Leyn,

Hello idol! Avid reader here! I hope you’re fine. Anyway, I am quite in trouble. I bought a like-new jacket from a thrift store. Before I use it, I washed it and totally forgot to wash it with care. Now it is messed up. (Please check the attached picture.) I am wondering if you have any idea to make it still look presentable or cute without people noticing that I messed it up. Thank you. More power.

P.S. Happy holidays!

Tutubi

Dear Tutubi,

Hey there, thanks for reading my blog. I’ve checked the attached image of your duffle jacket and I noticed that the leather strings’ surfaces were peeled off. Based on experience, one of my leather bags was also damaged like your jacket. I tried coloring the white parts with a pen but it just made my bag look gross. Haha.

I understand that you bought it from a thrift store (perhaps to save money from shopping) but if you really want that jacket, there’s no other way to fix the dented parts but ask a seamstress to repair it for you. It’s either you remove the strings completely or replace them with the same style. At least you still have the chance to change the color, buttons and its material so you won’t encounter the same washing difficulty. I really suggest you remove the scraped leather because the damage is obvious. Detailed sewing might have been done to attach the strings and if you’re not careful enough, the damage will just turn worse. If you think you can remove the strings by yourself, then that’s okay.

Well I know this is frustrating but just let your creativity work by refurbishing your jacket. Light gray or white looks better than brown strings so now it’s up to you if you want them replaced or not. It could cost you a hundred for small repair of ropes and toggles. You can come up with something like shown below:

Happy Holidays my dear.

Love Lots,

Leyn

Hi Leyn,

Hope you’re doing fine. I was searching the internet for formal wedding attires/cocktail dresses, when I found your blogspot. It’s really cool & interesting.

I would like to ask for your advice as well. I am attending a wedding by the end of the month of my high school guy friend.  I’m not the fashion forward type, just a simple dresser (jeans, polo shirts, sneakers. BTW I’m a girl, late 20s). The wedding ceremonies will start by 4 pm, and the attire should be formal (american style). I tried to look this up on the net, but I’m not quite sure yet how it is defined sa Philippine setting.

I stand at  5′2″, morena type, have big arms, flabs on the stomach &  a little heavy on the thighs..Obviously, I don’t have the perfect body, but of course I still want to look good on the wedding. Do you have any idea what I should wear? What shoes & accessories should I invest on? I want to look simple but elegant…Where can I find affordable ones?

Appreciate it very much if you can help. More Power! Thanks!

Sincerely,

T

Dear T,

I’m doing great here. Good thing you landed on my page. Now, let’s enumerate the ideas:

American Style

First, think of an American stereotype movie with garden wedding scenes. Attendees are usually dressed up in simple and short cocktail dresses so basically, it’s not far from a Filipino style wedding (except that men should wear tuxedo instead of barong tagalong.)

Wedding Theme

Second, know the wedding’s motif. The theme might be pure white, pink, purple etc. Your dress should at least blend with the wedding’s motif to avoid catching too much attention. If you want a safe color that looks proper in any motif, try beige or any earthy colors to also match your complexion.

Cocktail Dress

Next is to apply basic fashion for fuller size shapes. I’ve mentioned before that darker shades of clothes are more appropriate for plus size figures. Plus according to some fashion experts, wearing black or dark colors in wedding events are okay as long as you’re not part of the entourage. Know what style/cut of dress will flatter your figure. If your bottom or thighs look heavy, try fitting a knee length empire cut dress. In this way, your hidden flabs around your waist won’t be noticeable and you can freely move throughout the event.

Blazer

If having bigger arms is a problem and you’re not comfortable exposing them, then look for a dress with butterfly sleeves and show off some shoulders. As an alternative, a tube/sleeveless dress is fine then you can match it with a black blazer. No shawls please.

Mid-Heels and Elegant Accessories

Wear an open toe mid-heel sandals with a touch of gold or silver. Your sandals doesn’t have to be expensive but there are lots of sandals that looks cheap and sirain so be selective when you shop. There are so many good finds in VNC, Celine (P700-P2500) or Landmark (P300-P900).

In my opinion, accessories, hairstyle and make-up make a difference. With your skin tone, neutral colored make-up fits better and don’t forget to apply bronzer on your cheeks. Smear a flesh lip gloss over a brownish shade of lipstick.

Borrow a simple gold jewelry set from your mom or friend because big plastic accessories are not suitable with formal occasions like this. Lastly, carry a clutch instead of oversized shoulder bags.

I can’t cite several stores because it depends on your budget. Though one store I can think of is People Are People (P900-P2000), they sell cheaper cocktail dresses compared to other boutiques. You can come up with looklet fashions like shown below. (Ignore the system generated models, they’re annoyingly skinny.)

I bet other high school friends will also attend the wedding so make sure you look best on that day. Good luck.

Love Lots,

Leyn