How Do You Define Style?

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Being fashionable is not just about having designer clothes, shoes, and bags. Neither is it all about following the latest trends. It may be focused on trends, clothing and accessories, but there is something more to it. It’s an art- a façade of a mountain of creativity and the ability to play tricks with the eyes to turn something plain into an aesthetically pleasing work.

What bothers me is that people who have no idea on how to define style defines it simply as wearing what’s hot off the racks and off the editorials. Believe me, it takes more than a pretty face to pull those things off. So, how exactly is style defined in the world of fashion?

It’s you

First, style is what defines you. Your persona is reflected on the things you don. Conservative, classic, wild, understated, punk, boho- this categorization describes the identity of the wearer. It’s not stereotypical, I beg to differ. It’s not a precursor to discrimination. It’s a character that people embody and emulate through their wardrobe decisions. It’s something you own, to say the least.

It transcends through time

Style is not simply thrown out the next season. It is a part of you that evolves with each fashion week and with each sale. Simply put, it’s not as dispensable as your colored tights or your leopard skin coat. No. Like high fashion, it’s iconic in the way that it presents you to the world. It’s about making people say “That is so her” instead of “That is so last fall.”

It’s defined, refined, and polished

No, this doesn’t mean it has to be all preppy and clean. What it means is that as time progresses, your style defines itself, slowly evolving through different trends, Vogue editorials, and Project Runway seasons. It gets polished no matter what category  you embody. Bottom line is you get to see just how your take on fashion gradually matures as you get more and more exposed to it.

Where am I getting at here, you ask? Well, high fashion will not resemble itself when taken out of context. The same statement applies to your style. 

Items Every Woman Should Have in her Closet

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1.       LBD

A little black dress is perhaps the most versatile piece of clothing you will ever own. You can dress it up for a cocktail, put a blazer over it for work, or wear it with flats for a day running errands. It’s sophisticated yet so understated, you’ll need to have more than one design.

2.       Black and White Suits

Yves Saint Laurent is credited for deconstructing suits and making them wearable for women. You can wear them sexy by choosing to wear a top with a low neckline (or absolutely nothing) under the jacket. You can also dress it down by wearing a plain shirt underneath. For business meetings, wear a crisp white polo under the jacket. You can wear all the pieces together or pair individual pieces with other items in your closet.

3.       Dress Pants

Dress pants are best worn with high heels, so get them two or more inches longer than your actual height. You can wear these for work or for a night around town. They should be loose and wide-legged with a fit waist so they fall nicely to the floor.

4.       White Dress Shirt

A white dress shirt is the LBD of tops. You can pair it with shorts, jeans, a full skirt, a mini, and just about anything. It’s simple but sophisticated that they look best when worn crisp. They’re neat and look put-together without even trying.

5.       Full skirt

A full skirt can be worn both with heels or flats. Make sure that it hits right at the knee to give you the right proportions. The best fit has a tight, high waist that gradually balloons towards the hemline.

6.       Clean Shorts

Khakis and white shorts work well to give you that prim and proper feel. Any fabric other than jeans or cotton is a sure way to get that preppy look without the stiffness of denim.

7.       Jeans

Denims are everybody’s best friend. They’re as sturdy as steel yet gentle on the skin. Get ones in dark washes and minimal embellishments if you wish to wear them to a variety of events from dinners to a day at the park.

8.       Boots

Rainy day boots, snow boots, and even leather keep your feet warm and fuzzy in cold weather. Invest in ones that are sturdy enough to last you years or even decades. Choose neutrals  or earthy colors such as black, gray, brown, tan, and nude so that you can wear them with almost any item in your closet.

9.       High heels

Heels are great for work as well as evening parties. There are plenty of styles to choose from, such as peep-toes, pumps, platforms or strappy sandals. They’re great with both skirts and pumps, so invest in pairs that don’t wear and tear that easily.

11.   Ballet Flats

Audrey Hepburn loved ballet flats. Need I say more?

11.   Wedges

Wedges are your heels’ casual counterparts. Wear them with shorts, jeans, skirts, and dresses. They make your legs look longer and also give you the added height when you need it.

12.   Lingerie

You’ll never know when you’re going to need to show off some skin, but you’ll be needing a sexy number in your underwear closet. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a spicy relationship or not. Lingerie will make you feel like a vixen. Here’s a tip: wear corsets with suits.

13.   Sexy Swimsuit

Choosing a swimsuit is a tricky endeavor for most women. One the one hand, we want to show some skin. On the other, we want to hide our flaws. There are different styles that would compliment different body types, so be sure to look in the mirror before purchasing your pick.

14.   Cover-up

What’s a swimsuit without a cover-up? You will want to put a little cloth over that bikini when the wind gets too cold or the sun too hot.

15.   Pearls

Forget diamonds. Pearls are more versatile and more affordable. They’re also such an understatement, so you can wear tons of strands without looking tacky. Look at Coco Chanel if you don’t want to believe me.

16.  Dress Watch

Watches are pieces of jewelry. Reserve one for special occasions, and choose silver and gold over leather.

The key to having a closet that never runs out of outfits is having items that are versatile enough to wear with each other. Toss out dated items and go for ones that are simple, elegant, yet comfortable. Yes, this is your perfect excuse to go shopping.

Replica or Boutique?

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If you live in countries like the Philippines, you’ll be seeing plenty of stores and shops that carry replicas at dirt cheap prices that are difficult to distinguish from the authentic. One question you would always ask yourself is whether or not to get that Louis Vuitton imitation.

Designer items with logos in plain sight are status symbols. You have them, and people think you’re filthy rich. In contrast, if people see they’re fake, well, that’s a different story. That brings us back to the question of whether or not you should buy imitations.

First off, buying knock-off hurts the economy. The people you buy from do not pay taxes. You also hurt the sales of the fashion house that your purchase is ripping off. Believe it or not, knock-offs bring down sales and profit. Second, you might not be aware of it, but experts know how to tell fakes from authentic. It hurts your reputation if people find out you’re donning a fake.

Come to think of it, buying boutique items are pretty much more practical than knock-offs. One reason is that knock-offs still fetch a hefty price. You pay for the brand name that you are imitating. Moreover, since they are very affordable, you are sure to find other people with the same item that you purchased. You lose your uniqueness in fashion. Boutique items, on the other hand, come in a dime a dozen. Due to the budget restrictions, products are not mass produced. What’s best is that more and more items look thousands of dollars more expensive than they actually are. 

So the next time you think about purchasing that imitation (or what we FiIlipinos call “Class A”), think again. There are plenty of alternatives that you could buy at a cheaper price instead of that expensive knock-off that screams “FAKE.” 

Nail Art: Fancy Schmancy Fingers

I'm assuming here that you fashionistas are also into nail trends. This assumption basically comes from the passion for colors, design, patterns, and everything else that catches the eye. Am I right? Let me hear a yes on that one.

There are actually plenty of things that you can do with your nails. The simplest thing to do is to paint them in just one color. Well, that's obvious enough, right? You might want to try something different, bold, artsy, and daring every once in a while. That being said, you might want to try nail art. It might look intimidating at first because of the intricate designs, but once you get a hold of the tools you need (and of course tons of nail polish and a steady, practiced hand), you'll be doing it like a pro.

One of the more popular forms of nail art is the stick-on and adhesive designs. Think of them as stickers that you can put onto the surface of your nails when the nail polish dries. It's popular because it's easily and quickly done, and it's affordable too. A pack of 10 adhesives won't cost you more than $10.00.

Moving on to the more complicated ones, your ideal tools would be a toothpick or a very tiny paintbrush. Some nail polishes come with different types of applicators and templates to support your creative needs. This should be helpful for you in your quest in designing your nails.

Some ladies prefer to match the nail art to the season or holiday. If this is your thing, by all means, go for it. It’s a fun way to play with your character. You’ll never run out of compliments for this one.

Other more complicated designs involve using multiple colors. These are fairly easy to do as well once you get yourself educated in the technique. These techniques involve color marbling, swirling, and other psychedelic patterns.

You’ll need a big container that can hold about a gallon of cold water. Using the paintbrush that comes with your nail polish, place one drop of one color. You’ll notice that the drop will expand after a second or two. Put another drop of a different color of nail polish at the center and allow it to expand as well. Do this until you get all the colors you want. Then, using a toothpick, draw the pattern onto the collection of colors. The easiest is to draw a flower by pushing the toothpick from the outer circle to the center from different points. Once you’re done, dip your nails onto the tub and push the nail polish towards your fingers so that the pattern sticks to your nails. Remove your fingers from the tub, let the nail polish dry, and peel off the ones on your skin. Voila!

Who says you need to go to a salon to get your nails done? All you need is a creative mind and an arsenal of nail polishes.

Spring and Summer Collections at the 2012 NYFW

Without a doubt, many people would be wondering about spring fashion as well as how to dress for spring. Let’s start with the colors. Fashion for 2012 will be about spring colors, patterns, and color blocking. Trends 2012 will be focusing more on the brighter and happier side of fashion for 2012 in its creative use of patterns and color blocks. Here’s the Pantone fashion color report for spring 2012.

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A typical dress that will employ spring trends 2012 would either be made with bold colors such as margarita, cabaret, tangerine tango, or sweet lilac in a backdrop of neutral ones such as driftwood and starfish. Narciso Rodriguez successfully incorporated this in his collection for spring fashion for 2012. Take a look at how he pulled off these colors by making one pantone color the focal point of the outfit.

 

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Ralph Lauren, the classic American fashion house approached trends 2012 with a clean slate. He focused more on whites and pastels. A spring dress for Ralph Lauren would normally be white with a slender silhouette and clean lines, bringing to the table something sweet, sultry, feminine, yet simple. Another thing you will notice about Ralph Lauren’s trend 2012 is that it was inspired by the 1920’s. Think The Great Gatsby with a little bit more life and color.

 

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Another designer to look out for is Oscar dela Renta. His take on spring fashion for 2012 bordered on joyful colors such as citrine yellow, lime green, and coral. His period dresses were absolutely worth looking into for formal wear. That is, if you need them.

 

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Marchesa, on the other hand, kept her collection intricate and delicate. Her use of fringes, metallic colors, lace, and chiffon. One thing  that you would notice from this collection is that the fabrics are all light and dainty.

 

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Trends 2012 will also employ a mix and match of things. Fabrics such as silk matched with corduroys and patterns such as paisley and floral would be dominating the streets of New York, Milan, and Paris. The more popular patterns you will be seeing are stripes, polka dots, and of course, floral, that come in all sorts of bright shades and hues. Here are a few examples.

Accessories are also as colorful this season, with belts, shoes, and bags sporting the same Pantone shades. Spring fashion will make more room for going back in time, or going retro, as we all say. You noticed that Ralph Lauren took on the 1920’s for his spring fashion collection. What you’ll be seeing in the streets of the most fashionable cities will be 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1930’s fashion. Simply put, the fashion forward is keen on going back in time, fabulously. Denims will have wider legs and longer cuts, dresses will have tulles and art deco themes, and caftans and tunics will be coming back to women’s closets. As far as the authorities in fashion is concerned, spring fashion for this year will be as sweet and dainty as the season it emulates.

Tropic Spring 2012: What to Do, What to Wear, How to Survive

Spring’s up, and yet here in the tropics it still feels the same. The pains of only having two seasons kind of limits your wardrobe choices, doesn't it? If you’re into fashion like me, it’s a little bit constricting. Luckily for us in the tropics, spring collections and trends come out early and we get in on the juice as early as February.

So if you’re with me on the dilemma of what to don this spring 2012, read on. The tropics may just turn out to be a good thing for us fashionistas.

Colors

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For starters, let’s look at the colors we should look out for. Pantone colors are somewhat the authority when it comes to seasonal hues. For spring 2012, the trendiest hues are tangerine tango, solar power, bellflower, margarita, cabaret, sodalite blue, driftwood, sweet lilac, starfish, and cockatoo. If you look at the color report below, you’ll see that all these colors blend with each other very well. This will be your shopping guide this season.

Going Hippie and Retro

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So designers have conspired to make the universe go back in time to the 60’s and 70’s. This means you’ll be seeing plenty of paisleys, stripes, color blocks, flared jeans, and Charlie’s Angels.

Caftan Tops

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A caftan is a piece of clothing worn is in a variety of cultures. It is an overdress donned by both men and women. You will typically find these in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Russia. It’s like a tunic, but it’s much much longer. Kaftan tops have a distinctly wide set of sleeves and waist that looks best when worn with a belt. They look great as beach outfits and coverups. Paired with gladiator sandals, they scream laid-back summer.

Dresses and Skirts

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Wearing dresses is no problem for ladies like us in the tropics. For what it’s worth, you’ll find dresses almost everywhere! For this season, try to go for light fabrics lest you look forward to fainting fashionable on the hot concrete. It’s getting warmer by the day, so do yourself a favour and wear silk, satin, chiffon; steer clear from nylon, polyester, cotton, and wool. Go for bright colors, small flowery patterns, stripes, or color blocks as well.

Pixie Cut

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Okay, a pixie cut is not a new trend in clothing. Let’s stick to the hairstyle. Since the temperature’s getting higher and higher each day, wearing your long hair down might feel a bit heavy, messy, warm (I just can’t stop complaining about the heat), and greasy.

Going back to the seventies theme, look at how Mia Farrow chopped off her locks in Rosemary’s Baby. It brought her delicate features to the forefront. In fact, it made her beautiful round eyes pop.

Going pixie has its perks. You ALWAYS look put together and chic even if all you have on you is a pair of pear studs and lip gloss. You don’t have to style it that much, (and if you’re a lazy daisy like me, this is such a treat), but it still looks great all the time. You can make it spunky or chic in such a short time with very little accessories.