SUMMER LOOK 2014!!

Hey Ladies, the spring has sprung and the summer is just around the corner and it's that time of the year again when you have a new chance to update your wardrobes and yourself. Summer is known for throwing up all the trend setting, best outfits and most fashionable wears. With every great outfit comes a few 'must have' accessories to send that confidence soaring, and that’s where Plush styles comes into the picture, to get the best out of your style.

Here's a few tips and looks to help you all get through the summer and look your best.

1. Colour: Always add colours to your style in any summer outfit. This gives your look a bright and flamboyant happy look for the summer.

2. Accessories are very important in the summer, it gives you that complete look. It defines your style.

Keep it simple, classy and stylish. Always remember 'Less is more'

Editing And Organizing Your Wardrobe.

To be stylish is not just about what you wear and how you wear it, it all starts from your wardrobe or closet. How you edit, place and organize your wardrobe determines to a massive extent how you put together your outfit when you step out.

A lot people just go shopping, buy a whole lot of stuff they do not need and just dump them all up in their wardrobe confusing themselves when it comes to picking an outfit to step out in. There’s little point in owning the latest bag, dress or shirt if you can’t find it in your closet when you’re getting dressed. Jumbling up clothes in your wardrobe not only weakens the fabrics, it keeps all your clothes un-mantained.

Editing and de-cluttering your wardrobe can be a very though task, so i'll list a few tips here to help and if you need professional help you can always send me an email, it's not as expensive as you think.

Tips;

Discard your old clothes: If you aren't wearing it, don't keep it! This can be hard espcially to give up some clothes you love or expensive garments. Take a look at your clothes and assess what you wear most, least, or not at all. If an item is severely damaged or no longer fits, toss it out!

Choose what to keep: In choosing what to keep, let seasonality and frequent use be a guide to what goes into your wardrobe or closet.

Choose the right hangers: Apart from the fact that your wardrobe will look neater using a particular type of hanger (wood, wire or plastic), hangers play a huge role in preserving your clothes. For example hanging suits or sweaters on thin or wire hangers makes them slouch and loose shape. Use thick wooden or plastic hangers for suits and sweaters.

Organizing your clothes: Start organizing by separating your different types of clothes. Suits hanged separately, Tops, T. shirts, blouses should all be hung separately. Blouses and dresses, for example, can be sorted first by sleeve length or by colour. Start with strapless and go to long-sleeve. Keep like with like. The secret is, 'you'll wear more if you see it'.

Jeans should be folded away neatly and there are different ways to arrange them, by cut or by colour.

Thick Sweaters can also be neatly folded into your wardrobe

Depending on your type of wardrobe (if you don't have drawers or compartments), Use containers, or a matching set of baskets to hold accessories and clothing that can’t be hung, such as scarves, socks and underwear. Rotate your bras and underwear so you’re not wearing the same few all of the time.

Scarves should be folded in piles by color or material, it makes it easy to pull one out without ruining the organization of the rest

Jewelry , sun glasses and other accessories, should be neatly stored in your wardrobe drawer or a separate compartment.

Purses and bags should be neatly arranged by size and kept visible because it's a bit hard to change bags if you don't see them.

Shoes will always take most part of your wardrobe so depending on how rich your are, how massive your wardrobe is or how many shoes you have, you should have a separate closet for your shoes and arrange them accordingly with formal shoes, heels, sneakers, flat shoes all stored separately. If you are not blessed with that much, you can choose between a shoe rack on the floor, a hanging shoe organizer  or the original shoe boxes. Store shoes you don’t wear frequently in the least seen place.

With these few and simple tips, you are on your way to having a well edited wardrobe so you can always look organised and at your best best when stepping out. Make sure to always keep your closet fresh and de-cluttered.

Denim/Jeans: The Ever Present Wear.

I have been asked a few times about the difference between denim and jeans. Firstly, i would like to clarify the difference between both. Denim refers to the fabric and Jeans refers to pants made out of denim. So actually, Denim is either the pants, skirts, jackets, shirts and shorts. Jeans mean is basically the denim pants.

We won't be going to go into the origin of how it was made, named or where it came from but you can be rest assured we'll tell you how to put it together.

Denim is timeless! It's easy to wear, practical and has been worn for years, it has been ever present in the fashion world. Ever since the days when it was worn only by the laborers, bikers and motor cycle gangs, it has been classified  as a classic 'street style' fashion wear and a 'must have' in your wardrobe. The jeans, regardless of age, sex or status is worn by anybody. It is a universal wear.

Denim is a beautiful wear anyday, it's stylish, fashionable and also rugged. It survives the harshest conditions which makes it the most durable wear in the world. 


How and when to wear?

Denim is a strictly 'street/casual wear'. Jeans can be combined in an outfit for a formal-casual occassion. For example wearing a  blazer suit with jeans. This is a simple, relaxed look that pairs the flattering shape of a suit jacket with the casual feel of jeans. With the right pieces, it’s hard to screw up a jeans/blazer combination. Wearing this particular outfit comes with rules, that is if you are coming out wanting to look sharper in your formal-casual look. Stay away from 

• Severe faded or acid washed jeans.
• Rips or torn jeans
• Patched or flapy pocket jeans

These rules don't apply if you want to look more casual with the outfit. Other ways to wear denim is casually mixing it with T-shirt, striped or printed shirts, cardigans 

For the ladies, combining a blazer with a pair jean and heels is also a good formal-casual outfit. Ladies have a wider variety of choice when it comes to rocking the denim. For example, one lovely way to to make a denim statement is by wearing a printed T-shirt with denim shorts(hot pants) and a pair of wedges. Accessorize with a necklace and some bracelets. There's also a casual look of a denim jacket on top a flowing dress, nice sandals with beautiful accessories for a nice sunny day.

A Few Denim Looks

No one will deny the impact and importance of denim in the fashion world.

Spring! It's TOMS Season Again!!!

Hey! It's spring and we are approaching the summer. It's that time of the year again when we ditch the boots, the UGGs and put on the light shoes. There are lots of really nice light shoes and sandals to go with the light weather but there's no better shoe that represents these times of the year more than the TOMS.

TOMS are these cloth material type shoes that wrap snugly around the foot and are lined with a foam-rubber sole. Toms shoes are lightweight, comfortable to wear and come in several awesome colors like navy blue, red, corduroy olive green, chocolate browns, white and so on. They are not expensive, so feel free to own or destroy as many pairs as you’d like. They are unisex, worn by both male and female.

Toms are strictly casual and street style. They are worn with almost anything casual. T-shirts, shorts, jeans, Polo shirts, anything.

I know that not everyone will like Toms and some might say it's too fragile but no one will argue that it's quite stylish, cute and looks very good on any casual outfit.

The Difference Between A Suit And A Blazer Jacket.

I have been asked this question a whole lot of times and it appears a lot of people, especially men, do not know the difference between a Blazer and a suit jacket.
Many men actually go on wearing one for the other without knowing how, where and when to wear them.

I will highlight the difference between both pairs:


Suit Jacket

A suit always has matching trousers(pants) and is worn mostly with a shirt and tie, sometimes with a vest.. Suit are usually thinner with their fabrics and are be made of finer stuff like worsted wool. They also usually have a single, slits or no slits at all (openings on the sides or backs of jackets) and depending on the style, suit jackets comes in 2 or 3 buttons. The buttons on suit jackets are not obviously noticeable and blend in with the colour of the fabric. Most buttons are made of plastic, but sometimes the buttons are covered with the fabric used and the amount of sleeve buttons on a suit jacket always matches the number of waist buttons. Their pockets are sewn into the jacket’s lining and having an almost invisible opening and some less formal suit jackets have small flaps as pockets.

 

Blazers

Blazers give a dapper look that is less formal than a suit jacket. These days, a blazer has come to mean anything that has sleeves and lapels and is worn with unmatched pants/trousers and comes in much thicker or heavier fabrics such as tweeds, velvet and linen.

Years back,  jacket makers made blazers much different from the sport coats and the suit jacket but as fashion advanced, the blazer has fallen into the sport coats category and are made in the same design as the sport coat for example the tweed suits. Blazers these days are made out of  all sorts of material. Tweed fabric blazers although not necessarily, are best worn in the winter periods.

The blazer buttons act as noticeable accessory, they don't always blend with the colour of the fabric. Most jacket makers use simple brass buttons, but many blazers display buttons of gold, silver or pearl. The pockets are sewn in different ways, some have patch pockets or flap pockets but the left breast pocket always remains open.

    
How, where and when to wear?

These days suit makers tend to make suit jackets with thicker fabrics but with matching pants/trousers. Once it comes with a matching pants of the same fabric and colour, then it is a suit jacket!

At many social functions, anything goes, however, some occasions require adherence to appropriate levels of formality.  Wear suit jackets for formal events and leave the blazers for less formal occasions.

While no specific colour defines a suit jacket, dark or non bright colours have remained the best choices over many years, but you can find suits in every imaginable colour. As a general guideline, choose non bright colours for business, executive and formal events, and save brighter, vibrant colours for fun. You don't want to turn up in your executive meeting in a complete red, green or yellow suit as you would look completely out of touch.

 

Blazers, unlike suit jackets can be worn in different colours at any less formal event as long as the colour is compatible with the dress pants. For example a red blazer matched with a black pants, a white shirt and a tie or just rock a blazer with a casual T-shirt and jeans. When wearing a blazer for informal business or a social event, let the formality of the occasion determine what to wear with the jacket.

Don't ever try pulling off those pinstripes suit jackets as blazers. It's also an absolute NO NO wearing your suit jacket with a pair of jeans.  Suit jackets are meant to be worn as suit jackets, with matching pants!

BAFTA AWARDS 2014: Our Most Stylish Pick.

The much anticipated Baftas has come and gone and as usual the stars came out in their electrifying outfits and styles, some got it right and some got it wrong. Am not going to do a merry go round about who wore it best and who didn't as every fashion website or blog in the world will be on that today. We'll  just pick the best of the lot (Female and male) and tell you why they looked so good on the night.


Lupita Nyong'o once again stole the red carpet. She came out in a bold green, clean strapless dress. Everything just fell into place. Her short hair, the colour of the dress which was perfect against her skin and the carpet and the way her bracelets echoed her belt. A perfect accessory for a green outfit is always gold and that's the only accessory that could improve that dress. She was flawless again.

Bradley Cooper may have made the headlines for a different reason on the night but on the red carpet, he was the most stunning man. Looking dapper in a navy Alexander McQueen suit with black lapels and a black bow tie, brilliant smile and a perfect beard and hair cut. The best feature about any man in a suit is the fitting! And on the night, Bradley got this totally spot on unlike most of the men on the night (Tinie Tempah included) who either got it a little undersized or oversized (and let's not even go on about Christian Bale).

Lupita Nyong'o and Bradley Cooper are the two best dressed for the Bafta Awards night.


Here's a few other stylish outfits on the night that also looked great.

Uma Thurman kept it simple and classy. A simple diamond necklace to compliment a perfectly fitted black dress. She just oozed of class.

 

Brad and Angelina brought something different on the night to the red carpet. They both rocked matching outfits reminiscent of Posh and Becks. They had this cheekiness about their style almost like they had been up to something naughty just stepping out on the red carpet.

 

Oprah! For a woman her size she sure knows how to carry herself and bring out the best out of her body features. The dress emphasised her busts which is one of her main assets and the colour she chose blends well with her skin. She looked HOT!

What do you think?

Style Icon: Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o is a growing sensation taking the Hollywood by storm with her acute sense of style.  She is confident, elegant and radiant on the red carpet. Her dress sense is almost impeccable and the way she carries herself shows she may be her on our style row call  for a long time. She ticks all the boxes in the 'book of style'. She's worked everything from colorful to dark, body fitting to A- line dresses, she rocks them gorgeously and she's not afraid to bring on the bold accessories too. She has caught our eye and every fashion editor across the globe. She is our icon for the month of February.

Lupita burst on the the Hollywood scene with her magnificent role in the movie '12 years a slave' directed by Hollywood legend Brad Pitt and since then she has been burning the red carpets with her blazing style and outfits. Her beauty and indisputable sense of style has fashion designers clamoring to clothe her and magazines falling over themselves to feature her with her gorgeous, dark chocolate skin tone. Women around the world are celebrating this true African beauty! 

See for your see her Beautiful sense of style.

She is even rocking with the A-list stars and they are all looking star struck which speaks volume of her star quality and confidence.

How do you rate her style?

How To Pull Of That Daily Red Carpet Look

Let's face it! Every one wants to look glam, everyone wants to look fab, everyone wants to have that red-carpet look and everyone has that one celebrity that we admire especially when they hit the red carpet at events or ceremonies.

You see them on TV glowing, looking glamorous and it makes you feel less stellar about yourself. But these stars are normal and they are just like us, they don't roll out of bed looking perfect. They go through a great amount of styling and grooming to look they way they do on the red carpet and any public appearance. With a good amount of self grooming, attention to detail and fabulous outfits, you can get your self in that 'red carpet' look for any event or ceremonies.

Here are a few tips to give you that daily red carpet look.

1. No matter how little, get tighter! Some people generally don't just like work outs or exercises. Am not suggesting that you should do an intense work out everyday. Just a few minutes exercises a day will not only get you fit looking for your event or the red carpet but it will also make you healthy generally. A few weeks to your event or occassion? Then you may get intense work out.

2. Improve your body skin. It's always important to look fresh and clean so it's essential you get a moisturiser that suits well with your skin, go for products that has balance and will enhance your natural skin colour. Different skin products always work differently for different skin types so there's no pointasking you to get a particular product. Look for one that works well for you.

3. Facials is just as important. Your face represents you! Your face is one of the first part of your general appearance that people look at first even when they meet you for the first time. So taking care of your face is very necessary.

i. A natural way to keep your face fresh is to wash your face with hot/warm water to open up and clean your pores and then use cold water to close your pores. Keeping your pores clean, closed and tight gives it that fresh looking face.

ii. You can also use exfoliating products daily to remove dead skin cells on your face. If you want something natural then, Sugar is a natural exfoliant, mix it with honey then you have a natural exfoliator.

4. Your outfit! Notice the 'Fit' on the word outfit? Simply means on your outings always get the right fit!  If you don't have a fit, you don't have the fashion! If it feels like it's uncomfortable on you, don't wear it! I have always talked about colours too. Your colours must be combined properly. (Check my write up about colour combinations).

5. Always accessorize but don't over do it. Always remember that accessories make or break you look. So less might be more.

6. For the ladies, keep your pedicure and manicure game very good. Neat hands and feet is a good way to show off your cleanness and glamour.

7. Ladies, Your hair and hair styles are important. Keep your hair clean and refreshingly smooth. For impressive results, use the lightest product that works for your hair type, and use it sparingly.

Guys, if you keep a beard, make sure it's always well groomed, well trimmed and neat always.

Some may think it’s all hard work, but it's not, if you do this on a daily basis, it won't have to be a whole lot to do when you are ready to step out for your occasion or event. Once you are out there looking naturally refreshed, naturally beautiful and naturally handsome, it’s all worth it!

Should Men Carry Clutch Bags (Man Purse) ?

Many years ago it was almost a sin punishable for a man to carry bags. These days it is absolutely different as the men's bag business is doing better than ever and raking in millions. Any man of fashion knows that bags have become a necessary tool and style accessory, it's not just a lady's item anymore. I am not talking about briefcases, laptop bags or backpacks which some men carry around as necessity to carry around their everyday work documents or basic needed stuff, am talking about carrying man purse (Clutch bags) as a fashion statement and accessory. 

Man purses or 'Murses'  as they are called is nothing new. It's an accessory that just a few years ago would have called a man’s sexuality into question but it's every where these days and it is seen as a fashion statement!

Personally, i think it is great sense of style for men to carry bags if it is meant for work purposes or to carry around uncomfortable personal stuff, but carrying a 'Clutch bag'  just only as an accessory for fashion statement? Am not so keen on that. If man wants to make a fashion statement then the bags he carries should be fashionable and trendy enough to serve these two purposes, Utility and style statement not just some fancy Louis Vuitton clutch bag under his armpit. 

That said, i think it depends on how it is used. It is definitely uncomfortable to have lots of things shoved into your pocket and having to adjust them every now and then during the day. A better option would be to go for a small bag where these items can fit into, perfect for everyday use and at the same time for speaks well of your style. Some men pull it off much more that some so it also depends on the man himself, his charisma, body carriage and personal style. It is best you find out first how well you can pull it off or how good it would look on you first before you try using it.

Personally, i don't have one and would not carry one but i totally see the point if it is used correctly and for utility purpose first before the fashion statement.

What do you think? Would you carry a 'Murse'? Or are you happy to see a man use one?