WHAT TO WEAR POST : TO FASHION SHOWS AND EVENTS (JUNE/AFTERNOON/WOMEN)

 By: Unknown    23:53  No comments

An afternoon event of any sort is a relatively new concept to our social life. Until a few years ago, we were used to being invited to either morning or evening events and we had our wardrobes tailored accordingly. Over the last few years, a new idea dropped fro mthe sky and immediately took off - afternoon events. 

In Malta, these are mostly popular throughout late Spring and early Summer months and they normally start at around 5 pm after the intense sun and heat has somewhat died down... They generally do go on till late hours/early hours of the day/next morning and this is what makes choosing an outfit more difficult - the event is both a daylight and evening event rolled into one!

In this post I'm going to talk about how I go about styling an outfit for an afternoon fashion event. As I normally do, I will start by some words of individuality wisdom and point out that this is a FASHION event not a wedding - one of the best ways to score an awesome outfit is to include your personality in it. You can simply start by choosing a simple dress/ensemble and then start layering different accessories or other clothing pieces that say something about you..a quirky bag if you are a quirky person or an ultra stylish perspex one if that's more you...a sleevless tuxedo ...or how about a funky pair of shoes or even just a huge pair of bombastic earrings? Don't be scared to have some fun.

Colour

Since the outfit will make its first appearance in daylight, then I prefer going for something with a bit of colour, if you really favour wearing a black dress, the option is still there but I think something a little less heavy on the eyes is nicer. However, I wouldn't go down the head-to-toe pastel route either, I find that a bit too 'morning'. This means we need a vibrant colour/s - bright pinks, cobalt blue, a nice fiery orange, coral - these are all lovely colours that are really popular this season.  White is another winner -  since this is a fashion event and not a wedding there's no problem with wearing white and head-to-toe white is one of the most popular trends this season. Personally, for a fashion show or such I wouldn't wear a cute white lace dress, during the later hours of the event this will probably look a little out of place. However an all-white pantsuit or a white box dress is awesome.

Style

Dresses can be worn at any time of day and will always have a place in my heart, pantsuits look amazing both in the afternoon and evening and I'm presently really loving the princess a-line skirt and box-shaped crop top idea. A smart pair of shorts paired with a jacket/ elegant top can also be an interesting idea..just make sure you have the right legs for it. Jeans - this is a fashion event so jeans are an option BUT they have to fit well (be them boyfriend/skinny/bootcut) and they need to be paired with something more formal...a formal shirt/ blazer / sleeveless blazer. Makeup shouldn't be too heavy and I would avoid making up both the lips and eyes....however, when ti comes to hair, I like both the relaxed style and also some kind of really stylish up do of some sort...it depends on the outfit..a plain, simple outfit will fare better with interesting hair rather than a relaxed style.

Accessories

Accessories can really make or break an outfit - too much and you risk looking overdone, too little and you risk looking boring. If you've decided to wear a black dress, pick some bright coloured accessories, if there's something a bit 'different' about them all the better. DON'T insist on matching your shoes and bag - you can if you want to  especially if they're patterned but you absolutely don't have to. In the same way DON'T wear jewellery sets...matching bracelet, earrings, necklace - that look is a bit dated and you end up looking like a catalogue picture, instead mix your jewellery around. A chunky necklace and big earrings will look a bit overdone in the afternoon, pick just one.

Shoes 

Interesting shoes at a fashion event are always a good idea - fashion people are obsessed with shoes, however, this is likely to be a long event so be careful, wear something you can walk and stand in for a good number of hours or half the fun will be lost to feet agony.

Above everything else - simply have fun - and if you have any ideas of your own - tell me in a comment below - love hearing what everyone else thinks :)

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What to Wear Post : To Malta Fashion Week and Other Fashion Shows (May/EVENING/MEN)

 By: Unknown    07:17  No comments

As mentioned in my previous posts in anticipation of Malta Fashion Week, I have dedicated some posts to offering some style advice on ideas what to wear to Fashion Shows in Malta, in particular Malta Fashion Week.

Today's post is dedicated to men and EVENING fashion shows - what should a man wear to such an event ? 

In each of the previous posts, I harped on a bit about finding a way to make an outfit a bit unique and I still believe that, whilst I appreciate that some men might simply want to blend into the crowd, I know there are a lot of you just itching to up the style takes. Recently, at various events I've attended I've been really pleased to see Maltese men go all out in their outfits so I'm quite excited to see what I spot at fashion week.

I think there are going to be three different 'categories of men' attending these events:

• Those that got dragged by their partner
• Those that are working (photographers/journalists/sponsors etc)
• Those that love fashion.

To those men in the first category - I appreciate you really don't want to be here, let alone get noticed, so my advice to you is to stick to something simple..don't wear baggy jeans and a t-shirt or you will definitely get noticed, same with black tie or anything overly formal. If you want to wear jeans, no problem, but pair them with a smart blazer and a shirt/interesting t-shirt; it's also fine to wear a suit with no tie if that makes you feel more comfortable and less inconspicuous but no ten-year old 3-button jacket suits please. A nice shirt and a simple, smart, pair of trousers will also do the trick. Just make sure everything fits right, is ironed and is not stained.

Second category men - I expect a bit more from you guys, especially the photographers who after all are there to shoot fashion. I do appreciate that the photographers must be comfortable and able to move freely so not expecting to see anything overly stiff and I doubt any of you will be wearing blazers.  A patterned shit...maybe a loose-material-knit-tie or a coloured belt ..maybe even a casual bow-tie - these are all great ways to jazz up an outfit that don't realyl add discomfort. If you wear jeans, avoid overly baggy styles, go for something that fits well and is hemmed correctly or rolled up for skinnier styles. One last piece of advice for photographers - IF YOU PLAN ON SITTING ON THE FLOOR DON'T WEAR WHITE/CREAM.

Sponsors and journalists - you guys have no comfort excuses so you should look like you at least made a little bit of an effort.  Patterned/coloured footwear is again an interesting choice, bow-ties and pocket squares always look great paired with a shirt and blazer and clashing patterns are always lovely.

The third category - I get the feeling you guys need no advice. I find that most men that love fashion are excellent at making it work for them in a way that is unique to them, they know when to break the rules and when to follow them. If any of you guys really need ideas, here goes - blazers with shorts, patterned blazers with clashing patterned shirts, matching or mismatched pocket squares and bow ties, caps of all sorts, coloured brogues or loafers, bright summer scarves and last but not least coloured belts that do NOT match the shoes - all of these are style elements that I would love to spot one of you wearing at fashion week.

And for more inspiration check out these pics that I scoured foreign fashion weeks for

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What to Wear Post : To Malta Fashion Week and Other Fashion Shows (May/EVENING/Women)

 By: Unknown    10:02  No comments

I still remember attending my first fashion show at the first Malta Fashion Week (2011)...back then, I wasn't really involved in the scene as much, I had only been working as a fashion stylist for about a year and my blog was still in its infancy stages. I agonised over what to wear to the events, wanted each outfit to be perfect but was really confused as to what other people would wear..Malta has always had its own fashion rules so I wasn't too sure that looking at street style pics of foreign fashion weeks would help. In the end, I settled over an outfit and had a marvellous time. I also realised, that there really was no dress code and people wore a variety of different things ..and most of them looked good..so maybe I should have worried a little less. However, I know that telling someone not to worry and wear what they want is a bit useless as women especially, fret over these things so instead ..I'm offering some advice..for what it's worth :)

Today's post is dedicated to women and EVENING fashion shows - what should one wear to such an event ? 

As previously mentioned, the first thing I start with is WHO the fashion show is exhibiting & WHERE - Malta Fashion Week's first evening event is the NEW DESIGNERS on the 24th May. Since this is a designers' show, if you happen to own a piece by any of these designers then I suggest you wear it as this is a really nice tribute to them. Next  thing to consider is the WEATHER, end-of-May-evening is likely to be a little bit chilly so we can easily wear blazers / long sleeves / shawls / capes.

At a fashion show, I find one either wants to blend in or stick out...I prefer the latter option as I see it the right time to experiment with fashion and try out something new, I find a lot of people are scared of getting it wrong which is why they go for the former option. It is worth pointing out that we are not celebrities getting ready to go on the the Academy Awards Red Carpet. There are no fashion police, no journalists snapping away ready to comment on our outfits. Sure there will be some people who will pass judgement and might remark to their friends but chances are you'd never hear these remarks good or bad and anyway people will pass judgement whatever the case. Fashion is an art and whilst there are some basic body-type rules ...all art is subjective at the end of the day.

To cut a long ramble short, DON'T BE SCARED and have fun. Now for some ideas - I keep saying to start with something basic and add interesting things and the same idea can be applied here as well. For example, a white shirt and black trousers / black skirt is the most basic of outfits and since these shows are in Valletta, if you work there, this might be a good way to do a day-to-night outfit change. Adding interest to a white shirt and black trousers/skirt outfit is really easy, a bright coloured blazer & chunky necklace is one option, swapping plain black heels (if that's what you were wearing at the office) for bright heels or ankle boots will also change the vibe from formal to edgy. Swap a plain black bag for a little jewelled clutch and layer on some bracelets.

Dresses will always be popular at evening fashion shows but I suggest trying to go for something more interesting than just a dress and pair of heels, this year an interesting way to wear a dress is with sneakers (major, major trend) but I have a feeling I won't see much of this style :) brogues might be easier to digest and are also brilliant. An interesting pair of patterned, sheer tights is also fun ...sweaters have made a comeback (wear them with a skirt or patterned trousers and possibly even under a blazer). Another element is to think of using headwear - hairbands, headpieces, turbans, all these increase the style factor of an outfit.

Now for some general rules&tips : wrinkled clothes major no...dresses/trousers needing to be hemmed major no....too tight anything major no.....wear makeup, you'll probably have your photo taken at some point and you don't want to looklike a ghost...arrange your hair, even if just to pull it back....no leggings unless under tunics/long tops, i.e no leggings instead of trousers...no chipped nailpolish (hands/feet).

With all this wisdom in our minds ....See you at Malta Fashion Week #mfwa2014

P.S Don't forget to enter my competition to win two tickets to the MALTA FASHION AWARDS

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