On Defining Your Personal Style

When I was doing my best 17 of 2017 year-ender post last December, I must admit at first I suffered from choice overload. Let's say there were about more than a hundred #ootds to choose from. So glad I get to have an additional one for this year, lol. But kidding aside, what helped me narrow it down is defining what best describes my personal style. 

Personal style as one editor put it is your signature 'vibe'. For other people, it's very transparent (shirt and denim type for example) while for some like yours truly it's still not very black-and-white. What I'm certain is that I love re-styling pieces and that up until now I still succumb to trends. Ugh. Yep, been style blogging for years now and I'm still not sure if I've figured it out.

One of the tips from this article to help pinpoint your personal style is to identify the repeat offenders. It says there's a reason why a certain type of clothing abounds in your closet. Well, I have a lot of maxi dresses and long skirts but one of the things that stood out from my outfits last year? This black tutu skirt. I wore it to the streets, brought in Paris and heck even styled it at the beach! 

So, if I were to again use this tip from this article and use three words to describe my style? I will use the adjectives for a tutu skirt. They're ladylike, elegant and dramatic. Oh well, dramatic isn't really a personal style per se but I'll keep it for the meantime. ;) Now tell me what's yours. :)

NYE Dressing

New Year's Eve. Your last chance to impress and go all out in dressing for this year. Still not sure what to wear? Typical. In my last post, I did give tip on what to wear using items that you may already have in your closet. But this time, we turn to another stylist who gave us more cool tricks in order to standout on the occasion.

While she did give a lot of rules (you may read everything here), we focus on two tips that are demonstrated in the looks below. (1) Embrace items with movement. Because what's one detail of your clothing that will get you noticed on the dance floor (aside from a sea of glitters and sequins of course?) - FRINGE! Apart from its standout color, this red fringed dress below guarantees you shimmy like there's no tomorrow. Haha!

Another tip we're taking? It's being unique by avoiding the same sequined/ body-hugging dresses that girls might wear on the floor. From one pantsuit fan to another, it's your one and done piece. And this item from Rosegal below with its again, standout color, will just give you the right impression for a festive and comfortable NYE. :)

Mesh Panel High Waist Jumpsuit

P.S. All styling are by yours truly. This post was made in partnership with Rosegal. Use the code RosegalChen to get additional discounts.

A Week in Monochrome

Though I always plan my outfits in advance, it's weird that sometimes I feel more accomplished as a planner when there was a certain theme for the week. :P There are times when it'd start with the first outfit decided on a Monday say, a pop of red and then decide to go on a streak thereafter or some cases when I notice later from my fashion app that I have been unconsciously wearing light colors such as pink and orange for consecutive days. For this particular week of interest though, there was a deliberate attempt to wear monochrome for four days. 

So why monochrome? As learned from some credible style websites, this is one of those slimming tips applied by celebrities. As if they need to look more slim XD I know I've just posted something about universally slimming items here but this is another style tip. Wearing one color from head to toe is visually lengthening, making you look taller and leaner. Black on its own is already a slimming choice but other options such as all white and gray works too. Btw, the gray look is taken out since it was already featured in the same link above. :)

What do you think? Do you agree with this styling tip? Sound off in the comments. :)

Bodysuit/ Pants/ Shoes: H&M; Sunnies: Aldo

Top/Pants: Mango; Shoes: H&M. Similar look here.

Blazer/ Pants: Mango; Top: Zara Man; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins Similar look here.

Business Casual

If you’re still confused what to wear for this dress code, I consider it a public service to share this recent article from Business Insider about it. According to the article,

At most, the purpose of the business casual dress code is to encourage employee to project a “professional, business-like image while enjoying the advantage of more casual and relaxed clothing.”

If I decode from the word itself, I think the formula is simple. You atleast have one business and a casual item in your whole ensemble. It will be obvious from the four tips lifted from the post below. But of course let us consider the no-nos in the casuals: anything sleeveless, ripped jeans, skirt with hemlines above the knees and best to have collar for the business part. Here are some of the looks I gathered from my lookbook for reference:

P.S. I took the liberty to post more than the usual average of photos since I reckon I should look more this part at work. Haha!

1. A blouse or dress shirt paired with khakis or a skirt typically fall under ‘business casual.’

Translation: Business – blouse/ dress shirt or even a buttondown Casual: Denim skirt

Top/Bag: Mango; Skirt: Forever21; Shoes: Zalora

Top: Zara; Skirt: Forever21; Shoes: CMG;

2. A dress shirt alone or worn under a sweater or sport coat is also perfectly acceptable. Cardigans can also be worn with dresses.

Translation: Business – dress shirt/buttondown Casual: sweater/ sport coat

Top: Mango; Dress: Unbranded; Shoes: Tory Burch

Top: Mango/ Bayo; Skirt: Maldita; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

3. Dark jeans are fine so long as they have no holes and are paired with a sport coat or blazer and dressier shoes, like loafers or heels.

Translation: Business – Blazer/ Loafers/ Heels  Casual: Dark jeans/ sport coat/

First look - Blazer/ Pants: Forever21; Top/Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Second look - Blazer/Top/ Shoes: Mango; Shoes: Marks & Spencer

First look - Top/Pants: Mango; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Second look - Blazer/Top/Jeans: Mango; Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

4. Bright colors and fun accessories are a good way to tone down more formal attire to make it 'business casual.'

Top: Dorothy Perkins; Dress: Unbranded; Shoes: Zalora 

Top: Unbranded; Dress/Shoes: Dorothy Perkins; Bag: Mango

Third-Piece Rule

Last month, I came across an article about some retailer companies in the US that encourage employees to be more stylish at work by applying this rule.The third-piece rule is something that is apart from your top and bottom but is not the shoes too. Then what is it?

After putting on the basics, one must think then of a layering piece to add that interesting element in the outfit. True, it can be an outerwear or an accessory. And later on, in our fashion styling class, I would learn it to be called a "focal point." Focal point as my instructor would simply define it, is that center of attention of your outfit. But must it always be an outer layering piece?

The first thing that came to mind when I read that article is this ensemble from last December. What I lacked in photography though was made up in the caption. "Three-parts black" as I have used to be specific.  The lace details of the dress underneath is too subtle but considered obligatory for a bardot crop top.

Yes, I am making the lace detail the focal point of my ensemble. And yes, sometimes the third-piece rule doesn't have to be an outer layer but an intriguing detail that leaves the looker a question, "Is it a part of the top or the skirt?" Now I got their attention. :P

Dress: Warehouse

Top: Topshop

Skirt: Asos

Shoes: Zara