Style Harmony

Are you planning for an autumn/winter holiday? Or shopping for clothes in preparation for the cold months ahead? Well, winter wear need not be boring black and gray. The chilly wind and dark clouds are sombre enough to wear one’s mood down! So brighten up your autumn/winter wear by adding a pop of colour into your wardrobe. A favourite this autumn/winter fashion is the bright coloured pants from Spring season. Work it into your wardrobe staple of sweaters and faux fur coats.Depending on your personal style, you can pair the bright blue pants I have chosen, with a smart white tux jacket and a large floppy hat which is so Kim Kardashian. This is a sharp and sexy look for a dinner date. For a preppy chic style, wear the pants with a smart plaid jacket, mustard turtle neck sweater and red beret. For colder days, throw on a fur leather biker’s jacket or colourful wool sweater. Accessories are a great way to jazz up your autumn/winter wear; so don’t forget the funky colourful boots and head wear. Hats are fantastic for adding warmth and oomph to your outfits. I love the woollen berets from stud details to animal prints, I have them all:-)

My niece received 9 wedding invitations this year and is fretting over what to wear at each event. I told her that she could get one outfit and wear it in 9 different ways. She didn’t believe it and I have the pictures to prove it can be done:-) All you need is a basic black tube and rummage through your wardrobe (and mom’s or sister’s!) for separate pieces that can be combined with your tube dress to create many potential capsules. Accessories are fabulous for dressing up an outfit and making it look different each time you wear the same dress. See my creations for dress options to wear to a wedding lunch or dinner. I use colourful shoes to brighten up a day look instead of bright outfits which can be too attention-seeking. Why not try on a fedora or fascinator! For evening wear, you can have more glam with killer heels, intricate beaded clutches and big earrings.

Share with us what you would wear to a wedding brunch.

1 LBD, 5 ways by melissa151065 featuring green earrings

Wedding dinner by melissa151065 featuring gem rings

Whenever you are unsure about how to accessorise an outfit, always remember “Less is MORE”. Especially when your outfit already has an interesting design, structure or print. You do not want to over accessorise and make the whole look complicated. Case in point, see the three sets of images below.

1) The geometric print itself is very bold and eye-catching. The lady on the right wears it well with a thin rope belt though I would have preferred a shorter belt. The blonde haired lady with the thick waist belt and white strappy chunky paltforms made her look shorter and heavier. The belt and shoes also don’t match the style of the outfit, which is more playful and relaxed.

2) Firstly, the horizontal ruching across the chest area further enhances Kourtney’s big bust. Secondly, the bib necklace she wore is just too much and it is fighting attention with the ruching. All eyes are drawn towards Kourtney’s big chest. This kind of style is best for someone with a smaller chest.

3) This white dress has a unique and interesting structural design at the hip. The bright pink shoes takes the attention away from the dress’ unique design. White or nude coloured heels look much better with the dress as it creates a rhythm from head to toe and elongates the legs.

Trend spotting: Thin belts on white dresses

You can retire your favourite thick obi belts for now. The thin belt is the “It” accessory for this Spring. It is versatile and can be worn with the latest punk, glamour and ladylike styles of this season. How to wear it:

• When worn with high waisted bell bottoms or skirts, it creates a sophisticated and chic look.
• Choose a belt in a bright spring colour like orange or turquoise to jazz up a black or neutral colour outfit.
• Belt it over a shift dress or loose cardigan to shape your waist (see picture below).
• Instead of a belt, you can also use a ribbon or lace to create a feminine effect.

Great for women with a rectangular body shape as it instantly creates a defined waist.

Necklace & bracelets

Even fashion has gone green! I found these wonderfully creative Batucada accessories in a retail shop in Wheelock Place. Made from recycled rubber, these accessories are just like jewels on the skin given its light and sleek finishing. Don’t they resemble tattoo designs? They are fun and quirky and will go well with jeans and tees. The more elaborate designs can also be worn to work; picture an open collared shirt with a Batucada necklace or a sheath dress with the bracelet. They also make good gifts with its affordable price range from $35 onwards. Young people and those in the creative field will love them. They are also a good option for those who have small bone structure as the designs are big but delicate. Batucada is available at the Echo, #02-12, Wheelock Place.

As a professional personal shopper, my job requires me to keep abreast with the latest fashion trends and brands not just in my home country but also wherever I go. In Makati city recently for an image conference, I found time, little precious time, to browse through the malls across the conference venue. I am aways on the hunt for local designs as I think they are more unique and reflect the culture of its origin. Why look for something that you can find all over the world, like international brands? It always puzzles me to hear people travelling thousands of miles away and come back with stuff that you can get from your own city. Except for the fact that they can be much cheaper, I think it is quite a waste not to invest in something more special and unavailable in your city. Think “exclusive”, ladies! I always tell my clients to be more individualistic in their personal style, rather than dress exactly the same as the mannequin! Back to my shopping expedition…a huge wooden door framing one of the boutiques’ entrance instantly caught my attention. As I walked in, I was greeted by a splendid display of accessories that are eclectic and distinctive. They are specially handcrafted with precious and high quality materials from the Philippines and Italy. These exclusive pieces are designed by Joyce Orena, and apparently unavailable elsewhere. I got a bracelet made of matte gold and inserted with braids for PHP4,999 and a rose gold chain with leather insertions and a crystal studded pendant for PHP 5,000. The latter looks great with my leopard print top. If you have any interesting shopping finds during your trips overseas, please share with us!

Joyce Orena Boutique

Gold braided bracelet

Leather and rose gold braided chain

A woman can never have enough pairs of shoes. For me, it is accessories! They are like icing on the cake; they instantly add “Wow” to your total look. Sometimes that is all you need to complete your outfit, a statement piece of jewelry like a chunky necklace, a cocktail ring or a nice bracelet watch. Accessories can also be used to enhance or camouflage your face and body. For example, by simply adding a necklace can make your face and neckline look more balanced especially if the depth of the neckline doesn’t look right on you. Shorter necks can be elongated by wearing longer necklaces. Throwing layers of chains over a turtle-neck will make one look ultra chic and not look like a stuffed mutton!

Spring accessories are making its statement loud and clear. The new trend in accessories are big bold necklaces in lightweight material like lucite (see photo, left) and semi-precious gem, rock (see photo, right). Because of its transparency, these necklaces will easily go with all of spring’s prints i.e. stripes, florals, digital prints and tribal. It instantly wows your outfit! And you can pile on the layers and go for chunky bold designs as the lightness of lucite will not overwhelm even if you are on the petite side. A friend of mine recently wore layers of chunky transparent necklaces over a white top and a zebra print cardigan. So chic and fabulous looking! (Rock necklace on mannequin is available from Image Harmony. Price: SGD$80)