Oh you didn’t know? Shame on you cus I told you already !!! Last time we spoke about vests, I suggested you use them to spruce up your office-wear or jazz up some simple tee-over-skinny jeans look. Today, I’m updating that post a bit with more colourful ways to rock a vest and stand out from the crowd. My big girls out there should feel comfortable rocking a vest as the layers add structure, nipping in the waist to help with the desired hour-glass look and covering up those unsightful muffin tops .

Here, of course, are a few of my combinations Notice how I incorporated some unconventional vest types and of course you can see my love for all things girly still coming through on this menswear trend.

Now as much as I love fashion and keep abreast of trends and happenings in the fashion world, it doesnt mean I don’t have my own sense of style. You’ve gotta keep your own style in all of this fabulousness or else you’ll lose yourself and end up a designer’s walking mat from season to season, which is not as fun as it sounds. We’ve seen some of the disastrous things these designers send out from time to time right, yah you gotta keep your head screwed on. Plus you don’t wanna look like a mirror walking down the street in the same thing everyone has on. Your sense of style is what’ll take the latest trend and bring it to the next level.

What’s my sense of style? I’m definitely a girly girl . I love ruffles, I love cutesy blouses and dresses, strappy sandals, high heels, pretty colours and sexy silhouettes. What trends am I feeling right now? I love the spring prints! Love love love! I wanna get my hands on all the dresses I can find…or afford to splurge on anyway.

I know however that my own sense of style has always been somewhat different. I like to mix colours others wouldn’t really think of mixing and I like to wear pieces that others overlook on the racks. So when I was flipping through Forever 21 for another article, I came across this top that I liked but I could already hear the cries from all my friends who would put me to shame if I told them how much I liked it. Sher, our resident makeup artist, said “its very frilly, god! it would make a woman look like a drag!” No offense dears…lol. She went on to say how much of a tie and dye disaster it was. Ah boy! Here’s the top: (you can click to purchase)

Now you tell me, is it really that bad? LOL of course I had to make up an outfit to go with it, so keeping with my quirky style, here’s what I came up with.

Needless to say, I love the top even more now. Though I figure many of you have lost total faith in me as a stylist! Let me hear what y’all think on my pretty top.

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According to My FOS partner Adrain, it is Christian Audigier and his flamboyant pieces. Christian is the designer of the famed Ed Hardy line and and his more premium self-titled line is…apparently…all the craze. So I did a little googling to familiarize myself with the line, since my co-workers are of the same view as Adrain. The Christian Audigier line is very much Ed Hardy like, bright, bold and very patterned. He himself says “his designs appeal to people who want to inject a little fun into their wardrobes or those who just want to get noticed” Clearly this is why this line speaks so well to our dancehall stars that rock Ed Hardy to every Hot Monday, Early Tuesday, Weddy Wednesay, Bembe Thursday, Dutty Friday alike! Here’s an article on the designer himself, its a very good read especially if you want to be a designer yourself as he shares a few of his marketing tips. The male line is VERY flashy and I had a hard time picking out a shirt I’d buy for my hunny, so I asked Rain to pick out his favorites:

OMG that blue one is just hideous! Guys, are you really feeling this line? The female line, I ADORE! The dresses are to die for and it was hard for me to pick favourites. Bubble hemlines, bloussant dresses and peasant tops, all flattering to the curvier woman like myself and gorgeous minis and cinched waisted dresses for the modelesque. So while I’m not a fan of his male tees, his female line “a happen, a occur, it sell and a mek a profit!” which is Jamaican slang for its great! He brings his flavour to the leggings trend as well and while the gold and silver might be a little too trendy for me…those black ones are the business. At $300 a pop for a dress though, I’m only admiring right now. Check him out ChristianAudigier.com

I have a friend, she’s probably a size 00, or maybe a negative 2! Yeah she’ll kill me for saying so but girl is meagre! Its true, not because models are thread thin, means that everything fits them. There are very few pieces that fits EVERY body type, most will work dead on for only one or two body types. So she told me about a particular top that she saw on a slimmy that was on Tyra, asked me if I knew what it was called and where she could get one. I have no clue if the style itself has a particular name, however I know she was referring to one of those huge-sleeved tops that just kinda hangs, but in a most cute manner. Its the type of top that flatters with being body-hugging and for that particular reason, I have a few of them hanging in my own closet. It makes me, a far cry from a size 2, feel sexy and cute but comfortable and not having to wonder whether I’m having a “muffin top” effect going on. She was feeling the top because it looked cute and chic and did not require curves to do so. She was talking about one of these black tops you see to the left. The pic doesn’t quite show the detailing though

There are a million and one variations, as well as flutter sleeve and kimono styled type tops which have a similar effect.

She wanted to know what other recommendations I have for persons of the slender variety. Slim people have the body type to carry off those cute little tops that come with built in bras or seams that fit snugly around the bust area as they never come with enough room for a more endowed lady. Tube tops work really well on a slimmy as well and so does layering. Layering gives definition and creates curvature. Bulky materials will always do the trick and how about some cute summer dresses? This particular friend will cringe at the idea…but hey summer dresses are cute and with a little shrug or sweater thrown over, you’re good to go! Skinny girls can also wear tops with an extreme plunge between the girls for a night on the town. Just make sure you secure with a little double stick tape! Here are a few of my ideas:

Hmm….It’s odd that this fashion diva isn’t the bag fanatic that most fashion divas are…isn’t it? A fashion blog without a single bag post? How weird is that! I think I’ve broken some kind of punishable fashion rule! Yep, right now I have the basic one black and one brown and I have two simply because I think its bad fashion karma to wear a black back with a totally brown outfit. They’re very plain too, just the staple work bags. Very nice now, cus I’m still a diva, but plain.

This past week, I went in search of new shoes (because that’s my obsession) and my friend started to gaze on some handbags. Every bag she picked up was just absolutely horrible and I was beginning to wonder if she had sniffed something before coming to meet up with me, seriously. Anyway finally she said “what about this one” and I picked it up and threw it over my shoulder. I was instantly transformed! I was in love (insert smiley with big red hearts for eyes) She on the other hand wasn’t convinced and kept asking me about some purple and orange striped duffel thingy….ew!

Anyway after some of my words (cus I’m the guru duh) she too was convinced that the bag was as hot as I was saying and bought it. Wait a minute…I liked the bag, why didnt I buy it! LOL ok….so yeah that didn’t go too well. I searched for it online but of late I am never able to find exactly what I’m looking for on the internet, so I went thru the archives of all the bag blogs on the first page of that particular Google search…and I still haven’t found one bag that makes me go “oooh i like that!” Just “ok that can work” or “that’s cute” so now if I wasn’t aware before, I definitely know now that I an not a bag lady. But I certainly welcome the change! I wants bags! Pretty bags with nice shiny things on them So these are my favorite that I’ve seen so far. Based on my selections, I welcome anyone who can point me in the direction of some cute bags, so holla at me you bag gurus! I think I would definitely start my collection with a dark red bag and a green bag, like olive green or something…..yes those are the colours I’m feeling. These bags below are courtesy of Purseuing, What’s Haute and Ebay (click each item to view) So there’s item number one on my Christmas wish list!

EDIT: thank’s to my handy dandy related-post feature at the bottom of each post I am now reminded of my very first post on bag, Man Bags! LOL

So….I’m doing my research to deliver up a fantastic post on work-ready underwear especially for the ladies who love to wear those tight rayon pants…and I stumble upon the C-String. Excuse the slight nudity for a minute please my dear readers, I’m uncomfortable just looking at the models! My first reaction was….are you serious?!?!?! Well…panty lines are very taboo…how far are you willing to go to get rid of em while still wearing underwear? I thought that I should definitely give the C-String a try, you know, in order to give an accurate description of the product *wink wink* however I came across one mom’s week long experience with the product and thought it did the job. Here’s an excerpt:

This is the stuff of nightmares. I am walking down the road pushing a buggy when I have to bend down to pick up a dropped toy.

A passing van driver leers at me and then beeps his horn. But it’s not because of my blonde hair: it’s because I look as if I forgot to put on any underwear that morning.

Dressed in hipster jeans I wander gingerly downstairs. Already the pants are chafing. I rapidly realize that hipsters are the wrong item of clothing for the C-string

I take the children to the park and fall into conversation with a pleasant-seeming couple with a child a little older than Archie.

Our children smile shyly at each other and take turns on the slide. And then Oscar, my youngest, falls down and I bend over…an apparently underwear-free mother. The couple make their excuses and leave the park quickly, glancing behind them as they leave.

Of course, there are those who think the product is the next best thing, mostly those of the size 2 blonde variety however. These were a man’s sentiments on seeing the product:

"Back to reality. About 1 women in 1000 look good in this. The other 999 give me nightmares with flabby loose skin . If it ain’t good, keep it under cover and let us fellows use our imagination. Don’t stick it in our faces!"

Gotta love those men! The website recommends wearing them as swimwear, cus you know, tan lines are evil! And of course they are only available in small and medium and the medium is recommended for persons between 115 and 140 lbs. I’m happy that they haven’t included a large size actually…we do have some delusional big women out there.

I found this product pitch from Love Honey hilarious!

"As a major league tan fan (with lashings of sun lotion of course), the C-String is an absolute dream come true. As well as helping to avoid those unsightly tan lines and looking a darn sight sexier than your average bikini, I’ve also found that the C-String doubles up as a retro style hairband and is perfect for nights on the town - a clean pair of course. Just don’t tell anyone that the PR Manager of LoveHoney trips the light fantastic with knickers on her head!"

Thats what I thought when I saw them too…cute headband I’ve also heard it being referred to as a glorified sanitary napkin….eeww…lol

Grab your accessories from the juicy couture site. Tell your friends and family to use them as wedding gifts for your wedding shower. While you’re doing that, pick up some designer handbags or your own designer wedding dress . The engagement ring trend for 2008 includes smaller stones in platinum and white gold. For the groom on his wedding day, choose from luxurious rolex watches .

IF you can pull it off…and that’s a big if!!! The high waisted pants/skirt phenom has not yet taken over the streets of Jamaica…who to tell if it will. Its hard sometimes to tell which hit abroad will catch on out here and which ones won’t. I’ve seen it in the windows of a few of our fashion forward stores…but nothing too mainstream. I must admit I am totally in love with the trend. Of course, its not for every one. Me with my big self would not be caught in the soft work materials that show up all pouches and pudges but maybe I could squeeze myself into the jeans version…you never know! A sturdy material will smooth me down and I’d work it like an illegal Jamaican overseas (don’t you just hate that stereotype) Several celebs have been pictured rocking the look and some as usual have been caught looking a hot mess. However, here are a few that I thought pulled it off well.

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Not everyone agrees with me, clearly, that this style is a hit. That’s why its one of my picks…because I just think its uber fab and if you pull it off you are a fabulous fashion-forward chic! If you notice, the style, whether worn casually or corporate, is normally rocked with ruffled tops or puffy sleeves….or both. This offsets the narrowness of the pant or skirt and it looks fun and girly too. Further below is a pictorial of some great ruffled top choices from Nordstrom, Bluefly and Victoria’s Secret. You can click the images to be taken to product pages. Now that I think of it, my pistachio shoe would look too hot on one of these jeans and white ruffle tops!

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Its been raining for a while in Jamaica now and this morning I woke up to extremely heavy showers. What’s a fabulous diva to wear?!? Rain should not stop our cuteness ladies. I saw an elderly lady in her rain boots out and about today and joked how I should have some of those. I was asked what I would do with them once I got to office. Well, there are some fabulous pieces you can put together to brighten up a drab, rainy day.

Jamaicans are not known for wearing boots and are often ridiculed for wearing boots in such a hot climate. But these boots, they NEED to be a part of our tropical climate wardrobe. I hear a common question being asked “what do I wear with my rain boots?” Rain boots are chunky and can take away from a fabulous outfit OR they can be the highlight!

Today I’ll put together some fabulous wears for the rainy day. First of course, a little lesson in the type of fabric thats best for you people with the funky feet or those who aren’t on there way to work in an AC-ed office but in a warmer space. You’ll want to get a waterproof/breathable shoe, so that the water will stay out and the sweat can escape as well. These “are defined as fabrics that will withstand over 1000 millimetres of water pressure without leaking, whilst allowing water vapour to pass through. Their most common use is in outdoor sports clothing and single wall tents, because of their ability to allow sweat to evaporate while remaining impervious to rain. Fabric construction…directs water away from the body [and] can be used to keep the wearer dry, rather than membranes, coatings or laminates. This means that perspiration can be moved away from the body more effectively as both liquid water and water vapour can be directed.” Learn more from Wikipedia.

These boots ladies are from Gore Tex, a company that specializes in this waterproof/breathable shoes. with descriptions like “Stuart Weitzman’s Elemental Boot will keep you looking good and feeling comfortable all [season] long.
It is made with a waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX® lining for breathable comfort and complete weather protection, even under the wettest conditions.
The side zipper makes on and off a breeze, while the rubber sole keeps you steady ” I am sold!!! Men they have you covered too:

Of course I looked at shoes more for the office but you can check out the website for shoes for outdoor activities as well.

Now on to brighter colours! Now us Jamaicans, are not coat wearers neither…but come on! A rainy day is the perfect day to infuse a little nothern style into our wardrobes and get away with it. Park the glad wrap looking raincoat, wouldn’t you look absolutely stunning stepping into the office in this gorgeous trench coat? Step it up a notch by opting for red!

No wet worries for you with those babies on.

One of my many annoyances is having to wear pants in the rain because the feeling of the wet pant foot against my ankle…. eeeewwww! Back to my fabulous boots, any excuse to pop them on. Keep your feet warm in style with these Marc Jacobs boots, as you see they are in a variety of this season’s “it” colours to make your outfit pop and keep you nice and dry. Match them with your favorite coloured accessories over neutrals (pants, capris, skirts or dresses will look great with these boots!) and you’re good to go. Notice the heel is stacked so no worries for slipping in puddles, yet still fashionable.

Of course rain boots have gone through many transitions now and so you can find a fun one for any occasion. Thanks to I Am Fashion for some of these boots below.

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Ladies go “green” with these bags made from recycled rubber, waterproof and eco-friendly too! Bags from Vulcana.net

Last but not least, a hat for you hat lovers… this fedora by Searle is water-resistant and will help keep your “do” banging and dry.

Lil munchkin Sarita has said she is totally clueless when it comes to fashion. In fact, her wardrobe compiles of blues, blacks and yeah…all that drab, sorry i meant basic, stuff. So lil munchkin has asked me to point her in the direction of work basics, to complement her basic wardrobe.

Well I don’t have everything to compile a complete work basics post (cus in my view extensive is basic ) , but here are a few items from Ophelia’s to get you started. Ophelia’s is my favorite store to buy unique work pieces from. (unique doesn’t suggest basic eh) They aren’t exactly the cheapest, but you’re clothes will go a long way and you won’t look like everybody else at work. Definitely a plus in my book. They’re not break your bank expensive either or else I wouldn’t be shopping there, trust! They’re located in the New Kingston Shopping Centre (I’m on a roll today I know) So because this is supposed to be a basics post i stuck to solid colours and pieces that can be mixed and matched. The layered look is quite hot, the button ups have cute buttons, belts or are gathered…all of these pieces are somewhat different from the norm. No plain old basic here!

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Well its election day! While everybody else is discussing issues and getting heated, I thought I’d lighten things up and add my stamp of style on the day by giving my fellow Jamaican ladies some fabulous choices to represent your party of choice, something casual for going out to vote and something fabulous for celebrating later! Their are two prominent political parties here in Jamaica are use the colours orange and green. So, here are some outfits I did up just now. Please leave your comments and tell me if i did well Most of the pieces are from either wetseal or forever21 , and of course some shoes from Fredericks and Victoria’s Secret . You can contact me for exact links if you see something you like. (click on images to view larger size)