Ten Things I Learned from Seph Cham ~ TROJANS GOT STYLE

Last Saturday, we were able to experience something overwhelmingly surreal. Mr. Mike Pammit introduced us to people we admire and look up to - lifestyle and fashion bloggers Joseph Cham and Trice Nagusara - aka the blogger couple. We shared a lot of insights and inputs over coffee which was capped by an impromptu street style shoot as the couple showed us how it's done. We were shy in asking questions at first (who wouldn't be?), but the two were very accommodating and so we were able to gradually express our thoughts and inquiries. We mostly asked about tips on style and blogging, and here are some of what we learned from them:

On Developing Personal Style

Avoid Overdressing - Kuya Seph, as we called him, defined overdressing as wearing clothes that aren't appropriate - to the weather, to an event, to a specific place, etc. Most times I see people layering lots of clothes even when the weather is not conducive for it. "Kapag naglayering kayo make sure na pagpinicturan kayo wag kayong magpahalatana haggard or pinapawisan. " (If you try layering, make sure to look good for the picture and don’t let them see that you’re uncomfortable or you’re sweating)

Mind Your Hues - If you're wearing white tops, try to pair it with a white accessory, either a bag or a watch. If you're wearing brown shoes, pair it with a brown belt, and so on. The purpose of this is to make your outfit feel more composed and to avoid having a part of your look feel like it's out of place. Also, you can refer to the color wheel to check complementary colors and come up with a more dashing ensemble.

Catch the Eye - Kuya Seph shared to us how he likes dressing laid back. He wore a dark print tee, dark jeans, a pair of dark brogues, and a very dope pair of socks. It served as the accent that made the overall outfit stand out.

Put Your Best (Shoe) Foot Forward - Styling yourself is very essential. Even before you get to talk to people, you are already being judged from afar. People's impression of you is greatly affected by what you're wearing. So when thoughts of compromising your style come to mind, always remember that it's always better to have a good and lasting first impression.

Twist the Trend - Kuya Seph’s advice was to try to use the trends as our style's foundation and to add a twist to it by incorporating our own personality. In short, experiment, explore and own the outfit

Chin Up - Showing confidence in your own outfits will show and inspire people to step up their style. As I have previously said, Kuya Seph simply wore something laid back yet it had appealed greatly to us. It was because he wore it with confidence. So when you style yourself, don't be shy. Your style is your personality - be proud of it.

On Blogging

Work as a Team - Popular bloggers have very wide networks. Most become popular because of their numerous contacts. Kuya Seph shared that part of his success was due to his other blogger friends (David Guison, Miko Carreon, just to name a few) who introduced him and his blog to sponsors and fans alike.

Be the Life of the Party - Kuya Seph and Ate Trice also got their success from being friendly and sociable to the people they meet. They shared that when they go to events, they do their best to interact with the attendees. In doing so, they get valuable contacts and some even became their sponsors. It’s simple and as Lourdesians we can relate to it for it goes with our motto -“Be a brother to all.”

Follow the Rocky Road to Success - There were no secret formulas, no magic tricks involved, nor was there a shortcut. They told us how they persevered to get to where they are now. They told us, aspiring bloggers, to always be consistent. Try to upload new content even just once or twice a week, be visible and maximize the use of social media. Eventually, your blog will experience traffic and a good amount of reads.

Embrace Your Passion for Fashion - When we saw how enthusiastic Kuya Seph and Ate Trice were on sharing to us about blogging and style, we already learned something vital - to do what you love.Their obvious love for (each other) fashion and blogging inspired us to continue doing what we are passionate about.

All in all, what we have learned was style is something very profound. It's a product of balance; of your personality, interests, networks, trends, and most of all, of hardwork. And now, we are more than inspired to show the world that indeed, Trojans Got Style!

Photos from the Event