How To Dress Modestly In Hot Weather - Tips For Women

How To Dress Modestly In Hot Weather - Tips For Women

HOW TO DRESS MODESTLY

Any woman who has experienced the struggle to dress both cute and modestly in sweltering temperatures and overwhelming humidity may vehemently disagree. As much I love summer, I know that struggle is all too real. So I’ve teamed up with a few of my modest fashion blogger friends to share 20 life-changing tips for dressing modestly and stylishly this summer. Read on for the goodness!

Invest in a chambray button down (or two). This versatile, lightweight shirt will be your summer wardrobe savior. Chambray is a breathable, lightweight fabric that will keep your skin cool and your outfit looking summer ready! The best part: There are endless ways you can style. You can knot it in the front and wear it with a flowy skirt like I did above (it’s a fun way to extend the wear of your holiday skirts), you can drape it over a cotton dress, or you can tuck it into your favorite white jeans and go!

-Go easy on the layers. If you’re like me, you love your scarves, jackets and sweaters. But when those hot temps are ruthless, it’s time to keep it simple. Add color and texture with your shoes, jewelry and hair accessories and if you’re questioning whether to add that last piece of clothing you know will perfect your outfit, don’t. Nowadays there are so many modest shops, and summer months are a good time to invest in pieces/outfits that don’t require added clothing for modesty.

-A lot of times we think about what clothes we wear when it comes to staying cool. However, your lotion can affect your body temperature as well. I’ve found if I slather on a heavy body cream or body oil, this seems to add a layer and makes me (ahem please excuse this unladylike term) sweat! Find a lightweight breathable lotion to moisturize during the hot months.

-Wearing bermuda shorts and T-shirt dresses. Bermuda shorts are the perfect length and T-shirt dresses are casual and lightweight for an everyday look.

  -Wear a cute graphic t-shirt
    Wear a lightweight, breezy midi skirt
Pair them together and you’ll be able to withstand the summer heat while looking cute and modest without all of the heavy layers.

-Try choosing light weight clothing. It’s amazing that apparel out there today is looser, longer, and more modest than it has been in years. Not only does this clothing allow you to breathe, they look great, feel comfortable and are quite trendy.”

-I chose to wear a floral chiffon maxi dress. This dress is breathable and loose fitting. For modesty purposes, all I had to do was put a shirt sleeve top underneath, but you can also put on a light cardigan.

TREND: Amber Heard in kimono spotted on street

TREND: Amber Heard in kimono spotted on street

Amber Heard's style has changed a lot over the years. Once upon a time she preferred very feminine and sexy dresses, platinum blonde hair and pin-up eyeliner, but now she is queen of eclecticism. See her look with kimono jacket!

Her extravagant and unique style distinguishes her from other celebrities. You can see her love of clothes from the best designers, boho and vintage items that she selects and mixes. Amber Heard is a fashion icon and a lot of women follow her unique style.

Some time ago Amber was caught on the street in Beverly Hills, where she went to have lunch with a friend. She was wearing high waisted jeans, a black basic t-shirt, several necklaces and cut out Maison Margiela shoes. The element that caught most attention was the vintage red kimono. Probably made of silk and found in vintage store or flea market. Kimono had stylish holes, so it did not look too pretentious for daily basis. You can see the influence of ex-husband in Amber's style - Johnny Depp is known for destroyed trousers and hats. All the styling is completed by the dissolved hair (later in the bun) and red nails. Actress make-up was very minimalist, in the style of make up no make up. I admit that this Amber's look very fell to my liking, is cool, with an artistic claw. Such kimono style jacket is now a hot trend and a good choice for a bit cooler spring days.

pics: justjared.com

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2017 Preliminaries GOWNS: The OH DEAR List!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2017 Preliminaries GOWNS: The OH DEAR List!

Too-Mucheey Meets Disney Prom: Contestants who made "Uh Oh" Gown Choices--Miss USA 2017 Preliminary Competition, Mandalay Bay Events Center Las Vegas

If you are a Pageant Fan, you may know that it's Miss USA 2017 time! The finals are happening Sunday night, televised live on FOX. In my last post HERE, I wrote about my Top Ten Best Gowns from the Miss USA 2017 Preliminary Competition, which occurred Thursday night in the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Las Vegas. So naturally, now it's time to discuss my Not-So Top Ten List of Uh Oh/Could Have Been Better Gowns of the night.  These ladies chose gowns (or had their "Pageant Glam Squad Team" choose these gowns for them...unfortunately) which for more than one reason, might not have been the best of choices.

Flame Retardant, Prom-a-Licious, Spanx-Revealing, Star Trek Flanges: "Oh Dear" Gals at Miss USA 2017 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition--Mandalay Bay Events Center Las Vegas

Once again, my critiques are based on a FASHION perspective, as well as the obvious knowledge that these gown should have some (and I am hesitant to highlight "some") "Pageant" qualities--in terms of stage presence, impact, etc. I want these ladies to move beyond the typical "Pageant Betty" gowns and 1998-looking dresses and well, be a little more stylish, directional, fashion-forward...Would Charlize Theron wear this to the Academy Awards is a question I ask in my mind. Well, the answer to all those questions were "Oh No!"...

Let's take a look at my Not-So-Top Ten Uh Oh Gowns of Miss USA 2017 Preliminaries:

Miss Kentucky USA Madelynne Myers: Oh Madelynne! She is so pretty and tall (5' 9") and she looks very sweet but...she chooses a 1992-looking "Prom-a-licious" gown that makes her look like a extra in a remake of "Wedding Singer". Three words: Bless Her Heart. The gown is a strapless dress with sequin bustier and satin taffeta pouf skirt. It's adequate for a Quinceañera but huney: NEWS FLASH!! It's MISS USA!! I could chalk it up to being a low-level state pageant but...it's MISS KENTUCKY!!! Surely, someone there can come up with $5,000 for a fab red carpet-worth stylish gown! Or maybe not. Score: 6.25

Miss Oregon USA Elizabeth Denny: Continuing with our Prom theme...I introduce you to Miss Oregon USA Elizabeth Denny. She wore this baby blue iridescent organza (two words that SHOULD NOT come near any Pageant Girl!) off-the-shoulder gown. Once again, she's such a pretty woman and it is a pretty dress...for a Disney Debutante Ball. But not for Miss USA 2017! The fabric alone looks so flammable that I am very scared for her coming close to any stage lighting apparatus! Score: 6.89

Miss Minnesota USA Meredith Gould: Here is another example of very pretty contestant...bad choice of gown. And I am using the term "gown" loosely, since this white flower applique design is actually a jumpsuit (yes kids, there are pants under there!) with an overskirt as well as some sort of sequined body-suit/leotard with neck-piece on it. Try and figure out all those words I just described. I am sure the designer was trying to go for a Zuhair Murad Haute Couture red carpet moment like this:

But it didn't happen. This was a mess on Victoria's Secret Brazilian Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio (above) and it was a mess on Miss Minnesota USA 2017. Score: 6.90

Miss Mississippi USA Ashley Hamby: Ashley Hamby wore this silver sequined gown on Thursday night's all-important Miss USA 2017 Preliminaries. The gown was sexy and "Jazz Hands" impacting but, it was two seconds from being Too Tacky-licious. More importantly, my eyes hurt from seeing the straps literally SQUISHING her "sistahs"/breasts. It was like "Don't look here but...yeah PLEASE LOOK HERE!!". I don't wanna look anywhere. Score: 6.98

Miss Iowa USA Kelsey Weier: When Miss Iowa USA walked out in this blue gown, all I could say was "FLANGES!!!" In case you might not have attended fashion school or know fashion terminology, a flange, is a piece of fabric/detail in a garment that projects out of the design. Usually, it is seen on shoulders and usually, it was a VERY 80's/early 90's kind of detail. And lo and behold, here it is. In a Miss USA 2017 gown. In addition to those very unappealing flanges on her shoulders, the dress has a plunging neckline, sequin applique and naturally, a crystal studded waist. This is a FLANGE mess. Score: 7.00

Miss Oklahoma USA Alex Smith: Miss Oklahoma USA has ended up in my "Not-So-Top Ten of Oh Dear Gowns from the Miss USA 2017 Preliminaries mainly because of that stand-up Portrait Collar in her gown. When she came out onto the stage I was "Oh she's so pretty...but why does she look SHORT NECKED??!!" Why would anyone in their right mind want to make themselves look as if they had a short neck...or no neck at all?? This was a very late 1950's/60's Jackie O-like detail that never really translated into the aughts. This was a gown misstep on Alex's part. And it didn't help that the rest--the white Bridal-looking lace style--wasn't fashionable or impacting at all. Score: 7.15

Miss Pennsylvania USA Cassandra Angst: First off, Cassandra has to be one of the most beautiful contestants in this year's Miss USA. She gives a red-haired Stefania Fernandez Miss Venezuela/Miss Universe vibe. I was really looking forward to a fabulous gown but this wasn't it. She wore an off-the-shoulder iridescent white and see-through dress that featured a visible under bodysuit and jeweled sequins. I LOVED the jeweled sequins. And the shape of the dress was fine. But why all the see-through??? And then, those TACKY nude platform pumps. She went from Rita Hayworth Gorg to Hoochie Pageant...in a hot minute! Score: 7.25

Miss Maine USA Brooke Harris: Brooke ended up here in my "Oh Dear!" Gown List because this design she wore for the Miss USA 2017 Preliminaries was inelegant. I get the whole transparent trend but...here it just looked as if I was seeing her Spanx. And I wasn't supposed to. I liked the whole golden/blush sequined gown style but it was the too-much see-through that did it for me. The fabrication is gorgeous but the design wasn't. That, and those tacky nude platform pumps. Such a pretty woman but she looked like she should be on a "Real Housewives of Atlanta" Reunion. Score: 7.28

Miss California USA India Williams: The gorgeous India Williams is SIX FEET TALL!!! And so beautiful...and she chooses this?? I just don't get it. This white sequined gown is OK but so dated and does not highlight her fabulous beauty and height. The criss-cross crystals are distracting and the crystal waist detail is too low and why is there a neckband?? It's too safe and not-fashion-y and looks (EEEK!) store-bought. At least it was the correct length. I would have DIED if she busted out in something like this:

Binibining Pilipnas 2017 contestant and Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2017 Elizabeth Clenci 

But, alas, she did not. And therefore, India and her gown are in my Bottom Ten List. Score: 7.35



Finally...

Miss Michigan USA Krista Ferguson: Speaking of neckband...and platform pumps...Oh Miss Krista. Yet another pretty girl choosing a tacky gown and in addition, who was styled poorly. The gown--a nude/golden sequined dress, featured sleeves (very popular), cut-out midriff , a super high side front slit, crystal neckband and (yes, there's more!), silver platform pumps! It was just TOO MUCHEEY and the taste level of the entire look would have made Nina Garcia of "Project Runway" scream obscenities in Spanish. Score: 7.40



Let's hope that if some of these ladies make it to the Top Ten of the Finals of Miss USA 2017, they change their gowns. We'll see!

6 Restaurants & 4 Cakes

6 Restaurants & 4 Cakes

Monday 20th March

A day working from home, as we try to aim for Mondays means lunch on Main Street! $15 Lunch at Mother Dough. We had the mussels & cherry tomato linguine. Seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. The mussels were fresh and juicy, average sizes, while the pasta was a bit chewier than I prefer, but fine apart from being too salty for me.  

Matt Preston's Nutella Pie-ish Cake

• Chocolate but not very sweet
• Not overpowering sweet - asian friend. Not anywhere as sweet as I thought! 
• Fresh strawberries brings it to life, as all 3 components compliment each other
• Bouncy texture like thick custardy jello/firm. Oh yes it reminds me of pie!

Experimenting in the kitchen we made a three ingredient cake! Well two, but we like to add vanilla, even though it seemed to make no difference in this recipe... To share a recipe my rule is that it has to be just right, and made at least twice. This one's ready. 

Tuesday

It's $16 pizza night at Sugo! Delicious and reasonably priced we can't wait to return!

Over to the Astor we saw a movie set during the war, tis alright and depressing, no dress or hair porn though. No where as uplifting and amazing as 'Hidden Figures' the last movie we saw. As depressing as the choc top was disappointing, with the stale cone.

Wednesday

A revisit to Huxtaburger Hawthorn, it's completely different from last time where service wasn't great and it was ran by asians. Think of the city kfcs that only hire international asians.

Britney $14

Grilled chicken, avocado, aioli, cheese, lettuce and tomato.

Delicious as always though Betty's is on par, perhaps better than Hux?

Beauty & The Beast - Girl's Night Out Event

Checking out the showbags. Sadly no program/postcard/flyer or any relevant merch, but there's food (stuff you can buy at Safeway) and some sachets of beauty samples and eyeshadow. Kinda disappointing after the amazing one at the last event we attended. Granted it was years ago (we saw the Devil Wears Prahran) - oh I just realized we saw that back home. I suppose it's more guy friendly? :P We were hoping for cookies/macarons and little edible treats.

The movie was great! Not as stunning as the french one, but magical in its own way!  We loved the dinner song and Gaston in particular, his best man/servant. LeFou is the original Elder Cunningham and Olaf the Snowman! The beast looks more like a goat/Krampus than lion... 

1597 was when shakesphere published romeo & juliet, though there's a 1750s roccoco style castle. Set during the Georgian era but after Victoria with Shakespeare (these two do boarder each other). At the castle time froze but the village people, some of them were related to the cursed servants? Why did the enchantress live as an outcast in the village?

It was set in France, they moved to the country because of the plague in Paris, though back Belle's family appear to have been poor. That or attics are as expensive as they are today in the city. 

The ball at the start was stunning! With all the powdered white wigs, so when the curse broke they were white but for the end party they wore black wigs??

Overall it was great and the beast gets a song too! They bonded over their love of books, being mother-less and Belle being the only girl in the village who could read, also her desire to travel. Highly recommend! We loved H has Belle, who's just as bright and brave!

Quotes
She's the prettiest girl in town, that makes her the best! XD
Screw your courage to the sticking-place - Gaston/Lady mb

Plot Summary

Thursday

The ABCs of time management. Gosh I wished we did this stuff at school! Sure I can plan, but then I get overwhelmed or one thing runs late making everything else late. Eg. Someone got hit by the train, even though I was to arrive at the theatre 30mins early but didn't make it till intermission. Trains were frozen, boom gates down and cars were at a stand still. No one was going anywhere tonight on this side of the city.

Me - I have a cape!
Him - Don't you already have one?
Me - Not one that's a blazer hybird. And it was $50 on sale.

One of the last ones I tracked when I saw the post, posted 20mins ago. It was meant to be as there was only one in my size in the city! Don't you love it when that happens?

Tip - If you see something you like go try it on and be certain of your size. Then add it tp your bookmarks tab, use java to email you when the page/price is edited. Using this I rarely ever pay full price. 

"...when they are pulling your teeth out it sounds like chicken bones snapping and you can hear the crackle of the tooth giving way and splintering. They grab your head and they really pull hard. It's all manual and very physical. A horrifying experience to say the least!"

". At one point the nurse was holding my head in place while he went to town with the pliers/cracker thing."

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2014/05/23/the-survival-guide-to-getting-your-wisdom-teeth-removed

I chickened out and moved it to next month...

Instead of the dentist we had dinner at Angliss.

Friday

So close but so far, I'm starting to think it's display only...

Meetings, a stop by goodwill, to the closed bookshelf at the tram, to the house to make a cake (well pie, nutella pie), cleaned then to dinner. We were going to a bar but it was dark, loud and overwhelming so we took a stroll and picked somewhere random. Discussions of which point when it [life] all started to go downhill.

Work in progress, twice in a fortnight, that's about as much cake as I can handle. :P

My first HSP (because they don't make them in kid size servings, like that size at LOTF, but I hate fake meat). This one's $15 from Hellenic Bite, meat (chicken and lamb) on chips with garlic, bbq and chili sauce. It was delicious! We also had a $6 salad which was average and not particularly recommended with Coles on the same block (their potato salad is the best). It was very hot inside the eatery, oddly so.

Saturday

Too many events, too little time!

10.30 for 11am start. Damn I thought it started at 10.30am, as it clashes with my 11am. On the way we discovered a book exchange, in the beauty garden. Ironic location isn't it?  XD No beauty and the beast books though. Fruit and hot dogs for brunch? Something the boys would like, and not the usual cakes it was a bit on the diy side. Over to a makeup demo, 3 looks 15 mins each using 5 or less products. Chatting up a model on her fav off duty pieces, relating to the audience though the limited travel wardrobe. Too mainstream for me.
Lunch at Rice Workshop. Teriyaki chicken ramen $10.50. The broth was rich and creamy. Most of the chicken wasn't chewy. Springy noodles maggi sized though not taste.
Good basic if there's no ramen places in the area.

At Sacca's Fruit World we found $6 trays of strawberries! 8 boxes, so around 75c each. On their way out, still good for jams and smoothies. We sorted, washed, cut and froze them. Got a large pot of the first round ones.

Up to Camberwell from the french fete, for the kids it wasn't my thing. It's your first started food festival with a petting zoo, games, auctions/raffles, food, music and the likes. No snow cones sadly, but there was a pre-wrapped bake sale. I was hoping to get an assorted plate of classic Australian party food but they didn't have that. We Had the jam drop cookies, too soft and retro inspired with the custard yellow. I was after chocolate crackles, real rum balls and honey joys. But they didn't have any of that, unless you're after enough to serve a family of 10.

Back at the house to pack before going out to a concert, we crashed. Turns out I can't do a morning and evening event on the same day... and lesson learnt: always choose music over fashion.

Sunday
6.30 start, leaving at 5.45am we made it! The moon was still in the sky, peaking 28 at 5pm?! Peaks are normally 10am. We volunteered, meet some awesome people and had a lovely view of the school from across the river! Lots of parrots/love birds and pretty little birds. at the end of the line we have magpies and noisy minors, sometimes pigeons

As we were close by, by north taking a fork in the road we visited my favorite cake shop, green refectory. Look for lonely hearts $2, yesterday's cake. Tastes just fine, even better at $2! When does it happen? I'm not sure, normally it's just muffins, but today there were three slices! We bought two pavs and a mars bar cheesecake to share, as we're going home

To the left is St Vincents, so many colourful dresses! Alas the one I like wasn't my size. A fancy one though just $12. We didn't get a picture as it was too crowded. Apparently people steal from goodwill, as the dresses were tied to the rack! Also of interest was this cookbook/picture book! We used to love Huey, sadly that was until we met him.

How was your week?

RUNWAY REPORT....Paris Fashion Week: Saint Laurent Fall 2017

RUNWAY REPORT....Paris Fashion Week: Saint Laurent Fall 2017

WHAT: Saint Laurent Fall 2017. Recently hired Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello showed his second collection for the famed French fashion house in Paris during the RTW Week. Vaccarello said he was inspired by one particular Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture 80's dress "with big sleeves" when designing this collection. There were lots of big sleeves, super strong shoulders, as well as sexy, uber-luxe clothing for the Hippest of all "it" girls to wear on a night out in Paris--or a yacht off the coast of Cannes or Morocco! Lots of leather, draping, sequins and micro-mini's...HOT HOT HOT!

Inspiration: 80's Pouf and Structured Shoulders--80's Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture (left and far right) and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Ad Photo by Helmut Newton (middle)

TRENDS: Leather mini dresses, draped leather, 80's Super Shoulders, slouchy jackets.



Collection Photos:

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Saint Laurent Fall 2017

Watch an EDITED version of the Saint Laurent Fall 2017 Show:

THE ONE SHOULDER FASHION TREND

THE ONE SHOULDER FASHION TREND

YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE WARDROBE PIECE

With 2016 being the year of the off-the-shoulder, 2017 is kicking off with a little more clavicle coverage in the form of the one-shoulder design. Showing off just the right amount of skin, the look took spring and summer by storm. One Shoulder is something that I always liked, it creates such a pretty silhouette, whether it's a dress or a top. 

Here are some tips on how to make this trend work for you:

Whether it's trendy magenta or classic black, choose a solid-coloured one-shoulder piece if you're feeling nervous about the style. You can still look for chic accents, such as beading or ruffles, to give your solid colour some punch, but don't be afraid to go basic at first.

Nothing looks classier than a one-shoulder top paired with straight leg or palazzo style pants.  Stick to matching neutral shades for a chic, understated look or go for contrasting colours to truly make an impact.

Celebrities have been rocking one-shoulder dresses with hot belts to showcase their waists and keep their styles far from frumpy.

A fabulous pair of shoes and a great bag are all you need with a one-shouldered dress. If you're going to wear jewellery, try a cocktail ring or glitzy earrings - you don't want a necklace competing with your neckline!

This is a style that is made to be seen, not layered over. Shoulders are pretty universally attractive, so show it off! If you need to keep warm, try an open blazer, cardigan, or bomber jacket so your cute threads can still be seen.

Like most items of clothing, all one-shoulder tops fit differently, so you're going to want to try on a variety of options before making your pick. Sometimes the necklines can hit at the wrong places or fit uncomfortably. There are lots of options within this look, from the traditional Grecian style to one full sleeve or even a solo spaghetti strap. Pick what speaks to you and go from there!

Pick your bra wisely! One-shoulder styles demand a strapless bra. Those colourful bandeau bras you might have in your closet from last spring also work well under one-shoulder tops. Your bare shoulder provides the beauty of this look - don't clutter it with a bra strap!

Here are a few chic one shoulder pieces that will ensure you are on trend this season.

PREEN One Shoulder Cocktail Dress

PattyBoutik Women's One Shoulder Cocktail Dress

SMUDJ One Shoulder Jumpsuit Black And White

Lunar One Shoulder Dress Black

STREET STYLE INSPIRATION

LILY ALDRIDGE

street style Milan fashion week 2017

Adriana Lima in a blush satin one-shoulder dress

Cushnie et Ochs Resort 2017 collection

David Koma Resort 2017 Fashion Show

Jasmine Tookes One Shoulder Dress

NYFW, Sarah Ellen via the cut

Ralph & Russo Spring 2017 Couture collection

Also, let me know if there any other trends you're wondering how to wear! I'm always looking for ideas for new articles and am happy to help solve your fashion dilemmas.




I hope these style tips have given you some inspiration! Till' next time xo

WHAT DO YOU THINK?