For

70s Inspiration

Posted by Jalisa's Fashion Files on 11. 02. 14. under Date Night, Looks Of The Day

VEST: Marshalls// TURTLE NECK: Marshalls// JEANS: 7 for all Mankind (Marshalls)// NECKLACE: c/o Anitanja// PURSE: Louis Vuitton Tivoli GM// SHOES: Nine West

Hello loves,

Last night I decided to wear a very 60s inspired outfit for date night. I've mentioned to you before how the 60s and 70s are the eras in fashion that I personally identify with the most. I think it has a lot to do with the youth and boldness that encompasses the styles of those decades that I admire. In this case, the outfit I chose best represents the 70s overall. During this time there were a lot of vests, fur, and bell bottom jeans worn, amongst many other distinctive trends that I can go on and on about. Let's break down the entire look and discuss why it would work for you!

I chose to wear a black turtle neck paired with a beige faux fur vest because I felt that the black pulled out the darker browns and black within the vest, which kept me warm and cozy much of the night, since the temp did drop, I do feel the soft nudges of winter! I decided to wear a pair of flared jeans, which I believe are flattering for those who have curvaceous hips, such as my fellow pear and hourglass shapes, which I think this outfit would look great on. When worn with heels, flared jeans can help balance out the width of the hips by mimicking them below, creating a long and lean effect overall. It's when we choose to skip the heels that I feel we can end up appearing a bit stubby in the legs and the hips can appear much wider.

In addition, this pairing would also look exceptional on all my apple and rectangular shapes as well. The reason is because we have a nice flow of balance all throughout the outfit. The black turtle neck (if you are paler, I suggest wearing navy instead, it's less harsh against the skin. In your case, you never want to wear colors that are closest to your face in an extremely dark color, it'll wash you out and bring out darker tones in your face, making you appear unlively and unhealthy, we don't want that!) helps visually slim larger arms, the bust, and midsection. Even though we have a vest that offers texture and dimension, which can in most cases make my apple and inverted triangle shaped ladies appear larger in the bust (it creates this effect for the pear and rectangular shapes), we have the addition of the waist belt, which helps visually slim the upper body overall. I will suggest that if you are an apple shape you place the belt right where your rib cage is instead of where your natural waist is (under you rib cage), this is most flattering for you. The flared jeans will add some volume and visual weight to the slender legs of the apple, inverted triangle, and rectangular shapes, thus visually balancing out the entire frame.

I hope you enjoyed the post and that it inspired you in creating a similar pairing. In this case, the exact look I created would work for all the shapes mentioned above. If you have any additional questions, leave them in the comments' section and I will be sure to respond with my best suggestion(s)!

Love you lots and I appreciate your time!

XO,

Jalisa

Winter Coats for Your Body Shape

Posted by Jalisa's Fashion Files on 10. 29. 14. under Looks Of The Day

Hello Loves!

Winter will be here before you know it, so I wanted to get a head start at giving you all my suggestions on the best styles I feel would look best for your body shape! These particular styles are more casual, so I do plan on creating another post with dressier coats. I feel that every woman should have a casual winter coat and a dressier. One of my fashion pet peeves is when women wear casual parkas or puffy coats with a fancy dress. If you've done it, don't feel bad! Now you know that it's best to opt for a dressier piece to pair with your dressier look. For now, here are my suggestions for casual coats :)

For the pear shape, I always stress the importance of creating volume and dimension up top, so there is no difference when it comes to coats! I suggest opting for styles that pass the fullest part of your hips, to avoid making them appear larger. As you notice, all three of these coats have waist belts or a waist draw string. Since you have a naturally defined waist, you don't want to hide that under your coat! Remember, you will be wearing this piece a lot, depending on where you live, so you want to select something that will flatter and enhance your natural shape. You may have also noticed that two out of the three coats have horizontal pockets on the bust, which help add some visual dimension to the bust area. The other style that does not have the pockets, has a puffy bust as it is, so it's not necessary to have pockets, and it will still accomplish the same effect.

For all you apple shapes, it's important to pay close attention to pocket, button, zipper, and pattern placement, all of which can make you appear larger than you are. The coat in the middle features vertical zippers, with a slight slant. This prevents your bust from appearing even larger under so much material, which is important. Remember, you will be wearing sweaters with thicker fabrics and if you're busty as it is, all the fabric can make your top half look extremely large in comparison to your slender legs.

Just like the pear shape, I also suggest waist belts for you because they help balance out your upper body by adding the flare on the bottom portion of your coat, it visually adds hips! However, the coat to the right does not have a waist belt and I feel it still works. The pattern around the stomach area is rather flattering because the lines aren't horizontal, which would otherwise add more visual width to the area. Instead, it features a linear pattern in a slanted position, visually slimming the area. It also features the same pattern around the bust, another area you don't want to add visual width when a waist belt is not present. The jacket on the right does have a horizontal pattern on the bust, but notice how close together they are in comparison to the bottom portion of the coat?! This helps in making the bust appear smaller and the hips larger, perfect for all my apple shapes!

For all my rectangular and hourglass shapes, it's very important to maintain your balance. I generally suggest a lot of detail and such for the rectangular shapes, however when it comes to coats when you'll have extra fabric underneath, I don't think it's necessary. Instead, select sleek style coats that aren't over the top in details, but perhaps in color and those that create an emphasis on the waistline, for both shapes. With a coat that has a belt, you instantly balance out your frame and create visual curves, rectangulars, it's that easy!

So I hope you all found this post to be helpful! If you have any questions or requests, please don't hesitate to leave them in the comments section. Thanks so much for stopping by!

XO,

Jalisa

REQUESTED: How to Select Belts for Your Body Shape & Torso

Posted by Jalisa's Fashion Files on 10. 18. 14. under Tips & Tricks

Hello Beauties,

I've been asked quite frequently how to wear and select a belt for the different body shapes and torsos (short or long waisted). Since it has been a topic that has been requested and asked a lot, I decided it would be great to record a video explaining my suggestions, which I hope that you all find helpful and insightful :)

TIPS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:

SHORT WAISTED:

1. Wear a belt that is the similar or same color as the top that you're wearing, it'll visually elongate your top half.

2. Avoid wearing belts that are the same color as your bottoms or the blend in, such as navy or black belts with denim jeans. This will make your legs appear longer, while cutting off visual inches from your waist.

LONG WAISTED:

1. Wear belts that are the same or similar color to your bottoms or that blend in, they will help visually elongate your legs and cut off visual inches from your torso.

2. Wear a pop of color that creates contrast with your entire outfit, in other words, that does NOT blend in with your outfit. This will neutralize everything and not make any one area appear longer than the other, if you have equally long legs as your torso.

BODY SHAPES

RECTANGULAR:

1. Wear belts that provide contrast to your entire look, such as in color, print, or texture, to help visually set apart your upper and lower portions.

APPLE:

1. Wear wider belts, they can help visually slim the midsection and help prevent agains "spillage" over your bottoms.

2. Select darker colored belts. They don't bring attention to the midsection and accomplish concealing the area.

PEAR & HOURGLASS:

1. Avoid wearing wide belts that blend in with your bottoms, as they can add visual width to your hips.

Music in Inro:

BY: Lino Rise

TITLE: Fremantle

SOURCE: free-intro-music.com

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

DISCLAIMER: This video has NOT been sponsored!

Thanks so much for watching and please, subscribe if you haven't already!

XO,

Jalisa

A Blue & Grey Blend

Posted by Jalisa's Fashion Files on 10. 12. 14. under Date Night

DOLMAN TOP: Marshalls//LEGGINGS: Daily Look// CHARM NECKLACE: ALDO// FRINGE BRACELET & RING: Kendra Scott//BOOTS: Christian Siriano for Payless//PURSE: Errelleventidue (TjMaxx)

Hello Loves,

Last night, Eddie and I dined at a restaurant with a bit of a casual feel; I knew before hand because we dined there for the first time in the beginning of September. That time, I dressed a bit more dressier, but nothing too over the top. This time around, I kept things a bit simple, yet there was a bit of a dressy feel, due mainly to the texture and style of the dolman top. I love dolman tops because they're versatile; they can easily transition from day to night or from a casual setting to a more business causal one. This one in particular has such a soft and feminine texture; extremely cozy and perfect for a fall night out. Fortunately it wasn't too cold, so I was able to get away with not wearing a jacket on top, which I was happy about because I think a jacket would've spoiled the look a bit.

Speaking of the complete look, I decided to create a pairing that mixed a couple of shades of grey with navy. Grey blends so nicely with blue, especially navy because grey has a cool undertone and so does blue. Colors that share either the same hue or undertones, are guaranteed to work well together. Something I touched on briefly in this week's video on another fall color I love, orange.

Navy and grey are a combination that looks stellar on those who have cool undertones, most commonly those with very fair or very dark skin. They bring out those cool undertones and as a result, provide a nice healthy glow to the skin. This is not to say that those who have warmer undertones cannot wear them or don't look good in them either. Some colors just tend to flatter certain or specific skin-tones more than others and that's okay!

I also wanted to briefly discuss the top I'm wearing. It's dolman top, which has a very flowy style, which I personally find cozy. It's also a piece that can be worn during the day or night, since it shares both a dressy and casual tendency. It's also super flattering on most body shapes. For us pear and rectangular shapes, they provide a bit of volume to help fill out our smaller upper bodies. In the case of the apple shape, depending on the length of the top, it can help conceal and flatter a larger bust and midsection. The reason I mention the length is because if it ends before the widest part of the hips, it'll make the upper body appear larger. If it stops where the hips are, it'll have the opposite effect, creating a longer and leaner upper body. So these may want to consider these suggestions when shopping for this particular style of blouse.

I hope this outfit inspires you to recreate it on yourself or one with a similar look the next time you're out with your ladies or bae :)

GET THE LOOK HERE:

Thanks so much for stopping by and please do return tomorrow!

XO,

Jalisa

How to Style Chambray this Fall

Posted by Jalisa's Fashion Files on 08. 28. 14. under Looks Of The Day, Tips & Tricks

Hey Babes!

This week's video is on styling chambray for fall. We saw a lot of looks this past spring and have seen a break from it this summer, simply because it's too hot! Now, I want to show you how you can wear it during the fall months...(CLICK READ MORE!!!)