meant to be... mine

My closet is full of red tops, skirts and pants in varying shades. From the bright red of a Chinese lantern, to the deep red of fresh blood to the burgundy shade of wine. I also have 6 pairs of red shoes in the same varying shades. Plus the necessary accessories and bags that goes with the shoes and clothes.

I don't remember the exact moment I fell in love with the color red. But I do remember my first purchase of this dramatic color -- a pair of red flat sandals in a very simple design. Wearing it made me feel very special. That time, shoes came in mostly black, brown, blue and the usual pastel colors during summer. It was rare to see anyone sporting such a bright color on their feet.

I was hopelessly in love with red that everyday seemed like Valentine's Day for me. It came to the point that people at work started calling me Red and friends/family started associating me with the color.

Now that the local market becomes more and more courageous, I find myself consciously shying away from my beloved color and widening my horizons with other jewel tones (though I still salivate after beautifully crafted things in the red). To the point that I actually can't remember the last red item I bought for myself.

(Oh wait, now I remember. It was that pair of faded red jeans with the big pockets at the back.)

And then, I saw this...


It was love at first sight.

Comfy enough to travel in. Sexy if I feel like it and yet demure (and warm enough) for elegant family dinners. It moves with me and molds my body, highlighting the positive and graciously concealing the negatives. It's trendy enough for today's scene and yet classic enough for the next five years or so.

Plus it's RED!

All that in a two-piece top with a price that has been slashed to almost half of the original one.

But was it really meant to be mine?

So trying to adhere to a promise made to myself not so long ago, I left the top hanging in the store. I told myself to sleep on it to better decide if I really wanted it. If it's really worth buying. And if I find it still there waiting for me the second time around, then it was meant to be.

(Crap, I know. But buying a red top is serious business for me.)

From the picture above, it was obviously meant to be mine:0)