There are very few occasions that girls get to dress up like a princess. Debuts, proms, and traditional events like the Santacruzan are just examples. A girl gets to be 18 only once and gets to attend a prom twice in her life. The number of times a girl can join an activity like the Santacruzan can be unlimited but the cost of a gown to wear every time may be a reason to limit participation.
In as much as Ada likes participating in activities that require her to dress up differently, I posed a challenge to her to come up with her Santacruzan outfit without me spending more than PHP 500. I knew it was a tall order given the very limited budget, but I knew she'll come up with something. She knew exactly where to look and that was our trunk of previously used but quality clothes.
She wanted to look extra elegant this year, a far cry from her usual toned-down fashion sense exhibited in the past Santacruzan events. I saw the glint in her eyes when she looked at her older sister's ballroom skirt used during her debut. From there it was easy to match this blouse which we bought several years ago for no reason except that it was being sold for a mere PHP 50 in a shop that was about to close down. This was the first time it was used.
She used the PHP 500 I gave her to buy gold flat shoes, a camisole, and a gold sash to cinch her waist. Again it was proven that it pays to invest in good quality clothes with classic style. This picture of my two daughters wearing the same ballroom skirt 17 years apart shows this fact very clearly. By the way, the gown that my eldest daughter used cost about PHP 1,200 then, a reasonable cost even during those times.
My eldest daughter used it during her 18th birthday celebration while my youngest who is only 11, used it just yesterday for the Santacruzan. Take note that they are 23 years apart in age. A classic clothing piece never becomes outdated but lends an air of sophistication in what is actually a very simple look.
These are my daughters who looked every inch like princesses without spending like one.
In as much as Ada likes participating in activities that require her to dress up differently, I posed a challenge to her to come up with her Santacruzan outfit without me spending more than PHP 500. I knew it was a tall order given the very limited budget, but I knew she'll come up with something. She knew exactly where to look and that was our trunk of previously used but quality clothes.
She wanted to look extra elegant this year, a far cry from her usual toned-down fashion sense exhibited in the past Santacruzan events. I saw the glint in her eyes when she looked at her older sister's ballroom skirt used during her debut. From there it was easy to match this blouse which we bought several years ago for no reason except that it was being sold for a mere PHP 50 in a shop that was about to close down. This was the first time it was used.
She used the PHP 500 I gave her to buy gold flat shoes, a camisole, and a gold sash to cinch her waist. Again it was proven that it pays to invest in good quality clothes with classic style. This picture of my two daughters wearing the same ballroom skirt 17 years apart shows this fact very clearly. By the way, the gown that my eldest daughter used cost about PHP 1,200 then, a reasonable cost even during those times.
My eldest daughter used it during her 18th birthday celebration while my youngest who is only 11, used it just yesterday for the Santacruzan. Take note that they are 23 years apart in age. A classic clothing piece never becomes outdated but lends an air of sophistication in what is actually a very simple look.
These are my daughters who looked every inch like princesses without spending like one.