Style Harmony

I think the belt is the most under-appreciated and under-used accessory in our wardrobe. If you want to update your style, the belt is an excellent choice for starters. It is versatile, flattering (depending on where you wear it on your body) and affordable. If you are high-waisted, wearing your belt lower such as at your hips will elongate your upper torso. If you have a straight and narrow body shape, wearing a belt will give the illusion of a defined waist.

Belt up for a defined waist

It can also instantly update a look – for example, the 1980′s floral romper looks chic with a belted waist. If you are well-endowed, wear a thinner belt. Wearing a thick belt when you are heavy chested like Kim Kardashian will make you look like you have no upper torso and hence, your body will look unproportionate. Invest in a great leather belt today!

Update the style with a belt

Whether you are a Sex and the City (SATC) die-hard fan or not, you have to love the fashion in the movie! Be it Carrie’s dramatic skirts, Samantha’s va-va-voom dresses, Charlotte’s romantic frocks or Miranda’s masculine yet flirty maxis, there is a little something in the styles for each of us. However, to have the exact pieces worn as worn by the starlets in the movie, be prepared to splash USD$10million – estimated wardrobe budget for the movie according to Cosmopolitan! As you know, there is always a way to look like them or close enough, for less:-) If you want to carry a little SATC style to work, try one of these pretty earrings (only SGD$15 from Bangkok) which is exotic yet subtle enough for office or adorn a neutral-coloured wrap dress with a multi-coloured fun bangle; which reminds me of Miranda’s Hermes striped maxi she wore on the desert (see picture on right)

The new military look combine with tribal design can be overtly costume-like. So to avoid looking like Rambo or Zena, the warrior princess, wear the Spring 2010 trend with something more glamorous or feminine. The idea is to mix tough warrior with feminine style. For example, wear a military inspired jacket with a soft fluid tribal print skirt. If you own a dress in that style (above pic, left), you can wear it with tribal inspired bangles in metal (bottom pic, right) or open-toed booties (bottom pic, left) to give it that edgy yet modern twist. Above all, wear it with great confidence and show off that inner fierceness in you!

House of Harlow bangle by Nicole Ritchie

Leopard print tote from Jus D'Orange

Some of us live by large bags where we can just throw in all our necessities. Rather than juggling two three bags at a time and yes, I have seen women doing just that to my dismay, why not get a tote bag? Yet, some women are intimidated by its over size. Have you ever noticed petite women toting large bags and plus size women carrying dainty purses? It should be the other way round! However, the lines, fabric and style of bag also play a part in selecting the best fit for your frame. You can still carry large bags despite your small frame if the bag is made of softer fabric and slouchy in design.

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)

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)

Feathered hairbands are the rage now and I could not resist owning a few myself! In fact, my niece and I picked up 5 pieces for our feather-themed Christmas dinner party and had everybody wear it, including the guys! These hairbands are perfect for jazzing up a plain outfit, T-shirt and jeans and they also go well with fringe dresses which are in trend now. Choose a style that best complement your personality, face shape and features. For example, if you are quirky and has a small face with fairly large eyes, you can opt for the bigger feathered bands (see Jessica Alba and Drew Barrymore below). If you have a round/curvy face, wearing feathers which stand upright gives the optical illusion that your face is slimmer (see lady with red hairband).

I have always liked JADE. In fact, my middle name in Chinese is Jade. Some women, especially the young, may associate it with their moms, grandmas; in other words, old, traditional, boring, not trendy etc… That can be true but it really depends on how jade is being used in design and style. I recently bought a piece of necklace with a large jade pendant. The necklace is made of sterling silver and the jade is light green in colour. I will not get into the wikipedia of this beautiful gemstone but just that you know, jade comes in many nuances of green and white, black, yellow, orange and even pink! I tried it on with my Betsey Johnson colourful floral  dress and the combination was FABULOUS! I had everyone talking about it:-) Match jade accessories with day dresses, smart suits or tank top and jeans for a modern twist. The key is the more ornate your jade is, the more modern your outfits should be.