In bloom

One of my favorites things to do on afternoons – when I feel like divorcing life because I feel inundated with work, play (as in the field…it can get stressful), and fake friends – is to forget all about it. What better way to channel some self-inflicted amnesia than through retail therapy.

Being the diligent student that I was in college, the best thing that I did was squat in Megamall in between classes (and admittedly sometimes longer than I should). There I discovered the Hope Diamond of retail delirium. Yes, the ladies department of SM Department Store. It houses the most up-to-date pieces, some looked blue-toothed straight from Style.com. Other great corners to absorb are those of Lulu Tan Gan, Vic Barba, Jeannie Goulbourn, Tonichi Nocom and the rest of the crew.

The greatest thing about this phantasmagoria of fashion candy was that it doesn’t hurt the pocket one bit (hmmm, which is relative since you really can get carried away). So I did what I did on those afternoons: I dumped all my cares including a much needed pedicure (tsk, tsk) and headed to the warm embrace of SM Ladies Department.

Here’s what I found for summer! Drown in sweet crochet and knit tops that can double as coverups and sexy diaphanous evening tops. Here’s how to do it right this summer!