Emerald looks good on real women!

Well, I must admit, I have been much amiss in keeping the blog updated with posts. I really have no excuse, other than that I've had to move house a couple of times and had been pretty busy with getting our home ready for sale. Oops, that sounds a lot like an excuse.... ;-)

Anyway, I am back on the blog now, and thanks also to my dear friend and digital nomad Carou Llou (check out her blog http://www.caroullou.com), who is also in Bangkok at the moment, I've renewed my enthusiasm for blogging. 

I read over my past blogs post, and while I still enjoy reading them, I thought you all might enjoy a more personal take on fashion, rather than (or at least in addition to) what is disseminated from the various Fashion Weeks throughout the world. 

Because let's be honest, would you really wear this to your local Starbucks? 

This Alexander McQueen creation is certainly very elegant, but can you imagine yourself walking down the street with your latte in one hand, phone in the other, whilst trying not to trip over the dress' train? 

(image courtesy of deepseanews.com) 

So with that in mind, I thought I would see if I could take a few snapshots of a real person, who does not walk catwalks for a living, but a woman who works hard for the money (no, not the kind of work in Donna Summer's song!), sometimes working from home, sometimes having to commute by car, tram, train or metro. In other words, you and me. In this case, I'll be me, until I can find another willing fashion victim! :-)

Having tricked my friend Carou Llou into taking the picture of yours truly, check out this 'street style' fashion pic, incorporating Pantone's colour of the year 2013, Emerald.

 This was a great outfit for going out. The dress is extremely comfortable, yet flattering to any body shape. It is faux wrap, so there’s no adjusting needed and has a inner skirt below the wrap skirt. The sleeves are full length, but because this is Thailand (hot, even at night!), I pushed them up to be 3/4 length. 

The accessories (jewelry) are all from Senzu Style, from their Spirit Collection. They are brushed glass beads with dark polished metal beads in light and dark grey tones and go great with most colours. I am wearing the matching necklace and bracelet.   Complementing it are the large hoop earrings from their Elements line in brushed grey rhodium (brass base, plated with rhodium).   

The clutch is also a pretty grey, real leather with a bejeweled clasp. 

 My shoes this night were made by Wealthy in Thailand, black mix of gloss and matte, high heels with thin laces and I found them at a little kiosk in Siam Square market area. 

So, if you have a cool picture that you'd like to share with fashion trends for real women, or if there is a trend you'd like to see me try on, send me a comment, link or an email through the blog! 

As always, keep living in style, and see you at the next blog post! 

Introducing: The Senzu Prestige & Naturals Collections!

Good morning everyone,


Today it is my pleasure to introduce two new Senzu lines of fine jewellery today; the Senzu Prestige Collection and the Senzu Naturals Collection. 

Swarovski© Divine Rock Set
SZ9EA9 and SZ9PE2

The Prestige Collection focuses on genuine 92.5 sterling silver and are considered statement jewellery, and high elegance. We have included a limited number of pieces that are made with Swarovski© crystals, with my personal favorite being the Swarovski© Divine Rock Earrings and Pendant. In addition to Swarovski©, you'll also find top quality cubic zirconia statement earrings and pendants, which most of the time include elegant silver necklaces. Many of the new jewellery pieces in this collection is handmade for Senzu by Artesans in Thailand, a country known for its creativity and craftsmanship especially in silver. The gorgeous jewellery in our Prestige Collection brings your look to the next level and would be very well suited for evening wear, as well as to dress up your daytime outfit. New jewellery pieces will be added to the Prestige Collection shortly, so be sure to visit the Senzu website.

Twilight Agate Silk Choker
Necklace - SZWNL1

The Naturals Collection was created to introduce jewellery based on natural materials.  The first jewellery featured in The Senzu Naturals Collection is a handcrafted silk choker necklace with Agate stones, both beautiful gifts from Mother Nature. These necklaces are available in a trio of Agate stone colours, named Fire, Forest and Twilight. Agate is a semi-precious stone that is characterized by its fineness of grain and brightness and range of colours and because it is a made-by-nature item, each Agate necklace is unique and a little different in colouring and shape. The Naturals Collection will focus on the beauty found in natural stone such as Agate and Turquoise, as well as other natural materials. New jewellery pieces will be added all the time, so be sure to visit the Senzu website regularly. 


Today was Senzu's first annual Holiday Soirée and it had a great turnout! More about our Soirée in the next blog post, as well as an interview with Sumitra, my partner-in-Style who hosted it. 
Styling it up until then! 
Your partner-in-style,




Cristel

How to recreate the 'Mad Men' 60s chic today.

Good morning fellow Stylistas,


With the new Season of Mad Men underway, the latest 60s style revival has reached a new level of excitement in the fashion world, from the runways to looks seen on the street by ordinary mortals like us. 



The characters of Betty Francis (played by January Jones), Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) have become the personifications of elegance, style and female empowerment, and the looks they sport in the show are being recreated by women around the world, who love the femininity it exudes. So how to recreate that 60s elegant and stylish look without looking old-fashioned?


So to help you put together a '60s look using pieces in your closet (or as an excuse to go shopping) here's Senzu's Top 10 Tips for '60s Chic today:


10. Show off your curves! Keep it form-fitting on top, flowy on the bottom. A-Line skirts flatter every shape. Dress it up with a little jacket for the office, or a cardigan for a more casual look. 
9. Go floral! Soft coloured floral dresses, skirts and tops add a feminine touch. If wearing a flowered dress, keep all your other accessories and shoes in matching solid colours. 
8. Use 1 bold colour for an elegant monochromatic look. Gem colours are very on trend right now; emerald greens, ruby reds as well as royal blue and purple.   
7. High heels will add drama to your look. Flats will make your look more casual. Nude tones are great at elongating your legs visually. 
6. Emphasize your waist. Synch it with a narrow leather belt in contrasting colours or a fabric belt in the same pattern as your dress. 
5. Clutch your purse. A small purse or clutch that compliments your look without overpowering it. 
4. Up your 'do. The 60s style trend is great if you like wearing your hair 'dressy'. Elegant buns, high ponytails, but also pretty hairbands are all back in style. 
3. Love your Eyes! Ultra-feminine eyes with 'cat-eyes' lined eyes. Bring out the eyeliner and 'Bardot' your look for that extra va-va-voom.  
2. Luscious Lipstick in bold reds work best for this '60s look. For a less dramatic look, go for pale pinks. Keeping cheeks light and soft will give your eyes and lips centre stage. 
1. Accessorize with Senzu jewellery! Especially pearl earrings and pearl pendants, as well as oversized pendants on long necklaces work really well to recreate the look. 

Check out Senzu's new Elements Collection, with some beautiful sterling silver pieces, as well as unique designer long pendant necklaces in brass with silver, rhodium or pink gold plating. Very elegant and these are only going to be available for a limited time (nickel-free and lead-free, as all Senzu's products are). 


There is still time to confirm your attendance to Senzu's Holiday Soirée on December 1st, in Oakville, Canada. It promises to be a fun get-together; perfect to get the Festive Season started in Style. Bring a friend along and be the first to look and purchase  new Senzu jewellery creations that with Swarovski(c) crystals and silver that won't even be available on the Senzu website yet.


We put together a Mad Men '60s Stylebook with products readily available at The Bay, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Aldo's, H&M, Mango and other main street retailers, and of course Senzu Jewellery to inspire you to create your unique Mad for Mad Men '60s style elegant look:

Let me know how you recreated the '60s elegance in your look? I'd love to see your personal take on this '60s trend!

Your Senzu partner-in-style,




Cristel

How to look Glam Rock Chic this Winter

Good morning fellow Stylistas,

Have you ever thought about a particular fashion trend and thought; ‘Ah, I wish I could pull that off...’? Well, mine is Glam Rock Chic!

How to create the look end up looking either like a member of KISS or a grungy biker chick, especially since the metallics and black/grey tones are such hot hues this winter. 

This week I decided to research how to look Glam Rock Chic without channelling ZZ-Top or Gene Simmons.

Check out these celebrities’ chic and glamorous rock style:

 

Gwen Stefani, Debbi Harrie, Ashlee Simpson, and Madonna show how Glam Rock Chic can be timeless and ageless!

In my reseach I was helped by my friend Tasmalee, the very talented graphic designer over at Innovasia Graphics (who does a lot of our design work), who naturally masters the look regularly. I also drew inspiration from InStyle Magazine and CTV's Fashion Television Jeanne Beker.  

Here’s Senzu's Top 10 Tips to looking Glam Rock Chic:

10. Keep colours basic & the lines simple: blacks, gunmetal greys and other metallics are very on trend right now. A clean silhouette flatters your shape, too many layers add bulk and frumpiness. Think leggings, straight or skinny jeans, pencil skirts. 

9. Go graphic! A graphic T, printed dress or shirt is great to use as your base color palette.

8. Keep the feet feminine; with slinky boots, strappy sandals and boldly colored heels.

7. Add leather, but just 1 piece: Biker, military-style and bomber jackets are all hot right now, or go for the leather pencil skirt. However, too many leather pieces = biker, so use sparingly. 

6. Big hair is Glam! Wear it up in a high, messy ponytail, devil-may-care down or short and spikey. 

5. Smokey Eye. Go for metallic golds, silvers, black, white and purples. Add sparkles at night! Keep lips neutral to draw attention to the eyes; the windows to your inner Glam Rocker.

4. Continue to look by adding a leather studded clutch or satchel bag.

3. Belt it out. Chunky buckle belts help define your shape and glamorize your overall look. Great way to add some rock chic to soft sweaters! 

2. Exhude confidence and smile! Believe you’ll totally rock the glam chic look and you will! 

1. Accessorize with Senzu Jewellery! Senzu's Stainless Steel and Spirit collections lend itself perfectly for many looks, including Glam Rock Chic! 

We put together a Stylebook with products readily available at Danier Leather, Victoria’s Secret, Sketchers, Miss Sixty, Lucky Magazine, The GAP,  of course Senzu Jewellery to inspire you to create your unique Glam Rock Chic:

Boots during the day or heels at night, this Glam Rock look is chic anytime!

Pair up your Glam Rock with worn jeans for a more casually chic look!

Let me know how you style it up? I'd love to see your personal take on the Glam Rock Chic trend!

Your Senzu partner-in-style,

Cristel