Men's style

Went to Cha Cha Grill last night for dinner. To support this restaurant that lost their other restaurant at Southbank, Jelly Fish due to the floods, and to have a nice night out together..

Now I can't help myself when I am out I am always looking at people who are dressing for an occasion to see what I would add, take away or just flat out redo.

To my surprise, I saw not one, not two but about 5 men at all different tables wearing a tee shirt to dinner. With a Jacket to accompany it, NO, with a vest to jazz it up a bit NO. Just a tee shirt and jeans. Jeans I understand can be worn and smartened up for a dinner night on a Sunday but not with a tee, no matter how designer it is..

So I thought maybe they just need a little advice on how to step in the right direction. I have been studying men's styling in my course this past two weeks and just like the ladies there are staples that men should have in their wardrobe. Here is the list.

Black dress shirt - seriously timeless and so smart on any man...

A white tee, go for quality here not quantity, it will show in the wear.. Great with jeans and under vests, sweaters.

A good scarf - a man can look so European and suave in the right one. Remember short neck small scarf, long neck and tall, this scarf. Same rules as women guys, elongate or play..

A good leather belt - again quality nothing too blingy otherwise it will only work in certain occasions.

White dress shirt - it can be printed lightly or embossed if you don't want to be too washed out with it but remember you guys can accessorise as well. Let it work with your personality.. Just a little bit of styling will make you look more successful and feel it. Fake it till you make it.

Cashmere sweater - I know it sounds a bit over the top but seriously men look hot in a light weight sweater. This will keep you warm but not add bulk. You need one only so pick a colour that suits your eyes and skin colour, everything else will just fall into place.

Jeans - I mean a good pair, not one that has all detailed stitching that will date easily enough. One that suits your body type, remember short leg where straight legged or a slight flared if you have a bit going on in the trunk. Tall well you can wear anything you like, even a slight flare would be fun for you too. Remember a good weight denim will soften after washes. It should be slightly tight when you buy it but not so much so you have to breathe in.. If you are carrying some extra weight see if you can also find jeans that have a bit of a wide waistband. It will pull you in a bit and avoid the over hang, not a good look.

Black socks - cotton, just do it. They will last longer and be cooler. Buy 3 sets of the same at one time so the washing doesn't undo all your good preparation..

Shoes - a good ankle boot in a nice soft leather is a must.. Black dress shoes, pointy ones are for the tall people, it draws too much attention to your feet as your legs won't balance out that look. I think a good leather sandal as well, our weather is warm and you can never go wrong with them. Just make sure you wear them with a nice pair of loose fit Linen pants. That is such an awesome look, cool, casual, smart and able to walk into any establishment and fit right in..

Cargo pants - I am only mentioning them cause I know people are going to have them. So if you are this is the rule of thumb. If you are short don't have one's with too many pockets. They will make you look wide and short. Pockets on the back and front are fine. But if you must have pockets on the legs, make sure they are tight to the pant and don't USE them. Not at all. Keep all your things in your front and back pockets... Again, a tailored pant would be much more appealing and unless you are going to work in them, they would suit any occasion.

Ironing tip; Iron your smallest part of your garment first then work up to the bigger panels. A. you don't forget the smaller pieces and B. you don't crease the bigger panels trying to get to the smaller ones..

There are more staples you need like coats and suits but I will cover that another day as that is not a light topic either..

Step it up guys. Impress your lady and invest in yourself. You are totally worth it..

villa-villa kula: QUEENSLAND FLOODS.

villa-villa kula: QUEENSLAND FLOODS.

Autumn Colour Wheel

If you are a lady in this colour wheel there are 3 different shades to this colour wheel but I am just going to stay on the middle road and explain how you can elaborate here and there when you wish..

So, in regards to hair colour they tend to be a copper red to a neutral beige.. The skin colour tends to be warm, so olive with a bit of sunshine add to it, otherwise can be white without. So with the varying hair and skin tone just remember, paler skin vie away from stronger bright options of your colour wheel think more Winter options, dark but with colour. Whereas those with more olive in the complexion go for the muted Autumn colours which are listed below.

So for your colour options to wear they are easy to remember, just think of the colours of Autumn leaves (Canadian style), all those earthy tones but in a variety of colours. Go for muted and warmth when you are looking at the colours of Burgandy, Green, Camel, Orange, Beige, Tan, some teal blue, greys are great for you, the lighter version though. Always think golden undertone when you are thinking of these colours.. These colours are easily available as most of your stock staple colours can be found in the basics from most designers.

To give you more of a visual, an example of your Autumns are Elle McPherson, Terri Hatcher, Keira Knightly, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce.. I know you may think there is a varied comparison in there but look at them online and you will see that they have a golden undertone to their complexion.. They will glow with a bit of orange added for blush as they need that bit of colour to enhance what is just below the surface.

Your eyes are generally light brown to green with a tinge of grey in there in some cases.. On rare occassions there will be blue Autumns but there will be a bit of grey in there.. The hair may have started off light as a child but has darkened with age.. Just remember there is that tinge of Orange in your colouring, at the base of your hair colouring tending towards orange/red - to light blond. I am hoping you are getting my colour wheel explanations, read it over a few times and you will get it.. Just look at the people I have recommended and it will make more sense to you especially if some of the traits relate to you.

Points to remember - look for colours with a warm undertone, that will match the tone of your complexion. Avoid clear and bright colours instead go for earthy and warm.. Black and white won't suit you, so go for makeup that will add some colour and match the black instead with cream or taupes or beige.. Navy, olives, golden brown and warm greys work very well for complete outfits.

My daughter has these eyes, the blue with a tinge of grey around the edge almost purple and fits this colour wheel perfectly. Greys just pop on her and she wears lots of oranges and reds, greens and blues.. She wears her blacks on her bottom and sometimes we get the warmer toned pinks in there.. She is an earthy girl in her colour options.. I love watching how the colours she wears that are so different to mine but just give her that glow that is just beautiful to admire..

Even if you change just one colour in your wardrobe that is a safe way to change your comfort zones with the colours you can play with. Colours help bring out that latent beauty so even if you start with your eye shadows take baby steps will get you there..

Enjoy

Irene