Friday, December 24, 2010

Dress Between Seasons

Seasons come. Seasons go. In between their coming and going, what do you wear?  The changing seasons can effectively make it difficult for you to find the right dress because the weather can become rather unpredictable. You could never predict whether the bright sunshine warming up your face right now will turn into a rather weepy, wet, and cloud-covered sky in a few minutes. Yet, despite the weather’s unpredictability during the changes in seasons, you can still remain stylish. In this article, you will learn some tips on how to dress between seasons.
Dress according to season. If you are at the tail end of one season and are about to enter into the next, make sure you are ready for the coming season. So, as winter begins packing up, you should do the same to your winter clothes. You will not need your dark-colored boots, hosiery, and thick turtlenecks for spring or summer. In their place, you can wear brown or tan boots together with dresses that are appropriate for the coming spring or summer. To keep the balance, wear a sweater or blazer on top of your new spring clothes.
Wear clothes in layers. Three layers should be enough. Wearing more than three might keep you too warm for comfort during spring or summer season. For the innermost layer, you can wear a tank top. On top of it as second layer, you can wear a sweater. As your outermost third layer, you can wear a jacket. Never wear three shirts in layers. It will be very warm and uncomfortable. Worse, it can make you look foolish. Make sure that you wear at least one layer that is structure (for example, a knee-length coat or a blazer). Stick to neutral colors, if you can. You can wear clothes with colors from the same family, but be very careful about going overboard. Contrast can create a really visually pleasing effect on your layers. You can also try mixing and matching fabrics. Silk or cotton, for example, looks perfect with cashmere.
Show your skin. Especially your legs. Save the stockings and socks for rainy days. Show how wonderful your bare legs look by wearing flats (e.g., ballet flats) that have true soles and heels. Avoid wearing flats that are sole-less or heel-less, as they actually look like slippers. Under inclement and rainy weather, you can wear rain boots, but do step into real shoes once you get out of the rain.
Thin your cover. Thick covers such as winter coats are ideal for winter. For spring and summer, go for the thinner covers. A safari-style jacket is as perfect a cover as a waist-cinched trench coat. If you want to look updated with your cover, you might want to try the sixties-style A-line coats that are becoming popular these days. Such coats look nice on top of trim pants and little dresses.
Prepare for rain. A richly colored umbrella hanging from your arm won’t do much damage to your look. In fact, it may just complement your fashion style while keeping you armed for unpredictable rain.
Seasons may come and seasons may go. Let them. Your fashion sense still remains, although with some minor adaptive adjustments.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Do you believe that you can look sexy even if you don’t have the perfect 36-24-36 body. Yes, you can! The secret: know how to choose the right dresses to complement your unique body shape.

Are you an hourglass, an apple, a pear, or a rectangle? An hourglass has a curvy body with a small waist. An apple has a large upper body with broad shoulders, a wide waistline and lean legs. A pear is the opposite of an apple: narrow shoulders and large hips and thighs. The rectangle has little curves and looks somewhat boyish. No matter what your shape, here are the basic things that you should keep in mind.

Color. Color accentuates your best features while taking away attention from problem areas. Dark colors appear to recede. The areas of your body where you have worn dark clothing will look minimized or slimmed down. Light colors emphasize and make body areas look bigger. To look tall and lean, wear tops and bottoms of the same color. To diminish your height and add a few pounds visually, wear contrasting clothes.
Texture. The material of your clothes will affect how you look. Rough and bulky fabrics will add size to the wearer. If you like to add pounds to areas of your body, you can wear these over them. If you are petite, bulky clothes will overpower your figure. Smooth and clingy fabrics are figure revealing. To hide problem areas, wear tailored or stiff fabric instead.
Hourglass. An hourglass can flaunt her curves and draw attention to her slender waist by wearing fitted dresses and belts. Wear almost anything you like, just as long as your top and bottom half are balanced. If you dislike being an hourglass, make your figure look leaner by wearing similar colors on the top and bottom half of your body.
Apple. If you're an apple, you need to balance the largeness of your upper body. To make your waist look narrow, wear belted dresses or anything that cinches you in the middle. Wear high-waisted pants or skirts to hide your tummy. Balance your slender legs with your upper body by wearing flared plants, or draw attention to them by wearing short skirts.
Pear. If you're a pear, you have a great upper body and you need to hide your plump thighs and hips. To balance your hips with your shoulders, wear tops with wide necklines. Draw attention to your upper body by wearing tops and shirts with colorful patterns. Wear light tops to make your upper body look larger, and dark bottoms to minimize your lower body. To draw attention away from your legs and hips, wear short jackets that end above your hips. Wear A-line skirts or other skirts that fall away from your bottom half.
Rectangle. If you're a rectangle, create an illusion of curves by wearing tailored jackets that flare at the hips. To make your hips and legs look plumper, wear low rise jeans that are lighter in the area of your thighs. To draw attention to your bust, choose tops that have detail and patterns on the chest. Wear designs that add dimension and bulk to your figure.


You don't have to be an hourglass to look sexy. Wearing the right clothes can do wonders for your figure.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

How To Dress for New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve parties are an exciting and fun way to kick off the New Year. 
Whether you're keeping it small with a group of a few friends or family members, or if you're going to something larger like a party at work, you're probably wondering what you should wear to this event.  There are a few different things to consider before you go shopping such as if this event will be more formal or casual, and how much you want to spend.

If your place of employment is hosting a New Year's Eve party, it will more than likely be semi-formal.  This means a nicer dress for women and a shirt and tie for men or the equivalent.  There are many great dresses out there to choose from for a New Year's Eve party.  You can choose a short, fun dress with thin straps or a long, fitted dress to show off your figure.  Make sure and get some shoes to match. These should compliment the outfit, but still be comfortable to wear for a few hours at a time since you'll be bringing in the New Year. You can complete the look with some great accessories such as earrings and a necklace. These dresses can be found at different women's store or juniors' clothing stores.

For men, consider choosing some khaki or dress pants with a button up dress shirt and tie or vest.  You can find these at lots of different apparel shops.  Men can choose a decent pair of jeans or khakis and a polo shirt. 
For a more casual event, you can go with several different options.  For an evening at a friend's house, you'll still want to look attractive and somewhat dressed up.  For women this can include a fun dress, some black pants and a dressier shirt or even some nice designer jeans and a dressier shirt or sweater. Jeans and pants are a more practical choice, and you might feel more comfortable in these.  When choosing a shirt to go with them, you'll want something that looks classy and attractive.  Consider choosing one made out of silk or satin.  For those who like it, you can also choose a shirt that's got some detailing like beading, or one that is made out of sparkly material.  Bright colors can be fun too.  To complete this look, just add some fun shoes.
wonderful new year look!!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Develop your Signature Style-image

     Have you ever being told "that's so you" when looking at an article of clothing? If so, then you're well on your way to developing a signature style. A signature style clearly defines you and is recognizable to others. Here's how to turn your everyday look into a signature style

1.    Think about your favorite fashions. A signature style is a particular style that is considered your personal style. Your signature style can be defined by a very particular fashion statement, such as a pair of glasses, a type of hat, a certain hairstyle, or more broadly as a type of fashion that you wear daily. Relying on a specific type of accessory is an easy way to start your own signature style. Assess your current style to get inspiration for your signature style. Developing a signature style isn't about changing your current style completely, just refining it.

2.    Narrow down your signature style. If you feel like your everyday fashion is too boring to become your signature style, look through fashion magazines or walk through the mall, trying to find ideas on a particular style that suits you well. Try on things you might not normally choose, and look for items that you believe work with your personality and lifestyle. Your look could be retro or modern, sporty or sophisticated, girlie or more unisex.

3.    Try out your new look. Try to dress for a week straight in your signature style. Are you comfortable wearing these items? Do you get any compliments about your look? If the answer to both of these is ‘no,' then you might want to continue tweaking your signature style. You can try lots of different looks before settling on a signature style. If the style you pick doesn't feel like "you," then it's not the right signature style, and you should keep looking. When you find the right signature style, it should feel like your personality expressed through clothing.

4.    Be willing to change. Just because it's your signature style doesn't mean that it can't change over time. Don't keep hanging on to a particular style just because you think others expect it from you. You will change over time, and you may latch onto new fashion trends. Don't be afraid to change your signature style.
5.    Keep it realistic. Even if it is your signature style, you can mix it up a little. Avoid dressing head-to-toe in a particular fashion every day of they year, unless you want it to look a little costume-like.
Develop a signature style to make your fashions memorable to others. This is a lot easier than it seems; you can start simply by choosing your favorite type of accessories and incorporating them into lots of different looks. Your signature look should be a fashion that defines you.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Plan Your Wardrobe for the Week


Planning things out ahead of time can really take some of the hurry out of our week.  One of the things you can do is plan out your wardrobe for the week in advance.  To do this, first think about what activities your week will entail.  Your next step would be to set a part of your closet aside for your planned wardrobe every week.  This will give you the space to plan and keep your wardrobe organized.
Now, you will simply decide what it is you want to wear.  You should start with your career wear first.  An easy way to save time and money with career wear is to invest in suit separates.  Suit separates may be a skirt or pant which can be worn with any shirt or corresponding blazer.  This will help you plan your wardrobe for the week, because often with suit separates you can wear them more than once in a week by changing one element of your outfit By doing this you can have a whole new look and save money at the same time, especially on career shoes


Now that your career wear is all planned out, you want to make sure you have clothing set aside for any after-hours activities.  Think about your upcoming week.  Do you have a sporting event to attend, a night out with friends or a date?  Invest in a good pair of jeans.  You can wear jeans to a sports arena with a t-shirt, or add a nice top and a pair of heels for a night out with friends.  If you have a date, take the nice top and match it up with a casual skirt or slacks.
Once you have your wardrobe planned out, see if any ironing of the garments needs to be done.  Having the clothing ready to wear can save you loads of time.  Under each planned outfit place the shoes you plan on wearing.
Your undergarments should also be kept in a ready to wear organization.  The less fumbling through your clothing in the morning the quicker you get into the office.  Just because you planned out your wardrobe in advance does not mean you can’t accessorize.  You can either have a spot set aside for these items or simply loop any   around the hanger of the outfit you wish to wear it with.
When planning out your image look for the week you need to figure in your variables.  Try and have a few things in mind as regards the weather, spills, or even not feeling like wearing that when you see it that morning.  The key to these situations would be to always keep your closet clean, neat, and organized

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Dressing for a Casual Dinner Party

Been invited to a casual dinner party, and you’re wondering what to wear, fret no longer. A casual dinner party is one of the easiest occasions to get ready for, and it’s very likely that you already have a wardrobe piece or two that will present an image that will perfectly fit the occasion. However, there are some things that you would have to consider before you take out that polo shirt you get as a gift from a friend. Get some tips before you misrepresent yourself at the party.

Get the meaning of casual. Casual is less than semi-formal, and it could cover wardrobe pieces such as (for women) a comfortable, flowery dress with sandals, dressy jeans or slacks, and any flattering blouse; and (for men) dark jeans or khakis with a button-down dress shirt or collared polo. Go with a few timeless pieces and opt for neutrals in classic cuts, and you should do fine.

There are a few levels of “casual”. Remember, casual may mean the ordinary clothes that you wear when you’re going out shopping, but then again it may not. The key here is to consider the venue of the dinner party. If it’s at a restaurant, you may want to dress up a little. If it’s an outdoor dinner or dinner at a close friend’s house, feel free to be a little more casual.
Up the level a little bit. If you’re not sure what type of casual the party is, know that it’s always best that you come a little overdressed, than a little underdressed. How could you level up the casual, without going overboard? First, opt for darker tones such as black, navy and gray, instead of pastel colors. Second, choose solid colors, instead of patterns. Third, go for smooth textures over rugged ones. You should also accessorize a little with pearls and a classic timepiece; this will help you up the elegance factor even if you’re only wearing simple clothing.
 What not to wear. Never go for ill-fitting clothes, such as low-waist pants or too-tight blouses. The key here (for any type of dress code) is to go for clothes that fit you excellently. Steer clear of torn or ripped clothing, even if these tears are intentional designs. Avoid wearing T-shirts that pose risqué slogans or those with violent innuendoes. Avoid wearing shorts and flip-flops: these may be acceptable for brunches or lunch parties, but not as much for dinner gatherings.
 Makeup simple. Avoid over-the-top colors and stick to neutral tones such as beige, tan and coral. A general technique for looking effortlessly beautiful with make-up is to highlight one feature at a time. If you want to emphasize your eyes, feel free to do so, as long as you keep your lipstick simple. On the other hand, you could wear dark red lipstick but keep your eyeshadow barely-there.
There you have it! These are just some of the guidelines you should know when it comes to dressing up for a casual dinner party. Remember, comfort and fit here are key, and once you have these factors down pat, you’d be free to truly enjoy evening and the food! Express your individuality. 

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Image is Everything - The Importance of Personal and Professional Branding


Branding and personal image management is the ongoing development of the perceived value of an individual or business, in relation to its competitors, as viewed by an audience -and whether you have a small start up or a mega-franchise or are simply trying to market yourself, branding should be at the forefront of your mind.
There are two main types of branding- personal and professional- and both types are extremely crucial in the success of an individual or business. Here are some tips that can apply to the development of both types of branding.
 Image should not be contradictory- you cannot market yourself or your business as one thing but speak, dress, and act as another. It's important that you stay true to who you are and what you want to portray. As long as you are honest with yourself and others, it won't be difficult to maintain consistency in branding your business and/or yourself.
o Brand should be easily accessible and identifiable- if you Google your name or your business' name what would you find? If there is any information there at all, is it accurate and consistent? If you are less than satisfied with the results, be sure to do what you can to correct it. There are plenty of articles out there that help you figure out how to successfully use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to build your personal and professional brand.
o Be consistent in your brand development- you cannot expect to build or change your brand overnight. Branding is an ongoing process that should be taken seriously and given much thought. Create a daily, weekly, or monthly block of time for you to focus on branding. Once you find a method (or methods) that work for you, stick with them and monitor how effective they are.
o Be careful where you leave your footprint (mouse-print) - although the internet is a great tool to build your business and your brand, it can also prove to be a place where images are destroyed. Pay attention to the pictures you let circulate, the comments you leave on others' blogs, and the social networks you become a member of. With the click of a mouse, anyone can learn all about image, If it fits into your image and brand, then there's no problem. But if it doesn't, it can put a damper on the way others see you.
Personal and Professional branding, if used correctly, can really give you the competitive edge as you grow your business. It's important that you take the time to carefully develop and maintain a brand that will prove to be a positive addition on your journey to success.