Roots

An eerie coincidence happened earlier last week.  On Sunday (the day I posed for these pictures), I decided to wear a shirt that was too big for me as a kid, but is now a bit too small for me as an adult.  It was a t-shirt that my dad had bought for me when he went on a trip to the Philippines when I was probably about six or seven years old.  I found this shirt in my old bedroom a few months ago and brought it to our apartment to be worn at some point.

I recently came across this shirt again, and because I must have been in a nostalgic mood, I ended up creating an entire outfit based on the shirt’s design.  First, I decided to keep my glasses on because I was feeling tired, and since I was planning on just making a quick stop at my parents’ house that day.  I picked a pair of high-waisted jeans due to the cropped nature of the shirt and rounded out the ensemble with a pair of  pointed-toe shoes.  I also kept the accessories minimal, because I felt the shirt, glasses, and bracelets offered enough color and vibrance for the dull, dreary day.

The following Monday morning, however, I discovered that there was an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude that affected the province of Cebu in the Philippines (the capital city of Cebu is Cebu City).  I don’t believe my shirt was an omen of anything, but I did hesitate to post these pictures due to the seriousness of this natural disaster.  I ultimately decided to blog this outfit, not to be insensitive or to make a strong statement, but to showcase a shirt that represents my ancestral roots, particularly at a time when the country of my parents has received international attention.

I apologize if this post, in light of recent events, is offensive to anyone in any way.  I hope this shirt, like other clothes or accessories we might wear, represents how we sometimes seek to show solidarity and pride in a group we may identify with, especially during troubled times.  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outfit (Designer/Purchased from):

T-shirt:  gift

Cover Up:  Girl Talk/TJ Maxx

Jeans:  Old Navy/Old Navy

Heels:  Ann Marino/vintage 

Bracelets (jade and beaded):  gifts

Earrings:  vintage/gift

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