My utilitarian style


Hey ya, lovelies!

I've been down with sinusitis infection for almost a week that some of my to-do items had to be moved a week later. But I'm positive everything's gonna be okay. I'm feeling great now, after a week of antibiotics, lots of rest and love from my family, especially my hubby who was in his most extra sweet self of all our 14 years (engagement plus marriage) together. Life is good and I'm so excited for more new things to unfold, be it challenging or just pure bliss ;) We always grow from a good balance of all these.

So, today really, what I wanted to reflect on is my current style.


Rocky, the latest top I made ;)
After more than 5 years of learning the craft, I became more and more aware of the why's.
Beyond the techniques, there must be story.
After learning the basics, you can't help but think about the compelling reason as to why master a certain skill in the first place.

Loving how the top is so cool to the eye despite Hannari posing under the blazing hot summer sun
I remember as a child very fond of looking at fashion magazines and my seamstress aunts' (two ladies) dress catalogs. If I'm not mistaken, those 80s catalogs were from Hong Kong and Japan, as the models look fair-skinned, and dark-haired. They also had other catalogs that had western models in them. Most of the clothes in those prints are work/office clothes and semi-formal dresses.

My mom always takes our fabrics to either of my aunts' home/workshop. Most of my dresses in childhood were tailor-made for me. That was a cheaper way to wear something nice for an event.
I was always performing back then because I sang.
My first public singing performance was when I was 3.
My dad's profession in his younger years was a club/hotel singer/band member.
But let's get back to the style thing.

Sophia in her usual pensive mood
So I grew up knowing that things can really be done by hand, if with proper skills and perseverance and vision. And especially, that well-tailored clothes are indeed stylish.
I didn't need frothy clothes to make a statement.



As I grew up, I have always just wanted comfortable clothes.
My mother would sometimes dress me with lacy things when I was younger.
Living in a tropical, high-humidity country,
you don't want anything other than your cotton-based basic garb.

When I finally was in my teens, my choice of clothes prevailed.



My style was and still is pretty direct.
Cotton tee and medium-weight shorts and pants.
I sometimes wear a dress, but it has to be super comfy.



So if you've been following me for a while now,
you could pretty much summarize my style to be comfy and utilitarian.
If I use loud prints, I make sure the form of the garment is simple.
If I had a plain solid-colored fabric, I make sure to give it some oomph, but making sure the garment can still be mixed and matched with your other wardrobe staples.


The Rocky top is pretty much a statement top, at least for me.
It's not my usual plain shirt, but I like the tie-dye print, and I think the elastic off-shoulders complement it. Plus, it's in my favorite hue --- navy blue, haha!
Subtle yet very deep. Just as wonderful as my blacks and whites and creams and browns haha!


My style will probably change in a few years, who knows?

Chat with you soon, loves!




Comments

  1. Your outfits are always very nice, whether they be "utilitarian" or dressy. My dolls just love to be dressed in items from your collection!

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    1. Oh, thanks so so much, Phyllis! Melts my heart - hugs and kisses to you and your little ladies <3

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  2. OMG your dolls are gorgeous and I love the photography! I tend to dress more formal even when I'm not working(of course I also don't live in a tropic climate!) and I basically dress my dolls they way I dress/would like to dress.

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    1. I think it's nice to see how people project their personal style onto their dolls. One of the great things about doll collecting!

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    2. Yes, I agree with you. It's fascinating to know that some of us makes their dolls dress like their humans, while other dress their dolls the way they would have wanted to dress! When I browse through someone's gallery of doll photos, I always ask myself, is this owner's personal dressing style, or their dream style? Would that cross your mind sometimes?

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    3. Yes, I do the same! I follow a lot of collectors on Flickr, and, while I don't know them personally, I know some of them do dress their dolls similar to the way they dress irl. It's always fun to guess what a collector is like by looking at their dolls. In that way doll collecting is like art, a form of self-expression.

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    4. Truly! It indeed is an art form. A new kind of art form. Some may not accept that fact but once you express yourself through a form, the deed already is art.

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  3. Yes, I guess our style changes a little bit with age, keeping its essence. My grandmother was a seamstress and I had a childhood similar to yours as far as clothing is concern. I remember that my mother would love to put me dresses full of ribbons/lace/ruffles but when I entered my teen years I just hated that girly style that ended up in school bullying. As an adult now I'm living a sort of revivalism of that style. I don't know if it's because of my childhood or as a result of being a military that spends the whole day in uniform, feeling an urge to dress feminine pieces in my spare time :)

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    1. Oh, there are also times when I feel feminine. Like attending weddings, or cocktail parties. I then take advantage of it and try to enjoy looking like a woman ahaha! It's fun when it happens only a few times in a year haha!

      If in our childhood we were surrounded by creative craftsmen then our doll collecting must be also be connected to us liking fashion, don't you think?

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    2. I completely agree with you! My two grandmothers and my mother in the sewing/embroidery line and my father in carpentry and other gadgets :D

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    3. Wow, I can totally imagine how fun your childhood is like! I enjoy collecting their scarp materials so I can make my own creations, too! Oh wow, those days!

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