Janine Gutierrez builds star wardrobe with doting Mamita Pilita’s help
Janine Gutierrez
Janine Gutierrez, 21-year-old daughter of Lotlot de Leon and Ramon Christopher Gutierrez, knows she has to start building her wardrobe, now that she has officially joined show biz.
“Before this, all I had in my closet were tank tops and shorts, shirts and jeans—my usual school getup,” says the new star of GMA 7’s “Party Pilipinas.”
The fresh graduate (Ateneo de Manila University, European Studies) needs to shop for grown-up clothes, pronto.
Dresses
When she graduated last March, she wore a salmon pink Tango dress.
She’s partial to simple but elegant silhouettes.
Janine is a practical shopper and raids ukay-ukay for great finds.
With TV guestings becoming more frequent, Janine has been buying lady-like dresses, from stores like Folded and Hung.
“I’m not brand-conscious,” she says. “There’s no need to buy expensive clothes. I often spot stuff I like in ukay-ukay (used clothes bazaars).”
She counsels other girls to go for practical dressing: “As long as you have the basics, you can always mix and match.”
She makes sure to keep a little black dress in her closet. “Straight-cut dresses can go from day to night, by just adding the right accessories.”
Accessories
She admits that she’s not a big fan of accessories. Most of her bangles and bracelets are gifts from mom. “On my graduation day,” Janine says, “mom gave me flower-shaped diamond earrings.”
Another favorite pair are dangling turquoise earrings and matching bracelet.
“Mamita,” or her dad’s mom, Pilita Corrales, is a dependable source of glittery trinkets. “If it’s bright and shiny, it must’ve come from my Mamita,” Janine quips.
Bags
Examples of such shimmering presents are a sequined duffel bag and a metallic gray bayong—which she usually lugs along to work.
Louis Vuitton Speedy from Tita Annabelle
Annabelle Rama, wife of her paternal grandfather, Eddie Gutierrez, gifted her with two Louis Vuitton totes—an Epi and a classic Monogram Speedy.
She has purses from Top Shop, Zara and other mall boutiques. But she says she relies most on her Nike gym bag.
Shoes
When she visits her grandma Pilita, Janine often goes home with a shopping bag filled with shoes and other goodies. “Mamita invites me and my sisters to raid her closet for anything and everything we want,” Janine says.
And as luck would have it, she has the same shoe size as Mamita: 7.
Basics in her kikay kit: Eyeliner, lip gloss and blush
Since Janine’s shoe rack had teemed with Keds and Converse, Mamita gave her two pairs of black stilettos, from Figliarina and Juan, on her last visit.
“I wear high heels only for shows,” she says. “Typically, I prefer sneakers or pumps.”
Tops, skirts, shorts
Her regular shopping haunts are Top Shop and Forever 21. “I favor long sleeves when I go out,” she says.
Mini-skirts and shorts show off the girl’s rather long legs—inherited from Mamita. Janine has colorful and youthful skirts from MNG, Jellybean, Indigo and TRF Collection.
“I got a blue skirt from an ukay-ukay,” she says. “I really enjoy finding rare and funky clothes at super bargain prices.”
Jackets
She’s fond of her H&M Divide aqua hoodie that kept her warm and snug during her college days. “It wasn’t to make porma (to be stylish),” she notes. “It was more like a necessity.”
She has a denim jacket from Avarotti, but the aqua hoodie is worn almost everyday.
Obviously, aqua, blue and turquoise are her favorite colors. “They remind me of the sea,” she says. “My bedroom is painted blue-green. I find it soothing— I love the ocean.”
Swimsuits
She admits on splurging on high-quality swimwear from Speedo, Billabong and Angel Fish.
If there’s one thing she splurges on, it’s swimwear.
“It’s better to invest in a good bikini than buy a lot of inexpensive ones that easily get worn out,” says Janine, who’s partial to Speedo, Angel Fish and the Aussie brand Billabong.
“I often go to Batangas, Boracay and Subic,” says this girl with a subtle tan. “I love the sun.”
Shades
Sun-worshipper that she is, Janine owns a few pairs of shades. “I have a Ray-Ban aviator,” she says. “The others aren’t designer brands.”
Which is fortunate, because pet Labrador Cali tried to eat her floral-print wayfarers.
“Cali has this thing about eating my stuff —like my cell phone, my shoes,” says Janine. “But she’s adorable.”
Scents
She swears by two fragrances: Ralph Perfume for Women and Gucci Rush 2.
“I’m into fruity, floral scents,” she says. “I like smelling fresh, sweet and neat all day.” Nothing too musky or heavy for her, although, she says, “At night, I put on Ralph Lauren because it smells a bit more mature and is perfect for formal events.”
Watches
Fancy Betsey Johnson timepiece from Tita Ruffa and gray Nihongo watch and red Swatch.
Most of her timepieces look hardy and practical, like a red Swatch and a gray watch from Japan that a friend bought online: “It talks; it tells the time in Nihongo. So funny!”
Aunt Ruffa Gutierrez gave Janine a Betsey Johnson timepiece that doubles as a charm bracelet.
“From afar, it looks like a piece of jewelry,” she says. “I was so happy when Tita Ruffa gave it to me. She’s a style icon and her fashion choices are consistently beautiful.”
Cosmetics
For makeup, she sticks to the basics as well. “I never put on makeup when I was in school,” she explains.
But now, carrying a kikay kit is a job requirement. “I’m not into specific brands, but I have Sephora,” she says. “I just put on eyeliner and a little blush and lip gloss.”
Books
For one so young, she prefers “older” books. “I can’t relate to books supposedly for people my age,” she admits. “I prefer the classics.”
She can’t put down novels like JD Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera.”
“Literature is a great way to learn about other countries and cultures,” she says.
Photos by Richard Reyes
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