The bold and the bad-ass for back-to-school

MANILA, Philippines - Another year in the grind. Whether you’re finishing up your thesis or just starting out as a freshman, come equipped with a variety of musts that will inject some chutzpah into campus life.         

Comfortable shoes

Don’t force the clumpy clogs especially if you’re beating the bell and running from one building to the next. You have your entire worklife to make an impact in stilettos so just chill in rubber soles while you can. These bright red lace-ups from Creative Recreation and patterned slip-ons from Bobs by Skechers keeps the tardy slips away and still have you making a statement.

Creative Recreation is available at Shoe Salon outlets. Bobs by Skechers is available at major department stores.

Trendy specs

Mom said no to Lasik surgery. So until you earn the moolah to pay for prescription-free sight, stick to cool optical wear that bring out college chic rather than your campus geek. Guess has sleek wire and plastic frames embedded with animal patterns such as snakeskin or leopard. They did say, “Welcome to the jungle.”

Guess opticals are available at major optical stores and department stores.

Speedy — and stylish — internet service

Internet is a requirement for every student these days and a super-speedy connection is as much a factor in getting those A marks as any. Globe’s new Tattoo Tonino Lamborghini Stick is a 10 mbps-time saver that works on 4G (the first for any commercially-available mobile device) allowing seamless connectivity anytime, anywhere (library, crowded caf, right smack in the middle of a pep rally). Endorsed by Fil-Swiss Formula One racer Marlon Stockinger, the Tattoo Tonino Lamborghini is encased in a sleek, ergonomic design.

Call 730-1000 for more details.

A novelty fragrance

Give the school mascot some competition with a fragrance that already makes an impression before it’s sprayed. Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers fragrance line has come up with a new Wicked Style set that should stir some hipster spirit. Still a quintet of Japanese teen-inspired dolls but wearing flashier, edgier, more detailed get-ups, Wicked Style is inspired by Takeshita-Dori, a pedestrians-only street in Harajuku with a wilder bent than the rest of the district. Despite the purple hair and scary schoolgirl-outfit, Harajuku Lovers Wicked Style Music is actually a sweet-smelling fragrance, with floral and fruity notes of apple, bergamot, jasmine and gardenia.

Harajuku Lovers fragrances are available at major department stores.

Colored totes

There’s no excuse for sticking with a basic black or tan sack, especially at the height of the color blocking trend. Finish up a color-riddled ensemble — or that basic black pull-on dress — with an equally brilliant tote. Avon Accessories has bright structured bags that can take the weight of both your school and style requirements.

Avon is available through Avon representatives nationwide. Call the Avon Customer Hotline at 864-2866.

Pops of color

Waking up an hour earlier just to apply full-on makeup for a regular school day has never been recommendable, especially if your uni hasn’t seen the need to AC-proof all classrooms (even the sturdiest makeup will melt in humid classroom settings). So settle for the best thing: pops of color that will brighten your mood and still send off a youthful vibe. Guerlain’s Blush G Serie Noire has four shades of pink that, when combined, gives the perfect “I-just-came-out-of gym-class” flush. Complement the glow with the pop-out colors of the Rouge G Serie Noire lipsticks. Available in red, fuchsia, orange and bubblegum pink shades, these lipsticks come in an elegant, mirror-equipped lacquer case that suggests a sense of university maturity.

Guerlain is available at Rustan’s department stores.

Breezy bottoms

Not that the age of skinny jeans has come to an end, but wide-legged pants are now breezing through the style scene, giving students a glimpse of how it must have been in those days when going to school was synonymous to attending sit-ins and protests. Una Rosa’s wide-legged jeans and palazzo pants promise both comfort and style, if not the audacious spirit of the turbulent ‘70s.

Una Rosa is located at Megamall, Shangri-La Plaza and Shoppesville, Greenhills.