MANILA, Philippines—Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition” winner Kim Chiu, who turns 18 this month, is quite sure she will be wearing gowns and high-heeled shoes at the grand debut party that ABS-CBN is preparing for her on April 26.
But in a chat with Living Stars last week, Kim said she really prefers jeans, T-shirts and flip-flops to dresses and stylish footwear. “I have a lot of these [formal] things only because I need them for work,” she said. “Pero simple lang po talaga ang mga gusto ko.”
A quick tour of Kim’s bedroom and walk-in closet confirms her bias for the plain and uncomplicated.
Kim owns pairs of expensive brands like Crocs, Aldo and Steve Madden but favors locally made footwear. The young actress also has a huge collection of bags, which she hardly uses.
Kim said she gets a lot of freebies—perfumes, watches, toys, footwear—from sponsors and fans. “I’m lucky because I don’t have to spend so much on these things.”
TOPS
This peach-colored silk blouse is memorable because Big Brother gave this to me and asked me to wear it during one of the eviction nights. I got to use this again for another show after my stint in PBB.
The blue sequined top is a gift from a fan. I first wore it during an ABS-CBN trade launch. I matched it with black pants.
JACKET
I bought this pink Mickey Mouse cotton jacket during my first trip to Hong Kong last March. This is the first item I bought with my Hong Kong dollars.
PANTS
I like wearing pants more than dresses. I’ve had this pair for a long time now. I like the (Swarovski) beadwork on the back pocket.
It’s OK to wear a pair of jeans at least three times before washing it so the color won’t fade easily. But never put it back inside the cabinet after using, just hang it on the wall.
DRESSES
This white Grecian dress (from Sari-Sari) is memorable to me. I bought this in a hurry because I needed something white for ABS-CBN’s Christmas Special. I ran to the nearest mall to buy it.
This old red Chinese dress is special. I wore this in school (Cebu Cherish School on Waling Waling Street, Cebu City) for two straight years during our Chinese New Year celebration. Parang uniform ng waitress sa mga Chinese restaurants.
HATS
Most of my hats are gifts from friends, like this pink-and-purple baseball cap that Ate Pokwang gave me when she came home from Australia. Dapat pasalubong n’ya sa anak n’ya ito.
I use hats when I go to public places where I don’t want to be recognized.
SCENTS
I don’t buy them. They’re mostly gifts from fans. I’m using Pleasures (by Estée Lauder) now. I’m not really into scents. When I finish a bottle I just pick from what I have. Paiba-iba ang amoy ko.
ACCESSORIES
I like watches with thick bracelets. Parang hindi kita sa TV ang manipis. Skechers provides most of my watches—two pieces each month.
I pick earrings and necklaces depending on the occasion. Colorful items are in fashion this summer. If you have a limited budget, you can buy a lot in bazaars for P20 or P10.
SHOES
I buy shoes in different colors so I can easily find a pair if I need to wear any of my dresses. It’s important that I feel comfortable wearing them. My favorite is this pair of gold pumps (by Steve Madden). Gamit na gamit yan. Isa lang po yan. Mahal kasi.
I’m a size 6. I have really thin toes. If I get a pair that’s a size bigger, lumalabas sa sapatos ang mga daliri ko.
I love flip-flops. They’re perfect this summer. I’m lucky I get many in different designs from my sponsor.
Kim’s birthday is on April 19. Her debut will be held at the Glass Garden on Santolan Road in Pasig City. She will have a birthday bash on the noontime variety show “ASAP” on Sunday.
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