Shopping for lovely dresses, shoes, and scents

Dear Lucy,

Where do you buy your dresses? And what are your favorite imported brands? You always have such lovely clothes. What about your favorite scent?

I have seen you a few times in Greenbelt 5 wearing bright-colored flats. What brand are they and where do you get them?

What is the fastest way to look slim and pulled together? I feel fat now, I think my period is due.

Denise

I really like buying online, from Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus because it is just so convenient and I already know my perfect size when it comes to the brands I patronize.

I find though that Rustan’s has a really great selection of lovely dresses. It’s got brands like Diane von Furstenberg, Vivienne Tam, Nicole Miller, and Tracy Reese. I also like the stuff that Donna Karan makes, there is an easy elegance about it.

One of my absolute favorite scents would have to be Clinique Happy. I love it in a really, really happy way. Another would be Jo Malone’s lime, basil, and mandarin. My scent for Bench called Forever is also very special to me because it reminds me of a very charming time in my life.

The bright-colored flats are by Tory Burch. I love it, it is practically my uniform. I bought some, the others were gifts from Kris and Gretchen.

The fastest way to look slim? Wear a size bigger. Wearing too tight clothes will make you look like a suman. You have to learn to make it hang. A quick fix would be dark skinny jeans, a slinky and very fluid top in a tunic length, excellent shoes, either flats or stilettos.

Lucy

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Garden Wedding: What And Wear

Dear Rissa,

This is my second time to write you and your reply to my previous query was very helpful, thank you. An officemate is getting married end of November in Tagaytay at 8 a.m. Reception will follow right after at Sonya’s Garden. As per the bride-to-be, attire will be chic-casual. I bought a floral printed tiered, long skirt that goes all the way to the floor from Promod. I really intend to wear the skirt that day, the print is very cool to the eyes with colors of green, blue, yellow, and a little purple, which I feel will be apt for the venue. Which brings me to my question: What do I wear on top? All I could think of was to wear a white spaghetti strap blouse that I bought from Zara, but will it make me look too casual? And what shoes do I wear?  Can I actually wear a sandal or a slip-on? 

Kelly

That’s sounds like a pretty skirt. Short skirts can be sexy yet long skirts can be sexy and so much more — romantic, polished, classic, laid-back, or even powerful. Your long tiered floral skirt offers a charming and flowy feel. Given the right accessories, they can take you from casual to elegant, from now to next season. There aren’t general rules for dressing for a garden wedding, but keep in mind that it should strike the right balance between elegant and not too casual. Garden weddings are usually dressy affairs, but sequined and beaded dresses and tops are simply too much. Choose anything from light pastels to bold brights. Don’t wear anything too low-cut or tight — respect the occasion. You can be classy and a little sassy without being sleazy. A white spaghetti strap top is safe but quite predictable. Why not opt for a shade in purple? This season’s must-have color comes in many hues — lilac to lavender, violet to plum, eggplant, and deep magenta.

Apart from spaghetti strap tops, consider pretty chiffon tops. If you’re set on wearing your white tank, throw in a bright fitted cardigan in jewel tones that complement your skirt. Not only will it keep you warm in the Tagaytay weather, the punch of color will celebrate the mood of a garden wedding. 

If you have a petite frame, a floor-length tiered skirt can be overwhelming and cut your height in half. If you are petite, try to make sure the length of your top has a long front figure with the hem falling past your natural waist (the narrowest part of your upper body). Apart from elongating your body, the illusion of a longer torso will balance out the floor length of your skirt. Go for a well-fitting top. A long and loose blouse can end up looking frumpy and heavy on a petite frame. Proportion is important. If you’re tall, you can try waist-cinching belts. Pair them with even the simplest crisp white shirts or use them to belt your great fitting cardigans. Remember also that dark colors make heavy areas look smaller. If you’re top heavy, opt for deep jewel tones. If you have a slender upper body, you can get away with lighter colors. 

Accessories play an important role, too. With simple tops, pretty long stranded necklaces bring balance to the attention on your lower torso and upper torso. Drop and dangling earrings are also a great way to draw attention upward and flatter your face. But with your floral tiered skirt, don’t go overboard with your accessories. Otherwise, you may end up with a look that’s just way too busy. 

As for your shoes, weddings can last several hours. Thus, comfort is always key. Sonya’s Garden has a handful of stone pathways and areas with wooden planks. For a morning garden wedding, it might be wise to slip on flat thong sandals. But to keep them dressy, go for bejeweled styles. Schu has always been a favorite of mine for great-looking flats. My friends know so well the countless times I’ve bought shoes from Schu. Apart from being really comfortable, versatile, and stylish, they’re reasonably priced, too. (Schu is located at Glorietta, Shangri-La Palaza, Robinsons Galleria, Mall of Asia, TriNoma.) If you want to go for height in your heels, wedges are a wise choice. They afford you height, comfort, and balance. Kitten heels are a great option, too. 

One last tip — remember that the wedding and reception will last several hours outdoors. You don’t want your makeup to melt in the heat! So keep your cosmetics light and natural.

Rissa

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Pore Great Skin

Dear Tingting,

I’m wondering if you’re familiar with this new product, Fuller Life by Sarah Lee? With the advertisements I’ve been seeing, I kind of got curious and wondered what would work well for me.

Lizbeth

When Mikee was asked to do an ad for Fuller Life, she passed on the astringent to me to try — and it closed my pores. It’s super!

Fuller Life Direct Selling is the distributor of Sarah Lee. I don’t endorse products I don’t use. For your own good, try mine — Nutrimetics Refine Pore Reducing Toner, a non-alcohol formula with witch hazel distillate and aloe vera that keeps the skin toned and contains natural fruit acids that effectively smoothen away dead and rough skin, thus minimizing open pores.

Directions for use: Apply after cleanser with facial cotton. Follow with Refine Pore Reducing Moisturizer in the morning or Refine Pore Reducing Beauty Essence in the evening.

Ingredients: deionized water, witch hazel (Hammelis Virginiana) distillate ethoxydicol, aloe barbadensis, lactic acid, imidazolidinyl urea, D-panthenol, methyl paraben, sodium lactate, salicylic acid, propyl paraben.

Tingting

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Send e-mail to tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com, ltg@pldtdsl.com, and stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com.