip, eye and cheek products. The hairdos are also more varied in terms of colours, cuts and styles. And of course the clothes are right at home with the local weather. Still not a lot of manba going on yet though, but we’ll see in a few.
3) Ulzzang - this has actually been around a bit longer thanks to the proliferation of so many Korean drama series on TV (and around the neighbourhood ;P). It looks to have also paved the way for gyaru’s entry into the country, thanks to the similarities between himegyaru and ulzzang style. Would I be right in saying that the only difference between the two is that ulzzang prefer to stay pale?
4) Crazy street style - not just Japanese in nature, this is anything and everything that most of the fashionable people back in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s would never be caught dead wearing. Some mix pyjamas and outerwear, while others parade their innerwear outdoors. There are a daring few whose style is simply indescribable and undefineable.
5) Geek chic - Not quite preppy, but definitely tech-driven, this marriage of tech and style makes me all sorts of happy. It’s nice to be able to carry a smart and stylish look literally, instead of being dowdy with clunky computers and cellular phones (now thankfully and more appropriately renamed mobile phones). ♥

Of course, toned-down European haute couture is not going to go away anytime soon, and neither will the super-casual styles that are on a lot of American fashion magazines. All I’m saying is that a lot of Filipinas and even Filipinos are a bit more adventurous in dressing up - and honestly, I’m very happy about this, because, hey, at least the modern fashion staple known as jeans now come in many other different (and mostly bright) colours! ;P

Also, to Filipina fans of female Japanese talents, buy this month’s (March 2009) issue of MEGA. There’s a spread inside for Coffret D’ Or by Kanebo, featuirng Kou Shibashiki, Miki Nakatani, and Keiko Kitagawa. ;P (And it’s got passable Engrish too! :P) I really wish the local office of Kanebo would bring in the ads for the Kate line, as Mika Nakashima is their model. >w<

Somewhat NSFW…!

Sorry for the bad picture. But then when I took it I was laughing and cringing at the same time. I don’t know which is more disturbing - the fact that Mum thought it was excellent cosplay material (well, it IS, but that’s besides the point), or the fact that that Mum even had it at all. X_x

And before any of you may ask, no, there were no other pieces besides that. To put it more accurately, Mum said she was losing the other parts of the ensemble… and that if she found them, she might give them to me.
Ah well, Happy New Year…!!! XD;;;

PS Learn more

So thanks to Sugar and Honeycute who kept badgering me, I finally joined PoupeeGirl!

For those on Poupee, please add me! ;D

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks to a (male!) friend of mine for finding a Japanese website that sells shiny, lovely in-ear earphones - http://www.elecom.co.jp/pickup/ear-drops4/index.html. (Click here for a translation courtesy of Google.)

The line is called “Ear Drops,” and the earphones come in three shapes: squares, circles (round type) and hearts.

They’re very pretty and I can totally see them co-ordinated in himegyaru style. Though I personally wouldn’t buy them because I’m simply not a fan of in-ear earphones.

What happens when you cross himegyaru style with the hit multimedia series Sailormoon? v^V^v

Presenting… Pretty Gal Sailormoon!

Moon	Mars	Jupiter
Venus	Neptune	Mercury
Chibimoon	Pluto	Uranus

Strangely enough, no Saturn. Possibly because she’s just so not gyaru? XD;;;

TOTALLY loving this editorial. ♥♥♥ I want the Neptune look-alike’s hair the most, I hope it fits me! X3 Alas, Uranus isn’t very pretty-looking here, though, but then again she’d be more bosozoku (biker gang) culture, ala Anna Tsuchiya’s Ichigo in Shimotsuma Monogatari - or even possibly sentaa, LOL.

Taken from the September 2008 issue of Koakuma Ageha (scans available at Jmagazinescans@Livejournal courtesy of the wonderful ! shini_tan X3), reposted from ~miyu_puri (sadly now defunct). d^V~b

Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry for neglecting this blog. >.< It’s just that in between work, I’ve been resting. Crimefighting is always serious business after all. If it helps any, Honeycute and Sugar are pissed at me for not lounging around much with them anymore.

Also, in the few pockets of free time I have, I’ve been addicted to this fairly new application called Polyvore. According to its creator, 2ndfashion, it’s “a free, web-based tool for creating collages and scrapbooks,” and “also a vibrant community of creative and stylish people.” What kind of collages and scrapbooks exactly, you may ask? Well, it has everything to do with style and creativity - hence, most sets, as collages and scrapbooks are called in Polyvore, are fashion-oriented.

Basically, what you do is you choose a photo that’s hosted online that catches your fancy, then use Polyvore’s bookmarklet or Clipper to capture the photo for Polyvore usage. Once captured, you can name it, then proceed to include it into your set, where you do virtual scrapbooking, or basically just cut, paste, clone, and mix-match images as you please. Obviously I’m no good with instructions, so I’m very glad the owner of Polyvore created a short demo presentation in the Help section of the site.

I think what’s really great about it is that you can just get any image online as you please and then mix and match them. The instructions and controls are a bit difficult for first-timers, but just be patient and check out the Help section if you’re lost. ;3

Here’s a set I came up with. It’s actually very similar to what I’m wearing right now. d^v~b What do y’all think?

Hello everyone, I’m sorry I’ve been gone quite a while. I hope some of you would have missed me… v^~^0 I’ve been busy working (this kitty is an independent pu**y, thanks) and also taking classes in Italian on the side, as if I were not overworked and undercashed enough.

In any case, I’m going crazy spazzing over hoodie jackets and hoodie sweaters. I dunno… they just look so cute and add that right touch of mystery! Unfortunately, living where I currently live, such items of clothing are useless unless it’s December or January … and even then those months have gotten pretty warm as of late.

When I was on vacation in the USA I saw the Melody Hoodie. (more…)

Joyeux Noel et Bonne Annee, hommes et filles! \^0^/

How is everyone’s Christmas and New Year’s holiday going? I unfortunately don’t celebrate Kwanzaa or Hanukkah myself, but I hope that the people that do have a good one.

Anyway, I’ve just heard that Nana Kitade, who is best described as a sort-of spokesperson for the lolita/aristocrat fashion and lifestyle, has collaborated with Japanese clothing line Baby the Stars Shine Bright for a clothing line starring… well, moi! ;3

Not convinced? Please check this out. (Online journal entry courtesy of Nana Kitade’s official website, hosted by her label Sony Music Japan. Thanks to etoiledejade of the Livejournal community EGL for providing this link in this post.) It’s even been featured in the BtSSB entry at Wikipedia!

I love, LOVE, LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE all the styles encompassed by lolita and aristocrat fashion, although there’s no way I can wear them in the area I currently live in because it turns too many heads. I do elegance, beauty and sweetness, but I do try not to call too much attention to myself since it gets incredibly tacky that way. XD; Which is sad and ironic because as a wee kitten, I didn’t like lace and poof one bit, but then that must be because Mum dressed myself and Honeycute in dresses made with tulle and cheap lace, which are definitely not kitten-friendly. XD;

To be very honest though, I thought I was more of a himegyaru (”hime gal” or “princess gal”) style icon, myself. I mean, with the fabulously posh way I look, I’m not sure I fit into the sweet lolita mindset that is so closely associated with BtSSB. Not that I mind, but I’ve always thought I was a bit more grown-up. Ah well, can’t be too choosy. X3

In any case, here are some shots of Nana Kitade in the outfits, courtesy of BtSSB and the EGL community over at LJ: 1, 2. And here’s the actual line itself, where there’s plenty more to ogle at: Charmmy Kitty@BtSSB.

Alright, time to get drunk with sherry! Happy Holidays! d^.~b

EDIT (07/01/2008): GotochiKitty has an excellent feature on the Nana Kitade x BtSSB x Charmmy Kitty project here.