Dare to bare

Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday. The comments section for this column is open. You may leave a comment in the field below. -

I’m a very simple person, in thought and actions. In my eyes anyways.

My dad and I were on our way out to run some errands today. And when I walked down the stairs (in my eyes, acceptably dressed, showered and smelling pretty good!), my beloved father took one look at me and said,

Darling, why don’t you put some make-up on?

….hold on… WHAT? My dad? The one who wears polos from 1984 with pride because it has lasted him years !!?!!

I am in my mid twenties and I don’t wear make-up.
I do – ish, on a night out, I wear some eye liner and mascara, maybe some blusher if it’s a really special occasion. I don’t venture into the unknown world of daily make- up wearing, the whole concealer, foundation, powder, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, blusher, and lipstick ( is there more?)

My friends, however, feel naked without it, or in their own words, ‘I feel like I haven’t got a face on.’

Is it time for me to move with the times?

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*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday. The comments section for this column is open. You may leave a comment in the field below.

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Statement necklace

Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday. Illustrations by Romi. –

You know when you go to the museum and go to the part where they show the earliest evidence of human life…What do you find?

You find some basic pots and pans…AND…jewellery.

Yes, while the men entertain themselves with cooking, we women concentrate on the more important aspects of life, beautification.

I suggest we go back to basics. The basics which are chunky necklaces, or as they are so very loosely termed:

The Statement Necklace

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My personal rules for them
1. Always wear with a colour block top/dress. Sometimes too much is just too much.
2. Choose quirky necklaces made from unconventional materials and components. Have some fun!
3. Try combining more than one necklace.( I’ve seen it done so many times and it works so well.)
4. Wearing it under a collar is so chic
5. 3D is better than 2D

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These are some gorgeous necklaces designed by Romi :)

A. Made of golden feathers, layered on to create a wing effect.
B. For the lovers of punk rock , lightning bolts with clear crystals
C. Cleopatra inspired rusty golden necklace with colourful stone inlay

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*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday. Illustrations by Romi.

The slave in me

Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday. -Don’t waste your money and rush out to buy the next IN thing but think how you can incorporate it into your wardrobe or even better play around with what you already own.

Nothing pisses me off than self-righteousness. And I don’t mean it in the conventional religious way. Although some might argue in the name of fashion religion.

So, what is a fashionista? Where do we draw the line between someone who is fashionable and someone who blatantly has an odd sense of ‘fashion’ or none at all. What makes one person fashionable and another a fashion disaster?

I was at work today and a particular colleague’s shoe and socks combo just made me want to throw up in my mouth. No exaggerations here folks. Snake skin shoes and knee high St Trinian’s socks – both are supposedly IN.

My judgment might be slightly skewed by her horrible personality but I sat at my table and asked myself, why do I register that as a fashion faux pas? I suppose it’s like what makes a person attractive?

Some may say a sharp nose, big eyes, heart shaped face and shiny hair but one can possess all of the above and still be unfortunate looking. So what is it?

I read a recent article about fashion/style blogs and us thinking that we are ambassadors of fashion. What makes us different from just another fashion victim.

Something happens and everyone joins the trend. I think it’s because there are so many cheesy blogs. It’s the blind leading the blind. People think they’re experts because they research things on their computers at home, where they’re safe. Now people can see everything, but maybe that will create a little more individualism. I hope so.

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I’ve chosen 2 chic (in my opinion) , rather unusual gladiators to prove my point of the difference of a person aware of the ‘fashion world’ and one who follows blindly.

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It was when the whole gladiators thing happened and everyone followed suit, and the whole maxi dress obsession and now the boho chick and the plaid invasion.

I never bought a pair of gladiators , but owned one maxi dress ( which I then gave to my sister , because it shrank, not because I fell out of love with it ) and now have accumulated two new plaid dresses/skirts. Victim? Maybe.

Personally I’m sick of seeing people wearing plaid and it’s only early into the season. Don’t know how I am going to survive the rest of autumn.

If my two cents’ worth anything, I would advice those who wish to get onto the bandwagon to choose wisely. Don’t be a fashion slave but by all means be aware of the world of fashion. Don’t waste your money and rush out to buy the next IN thing but think how you can incorporate it into your wardrobe or even better play around with what you already own.

After all, most of the time, I gain satisfaction from coming up with an outfit rather than actually wearing it. It’s the birth of the idea that is satisfying, rather than the compliments you get when you don it around town.

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*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday.

Oh, this old thing!

Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday. – “How good does it feel when someone asks you ‘Wow, where did you get that bag/dress/top??’ And your answer…’Oh, it’s vintage’…

“The novelties of one generation are only the resuscitated fashions of the generation before last.”
- George Bernard Shaw

You’ve got to be a fool not to notice.

The only thing left to do is to go to you mother’s/gran’s closet and go wild!
You’ll be surprised at the treasures you can find.

And how good does it feel when someone asks you
‘Wow…, where did you get that bag/dress/top??’

And your answer…

Oh, it’s vintage

For extra points, walk off calmly to the nearest corner before performing your victory dance. :)

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Below are some gems my friends found in their mummys’ /grans’ walk-in closets ( what happened to equality transcending age !)

“Fashion is more usually a gentle progression of revisited ideas.”
- Bruce Oldfield

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*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday.

The magic of buttons

I love adding my own touch to everything. My clothes, my food. I have to make it unique.

Imagine the excitement when I found these hand painted ceramic buttons on sale.

*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday.

Pearly whites

A new obsession?

It might just be the coming of age….. or if you like OLD age.
Ok, one might have to be above a certain age to wear pearls but that age limit doesn’t have to be 90 as previously thought.
Really.

Got your trendy nerdy glasses and your notepad? I think it’s time we educate ourselves about these beauties

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Natural Pearls

Right, like you, I loveeeeee the real deal. However, if finding one is like looking to get a free pair of this season’s Manolos, then I suggest we look for alternatives. Natural pearls are formed in the deep deep sea naturally – read, no human meddling. And boy are they hard to come by; Three or four pearls to be found in three tonnes , YES tonnes of oysters from the, did I mention DEEEEPP deep sea. And apparently, only an X-ray can tell the difference between these real gems to their cultured cousins.

Cultured Pearls

These are pearls deliberately grown in oysters. I know, it sounds cheap and fake but they are not really. Out of all the oysters experimented on, only half will even come up with a pearl, and out of that 50% , only 5% would make the ever scrutinising eye of the pearl quality-control officer.

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Saltwater Pearls vs Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls come from lakes, rivers, ponds but most come from China. They are cheaper and more can be produced at any one time. Saltwater pearls come from oysters which live in oceans. There are 3 main types of Saltwater Pearls ; akoya, South sea and Tahitian.

Which colour should I get?

Which colour pearl you get will depend on which colour (read: type) oyster you have. The Tahitian pearl is mostly black and beautiful, although they range from silver to purple. The South Sea pearl can be anything from pink to gold. They are also the Big Mamas of the Pearl family, reaching the size of 23mm in diameter.

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So…. I have this string of pearls and I think they are fake

Test it. Run them along the biting bit of your front tooth ( it helps if you still have them) ; the real ones feel gritty and the fake glass ones will feel smooth. I tried it and can’t tell for sure. But apparently this is how some jewellery thieves do their research.

Clever Cartier

In 1917, Mr Cartier bought a piece of real estate with double stranded natural pearls valued at 1 million USD. This piece of real estate later became his US company headquarters, and if I must highlight the glaringly obvious, makes him millions and millions. Too bad for the other guy, his double stranded natural pearl was sold 40 years later at a mere 150, 000. Tragic. The new found love for cultured pearls was later blamed.

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Necklace

Like our school pinafore hems, pearl necklaces come in different lengths. And thankfully, different names.
The collar : sits at the throat
The choker : base of the neck
Princess pearls : top of the chest
Matinee of pearls : above the breast
Opera length : at the breast bone

They say Pearls are the only gems produced by an animal, I say it depends on your definition of an animal.

“Chanel is composed of only a few elements, white camellias, quilted bags and Austrian doorman’s jackets, pearls, chains, shoes with black toes. I use these elements like notes to play with.”
- Karl Lagerfeld

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*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday.

Lace it up

Lace can be very tacky as well as elegant.

Unless you know exactly what you are doing; I suggest no one should attempt to wear white lace. An exception if it’s your wedding day, make that your FIRST wedding. Black lace on the other hand is very experimental.

And experimental, I love.

4 years ago, I helped a friend design her outfit for a special occasion ( it wasn’t her wedding!) , and we chose black lace and softened it with pink chiffon and satin (soft, baby pink, almost peach-ish) and it looked fabulous!

I am not claiming to be the next Karl Lagerfeld, having been ahead of the Autumn 08 collection some 4 years ago, we all know that lace has been around even before. That is the beauty of fashion though, rediscovering and reinventing.

So, fasting month is approaching which to many reads Eid/Hari Raya/Aidilfitri is around the corner. What a brilliant opportunity to flex those creative-designer-muscles and add some black lace to your kebaya/kurung.

These are some ideas I have in mind,
……..wonder which ones my mother would approve.

*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA, about fashion, style & sorts, every Thursday. Illustrations by Romi.

Thanks ma

I have a sister who is within 2 years my senior and a mom who is über imaginative in her fashion sense.

The combination?

My sister and I will always, always , without fail be dressed in similar clothes. OK, similar is an understatement, identical would be more apt a description. If we were lucky we’ll own the same dress in a different colour.

What is up with that?

Ever since, my dress sense is to be different. Not necessarily to stand out, but everything is with a twist ;) That’s how my fashion sense/experimental style/weird take on fashion/uncoolness was born.

Style to me is individuality.

My sister and I: spot the difference. There is a difference, I kid you not.
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Scroll down for answer…..you geek...
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One of them is bigger….that’s my sister!

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*Written by Miss Not Ascertainable. She writes for RA every Thursday.

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