Giuzeppe Zanotti Spring Summer 14 Collection

Hi everyone,

Hope you guys are doing well. Here are a few photos I took at the Giuzeppe Zanotti SS14 launch organised by Harpers Bazaar Singapore. It took place in Giuzeppe Zanotti boutique in Ion a few days ago.

I love their new collection. It is got it all – the strappy heels, the metallic sandals and statement sneakers. Whatever your taste, you will find the perfect pair!

I know which ones I want)))

Will be posting a lot more photos soon including the ones from the Audi Fashion Festival.

Stay tuned!

 

The Intriguing Character

Hi everyone,

Hope you are feeling happy and well today! I am crazy excited to show you this awesome new look. The reason I love it so much is because it is 100% charismatic and 100% complete. I also love it because Jessica here is a great model and she makes everything look surreal.

Just one glance at this outfit and suddenly the whole image is complete in your head. No thinking requited – it is instant.

Feeling intrigued?

Check out the look:

What does it make you feel? Where do you think Jessica is going? Who is going to meet her?

The answer my imagination gave me is at the very end of this post 🙂 

To create this look we have used a bit of everything: a little bit of imagination, a drop of makeup skills and our shopping experience.

We have purchased this sweatshirt from a US brand called NSF. It is not super famous, and therefore may be a little bit difficult to find, but some of the stuff they make is really cool and worth looking for. Sweatshirts are big right now and it really is one of my favourite current trends. They are very versatile, can be styled to match any look and are insanely comfortable. This one also happens to be beautiful. It has a great abstract print adding a bit of oomph to the overall design.

The dress is by Ted Baker and was actually purchased on a Christmas sale! Imagine that! And by the way, yes, it is a dress… Usually I am against stripes, but this is a really clever type of stripe. Its hugs your body diagonally making it slimmer and it really lengthens your whole silhouette. In other words, a really genius stripe. 

The shoes are classic grey Prada slingback that are totally worth what you pay for them. They look awesome everywhere and this outfit is no exception.

We have added a pearl and silver necklace by Chanel that adds more chic to this look. Any more jewelry would look a little over the top here because the key accessory in this outfit make a very bold statement. And that accessory is the headscarf.

The headscarf is what makes this look complete. It also delivers 80% of its character. Why is the headscarf so special in this case? Well, first of all it matches both the color scheme and the theme of the entire outfit. Secondly, this scarf has a lot of white, which reflects the light right onto Jessica’s face. This gives a bit of a glow and shimmer to the skin. And finally, it has a function of keeping Jessica’s hair out of her face.

Last but not least – the sunglasses. This very striking pair of purple Miu Miu glasses was added to frame Jessica’s face and to complete the look.

 

And now is the time I reveal more about Jessica’s character in this shoot.

This young lady is about to make the most of this warm sunny day and go for a drive in her open top car down a small country road in Cornwall!

If you have a different scenario as to what Jessica should do in this outfit, do not hesitate to leave a comment or email me your suggestions on kate@stylewithkate.com!

Hope you enjoyed it!

How to look great on a really hot day

Good morning everyone!

How have you guys been? Hope you had a fabulous couple of days and got a lot of great things done!

Close up

It has been crazy hot here in Singapore. So I decided to get busy and create a look for super hot weather.

Well what can I say, the choice is huge. There is a wealth of cute little clothes for hot weather out there– millions of crop tops, billions of silky skirts and gazillions of strappy sandals.

So where do I start? OK, I am a total freak when it comes to getting protected from those nasty UV rays. Obsessed, crazy and don’t I know it. That is why I started with the hat 🙂

I had this awesome hat that I bought a few season ago in one of my favourite stores called Furla. It is a very classic hat you would expect to see in the stores all year round. A hat is always a great accessory in hot weather because not only does it help protect your visage from the sun, but also protect your hair from loosing its lovely colour. Yes, sun ruins your hair colour, that is a fact. Unless of course you want to have sun highlights (which your hairdresser will not thank you for) or you are blonde and don’t mind being even blonder.

Next step – clothes. Decisions decisions… As a girl who is not a fan of showing too much leg, I went with a dress that covers up my knees, but leaves my shoulders and neckline open. That is just the way I like it. I have purchased a navy colour dress from a brand called Three Dots. It is a US brand that is great for casual simple clothes. As this dress is quite revealing around the neckline, I have gone with not one but two big and bold statement necklaces to cover up some flesh. Those necklaces are easy to find in any accessories stores. I got these ones somewhere in Far East Plaza on Orchard road. I liked them in particular because they match my natural colors (eyes, lips and skin) and make the hat and dress look nice together. Plus, they are slightly ethnic which goes well with the shoes.

When it comes to shoes, I definitely use the “quality above quantity” rule. I don’t have a lot of shoes, but those that I do choose to buy are high quality classics that last forever.

The fat heel sandals here (I guess you could almost call them wedges) were purchased in Selflidges in London a long time ago. They are probably the only Givenchy shoes I have seen that can be attributed to the ethnic style. But here we are.

And voilá my Hot Day outfit is complete!

 

Hot Day Outfit – Front view

Hot Day Outfit – Navy dress

Oh yes, don’t forget to smother yourself with sunblock before you step outside!

Have a great day!

A Total Makeover by StyleWithKate

Hello readers,

This is one of the latest makeover we did at StyleWithKate.

Adeline is in her 20 and has a killer figure. However, she finds it hard to find clothes that fit. Reason: a tiny XXXS size and a height of 5 feet. So getting clothes of the right size is definitely a challenge. In addition to that, Adeline is getting ready for her trip to New York this month and does’t really have any warm clothes to take with her. After all, Singapore is not exactly famous for autumn wear.

So she called StyleWithKate to get new outfits as well as styling and makeup tips!

 

First of all for Adeline was the make up. She usually doesn’t wear any, because she likes that young, free spirited look. However, Adeline was very happy to try some very light makeup and it certainly has transformed her look. It is amazing what a drop of foundation and some blusher can do… Judge for yourself)

Here is Adeline’s new date night outfit:

Outfit 1 – Date Night

Outfit 1 – Date Night

For this outfit we have simply paired a bandage style dress with some very neutral patent hills and a contrast clutch. It is a very sexy look, with its deep v neck and a rather short skirt, yet Adeline still finds it comfortable and not too revealing. And with a figure like hers it really would be a crime not to flaunt it. Guys, Adeline will not be single for much longer…

In this outfit:

Dress by BCBG $500
Shoes by BCBG $160
Chanel style clutch $49
Ring by J.Crew $80

Adeline admitted that sometimes she just gets clothes because they fit and not because she likes them. And as a young woman as well as a personal stylist, I really feel for her. It is utterly unfair, but the reality is – there just isn’t as much choice for people with unpopular sizes, whether it is XXXS or XXL. This utter ridiculous discrimination must be corrected!!

Here is an outfit we got Adeline for her trip to the cool New York)

Outfit 2 – NY style (front)

Outfit 2 – NY style (side)

Outfit 2- NY style (Back)

Adeline wanted to look and feel great when she is in New York. To achieve that we got her a wide jacket to keep her nice and warm on cool April days. The jacket widens toward the hip and has rather large sleeves that really adds some volume and elevates Adeline’s look. We got a simple long sleeve top and some grey jeans as the basics. They are easy to match and can be used to create other outfits. To add some zest to this rather calm and outfit, we added these gorgeous metallic heels. Not only do they create an accent on Adeline’s small and beautiful feet, but also represent this Spring’s most flashy trend – metallic strappy shoes! Just check out the attitude in these photos! Adeline look confident, stylish and ready for anything! Big tick!

In this outfit:

Pants by H&M $69
Scarf by H&M $29
Strappy heel Franco Sarto $180
Jacket from Korean market
Long sleeve top from Giordano $50

And finally the Street style look:

Outfit 3 – Street Style (front)

Outfit 3 – Street Style (Back)

This is a super comfy everyday look. In the heat of the Singapore sun paired with 90% humidity, your body is begging for clothes that breathe.

So, we have chosen a very cool quilted sweatshirt that Adeline has recently bought to go with the rest of the clothes. It is a very thin sweatshirt with short sleeves, making it comfortable to wear even in hot weather. A simple floral dress really freshens up the look and leaves Adeline happier and more relaxed. As for the shoes, we got her light colored pumps with a platform in front, which makes Adeline taller without giving her foot ache.

In this outfit:

Dress by Pull & Bear $40
Sweatshirt (Adeline’s)
Bracelet by J.Crew $90
Melissa inspires pumps $80

We hope Adeline will use our make up and styling tips and really enjoy her new outfits!

Happy Styling!

Street Style Know How.

Hello fashionistas,

Lets talk street style! Street style is one of the most versatile styles in fashion. It basically is anything and everything that people are wearing on the streets of fashion capitals like New York, London, Tokyo and other cosmopolitan cities. It may be something you have effortlessly thrown together like a little cropped T-shirt with a high waist skirt or an outfit you have put some thought in, like a trendy bomber jacket with a cigarette pant accompanied by the latest accessories.

The popularity of street style has been growing together with sporty and effortless look trends. Why? Cause everyone loves it! It makes you look and feel free, confident and fresh. And an outfit like that is really easy to put together. Here is what you need to ask yourself:

1. What kind of clothes do I feel comfortable in?

2. What is my usual everyday style?

3. How do I make the whole outfit trendy and fresh?

Once you have answered these questions you can go ahead and start styling! Assemble together the clothes that you love and feel good in and try and incorporate them with your existing style. You should be able to put together a couple of outfits. It is really that easy. However, if you still feel like this has made no difference there is only 1 thing you can do to rectify the problem – go and get some awesome clothes! Once that is done and you know which pieces match into wholesome outfits you can start thinking about accessories. As I mentioned in several previous posts accessories are essential to almost any outfit. Please don’t ignore them. Put that bracelet on your wrist and see what happens. It is like clicking refresh in your email. Bound to make a difference.  So that is all great stuff))) Here is what you have to bear in mind when you do effortless street style. Tidiness and neatness is more important than ever. We are going for an effortless look of a fresh modern woman and not the look of the homeless person collecting cardboard. It is not difficult to cross that line which is why I urge you to pay attention to that factor.

As an example, we have put together a street style look that is cool and totally wearable. Which brings us nicely to our standard question:

Who is this outfit perfect for? This outfit is perfect for a free spirited gal in the age range of 20 to 40 who values comfort above all and feels confident about her taste. What to do if that does’t really sound like you?

Consider possible variations:

– we went for a very relaxed slightly hippie outfit. Your street style does’t have to be like that. If you love your classics you can stick to them by choosing a more classic look with a hint of casual in it. Or if you are into more boyish look, why not go for a baggy T-shirt and straight cut pants instead! It is all in the details.

– shoes shoes shoes….ahh so many choices here. You could substitute these for flats very easily. If you are wearing pants or shorts instead multi-color sneakers can be your best bet! If you just want to recreate our look here is how:

– vest from Mango at $59.90,

– dress from Topshop around $90 (any straight cut dress with ethnic pattern will look new and in-season)

– mini tote bag by Furla in monochrome colour :-)(see our post on monochrome on this page)

– leather shoes by Prada

– glasses by Prada $399

If you feel inspired to create your own street look with my help do not hesitate to contact me atkate@stylewithkate.com or call/SMS 8668 6226 for a more immediate response.

Happy styling!

StyleWeddings at Shangri-La Rasa. Review.

Karen Millen Spring Collection Review.

Monochrome hard at work. Interview wear.

Good Morning,

As is obvious from the photos on the left, this post is about the one and only Monochrome look.

Monochrome is an awesome trend. It is classic, chic, it is beautiful, its easy to put together and it doesn’t have to be expensive. So what is the catch? Well, it can be dull. Most of the time that will happen because of lack of accessories.Accessories are essential to almost any outfit. They are what makes your outfit trendy, up-to-date and thought through. So do not try and skip the accessories step – it is worth spending that little bit extra. Another problem that can ruin this outfit is if the clothes appear sloppy and untidy. You really can’t afford this with monochrome. The shirt has to be bright white and ironed to perfection. The suit has to be impeccable. Full stop. Non-negotiable. Very strict)))))

As an example, we have put together a 100% monochrome outfit that is complete with all the accessories you need to perfect your work look.

Who is this outfit perfect for? Standard answer: “This outfit is a classic. Hence it will look good on everyone”. Errrrrrr….No!  This outfit is for people that feel confident in a classic suit and love that monochrome style. If you don’t like it, it might not be for you. For instance, if you are into anime, your hair is pink and you have several tattoos, it might not suit you, or even if it does, it will have a different effect. And instead of looking like a successful executive, you will look like you are on your way to a costume party.  So we ask again:

​Who is this outfit perfect for:

– successful professional who love to look sharp 

– people that know how to pull off a strict look 

– anyone going for an interview or meeting potential employers

– monochrome addicts 🙂

Possible variations:

– we went all out for this shoot, however, you don’t have to wear heels that high. A medium heel will look very sharp too. Another comment about the shoes – keep them matt. Shiny shoes can look offensive at work.

– this outfit will look more strict if you wear pants. If you need that super strict look, go for pants. For interviews we recommend wearing a skirt.

Can you recreate it? Yes! Here is how:

– jacket (any pure black jacket is good. The one in the photo is tailor made by Haute Alterations in Mandarin Gallery),

– skirt by Ted Baker around $160 (any black skirt that fits you is great)

– shirt (any bright white shirt is good, the one in the photo was tailor made in Bangkok for around $40)

– patent leather pumps by Saint Laurent $799 (leather pumps are recommended)

– glasses by Chanel $899

– tote bag by Katana (price unknown)

If you feel inspired to create a monochrome look for you do not hesitate to contact me at kate@stylewithkate.com or call/SMS 8668 6226 for a more immediate response.

Happy shopping!

​

How to make patterns work for you. Get it right!

Good Morning to all,

Here is a beautiful look for those of you who work in the creative industry or in fact in any company that is more flexible with the dress code! 🙂

Patterns are in again and don’t we love them))) They are a great way to express your personalty in your clothes and accessories and perfect for those who love to stand out from the crowd.

However, any stylist will tell you – patterns should come with a warning sign. Just like heavy goods or alcoholic beverages. Here is why – patterns are bold statements that can completely overpower your delicate features and ruin your overall look. So don’t risk it unless you are sure that it looks awesome! Actually I’m completely against buying any clothes that are not awesome, but that’s another story))))

So, here is a example of how to make patterns work for you! In fact we have created an outfit with not 1 but 2 patterns and it looks fantastic!

The star of the show here is undoubtedly the dress. (From Karen Millen Spring Summer 2014 collection). It is a very bright, almost neon colour dress with a grey pattern. The fit is tight and the length is very sensible. The dress makes a statement. We have paired it with a light absorbing black bomber jacket that calms it down and gives a more professional look. The jacket itself has lazer cut leather panels with a floral/abstract pattern on them.

We have added silver colour accessories to enhance this look and make it more modern.

​As for the shoes, this outfit required a neutral colour heel, which we added to complete the look.

Who is this outfit perfect for:

– a pattern admirer who loves to bring out their personality in a work environment as well as during leasure hours

Possible variations:

– if the dress code dictates a more professional look, go for a closed toe pump with a smaller heel

– this outfit will look just as good with a similar fit dress of a more classic colour. You could substitute it for a blue or green dress, for example.

Can you recreate it? Yes! Here is how:

– dress by Karen Millen $299,

– jacket by Moiselle $399,

– leather pumps by Prada around $700

– glasses by Chanel $899

– various accessories around $400

If you want to recreate this look on a lower budget you can! Similar items can be purchased from any of the high street stores like Zara, Mango or any of your favourites.

Happy shopping!

This seasons most talked about trend – Pastel. Total Look.

Hello readers,

Here is a look that is perfect for all you younger gals who are in love with pastels. This spring’s trend is truly worth following. It gives a fresh young look and doesn’t break the bank.

​This outfit is put together using only watered down colours, making it suitable for any figure. Total looks (single colour outfits or, like in this case, pastel colour outfit) elongate the silhouette and make you look taller and therefore, slimmer. Whether you are tall, average hight or short, this look will lengthen your figure and lighten your complexion.

Who is this outfit perfect for:

– a trendy gal under 35 who is brave enough to pull off a short skirt

Possible variations:

-if you don’f quite fit the description above, don’t worry, you can have the same look and feel confident. Read on…

-if you are not cool with skirts this short just choose one that is a more sensible length. A mid length straight cut skirt will look great and so will a straight cut or even a flared maxi skirt. The choice is yours 😉

Can you recreate it? Yes! Here are the details:

– dress by Something Else $110,

– vest by Mango $59.90,

– necklace by Salut De Miel $129

– shoes by Atelier Tang $200

Total price is under $499. If you want to be more extravagant and have some cash to splash you can add a Chanel bracelet and Prada sunglasses as pictured above.

Happy styling!