in fashion i've learned that...

woot. first blog post. here's something i wrote for the cebu daily news (published june 9, 2007). perhaps i should write something new. it IS my first blog post, after all. but i won't. because i am a lazy ass like that. here you go.

Just recently I was asked to lead a fashion workshop for 12-18 year-olds. It got me thinking about the subject. I am no expert in fashion, but I did grow up surrounded by people who are. My mom is a fashion designer; her friends are fashion designers. There was not one fashion faux pas I could get away with. This is not to say that I’ve stopped committing my fair share of mistakes, but I have learned a lot. My mom and her friends and a bunch of old, embarrassing photographs have been very effective teachers. This I what they’ve taught me so far.

I’ve learned that…

The number one rule to dressing well is knowing when to say no.

Whenever I whine about not having anything to wear, I am not really lacking in clothes, just in imagination.

The next time I decide to dress like a bag lady, I will ask myself, “Is this really how I want the world to see me today?”

Before I walk out the door, I will consult a full-length mirror and listen to what it has to say.

Sometimes the best place to shop in is your closet. Fashion is redundant and likes to repeat its self. Recycle.

Someone who blindly follows trends is not fashionable but a fashion victim.

Wearing head to toe designer is not stylish, but it is two things: expensive and tacky.

It may sound ironic, but vintage will never get old.

Wearing something a size smaller can actually make you look bigger.

Elle McPherson may have looked like the epitome of cool when she wore flat, gold sandals with a big ball gown at the Met Costume Institute Gala, but I am a foot shorter, so if I am in any kind of gown, I will contend myself with looking less cool in heels.

Since women stopped wearing corsets, it is perfectly acceptable to refuse to suffer in the name of fashion.

At a party, being underdressed makes people think you are gate crashing, while being overdressed makes them think you tried a little too hard. I will aim to be in the happy middle.

What looks good on Kate Moss (a.k.a. everything) may not always look good on me.

When people tell you, you will look good in anything as long as you carry it with confidence, they are lying. If you are 200 (whether in years or pounds), no amount of confidence will make you look good in hot pants.

When it comes to accessorizing, what you choose to leave out is just as important as what you choose to put on. It’s easy to get carried away. Edit, edit, edit.

Unless work starts at midnight and your office is in Jongkera, tight, skimpy tops should not be worn with tight, skimpy bottoms. Pick one, never both at the same time. Balance, balance, balance.

Getting noticed is not always the same as being admired. Eyes may be staring and heads may be turning, but they could be doing so for all the wrong reasons. Fashion doesn’t always have to be shocking. I want good attention, not any kind of attention.

When Vogue says that fashion is returning to the 80s, it really just means fashion is hinting at the 80s, not welcoming it back full force, so I will feel free to get myself a pair of black leggings, but I will leave the neon ones alone.

It helps to get to know your body, its assets and its imperfections, too. Once you do, you will be the best judge of what works on you. If you are self-delusional, clearly, this does not apply.

There is a reason why people keep saying that black is slimming: it’s true.

Even if someone gave me a pair of the Fendi knee high, fur-lined, winter boots that I’ve been admiring, I will refrain from wearing them here. I live in a tropical country and I don’t want to be uncomfortable, or worse, look funny.

An LBD (little black dress) is a girl’s best friend and more. It will be there for you- rain or shine, night or day. You can call on it at the last minute and unlike your best friend, it won’t even mind being your Plan B.

Fashion has stopped abiding by its archaic, rigid rules and you should, too. Black and brown are cool together, and more recently, so are black and blue.

It is wise to invest in pieces I will wear forever, not ones I won’t want to touch within 6 months’ time.

Fashion often contradicts itself. Right now it is either skinny jeans or wide-leg trousers. Sometimes it’s ok to ignore what fashion dictates and wear whatever looks best on you, instead. Hey, something that has trouble making up its own mind can’t always be that smart.

Dressing well is key, but should your house be on fire, grab the nearest thing even if it is a muumuu and head out the door. Fashion is just fashion, after all.