Modern Day Cheongsam

A cheongsam, a figure-fitting one-piece Chinese dress for women, originated in 1920s Shanghai and was made fashionable by socialites and upperclass women during that time.  I love anything 1920s and I love Chinese, so a cheongsam seemed to be a perfect fit for me. Figuratively.

I am wearing an A-line cheongsam with full sleeves and a 3 inch slit.  If you are not wearing high heels, you may want to do away with the slits as it could look a bit awkward.  My cheongsam is made by Chichi Bernardus, Fit Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, and my shoes are 5 inch suede pumps I bought on my recent trip to Target in Cincinnati  :p

A traditional cheongsam is body fitting and has a high collar.  It also tends to have two slits on the left and right of your leg.  It could go as high as your mid thighs.  It will look incredibly sexy if you have a perfect body.  But if you don't, you may look either like a walking stick, or a sausage.  Me, the latter.

So, if you are like me, what you need to do is "adapt" the cheongsam to suit your body.  You may not be able to wear it exactly as how it intend to be, but you can still have a cheongsam "inspired" dress.  Modify the dress a little, make it an A-line instead of super body hugging, do away with the slits if you have big thighs, and a choose a pattern that focuses on center of the body, instead of the sides (where your "curves" tend to be).  And by all means, PLEASE use a SPANX if you really must wear it tight an all :p.  Now, if you are stick skinny, I suggest you do push up parts that you need to, and there are a variety of undergarments out there that can do so.  This will give your body the needed contour and would make the cheongsam look oh-so-sexy!

Coordinate your hair and make-up to match your cheongsam.  I did  a smokey eye  with thin brows and  a  thin black liner on the lid of my eye.  This gave the slanted-eye effect that fit the dress nicely.   I also did a simple side sweep with a butterfly bun at the back (sorry, no pics on the bun!)

My Pick of the Week

Ashley Isham dress, Betsey Johnson shoes, Miu Miu bag

I love this dress.  It is from Ashley Isham's AI Collection for SS2011.  It can get tricky if you are on your "fat" days, but hey, with all the prints and the way the dress is cut, you can't really notice, can you? :p

Pink: The New Black

Pink is not a color only for baby girls or for one who is girly.  Everyone can where pink as you can see here - even guys :-).  There are different shades of pink, and the key is to choose which one suits you.  You also can opt for patterns, flowers or stripes.  Wearing pink does not mean you have to do it head to toe.  Combine it with other colors (white, beige, blue or even black!) and you will be surprise on how the color can lift up your complexion.

Pink was the theme for our P&G Beauty team dinner last night.  The variation of the color, style of dress and patterns brings the pink color more vibrant and alive.  This shows that everyone can wear pink - it is a matter of how you wear it!

Wearing Prints

I haven't blogged in awhile.  Been sooo super-ultra-uber busy at work (understatement of the year) that I just didn't have time to write.  I hope when all this blows over, I have more time in the evening to share what I wore :-)

Anyway, I am petite, only 5'2" with a long torso and short pudgy legs.  So it is always a challenge for me to wear prints. Big prints will drown and overwhelm my frame, and tiny prints will make me look like wearing maternity wear.  The color of the prints also play a role and even though the color block may look good on me, once combined with prints it may look horrendous.  However, I discovered that the key to wearing prints is obviously, surprise surprise, the power in the color combination, size and type of print, as well as the style of the outfit.

I looveee this dress, although it seems like every other person in Singapore own the exact same one.  Well, what do you expect.  It is from Mango and during the Great Singapore Sale this year it was on sale for $25.  Who wouldn't be crazy not to get one??  I love this dress for many reasons.  First, the cut is very nice.  Figure hugging at the hips with an assymetric shoulder.  Secondly, although it falls below the knee, it does not give a grandma-ish feel to the dress, but rather gives more of a Marilyn Monroe style to it.  Third, the prints actually compliments the whole dress, rather than being a focus point.  The prints help distract the eye on unneceesary fat points :-).

This dress is from Zara and I bought it out of  compulsion (like every second thing that I purchase :p).  I got this dress in 2006 and I have never worn it until earlier this year when I attended a friend's wedding. I like this dress a lot.  It looks quite formal without being too prom-ish.  It is made of chiffon with a silk lining.  I love the flowy sleeves and the way the dress just falls to the floor.  Despite the dress being "big", it does not overwhelm my small frame - one of the reasons is because the prints are grey, not black, and so it comes out soft against the white fabric.  The prints are also quite abstract in the size, shape and thickness, making it "flow" together with the fabric.

Thai Smiles

Everytime I am in Thailand, I am always amazed by how kind and soft spoken the people are. And, they always smile!  Here are a the people who helped me look beautiful yesterday and not to forget Pat, who was on my back-and-call the whole time making sure everything was in order for me.  Thank you everyone!

Me and my make-up artist for the day

Owner of Venus Salon and my hairstylist that day

Me and Pat, who patiently supported me the whole day until I left for the airport.  Even with my 5 inch (12.5 cm) heels, Pat is still taller than me and she is wearing flats!!

My Travelling Bag

Here is my trusty, ever-so-faithful bag that I use as my handbag when I travel.  This bag obviously is no designer bag, but I think it is representable and clearly serves it purpose.  It is from Charles & Keith and I got it for less than $50, but boy is it so durable - probably due to the fact that it is pure vinyl (though it has a nice, soft lining inside with lots of pockets! Who doesn't love pockets in bags!).   It is big, has many compartments, strong, stain-resistant, dent-resistant, big enough to fit even the bulkiest laptop together with my ipad, iphone, blackberry and all my make-up, wallet, umbrella, my neighbor's dog and all the other junk I carry - basically everything except the kitchen sink.   I have spilled a whole cup of latte in it in Bali (don't ask why I put a full cup of coffee in my bag through an x-ray machine - that's even beyond me :p), I have spilled a whole glass of red wine on it on a flight to India (more like pour on it), I have kicked it under the airplane seat more times than I can remember, dumped it on a dirty floor in Vietnam, and took it all through my journey in Laos.  This bag has gone everywhere with me, has seen the world as I see it, but I have to say, it has not seen better days. It is still as pretty and as shiny as when I first got it.

Well, when you travel as much as I do, you have to have bag that is big enough to fit everything, reliable and fuss-free that you can just dump everything inside and don't have to worry when you happen to mistreat it. The last thing you want is to be seen with an all-beatened-up bag, full of stains and falling apart on you.  Most importantly, the bag has to serve its purpose as a representable and dignified accessory even when you're caught on your most aweful, jet-lagged, haggered, no make-up, right-out-of-the-flight day!

Cheers !!

On A Budget

A lot of my friends say that they can't dress-up because they don't have the budget for it.  Well, I don't think it is true.  You can still look stylish wearing fairly inexpensive stuff.  Even high-street clothes can look like it is high fashion.  All you have to do is pull it together and have confidence.  Yes, that's true.  Shoulders back, tummy in, chin up.  There you go.  You're there!

In this picture: I bought the dress at a shop at the basement of Far East Plaza on Scotts Rd. for $25 (this is not even a high-street brand!).  The necklace is from Forever 21, $13.  Shoes are Charles & Keith, 4 inch platform pumps, for $39.90.  The whole outfit ensemble is less than $80, but personality and confidence is 110% :D

Rural Fashionista

You don't have to live in a big city to be stylish, or to have style. 

Take my cousin, Nuniek Kusumawati, for example.  She leaves in a rural city in Indonesia but she does have a quirky sense of style.  She is quite stylish (and she loves pink!) and has a girly yet tomboy look which I think is quite cute! Check these pics out!

Love Thy Make-Up Artist

How good a make-up artist is can make or break your look.  And if the artist does not like you, you can end up looking like crap.  And, complete trust between you and your make-up artist is shown when he/she crimps your eyelashes, when that eyelash curler comes right to your nose and hits your lashes.  All you can do is keep still and pray that he/she does not yank off your lashes or crimp your eyelid.  I notice that during that time there is dead silence and I tell you, if a pin were to drop at that moment, chances are you may end up with no lashes. 

OK, enough horror stories :P.  Look at me, I have encountered so many make-up artists, I am still alive with no accidents (knock on wood), and yes, always looking beautiful and radiant!  Just love how they can just cover-up all my sun spots and make me look like I just had a facelift :D.

Here are a few make-up artists that has touched my life (and face, of course!) and made me look like a million bucks!  Thank you ladies for making me look like I am flawless!



With May Ng for an event in KL



With Michelle Cabrera in Manila

With Rizawati from Make Up Forever Singapore for that no-make-up-make-up look :)

Glamazon

I was at a dinner party last night and met a good friend of mine, Geeta D'Silva.  I found out recently that she has been following my blog (thank you!) and apparently she has been diligently reapplying my advises (how sweet!).  Everytime I meet her, she will update me on what she has done to her look.  And last night she dressed following Glamazon, one of P&G Beauty & Grooming's Fall 2010 trends. 

She had a sleeveless animal print dress with a beaded necklace, gold slippers and a gold bag.  Very nice and not overly done.  One can actually go overkill with animal prints, but Geeta did a very good job.  Eventhough she had a gold bag and slippers, she didn't wear a gold necklace, which is just right - otherwise she will look to "bling" and her look will be too "crowded".  Her beaded necklace too was a nice dark tone and not too big, so it does not overwhelm her neck.  Overall look: simple yet very chic!

The Right White

Unlike a black dress where you can hardly go wrong, a white dress can easily hit you in the wrong places.  I figured you need a lot of "smart cover-up" when wearing white.  Here's a few (you may have seen this in a previous post) of my white dresses that can camouflage your not so appealing parts :-P.


This dress is actually tight fitting, but there is another chiffon layer on top of it that drapes around my body that is flowy, giving a "light" effect.  The V-neck also helps elongate my features. (Dress: Biyan)



This dress is extremely hard to put on and is so figure hugging.  But again, that extra chiffon layering helped a lot to make me look light. The different shoulder designs, with one draping, helps disperse focus and also make my arms look smaller :-P. (Dress: Daniel Yam)

Strapless Dress

I always find strapless dresses make me look like a sausage.  It just sorts of binds you all together and give the impression you can't breath.  Throughout the years I figured that what is really critical when choosing a strapless dress is the style.  If you have large thighs like me, a bondage dress will not work.  If you have broad shoulders, a straight-cut strapless top will make you look squeezed-in rather than flattering.

Here's an example of a strapless dress that I love so much.  It is from Sebastian, an Indonesian designer, and it is an empire cut (gets wider from the waist) to give a slimming effect.  The top part is curved in (and I wore simple jewelry), so focus is on the neckline rather than the chest line. 

PS. Not sure why I wasn't smiling, maybe because I was trying to hold my breath :-P

Bring On The Night

There are many tips out there on how to transform a day look to night.  You can add more eyeshadow, change accessories, wear different shoes, etc.  But what if you don't have time and all you can afford is whatever you have on you since the morning?  Here I have a few of my favorite tops that I can easily 'justify' from day to dinner.  But yes, you still need to blot your face, add more lipstick and powder you nose!


This is one of the simpler ones.  But what is important to note is the material.  This is cashmere and it gives a nice, rich look.  It can be used for the day and pass for dinner with friends in the evening.  Casual, but still chic.



I love "Greek-inspired" tops.  This top can be worn with a pencil skirt or over trousers, and can go from day to night, even with the "day" accessories.  It can also be dropped to one shoulder for that off-the-shoulder look. 



This ruffled sleeveless shirt may seem too much for the day, but it actually isn't.  Worn over trousers it looks very stylish but not over the top, and can easily go to evening.



Fun with Stripes

Wearing stripes is always tricky. It can make you look heavy or thin, tall or frumpy, confusing or elegant.

Stripes is a great fashion tool to give an "optical illusion" that a person is thinner and taller than she is.  However, not all vertical stripes can make a short person tall or a heavy person thin. It all depends on the design, color, width of stripes and your complexion.  When you are thinking about wearing stripes, look at your ensemble as a whole.  Just because it looks good on someone doesn't mean it would look fab on you.  Try it on, wear different shoes, shorten the sleeves, try different hairstyles...it is a lot of work but who doesn't want to look good?  The last thing you want is to look like a box :-P

(Dress: Marni, Shoes: Charles & Keith)

This dress is really unuser friendly.  The stripes are mainly vertical but then there is this huge DNA helix-structure-look-alike in the middle. I bought this dress because of the color and because it was a sack dress but I sort of regret it.  It was sitting in my closet for sometime until I finally had the courage to take it out and experiment with it.  It had long sleeves and if I roll down the sleeves, I look super boxy.  I tried it with strappy heels (which was what was shown on the catwalk trend), but it looked soo 'confusing' on me.  It wasn't clear whether I wanted people to look at me, my dress or my shoes.   So, I rolled the sleeves up, wear simple pumps and put my hair up. Focus is on the center of my body, rather than all over the place causing people to get cross-eyed.

Beige-ing

I think beige is a very sexy color.  The color never goes out of style, it works with everything and if worn properly, it can brighten up your complexion and lift you up.  If worn as shoes, it can look as if you are not wearing any footwear but also at the same time pull together an outfit. 

Here are a few beige examples: dress, shoes, head-to-toe, as accessories or accents.

I think wearing beige or nude colors head-to-toe is absolutely pretty.  It is subtle yet pulled together.  Nita's outfit is from H&M, and I do love H&M!  It is high street and very affordable.  You get the designer styles at reasonable prices.  What I also like about H&M is its wearability and how you can tranform the pieces from morning to night just with accessories.

 

Here I am wearing a camel colored dress, but have beige as accents on my shoes (beige trim) and as a cape.  The cape is a nice add on as it brings the 50s look back in but at the same time keeps you warm when the aircon is too cold.  It is also easy to take on and off - you can look stylish yet have something functional at the same time. (Dress: Mango, Cape: GG<5, Shoes: Primavera) 

Beige can also be worn independently as accessories, either bag or shoes.  It does not really have to match the outfit or any other accessories you are wearing but I think it gives a warm, relaxed tone to your outfit while still pulling it together.  It can also be worn as a camisole and it gives a deeper V-neck impression without you having to go nude :-)



Dress: DVF, Bag: Chloe, Shoes: Enzo



Going Vintage

Old stuff doesn't always mean old fashioned and outdated. I have been shamelessly rummaging through my grandma's closet lately and I found so many things she doesn't use anymore.  Here are several things I unearthed.

Gucci handbag circa 1985. She bought this in the Gucci store at Fifth Ave, NYC.  Love the design though the leather is hard to care for. I am wearing a reversible washed bolero made from vintage Javanese batik fabric. (Bolero: Gaya Gaya Butik)

This handbag is from Cartier, also bought in NYC in 1982.  Other than the very dry leather, it is still in very good condition. I used leather conditioners to soften and moisturize the leather to prevent it from cracking. It perfectly matches the Prada heels I got in Melbourne from F/W 2009 season. This shows that vintage can be new again!

Techno Romance

Techno Romance was a S/S 2010 trend but for some reason a lot of the trends I am seeing these past few weeks reminded me of it.

As the trend name suggests, it actually is rather contradictory and confusing.  The colors involved are romantic: white, dusty pink, pastels.... but then there are the greys.  The style was also soft yet tech-y.  Not an easy one for me. 

I found the techno romance trend was full of dusty pinks.  When it came out, I had nothing in my wardrobe that was that color but for some reason, as always, I accumulated lots of dusty pinks after the trend has elapsed.





I kinda look like a school girl here, but I like the whole dusty pink ensemble, almost head-to-toe.  It will be super monotonous if it is all the same color, but I 'broke' it here and there with gold, such as the accessories I wore, the shoes and some on the bag. (Dress: Warehouse, Shoes: Aldo, Bag: Miu Miu)

 


Here's me and my son before we left for holidays.  You can still look nice on the plane without being restricted and still be 'on-trend' :-).  (Shirt & Necklace: Forever 21, Trousers: Zara, Shoes: Prada)

 

And the greys...it is an easy color, and the collar actually brought the 'techno' out.  However, the cut of the dress and how it falls asymmetically right above the knee brings the 'romance' in.  The bracelets are a ncie twist to pull the theme together and the strappy sandals accentuates the 'romance' bit.  (Dress: Zara, Bracelets: m-phosis, Shoes: Aldo, Clutch: Trussardi vintage, my grandma's :))



Hello Yellow

I have to admit, yellow is not one of my favorite colors, and so when I was briefed that yellow is the dress code for this week's event, for once I was confused. Without even opening my wardrobe I know that I only have one piece of clothing that is yellow and it is not even mine! It belongs to my cousin who was sleeping over more than a year ago and left it here. Apart from that, I really don't know how to accessorize yellow: is it with black, brown, gold, silver...? What color compliments yellow? And will it look good on my dark skin tone? Sooo many questions, not too much time to research... So here's what I cooked up.

The beauty of working at Novena Square is that it is close to many shops and by train it is just 2 stops from Orchard Rd. I bought this Max Azria dress during a lunch hour shopping sprint and the dress can be classified as yellow (though it can also be borderline mustard brown). I paired it with my newly acquired Aldo shoes and figured apparently gold and yellow does work! Just watch out on the tones, you don't want people to go blind when they see you!

Nita is pairing hers with red Guess shoes.  I have to admit it would not be my first instinct to do that, but hey, I think it works!

Marissa is our new Pantene ambassador for Nature Care in Indonesia, and she looks absolutely fab in her yellow and green strapless dress with the yellow bling shoes! Love, love, love!

Work Glam: Black on Black

Working in corporate doesn't mean you have to be all suited and stuffy, especially if you have a 'business appropriate' dress code.  You can still be stylish yet look professional. 

I was lucky enough to be at a regional meeting this week, and here are some examples of wearing black, yet not looking all stiff and suited up.   The key: accessorize with something that is NOT black!   Thanks to my gorgeous colleagues for indulging me in taking their pics and allowing me to  post them on me blog!  *kisses to you all!  miss you guys already!*

Nita's combination of an off-shoulder top with ankle-length leggings is awesome but isn't that belt from Bali a killer??  The whole look is nicely pulled together with nude colored Guess slingbacks in super heels.  Yes, nude is the "new black" and it just makes this whole outfit the sexier - from office to party :-)

Jen is always always always (yes I said 'always' 3 times!) super chic and she proves to show here that a black dress does not need black shoes (yawn).  Her red shoes just perks up her whole outfit and makes it standout, and her YSL bag is to die for!

I just love Alicia's capri pants and how she combines this with her high heels and a grey Givenchy bag. It makes the pants more 'formal' and appropriate for work. 

Love Deepa's look with her dress and boots.  The boots are unpredictable for that style of dress, and love the way she accessorizes.  Her Coach bag compliments the whole look, giving it a hobo-chic feel.

Toga-Inspired Dresses

Toga is a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome which was usually a cloth of 20 feet or 6 meters long, draped around the body.  Throughout the years, it has evolved from being a garment worn exclusively by Roman men in the 2nd century BC, to today, where women would wear it in many shapes and styles.

I find toga dresses very sexy. The one-shoulder effect is what draws the eye towards the person without revealing too much.  It also tends to make the wearer slimmer, because of the diagonal pull of the eye, from the shoulder to the waist.  Any color of toga dresses are cool, though I think the lighter colors tend to make the shoulders broader and arms bigger.  So if you are looking for that effect, go for it.

Accessorizing is super tricky as you may want to show off your neckline without calling out for attention.  Keep the necklace simple and just go for elaborate bracelets and earrings instead.

A toga dress can be loose with drapes like in this picture and worn with just a simple necklace.  (Dress: GG<5)

Or in batik and accessorized with jewelry that mimics the design of the batik. (Dress: Batik Centil)

Toga dresses can be long and in white too.  With gold accessories, it gives the "Greek goddess" effect. (Dress: Daniel Yam)

There are also many toga tops in t-shirt material that is comfortable.  This one has little diamond embellishments on the shoulder.  It dresses up the plain top and with a simple necklace, looks really classy. (I don't remember the name of the shop I got this top at, but it was at Far East Plaza, 3rd floor)

And even as a tourist you can wear a toga-inspired top.  This one with sleeves and it is off-shoulder.  This top can be converted to a non-toga when necessary, especially when visiting temples.

Loving Batik

I think wearing batik is somewhat tricky.  For one, I learned over the past week there are some 'restrictions' on what you can wear, e.g. when you have a unmarried child you can't wear certain patterns, etc.  However, modernizing batik has been such an 'in' thing in Indonesia right now, and I think it should be rightly so, as more and more young people today revert to more modern fabrics.

Wearing batik does not mean that the dress or blouse style has to be old fashion.  It can still be a modern, hip style, but what you have to do is find the right batik to fit the style and enhance the batik design itself.  There are many designers out there that can make the design of the batik stand-out, but at the same time still make the style of the blouse or dress very much 'today', yet still elegant.

I am wearing a batik blouse by Hadiawati Batik.  I love how she was able to enhance the pattern of the butterflies so that it stands out in the design with 'bat wing' sleeves.  The cut is very neat and clean, and sewn very meticulously.  Very elegant piece. (Hadiawati Batik is available on Facebook.  My blouse costs USD 20. Trousers: Zara, Shoes: Mondo)