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)

Creating "Pull"

Sometimes you would wear an outfit but feel that it looks drab on you but fab on someone else. And that already with the right accessories and the whole nine-yards.

Well, you might want to think about how you accessorize.  It is all about creating the "right pull" and where you want people to focus on, e.g. is it your top, jacket, shoes, middle part, or top to toe. 

I have a few examples here. All the exact same outfit, but if you look at it, each picture "pulls" your eyes differently and creates a different impression.  
          
So, which one is your choice?

In this picture, the dress seems muted because of the color of my shoes and bag.  Focus is on me, and it looks okay.  (Dress: Yin & Yang, Bag: Chloe, Shoes: Aldo)

In this picture, focus is definitely on the bag and shoes.  The bag tends to pull eyes towards it, making the dress louder than it is.  The size and the color of the bag is overwhelming in contrast to the dress and pulls the eye to keep focusing on the bag. (Bag: Kate Spade, Shoes: Guess)

Here, although the shoes are loud, the bag is not.  Focus is on the whole outfit, rather than shoes or bag alone.  I accessorize the bag with a pink scarf to perk up the bag and make it noticeable, just nicely, and it also pulls the whole outfit together.

Cropped Jackets

Cropped jackets are one of those tricky things if you have a 'problematic' body.  It can actually make your hips look like a hippo's butt or make you 'top heavy'. At any rate, it is definitely not the easiest clothing item to work with.

However, I have found a few ways to make this jacket work. I am one of those people with that problematic body - I am only 5'2", my legs are too short for my body and I have large hips. Without the right choice of clothing underneath, I will undoubtly look frumpy with this jacket.

If you have a body like mine, make the cropped jacket work for you with these tips:

1. Use monochromatic colors as the base - it will bring the eye from top to toe and give a 'tall' impression. .

2. 'Cut' your body slightly at the waste just where the jacket ends with a thin belt.  This will give a thinning illusion of the body.

3. Wear a top with a neckline lower than the jacket. This will bring the attention to the top rather than the jacket itself.

4. Elongate your legs further with high heels and trousers that cover the heels of your shoes.  It will all-in-all give the perception of one long pencil.

These all will accentuate the jacket in the right places and bring out 'you'!

Jacket: Alexander Wang, Trousers: Zara, Belt: Ferragamo, Bag: Balenciaga, Shoes: Guess

Gone Shopping

Yesterday I took the day off and spent half the day with two beautiful ladies, who despite both being Japanese, has a very different sense of style, but still always very chic!

Shimomura-san is the glam and glitter girl.  I have to say that this is a hard look to pull off as not everyone looks chic in glitter (you step the wrong way and you will look like someone transported from the 80s), but Shimomura-san can easily do glitter and still look chic and very much 'today'.

Hayakawa-san on the other hand has more of a hobo style.  I just love her outfit she wore today, a nice maxi dress combined with a sleeveless cardigan and large beaded necklace.  Then comes me, hmm, not sure what I will call my style but I think it is more classic (haa, yes, I am afraid to try things outside my "comfort" zone).

(L to R): Me, Shimomura-san, Hayakawa-san - all after our SK-II facial.  Still looking glam with only lipstick and mascara! (and I promise next time the photo will be full length!)

Before the spa:  Love my trusty Jessica Simpson shoes.  Wished they had more in MY SIZE!  The Balenciaga bag is a tad too big but just great for shopping and love the Batik Centil dress that I wear to death :-)

I know this has nothing to do with what I wore, but I just had to feature these bunnies!  They are sooo cute and you can see them along Orchard Rd during this Chinese New Year season.