Kinatay (Butchered), Indeed

It was unexpected that the director of the film Kinatay was awarded best director, but not so unexpected are the red carpet wins and fails that go hand in hand with every awards ceremony.

Zhuo Tan and Michelle Yeoh both in Cavalli.

Models Claudia Schiffer in D&G and Lily Cole in Alberta Ferretti

Dita in couture Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier

Rachel Weisz looks stunning in this green Versace. And while Paris Hilton could have worn just this already overwhelming gown even without shoes, it looks like the poor girl piled on all the rock and metal available to her that day.

Two of the best, Natasha Poly in Cavalli and Eva Herzigova wearing a rocking black and pink tulle frock. I love frou frou.

And two of the worst. Alison Lohman attending the “Drag Me to Hell” screening, I guess a bit too literally. Maria Isabel Lopez also inspired by the movie being screened “Kinatay” (Butchered), in a bloody dress without lining but with an inexplicable scrap of hacked fabric hanging across one shoulder,

And the best dressed, to me, Devon Aoki in ALberta Ferretti.

Ambush Makeover à la Tashia

I hate it when I hurry to the first class of the day and find out the prof is not going to show up. I hate it even more when we don’t find out about it until we have stayed in the room for 30 minutes already waiting for the prof. We all have cellphones, how hard is it to notify even just one student about it so that people who have to do other things don’t waste their time sitting around, doing nothing?

Anyway, since Filipino class wasn’t going to happen, Tashia took out her magic bag and told me she’d do my makeup. A la Ambush Makeover. Lol. She’s very good! It’s exactly the kind of makeup I’d wear and I didn’t even tell her what to do. Natural and light. There’s even black eyeliner on my lower lids, which I never have done before because I thought it’d make my eyes look smaller but it works.. I guess I just wasn’t applying it on right before. Tashia’s also a Fashion student by the way =)

Tashia, me, Julie

Tashia, my makeup artist for the day.

How to Dress to Look Slimmer

I guess this is something most women aim for every morning when dressing up for the day ahead. So here are a few simple things I have learned in the span of more than 20 summers I have walked this runway we call earth.. hopefully some of you might pick something up. =) They are loosely categorised.

General Tips:

• Know your best features and tune up the volume over there a bit to draw attention away from your “flaws.”
• Tanned skin looks slimmer than light skin.
• Going monochromatic slims you.
• Black is the name of one of your best friends. Black truly slims you down- the colour seems to shrink in the presence of bright and light colours. It may be impossible to wear black all the time but try to wear black during more important occasions and during any event where you surely will have photos taken. On the other hand, avoid white and bright colours. While black and dark colours contract, white and other bright colours on the other hand expands and makes you appear bloated.
• Do wear loose, properly cut clothes with drapy/flowy fabrics. They’re comfortable and forgiving.
• If you must wear snug-fitting/tailored clothes, avoid too-soft fabrics. They cling a lot so they show off your unwanted humps and lumps- which you don’t want. You’d be better off with fabrics that have structure of their own. Rather than hug your every curve, these fabrics will smooth out the unseemly contours.
• Deep necklines make you look slimmer.
• Tunics cover everything from the hips up.
• Solid, dark colours are your safest bets. Liven them up with fun necklaces.
• Prints are not always bad. Small prints are all right.. but stay away from large, loud prints.
• Right now there are lots of options for many flaws/problem areas when it comes to jeans. So it’s a no-no to wear an ill-fitting pair.
• No matter your build, avoid wearing skin-tight things that look ready to rip along the seams.
• Long dangling earrings make your face slimmer.
• You could wear bodyshapers beneath your clothes but NEVER ever let them show. Bodyshapers are undergarments designed to give your body a better shape and usually come in large pieces. They’re all right, for example, under sheath dresses but never under low waist jeans- they will show when you sit down.
• Don’t squeeze a large neck into a dainty choker. It. Just. Doesn’t. Work.
• Stick to matte fabrics. Shiny fabric highlights flab that stick out.
• When wearing white dresses, you’ll want vertical pintucks, vertical line details, wrinkles, creases and less of tiers and layers.
• Remember continuity. Don’t bisect your silhouette as much as possible.

Legs and thighs and hips:

• Dark denims are the best.
• One quick and sure way to add length to your lower limbs (which makes you look slimmer overall) is to wear heels. But not just any type, you must wear it right.
• Super thin heels (stiletto, pencil etc.) with skirts are no-nos if you have thick legs. They make your legs look chunkier and shorter. Go for platforms and other wide heels instead.
• You may wear the said thin heels (and any other kind for that matter) when you’re wearing long pants that can cover them up. Only the front tips of your shoes will be seen and you’ll instantly look taller, your legs longer.
• When wearing skirts, avoid dark coloured closed shoes. Instead of having a continuity from your legs to your feet, the stark difference in colour emphasises the shortness of your legs.
• Match stockings/nylons with shoe colour for a slimming silhouette.
• Anything around your ankle shortens your legs. (anklets, sandals with ankle straps, legging’s ends etc.)
• When wearing tights/leggings, go for solid, dark colours. Only really thin/tall women can pull off thick horizontal stripes, bright colours and busy patterns. And no matter what your figure, don’t overexpose yourself. Cover your rear end.
• Go for pinstripes rather than thick vertical stripes.
• Slim fit trousers and jeans should be avoided, go for flared designs to balance out your thighs.
• Ultra-wide leg trousers aren’t for petite women.
• Back pockets on your jeans should be high on your rear. Low pockets make you look dumpy. Back-pocketless jeans are the best. But for flat-bottomed girls, you need backpockets otherwise, your rear will look droopy.
• Flat-front, side-zip and pocketless pants minimizes full hips and rear.
• Cuffless, flat-front pants or cropped pants that end just below your knees with high wedges is a good look. A thigh high miniskirt with dark ankle boots is terrible.

Chest and tummy:

• Women with large chests should avoid wide belts- those will make you look like you’re all chest.
• To minimise your chest area: simple v-neckline, dark colour for tops and lighter for bottoms, bright jacket over a dark top.
• Match your belt colour with your jeans/trousers for an unbroken line.
• For not-so-flat tummies: tunic tops, roomy jackets and trousers with soft pleats.
• Super long tops scrunched up to make lots of creases on the area beneath your chest and above your hips will make your tummy look flatter. On the other hand, super fitted tops are evil.
• Always wear clothes that are in your size. Waistbands that are too small will push out unwanted flab. Bras that are too tight will dig into your skin and produce bumps.
• Solid coloured, high-necked, ribbed tops enhances your chest area.
• One word: corsets. Invest in a nice piece that you can wear underneath something else or by itself. You can always wear a same coloured shawl or bolero over it.
• Drop sleeved tops are fine if when you wear them and put your arms down, they still wrinkle around the armpit area and drape a little on the chest area where they’re supposed to. If they’re fitted on those areas, too, then forget it.
• V shapes down your front is slimming.
• Leaving a jacket or wrap top open down the middle gives an hourglass shape that’s slimming.

Arms:

• If you have flabby/saggy upperarms, avoid wearing sleeveless anything. Minisleeves are little better.
• Capsleeves square your shoulders and make your arms look straighter.
• Pouffy sleeves that provide covering until your elbows slim upper arms.
• Tops with wide v-shaped, off-the-shoulder or sabrina necklines and 3/4th sleeves will slim upper arms.
• Balloon sleeves provides a nice contrast that makes your exposed arms look thin.
• Another gem I just recently discovered: the gathered sleeve. Covers problem areas (near the armpits) while creating a slimming cut for the upperarms without having to wear longer sleeves.
• Again, wear clothes that are in your size. Too-tight sleeve edges creates bulges that wouldn’t be there otherwise.

Invest first in the classics and basics that you’re sure to look good in and try to avoid trendy clothes. It will be easier for you to find well-made classic clothing than well-made trendy clothing since the latter are often made for only a certain body type and the former have been around for a long time and are offered in all sorts of cuts to suit almost everyone.I’m typing things as I remember them so if I’ve missed something, feel free to ask or contribute. =)

Inspiration Looks

Trends: Paris Fashion Week F/W 07/08

Been meaning to post this for some time now.. just never got around doing it. An image-heavy guide to fall/winter ‘07-’08 trends. (Plus some entertaining extras at the end.)

BELTS

Still wide and high and used to really cinch the waist. (Balenciaga, Christian Lacroix)

KNITS

Lots of knits for this season.. mohair knits, cable knits.. worn loose, draped, layered and sometimes cinched with a belt. There’s even a knit evening gown from Chanel- very comfy. (Christian Lacroix, Kenzo, Louis Vuitton, Nina Ricci, Stella McCartney, Chanel)

High Waisted Pants

These silhouette-lengthening trousers are going to stay here quite a while. Tops usually tucked in or cropped. (Chanel, Kenzo Givenchy, Valentino, Celine)

BOWS

Along the decolletage, printed allover, around the waist, as a collar.. these knots don’t have to be always pretty (read: pink) and overly obvious to work. (Chanel, YSL Rive Gauche, Commes des Garcons, Valentino)

SHORT CUTS

Skirts and dresses are short short short despite the season.. remember dark tights make your legs look thinner. (Loewe, YSL Rive Gauche, Sophie Kokosalaki, Alexander McQueen, Christian Lacroix)

TEXTURES

Leather with wool and nylons, satin with brocade and jersey, chiffon with velvet and fur.. It all goes together.. go wild on textures. Keep from being boring, stale and cliche when wearing a one-colour outfit (like white): try playing with lots of different textures for interest. (Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galiano, Balenciaga, Viktor & Rolf)

WIDE PANTS

Very wide pants.. Are we finally moving on from those impossible skinny jeans? (Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Givenchy, Hermes, Sophie Kokosalaki)

LBD

If all else fails, we always have the little black dress. Here are my favourite designs from those that sashayed down the catwalk on Paris Week.. in all sorts of textures and cuts. (Givenchy, John Galiano, Elie Saab, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Hermes)

PLAID

On bags, skirts, boots, coats, trimmings or all of the above.. (Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Kenzo)

PENGUINS

Yes. As in Happy Feet penguins. On shirts. In the Chanel show. Super adorable!

EVENING WEAR

In my opinion, the decadent dessert of every fashion show. (Elie Saab, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Nina Ricci, Alexander McQueen, Valentino)

FEATHERS + HAIR

I love love love! the effect of single ostrich-stranded hair extensions on long, naturally wavy hair.. so unexpected, ethereal and still pretty.

LOVE

I love this look the most. (Christian Dior)

ETC

The weird, the funny and the ridiculous. Fashion has its moments. (John Galiano, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix)

It’s a bird.. It’s a plane! No, no! It’s an…. origami gown. XD

A missing press-on nail on the John Galiano show.

At the Lacroix show. Yes ridiculous woman, people are going to take you so seriously because you’re nekkid. *Sarcasm*

Sticky Looks V- Wedges

I got two this week.. Both from People are People and at least 4 inches high. One stack heeled and another with raffia braids. Is it too obvious I like tans and gold? They’re actually really comfy. But it’ll be even better with Foot Petals..

Oh that’s a tip, guys: use Foot Petals to feel comfortable in your super high heels. They’re available in major personal care shops. (e.g. PCX in the Philippines) There are different paddings for different areas like the area under the balls of the feet, the heel, the straps.. and they come in various shapes and colours/patterns. They’re lifesavers specially if you have to dance or stand in your shoes the whole night. XD

Keywords: wedges, espadrilles, platform, stacked, raffia braids, People are People, Jean Michel Cazabet, GUESS, Twelfth St., Emilio Pucci, Calvin Klein, Juicy Couture, Louis Vuitton, FCUK, Seabags, Foot Petals.

Fashion Fix 01 – Backviews the World Can Do Without

The first of a series of practical fashion tips and guides to keep in mind to avoid looking like you dressed yourself up in the dark. I entertain fashion-related questions, too. Everything will be accompanied with illustration.

How you look from the front is only as good as how you look from behind. Imagine walking in a mall turning heads with your stylish look only to be laughed at by people you’ve passed by as they see tissue paper stuck to your behind.

Let’s make the world a better place by ridding it of unwanted sights.

1. If you’ve got love handles, please avoid wearing tight, dark coloured belts with low-waisted pants. The area above and beneath the belt will look huge and accentuate your lovehandles. It will also help if you wear pants that’s not 2 sizes smaller than your correct size. Also avoid tight, tummy-baring shirts.

2. Choose the right bra size. Bra sizes usually have this standard format: width followed by cup size. Example: 75B where 75 is your torso’s width and B is your cup size. Wearing ill-fitting bras are not only a sure-fire way of showing off ugly bulges, it prevents proper blood circulation, too.

3. If you are blessed with an unusually padded behind, avoid wearing tight-fitting pants with loud patterns and colours. They will not disguise your lumps and bulges, as you hoped they would. They will only draw attention to your hips and make it seem even wider. Your best bet would be either dark, solid coloured trousers or jeans. If you really like colour, go for stripes.

4. There’s nothing that catches more unwanted attention than visible panty lines. When wearing anything remotely fitting, wear a thong. If you can’t do thongs, boyshorts will do. Those “seamless” knickers advertised today only work for very slim women. If you’re a bit on the chubby side, those “seamless” knickers would still give you unwanted bulges.

5. Seeing one of these makes me want to stick a pen right where it’s asking to be stuck in. It’s not sexy, it’s trashy. It’s not “in,” it’s bad taste. If you have seen Britney Spears display her coinslot, it’s because she’s Britney Spears and you’re most definitely not. It’s bad enough when it’s intentional, it’s even worse when you don’t mean it to happen. So when you have really low-rise pants, wear one of those hip belts. you can tuck it in the pants so whenever you sit or lean over, the hipbelt will show and no one would have to see what isn’t meant to be seen.

6. No one needs to know you’ve just bought new underwear. This one is similar to #5. If you’ve seen Lil’ Kim don this style, it’s because she’s Lil’ Kim and you’re not. If you’re not a hooker, a strip dancer, trailer trash or anything along the lines of that, and if you’re not walking on a fashion runway or posing for a spread in a fashion magazine, this style isn’t for you. Wear low-rise knickers with your low-rise jeans. Knickers with a v-shape rather than an even round curve shape will be better since it will stay under your jeans where it should be.

Remember, your mirror isn’t there for nothing. Check your behind before going out. Ask for a second opinion if you’re unsure. And remember that trashy is not fashionable.