Going Out on a Date? Styling Tips

Style tips for women


Never be tempted to use hairspray: it looks naff, smells horrid and your date will get an unpleasant surprise if they touch your hair.

Remember, less is more when it comes to looking alluring, you want to look mysterious, not downright cheap.

This is not the night for long red nails or bright red lips; they're both too obvious a sign to a man that you are interested.

Wear discreet jewellery, not masses of gold - he won't understand the fashion irony of the St Tropez chic look.

Looking too trendy is also a bad idea. Your best friend might be jealous of your outfit, but your date may find it plain scary.

Use a colour corrector (green coloured foundation) as a base if you are prone to blushing or flush when you drink alcohol.

Never try and shop for a new outfit on the day of the date; life never works like that, you will get increasingly stressed and rarely will you find your dream outfit.

Make sure you wear a bra that fits you properly and feel confident showing off a hint of cleavage. It's amazing how many women wear the wrong size and it shows.

If in doubt, think Meg Ryan rather than Madonna - a mysterious feminine look is a definite winner with most men.

Style tips for men

Leave your comedy clothes in the wardrobe, T shirts with slogans, cufflinks that are clocks, ties with cartoon characters... please just don't go there. It never amuses any woman.

Don't wear a suit if you don't feel comfortable in it. Looking uptight and constantly fiddling with a choking collar is a real turnoff.

Do wear smart separates that look like you have made an effort. Trying to look like you haven't bothered is insulting to your date, and is arrogant in the extreme.

Make sure you wear deodorant - underarm patches are never a good look and are more likely to appear when you are nervous.

Only wear sandals if you have good feet, it's amazing how many women can go off a potential lover when they see a pair of yellow toenails.

Don't show off your tattoos, a lot of girls these days do love them, but some don't, so play safe and save them for a showing on a later date.

Never try and impress your date with inside fashion knowledge if you don't know what you are talking about. There is always a chance she will know more than you and see through your act.

Have the confidence to give your date a compliment on what she's wearing. Every woman likes to know that her effort has been appreciated, even if you dislike her outfit, find one thing to focus on and be complimentary.

Culled from the BBC.

Dress to Impress

Dressing for the Fashionista

The terms "fashionista" or "fashion victim" refer to someone who slavishly follows the current fashions (implementations of fashion). Hugo Boss once said that style never goes out of fashion. On the other hand, fashions do go out of style. While there are industries, occasions and events that require more stylish forms of attire, it is often simpler and cheaper to stick with more “classic” clothing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with following the trend. After all, that’s what most people do – including many so called “fashion icons”. Isn’t it amazing that what we wear and the way we wear them are determined by only a hand full of people in this world? – So you are definitely not alone.

If you are not a “fashion icon”, you may do well to simply blend in and not necessarily stand out! Now if you happen to be at the cutting edge of fashion, you are expected to keep up with the times. Most people in this category are at the risk of looking “wrong“ in the eyes of others — either because of a departure from the norm or because the “fashion forward” look may rub the wrong way. But if you work in a bank, regardless of the scale of your clothing budget, you may want to consider the kinds of “looks” that withstand the test of time.

A good place to look for guidance on what to wear to fit a job profile (corporate) or an occasion (formal or casual) will be to watch selected television programs/ stations. The operative word there is “selected”. The reason is simple: if you watch channels like CNN and Sky News (which most people have in their offices) you can look out for what newscasters and some corporate executives wear when they are shown/ profiled on TV. While preachers (especially foreign preachers) generally dress well, some have unique taste’s that are strictly for them. For example Bishop TD Jakes is an awesome preacher and teacher. He was named America’s number 1 preacher at a time. I wish I could speak and move an audience like he does but I personally think his dress style suits only him. He is like the Eric Cantona of collar jersey. Only he looks good in them.

Another quick resource will be the internet. Google is about my best resource friend. There is absolutely nothing you cannot search for on Google (or any good search engine). I especially like Google because of the feature that allows you see images of what is being discussed even though I’ll be the first to admit that it can be sometimes frustrating because it returns all sorts of irrelevant linls at times even when you are desperately searching for something. But other than that, I quite agree with one of my good friends who says “If it’s not on Google, it does not exist”. Other sites that may help are cloth/ dress making websites.

Dressing for ... Whatever

While every organization has its own culture and standards of dress, there are a few universal guidelines. First, dress appropriately for your organization, your department, your team, your position, and yourself. If you’re not comfortable with it, you may ruin your day or your experience at an event. Next, always think about the impressions you may be generating and decide if they match your objectives. Finally, if you are speaking in public, make certain your attire and grooming are appropriate for both the audience and the circumstance

Second edition of FM&B Magazine by Linda Ikeji

My friend Linda Ikeji just released the second edition of her FM&B magazine. FM&B simply means Fashion Modelling and Beauty. Here's what the front page looks like.



As espected, she is extremely thrilled (and I am also very excited) about the magazine which stands on the same pedestal (and much higher in some cases) in quality and substance with some of the top range magazines you have ever seen.

More than the look and feel of the magazine, the content is extremely rich, educative and informative. The magazine covers everything you need to know on beauty, fashion, talent, modeling and so much more.

We expect to see the magazine in most leading stores in Lagos from this weekend. You can get a copy for yourself or for someone else at the following places:

• Collectibles Boutique, Surulere Lagos
• Talk to me Boutique, Surelere Lagos
• Bobby's Hair Salon, Surulere Lagos
• Nu' Metro, Silverbird Galleria, V/Island Lagos
• Nu' Metro, at The Palms Lekki Lagos
• Lafayette Shopping Mall, V/Island Lagos
• Airport Hotel, Ikeja Lagos
• The Book/Magazine shop at Eko Hotel, V/Island Lagos
• International and local airport Magazine stands
• Wrangler Boutiques, Surulere and V/Island Lagos

I'm hoping she'll permit me to give you guys a sneak preview of its contents sometime soon so hang on to your hats and keep your fingers crossed.

More on FM&B to follow soon...

A Word from TWayne

Hello Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a real pleasure to introduce you to http://www.stitchesandseams.com/ and the S&S.com magazine. Trust me when I say that you cannot be on a better site at this very moment!!! Why???? Because this is your one stop fashion catalogue…..the first and only…..and not forgetting THE VERY BEST 100% wholly-owned “Undeniably Nigerian” initiative!!!!

It really is very exciting to be part of this! I knew I definitely had to be a part of this the very minute I heard about S&S.com. Believe me, I struggled to be part of the team and I am beaming from ear to ear right now. I feel like a beaver right now! I know I will enjoy every minute of writing for S&S.com.

Okay…let me tell you a bit of what we are about.

http://www.stitchesandseams.com/ was set up to promote the Nigerian Fashion Beauty and Style (FBS) industry to the local and international market! We knew the industry was becoming larger:

• the minute more and more professionals left high-paying jobs for careers in fashion!;
• the minute more and more people bought This Day newspaper on Sundays, not for the news but for the enclosed Fashion and Style magazine;
• the minute more and more people bought magazines like Genevieve, True Love just to get a feel of the latest trends;
  

I could go on and on………….BUT one thing we were certain of was the stronger impact the fashion industry was having on Nigeria. Those who have studied the history of fashion would understand the link between fashion, architecture and politics. Okay….let’s not even go there right now…… I will definitely talk about this in later editions.

SO who are we?

• A group of young individuals trying to communicate a positive Nigerian image to a local and international market.
• A group of young individuals trying to create awareness for the Nigerian fashion, image and style industry through the use of the commonest medium available – the internet!
• A group of young individuals trying to introduce our designers to far-flung markets, which otherwise would not have had a taste of what Nigeria has to offer.
• A group of young individuals trying to stimulate global trade for our designers, which would, inevitably, stimulate the growth of our economy.
• A group of young individuals trying to encourage our indigenous designs, which though very Nigerian in nature, can be fused with Western fashion.
  

With a large and positive vision, we know we will become the first point of call when viewers want information on the Nigerian fashion, beauty and style industry.

AND how are we doing this?

• By creating an excellent interactive platform where various Nigerian designers can advertise their products and services;
• By creating a catalogue and resource site for clothing, accessories, hair, beauty and other related products, services and concepts; and
• By creating a one-stop fashion clinic where all your queries, orders and requirements can be met.

As you get a feel of our site, please let me welcome you once again to this amazing “Undeniably Nigerian” online resource clinic.

As time goes on, we will introduce you to our featured designers and players in the Nigerian FBS industry, provide information on where you can get the best yet affordable products and services for yourselves and your events, provide information on hosted events, and have access to our style consultants who are able to proffer feasible solutions to your style concerns……and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our very own S&S blog site will become very “hectic” (lol….that’s a new slang I learnt recently……, used to describe basically anything “hot”)!

So why not make http://www.stitchesandseams.com/ your welcome page?

Do have a wonderful week ahead!!!!!!!!!

Alwayz,

TWayne
(http://t-twayne.blogspot.com/)

Why StitchesandSeams.com?

Someone asked me why we set up the website - http://www.stitchesandseams.com/? The thought occured to me after a frustrating period of trying to get something different to wear. Here I was standing in my room and staring at my closet thinking to myself, "Men, I need something different in this place". I looked to the right side and saw a couple of "aso ebi" (event specific fabric) I never used. So I asked around and everyone I knew seemed to be looking for how to get rid of their "sewing guy" and get another person. Most folks had their separate reasons mostly centered around not liking the guys work and the inability to keep to deadline.

I like unique stuff and I was quite tired of the usual up and down that guys wear (Besides, is it just me or is it more difficult to design an outfit for a guy or what?). I wanted something different. I had no idea what I wanted but I felt it had to be different. So I thought to myself: "I'm sure there are great guys out there who have stunning designs and I probably don't know about them. Isn't there somewhere you could go to find a list of these guys and their stuff so I can select something I like?" That's when it struck me that there was no such thing and I thought it'll be interesting to provide such information to people. A few months later ... and here we are!

I don't know about you but hitherto, fashion in Nigeria has literally been non-existent to me. But it is absolutely amazing and I mean you will be awed at how much potential is in the fashion industry in Nigeria. Dozens of fashion related events and publications are made in Lagos alone one a weekly basis and I never really knew it existed. For all I cared, if I need anything, just look for some guy that knows someone that does a good job! If you give the guy your fabric and he does a god job, great, if not, better luck next time.

What http://www.stitchesandseams.com/ seeks to do is to provide a platform to show the world what the Nigerian Fashion Industry is all about!

While we applaud the creativity of our very own hard working designers, most of us would rather buy clothes made by foreign designers and largely because we have nowhere to look "inward" and so we will rather look outwards. But now, thanks to the platform of the inetrnet, whether you are in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America or in the Caribbeans, you have access to possibly the greatest source of information on the fashion designers on the industry in Nigeria.

I'd like to invite you to pay a visit to http://www.stitchesandseams.com/ and browse through our online features. It is our expectation that more than just browsing, your interest will be triggered and you will be impressed enough to give a designer a call today to make an order or simply drop a nice comment. The guys you see on this site are the movers and shakers of the idustry.

You wont regret the experience! Happy viewing.