Saturday, February 1, 2014

Crop it like it's haute!

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Exploiting the season while midriffs are still basking in its skin-is-in moment. Crop tops sure came a long way since the Spice Girls glory days circa 1990 and now they come in all form of shapes and sizes - ruffled, bandeaus, bustier cut, etc. - to suit any body type.

I've had my eyes on the cross over bustier style since Balenciaga gave birth to it and as far as "inspired pieces" go, I think Sabo Skirt was the first to commercially mass produce this design. It's one of those pieces tucked in the priority section of my closet for half a year now but couldn't muster the courage to wear them out since it is particularly tricky to find the perfect undergarment for this. 
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Blazers are not strictly for 9-5 dressing and soon you'll be rocking them from 5-9, too! The short suit trend (co-ordinates) came sweeping the runways faster before you can say 'Androgynous'. The key to sartorial perfection is choosing the right silhouette for your body. My wide, manly shoulders turned out to be an excuse to wear oversized blazers (okay, I'm down to size 4, straddling between Small and Medium and Medium is obviously big on me boohoo). The bottom is the tricky part because they ran out of sizes and I had to settle for a size 4 (small) but turns out, it falls perfectly on my 'true' waist and it doesn't pose a serious risk to my recently-yanked-out-and-still-recovering belly button piercing. 
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Neo Mex shorts, blazer, Link Top, waterfalls necklace all from Sabo Skirt | Yves Saint Laurent Le Sixieme chain bag | Stradivarius studded t-strap sandals
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Ta-da! Don't be intimidated. While a short suit looks effortlessly formal (read: Power Dressing) by default, how you style it will ultimately set you apart from the next girl.
  • Printed Matter - Plain blazers are timeless but printed ones can be recycled just as much. Printed coordinates can be worn together or recycled with other articles of clothing when worn as separates! Printed shorts can be worn with chiffon blouses and the printed blazer can go with dresses or plain bottoms. 
  • Inner wear as outer wear - What you wear inside your blazer makes a world of difference. High waist bottoms and cropped-anything are match made in sartorial heaven. If you've been itching to wear crop tops but you're a little uncomfortable showing too much skin, this is the perfect outfit to wear it with! Besides, I don't think this trend was made for a real, serious, 9-5 business setting anyway (it is office inspired--at the very least). It's about crossing over some pieces of your office wardrobe to your Socials wardrobe. 
    • And this is the part where I interrupt to reiterate the importance of balance in dressing. It is okay to show some skin. The blazer balances everything out. 
  • The perfect shoes - Strappy sandals are the perfect choice for casual power dressing. It makes the short suit a little less formal and more relaxed. I went with a teal-colored footwear to complement the prints of my outfit.
  • Ana on chains - If eyebrows can make or break your make-up, accessories are equally powerful to do the same. I went with a silver tone waterfall necklace as the statement piece (which doubles as a cover up to my chest area). Brilliant, huh?

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Kisses,
A

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