Usher in the lunar new year with a roar in bright colours! If you have a golden/yellow complexion and an optimistic personality, spring’s red (see dress,left) will look fabulous on you. Red and pink go absolutely wonderful together. However, if red is not your favourite colour, you can opt for fuschia pink, melon, bright yellow or royal blue. If you have a pink complexion and tend to be more diplomatic, wearing colours like lavender, raspberry and peach (see dress below) will flatter your skin tone. For those with bronzed skin and a choleric nature, orange and gold will make you look radiant.
Finally, if you have porcelain skin and are quiet and reserved, you can still go for strong colours like pure blue, red violet and dark red. Remember, you can wear all the colours in the rainbow provided they are in the correct shade for your skin tone.
Tags: colour, personality, skin tone
With the weather temperature soaring up, it is time to hit the pool or the beach. Question is: Are you bikini ready? Well, if you are not, do not fret. You can still look fabulous in a one-piece swimsuit in the correct colour, fit and style. Besides comfort and functionality, you should select styles that fit your body shape. For example, vertical lines are always slimming and lengthening; and so are diagonal lines. Large floral prints and ruching are also good for camouflaging the tummy. A high leg cut will also give the illusion that your legs are miles long.
Tags: body shape, camouflage, lines, swimsuit
It would be ridiculous to wear a fur coat or boots in a hot climate like Singapore. But for all you faux fur fans out there, try a bag instead. It can be a great fashion statement and add some excitement to your office wardrobe. Get one in a neutral colour like brown, beige, black or grey and match it with a fitted tailored top and smart casual pants. It also makes a great accessory for your weekend staples of tees and jeans. I bought this bag from Pedder Red and it has been a faithful companion ever since.
Tags: accessory, faux fur
One of the spring/summer 2010 trends is knee high or over the knee socks. In the fashion world, there are no rules. While I encourage people to be more bold and adventurous in expressing their personalities through their dressing styles, this is one trend that I foresee will become a major faux pas if not worn correctly. So let me share some pointers on how to add this fashion statement to your wardrobe. Knee high socks will add width and bulk to an already bulky thigh, so choose them in light weight material and below the knee style to give a slimming effect. If you live in colder climate, you can do layering i.e. tights over socks over knee high boots. If you are petite and below 5′ 2″, show some skin to elongate legs by pairing knee high socks with short skirts (see photo) or hot pants which is very trendy now. Dark colours always give a slimming effect. For an edgy look, wear fishnet stockings with knee high socks and ankle boots.
Tags: hot pants, knee high socks, Trends
I was proudly showing off photos of a new Morrocan dish I had learnt recently to my niece when she remarked, “I bet you went out to get new serving plates just for this!” I looked at her sheepishly and said “Yeah, but…they were at 50% off!” Can you imagine serving an exotic Arabian cuisine on plain white dish plates…unthinkable! The aroma of the spices and rich colour of my Moroccan olive and lemon chicken well deserved a nice earthen red plate and vibrant patterned ceramic serving plate. With some candle lights thrown in, they completed the Moroccan inspired theme. Everything in the table setting harmonises with one another, resulting in a pleasing look. The same principles apply in our dressing. What we put on everyday needs to balance and harmonise with our skin tone, body shape, personality and your goal for the day! They all need to tell the same story so that you will look well put together and send out the right message that you want to others.
Tags: body shape, harmony, personality, skin tone
Don’t you love those creative designs where you can have different looks from the same outfi? Definitely great value for your money! Well, we found this chic flowy dress in black and white checks, perfect for Spring/ Summer, at Lush, Queensway Shopping Centre.
You can wear it simply as a strapless dress, pile on huge statement necklaces (clear crystal rocks with this dress!), as a halter or as a skirt! The sash can be tied in front, behind or across one shoulder for the latest runway look. That is not all. The hemline is tied up to create a pouf style; you can untie the ribbons underneath and let the hemline hang straight! Amazing and all these style variations for just under SGD$30!!!
Tags: dress, spring, summer
Does your wardrobe look like this especially after the pre and post Christmas sales???
Well, it is no wonder you have New Year blues and shopping fatigue! And one common phrase I hear is “I have nothing to wear!” Now, how do you find anything in a messy wardrobe! Let me share with you a Chinese New Year tradition where every family gives its house a spring cleaning, believing that it will sweep away all the ill-fortunes of the past year. So, this being the fourth day of the New Year, why not give your wardrobe a thorough cleaning. Follow these strategic steps:
1) Discard stuff that:
- Have not been worn in the last two years
- Are faded, torn, outdated, too tight, too loose etc…
- Are festive looking outfits like christmas sweaters
- Hold you back to the past and prevent you from moving forward e.g. a divorce, weight issue or illness
- Do not flatter your shape, skin tone and personality
*Before throwing out your clothes, decide which ones should go into the garbage bin, to a charity or to the tailor for alteration/repair.
2) Re-organise your wardrobe by:
- Colour
- Style (Business/Formal, Casual, Dressy)
- Type (Skirt, Blouse, Pants, Lingerie etc…)
- Season (applicable to people living in the four seasons)
*Re-organising your wardrobe will enable you to have a clear and quick snapshot of what you already own and what are the missing pieces needed to complete or enhance your existing outfits.
3) Shop for:
- Missing pieces that will complete your outfits
- New pieces to add some spark to your current outfits
- Clothes that you wear most often e.g. you may wear more pants than skirts
*Ensure there is a continuum from casual clothes to formal outfits or casual to dressy depending on what your lifestyle.
A well organised wardrobe will save you money, time and the morning misery of not being able to find anything to wear! Transform your wardrobe from grubby clutter to stylish cluster! (For information on our wardrobe services,go to: http://www.image-harmony.com/wardrobe-makeover-for-women.html)
Tags: casual, colour, flatter, formal, outfits, style, wardrobe
Happy New Year, folks!
A new year means new resolutions! It is the time again for us to reflect on what we want to change or what we need. For some of us, making good on our resolutions is a perennial challenge! Whatever the challenges are, I hope we will all have a wonderful journey of good health, joy and prosperity.
The start of a new year for some, is a time to re-invent themselves. Whether it is to build more confidence, secure that promotion, clinch that important business deal, rekindle your love life, drop the holiday pounds and the list goes on, a new image is a means to your new goals. You undergo a process where you will rediscover your inner strengths and find new potentials to build more confidence in yourself, to help you perceive life’s challenges positively and to change the way people perceive you. So make 2010 a fabulous New Year and a New YOU!
Cheers!
Tags: confidence, image, perception
Two more days to 2010! More party invites, more company dinners? Well, you need a great party dress to start the new year with a bang! It can be tricky to choose the right outfit as you do not want to appear over or under dressed. Black is always safe…and predictable. So, go with SEQUINS and usher in the new year with glitters and sparkles! The great thing about sequins is you can glam it up or pare it down. Check out these two hot numbers; a purple sequin dress ($146) and a silver one-shoulder hot-pants suit ($126) from Warehouse and Topshop respectively. Wear it with tights, embellished shoes and a funky cocktail ring and you are ready to usher in the New Year with a bang! Have an awesome New Year!
Tags: party dress, sequins, tights
Most people I know, including my clients are somewhat afraid of prints. Of course, some people just do not do prints, period! I am the complete opposite. Enter my closet and you will see a riotous mix of prints and patterns. Wearing prints may be a personal style preference but if you are open to experiment with it, here are some tips on how to make prints work for you tastefully.
Tip 1: Select a print that relates to your body lines for e.g. if you are curvy, prints like polka dots, flowers with rounded petals and paisley will flow harmoniously with your body.
Tip 2: Choose prints that are of the same scale as your body size. If you are petite, go for smaller prints to balance with your body proportions.
Tip 3: When mixing prints, try not to combine more than two different prints together. The prints must relate or have a consistent theme. For example, stripe and stripe, floral and floral. If the prints do not relate to each other, then one or more colours in each of the print must be the same or very similar (see picture below)
Tags: body line, colour, patterns, prints, relate, style
