How to Tie a Neck Tie by Carson

I thought I might share this page from Carson's book. It's really useful.

Shoe Shopping with the girls

 Cake Shoe!

So, shoes for the big girls is hard to find. First of all, when you are a big girl, chances are, your feet are also big. I'm a size 14-16 and 5'4"... my shoes isze is 8 wide. Easy to find???
Wrong. Not in this country, anyways.
Our shoes sizes are so limited but that reflects on our economy. For the past decade, there is no longer half sizes. We don't have any half sizes either. Oh, did I mention our sizes here are medyo varied?
With China imports and brands that shoe their own shoe lasts, we really have varied sizes here. I get a size 8 for Marikina shoes. If it's made is China, it's a size 39(9) but if it's a China brand that's made in China, It's a 40 to 41. By the way, if my relatives send me shoes from the states, it's usually 8 petite or 7 1/2 wide.

My tip to buying shoes? FIT it! Wear it, bend, walk and jump.
Ask yourself these questions before buying the shoes(especially impulse buying)

1. Does it fit well?
2. Is it comfortable? Even after bending and jumping?
3. Which outfits/coordinates will match it? (If it fits 3 to 4 coordinates, then buy away)

I bought the tan one!

 Me!

 I love the pink clogs!

I want the bling one!

Flattering Prints

No matter how proud we are of our body, face it! We want to look slim and fit. Nobody wants to look bigger than they are.

Working with prints are a little tricky because they might not be flattering.

Here are flattering prints and not flattering prints:

No pile is things someone size 12 and above should avoid. Mostly there are the horizontal stripes. Having it checkered tartan style is not flattering either.

Yes pile is obviuosly the suggested ones. Vertical and diagonal lines are the body. They actually look like movements for your eyes to follow.

Maybe pile is subjective. There are prints of various types. Try it on first before purchasing clothes with these prints. They may or may not look ok on you.

Picking in a Feast

It's hard not to eat who you are in a party. Since we are Pinoys, it's rude not to eat at all. Like all Pinoy Party attendees, I feast but am now more picky in what I shovel down my gut. Make no mistake, I still eat a lot.

I shall reiterate what's on the table and divide it up to LOTS, SOME, NO WAY.

LOTS (Go on an feast on these)

• Ginataang shrimp (When cooked right, it's healthy and so fresh and rich in zinc)
• Fresh Green salad (duh) Easy on the dressing
• Freshly baked Buko Pie
• Pansit
• Fresh Ripe Mangoes

SOME (take it easy)

• Adobo (Lay off the soysauce.)
• Lumpia shanghai (But it vegetarian! So? It's still fried!)
• Rice (limit since it's a party 1 1/2 cup)

NO WAY (stay away from these food... if you can)

• Cake (just a bite. So you won't eat too much, share a slice with your sis)
• Letson (But I can't help eat a few bits and a slice of balat!)
• Ice Cream (Don't eat this unless you want to clog your arteries. You just ate oily foods and top it off with ice cream. Are you crazy? One word: SEBO go research!)

So, I encourage you guys to make a mental checklist of what you ate in a party. It could save your hearts. Not to mention belly.

I'm living a full and healthy life and this is my type of diet!

Modelling 101

As a Designer, I have to be able to coach my models into the poses best for a shoot/runway. 

I did a bit of amateur modelling and was surprised to find being on the end of the catwalk actually thrilled me.

Here are basic modelling poses and tips to help any girl out there building their portfolio.

Note: I pictures these myself. How??? Put the camera on top a shelf and hit the timer. (hehehe)

To practice posing, here's step 1: Dress comfortably 

Step 2: Comfy clothes but unfortunately, every model needs heels. So, wear high heels.

Heels work wonders on your legs. Try it. I'm wearing leggings to see the effect. 

Step 3: Apply light make-up even if it's just mascara and lipstick.

Now it's time to vogue.

The Head Shot

Head shots are important aspect in your modelling portfolio. Let's face it... It's your FACE.

It's a model's mugshot.

Take a picture of yourself: Front, 3/4, side profile and semi-back. Look which angles best suit you.

Head shots are tricky because it it limited to the space of your head. For this shoot, I added some props. This wedding hat should convey a lot of meaning and that must be in line with how I pose my face.

Yes, faces have to be posed as well.

From happy to thinking, to shocked, to secretive, to angry then finally prayerful. See the difference?

Body Movement

Try being creative in posing. These poses are static except for the arms. The blue tulle shows movements.

Also find ways to get the best shape for you.

Creative Posing

Strike a pose! Vogue it! Put on some music to inspired you. Get a mirror and look at your body movements.

Tip: Create space through your hand movements. Utilize your legs. Bend them in angles. Bend your body in angles. You can also use props to help you get into character.

Well, ladies. Hope these help you. If you're not planning to be a model, it's fun to let go and imagine once in a while. If all else fail, it can be goo facebook profile pics.

See your best angles

One tip:

Mirror

Sometimes, the camera capture not so flattering sides of us. How do we avoid this? Not by plastic surgery that's for sure. Practice in front of the mirror. That's how you can see your best angle. then try taking snapshots of you. See what works in front of the lens.

After a few tries, you'll get it right.
So, click away!

Closet Organization Part 1: Bring on the Bin

It’s still the start of the year and if you follow the Chinese Calendar, it’ll be new year in a week’s time.

What does that mean? SPRING CLEANING.

Well, in this country, there’s no spring. It’s just beginning of the year, dry season, stormy season and Christmas season. So we start the year anew. It’s fresh, it’s sunny and the weather is great. That means it’s the perfect time to clean out the closet.

Let’s make closet cleaning more fun with a game. It’s a scavenger hunt. Below are descriptions of clothes that have got to go. It fits the bill, then…

Bring On The Bin!

ü  Any item you’ve never worn in the last 6 months.

ü  Any item you’ll never wear in 6 month or more.

ü  Clothes that are too big

ü  Clothes that are too small

ü  Over-stretched items

ü  The garter’s already gone

ü  The brass/metal buttons are rusted

ü  Things with permanent stains

ü  Holes that can’t be patched up anymore

ü  Garments with worn areas or himulmol

ü  Baston pants, psychedelic prints and large polka-dot tops (trust me, they’re not coming back anytime soon)

ü  Tattered underwear

Spare yourself the closet space. Get rid of it.

Next time on Fully-Figured: Closet Organization Part 2: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Skirt Sweep of Width

The opening for your legs is called the Sweep of the Skirt. This also determines the cut of the skirt.
This picture above may help you to determine what they are.

This is the basic skirt design.

Pencil Cut and Straight cut skirts are usually used for corporate wear. They need stiff fabrics to give a good flow. There materials would be Wool, Gabardine and sometimes, heavy cotton. Straight cut skirts can be used in denim and twill skirts.

A-line is the common cut because it is most flatering on a woman's body. Should she have thick or thin legs, an A-line works wonders.

Full Skirt is very wide with the sweep of about 30 inches (x2) to as much as a full circle. This cut always uses flowing materials for it to fall daintily and not stiffly. Textiles commonly used are silks, jerseys and light cotton. Guaze can give it an ethereal look.

Working with Turtleneck Tops

Turtleneck is not usually recomended for short/stout necks. But there are some new designs that are out in the market that can just be for you. For one thing, haltered designs will help to elongate the torso.

The problem most short necked people have is being short in stature. For the stout necks, these girls usually have a box figure. The cut of the clothes is very important in altering the shape. Part of the cut is the neckline. Necklines are tricky because they are the top of your garment. If you are not comfotable with the haltered effect, find ones that are semi-haltered. The opening of the armhole starts one inch from neckline. This hides the underarm forld that most full-figured women wish to conceal.

In buying turtleneck tops, find ones with shirring. These shirring creates lines that will elongate your torso. A keyhole or cut-out design will also do the desired effect. These two elements will go a long way in adding to your neck length.