MANILA, Philippines?The A-List was out in full force at Philippine Tatler?s seventh-anniversary ball. There?s hardly an occasion these days when women can glam it up in long dresses, stilettos and coifed dos. This much-awaited yearly affair afforded Manila?s stylish folk just that.

But frivolity was not the order of the day. Understated elegance ruled the red carpet as guests came in subdued pieces that were fashionable, reflective of their personalities. No cookie-cutter dresses here, although trends were strongly defined that night.

Black ruled. The black dress saw a variation of treatments and details?fringes, draping and very minimal beadwork. Purple, nude and white were also quite popular.

Lace was another clear winner. Katrina Florencio, with her classic bob and barely-there makeup, turned heads in a long-sleeved, lace see-through Randy Ortiz long dress. Sigalit Djemal was in a nude-and-gold vintage Inno Sotto. With the hard times, going vintage or reworking old gowns is the way to go.

There was auction for high-end items (a bottle of wine, a Chopard watch, Thai Airways tickets to Europe, to name a few) to raise funds for Synergeia, a foundation that seeks to give public-school children quality education. Now, that makes this whole exercise worthwhile.

E-mail the author at afashion@inquirer.com.ph