photo credits to: about.com
A mother of two beautiful girls, each uniquely different from the other, can be such a great challenge. I guess being a single parent worsens the situation. All mothers would want to buy the latest styled clothes for their girls. But looking for the budget for such can sometimes be very tricky.
We are all aware that women’s fashion can be as fast changing as the way women make decisions or choices. Thus, under limited circumstances, buying clothes is a major event in a mother’s life. So, through the years, I had developed certain rules on acquiring clothes for my girls.
Iron-free clothes
I go to great extend to convince my girls to choose iron-free clothes so we can keep our electricity bill down. Now, how do I do this? Simple! I just keep reminding them that the ironing opens chances for ruining the clothes. There would surely be creases I will not be able to iron enough. And there are the daydream burns, mobile phone call burns, and remembered-something burns as well.
Another tactic is looking at them with tired eyes and whispering, but loud enough for them to hear, how much time I’ll have to allocate ironing the dress. The ironing board, due to its long years of service, can at times have bumps which are difficult to manage when ironing women’s clothing. More time, I would lament until something works with the girls. If the first ploy does not work, the second surely will!
Hoarding and recycling
I would ask my ladies, on a quarterly basis, to give me the clothes that they have grown tired of wearing. In the guise of donating it to some charity needing women’s clothing, I would neatly fold and keep it in a box at the attic. There was a time when my eldest daughter discovered my hidden treasure.
To appease her hurt feelings of being deceived, I gave her the following reasons:
· The women’s fashion keeps coming back in cycles.
· Women’s clothing usually fit again with the dawning of modern diets.
· Shirts, trousers and pants may be remodeled or altered for certain occasions.
Bargain hunting
As much as possible, I buy clothes on bargain. I always tell the girls that the money you save can be used for accessories that can transform the clothes to be trendy. I always remind them that we should learn to spend money on what matters. As they are still in college, then education is our top priority.
I assured my girls that they can buy all the clothes they like when they finish their education and land a stable job. They have all the right to enjoy the fruits of their labour anyway. But for now, we need to be practical and live within our means.
 The day you and your groom have been waiting for came…your wedding day. For months you have prepared for this day from the set design, flower arrangement, food caterer and your wedding outfits. You’ve spent a fortune just for the event to be perfect for you, your partner and your lovely guests. But just like any production event, a wedding mishap is inevitable and you have to be prepared for it. That includes a wardrobe malfunction disaster. To be able to smoothly deal with this on your wedding day, prepare a fashion emergency kit weeks before your wedding day. 1. Stain removing wipes. I am pretty sure that this is going to be useful. A spill of wine or salad dressing might just come in contact with your perfect white dress or your groom’s white tuxedo. Just get a sheet of stain removing wipes and slightly dab on to the material until the stain fades. If you cannot clearly see the stain, like on the neckline, ask someone to do it for you to refrain from spreading the mark. 2. Chalk and loose powder. For excess stain, use a chalk or loose powder to conceal marks. Harder to remove stains like pen ink stains can be easily covered by putting chalk mark over it. This lasts longer than applying powder. 3. Tissue paper, cotton swabs, and clean cloth. It is better to use a clean cloth in removing stains on fabrics. Use cotton and tissue for cleaning make-up smudges and cleaning other wardrobe items such as shoes or hand bag. 4. Rubbing alcohol. To remove odor from food stains, slightly dab cloth with rubbing alcohol on fabrics. 5. Sewing kit. This includes needle and thread, mini-scissors, extra buttons, snaps. Make sure you have available threads with the same colors as your gown and your groom’s three piece suit. If you do not know basic stitching, ask your bridesmaids before the wedding so you know your go-to person just in case. 6. Safety pins in various sizes. This fastens just about anything with fabric but try not to expose a side of the safety pin. Try to have it in different colors like silver, gold. Use colored nail polish to coat it in colors that matches your wardrobe. 7. Double sided fashion tape. Show only parts that you want to expose. Other than that, have a double sided tape control exposure of unwanted parts or under garment. For low neck dresses, put a double sided tape at the edge of the material and your skin as not to show excessive cleavage. You can also use this to help bra straps to stay in place, stick it to the strap of your dress. This can also be used to quickly fix hems without all the sewing. 8. Candle. Zipper problems can be solved by soap or a candle. If your dress shrunk just before your wedding day or you slightly gained weight and couldn’t fasten your zipper easily, rub a wax candle onto the sides of the zipper to help smoothly tuck it. Knowing that you have all of these items ready would surely help lessen your worries and stress on your big day.
 Photo credit www.artofmanliness.com Don’t you think wardrobe malfunctions often happen during moments when you are in a middle of something important or in a hurry? It happens in times when your mind is too occupied and being cautious in moving and being careful about your outfit is the least of your concerns. So after running back and forth your work station and the photocopying room and just right before your big presentation, you notice that there is a rip on the side seam of your dress shirt, or a slight coffee splatter starts to spread on your light colored trousers. What do you do in events like these? Wardrobe glitch/emergencies are inevitable and sometimes you just have to be creative on how you remedy these situations. Here are some tips you could do for rips and stains. Ripped Seam An emergency tip is a cover up. Always have an extra sport jacket or a cardigan in a neutral color that matches most of the colors of your clothes in your office or car. Your first move is to conceal it. If you do not have a cover up, a short term crisis resolution is to try to fasten it using safety pin or adhesive tape. A safety pin can temporarily close a hole but some material gets damaged or extends the tear once a safety pin is used. A strong hold tape will do too. It may last for minutes or hours depending on the adhesive of the tape and where the rip is located. From time to time, go to the comfort room to check how the rip is and if you have to fix and put more adhesive tape. If you are travelling and you are checked in a hotel, I am pretty sure there is a mini sewing kit together with the free toiletries in the bathroom that you can use to fix whatever tears. Stains Food stains are typical wardrobe disaster. Just like a ripped seam, a cover up is the best emergency solution. But what do you do if it happens minutes before you were called for a presentation or for a meeting? Of course you do not carry around an instant stain remover (but after reading this article, try to have at least a small bottle of stain remover in your office drawer). Without a remover, you can do away with it with plain vinegar then wash with soap and water. But again, no one brings vinegar in his/her bag. Try to get a clean damp cloth (use warm water) and dab the excess stain. Do not rub! The stain might just penetrate deeper into the fabric or spread. Do not use tissue or paper towel as it may leave fiber/particles that is not easy to remove and it leaves additional discoloration on the fabric. Finish it by smoothly covering the stained area with loose powder.
 Photo credit thumbs.dreamstime.com Is it the end of season sale again? Red tags and additional discounts are on the racks, “Up to 70% off” and “Buy two for the price of one” signs on display windows? Yes, I know all of these make you go giddy but you have to remember that you also have to be wise in buying sale items. Sale gives you all the right to become an impulse buyer and instead of getting a good deal, you are not maximizing your buying capacity. So here is a simple sale shopping guide to help you.
Your first choice may not be the best choice. - Give time to look around. If you found a nice white shirt in a store at 30% discount, do not settle easily. Just put it in mind and check another store or two. The more the basic the item is, the more stores you have to check. You might find a buy one take one for that white shirt or even a 70% off.
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Double check items to be purchased. - Wear and tear of these items for sale started the day they were placed in the “New Arrival” rack. At the end of the season, many buyers have set their hands on the same item and have actually tried them on. With that, check the seams of the clothing item, most especially under the arm, buttons and shoulder. These seams might be loose and would require additional cost in for repair. Do this most especially in stores that don’t have a return policy for sale items and for stores that all stocks are out in the display stand.
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Set a limit. - Just like playing stocks, you should have a cut loss and take profit policy in shopping, most especially when it’s the sale season. Make an initial list before going to the red-tag sale and set a budget as to how much you are willing to pay for each item. Do not bring all your cash or credit cards. Work within your budget.
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Freebies are sometimes the devil. - “Buy three pairs of suits and get a limited edition jacket for FREE!” You see this sign and you badly want that limited edition jacket. So you start to convince yourself that you need the suits so that you can have that jacket. You end up spending thousands of dollars for the freebie. You don’t cut yourself so that you can have the adhesive bandage. Yes, you have done this once in your life and do not let the freebies fool you again.
These retails stores hire marketing people to think of ways to entice people like you to go in their shops and make you grab something and line up in the cashier. Don’t make their lives easy. Think before opening your wallet. Even on sale season, SHOP WISELY!
 The number of buttons is very small detail in a man’s suit. But just like a woman’s jewelry, it completes the whole character of a wardrobe. One, two, three, four or more buttons, it depends on you. This factor shapes the fit and cut of the end product on you. In deciding which suit to buy or what to tell your bespoke tailor, make sure you know what you want in terms of this suit design section. Single button suits are easy to wear; there is only one button to worry about for a sleek look. Just remember that when standing up, that single button should be fastened and can only be unbuttoned upon sitting down. This is nicely paired with a shawl lapel as in a tuxedo. This is most advisable for men with shorter body as it shows a deeper open area V-shape in the chest making your body look longer.  A two button is the most popular choice as it matches and heightens majority of men’s body type. All labels have it in their look books. Such piece is simple to handle – the bottom button should always be disengaged at all times, only the first button is closed when standing up and undone when sitting down. Once both are buttoned, the fit seems a little awkward looking and there is a little discomfort when you move. Popular in the 90s, the three button suit is also another well-liked option next to the double. It is a more versatile piece as you have more than one way to wear it. You may button only the center button and let the lapel roll until it reaches the top button, or do up the top two buttons and unfasten the last one. However, as buttoning the top ones makes it look more formal as it only shows little of your shirt, this goes well with taller men and men with athletic physique as it gives more balance to the look.  Four button suits are already out of flavor nowadays unless it is a double-breasted one. In a double-breasted suit, all buttons are fastened but usually bottom buttons are open. Normally this has pointed lapels. This type of suit is more formal and sophisticated than the normal single buttoned ones as fewer people can actually pull it off since it would only look at is best if the fit is accurate and hugs your body perfectly. It is best for occasions like black tie events, weddings, or you would just want to impress someone in the office. If you would want to wear the jacket casually, a double breasted is a little too over the top.
In a mall or just the nearby restaurant, how many women do you see that doesn’t carry a bag? A woman could not leave her house without her wallet, phone, make up kit, pepper spray and an extension of her vanity dresser at home. Unlike the female species, men could survive a day with just his wallet and phone in his pocket. But a man in style absolutely knows that a bag has now become an indispensible accessory in an outfit. For business/casual-business attire, we have selected four possible bag options:  Photo credit from www.customhide.com 1. The Classic Briefcase
A working man’s get-up is never complete without a briefcase to carry the important documents, reports, and electronic notebooks. It is the classic and conventional handbag made for men. The contemporary brief cases are less boxy compared to the original sharp-angled case your father once carried around. The briefcases of today are softer and made of flexible material. Also bags with pockets are preferred for a more organized pack. The old school locks in briefcases are also eliminated giving it a less rigid look.
 Photo credit from www.esquire.com
2. The Tote
When a briefcase is too formal but you need to bring stuff from home to work or you need a bag to keep your tablet for a marketing presentation to an old client, a handy tote is the solution to your dilemma. The unfastened opening style makes it easy to just dump things in the bag. Totes are now made of resilient materials for durability and long term-use.
 Photo credit from www.selectism.com
3. The Satchel Messenger Bag
A satchel messenger bag is a medium sized bag made of leather material with an adjustable strap worn like a body bag or a shoulder bag. The design of this piece is based on a mailman’s bag. This item has a wide array of users from a hipster student to a yuppie in a suit could actually pull of this accessory. This gives a casual touch to a formal wardrobe.
 Photo credit from www.men-bags.com 4. Holdall
Whether you are having an overnight business trip or you just have a lot of things to carry as you have plans of going to the gym after a day’s work, a Holdall is suited for your need. It may look bulky but the leather hardware just goes well with whatever casual outfit or even a suit.
Back-packs are out of the list and the males are just lucky these four handbag items entered the market. They are just classy and very functional. Throw away the conventional thought that only women carry bags in style and the gentlemen only deserves a boring box-type briefcase. In this time and age, both genders are free to carry around a chic bag accessory.
 Photo credit dresscode.pl In the corporate world, there are firms that restrict the use of flamboyant jewelry pieces for both men and women. Females has a wide array of options to choose from but for men, there is only a specific set acceptable to wear.
What to consider?
In buying jewelry, being minimalist is the key. If you are going to wear a single piece, it should be a simple silver watch with leather strap. A watch is the most functional item in the list of trinkets for men so if you are new to accessorizing, the silver watch would break the ice. When you start adding other chunks, make sure metal colors are matching. One tone a time – your silver watch should be paired with a belt with a silver buckle and a silver tie bar. Careful with using gold pieces as the lightness and darkness of gold varies in a wide spectrum. Ensure that you wear gold items that are not too dissimilar in tone. In terms of design, refrain from using jewels with very intricate details, remain plain and unfussy. Don’t let certain jewelry be the center of attention of your whole wardrobe. Also, be cautious with symbolic designs. Make certain that you know its meaning and accept that people may judge you with it. A dog-tag necklace may look good on a shirt but other people think using such faux item is disrespectful to the military service.
 Photo credit howtobecomeastylist.com Specifics of classic pieces:
1. Watch – Basic of all basics. This is an item you should never leave your home without. Even though you have your mobile phone to check the time, a watch is just an indispensible piece in a corporate wardrobe. It symbolizes that you value punctuality and that you respect other people’s time and schedule. Subconsciously it is the item that is easily noticeable most especially in a conversation or presentation as people normally move their hands when explaining something. Silver piece is advisable for adaptability to clothing and other jewelry pieces.
2. Necklace – This is something to decorate your neckline but if you are already wearing a tie or bow tie, this is unnecessary. Otherwise, when in casuals, a safe choice is a lace made with small metal beads, a metal chain or a thin silver necklace with a clear-cut pendant.  Photo credit everyguyed.com
3. Cufflinks – Another functional accent to hold cuffs in place in replacement to normal buttons. Metallic cufflinks or silk knots are most commonly used.
 Photo credit stylecaster.com
4. Tie bar – To keep your tie from swaying and unpleasantly hanging on your chest. This comes in different metallic colors. A harmless choice would be a silver clip. RULE: your tie bar should not be longer than the width of your tie.
5. Rings – Do not wear a ring without meaning. The globally accepted one is the wedding ring. You may add another one like a fraternal or class ring but wear them with caution.
 Photo credit bucklecity.com
6. Belt buckle – Sleek and plain buckle that matches your other accents.
7. Bracelet – No to decorative bracelets. A simple chain or a thin bangle made of silver or steel cable wire is preferred. Wear it onto your wrist opposite to where your watch is. Men are not limited to wear jewelries. You just have to have a little practical know-how on how and when to wear them.
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