Danielle Castillo

Picture a wedding about to start, a graduation rite underway, and an award ceremony’s afterparty. Appreciative glances ripple through a sea of glamorous gowns and studded suits. Yet, all it takes is the delicate sheen of carefully seamed piña cloth for every head to turn in awe. This is the soft power of the Filipiniana and barong.

Beauty always lies in the eye of the beholder. Coming in different shapes, sizes, and appearances, it isn’t confined to a single gender either. Bisexuals know this very well: they see beauty in more than one gender. Bisexuality, at its core, means experiencing attraction to both men and women. As such, the traits people find attractive often overlap. The lines between masculinity and femininity blur, as liking someone arises without the need for clear-cut labels.

Since time immemorial, the typical notion of romance has followed a clear template: courtships, labels, and well-defined milestones. Today’s dating scene, however, has embraced “situationship”—a loosely bound relationship that blurs the line between commitment and casual intimacy. From late-night texts void of daytime commitments to bubbling chemistry that never solidifies, many are often left confused with what exactly a situationship constitutes.