Thursday, August 27, 2009
Dea AoF: I have a black tie wedding late sept. Have a nice black dress.
Would cerise shoes
and bag and wrap be suitable or what other colour do
you suggest?
Signed Cherry
Dear
Cherry,
For those of us who don't know...and
I confess I had to look it up,
Cerise is the French word for cherry, a rose-red color.
I think either a
cerise shoe, or a bag, or a wrap would be nice, but
be careful about wearing more than one of them at a time.
Right now,
in 2009, unless you're going for a retro look, it's a little too much to
make them all the same color.
Personally, I love to see black dresses with a different color of shoes,
so I might opt for the cerise shoes
and then possibly do another color
of wrap, such as off-white, shimmery light grey, light yellow...perhaps
a lighter
shade of rose. Since Cerise is a bold color, you can also go with
an equally bold color but something completely
different such as a Cobalt
or even a Persian Blue. (Look up "Shades of Blue" on Wikipedia)
I would
keep the bag simple - stick with black or maybe something
beaded with multi-colors picking up the cerise.
Thanks
for asking AdviceonFashion.com.
7:21 pm edt
Whether 'Tis Nobler or Not to Wear Pantyhose
Dear AoF: What are the rules on wearing/not wearing panty hose?
Signed To
Wear or Not to Wear
Dear Not to Wear,
Here are the basics...
1.
If you don't have to wear pantyhose, don't wear them. They are
actually kind of icky garments.
2. You can wear
stockings with garter belts and if you do, y
ou are a better woman than I and you should be giving me advice.
3.
If you have to wear pantyhose, wear them as sheer as possible
in the tone of your skin for a nude look.
4. Don't wear full-toe pantyhose with sandals. Wear pantyhose that
comes with a kind of "thong" toe
instead.
5. Pantyhose can hide scars, cellulite and other imperfections.
6. Never, and I never say never,
wear them with shorts.
RULES FOR THE BRAVE AND CONFIDENT:
5. Break rules. I've seen such things as black,
opaque pantyhose
with white patent-leather strappy sandals, kneehighs with high-heeled
pumps and high-heeled sandals,
etc. in the hallowed pages of Vogue.
6. Use colored pantyhose or printed pantyhose for added excitement.
Also, check out our Accessories page for more information.
Thanks for asking AdviceonFashion.com.
6:42 pm edt
For Short People Only
Dear AoF: I am a small person (5' 130 lbs.) What should I stay away
from - large
or small designs?
Signed Shorty
Dear Shorty,
I always tell petite women that there are many things that they can
wear...It's
about putting together an image that looks good on you,
yes, you. How do you achieve that? Create an illusion by playing
with
proportion.
Based on our current ideals of beauty, namely that women who are
over 5'7"
or over, how does a petite woman such as yourself achieve
a beautiful line? First off, I will say that there
are many women we
admire who are shorter than the typical model height which we have
so idealized. Many famous
and gorgeous actresses are "short".
Think about wearing prints from small to medium size prints or do
a larger "spot" print such as only in one part of a skirt or dress. In
other words you might
be able to do a larger print in just one area
but perhaps not all over. If you're hippier, be careful of a large print
on the bottom. If you're busty and want to deemphasize, then go
with a smaller print.
In general,
smaller women should wear prints that are small to
medium range. All-over large prints or medium to large prints that
are busy are also probably not a good idea. Within these "rules",
there's a lot of room to play. Bring
a friend shopping and try on a
variety of types of prints and analyze why something does or does
not look good
on you. Make sure you can step far enough away from
the mirror to get an objective look. Squint your eyes and take a
good
look. You may find that you can break the rules a little.
Thanks for asking AdviceonFashion.com.
6:18 pm edt
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Question about Body Type
Hi, AdviceonFashion,
I was wondering if I could submit a picture
of myself to this site and
you can tell me what kind of outfits are best for my body type? If so,
what kind
of pictures would you need?
Ms. Body-Conscious
Dear Ms. Body-Conscious,
Sure,
I would take a few pictures of yourself wearing about 3 of your
favorite outfits. Full length and taken without
a flash. Dress up a little
when you take the pictures - nothing fancy but a little bit of makeup
and how you like
to wear your hair.
One dressy, one casual and one wearing a camisole and sweatpants
or some kind of simple
pull on pants. Let me know what your height is,
also and what your lifestyle is like.
I would be happy to
give you some ideas.
AS AN ASIDE TO ALL OF YOU WONDERING ABOUT YOUR BODY TYPE -
I GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS
IN MY STORE ABOUT THAT KIND OF THING
SO WE'LL START TALKING A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HOW TO ANALYZE YOUR
BODY. I DON'T
NECESSARILY BELIEVE IN LABELING YOUR BODY AS A
"TYPE". FASHION CONSULTANTS USE THAT SYSTEM AS AN EASY WAY
TO TEACH YOU HOW TO UNDERSTAND PROPORTION. BUT I HAVE FOUND T
HAT MEN AND WOMEN COME IN A LOT OF BODY SHAPES, HEIGHTS,
ETC.
AND THE TRICK IS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO SEE YOUR OWN BODY IN A C
ONSTRUCTIVELY CRITICAL WAY. EMPHASIS ON "CONSTRUCTIVE"!
THAT IS ALL FOR TODAY, CLASS.
Thanks for asking AdviceonFashion.com!
We're here to help!
6:41 pm edt
How To Coordinate with any Color, Especially Yellow
Dear AoF: How do I know what colors work together? for example, I just bought
the
sexiest dress in a soft yellow. what color bag & shoes do I use???
Swella in my Yella
Dear Swella,
This is a question that I've considered many times. How to explain how colors
coordinate...Hm.
Well, take a cue from trained designers and artists. They learn about the color
wheel and tertiary and complementary
colors, shades, tints, etc. Google the
words "color wheel" (find http://www.colorsontheweb.com/colorwheel.asp)
or "latest fashion colors" and you'll see a plethora of sites that analyze this
same question. The
answers are not concrete - they change from season to
season and era to era.
But generally, for you, I would
say that yellow looks good with black and white.
Since it's a soft yellow, I would consider black suede, light grey
or charcoal to
go with it. You can also go with tans and browns. You can even go with other
colors, such
as red. A designer I know just designed some great stuff for
Spring that paired yellow with lipstick red and it looked
great.
For fall, you could also go with Orchid (pale purple) or a soft green color.
So your question is yellow...Once
you've chosen a few options, ask yourself
these additional questions before you buy your accessories.
1.
Does it look good on me and my skin tone?
2. Is it fashionable right now?
3. Does it look good a few feet away?
4. Does it look good from across the room or across the street? (It seems
silly, but this is an important question
to ask yourself with brighter colors
such as yellow, orange, neon green, etc.)
Oh! And yellow is a great
color to pick up your mood. Wear it happily.
Thanks for asking AdviceonFashion.com!
6:34 pm edt
SKINNY JEANS & BOOTS
Dear AoF:
I'm 48 years old and wondering if I can wear pencil jeans with
boots.
I'm a size 4 and thin.
Sign me,
Still Got it Going On
Dear Ms. Still
Got it Going On:
Yes, you can wear them. You can be 88 and still wear that look.
As I always say,
a lot depends on proportion. I love the look of
boots with pencil jeans. I recently saw someone wearing this look
- she had the boot tucked in. It looked great. Personally, I kind of l
ike jeans tucked in and I kind of don't...
The problem with tucking a pant inside a boot is that it tends to cut
off the leg and calls attention to the
butt or the thighs. If you love
your butt and thighs and want to show them off, by all means, tuck
it in. But
if you don't, opt for keeping the pant leg out. Wearing a boot
with little or no heel also will shorten the leg but
can still be charming.
In the end, I always opt for a boot with between 1" to 3" heel for the
leanest
and still comfortable look.
Thanks for asking AdviceonFashion.com!
6:23 pm edt
Cool White Outfit
Hello, AoF, I have a white blouse and white,short skirt by Karen Millen.
It's a delicate
cotton with subtle flowers sewn on - just beautiful. I need
advice on hose/tights and shoes.
Thanks,
How to Look Hot While Wearing Cool White
Dear How to Look Hot while Wearing
Cool White,
Surprisingly there are more than a few options...Here's a few ideas and
be experimental.
Just for fun, try different things you already have in
your closet, too, and keep an open mind. Women who get the most
compliments about their look are the ones who aren't afraid to try
something new and to wear it proudly.
LOOK 1: Wear the outfit with either very sheer or nude-colored pantyhose
(that matches your own skin very closely)
or no stockings at all with white
pumps or sandals.
LOOK 2: Wear it with sheer & shimmery
stockings and pumps
LOOK 3: Wear it with lightweight turn-down bobby socks and 50's looking
black
patent-leather pumps. Pair with a black cardigan or lightweight jacket.
LOOK 4: Wear it with light-weight
off-white texture-y tights, leggings or
kneehighs. Throw a matching off-white cardigan over
your shoulders as
the weather changes to fall.
LOOK 5: Consider wearing light tan or taupe shoes.
LOOK 6: Black pumps with white stockings or black pumps with opaque
black stockings may be an option.
LOOK 7: For a very chic fall look, you can try a black turtleneck or close-
fitting black long-sleeve
t-shirt with opaque black stockings or leggings
and ankle boots for a mod look.
LOOK 8: Try any of
the above with flats for a more demure look.
Thanks for asking AdviceonFashion.com!
6:15 pm edt
Formal or Informal at the Wedding
Dear AoF:
What is appropriate dress for a mid-September wedding
at 4:30 pm?
It's being held at Conrad Hotel.
Thanks, Unsure
Dear
Unsure,
If the wedding invitation doesn't indicate whether it's formal, casual,
black tie, etc. I
would ask the bride how formal you should dress.
Otherwise, since the wedding is at 4:30, that means the reception will
probably be later in the evening - which calls that you dress at least
semi-formal.
Semi-formal means
an ankle length to just below knee-length cocktail
dress or separates . You could also go for a dressy suit but
suits are
generally associated with the mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-
groom. Suits can age your look and
your attitude and are not fun to
dance in at the reception, which let's face it, is the best part of a wedding,
in my opinion.
If it's a formal occasion, then you should wear a cocktail-length dress,
cocktail-length
dressy ensemble, gown or full-length dressy separates.
It's easy to be too stuffy with weddings, so find
something flowy and
unstructured for a "I just threw this old (but beautiful and elegant) thing
on."
We both know you didn't. You thought about it - but the trick is to
look like you have so much style that you didn't
think too hard. Make sure
it doesn't look like it's just been starched...so steam it with a professional
steamer
or have a dry cleaner steam it for you. Even very formal clothing
looks best this way.
Thanks for contacting
AdviceonFashion.com!
6:10 pm edt
Petite with Flat Boots
Dear AoF: Is 5'2" too short for 13" flat boots?
Signed
5'2" and Too Hot for You
Hi, 5'2"...
I am 5'3"...okay
5' 2 3/4" and I would wear flat boots. But I would
rather wear boots with a little bit of a heel. At least an inch
and 2" is
pretty normal for me. I wear flat ballet-type shoes a lot and I love
them. Boots are more of a
challenge, though. They tend to shorten
the look of your legs if they don't have a heel.
Still, we're not
tall...and that's okay and there's no hiding it, unless
we wear our platforms which make us about 6'. Okay, I have a
pair
of those and I always feel on top of the world, literally, in them. But,
I digress.
You want to
wear flat boots. Yes, just make that the rest of your
outfit fits well - not too oversized, like a too-loose tunic,
oversized
jacket, large ill-fitting shirt. Otherwise, you will look like you're
shorter than you want to appear
to be. A miniskirt and flat boots -
if you have good legs would look great. Steer clear of long skirts.
Keep your
pants straight-legged or skinny when wearing flat boots.
Thanks for your question to AdviceonFashion.com.
6:03 pm edt
