Outfits Online

Let me be the first to admit that I look at other women. I can’t help it; I got it from my mother. When I was younger, I felt mortified whenever my mom’s eyes would lock onto a woman and follow her until she disappeared from our sight. After years of trying to shake off my mother’s focused gaze, I’ve joined her. Now, we usually check out what we like together. The shoes. The bag. The particular combination of colors. The way she wears her accessories. (I’d like to point out, though, that I’m much, much more discreet than my mother. I glance. She stares.)

I’m sure I’m not the only female who checks out the styles of her fellow ladies. It’s part of the female DNA. Women check out what other women are wearing. Even when we were wearing uniforms in high school, we’d check out how other girls wore their socks: slouched? Folded? Or did they just wear bitin socks?

It’s not necessarily a rivalry thing, though. Personally, I love seeing how real women put themselves together. Lolas in their crisp white shirts, capri pants, loafers, perfect coiffed hair and lipstick. Teenage girls in their denim cutoffs, gladiator sandals and black nail polish. Little girls in their ballet tutus. I do enjoy watching runway shows online and flipping through high fashion spreads in my favorite magazines, but those are more for information and inspiration than realization. These things will always tell us what looks are great. In the end, all these looks will end up on a woman on the street, not the runway. That’s when we really know when a look is fasyon. It’s more about the clothes, but the way people put the pieces together and let their personalities shine through.

It seems that a lot of people share my love for outfit watching because there has been a proliferation of websites dedicated to everyday fashion. These websites show us how high fashion and popular looks are worn in everyday life by real people. What’s more, you can pore over the outfits as long as you want from the comfort of your own computer chairs. No need for the furtive, quick head-to-toe glances! Unless you’re my mother, who is shameless about looking. (“Why?” she reasons. “They should be proud that I’m admiring their looks!” Oo nga naman.)

Lookbook (www.lookbook.nu) is an international community of fashionistas sharing their own styles with each other and the rest of the world. The website is a virtual “look book” of head-to-toe outfits from a myriad of people. Members upload their stylized snapshots of their latest outfits, and when you go to the website you’ll see the endless collection of the stylish and über-fashionable looks from real people. True, a lot of these people may work as models, but their styles are definitely street. If you like someone’s outfit, you can press the Hype button (which is equivalent to a Like button in Facebook) to give him or her props. This is an invite-only community, but non-members are free to look and appreciate at all the outfits on the website. If you’re curious, each person also specifies where he or she got the pieces.

 I absolutely love this website because you see so many style ideas that you can use yourself. You’ll be inspired by the way all these people throw their clothes together to create different looks. You’ll have so many outfit ideas that you want to start wearing!

Lookbook also pushes you to take more fashion risks. If you can’t imagine wearing Balmain-style jackets, sequined leggings or socks with heels, these fearless fashionistas will show you how. Forget the staple T-shirt and jeans! Perhaps it’s our inherent timidity, but Filipinos can be serial underdressers. (Ever notice that some people always attend events in semi-formal attire even when invitations say Strictly Formal?) We see from Lookbook that everyday is a chance to show the world your style.

The Sartorialist (www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com) and Jak and Jil (www.jakandjil.com/blog) show us personal style from another perspective — the other end of the lens. These two blogs have snapshots taken by popular photographers Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist) and Tommy Ton (Jak and Jil) of other people. The photographers lend us their unique eye, spotting fashionable folks (from popular fashion editors to random old men with a mean sense of style!) and interesting pieces.

Several people also blog about their love for fashion, sharing their styles as well. Undoubtedly one of the most popular fashion bloggers in the world is Jane Albridge of Sea of Shoes (www.seaofshoes.typepad.com), a 17-year old Texan who mixes old-world sophistication with avant-garde edge in her unbelievably fasyon outfits. As her blog name suggests, she has an intense love affair with shoes (ranging from Martin Margiela boots to Chanel booties) and has entire wall of shoes that leave girls drooling. It’s incredibly fun to check out her latest outfits and her musings on fashion. Other popular fashion blogs are Karla’s Closet (www.karlascloset.blogspot.com), and Fashion Toast (www.fashiontoast.com).

Manila is not so far behind. I visit blogs like Little Miss Dress-up (www.littlemissdressup.com) and Limebasil (www.limebasil.blogspot.com) for local outfit ideas. These wildly fashionable girls often include snippets from their travels, which are always a fun read. Of course, must-reads for shopping tidbits and pop news are blogs from fellow STAR columnist Cecile Zamora-Van Straten (Chuvaness to some of us — www.chuvaness.livejournal.com), one of my style idols Daphne Oseña (www.daphneosena.livejournal.com), and even international sensation Bryanboy (www.bryanboy.com).

There are so countless more websites and blogs that you can visit, but when it comes down to picking your own outfit, stay true to your own style. Out of the infinite number of looks you’ll come across, the best look for you is still your own.