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.
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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 15 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
I’ve been terribly lacking in updates lately, I know. Maybe it’s the holidays or the dreary weather. Thing is, I haven’t had that much heart for blogging and writing for the past couple of weeks and rather than force it, I decided to take a short break. But while that happened, Pao has been helping me transition into a new host and a new platform. Reluctant Stylista is now operating on WordPress! I’m finally able to do things that were so difficult to manage on a custom CMS. Alvin did a great job on the old site, but between his own plans for rock world domination and my progress as an independent fashion blogger, we eventually caved in and signed up for a more manageable, more SEO-optimized home. There are a few setbacks, however, but nothing major. So please don’t be surprised by some changes–we’re still adjusting and improving as we go along.
What else is cooking? Well, to give you an idea, there’s this:
I’ve been busy doing a DIY shredded white tee and a scarf to go together. It was my first time to do both; I was almost a failure with the scarf, as I had forgotten I should have been using a shirt without side seams! But it doesn’t look so bad, and since I’ll be wrapping it around the models neck twice, it probably won’t show.
The shirt shredding was something I wasn’t prepared for. It was a lot of work! I’m actually still not done, although it can already be used at its current state. But I want to add more shredding. It took me a whole day just to get what I have now–I did it while watching several movies. Though I may have to rewatch Wall Street (1987) because between the jargons and my shredding, I didn’t really absorb much.
The scarf was pretty easy. I coveted this purple scarf we used at the Promod styling contest earlier this year and I learned how to do it.
In case you’re wondering what all this mutilation of innocent white shirts is all about, it’s for a portfolio shoot with Noel Manapat (most known for being the favorite stylist of retail giant Bench and its sister companies) and Jo Ann Bitagcol (model-photographer, and like Sara Black, I naturally have a girl crush on her). I’m nervous, as I don’t have everything else yet, and they will all be brand new. I haven’t seen them together yet; I’m styling a look that’s all in my head. Usually, I use myself as mannequin before a shoot and wear everything to get a better understanding of the looks I’m creating.
Noel Manapat is my styling mentor at Designer Fashion Workshops, and he set the parameters of us styling with a white tee as our primary piece. I hope I do both our concepts some justice.
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Wow, good luck with the shoot. Those look nice. Looking forward to see the actual output.
And congrats on this new wordpress-powered ReluctantStylista. All the best, missy!
Thanks
Very nice, I am actually thinking what to do with my t-shirts to make them not so t-shirty haha! thanks for the idea. Good luck on WP its a very easy blog platform once you get the hang of it
The shirt shredding got addictive after a while, I even had a dream about it.
) And thanks! I’m stil learning the ropes here.
Wow, Leki! You’re really impressing me with every project you take on! Good luck with this!
Thanks Chris!
I hope it goes well, too. I’m excited about the shoot hehe.
This post didn’t appear on my reader, wah! Anyhoo, WordPress is really nice and Pao was able to keep the old feel. That’s what I love about WordPress. All my HTML-based websites still kept their feel when I converted.
I love WP na rin! Also this easy to use Gravatar haha. I was able to add 3 email addresses to Gravatar so it recognizes me anywhere where it’s enabled. I love how you don’t need to login unlike Disqus.
Nice, lex! It looks sooooooo complicated all that shredding. I have a designer friend who also taught me to do it but I am absolutely chicken to get started. Re the site – I like that your recent posts are now visible! The thing is your readers would also navigate around your site more
You have great finds there! xx
Thanks! The shredding took so long at first, and looking at my work now, my old shredding looks sloppier haha. It was really a challenge–once you start, you have to commit! But it was fun nonetheless.
As for the site, I will probably show a longer list of recent posts there after a while.
Hi Alex! Just wanted to drop by and tell you that your comment section looks better and that I hope to see you girls come December, hopefully for a POC dinner
Now with comment subscription, too! LOL. I remember you used to look for that here. We should definitely all see each other for a POC dinner before the mega holiday rush.
Oh hey, you took the styling class pala. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll do great. Also, that scarf looks awesome.
Thanks! Those are just two shirts I used for the scarf. Now I’ve doubled it to four for more layers. xD
your new site looks great! now im inspired to do the same. lol. goodluck on your styling shoot!:) im sure you’ll do great. and your DIY pieces look amazing!!!
Thanks! And if you do revamp DE, I’m excited to see it
I like your comments section better, I can see your pic (fangirl mode) hehehe! WordPress is good, a lot of blogs are hosted by wp.
Omg, Noel Manapat is the bomb (fangirl mode again). He’s a styling genius, I love his works! Yay for you!
Hay,I can’t seem to deconstruct basic white shirts artfully, buti ka pa! Hahaha! It looks very nice, good job!
I love Noel Manapat’s work, too, he’s usually so clean and I love his method to styling. As for the white shirts, some friends who have seen it want me to make them some. I don’t really mind, pero dapat may kapalit na cookies! LOL
awesome job w/ the shredding! i think if i did that to my clothes, i’d just wreck them totally.
good luck w/ your styling shoot! i wanted to take the same workshop, but the schedule didn’t fit mine.
^ oops, that was me, btw. typo on my name. haha, stupid.
um, my previous is gone. idk why.
anyway, i said awesome job on the shredding! if i did that w/ my clothes, i think i’d wreck them totally. haha.
also, good luck w/ your styling shoot! i wanted to take the same workshop, but the schedule didn’t fit mine.
Haha it’s there, but since it didn’t recognize your name/email at first, it had to be approved first. WP is so smart it doesn’t take kindly to typos apparently!
@shredding – thanks! I was so proud of it since everyone at the shoot really liked how it turned out.
You’re one tough girl, I’m afraid of shredding my clothes! You did a great job btw
share your pic with this top on pls 
I will
better yet, on my model (SQUEE) that night, I’m so excited to see the photos of the shoot.
Although I sortof wish I had picked the photo that showed her face so I can brag that I dressed *her* once.
)