1) Dress to fit your body. Any excess fabric will add inches to your body and this will make you look not just sloppy but bigger than you actually are.

2) The more vertical lines your outfit has, the leaner you will appear. For example, besides opting for vertical striped shirts, go for diagonal cuffs,                   non-cuffed pants, interesting standout buttons as one’s eye will be drawn to the row of buttons in a vertical manner.

3) Shorter cuffs on the sleeves will also elongate the arms. Rolling up the sleeves till your elbow will make your limbs look longer too.

4) The trendy guys can wear shoes with slight heel or platform boots which is a hot trend now in fashion conscious cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong.

5) Styling your hair in such a way to create height, even if it just a few centimetres can really make a big difference.

Scarlett

Kate

Lace was dominant on the runway this year and it will continue to be in trend next year.Can you wear lace to work? Absolutely! Depending on your work culture, there are many options of what you can wear to the office.  Lace is feminine, elegant, sexy, pretty and classic. It is also versatile and evergreen. For a feminine 1960s look, wear lace blouses that are softly tailored with a long pleated skirt. Modernise it with latest trend platform loafers. Or a pair of pointy toe kitten heels for an ultra demure look. Don’t forget the bright red lipstick! If you love Mad Men, you will like this style. If you like the Kardashian look (short fitted clothes and super high heels), wear a lace and ruffled structured jacket over a fire engine red short dress and sexy heels. For a relax hippie style, throw on a long lace vest over top and leggings. A pretty lace shift with peter pan collars and a polka dot handbag creates a chic and quirky image. Whatever is your fashion personality, lace will surely amp up your style!

Infographic by eBay (copright)

A recent survey by eBay indicated that the bootleg cut jeans is the most favoured by consumers. Of the 3 million pairs of jeans sold on eBay over the past year, 793,289 pairs were bootleg cut jeans far exceeding the skinny and classic straight cut styles. Interestingly, denim leggings or “jeggings” came in last place! Well, leggings can be unforgiving on some figure types. I never fail to suggest a bootleg cut jeans or pants to my clients as it is a style that flatters any figure types. The jeans tapers at the smaller part of your leg, the knees, and flares slightly at the hems creating a triangle outline. To achieve a well proportionate upper and lower body (think hourglass), you just need to create an inverted triangle shape on your upper body to balance the triangle shape created by the bootleg cut lines.

Here’s how to do it if your body shape is:

1) Triangle – Extend your shoulder width by wearing tops that are structured at the shoulders as this creates a strong shoulder line. Also, wear tops with details at shoulders, sleeves and horizontal stripes.

2) Inverted Triangle – Wear diagonal necklines or halters to minimise shoulder width. The bootleg cut balances the broad shoulders and heavy upper body.

3) Rectangle – Extend shoulder width by adding a scarf or details at neckline. A dropped waist belt gives the illusion of shape. Bootleg jeans widens the narrow lower body as well, thus creating wider shoulder and hips.

4) Hourglass – You already have a balanced upper and lower body. Just ensure your tops are always fitted to your shape to avoid looking frumpy.

5) Oval – A kaftan top is excellent in creating the illusion of wider shoulders and camouflaging the tummy.

1960′s style by melissa151065 featuring lightweight jeans

The bandana was a popular hair accessory back in the late 60′s and it is making a comeback this spring/summer. In my previous post, I talked about what face shapes would suit this style. Let’s now look at what dressing styles would go with the bandana. It is a rather casual look, suitable for weekends, going to the movies or shopping around town. For a 1960′s flavour, wear your bandana with:

• Poncho-style tops
• Polka-dot dresses
• Peasant blouse
• Capris
• Skinny jeans
• Mod or colour block shifts

Throw on some love beads, flower ring and wooden platforms with tassels for a fun boho look! Keep the makeup natural looking; use sheer lip gloss and warm peachy blusher.

Would you wear this trend?

"Lauren in Tony Bowls dress"

Other times, her wide hips was accentuated by fitted and tapered outfits like the Guess jeans and white long dress with flowers at the bottom. I didn’t like the checkered romper she wore as the hemline stopped at the widest part of her thighs. The tailored jacket, knee high boots and black tights were a mismatch with the casual fun-looking romper.

"Fashion disaster"

Lauren’s outfits also projected different looks and moods to harmonise with the songs she sung. Note how we can use clothes and accessories to project the right message for any particular situation. In the finale show, she sang three songs. For the first song which had a fast tempo, her country rock get-up of metallic jacket, black leggings and studded boots suited the song well. The second song was Maybe It Was Memphis and she wore her signature ballerina meets country style. The topaz sequinned corset dress showed off her curves beautifully. Again, the style was appropriate for the song; kind of glam meets country. The final song, a tribute to moms, was obviously a very “emo” touchy-feely song and the long white soft dress with flowers reflected the lyrics of the song well. The colour white symbolises purity and innocence, just like a mother’s love.

Which of Lauren Alaina’s looks do you like best?

Finale outfits

Want to be kinder to your feet but can’t live without your sky-high heels? Here’s an alternative – Platforms! They come in so many designs that you will be spoiled for choice. Women sometimes neglect to coordinate their outfits with their shoes. To look well put together from head to toe, always remember to coordinate your outfit, shoes and accessories according to the style, material and colour. I have created a set of different clothing styles to go with each platform design. For example, the maxi racer-back striped dress and the cork wedged shoes matched perfectly as they are both casual (style), pastel (colour) and lightweight (cork wedge and cotton-knit). The orange silk dress goes well with the satin pink shoes; both are made of very refined materials and in bright colours. The richness in fabric and colours project a glamorous look.  If you have other pairing suggestions, please share!

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.