Francesca Filippelli

Published: February 15, 2012

Winter Shopping!

Though you might be tempted to pack on layers of bulky clothing this winter, don't. You can stay warm and look chic without bulking up.

1. Wear thermal underwear.
Don't pack on thick sweaters and heavy coats. Instead, insulate your body with thin, warm layers that don't add much bulk. Start with form-fitting thermal underwear. It should be relatively tight (but not binding) and made from a moisture-wicking fabric. A big plus of thermal underwear is that it helps hide bulges and back fat, creating a slimmer look. If you don't like thermal underwear, start with shapewear instead. Wear a quality push-up bra and a body shaper that smooths and flattens your stomach while slimming your hips and thighs. The right shapewear can take off pounds in seconds.

2. Invest in cashmere
One quality cashmere sweater will keep you twice as warm as two or three cheap cotton ones. Cashmere is luxurious and warm without being bulky. Cashmere cardigans, turtlenecks and pullover sweaters are worth the investment. Look for cashmere on sale at the end of summer and throughout fall as stores make room for their new winter inventories.

3. Wear clothes that fit.
An oversized coat and baggy pants might seem like a good idea, but big clothes make you look bigger than you are. Instead, buy a coat that fits well. When shopping for a coat, wear the type of clothes that you normally wear this time of year. The coat needs to fit over your sweaters without binding. You should be able to bend over, raise your arms and move all around without pulling or creating bulges that will make you look heavier.

4. Go dark.
All your winter clothes don't have to be black, but they should be dark for you to look your slimmest. Charcoal grey, deep plum, chocolate brown and dark cranberry are all fantastic color choices for wintertime. To perk up your look, add brightly colored scarves, hats, jewelry and other accessories; they can take a dull, dark winter outfit from drab to fab.

5. Slim your legs.
When wearing a dress or skirt, put on dark wool stockings underneath for a slimming effect. Instead of flats, wear boots or shoes with a heel to elongate the look of your legs, making them appear slimmer. Avoid shoes with ankle straps, which can make your ankles look thicker. When it comes to pants, wear lined trousers to the office to stay warm. On the weekend, slim bootcut or slighly flared jeans create a thinner silhouette.

6. Emphasize your assets.
If you are heavy in the hips and thighs, you'll want to emphasize your neck, collarbone and bustline. Choose sweaters with unique necklines and interesting buttons. Funnel and cowlneck sweaters are fantastic because they draw the eyes upward, taking the emphasis away from problem areas. If you are thick waisted, avoid boatneck tops or cropped sweaters, which create a "boxy" look. If you are heavy on top and have thin legs, wear a dark sweater with a patterned skirt or pants.

Join me next Wednesday on Top Wear!

Until next time. Ciao:)

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Published: February 8, 2012

Take Care of Your Clothing

It may come as a surprise to some but, I cant take shopping - I dont find anything amusing with walking around for hours looking for a t-shirt or a pair of jeans. Now, wheather you are obsessed with fashion or not you may still attempt to go as long as possible without shopping. If so, taking care of your clothes can help keep them looking newer and longer.
You can make them last longer if you care for them properly and there are some great ways to make sure you’ll have that favorite dress for a very long time.

Tip #1 - don't wash your clothes every single time that you wear the. Now,
I know this may sound gross to some people, so I will say that you have to use common sense and good judgment here. If you wear something and you get a big glob of mustard on the front of it, of course you need to wash it right away. When I say you don't need to wash your clothes every time you wear them, I'm basically talking about things that you wear for only a couple of hours or so. Like in the case of jeans, don't washed them every time you wore them instead, try hanging your jeans or shirt that was worn only for a couple of hours out in the sun. They will get freshened up in a hurry, and you won't have to put them in the washing machine.

Tip #2 - treat STAINS immediately
Stains are extremely common to many. If you leave a stain until the day you do your laundry it has time to dry and set in and will be even harder to remove. If you wash a stained item improperly this can also set the stain in and putting a stained item in the clothes dryer is almost certain to ensure a permanent mark. Rinse out a stained item with water immediately after the stain occurs or as soon as possible. If the stain is a grease or protein stain you can treat it with a bit of dish soap. Hot and warm water can cause stains to set in so only use cold water until you are sure the stain is gone.

Tip #3 – prevent Shrinkage
Shrinkage is another common killer of clothes. Clothing that is made out of natural materials like cotton and wool can shrink in the clothes dryer quite quickly. Items like denim blue jeans will shrink a bit each time you dry them. Clothes dryers can also give clothes quite a beating if you dry them too long and too often. Air-drying your clothes is the best way to make them last longer. Using a fabric softener in the rinse cycle will help keep your clothes from getting stiff. You can dry your clothes outside or on an indoor folding rack that stores easily when you are through.

Tip #4 - Sew loose seams or small tears as soon as they occur.
If you have a small opening it can easily tear into a larger one that is either harder or impossible to fix. Replace lost buttons immediately or the item may end up in the bottom of the mending pile never to be seen again. It only takes a few minutes to sew up a loose seam or button and thread costs next to nothing.

Tip #5 – store it properly for the next season
When it’s time to put your clothes away for the season be sure to clean, iron, and fold them first. Always store your clothing in plastic tote boxes along with some cedar blocks to protect them from moisture and insects. Label the tote so you can easily locate your clothes when you need them. When the season comes back around your clothes will be clean and ready to wear.

Join me next Wednesday on Top Wear!

Until next time! Ciao:)

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Published: February 1, 2012

Job Interview Attire!

Searching for a job and succeeding through the interview is difficult enough that people tend to forget the importance of “first impression”. In fact, your interview attire is extremely critical. You should be neat, professional and conservative, but always remember to allow some of your personality to shine through your clothing.

In today’s society the standard interview outfit is composed of navy, black, or charcoal suit, white or light blue blouse and a mid-heeled, round-toe black pump. while very simple, it is an excellent choice of clothing for this type of environment. In fact, depending on the type a job, for example, a field such as law or finance, you might want to limit how much you deviate from the uniform. You want the vibe of your suit to say “power” and “confidence” so avoid attempts to soften it with your accessories.

The dark and simple look doesn’t work for everyone though! I am not a big fan of it my self. If thats the case and you find yourself applying for a job with more of a creative or casual field, your lucky, you have more to chose from. Instead of a dark colored suit, you could wear heather gray or brown. You may even be able to get away with mixed suiting separates depending on the job you want. To add some personality, change up the shirt colors or maybe wear a fun, but office-appropriate pair of shoes.

If you’re in doubt about wearing a suit to an interview, remember: Dress for the job you dream about, not the job you’re applying for. You never know what higher level positions may be available to the candidate with polish and promise.
As a final reminder, no short skirts, and no sexy shoes. A good interview outfit should act as a background that allows your qualifications and your personality to shine. It shouldn’t compete for the interviewer’s attention or send any signals that undermine your professionalism.

Join me next Wednesday on Top Wear!

Until Next Time! Ciao:)

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Published: January 25, 2012

Lets Shop Your Closet!

A lot of the time, when it comes down to purchasing an outfit, many have the same problem, and that it BUDGET! In fact there are a lot of things you would like to buy but you may need to watch your wallet. If so, lets find an alternative, lets shop your closet!

Visualize is key here!* - Lets play pretend; A new and incredible store just opened up and its located right in your room. Arrange your “dressing room” with the clothing you would want to try on. Place pants together, tops together ect, naturally this makes the shopping easier. When you are organizing the categories of clothing you need to concentrate on the items you would love to own (in this case re-own). The “Shop Your Closet” plan is to pick out the best of what you already own and find ways you can wear them in the work environment you are currently in.

First rule of the “Shop Your Closet: boutique is to pick items that FIT well, look great and that you absolutely LOVE! Think like a shopper - if you have any negative opinion of any shirts of pants you wouldn’t buy it, do not include it. Now, in reality, this wont be exactly like a normal shopping experience, it will be better! CHEAPER! Better method I think!

Second, select one of your favourite clothing items. Could be a shirt, pants, shoes or whatever, it doesn't matter. For example, you may have a beautiful, nicely fitted skirt with a colour that compliments your skin. Now find find a top or t-shirt that will look great with it. Have patience, due to little quantity a few tries are necessary. Next look for the perfect shoes and finally, never forget about accessories - super important! Once its done, take a picture, fall in love with it and remember it for the future. The secret isn't in the single piece of clothing but rather on the numerous ways you join the pieces, put them together and build a fantastic outfit.

Now that you have one perfect outfit, you are ready for another, and another. Chose more of your favourites and start the process all over again; take time into your decision. The goal of this blog is to help you create a few outfits that you will love to wear again and again stopping you from spending too much on unnecessary clothing.

Join me next Wednesday on Top Wear!

Until Next Time! Ciao:)

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Published: January 18, 2012

Finishing Touches

Last week, we spoke in regards to proper fit and presentation attire for the office. Although, those two tips are very important, the outfit is not quite completed. You should never leave your house without some sort of accessory. In fact, have fun with it, express your personality through your accessories. When your dealing with an office attire the dress codes are more lenient so a nice scarf and a few pieces of jewelry can for sure benefit your work wardrobe.

Ohh.. take this into consideration. You might be working close to some of your coworkers, and bangle or cuff bracelets can be noisy. Be polite, don’t let your fashion statements cause someone to have a migraine.

This is my favourite part.- Shoes!! They are definitely another issue to consider. Most shoes are acceptable, but there is a fine line between office and super sexy. So in other words avoid “super sexy” these are not the shoes for a job attire. Understand, if you wear them to the club, you probably shouldn’t be wearing it to the office. Also, if you are planning to show a little bit of leg be sure to take into consideration your company’s policies on stockings. If they are not required and you choose to go bare-legged, ladies do us all a favour, take care of them - hair removal, lotion, a little bit of tan maybe :) - you decide! Look Good - Image is huge!

You spend a lot of your time with your coworkers, some more than others. It wouldn’t hurt to always look your best everyday. Always remember that if for some reason your doubting your outfit it probably isn’t suitable for work - leave it, do what ever you want with it, but do not wear! “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”. In order to put a little bit of effort into your outfit, always think that if your meeting with someone you want to leave a good impression for yourself and your company.

Join me next Wednesday on Top Wear!

Until Next Time! Ciao:)

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Published: January 11, 2012

Looking Good!!

From personal experience, searching for an outfit after waking up in the morning before work almost feels like a second job. When you are surrounded and accompanied by individuals where dressy and professional is common, finding the right outfit can be tricky. Not to worry, here are some guidelines I use to create outfits that are work appropriate without the headaches.

For this week we will focus on the actual clothing. In fact, when it is strictly about the material make sure to remember only TWO specific points; Fit and Presentation. NO matter what the requirements of your dress codes are, FIT is key. You must make sure that everything you are clothed in fits your properly - Wear your size clothing!- Believe me, clothes that are too tight will not do you any good - this goes for any size or shape body! Also, anything too revealing does not fit the “working in an office” atmosphere. One secret that’s always helped me is, before leaving home I tend to move around and sit in anything I plan to wear that day - if your comfortable you are in a Top Fit! Lastly, there shouldn’t be too much cleavage or leg showing; a little has never hurt but a lot will make others lose focus. In addition to that, wear the proper undergarments. Visible bra straps and panty lines are definitely out!

Lastly, after Fit, always think about Presentation! Many mess this up but anything you wear, and I mean anything, should be clean pressed, and without damage. Also, keep it simple. Some colour but not to much, some texture and some patterns. How ever keep in mind, head-to-toe of anything is always too much. Sequins, studs, and shine can now be worn at a work place, but only in SMALL amounts!! If one piece in an outfit stands out, in relation to colour or texture, then keep the rest of the outfit low key and supportive of the main piece.

Keep these two tips in mind and you will look Fantastic!
Visit my blog next Wednesday, Ill inform you with specific accessories that will follow the outfit!

Until next time, Ciao!

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