Chill at the Beach

Now whether you live on an island or on a hill, you must have a floral beach dress in your wardrobe. You might not have the luxury of living by the coast. But I am sure at some point of your life you will go on a holiday where you can enjoy the serenity of the shores, warmth of the sand and music of the waves. If not that, someone or the other will invite you to a beach-themed-party at least. But there is no way that you will never get the opportunity to wear a beach dress in your life. No way.

And when it comes to beach dress, floral is the way to go! In my opinion, any beach is not qualified as a beach if you can't spot a woman basking in the sun in colorful, vibrant, floral prints! And do not worry about hemline at all. Wear anything in between a mini and a maxi dress, the length will always be right!

IMAGE COURTESY: GANDO.COM

IMAGE COURTESY: THEBEAUTYINSIDERS.COM

Now a beach dress can have several purposes. To cover up your bikini, to impress your hot date, or to simply give you the chilled-out feel that you've come to the beach for. Whatever it is, it's best to stick to soothing light colors like blue and green for hot afternoons or flirty bright ones like yellow and orange for warm mornings. You can go with darker shades for the evening. 

The thin fabric of these dresses are made to let your skin breathe despite the humid weather. Ah, the feel of a loose, flowing, light-as-air cotton dress on a breezy summer evening, it's an absolute bliss! It is best if your dress is sleeveless or strapless though short sleeves are equally popular.

For the jewelry, I really like to wear beaded necklaces or shells as pendants, to get the beach feel. A funky bracelet or anklet would be good too, but nothing over the top.

The shoes have to be flat, be it espadrilles or just a nice pair of flip flops. If you are going dressy and really must look taller (which I always like to), go for wedges. Seriously, who wears heels on beaches! Trust me, I have seen people wearing boots!! Crazy, I know.

Well I guess that's all about the basics. Oh, wait! Don't forget your shades!

Layer to create Illusion

So your work always needs you to be in formal clothes! And you hate to turn up in those boring office clothes when you have a date right after your office. Especially, if the date involves some fun-filled plans like watching a movie, shirt and tie becomes a complete no no.

The question is, who do you choose to please, your boss or your woman? (If the boss is a woman or your woman is the boss, is a different story.) Anyway, I am not here to ask you these confusing rhetorical questions. In fact, I want to help you find the solution, somewhat like this!

IMAGE COURTESY: STYLE.COM

You see, the guy has worn something totally acceptable for the most serious situations in office. If shirt and tie is not specifically mentioned in the dress code, I suppose it doesn't hurt to wear a full-sleeve white tee underneath your blazer. Make sure that you don't wear a matching suit, 'cause it is going to look really awkward without a collared shirt. Instead, go trendy and wear a different color blazer that goes with your trousers.

The trick is to make your outfit look formal by layering the semi-formal clothes right. If that can be achieved, who bothers to go by the dictionary. And don't forget to leave your blazer behind when you are off to having a chilled out time with your girl!

Pastel goes with Nude

Looks like I have been stalking Jessica Alba's style quite a lot lately! 'Cause the number of times I have reviewed her outfit on my blog definitely exceeds that of any other celebrity. In another post about her, we saw her in the color-blocked outfit looking totally chic. And then I found her picture where she's sporting one of my favorite fashion trends - pastel colors!

This is beginning of the week, when I actually make an effort to dress up for work. And this amazingly put-together office attire looks like something worth a try.

IMAGE COURTESY: NIGHTFAME.COM

The loosely-fit pleated trousers are well complemented by the quarter-sleeved top buttoned up just at the right places. With her hair tied up neatly and the simple pearl studs in the name of jewelry, she makes this look all the more classy. And the nude shoes and make-up with just a little blush to add some color, give her the much needed finishing touch of elegance!

I am so going to try this low-key understated fashion icon look for office!

Romantic evening color Blocked

Romantic evening color Blocked by wardrobeandmirror

Is your date outfit too plain for the evening? Brighten up your outfit with color-blocked shoes and a flamboyant clutch!

Raw, rugged and Refined

If there is a definition for the rawness-and-ruggedness associated with masculinity, it has to be disheveled hair with a little stubble and sand-washed worn out jeans! And guys, getting this look just needs you to not comb your hair, skip a shave and pull out your favorite jeans from a decade ago. Now that's not fair! So let's make life a bit less easy for you.

While this look of yours is definitely very appealing in your own living room, it is not quite presentable in someone else's. As in, when you are going out, you simply can't turn up looking like "just-got-out-of-bed" even if you have the most amazing bedroom eyes! You need to polish this look and trust me, that's not too difficult either!

IMAGE COURTESY: STYLE.COM

Take a look at this. He has got all that's needed for the "I-am-sexy-and-I-know-it" attitude. But, he has refined his look very tastefully. Layering his white t-shirt with a grey cardigan is good, but what draws my attention the most is his scarf. If you don't own a scarf 'cause you are afraid it may look a tad bit feminine, take a clue here. Get something in black or blue, checks or stripes that blends in with your jacket or cardigan. And yes, don't forget to add a pair of nice shoes!

There you go! All set for the raw, rugged and refined look! 

To an awesome Evening

So, I spent my evening (and a good amount of money) in a dance concert. The important part is that it was my little sister's first ever concert and I had no clue until now that she is SO good! And I just got reminded that socializing in person is so much more fun than socializing online. Especially when all the people turn up so well-dressed, it works as a good research for my blog!

Is it just me or really all of us scrutinize people's clothes, shoes and style? Anyway, tonight I saw this really pretty one-shoulder dress and decided it makes a perfect post for a Friday date outfit!

IMAGE COURTESY: WIREIMAGE.COM 

I find the sleeveless one shoulder dresses really pretty, especially if it has a draped or knotted shoulder. Not a fan of the long-sleeved one, though! Doesn't Taylor Swift look awesomely hot here in a her little red dress with gold clutch and shoes? I am in love with the knotted shoulder style. I guess, she kept her accessories and make-up minimal because her dress says it all!

I so want a one-shoulder dress for my next date! Do you have one?

To flaunt your Curves

I have been a bad bad blogger! I have not been writing for the past three weeks, and it's supposed to be a 'Daily Blog'. I know I know. The rules of blogging say that if I want sincere readers, I need to keep posting regularly. And thankfully I do have some sincere readers who have been wondering about my disappearance. Sorry people. Actually I had been moving house... okay, no excuses. But you know what, I really missed it! I missed all of you.

Okay I made this little investment yesterday which I am particularly proud of. I bought this broad black belt for my favorite purple dress. (Yes, I call all my impulsive purchases - investment). Anyway, there are a few things to take note of when buying/wearing over-the-dress-belts.

Color: That's pretty obvious. Well, if it's for a particular dress, a contrasting color is always preferable, though you can go with matching ones too if showing off your belt is not the purpose. Otherwise, you can just buy something that goes with most outfits like black, white or gold. Oh, remember to match it with your other accessories!

Width: If your intention is to get the perfect hourglass frame, by all means go for the broadest one. But if you are wearing it to make your waist look longer, get a skinny one. Make sure the belt complements your shape.

Position: This goes hand in hand with width. When you are wearing the broad one, you can wear is right on your midriff or just below your breasts, depending on your dress and body type. For the skinny belts, you can normally wear it a little lower than your waistline.

Type: There's the leather kind and the elastic kinds. Both work well if you have taken the above three points into consideration. Personally I find the elastic one easier to keep in position, but sometimes it's a bit too tight. So make sure you buy what you find most comfortable.

Clothes: Well, this is totally up to your creativity. Wear it on dresses, long tops and leggings, skirts and even button downs. One of my favorite styles is to wear a really loose and comfy top and clench it around the waist with a broad contrasting belt.

So what's your favorite style of wearing belts?