Dressing Up For The Holidays

You've gotten the Christmas and New Year's party invites but you haven't found the perfect outfit yet. You're thinking, you will probably bump into your hot co-worker whom you've had a crush on since the day you borrowed his stapler or coincidentally, be in the same party with your ex and his new girlfriend (you know, the one who looks like a dude without all that make-up on). Or maybe you just want to look cute for the sake of looking cute, right?

My point is, dress up. Dress up good!

For the ladies, glammin' it up during the holidays is just the way to go. Don't be afraid to show some skin---I said some, so don't go hooker-style on me. Mmmk? Mmmk.

You can opt for a wrap dress if you're gonna make a dash from the office to the party venue. All you need to do is swap your office heels to parteyyyy heels.

Diane von Furstenberg

via saksfifthavenue.com

Pick a festive color but don't get too crazy with the matchy-matchy. Red is always a great option for the holiday season so if you're going for a red dress, pair it up with some black, silver or gold stilettos (anything but red!).

Dolce and Gabbana

via neimanmarcus.com

Ready to kick the party ensemble up a notch? Be the walking disco ball and go for beads and sequins!

Petra

via neimanmarcus.com

Want to do separates? You can go for a simple crop top and match it with a ball or pleated skirt. Remember to get a crop top that sits low enough to cover the navel so you don't have to suck that post-holiday-grub gutt in! If the top is a little bit on the shorter side, make sure the skirt makes up for the gap.

Alice+Olivia

via neimanmarcus.com

Don't feel like wearing a dress? Grab some pants and throw in a moto jacket---you're good to go!

A.L.C.

via neimanmarcus.com

But if you really can't help yourself and be the narcissist that you are belle of the ball...by all means, go all out!

Oscar de la Renta

via neimanmarcus.com

Why should women have all the fun? Our gents should dress to the nines as well!

If you don't want to wear a suit and tie, opt for a sport shirt that has a silk blend or a textured finish. The sheen effect will make you look like you made the extra effort to dress up! Ha!

See how this solid blue sport shirt pops? It's all about the sheen!

Dsquared

via neimanmarcus.com

Paisley, stripes, floral---don't be scared to play around with prints!

Robert Graham

via neimanmarcus.com

Sometimes you don't want to think about what shirt to wear. Let a double-breasted coat do all the work for you!

Brunello Cucinelli

via neimanmarcus.com

Bring on the velvet and let's call it a party! Check this lovely velvet sport coat in dark teal.

Giorgio Armani

via neimanmarcus.com

And just because I'm obsessed with men's shoes...

Ermenegildo Zegna Penny loafers with brogue detail. I am so in love with the burnish detail (that part where the leather around the toe is darker)!

via neimanmarcus.com

Oxfords and Brogues are versatile pieces so you can always dress it up or dress it down.

via neimanmarcus.com

Boots don't always have to be casual and rugged-looking. You can still wear them for more formal events so invest in a boot with a polished leather.

Prada

via neimanmarcus.com

If you wanna go more casual, you can do sneakers. But please, no puffy white tennis shoes---unless you're on your way to do a Jane Fonda workout then okay...Sashay shante away, my good man.

Giorgio Armani Woven Leather Sneaker

via neimanmarcus.com

Tom Ford Leather High Top Sneaker

via neimanmarcus.com

The velvet version is equally delicioso!

via neimanmarcus.com

Oh and by the way, our friends Oscar, Tom, Miuccia or Giorgio ain't gonna do much for you if you don't SMILE. If you don't smile, you'll just be the Grinch with the most impeccable taste in fashion. It's the holidays, take this time to be nice and friendly. Being a genuinely nice person will be the best gift that you could ever give to anyone.

Merry Christmas!

Toodles!

Fashion 5-0: Back in the Closet

Trends are fleeting, and it does even more in an accelerated speed in the fashion world. What's hot this season could be shunned in the next, that's why I always encourage my readers to be more discerning about which fads to give in to and which ones to absolutely avoid like your stalker ex the plague. I'm not saying that you have to give up these things altogether but it's best to put them in the backburner for now, at least until the fashion Gods say it's okay to unleash them back into the wild.

High-Low dresses I'm just going to say this...Hi-Lo hemlines don't look favorable with people who have elephant knees a.k.a ME. I tried 'em and I just looked like Dumbo in a dress, all I was missing was some big flappy ears. If you don't have toned legs, this is not a flattering silhouette for you.

Nha Khanh via neimanmarcus.com

Instead, invest in a Fit and Flare dress. They come in different skirt lengths and looks great with short sleeves, 3/4 sleeves and sleeveless. This silhouette is great overall since it cinches on the waist and flares out to the bottom, giving you lots of freedom to move and leave you worry-free as you make your way down to the buffet line...Kumbaya, indeed.

Ted Baker via neimanmarcus.com

Wedge Sneakers Yeah, I never cared for this one. It looked cute on long-legged models but they remind me of skater shoes and I absolutely think skater shoes are an abomination.

Isabel Marant via barneys.com

Instead, go for the High-Top sneakers that have great added details such as leather trimming, buckles, studs, grommet, etc. for an edgier casual look.

Giuseppe Zanotti via neimanmarcus.com

Peplum dresses This is really a no-brainer. Peplum tops and jackets are cute but those attached on a dress have overstayed their welcome since 2-3 seasons ago. 

RED Valentino via neimanmarcus.com

Instead, try wearing mix prints and bold (or bold floral) prints to spice up your wardrobe!

Mary Katrantzou via neimanmarcus.com

Elle Sasson via neimanmarcus.com

Mirrored Lens Sunglasses Sure, they're colorful and playful to wear. But this style of sunglasses just can't survive for more than one season. It has had its spotlight in the 90's when Oakley's were all the rage but the comeback of the mirrored lens is inevitably short-lived so calm your caramels, Cyclops.

Rayban via neimanmarcus.com

Instead, try some transparent frames in different colors to hide the most serious case of hangovers.

Dior via neimanmarcus.com

Gucci via bergdorfgoodman.com

Don't get me wrong---I am not against trends. In fact, some trends can be so fabulous that they end up coming back for many seasons to come! But if you want your trendy clothes to survive for more than just one season, one must learn how to control when and how often to take that trendy piece out for a spin. Still got a peplum top that you want to wear? Pair it up with some slim cropped pants and single strap heels instead of a skirt and platform pumps to freshen the look. 

Be inventive, you'll never know what you'll come up with.

Toodles!

The Best of Haute Couture Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014

In the wake of terrible news such as the Malaysian Airlines plane that got shot down over Ukraine, the depressing situation over the Israel-Gaza conflict and a strong typhoon ripping through the northern part of the Philippines as well as other parts of Asia, my prayers go to all who have perished and to everyone affected by these sad news. Sigh, all I really want to do right now is to help everyone have a little pick-me-up to calm the nerves. 

Whenever I'm down and out, I try to think of beautiful clothes or down a couple of tubs of icecream. I know, it's kind of superficial but it does get my mind off the not-so-beautiful things in life, even just for an hour or so. Let's try to think of something beautiful, shall we?

The Haute Couture Fashion Week just wrapped up in Paris about a week ago and yes, there were yards of beautiful fabrics and silhouettes to chase the nightmares away. What I love about the haute couture collections is that the designers shine artistically, the seamstresses get to showcase the best of their skills, and you don't feel the pressure of commercialism in these collections. They just create what they feel like, no holds barred---there are no trends necessarily followed, although they may be a source of inspiration for the RTW (ready-to-wear) collections.

A peak of my personal favorites:

Valentino. This collection is all about cinched waists and natural shoulders, with an interesting set of soft, delicate fabrics held together with the prominent accessory, a double-wrap waist belt.

Atelier Versace. You can always count on Donatella Versace to bring out the sexy, sultry side of a woman. In this collection, boned waists, ball gowns, strategic cut-out silhouettes and some glittery body suits are all over the runway. There's even that gown with one pant on one leg, and I know it sounds odd but they nailed it. Sashey, Shante!

Chanel. Time for a sumptuous dose of tweed and beyond! I love the idea of how the heavily embroidered clothes are balanced out with beautiful silk bow flats. Ooh la la, check out the finale peace worn by the very pregnant model, Ashleigh Good! (fifth and sixth pic below)

Zuhair Murad. Make sure not to skip the leg exercises 'coz Mr. Murad wants the ladies to show off them lovely stems! The gowns are nothing less of breath-taking, accented with geometrical-shaped buckle belts.

Giambattista Valli. Screw the Rose Parade, Giambattista's got it covered with floral appliques, garden floral prints (perfectly and unexpectedly matched with stripes) and silk shirts on ombré ruffled skirts. It's all in the details, baby!

Elie Saab. Uhm, yea. You're never going to get an unbiased opinion from me when it comes to this guy. He is the Lord of all unimaginably dreamy gowns. This is yet another collection that I am completely googley-eyed about! I simply have no words.

I have a confession to make. Every time Elie Saab's Haute Couture collection comes out, I always skip to the last piece...because he makes the most coveted wedding gowns ever. It's like he dives into every woman's dream, puts it to paper and simply creates the most beautiful, feminine shapes and patterns.

All photos courtesy of style.com

Phew, okay. I am definitely in a better mood now. Even if these wonderful creations didn't do anything to cheer you up, remember that you can build your own happy place. It could be filled with adorable animals doing unusual tricks, laughing babies, favorite cities to travel someday (or have traveled to), inside jokes that only you and your closest friends can understand, or a second chance in life.

The world can be such a gloomy, dreary place to live in but it'll only get darker if you put your own light out. Keep on shining, my minions!

Toodles!