About
The Reluctant Stylista is a fashion and lifestyle blog written by Alex Lapa--a once tomboyish girl who suddenly discovered the joys and perks of dressing up. Original illustrations by Paolo Lazatin.
For questions, comments, invites and other messages, please leave them here.
If you're looking for my styling work, you can browse blog entries tagged "work" and other related keywords. Drop me a line and let's see if our schedules will allow us to collaborate! It may take me some time to reply, though, as usually there's a lot of other things I juggle and I need to be doubly sure about my availability and resources before I commit.
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We won!
The Reluctant Stylista is proud to be a finalist and winner for two categories at The Philippine Blog Awards 2010: Best Beauty and Fashion Blog and Best Blog Design. Thank you to all who rooted for us!
Twitter Updates
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Running on 2 hours of sleep over 48 hours x_X
posted 16 hours ago. -
Red bull and Toblerone. Sleep is for the weak!
posted 2 days ago. -
Room with a view part 2 http://t.co/6iwLQgPL
posted 2 days ago. -
Fishtail braid by @brent_sales http://t.co/ylVrdvzi
posted 2 days ago. -
Walang magawa sa dressing rm so instagram nalang. #xfactorph I look like a totoy. Carmi looks girlier than I http://t.co/3ABRDJM6
posted 2 days ago.
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Networks and Affiliates
This is the first time I’m writing something non-fashion/beauty related here, but there’s no better exception than now. There’s been a major revamp at The Reluctant Stylista lately, if you’ve noticed. That’s a new layout you’re looking at, a new masthead and this time with an original artwork! We’ll be having more of that in the future. My boyfriend Paolo drew that for me, to look like me–I’m not that cute, but that’s love for you.
Meanwhile, do you miss the colors of the old layout? Do let me know. I kind of do, but I was aiming for a different angle with this new layout. I’m hoping I can figure out how to bring back some of the color to it. I used to get compliments on the old one even though in actuality, that was kind of a rush job. My friend Alvin used to pressure me about getting this site up since he already had everything laid out, it just needed the design (The Reluctant Stylista is self-hosted and was made from scratch, which is why it looks different from your regular Blogger/Wordpress sites). So one night, I was determined to finish it and launch the next day. I was hungry, and I was thinking of cupcakes–which was why the old layout looked like that. Like an old-fashioned bakery. It had pink accents so that it’d still look like a beauty and fashion blog, but I was more partial to the warmer shades of brown. Many beauty blogs were already pink, but what color could I use that’d still look girly and yet not pink? Yep, that’s why the old layout had lots of orange in it. I’m still more partial to orange, but I’m giving the hot pink you’re seeing in this new layout a test drive. If you notice, all links are colored the same, so it’s easier to change into another shade if I get sick of the hot pink.
This was the first layout I came up with, which never came to light. I have a thing for vintage art and pin-up girls.
I tend to get carried away with vintage design, so I changed the masthead to look more modern, thus more open to a wider audience. It had rotating banners, two of which you’re seeing below.
The actual implementation looked like this.
While we’re at it, we might as well plug about what we do for a living (in my case, what I do for freelance). Everyone behind The Reluctant Stylista is knowledgeable in web design and development. The boyfriend and I are actually going to start concentrating on blog design and illustration services soon, so if you’re interested, you can drop by our combined portfolio at The Six Thirty.
Alvin, the genius that made this site possible, is also available for interactive web design and development (it’s his CMS I’m using for this site). You can check out his portfolio at Chogi Interactive.
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Oh yess! New beginnings! I like it, it’s clean and easy to read. I am into the warmer shades of brown too, not a fan of pink though.
I’m looking forward to your next updates, great work as always.
hm. i actually kind of miss the old layout because the masthead was distinctive. i like pao’s drawing, of course, but i think the site needs a splash of color. just to separate the masthead from the content.
I agree with Bea. It needs a splash of color. But the illustration is really nice! =)
And… ngayon ko lang nalaman na masthead tawag sa header? Haha! =) Tama ba pagkaintindi ko? lols… Parang hindi ako web designer e no? Hahaha!
I like this new layout! its clean and classy. Pao did a great job in the illustration. and of course anything in pink looks good to me.
keep doing what you’re doing, it’s really good and this is gonna take you far and wide.
@Lei
yeah, masthead = header. i have difficulty reading with too much white spaces on screen interfaces, but i love white spaces on print.
it still does look classy and would really look beautiful on print (gotta love how versatile pao
bleargh. typed the wrong name. XD (that was my post addressing Lei’s.)
Oooh, sabi na nga ba Pao drew that
Hehe. I think this new layout is lovely and pulls people into just reading everything.
Alam mo I also have a thing for pin-up girls. Beautiful, noh?
I like the 2nd site’s design
I love all the 3 layouts though.
@Maureen – Thanks! I’ll be uploading new original artworks soon, hopefully.
i love your current blog layout most, Alex
hi paolo
browsed the site of the reluctant stylista and i was so impressed with the design, how it was done and everything…im kinda new to blogging stuff and im really looking of someone who will do the design, illustration to it…and im thankful i saw her site and there was you…maybe you could help me out in this by sending me the cost, the needed requirements etc to come up with a beautiful design just like the reluctant stylista…
kindly email me for the details please…looking forward to that…big thanks and more blessings from God
malou