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

 By: Unknown    05:02  1 comment

As mentioned in my previous post I have started a new series of posts on what to wear to fashion shows, these posts will be delving into different months of year and different times of day and BOTH MALE AND FEMALE outfits.Today's post is dedicated to MEN and daylight time - what should one wear to such an event ? 

To recap what was said in the female version of this post, the first thing I like to consider, is designers and location, Malta Fashion Week kicks off with a morning show exhibiting two local designers CF7 and Ritienne Zammit. The day is likely to be very hot and sunny and as I always say..sweat is very unattractive so no warm jackets / blazers / anything too warm and although I hate laying down rules since this is probably going to be a daytime event on a sunny day, please do not even think about wearing a black suit.

My wisdom and advice to you on this occasion is to try and come up with an outfit that has something a bit unique, an outfit that signifies a sense of personal style. If you're new to this, the trick is to start with a basic outfit that you feel comfortable in ..e.g. denim jeans (well-fitting ones please) and possibly a patterned shirt / bright polo-shirt or simply a logo/graphical-print t-shirt and then start adding and altering. Different layers add interest to an outfit so you can for e.g. add a denim waistcoat / add a summer scarf / roll up the sleeves of the shirt / add a cool material belt / layer a shirt over the t-shirt / a cool pair of shoes....and much much more. For those intending to brave the heat and wear a blazer, choose one made of a lightweight material such as cotton or linen and remember blazers and shorts look awesome together.

Re footwear, this is the time of year to ensure you have shoes that fit the occasion, sneakers are all the rage at the moment..so a funky pair of Nikes or Vans-slip-ons will look cool and stylish as will a pair of interesting espadrilles but this might also be the time of year to invest in a lovely pair of coloured, leather brogues esp if you've perhaps left your younger years behind you. 

I've roamed the internet for some examples of well dressed men and here's a few

And since I've just attended the Sarto Garden Party..one of my fave dressed men was Peter Carbonaro.....I thought I'd show you his outfit.

If you need ideas as to where to shop from I'd suggest the following local shops : Bortex (Gagliardi) / Armani Jeans / Tommy Hilfiger / Aldo Shoes / Zara Man / Topman / Mexx / Massimo Dutti

and some online ideas ...click on the product to go to the retailer

Check out the female targeted version of this post right here

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

 By: Unknown    09:58  No comments

It used to be the case that what people hassled about most was what to wear to weddings...morning weddings in particular, whilst a lot of women still hassle about this, there's a new kid on the block competing and that's the fashion show. What with there being an influx of them this month, I think it's time to pay this kid some attention. 

So first of all, this is going to be a series of posts not just a one-time thing...and we're going to examine different months and different times of day and BOTH MALE AND FEMALE.

Today's post is dedicated to women and daylight time - what should one wear to such an event ? 

The first thing I like to consider, is what the fashion show is exhibiting and where the location is - for example....Malta Fashion Week kicks off with a morning show exhibiting local designers in the main streets of Valletta. Since this is a designer's 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. If not, then lets examine the situation - end of May is likely to be hot and sunny during the day so lets leave the jackets at home...daytime in Valletta is not a formal event so lets leave the cocktail dresses and suits at home - which leaves us ...well....completely open actually. 

Now the trick is to go for something a bit 'different'. Start with something basic that you feel comfortable in ..e.g. a white dress, a denim dress, a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and then start adding. Think about having lots of layers so try adding a waistcoat or a cropped jacket, add a chunky necklace or two AND a scarf, put your hair in some cool up do and add a pair of statement earrings, a bold coloured lipstick or an interesting hairband. Then start thinking about the shoes. I've read that shoes are the one thing that people look at most at fashion shows and that makes sense since your eyes tend to get drawn towards the floor. So this is the time to invest in some statement brogues / patterned wedges / really cool wedge sneakers...whatever rocks your boat. Don't be afraid to experiment ...a pretty dress and bright gold wedge sneakers will look amazing at such an event. 

One last piece of advice - since we're talking about May in the morning I would suggest not wearing head-to-toe black and going for some colour and maybe some bright and interesting patterns. Remember this is a fashion show not a wedding, so don't stick to stupid rules like no long dresses or matching shoes and bags. Oh and very last thing don't neglect the bag...bags say a lot about a woman and an ugly bag can subtract some serious points from the overall feel of an outfit.

I created this layout with a couple of things I see appropriate so you get the gist :) Much much more to follow (the photo is clickable and takes you to the store).

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