Summer's coming: Rompers!

Hi girls! First of all I wanted to say a big thank you to all of you,  for giving me so much positive feedback and for being so complementary at the exhibition! I wasn't excepting so many people to read it or enjoy it so thank you sooooo much :) 

Now to the topic of this post: Rompers! I've been looking for cute rompers for ages, but I can never find the perfect one! Either the color is wrong, the cut is terrible or the shorts are too baggy. This year however, I decided to buy a couple of simple rompers and have fun accessorizing them! 

This is a picture of the first romper I bought at H&M. It cost me less than 15 francs and it comes in three different colors(if I remember correctly, one even has flowers on it!). It has three buttons down the front, a black 'braided' elastic waistband around the waist and deep pockets in the shorts. Rompers are usually baggy and relatively shapeless. They don't really highlight your waist, therefore a belt is necessary! Most of you guys have said that you'd like to see more pictures of outfits on this blog, so I've taken a few pictures of me trying on different simple 'looks' with the same romper.

Basic Romper(not accessorized) 

This is the first basic 'look' I decided to wear. I call this the last minute 'I'm-about-to-miss-the-bus' outfit, because it basically involves throwing the basic items together! I've tied a simple braided, brown belt around my waist to create a waistline and to add a different shade of color to the romper. If you plan on wearing a black romper or jumpsuit during the day, remember to always add a touch of color (preferably red or turquoise) to keep it from looking plain and depressing! I added a few colorful bracelets, a red bag  and gold gladiators to brighten it up and keep it summery! It's very simple and last minute, but it works when you're in a rush and want to look casual.

  

The second outfit is more of a dressy look. I paired the romper with a beige military-style jacket, a long black necklace(which distracts from the belt-less waistline) and black sequined heels. Black is considered to be a night color, so if you plan on wearing a black romper at night, additional bright colors aren't really necessary. However, adding a bright clutch would be the perfect accessory if you're going out to a party(for example).  It would keep your outfit fun and keep it from looking too dark. I would recommend pairing it with heels or wedges though, these are the perfect shoes to wear when you're going out!

                                                                   

Tip: Make sure the wedges are one solid color, and not a braided jute espadrilles wedges like this:

Let's be honest...these are ugly. And okay, I didn't exactly picked the nicest one I could find, but you get my point right?  They may look nice with another outfit, but with a black romper like this one, they just look like ugly braided, basket shoes. Avoid them at all cost!

                             

                                         

Here are some ideas of what kind of 'bright' colored purses I would accessorize my romper with(if I were to buy either of these two amazing Tory Burch purses):    

                                

                                                                                       

Clothes I'm Wearing!

Romper: H&M

Gladiators:  Gold Tropéziennes

Heels: (Black-Sequined) Zara

Red Bag: Zara 

Black Bag: Michael Kors

Bien dans sa peau!

This blog is supposed to be about encouraging self-positive image through fashion and style, and I sincerely hope you learn something from my posts. However, there's something else I have to talk about, something much more important than gaining confidence through the clothes you wear.

You see, I can try and give you tips on how to feel more confident through the clothes you wear but the truth is, feeling good about yourself shouldn't only come from your looks, but also from what's inside of you. Soo many things are much more important than looks and knowing a lot of you, I know that none of you are shallow enough to believe that looks are everything! Because looks will eventually change. One day your body will change, you may put on weight or you may loose weight. Or worse than that, what if one day you're in a terrible accident and you end up loosing an arm or worse even, you burn your face off, then what? If you don't value something more concrete and important than your looks then I can't help but think that your whole view on life may be superficial. And that's what I worry about in this blog and in my life. I don't want any of you to think that I'm superficial or shallow because I really love clothes and fashion. Yes, my passion is clothes and fashion, but not just the purchasing of items that fill my closet - what really fascinates me is the artistic aspect of it. The hours of work and creativity designers put into perfecting clothes for their customers and  fashion photography is what really fascinates me. Feeling good about yourself and being confident comes from self-acceptance. It comes from saying only positive things about yourself when you look at yourself in the mirror and not by scrutinizing your every flaw. Once you've accepted the harsh reality that not everyone will like you or find you attractive, the faster you'll move on in your life in a confident and self-assured way. We need to stop trying to change to fit the stereotypical image of beauty our society is leading our generation to believe. Beauty is about knowing in your heart that you are beautiful, and knowing that the people who care for you and love you are the people who's opinion you should value. The truth is, there will always be haters out there, people who will constantly bring you down, but as soon as you start ignoring them, you'll see that what they think doesn't affect you in any way.

I love the french expression 'bien dans ma peau', which basically means feeling good in your own body, because once you feel good in your own body, your size, color, shape, height, look doesn't matter anymore.

The Key to Success: Bras!

I've written a post about one of the clothing items I believe every girl should own (a Denim Jacket!) but I realized I never wrote a post about an essential piece of clothing all girls and women wear! My goal for this project was to create a blog which would potentially encourage girls to have a positive self-image through fashion. I've learned that trying to encourage a large group of girls is very difficult because we all have different insecurities, we are all different shapes and sizes, and we have different likes/dislikes and different styles.  However, I do believe that there are some items that can make all girls feel confident about their bodies, and one of those items is a bra.

Wearing a proper bra  


Wearing the proper bra can boost not only your bust, but your confidence as well! If you feel comfortable in what you are wearing, you are likely to feel comfortable in new situations. Whereas if you're unsure and self-conscious about the way you look, you'll probably feel awkward and self conscious!


I seriously can not emphasize this point enough! It sounds like such an obvious thing, but you'd be surprised by the number of girls who are wearing bras that are to big and even worse, bras that are way, way too small. Wearing a proper sized bra is the key to feeling comfortable in anything you wear. Not only do you feel better because you're not being suffocated in a bra two sizes too small (or swimming in a bra that gaps everywhere) but it also looks better! And this applies to all sizes! There are so many styles and cuts depending on what you're looking for! Don't think that because certain shops don't hold your size you should feel discouraged. This should never be used as an excuse to wear ugly, non-fitting bras!

First off, here is a great website that shows you how to make sure you bra is well fitted:Bravissimo: Perfect fit!

Here is another website with good tips on knowing whether you're wearing a good bra or not: http://johneen-manning.suite101.com/how-to-wear-a-bra-a40493

Everyone loves Victoria Secret, but sometimes their bras are a little over-the-top! But don't worry,  their PINK has a really cute collection of fun, colorful bras: http://www.victoriassecret.com/pink/bras   

Simply yours has an amazing selection of bras ranging from an A to a JJ(I didn't even know that existed!) : http://www.simplyyours.co.uk/shop/home

All you curvy girls out there will love this website! I know how hard it can be to find a bra that fits properly but still looks cute! This website has super girly bras and tons of different sizes: http://www.curvykate.com/

For you girls with petite bust, this website is perfect! Like girls with big busts, I know it can be quite hard to find cute bras in your size. This website sells bras from a size 32 AAA to a 36C .http://www.lulalu.com/

Down below are a couple of signs that indicate that you are wearing the wrong bra size:

1. Back of the bra rides up 
2. Centre lifts away from the breastbone
3. Sagging breasts
4. Straps dig into shoulders
5. Band pinches in at sides
6. Discomfort
7. Breast spillage (when breasts push up, over cups)
8. Uni-boob (when breasts are squished in so tight that two appear as one -- bad sports bras are common culprits)   


(source:Homemakers.com)

Summer's coming: Swimsuits 1

Swimsuit shopping gets harder and harder as the years go by.  The process of finding the 'perfect' swimsuit seems to be never-ending - there's always something wrong!  The other day I asked a bunch of my friends what kind of posts they'd like to see on this blog, and a few of them said they wouldn't mind reading a piece about swimsuits so here it goes! :)

First of all let me highlight the most annoying things about swimsuit hunting. I say hunting because personally, finding the 'perfect' bikini has become an impossible mission in Geneva. Yes, I am aware that plenty of shops sell bikinis but do you really want to go to the pool and see 30 girls wearing the same bikini as you? No, just..no.  How many of you are sick of having to shop at H&M to find a swimsuit because it's one of the few shops who has a range of sizes, huh? That's the main problem when it comes to swimsuits - SIZES!

Down below are some of the swimsuits from H&M's 2012 summer bikini collection. The sizes range from 34-44. Problem number one, how on earth are you supposed to find a swimsuit that fits your bust perfectly if it's numbered that way? Yes, they range from a size 34 to 44, but 34 what? A, B, C, D, how can we know what to pick?! What happened to the cup and back size?! This is one of the main reasons girls tend to wear bra's and bikini's that don't fit them properly, they don't even know which size to pick!
1.2.3.
4. 5.6.7.8.9.
...really? This is the 2012 collection?! Frankly I'm a little disappointed with this collection for two reasons. The first being that most of these designs are hideous and secondly, what happened to making bikinis everyone can wear?  See, when it comes to bikinis, it isn't only about the size, it's also about the cut. How is a girl with big boobs supposed to wear  bikini number 1 or 6? It won't cover anything! And what about girls who want to wear full piece swimsuits? Are these really the only styles H&M have?

1.2.

Here are some tips when it comes to swimsuit shopping:

1.  Buy them online! Most people don't like shopping online but let me tell you one good and only reason you should: BIGGER RANGE OF EVERYTHING! If you look at the options local, accessible shops like H&M have, they're pretty limited in sizes, styles and cuts. I know people are usually skeptical when it comes to ordering online, but I always order my swimsuits that way and  trust me, as long as you know what bra size you are, there's nothing to worry about! 

2.Try them on at home! Between the florescent lights, the small changing rooms and the unflattering mirror angles, you won't feel comfortable about your choice and you will feel depressed if you go home empty handed. I know it's a pain to buy something without trying it on but trust me, trying it on in the safety of your own home is a much better option. You'll get a clear look of how the suit looks and you can test it out to see if it holds everything in place to avoid a swimsuit malfunction! Also if you're generally self-conscious when it comes to wearing swimsuits, trying them on in a comfortable environment (i.e., your room) is a much better option! Warning: I feel the need to remind you that sometimes you can't return swimsuits due to sanitary reasons - so be sure to check before you leave the store. It sounds obvious but you'd be surprised... 

3. Try on as many as possible! if you're shopping in a store, try on a whole range of swimsuits. If you don't like the color but love the cut, try it on in every available color, it will definitely make a difference!

4. Shop with your mom or someone whose opinion you trust completely! No need to explain this, you should always go shopping with someone who will tell you the truth and whose opinion you trust.

5. AVOID THE VICTORIA SECRET WEBSITE (if you're already feeling self-conscious ). You will feel depressed because let's face it, most of us will never, ever look like that and why go through the pain? Avoid it at all costs.

(different styles continued on next post!)

Jeans: For Shorties!

I know what I'm talking about when it comes to jeans for short girls. I'm shorter than average (150cm ) and people always tease me about being short, which I honestly don't really mind because I like being short. I mean you never have problems on airplanes, you can cut lines really discretely and most importantly, you can wear massive heels! One of the questions on my survey was 'Name 5 things you hate about yourself' and a few girls wrote: 'My height, I'm sort of short!' and I was sad to read that. It's understandable to be frustrated about something you have control over and can be changed, like your weight or your teeth (braces), but your height - that's unchangeable. Either you'll grow taller or you won't, and unless you take some kind of hormonal pills, you can't do anything about it! This also applies to taller girls, no matter what height you are, you have to learn to embrace it and work with it and that's what I love about fashion. 

It's like your body is a white canvas and all these clothes, shoes, accessories, bags and jewelry are a  rainbow of colors you can mix&match to fit your vision. That doesn't mean that I don't sometimes  wish I could wear a maxi-dress and pull it off impeccably without having to adjust/hem/cut it to fit my body, but on the other hand I can still wear wedges and be shorter than most guys! 

But with every advantage there is to being short there are also some disadvantages. Take jeans, for example.  If you're short like me, you probably have extra material around your ankle and that's really annoying, isn't it? The best option, when it comes to extra material at the bottom of your jeans, is to hem them.  

When you're trying jeans on in the changing rooms(and if you're in Zara, I feel sorry for you- their floor is always so dusty) and they're dragging on the floor, fold them under until they're the length you want. This is the tricky part, which shoes are you planning to wear with them? What I like to do when trying jeans on is to try shoes on at the same time. I usually try on some basic ballerina flats in the spring or fall, boots in the winter and sandals or wedges in the summer. Think of which type of shoes you'll probably wear with that pair of jeans because heels can change everything! 

It's important to wear a pair of jeans that fit instead of squeezing into a smaller size. Depending on the style of the jeans, your size may vary from one brand to another, so don't worry about the number too much. Go for a pair that fits perfectly and any extra material on the bottom (for example) can be tucked in, hemmed or folded up. 

Now some tips for all you short girls: 

AVOID!

• Go for mid-rise jeans(middle of the hips). Wearing low-rise jeans can make make hips look bigger and your legs shorter. Even though I said you should embrace being short, you do want your legs to appear as long as possible!
•  If your stomach isn't completely flat(as is the case for many of us!), low-rise jeans will also emphasize  your stomach. 
• Stay away from cuffed jeans, they usually just make you look shorter. 
• You can wear almost every other jeans style, though if you go for boot-cut, make sure they're not to long or they'll drag on the ground, which relates once again to that fact that you have to consider the shoes because high heels or wedged and boot-cut jeans can work well.  
• When I shop for jeans in Geneva I usually just shop in the jeans section and look for my size because most shops(like H&M and Zara) don't have specific sections for petite jeans like Levi's does. If they're too long I get them hemmed. 
• If you don't want/can't afford/can't be bothered to get them hemmed just tuck them into boots!  

Wallet-Friendly Designer Alternatives!

Being a teenage girl and obsessed with fashion& clothes, I pay attention to my image and how I dress, so that involves buying new clothes as the seasons change. One of my favorite things to do is to follow fashion blogs during fashion week like manrepeller.com, and to keep up with the latest trends via blogs like fashionologie.com.

For example, on January 23rd, the Christian Dior Spring 2012 Couture fashion show was shown to the public. Since John Galliano was fired from 'La Maison' due to an antisemitic incident in which he was involved, Bill Gaytten has been in charge of Dior and his talent shone through the beautiful dresses in the Spring collection. Gaytten was inspired by vintage, 'classic' Dior pieces, and he used those as his inspiration for this collection. This video shows the 'Haute Couture' gowns of the 2012 Spring/Summer Collection. In my opinion, the stitching in itself is absolutely stunning. If you look at the many details stitched on the corsets, they're all so delicate and precise that you wouldn't think they were sewn by dozens of old ladies working fanatically behind closed doors, adding finishing touches hours before the show started. I watched a documentary about Karl Lagerfeld and 'La Maison Chanel' and believe me, the true artists are the seamstresses.


But even if some of these dresses are amazing(and other garments from this collection are really quite ugly, Christian Dior or not) some of the prêt-à-porter pieces could be mistaken for pieces from Zara! Now that could be looked at in two different ways. Dior won't be happy because they don't want their collection to seem 'cheap' or to resemble garments from more accessible shops. They're trying to sell a style!  And even more than that, a Lifestyle! They don't want someone to be wearing a nude-colored tulle Zara dress to have the courage of saying "Why yes, it is Christian Dior"and getting away with it! Oh no, quelle horeur! Brands like Christian Dior or Chanel want to be exclusive and prestigious. Period.

Now for people like me(basically jobless teenage girls who happen to like some of these dresses but couldn't afford them even if I saved up for a year) this is great! Imagine walking into Zara or even H&M and finding a much cheaper replica of a dress you've seen on the runway a couple of weeks ago. It's like walking into an ugly closet and landing in fashion Narnia, unimaginable but still something you dream of it constantly!

Unfortunately reality makes this possibility very rare, so usually if you want designer clothes your only choice is the original make. But that's okay, because there are other options. Yes, it would be wonderful to be able to wear some of these gowns but honestly it will probably never happen. When you see an outfit, or a dress or shoes that cost a fortune, don't dismiss the possibility of having one for yourself. Be resourceful and creative. Think. When I see something I really want to buy but can't, I usually search every single store available in Geneva(or if I'm on holiday, in that city) until I find something in that style. Sometimes it takes a long time until you find what you're looking for, but it's worth it in the end.

Here are some tips to use when you're looking for alternative, affordable items:

• Magazines like People Style and Teen Vogue usually have ideas on affordable versions or generally less expensive clothes. 
• Look at shops like Zara or Alberto Bini as they always have in-style clothing at reasonable prices, though Zara tends to be more expensive than H&M. 
• Look online, there are soooooo many shops with deals and sales all year round!
• Once a year, H&M collaborates with designers to create a limited edition collection. Last year, Versace for H&M was sold out in a couple of hours so my advice would be to get there A.S.A.P!

Wallet-Friendly Fashion!

If you're looking for affordable designer alternatives go to this post --> Wallet-Friendly Designer Alternatives. If you're not, then you're in the right place! 

Let me just start off by explaining what I mean when I say wallet-friendly fashion. I believe that wallet friendly (affordable clothes) doesn't necessarily mean cheap clothes, it simply means clothes that most 'normal' teenagers can afford on their own budget. Because if, like me you have the tendency to go shopping after school on a Friday and your parents aren't going to spend thousands on you and your clothes, you need to be able buy clothes with your own money, and therefore you can't exactly go shopping in places like Dior or Versace!

Living in Geneva can be annoying when it comes to shopping. H&M, Zara, Pimkie, Esprit, NafNaf Famous Ape, Mango and the dreaded Yendi are some of the common 'affordable' shops teenage girls go to, though Zara can be quite expensive depending on the season! Even so, the shops are limited and therefore most of us have the same clothes. Now that doesn't mean that there aren't any other shops -  I just haven't listed every single clothing shop in Geneva, just the few affordable ones around Cornavin, Rive and in Balexert. This doesn't mean that there aren't other shops in Geneva, but the other shops just aren't as affordable as the ones I listed above. 

Personally, I feel that if you have a good eye for spotting clothes that fit your style or that you just generally like, you should be able to find clothes in any shop, no matter the price or brand. People who feel that only expensive shops have the nicest clothes and that clothes from places like H&M are never nice are lacking a little of imagination in my opinion, because that isn't true. What they might be right about though, is the quality of the clothing. It's true that buying a leather jacket in Yes&No won't be as good (quality-wise) as one you may find in Zara, so watch out for that. You don't want to spend money buying two or three leather jackets that don't cost too much over the course of three years, than spending a bigger amount of money buying a leather jacket from Zara or Zadig&Voltaire that will last longer. Always think about durability! 

H&M has definitely improved collection-wise, the last couple of years! I found that the clothes quality has improved, the options have increased and the colors/patterns/cuts keep changing according to the trends! Zara has always sold good collections and even though it's still more expensive than H&M, it still sells affordable items. I would recommend buying basic t-shirts in places like H&M or Bershka, and buying jackets, blazers, jeans and any other cute 'extra' pieces in Zara, because it tends to have a variety of affordable high-fashion pieces.   

This is an outfit my friend and I put together for this topic. You see, I've known her for my entire life, and out of the two of us she's never really been 'into' clothes & fashion the way I have, though she's always liked shopping! In this picture she's wearing:

• Stripped t-shirt from Zara 
• A denim jacket from H&M 
• A navy Adidas bag
• A gray beanie hat from I Am 
• And grey Uggs  (which you can't see)

 As I mentioned above, you have to think about durability.  For example Uggs, you can buy them in so many shops, though some are real and some are fake. Uggs are actually quite expensive in Geneva, but if you're on planning on wearing them for a long time, I really would recommend buying real ones, because they definitely last long and you get your money's worth. 

Stepping out of your comfort zone!

The weather has finally calmed down- thankfully- and the temperature is just warm enough to start bringing out pre-spring clothes. Let me explain what I mean be 'pre-spring' clothes. The end of March usually signifies the beginning of spring, which means saying good-bye to scarves, woolly socks, beanie hats and parkas and hello to shorts, denim jackets, trench coats, light knitted cardigans, flowy tops, gladiators, wedges… I could go on forever! But as spring gets closer, new insecurities appear. Girls will start showing a little more skin, therefore our legs and arms will be exposed more than they were during the winter and judging by the survey I sent out, most girls dislike their legs and feel uncomfortable in more revealing clothing! During the spring/summer, many girls opt for shorts over jeans, sundresses over turtleneck pullovers and skirts over leggings (or the dreaded jeggings). I don't know about you, but the day I decide I'm going to wear shorts after nearly 6 months of wearing jeans is pretty nerve-wracking for a few simple reasons:

1. I haven't exposed this much skin in forever and it's a little scary to see your bare legs all day!

2.I've always found it kind of awkward to be the only one in shorts, just because I feel like everyone is staring at me when they're probably not!

3.I'm not in my comfort zone. I'm not hiding behind jeans and the fact that they can see most of my legs is a little frightening! 

Girl 1: Speaking of stepping out of your comfort zone, here is the perfect example of a girl who took a risk!  My friend let me style her for this photo-shoot, and she wasn't the only one surprised with the positive result! When dressing up for school, she usually wears jeans, hoodies and t-shirts (like most of us), but that day her whole outfit changed. She's quite tall, so a longer blazer was definitely necessary. Pairing the white shirt underneath was the perfect opportunity to add color to the rest of the outfit without it color blocking the shirt. This is why I love white shirts, they are like a clear palette waiting to be filled with colors! I thought adding a touch of color was a must, and this pink silk scarf did just the trick, it brightened up the entire look! I think it turned out great and she really liked it!

Girl 2: Here are some pictures of another girl who accepted the challenge of stepping out of her comfort zone for this photo-shoot! D usually hates wearing dresses because she doesn't really feel comfortable in them. She would rather wear jeans, t-shirts and hoodies. Convincing her to wear a dress was a challenge of it's own, but she took a risk and wore it anyway. D has a curvy body and a semi-hourglass figure, so the dress works!

The funny thing about this dress is that it belongs to another friend of mine who isn't as tall as D but it still looks good on both of them. And that’s the great thing about LBDs (Little Black Dresses). Both D and V have the same sort of hourglass figure (though one is taller than the other) so the dress works on both of them. The fact that the dress is quite high on the neck but doesn't have any other detail makes it simple and 'neutral' enough to be worn by most girls with the same figure. And the concept of a neutral black dress works with all types of dresses and figures. 

 Stepping out of your comfort zone can be scary at first, but that's okay! After the initial uneasiness it all goes back to normal and that feeling of nervousness is gone. And this is what I'm talking about when I say stepping out to your comfort zone. I think it's important to take fashion risks because you'll never learn if you don’t try. How are you supposed to find your style if you don’t experiment? Yes, this may indeed force you to wear something very different from what you would usually wear, but the trust me, it usually doesn’t feel as terrifying as you may think. But that links itself to self-confidence. If you have a lack of confidence in yourself (personality) or your body, you're more prone to sticking to what you're comfortable in and that's understandable. Though when you think about it, so many of us are feeling insecure about different things at the same time that we won’t even notice what you’re doing!

Stepping out of your comfort zone, taking a risk and trusting in yourself and the people whose opinion you trust is a great thing to do. Because what's the worst that can happen? We've all had bad hair days, bad dress days and terrible, terrible shoe days (I've worn wedges at the worst times ever), but so what? How can you gain confidence in yourself and see yourself in a positive light if you don't experience one or two mishaps along the way? Those experiences will help you grow and help you learn what to avoid in the future! I encourage all of you to wear an outfit that's completely different and out of your comfort zone at least once a month, just for a change.

Because honestly, how bad can it be?