Jalisa’s Fashion Files

My Top 5 Perfumes Right Now: Holiday Gift Guide for Her!

12. 09. 14.

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How to Dress for Different Holiday Parties

12. 05. 14.

Happy Friday, loves!

We are getting closer and closer to Christmas, it's only 20 days away, can you believe it?! That means that there are holiday parties galore and you my girl have been invited to one I'm sure...but what do you wear? I know after the excitement of receiving an invite sets in, the stress of what to wear sky rockets and that's where I come in! Let's take a breathe and begin to address the different types of parties there are and how you can look and feel your best dressed self on that special evening!

OFFICE/PROFESSIONAL PARTY

Holiday office parties can be quite fun and a bit stressful to prepare for, in terms of the perfect outfit. Don't be afraid to enhance your everyday work wear by adding some unique statement pieces and jewelry. It's a fun and inexpensive way to make any of your work clothing more festive. However, if you do want to purchase something to wear, consider making a purchase on something that you know you'll be getting use of in the future, perhaps to other upcoming parties. One thing I want to mention, which is extremely important, do not wear anything that's too short (mid-thigh) or too low (cleavage line is noticeable) because you do need to maintain a level of professionalism, even though you're off hours. You'll be around people you work and interact with on an everyday basis. 

This pairing is perfect for all you pear shapes because it features an embellished top, which would look great paired with black trousers for a night out on the town or with jeans for a more casual feel. A top like this provides versatility, so if you come across one or happen to purchase this one, you'll know for certain that you'll get plenty of use out of it! Here, I paired it with a sheen sliver skirt, but it would look fantastic with colors red or black. Since the top has an embellishment, the attention is placed primarily on top, minimizing the attention placed solely on a wider hip.  I'd suggest tucking it into the skirt to re-emphasize the waistline. The straps aren't too thin, so you'd be able to remove your blazer or cardigan without worrying if it's inappropriate. 

This look is a perfect example of working with what you may already have in your work wardrobe. I paired a black button-up with a red and white patterned skirt (if you have a plain red, it would work just as well) with beautiful silver accessories. The necklace and shoes help make the look more festive and dressy. This look is also perfect for my apple shapes, since the eye will focus on the skirt and legs, essentially balancing out a voluptuous upper body. 

This pairing would look great on all my rectangular shaped ladies because the jacket features a double breast and has a curved silhouette, which will add some dimension to your figure. The dress has beautiful sequins that are subtle enough to wear at another event, such as a wedding. When wearing a dress like this without a blazer, I'd suggest wearing a neutral colored waist-belt to help redefine the waist and add some visual curves. 

An embellished sweater is perfect for this time of year and can easily dress up your look, when creating a holiday party outfit. I added this chunky gold braided statement necklace to enhance the upper portion of the outfit, since the skirt is pretty basic, however, the shoes are anything but! The chain detail on the shoes tie in with the chunky gold necklace, pulling the entire look together. Remember, office parties should be office wear dressed up a notch and accessories with a statement and detail can do just that! 

COCKTAIL/SEMI FORMAL PARTY

This is the time that you can certainly play dress-up and experiment with your look, so definitely have fun! Create a festive pairing that can either be over the top or more simple, with small hints of sequins, it all comes down to what you feel comfortable in!

I bet you didn't think you can wear a jumpsuit to a cocktail party, they're called cocktail jumpsuits! I happen to love them because I feel they give off a bit of a modern feel and are a great option for those of us who either don't want to show our legs or can't take the cold! In this case, I selected a style that would look fantastic on all my fellow pear shapes. The reason is that the top portion of the suit features a more flowy 60/70s style with wider arms (an option that's great for those who have larger arms and are generally insecure about showing them. Larger sleeves make your arms appear smaller!). Plus, it has sequins all throughout the top! The bottom portion is black, which of course will create a slimming effect, as well as a lengthening, especially if you decide to wear black shoes. In this case, I decided to pair the jumper with gold sandals to make it more festive, but it would look great with black as well! Even though the top is pretty glitzy, which will leave most to think that a statement necklace shouldn't or couldn't be worn, one actually can be added mainly because of the shape of the top. Also, the necklace I selected has more black and silver accents, which create a nice contrast against the gold. Never select a necklace that will overlay a top that's in the same exact color of the top without any additional colors, it'll easily become lost and defeat the purpose it serves. 

Here I created yet another look that features a jumpsuit that's festive and perfect for your cocktail party. This particular one would look great on all you apple shapes because it has a wrap detail where the bust is, which will help visually slim the area and since it also features a cinched waistline, your waist will be redefined. As for the other pieces within the look, I went for a black and gold theme, which I honestly do feel is quite festive and exudes glamour. The shoes are rather interesting and have a bit of a menswear vibe, mimicking a tuxedo and bow-tie pairing. 

For all of my rectangular shaped ladies, if you're looking to wear a dress, opt for one that has a natural shape, which will in turn add to and enhance your own. With this particular look, I stuck with a black and gold theme, once again. I selected drop earrings because I didn't add a necklace to the look. If you choose to wear a statement necklace, I would suggest wearing stud earrings instead of drop, so that the two aren't fighting for attention. Drop earrings bring focus to the lips, which is why I decided to add red lipstick; this essentially eliminates the need for a necklace. As for the cocktail ring and watch/bracelet, I would suggest wearing the two on opposite hands. If you're married or engaged, try wearing the cocktail ring on your right hand, so that it doesn't take attention away from your beautiful ring(s). 

This dress is a statement, since it's covered in sequins, so keep the accessories to a minimal when wearing a dress like this, to ensure that it remains the statement. Slinky dresses like this look ahhhhhmazing on all you hourglass shapes because your figure fills them out rather nicely, but to maintain an elegant feel, I wouldn't suggest wearing something that's both slinky and extremely short! Since the straps are quite thin, I always suggest wearing or bringing a shawl/wrap along. Not only will it'll make you feel more comfortable, it'll also keep you warm if the air conditioning becomes unbearable. I selected a v-neck shaped necklace, which mimics the neckline of the dress, ensuring that it will sit comfortably within the boarders of the neckline. As for the clutch, I selected a rather interesting one. It features a mixture of exotic animal prints in a nice and clean shape.

CASUAL PARTY

Have fun with some statement pieces that have a festive tone. This is the most flexible style of party, so have fun and wear what you'll feel comfortable in. It's certainly okay to wear denim for this particular gathering, but I would suggest wearing either black or dark blue, since it can help dress up your look a bit effortlessly! 

An easy way to dress up a look is to wear something embellished. In this case, I selected a beautiful blouse that features sequin patchwork on the shoulders in both silver, gold, and bronze. Pairing it with dark washed jeans allows the top to truly stand out. To top of the look, I selected sequin pumps because why not?! It's the holidays after all!

I selected a wrap around romper because it would simply look fabulous on all you apple shaped ladies! I do suggest wearing black opaque tights to keep yourself warm, as well as adding a chunky oversized black cardigan. I also added black booties that have a gold heel to add to the festive look. 

Since we're dressing for a casual holiday party, it's safe to go with an embellished sweatshirt, like the one featured in this set. To dress it up more, I suggest pairing it with a dark washed jean and sequin shoes that tie in with the color of the sweatshirt's embellishments to maintain that festive and holiday vibe. 

A great way to feel more dressed up is to wear leather leggings; they instantly dress up your look, while maintaining that level of comfort we've all come to love with leggings! To enhance the dressy feel, select a top that has a flowy style, since they tend to appear more dressy, that features some embellishments or sequins. 

I hope you all found this post to be helpful and that it took much of the guess work out of coming up with that perfect outfit for your holiday celebration! As always, thanks for stopping by!

XO-Jalisa

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Holiday Gift Ideas for Him

11. 22. 14.

Hello loves,

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend thus far! After talking with my husband last night about some suggestions he has on what a man would like for the holidays, he gave me some real great insight as to what men really want, which may even include him, lol! One would think that men are easy to shop for and less difficult than women, but I actually think it's the other way around! Since they tend to communicate less, which has been statistically proven, it can sometimes be challenging to get inside their head to know what it is they really want. They often mask their deepest wishes by saying, as long as you and the kids (if you have any) are happy, that's all that matters and while that's really sweet, we want to score big by getting them something really special and one they'll be sure to use.

With Eddie's tips, we came up with six guaranteed man approved gifts for the man in your life, either your husband, dad, grandfather, brother, or uncle. Take a look at the list below:

1. Burberry Touch for Men- Eddie shared that this cologne is the most talked about among men. All the men he knows, rave about this scent; so we guess that yours will, too! I mean, what man doesn't like to smell good?! Regardless if he's a "man's, man", like my dad, one who's always breaking things to fix them or one who's more white collar, the scent is universal in that regard.

2. Nordstrom Classic Fit Supima Cotton T-Shirt- This is a guaranteed essential for every man in your life, so when you're really just not sure what to get, this is your safest bet for sure! Just make sure that you find out how the man in your life likes his undershirts to fit, some like them really snug, while others like them to fit a little loose. Also, make sure that you find out whether he likes a crew neck (circular neck) or a v-neck. Eddie prefers v-necks, so I dare not buy crew or else I get the, "oh, that's nice." A clue for that was nice hun, but not really what I like and back to the store we go! This particular shirt from Nordstrom has extraordinary reviews from men, which really helps in having that extra assurance!

3. Philips Norelco Shaver 3100- My husband always stresses the importance of having a great high quality shaver for the closest and smoothest shave possible. Just like us ladies swear by the Clarisonic, for a nice clean feeling after removing our makeup, they too have the desire to have a nice clean and soft feeling after shaving. Plus, a good quality shaver helps in preventing shaver pumps and ingrown hairs. Regardless if your man loves a long beard, a subtle go t, or an absolute hair free face, he will love and appreciate this great quality shaver! 

4. Tie- This may seem like a standard gift for a man, but the truth is that a tie will always come in handy! If your man works in an environment that requires the use of a tie, then this must definitely be on your check list. Now that fashion blogging has become such a huge influence in every day fashion inspiration and wear, there has been the establishment and proven influence of male fashion bloggers and how their dapper outfits and pairings have helped our men get out of their work wear rut. Within the past few months, Eddie has been really getting into fashion and has been putting a lot more thought and effort into his suit pairings for work. He's always on the hunt for a great and unique pocket square and tie. The reason these two have become so popular in making a fashion statement, is that if a man doesn't necessarily have a lot of suits, but has a lot of ties and pocket squares, which are much more affordable, it can make it appear as though he has many suits, since he can switch up his look with the mix and match combo of both or just the tie. There are also men that don't work in an environment that requires the use of a tie, but they still prefer to wear them with sweater vests and cardigans for a preppy look. So, regardless of the style of the man your shopping for, a tie is great option! 

5. Beats by Dre HD Headphones- We've all heard the hype and rave surrounding the Beats by Dre headphones and how they really do help in enhancing one's music experience, which is why this is one of our suggestions. There is nothing like escaping the reality and current surroundings of the hustle and bustle, then relaxing to a great song OR enhancing one's workout with a great tune; trust me, when I work out and forget my earphones, it's like my workout is completely ruined before it has even begun (I'm sure many of you can attest to this!). They come in an array of different colors, I simply selected black since it's basic, but if you know your man's favorite color, by all means select that color. However, if you don't know, just get black. The last thing you want to do is purchase a pair of headphones in a color that he doesn't like, which of course will make him not want to wear them. 

6. Salvatore Ferragamo Reversible Belt- This gift is definitely a splurge, but it's one that he's sure to use and wear for many years to come! My husband actually has this belt and wears it practically everyday. What he loves about it is that it's reversible, so he can easily switch from black or brown, depending on which color goes best with his look. For men, this is probably one of the most worn accessories, which is why we suggest it. It can be worn with a suit, jeans, or with dressy pants and sweater for a more business casual feel, it's versatility and style is endless and timeless. Plus, you can select the metal color of the buckle, either gold or silver, depending on his preference or skin-tone. 

I hope you all found this post helpful in coming up with gift ideas for that special man in your life. I know it can certainly be a challenge, but hopefully this will help take the stress out of selecting the perfect gift(s)!

I will continue to post gift guides and ideas throughout the remainder of the holiday season, so do continue to check back, specifically the 'SHOP section of the blog!

XO,

Jalisa

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