hi sosyalera,

ive been an avid reader of your page and im a cancer survivor. gusto ko sana patulong sa problema ko. kasi after chemo, 3 months tumubo narin ang hair ko, about 3 inches na ngayon at nahihirapan ako paano ko ito aayusin lalo na pag lumalabas ako with friends and going to church. i tried using headbands and hair clips, pero parang nakakasawa na ung laging ganun na hairstyle. gusto ko din sana itry ung scarf pero di ko lam kung pano ito gagamitin na babagay sa akin. gusto ko din sana magpa hair extension pero hndi ko alam kung san ba maganda at kung pwede ung hindi nman ako mamumulubi sa presyo.

thanks in advance and GODBLESS.

- cancer survivor

Dear cancer survivor,

I’m glad that you survived the condition and this is my first time to receive a question about post chemo so i’m quite amazed. Hehe. Well from what I know, hair strands start to grow back at least 6 weeks after your last chemotherapy. The newly grown strands are not yet as strong as your natural hair so as of now, I am discouraging you to undergo any kind of hair treatment (like extensions as you mentioned). You may want to hold off on having chemical processes like perms or coloring because your hair is still fragile and scalp is very sensitive.

Please use gentle shampoo (parang baby shampoo) and conditioner for your hair. You have to be patient because it’s safer to wait for your hair to grow longer than experiment. Your case is sensitive so it’s better to consult a dermatologist/hair specialist about the right products for your scalp. Taking Vitamin E can also help.

Fashion-wise, try collecting fashionable scarves you can use to accessorize. A colorful scarf can add life to a plain looking dress.

And here are some scarf styles that you can do. Practice makes perfect:

One disadvantage of using scarves is it easily falls off and you need to use a hair pin to stay it on place. But I find scarves more fashionable than using headbands and clips.

Just don’t feel uneasy about your look. Example, Emma Watson carries the same look (perhaps even shorter than your hair) with her new hairdo. It looks good on her because the details of the cut draw attention to her lovely eyes. So if the length of your hair is long enough to have it styled, it’s okay to cut your hair and look for short-hair styles that complement your features – eyes, cheeks or jawline.

That’s all! Stay happy and healthy.

Love Lots,

Leyn

Good Day, Ms Leyn! I am a freshman college student taking up Tourism. I’ve been reading your blog posts for a long time and I find it very helpful and informative most especially to the younger generation. Just like your other fans, I would like to ask for some help and advice regarding my problem.

Weeks from now I’ll be attending a seminar with my fellow batch mates in a hotel. Our professor told us to wear a corporate attire during the seminar instead of wearing our uniforms. My problem is this is my first time attending a seminar and this is also the first time I’ll be asked to wear a corporate attire. The only idea I have in mind about a corporate attire is the usual attire of those people who works in an office like those slacks and blazers. I really don’t have an idea on what to wear for that seminar. I want to wear a corporate attire that looks formal yet chic and not old-fashioned. I hope you can help me with this Ms. Leyn. Thank you and God bless.

- V

Dear V,

As what you’ve said, slacks and blazers are like ‘the standard corporate attire’ so it’s acceptable if you wear them on the seminar. But just for a more stylish look, I advise you to wear a semi-formal dress with short sleeves, above-the-knee length and minimal prints. Pair it with a classic black pumps and you’re off to go.

Here are other dress samples and notice how a simple black purse and a pair of black shoes complement the dress. So be careful with the colors you pick. Safe shades are maroon, teal and other earth colors.

If you find the style a bit liberated, you can wear a blazer as a cover-up and it will also make you look “more professional”. Brush up your hair, accessorize with small jewelries and apply light make-up. From what I know, tourism students are advised to look presentable so make sure to look good especially on events like this.

Thanks for being a reader of my blog! Spread the love!

Love Lots,

Leyn

Hi Leyn! I’ve been reading your blog ever since! Your advices are indeed helpful and I am meaning to ask for an advice, too

2 weeks from now, we’re going to have this party at school, the problem is, I still don’t know what to wear. We are ought to wear formal attires, but sleeveless & above-the-knee dresses aren’t allowed. I’m petite, dark, super tall, long haired. just imagine an ugly bitch! I’ve been wandering the web but still can’t find what would fit me best. I’m a bit desperate now. I hope you can help me?

- PIA

Dear PIA,

What kind of party is that? No sleeveless and short dresses? WTF. You’re in trouble. LOL. Kidding.

I didn’t quite understand what you meant with petite then super tall? Mali yata. Don’t call yourself ugly because you will definitely feel and look ugly if you think like one. Anyhow, with your case, the styles I can suggest are draped skirt cocktail dresses with sleeves. Here are my picks:

Match your knee-length cocktail dress with a pair of black pumps to elongate your legs. I am thinking of suggesting Maxi Dresses but long gowns with sleeves may look overrated. You will never go wrong with the classic black high-heels.

For accessories, just carry a small purse for the formal-look and simple set of jewelries. If you want ala-Serena Van Der Woodsen look, maintain a down straight hairdo or tie your hair up if you prefer to look more formal.

Just a tip, if you’re doing a little fashion research on the web, do not Google search like “dresses for formal party” or “formal attire for petite girls”. You might be landing on styles posted last 2003. Be specific on the actual dress you want to draw idea from. You should check out decent fashion brands (Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Juicy Couture, Chloe, Marc Jacobs, D&G etc.) and look at the updated collections one-by-one. From there, you will have an idea what are the IN styles, colors and designs.

And lastly, get yourself some confidence girl. You won’t ask for an advice if you don’t want to feel pretty.

Time to shine!

Love Lots,

Leyn

Hi Leyn,

First of all I just want to say I am a big fan of your blog. I visit it frequently to get ideas or laughs.

Now that the start of school is nearing, I would just like to ask if maybe you could suggest accessories to make school uniform not look boring. Since I’m in high school, I don’t get to wear I clothes I want to. Do you have any ideas on how to make a uniform look more “me” ?

Alina

Dear Alina,

Hi there! Are you sure you’re a big fan? You might be mistaken. Lol. Thanks for visting my blog.

Anyway, unlike in other countries, schools are usually strict with uniforms so I won’t suggest something that can exaggerate your look. With regards to accessories, choose just 1 noticeable accessory per day. Collect headbands, bangles, and necklaces. Here are my picks:

Pick simple headbands. Do not be a gossip girl poser by wearing super-sized headbands and bright colors. Collect materials like thin ribbons, beads and thin chains.

Since layered necklaces aren’t appropriate with school uniforms, stick to multichain bracelets instead.

For necklaces and earings, wear the simplest pieces as much as possible.

Shift to shoulder bags from boyish backpacks. Though make sure that you choose youthful styles and not the office-type bags. Add charms and keychains to add style to your simple bag.

Just remember to buy accessories that are not too colorful para hindi mukhang cheap. Be particular with colors that should blend with your school uniform.

Good luck to your schooling.

Love Lots,

Leyn

Dear sosyalera,

Good day! Reading your blog is very entertaining. Natatawa ako at the same time very useful ang mga tips and advices mo sa mga readers. I tried searching your blog if may advice ka with regards to whitening the underarms but I got zero results. Truth is I love dancing kaya lang dahil sa dark underarms ko… I shyed away. It is frustrating dahil hindi naman nagwowork yung mga whitening cream na nilalagay ko. I was hoping na sana mabigyan mo ako ng advice tungkol dito. Thank you for reading.

-tin-

Dear -tin-,

Hey there. Thank you if you find my blog entertaining. I always try to be spontaneous and serious but I end up making fun of myself. Lol. Anyway, you’re the first one who asked this kind of concern so you cannot find any inquiry about UA whitening.

Honestly, I don’t have the perfect underarms. Syempre may lines but I’m quite lucky they’re not dark. Lines and bumpy hair follicles are normal unless your skin is really perfect or “polished”. If your underarms have mild lines then whitening creams / deodorants will work. But if the darks spots are obvious then you should undergo underarm whitening treatment. Unfortunately, derma treatment is the most effective and fastest way of lightening dark armpits. Do not believe in the promises of whitening creams because it’s better to undergo skin bleaching to make sure the dark outer skin peels.

As you’ve mentioned, you’ve been using whitening creams. Have you tried using peeling solution instead? (For example Kate Jones underarms peeling solution for 400php.) But please do a research before trying products without consulting a derma, ok? I don’t want to recommend brands I haven’t tried before.

That’s it, to sum it up, do not depend on creams and try an advanced treatment instead. It may be more expensive but the effect is long-lasting. At least you’ll have more confidence especially on doing things that you love. But for the meantime, just be choosy with the clothes you wear while you decide for the right solution.

Cheers!

Love Lots,

Leyn

Hi Leyn,

I always visit your site and read about those interesting articles. I learn a lot from your blogs, so thanks for that.

I just want to ask for your help about those what they call vintage accessories. Cause i have few of those accessories and I don’t know if I’m wearing it with the right clothes. So please help me find the right clothes for those accessories

I attached a picture of one of my vintage accessory, just to help you picture it in your mind

ANNA

Dear ANNA,

I’m not sure if you sent an e-mail twice but sorry for this super late reply. I hope you still read my blog. Lol.

Anyway, vintage accessories are really in right now. And these lovely pieces can be matched with almost any type of clothing so the style is versatile. So that everyone knows what I’m talking about, here are the necklaces I’m referring to:

As I’ve mentioned, you can wear them with any style – jeans, dresses, casual shorts, but i think you need to match your vintage necklace with the right colors. Actually, any color will do but basing on my taste, here are my picks:

For example, check out some cute dresses with peach or pinkish colors. Florals and small prints are trendy.

If you’re the jeans type of person, you can wear a loose-fitting tank top (or jersey) and skinny jeans. Upgrade your casual outfit from the usual plain shirt and wear something sleeveless.

Vintage charm accessories are better off with simple dresses (without so much details and intricate designs).

Vintage-looking necklaces like shown above are available in department stores for 150-200 pesos. I saw a stall named Funky Chic (not sure) in Robinson’s Place Manila that sells necklaces like these. The one with a camera pendant costs 180 pesos. It’s actually cheap compared to genuine vintage accessories sold in vintage stores.

Anyhow Anna, thanks for frequently reading my blog.

Love Lots,

Leyn

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your continued support. I will try my best to answer them all. Much Love!

- L

Good day Ms. Leyn,

I know that you already have a lot of queries asking for tips on  clothing for petite people, but I always find that the description of these petite people differ from my body type. I don’t exactly know what body type I am so I attached a few pictures that I hope could help you.

I’m around 5 feet tall (give or take 1 inch) and skinny like most people around my age.

Any tips on dressing up would be of really great help because I will be entering college this June and since I come from 13 years of schooling with uniforms, I don’t exactly know how to dress myself continuously every day as i’m used to usually wearing house clothes after school and just the plain t-shirt and pants kind of clothes when I’m out. Hopefully you can give me tips on what would look nice on me and what to stay away from.

Thank you for taking your time to read this, and I hope you choose to reply to this e-mail through your site

-collegedazed

Dear collegedazed,

Hey there, I saw your pictures and you’re actually cute. Can you date my single guy friends? Lol. Just kidding.

You know what, if ever I’ll be given a chance to change my body built, I’d choose being petite because small girls look cute when dressed up. Looking at your pictures, I believe you can be in any type of clothing because you’re long-legged regardless of being small. If you didn’t mention your height, I’d actually think you’re 5′3.

First, always remember these clothing tips for petite girls.

Second, check what’s in your closet. Set aside your old ‘junks’ and gradually switch to stylish clothes instead of the usual jeans and baggy shirt outfit. These are the basic must-haves in your closet:

Shirts and Tank Tops
Collect all plain colors and style for your basic top. Kahit bili ka nalang ng mura like Get Laud or plain shirts from Department Stores. Tipong 150 pesos each.

Jeans
Use your favorite jeans but I suggest that you put them on like twice a week lang. This year, skinny jeans and semi-fit pants are still in trend.

Blouses
When you’re in jeans, wear dainty blouses instead of plain t-shirts. And when I say be dressed in blouses, that doesn’t include boyish shirts with prints, okay?

Dresses and Skirts
You can wear dresses as is. With skirts, floral, geometric prints and detailed designs are perfectly matched with plain tops.

Shoes
Always have with you at least 2-3 pairs of shoes. From what I know, college schools are strict with dress codes so replace your flip flops with strap sandals or ballerina shoes. Just wear your sneakers during PE Class.

Once you’ve started organizing the clothes mentioned above, you can survive wearing different styles everyday:

So make sure that you buy clothes that you can mix and match. The key is to be particular with colors. Don’t just buy something because you liked it, isipin mo if you can also match it with your other clothes.

There you go, 1) start from organizing your closet, 2) keep aside the outdated garbs and 3) buy yourself the basic school clothes mentioned above.

Welcome to college!

Love Lots,

Leyn

Hi Leyn,

I’m Cleo and I’m 24 y/o. I’ve been a follower of your blog since time immemorial :p Charos lang. Basta since blogspot days eh reader mo na ko. Pati nga twitter & tumblr mo eh pinatos ko na rin sa pag-follow =)

Anyhoo, I’m writing you an email to ask your help about fashion. A designer friend of mine invited me to attend the Philippine Fashion Week on the 28th at the SMX Convention Center because she will be showcasing her designs on the said event. Problem is, I haven’t been in a fashion show before. I do watch some on TV but never attended one in the past. I don’t want to look like I’m trying so hard to be a fashionista. Ayokong magmukhang I’m overdressed. We also plan on going out for some drinks after the event. What can you suggest for me to wear on the 28th? Okay lang ba mag-dress?

Btw, I’m only 5′1, fair-skinned and medium built.

Thanks so much for the help and stay pretty

Thanks,
Cleo

Dear Cleo,

Thanks for your continued support even though my blogspot is already dead. Hehe.

For the upcoming Philippine Fashion Week, it’s better to put on something from the S/S collection since this year’s PFW theme is ‘fashionable chic’. If you’ll be present as a guest and will merely watch the show, a simple cocktail dress and open-toe high heels is the safest outfit you can wear. Wearing a party dress with inflated designs and atypical style can make you seem overdressed. It’s not necessary to be in a super fabulous dress unless you’re one of the front-row guests. Remember, most people who attend such events are fashionistas so be careful with your get-up.

Little Black Dress
A simple yet sophisticated LBD doesn’t go obsolete. Whether you choose a tube dress or with sleeves, the style is apt for the said event.

Cocktail Dress
If wearing black is not your thing, then you can switch to a cocktail dress. You can choose from either a plain tube, bondage or bodycon. The simpler the prints, the better. Tulip skirts are still trendy nowadays.

Black High Heels
Your shoes can carry your entire outfit. Still, black high heels with cut-out or strap design can make your simple dress fashionable.

Relaxed Get-up
I might be attending the PFW but I’m gonna be there to take pictures. So in case you’re planning to go there to do a lot of walking just like me, you can consider wearing a playsuit or something laid-back. Like a clean white top and black harem pants. Match this outfit with a pair of detailed flats.

Lastly, don’t forget to wear the latest accessories. Layered chains, black studded necklaces and thin layered bangles are hip this season.

Basta don’t catch too much attention and stick to the updated but classic styles. Good luck and enjoy!

Love Lots,

Leyn

Hello Ms. Leyn:

Hope this email finds you well.

I have been a long time lurker in your blog and this is the first time that I mustered the guts to ask for your advice. You see, I’m attending a friend’s wedding next week and bought some items on line. Now that I have them I’m not so sure if the shoes can be paired with the dress. I am attaching them both for you to see. Kindly give me ideas on the accessories to use, as well as the kind of shrug/bolero that I have to wear during the church ceremonies.

Thanks in advance!

Rowena

Dear Rowena,

Hello there another lurker.

I already checked the attached picture. The dress looks wedding appropriate naman and the shoes look stylish but I don’t think they look good together.

For the dress, I think you should pair it with black open-toe sandals, though it’s still up to you if you want to change your shoes. Your current strap shoes won’t get easily noticed because you’ll match it with a long dress. Kaso, I just think black sandals are more fitting. The shoes you have there are way better with a shorter dress.

As for your shrug, buy the kind with short sleeves. A long-sleeved shrug can make you look super covered because of the maxi dress. I think the most appropriate color you should pick is black.

For accessories, wear a simple set of silver or white gold jewelries. Avoid big accessories because your dress have bold prints already.

Hope this helped you a bit!

Love Lots,

Leyn