Just for Brides!

Hi to all the lovely brides to be! Being a bridal stylist and a designer, I thought of posting some useful tips and advice for brides who must be busy shopping for their dream dress. Working at one of the biggest bridal stores in Melbourne, I have met so many brides from all different backgrounds. One half, enter the store with a very good understanding of what they really want to wear on the day, the other half do not have any clue of what they want. 

If you still haven't started bridal dress shopping yet, consider the tips below which would make your shopping experience a happy one.

1. Do Not leave it until the last minute. Start shopping at least 9 months before the wedding date.As you may know, many bridal stores do not sell gowns off the rack unless they are on sale for other reasons. Specially if it is a label based overseas:they need time to make your dress for your size and measurements and then deliver it to the store.

Note: Many made to order dresses take six months plus you have to leave a month for alterations in most cases. 

2. Try on bridal gowns from each style; fishtail, trumpet, princess/ball gown, A-line, slinky etc. This will help you find the right silhouette/ shape that matches your figure type.

3. If you have a themed or a special destination wedding, please advice the stylist about it and also do a bit of background research of what style, colors and materials would compliment the theme or the destination. 


a) If you are having a beach wedding you can wear a nice and soft dress. Princess full gowns is a No No. 
b) If it is a garden wedding make sure you go for dress without a big train that drags along the grass.
c) Always think of the climate of the destination where your wedding is. For an example you can't wear a heavy full volume dress for a Bali wedding, as you will be burning in the dress.

4.Try different fabrics and colors that would suit you.Sometimes pure white doesn't suit all the brides, even though it is known to be the traditional color for weddings. There are different shades of white, that you could go for; ivory, diamond white, silk white, natural, off white and etc.

5.Do not hesitate to ask for guidance from the stylist in the store as they are professionals. They can always guide you in choosing the ideal dress. I have met so many brides who end up loving the dress that we suggest.

6. Bring your closest  friends or family if you want a "SECOND" opinion but in the end the decision has to be yours as you will be the one who is wearing it and you should see yourself wearing it. I have witnessed many brides choosing the wrong dress after listening to their friends or even parents. When they pick up the dress they end up in tears. 

The people you bring in have to be honest and they should not dominate you. 

Bridesmaids movie

7.  In many instances, brides fall in love with the first dress they try on, but make sure you sleep on it before you purchase it. Make sure it is the one!!

8. Do not go around trying on hundreds of dresses in hundreds of shops, even after you found THE perfect dress. It wont do any help, it will just confuse yourself.

9. Did you have these reactions for a dress you tried on;

   "OMG, I love this"

   " I think this is the one"

   "This is so me"

   "Wow"

   "this ticks all the boxes, this has exactly what I wanted"

   "This is so comfortable"

   Big smile on your face

   These pretty much says that this is the dress that you are going to get married in. There is a saying among the stylist " You Cry You Buy".

10. If you absolutely love a dress and think it is the one you want , just secure it soon, otherwise you might lose it.

11. If you think you want to lose more weight and want to go for the next size down that what you are now, please be careful of the decision. It is better to go with the right size than going for a smaller one as you could always alter a big dress to make it smaller but not the other way around.

12. If you want accessories, try those with the dress.

13 It is always better to wear a hoop (under-skirt) with full bridal gowns as it make you easier to walk and dance on the day.

14. Never regret your decision after you settle with one as it wont make you feel terrible on the day.

15. Some brides chose the bridesmaid dresses even before the bridal dress. This is a terrible mistake as you never know what you would end up liking. 

16. Read bridal magazines and articles as much as you can.

17. If you have any cousins or friends who are getting married always try to find out what sort of dress they are going to wear. You never know, you might end up buying the same dress that your friend wore. There was a customer who was in tears after she found out that her cousin bought the exact same dress that she got.

18. Wear nude color underwear with the gown.

19. If you got pictures of the dress you bought, make sure you keep it safe, as your fiance might see it!!lol

It should be a surprise!!

20. Make sure you get your alterations done through a place specialized in bridal-wear alterations. Otherwise, it could ruin your lovely dress and you wont even have time for anything.

21 Store your dress in a safe place. Hang it straight and don't fold it. Keep it in a nice garment bag.

22. Make sure you get your consultant to show your bridesmaids or your mom of how to dress you up properly; lacing up, bustle at the back and etc.


23. Always try to build up a relationship with the bridal consultant you meet at the store, which means you have to be very courteous and empathetic, after all they are doing a job , that means they cant serve you for the whole day. 
 a) To get the most out of them always make an appointment
 b) Most of the time the store will call you to confirm your appointment, if not make sure you call and confirm the booking.
 c) Always try to get a booking early in the morning as the people who serve you will be more fresh and energetic and if you get a time closer to the closing time you will have to rush.
 d) If you have a specific dress of a preferred designer make sure you mention it to them beforehand.
 e) If you are given a specific time allocation for your appointment, always stick to that and if you run out of time make another time, do not ever rush your decision. 
 f) If you are given a choice to pick a stylist chose someone you will be comfortable with or even in some cases someone closer to your age as they can understand you more.
 g) If you be nice to the consultant, they will always go out of their way to help you. 
 h) Always have a good conversation with the consultant, it will help her to suggest dresses that would suit your character, style or preferences.
 i) If you speak a different language, avoid having long conversations with your friends in that language, ignoring the consultant. 


24) Take your shoes with you when you go for dress fittings.


25) If you like a specific dress, make sure you check the color under the natural light as you might not see the right color under the store lighting. By doing this you wont get any after shocks when you collect the dress.


26) Make sure you call and check the progress of the delivery of your dress and if you have any concerns call the store and free your mind.


27) If you want to purchase a veil or any other accessories with the dress try to get them as a whole package as you could always get a discount.


28) If you have a specific budget in mind, try to work within that.Sometimes you might go little over the budget, but that little extra dollars will be worth it rather than buying something less expensive and regret it later.


29) Always try to go for a dress that is timeless as you would want to look at your album after many years and still be happy of the choice you made.

By the way, hope my tips would be helpful for you and I will make sure that I update this whenever I come across something new at work. 

Good Luck with your Bridal Dress Shopping! Hope you will find a stunning dress.!

Designer Handbags

A couple of weeks ago, I did some window shopping down Collins street and walked pass all the luxury houses. This time, what really got my attention is all the A-list branded handbags, that have been the bywords for luxury, style and sophistication.

Prada had some really interesting bags, even though it was not my style and preference. But, I have to admit that I love their shoes, as they are pieces of art which is controversial and sophisticated in its own way.

My next stop was Bvlgari, as I saw the most amazing handbag in the window.I couldn't resist myself from going in there and having a closer look at the bag. 

Yes, this was the one, which had the wow factor to me. As the consultant explained to me, it was made from real sea snake skin which actually speaks the price which was around Au$3500.00. To me this bag really was worth for that price. The construction of the bag was solid and versatile. The gold plated chain and the colored glass coins on the handles complimented the luxury and elegance of this special piece.

The lovely stylist at Bvlgari, then took me to the other section, where they had the whole "Monete Collection". I was really amazed by their designs. There was non I particularly disliked. The stylist gave me a really good insight into all these handbags and explained what to buy and what not. Some colors could actually make you older than what you are, so when paying so much on a designer bag you should be careful of what color and style suits you the best.

Oh I love this one too. May be cute is not an appropriate word to describe a luxury product, but it had that cuteness in it with a touch of elegance. This black wrinkled calf leather handbag with a string closure which would go perfect with anything. I love it's simplicity, size and silhouette.

This bag was my next favorite. It was pretty much the same silhouette as the first one, but the texture is different. This chocolate brown leather hand bag was very stylish and classic. I love the workmanship of this one too. It has the same handles as the last one with the colorful coins. I think this was around Au$2500. They had two three color variation of this one too. I would want to go with this handbag If I decide to buy one from Bvlgari.

Here are some tips I got from the stylist at Bvlgari.

1.If you are spending so much on a designer bag, first think when and where you are going to wear it.

2.Do not wear it all the time, keep it for special occasions.

3.Chose a color that would work with most of the colors. ex;beige or black

4.The bag should look the price. If you spend thousand on a bag, the bag should do justice for it.

5.Never carry your lunch in your designer hand bag!

6.Treat it with care.

Although, I love the brand Louis Vuitton, I was not too keen on their handbags, as it is becoming too common. And it has lost its originality with all the fake Louis Vuitton handbags that come from China. It is true that there is a huge difference between a fake one and an original one, but to a distance it all looks pretty similar, as I see so many when I go out shopping. 

However, If you have a designer handbag in your wish list, do a little bit of research and see what is out there before you decide to go ahead with one. Don't buy it just because a celebrity had it or you saw it in a magazine. It is a big investment, so it should really worth it and have the wow factor too. The quality of a designer handbag is second to none and you can always be guaranteed of its durability, so make sure you go for a timeless design you ADORE, as you could use it for the rest of your life and even pass it on to the next generation. 

My Wardrobe

Ah…Finally the summer sun is back. Well it’s still Melbourne so it’s hard to be confident about the weather on any given day regardless of what the season is supposed to be. But tell you what, even if it’s a cloudy sky on a supposedly 32 degree day in the good ol’ M town there’s no reason that you shouldn’t look like ray of summer sun. So how much do you think you should be spending on your summer wardrobe; Hundreds? Thousands? Well I don’t know… It really depends on how much you can spend. Honestly I don’t believe that you have to wear big brand names to look stunning. As long as you can express your individuality it doesn’t matter what the price tag is. If you feel like a million bucks when you look in the mirror that’s all there is to it because we’re all beautiful anyway. Well anyway here is the first part of my very own summer wardrobe. I will put as much details as I could on each outfit. Enjoy…Xoxo!!

This is a bit of a vintage look that goes very well for a summer evening.

Black cotton sleeveless top tucked in to a pair of yellow chrome suede sweet shorts with a fold up hem. A colorful scarf around the neck adds a colorful spin into this look.I accessorized it further with a matte black clutch that has a laser cut print and also a pair of dark brown suede and leather laced up boots  to complete the look.  Gold jewelry would be a perfect finishing touch and studs would be my pick for earrings. I'm not a hairstylist, but this look could be more appealing with an 80's hair do, with all your hair puffed and back combed onto one side or even a french bun would do. To achieve this look you can always use nude or earthy colors.

If I use 5 words to describe the look; chic, colorful, cute, sexy and young.  Gray color tight skirt paired with an over-sized black top that I got from Supre. It's even sexier when you wear the top slightly off the shoulder on one side. Wear a printed scarf in a bright color for a cute quirky look. But you can get away with a nice long necklace too. And yes, my newly bought blue hand bag and my hot high heels from Zara were like the icing on the cake.:) I love this pair of heels for its clashing colors,style and comfort.

Brights!! Add a youthful spin into your outfits by mixing all the bright colors. There is nothing like "Too Colorful" for this summer. Feel free to wear whatever colors you are comfortable with. It could even be few clashing colors. 

Multi-colored cotton singlet tied up into a knot at the high waist worn with a pair of bright green skinny jeans with an obvious fold up hem. Blue color Zara handbag to add a bit of a contrast in color. This yellow color peep toe heels is only another a option for a bright color shoe, as you can wear pretty much any color that is complimentary to the colors in your outfit. A pair of Converse shoes could also be a good option. 

A straw hat would always work well with this casual look.

Party Time!!This bright orange corset from Bardot is one of my favorite pieces from my wardrobe. I love to wear it with my black velvet leggings and my leather gladiator heels. I think the black clutch matches perfect with the frilled detailing on the corset. Accessories wise you would only need nice long earrings with a nice makeup and a hairdo. 

My Tips and Solutions For Some Of Our Common Fashion Problems.

1. Do you often find that Zippers in your garments irritate your skin or cause itching? Well it happens quite often with my dresses. I was annoyed with all the invisible zippers in my garments, until I found a perfect solution for it.           

Just simply paste a Band-Aid where it irritates on the zipper, ie: on the head of the zipper. You can apply the same tip to itchy bra hooks too!                                                  

 

2.Girls! I'm sure you do a lot of shopping but have you ever thought of wearing appropriate make up and shoes when you go hunting for clothes for a special occasion; wedding, party, interview etc.?

If you haven't you must have ended up choosing a dress that was not suitable for the occasion. Trust me wearing suitable make up, shoes or other accessories really helps you to find the right one when you specifically shop for a special purpose which is different from impulse buying.

This might sound silly, but I think this is a great way of finding your ideal outfit for the desired occasion that makes you feel comfortable on the day and also to compliment your desired look.

This tip will be helpful in finding the "wow" factor which is really important in your buying decision.Imagine you trying a nice and glamorous party dress in sandals!! I am sure you would not want to see yourself in the mirror. 

This rule applies to all the guys too!!

3.Have you ever lost the shine/lustre after spot cleaning of a stain of any of your silky dresses?

 After you clean the spot where you had the stain, allow that to air dry completely and then  pick a shiny area of the fabric and then rub it gently against the faded spot on the fabric. Surprisingly it restores its shine most of the time (I learned this at a bridal store I used to work before).

4.Did you know that toothpaste could remove some of the stains on our clothes.? Apply toothpaste directly to the stained spot and rub the fabric together, rinse with water. You might have to do this several times but it works quite often (it might not be applicable to all fabric types, better to test it before hand).

5.Brides!! Some of you might have troublesome veils that just don't sit properly, or veils that are not stiff enough. You might also find that your newly purchased headpiece has a netting that doesn't sit right over your face. 

You can fix the veils or netting of any headpiece by simply applying hairspray. It helps the veils to sit away from your face when you wear your veil over your face. 

Stay in touch for more fashion tips with Fashionism! 

xoxo,

Sam 

Feminine Menswear: A Passing Fad or a Futuristic Trend? - by Sam

The constantly changing nature of fashion has always been focusing on newness or the illusion of something new and something different; signs and characteristics of male and female clothing are transient. Since the establishment of postmodern fashion and appearance of sub cultures men’s wardrobe has been continually appropriated by the fashion industry that most of the masculine garments have made its appearance with feminist design features or characteristics.

“Clothing is one of the most immediate ad effective examples of the way in which bodies are gendered, made feminine or masculine” (Entwistle 2000, 140-141)

 Nowadays, majority of menswear designers have refitted and restyled feminine design features to suit the prevailing masculine fashionable silhouette. This combines with a wealth of design detail and historical references, provides a cyclical men’s fashion system with an endless supply of “regular novelty”. Yet despite of the fact that the wealth of inspiration and technique across both male and female clothing, the main concern of this research is the rapid increase of feminist characteristics in men’s fashion. As a matter of fact, this research wishes to answer the question, why menswear has largely drawn techniques and characteristics of traditional women’s fashion and also to discuss the future of menswear if the society adopts this trend of applying techniques traditionally associated with the production of female fashion to the production of contemporary menswear. This report also sheds light on connection between issues of design, gender and technique. At the same time I wish to present my ideas on how the adaption of feminist characteristics for men’s fashion can be achieved within the boundaries of the menswear genre.

Historical context on the adaption of feminist features in men’s fashion

Historically human society has distinguished between male and female by gender differentiation as identified by femininity and masculinity.  Style, colour or type of clothing they wear had a set of norms, views, guidelines, or even laws defining what type of clothing is appropriate for each gender. However feminine design features have always existed in Men’s Fashion throughout much of the recorded costume history. Literary critic Ellen Moers, in The Dandy, her 1960’s exploration of dandyism from the late 1700 to 1950’s, stated:

“Legend is confused about the nature of [Brummell’s] style. The popular version has always been that he dressed too obviously well, with fantastic colours and frills, exotic jewels and perfumes.” (Davies H. 2008)

Cicolini (2005) has stated that the ‘Literary juxtaposition of Dandyism is that it has emerged during periods of intense uncertainty in relation to masculine identity: the 1780s crisis of Regency aristocracy, the 1890s scandal surrounding Wilde’s homosexuality, he 1950’s postwar wave of immigration and rise of the teenager and the 1970s era of liberation and Stonewall. Since 1980, Britain has witnessed the character of male change with whirlwind speed- The New Man, followed by the Loaded Lad and most recently, in the early twenty-first century, the metro sexual’. As far as the recent costume history is concerned, sub-cultures and emerging popular cultures have always had an impact on fashion. In the context of adaptation of feminist detailing in menswear, music genres played a major role in influencing the society in many aspects of fashion and styling of the time. There was a time when men were criticised if they crossed the gender boundaries regardless of their desire for style. These conventions of grooming all broke out when punk rock and grunge bands came into the scene. According to the website www.Fashionera.com, punk rock was one of the main anti-fashion and urban youth street cultures that was closely aligned with a music movement. Skinny jeans, studs and tight fitting shirts which were mainly associated with feminine clothing were popularised by the punk rock movement with regards to men’s fashion, challenging the conventional men’s attire. Famous punk rock bands at the time of the inception of this particular music movement in 1974 included Ramones, The Sex Pistols and The Clash. The band members wore ripped skin tight jeans, torn tee shirts and accessories such as bandanas for their live performances which was adopted by the fans of the movement. Glam Rock/ glitter rock is another revolutionary music movement which was an extreme of adapting feminist characteristics in to menswear. Queen, David Bowie, Iggy Pop and more recently Tokio Hotel and Adam Lambert are all idols of this music movement. It is during this time when Leather jackets and latex pants were introduced into men’s fashion. Since then sequins and embroidery were used in menswear which is now a very common sight in most of the menswear collections. Another example is Elvis Presley who wore flared pants (Bell-Bottoms) and suits in pastel hues. He also made famous clothing accessories with Jewells which was considered to be feminie at a time where other artists such as Jim Reeves wore traditionally masculine suits. In more recent history artists such as Milli Vanilli, New Kids on The Block and Michael Jackson added to the changing gender definition of fashion through the addition of burmuda pants, shirts and jackets with shoulder pads and sequins. This was also the period that colour television was being popularised across United States and Europe. The visual transmission of these artists and their fashions was made possible by media channels such as MTV and VH1. This enabled a larger population of young adults to adopt these trends in order to make modern fashion statement in sync with their idols. These were some of the example of how feminine characteristics were associated with the men’s fashion in the recent history. However there is an emergence of this phenomenon in the modern culture yet with more refinement than of the recent past.  

Designers who challenged the gender boundaries:

“…in the animal kingdom, it is accepted that the male’s lustre outshines the females’. yet, within religious congregations and the law, in many faraway lands, from the popes to the sultans, from African kings to Balinese dancers, men do not know what trousers are, and still show a sense of finery, taste and embellishment.” (Baudot F., 2001)

Today mix and match of styles and design detailing that flirts with femininity is evident in menswear collections in every nook and corner of this fashion forward world. In order to position my research within an international context I have researched on few designers who have embraced feminine design characteristics and detailing in their menswear collections. In many occasions, these designers have mastered their technical skills in women’s wear; so that their curiosity of testing different techniques has made them use feminist design features in menswear. Some menswear collections with feminist characteristics have no life beyond the catwalk environment. However, it is important to define this topic with visual examples which would make it easier to identify the feminist elements used by designers in menswear.

 “Post-metro sexuality, contemporary menswear tackles issues of masculinity, femininity and everything in between. As sexuality becomes less of an issue in society, menswear celebrates and supports this diversity” (Davis H., 2008)   

Vivienne Westwood is one of the most innovative designers in the 20^th century who has challenged herself in experimenting with new design techniques by pushing the boundaries of conventions in fashion. The utilisation of lace and satin fabrics (fabrics which were limited for women’s wear) along with implementing corsetry and drapery techniques clearly depicts that her design possibilities were not limited by gender.

Christian Dior’s menswear collections always featured feminist elements. Dior Homme usually draws up a picture of a man who is in skinny pants and who doesn’t mind threading the fine line being feminine. Feminist design detailing and silhouettes are not the only elements he applies into his menswear; he is also not hesitant to adapt feminine colours into his designs. There was one instance when he used hot pink for his tailored jackets. Dior Homme gold sequin jewel pants are a good example of a garment which has feminist characteristics in every aspect of it; fabric, silhouette, colours and the embellishments.

In addition to the above mentioned designers, many other designers have played with different feminist characteristics and detailing in their menswear collections. The images I have presented below are some of the interesting examples of femininity in menswear.

Considering the above facts and references, men’s fashion was strongly influenced by male feminization which is a result of popular culture and other sub- cultures. Gender bending or cross dressing; that is adapting dressing ways of the opposite sex, has been a sign of feminism or gay pride. So it is evident that this concept of cross dressing has now been brought forward by the designers as a mainstream trend to market their labels. As borders blur, markets merge, and cultures blend, androgyny seems to have found its way to global mainstream fashion. Furthermore, the readiness of customers to accept these trends was answered by the market research, adding plus points for the practicability of menswear characterised with feminine features.

Blurring of gender boundaries in expectation of marketing fashion is a matter which should be argued as the greatest concern today lies not in the failure to acknowledge the pleasure of Fashion, but on the contrary, in the tendency of Men losing his identity or masculinity by adapting too much of feminist dress styling. Furthermore, the question whether the customer are ready for this

 “The postmodern gender carnival explores the significance of the play with gender signifiers in recent fashion. Gender border crossing in postmodern fashion represent a transcendence of gender boundaries, I argue that these have not disappeared but have simply been renegotiated. Despite the increasing frequency of gender border crossings in recent times, gender distinctions have not disappeared, but continue to reassert themselves in new configurations”. ‘(Appearance and Identity, Fashioning the Body in Postmodernity, Llewellyn Negrin)