Archive for the ‘Fas-Yon’ Category

BRONZE, SILVER and GOLD, welcome back!

I didn’t notice that gold accessories was in fashion again! But it seems everything in silver, bronze and gold has made a comeback! I have a friend who has a trademark fashion sense about it and it really looks great on her. Few can pull it off without being tacky.

It reminds me of the gold coins I want to invest on. While gold has invaded the fashion scene, it also has made its mark in the financial market. While most people is now shying away from investing on stocks and bonds, there has been an increased demand for gold bullion or coins from the US Gold Bureau. It seems that it has proven its value since it hasn’t been known to depreciate ever since. If you remember correctly, gold has been used to trade, barter and gauge one’s wealth even!

I guess there is no escaping summer wherever you are. Most women dread it because when summer comes, outfits change and layering and cover-ups are no longer used, with the sweltering heat and insane humidity, who would? It is best to take care of your body AND skin with moisturizer, best wrinkle cream when you are 40 and most importantly sunblock.

Don’t be afraid of summer dresses. You can rock one regardless of your body shape. Tips from InStyle.com:

If You Have a Short Waist and Long Legs

LOOK FOR…
Empire styles, semifitted sheaths, A-line dresses and bias-cut dresses with a torso-lengthening draped neckline (like that worn by Miley Cyrus).
AVOID…
Anything that accentuates your natural waistline.
DON’T FORGET…
• Direct the eye upward and away from the waist with detailing on the top.
• Keep hemlines right around or above the knee.

If You Have a Tummy

LOOK FOR…
Dresses that do not accent the waistline, such as shifts, subtle A-lines, and Empire styles (such as the maternity style worn by a very pregnant Halle Berry), and dresses with matching jackets or coats.
AVOID…
Anything that accentuates the waist and dresses that are too tight, stiff or bulky.
DON’T FORGET…
• Draw attention away from your middle with open necklines.
• Monochromatic looks are the most slimming.
• Blouson shapes can be flattering.

If You Have a Boyish Frame

LOOK FOR…
Belted styles, like Emma Watson’s shirtdress, that add curves. Not concerned with curves? A-lines and shifts are equally chic options.
AVOID…
Voluminous styles, T-shirt and tank dresses.
DON’T FORGET…
• Create curves with bias cuts, draping and ruching.
• A-line skirts produce a feminine silhouette.
• Slim shifts that skim the knee highlight a trim figure.

If You Have a Long Waist and Short Legs

LOOK FOR…
Empire styles, semifitted sheaths and A-line dresses like that worn by Selena Gomez.
AVOID…
Anything that accentuates your natural waistline.
DON’T FORGET…
• Direct the eye upward and away from the waist with detailing on the top.
• Keep hemlines right around or above the knee.

If You’re Short

LOOK FOR…
Simple silhouettes, such as Reese Witherspoon’s fitted sheath, or wrap, shirtdress or Empire styles that will accentuate your petite figure without overwhelming it.
AVOID…
Too much embellishment and full skirts.
DON’T FORGET…
• The hem length is critical: Keep it just above or below the knee.
• Choose looks with vertical details, such as buttons, seams and piping.
• Monochromatic styles have a lengthening effect.

If You Have a Small Bust

LOOK FOR…
Empire, fitted-sheath and strapless styles like Keira Knightley’s that can add definition to the bust. A-line, shift and shirtdress options show off a trim silhouette.
AVOID…
Anything with built-in boning or darts you can’t fill out.
DON’T FORGET…
• Shirring and ruching over the bust will help create fullness.
• Shapes with defined and/or belted waists will create the illusion of a bigger bustline.

If You Have a Full Bust

LOOK FOR…
Semifitted shapes that have open necklines and nipped-in waists. Shirtdresses, wraps and shifts like Salma Hayek’s fit the bill.
AVOID…
High, off-the-shoulder and boatneck lines; formless A-lines and tunics; full, gathered sleeves; and styles with wide belts.
DON’T FORGET…
• Draw the eye up with V-necks, scoop-necks and sweetheart necklines.
• Keep detailing on the top to a minimum.
• Try skirts with a slight flare to balance your bust and create motion.
• Choose soft fabrics with movement.

If You’re Curvy

LOOK FOR…
Semifitted styles that softly follow your curves and show off your waistline, like Beyonce’s wrap dress. Other flattering silhouettes include sheaths, belted shirtdresses and full skirts.
AVOID…
Anything either too loose or too fitted (including styles that cinch the waist too tightly) and high necklines.
DON’T FORGET…
• Choose medium-weight knits and soft fabrics that drape well.
• Opt for lower necklines found in wrap, off-the-shoulder or strapless styles.
• For a slimming effect, show some skin: Expose legs or cleavage.

Random thought of the day: Did you know the cream used for the treatment of hemorrhoids are used by supermodels and dubbed it as the H cream? They use it as an eye cream! I think it has scientific claims because it can reduce swelling.

Here are some stars and the clothes that they wear. I am loving Jessica Biel’s body AND fashion choices (Love that Grecian style gown). Cameron is still hit and miss all the time while Zoe Saldana’s tutu skirt and all black ensemble is very classy. Mercedes of Glee nails it with her wrap jacket. It falls and drapes and with her fit jeans and ballet flats, she looks like an IT girl from high school!

I have been on the lookout for stills from SATC2 not because I want to know how the story went (I prefer to watch the movie) but because I want to see their outfits! I know fashionistas, baghags and shoe lovers would be putting up an extensive analysis on every piece of the girls’ outfit they would need document management help.

I’d be posting their outfits as a group, grabbed from InStyle.com:

Miranda: Bottega Veneta dress, vintage belt, Christian Louboutin pumps, Kara Ross clutch and Alexis Bittar bracelets.
Carrie: Halston Heritage dress, Christian Louboutin heels, Solange Azagury-Partridge necklace.
Samantha: Vintage Item dress, Patricia Field mules, VBH clutch.
Charlotte: Christian Dior suit and bag, Christian Louboutin pumps.

Charlotte: Vintage Halston dress, Chanel collar, Rodrigo Otazu bracelet and Christian Louboutin shoes (on blanket).
Carrie: Vintage Halston dress, Stella McCartney tank, Reem Acra belt, Cocotay cuffs, Bea Valdes bag and Manolo Blahnik heels (both on blanket).
Samantha: Patricia Field for Keith Haring dress, Patricia Field mules, Wendy Brandes earrings.
Miranda: Mara Hoffman dress, Roberto Cavalli bracelet.

Miranda: Vintage jumpsuit, Samantha Wills earrings and Ralph Lauren shoes.
Carrie: Halston Heritage dress, Low Luv bracelet, vintage turban and Manolo Blahnik shoes.
Samantha: Ralph Lauren.
Charlotte: Vintage dress, Julien David scarf, Chanel belt, Miu Miu shoes, Patricia Underwood hat and Cartier bracelets.

Miranda: Vintage Halston dress, vintage belt.
Carrie: Chanel skirt over Closed jeans (customized with crystals by The Blonds), Stella McCartney blouse, vintage headpiece.
Samantha: The Blonds dress, vintage belt, Nicole Romano earrings and Le Vive ring. Charlotte: Vintage YSL dress, Blu by Betty Lou Moscot earrings and Jack Vartanian bracelet.

Who says those with weak eyes cannot be fashionable without contact lenses? Thankfully, eyeglasses have evolved from a needful thing required to see to a fashion accessory.

The #1 online Rx glasses store, Zenni Optical, offers the Lowest Price Progressive Glasses in the market, as low as $8.00. You can afford to change eyeglasses to match your outfit everyday!

Eric’s Review of Zenni Optical at Examiner.com puts the word out there that Zenni Optical is the store to go to when you need fashionable yet affordable eyeglasses!

Guess what the hundreds of women who went to the recently concluded Oscars and Emmy’s wore in common? I am willing to bet my life on one – Spanx.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey and Jessica Alba, among the many, all swear by high-tech power panties. And they are not your usual grandmother’s girdles. Spanx are easy to wiggle into, provided that you buy the correct size (they have sizes from A to G). It also has a cotton crotch, making it healthier to fight off yeast infections due to too-tight clothing. While it takes a while to get used to, spanx has been designed to replace everyday normal underwear. Give it two weeks and you will forget you ever wear normal panties.

Celebrity Oprah Winfrey was once quoted as saying on her show, “Spanx really changed the way I wore clothes. … I’ve given up panties” and Gwyneth Paltrow used them after she gave birth. It easily shaves off 2-10 pounds and eliminates the “muffin top”. It helps that Spanx comes in all shapes and sizes – from the neck down to your leg – as some people would lovingly joke about it.

It truly has a mark of a genius as its owner and maker, Sara Blakely, simply cut off her control tights because she wanted to use open-toed sandals with the cream-colored trousers. After quality control sheer tight fabrics, packaging and endorsements from high-profile celebrities who “swear” by it, Spanx remains to be the top seller in underwear shapers in all boutiques across the nation.

Blakely also had the foresight to come out with different versions of the modern girdle. From sheer, opaque, to evening, summer, everyday and even maternity wear, Spanx has it all!

For one who need control on her torso and hips, the Spanx Higher Power is a great choice:

Powerful shaping panties with phenomenal impact. The perfect solution for looking svelte under an evening dress or everyday outfit.

Key Points:

Slight Sheen Finish
Strong Control Level

For everyday use, you can use Spanx Power Panties:

Shaping panties to give you a washboard stomach and toned bottom without having to spend hours at the gym.

Key Points:

Matte Finish
Cotton Gusset
Strong Control Level

It’s getting hotter everyday from where I live and that just means one thing – summer is near! Families are planning trips to beaches and travels to somewhere colder. Since we live in the mountains, I think a trip to the beach is in order!

But first we need to make sure everything is complete – from accessories to summer flip flops!

I think the most widely used summer accessory is a pair of sunglasses. Ranging from the usual sunnies to aviators to celebrity sunglasses, make sure that what you get is has at least 99% UV protection or else it would be practically useless!

Thankfully, fashion has made sunglasses for every occasion (and women)!

The next thing would be a great (colorful would be nice) pair of sandals for the summer! Whether it’s going to be a pair of Havaianas or sexy strappy sandals, remember that your feet need to clean and your toes well-kept! A foot spa and a pedicure is a must!

Here is some summer style guide tips for you:

Stars and stripes are nice.
Floral prints are trendy too. Mini-florals!
Paint drips everywhere!

Korean fashion has invaded Manila, owing in part with Pinoy’s addiction to the famous Koreanovelas on TV. Ever wanted to dress that way in such a cheap price? Go here and add her as a friend, she sells clothes like these!

Size doesn’t matter. And in this day and age where commercialism has focused and forced the thinking of being thin as beautiful, being big and on the heavy side is considered a disadvantage. Thankfully, there are women like Oprah and Queen Latifah who has embodied and empowered plus-sized women and have declared, "Big is Beautiful."

Fashion and the clothing industry has been kinder to us too – ever since Jennifer Lopez revealed the size of her hips and Kate Winslet posed for Leonardo Di Caprio as Rose in the movie “Titanic”. There have been a lot of choices among plus size fashion stores.

Since our options are now endless, one should also remember that prices will be a bit higher since fabric-wise, we will be using a lot more coverage. A wrap dress is a basic need for plus-sized women.

Here are some budget shopping tips for you:

1. Know what works for you first.
2. Try it on, what looks nice on the rack might not look good on you. And sometimes, since fabrics of plus-sized clothes are drapelike, they have no form when on the rack.
3. Base your choices off of a core color palette. But be creative with color!

Here are some inspiration from the Elvi Store (for size 16 and up!):

As you can see, most clothes are shape fitting. You do not need to wear loose clothes if you are big. The key here is highlight one area and camouflage the rest. Say you can cinch your waist, show off shoulders, have a V-neck top. Remember that being in turtlenecks all the time will make you look fatter because you cannot elongate your neck (chances are, your double-chin will show more and it will emphasize the plumpness of your cheeks).

When all is said and done, remember:
"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness." – Lady Blessington

Perhaps the biggest night in any girl’s high school life is her prom. School council members debate and vote on prom themes as early as the start of classes and students, particularly the teenage ladies, pore over countless of magazines, try hundreds of dresses and go on crash diets to make sure they look perfect for what they deem as "the" night of their high school life.

The search for the perfect prom dress is harder than finding the perfect date for the prom, they say. But in truth, shopping for the perfect prom dress is relatively easy, if you follow these tips:

1. Find and determine your budget. More importantly, start saving as early as possible. Be sure to allow extra cash for small accessories like hair clips, pantyhose, and make-up.

2. Find inspiration – it can be from magazines, TV shows or online. Take note you do not need to buy every single fashion magazine in the market. Online finds have larger ranges and are free.

3. Start looking early. You don’t want to hit the stores after they’ve been ravaged by every other teenagers in search of the perfect frock.

4. Know what works for you, and assess your body type. Do not simply go with a dress that is going with the current trend. Make sure the dress you choose befits your body type, speaks your personality and is something you would be comfortable in (remember you will be dancing!). If you are in a slump on what will do, that’s when looking early will be to your advantage. Try everything, and I mean everything! You might be surprised that the dress you have never considered is actually the one for you!

What are the current trends for prom dresses?

2010 trends speak of old Hollywood glamour, dazzling details and vivid colors. As with old Hollywood glam, dresses are now smooth satin sheaths, and Latin-styled trains and ruffles. It focuses more on the 1960s, with the length inspired by the a-line or cocktail length skirts of Jackie O. So you would notice that Short prom dresses are taking up a storm on stores and into the dance floor of prom nights.

One thing that is also prominent is vivid prints on dresses, sexy lines with a flamenco touch. Check out these Tony Bowls prom dresses:

Looking at all these very nice dresses makes me wish to relive prom night. Fashion these days are so much better! The choices and possibilities are endless.

Enjoy your prom!