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Articles
OUT OF THE CLOSET
- (Rhea:
Loud equals happy)
First posted:
July 24, 2005
By Marinel Cruz
Inquirer News Service
My work requires me to wear
simple and serious outfits. If only I could, I'd
like to be different, to explore, and wear
something out of the ordinary," declares TV host
and newsreader Rhea Santos.
Rhea hosts three news and public
affairs shows on GMA 7. She appears weekdays on
the early morning program "Unang Hirit." She is
also seen Wednesday nights on "Pinoy Abroad"
with Ivan Mayrina, and Sunday mornings on "At
Your Service."
"People are so used to seeing me
wear simple stuff that my co-hosts in 'Unang
Hirit' got surprised one day when they saw me
wearing big pieces of jewelry," Rhea says. "But
you should understand why they reacted that way.
We shouldn't distract viewers."
Off camera, Rhea says, she
prefers wearing tattered jeans and strappy
sandals. She also collects loud-colored
lingerie
tops and spaghetti-strapped blouses because, "I
need to feel
sexy
inside and out. They make me feel more
confident."
Loud colors cheer her up,
explains Rhea as she ushers
Inquirer Entertainment into the
condominium unit in Quezon City that she shares
with husband Carlo de Guzman. The paintings on
the walls are proof positive. "I actually asked
my husband to pick those with bright colors.
Gusto ko masaya."
Tops
"I don't have a particular
favorite, but I'm into lingerie tops, like those
that I bought from U2 and Gap. I collect
spaghetti-strapped and short-sleeved tops and
wear them under suits."
Suits
"I love loud-colored suits
because they look good on television.
Kitang-kita ka. But I also have the basic black,
white and beige. My favorite designer is Paul
Cabral. He's a family friend so he gives me
discounts (laughs). He makes most of my suits
and gowns. I think he's one of the best
designers right now.
"But I also have suits bought
abroad. For our Chinese New Year coverage on 'Unang
Hirit,' I bought these Chinese-inspired jackets
in Hong Kong. I got this (shows a red
Chinese-collared suit) there during my shoot for
'Pinoy Abroad.' This is worth less than a
thousand pesos. I already used it for one of my
newscasts.
"I was asked to endorse One Card,
which in turn gave me Laurel jackets from
Shangri-la. I love wearing them for newscasts.
They're neither too formal nor too casual.
They're different from the usual tailored
suits."
Pants
"I call these party jeans.
Tattered jeans are in fashion these days. I got
this one when my husband, his brother and I went
to Hong Kong in May for a vacation. My husband
told me to look for denims with shimmer.
Sexy
daw kasi. We were going around Times Square when
I saw this at Jessica. I said, 'Wow! Tattered na,
may shimmer pa.' This is best for going out at
night. I just match it with a plain-colored
blouse.
"Whenever I buy jeans, I try them
on first. I prefer
hipsters
and low-waisted jeans. I also buy really long
jeans so I could wear them with high-heeled
shoes. I also don't wash my jeans immediately. I
like them really soft."
Accessories
"To be honest, I bought only one
pair of dark glasses for myself-these sporty
shades from Oakley that I use when my husband
and I go to the beach. This is actually made for
men. I bought it because I like the fit."
"The others have been provided by
Optical Works, which gives me
Versace
and Versus glasses. I also own a pair of reading
glasses, which I hardly use because my bosses in
GMA 7 would rather that I use contact lenses
instead."
"This green Abel Iloco shawl is a
gift from a councilor friend from Vigan. I
visited the province recently to shoot for 'At
Your Service.' Abel Iloco is one of Vigan's
products. What my friend does is buy the
fabrics, sew beads on them and sell them in
Intramuros."
"My mother-in-law bought one
shawl for me when she went to Singapore. I've
not used this yet. But I really like the color.
It looks clean and dainty. I also like it
because it kind of shimmers."
"I also have shawls that I bought
personally and those that Arnold Clavio gave me
for 'Unang Hirit.'"
"Most of my accessories are made
from semi-precious stones and Swarovski
crystals. It was only recently that I started
buying jewelry for investment, like this pair of
white gold earrings that I use for going out and
formal occasions. My mother-in-law is into
jewelry. She gave me this Naomi pearl necklace,
which I often use on TV. This white gold
necklace is a birthday gift from my husband. He
bought this in PS2, a jewelry store at the Power
Plant Mall in Rockwell. The owner is a family
friend."
Shoes
"My sister-in-law makes shoes.
She supplies local shoe stores but she hopes to
have her own store some day. I like shoes that
shimmer, like these pairs in bronze, gold and
silver. They're very comfortable. My co-hosts in
'Unang Hirit' rejoiced when they saw me in
ballet flats. I used to wear heels on the set,
and most of the time, Arnold did not want to
stand beside me."
"I have a hard time buying shoes
here, too. The biggest size available is 9, but
I'm a size 10. However, I can go to Nine West;
they have big sizes. I also love the quality of
the shoes-sulit."
"My current favorite is this pair
of black strappy sandals that I bought in Italy.
I don't have many formal shoes, and most of what
I have are really worn out now. I like this
particular pair because it's sexy. It's ideal
for going out."
"I also bought a pair of
all-weather boots during a winter sale in
Florence. This only cost 50 euros. What I really
wanted was to buy myself a pair of Ugg boots.
Because of 'Pinoy Abroad,' I travel a lot. I
have to be ready for extreme weather changes."
"I saw a pair of Pumas that I
really liked when my husband and I went to
Europe on our honeymoon. But it was still so
expensive then. I called my brother in San
Francisco, and asked him to look for that
particular style. He found it! I like the color
combination."
"I also own a couple of slip-ons,
one of which was a gift from my mom. She got it
at a flea market in New York. They're very comfy
and they're my size. The rest were bought in
local department stores."
Bags
"I bought two pieces of
Prada bags
in Hong Kong. They're in red and chocolate
brown. They're my current favorites. I still buy
bags from the flea market, though.
"I also have one from
Louis
Vuitton. I like its
color-khaki. It looks really clean. I could
match it with anything. I'm really targeting the
J.Lo bag."
"I bought this Dior bag in
Europe. I love the style-it's so different. It's
small, cute and really funky. Whenever I use
this, I get a lot of compliments, even from
guys."
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