Today's Fashin - Chiffon

Chiffon fabric is sheer and lightweight and is used to make garments such as blouses, scarves, lingerie and dresses.  It is made from synthetic fibres, silk and cotton and generally contain “see through properties”.
 

Living in Trinidad and having outfits with the material is wonderful for me because of its lightweight and the ability of the fabric to be absorbent given the often times hot temperatures. 

Wearing an outfit - be it a top, blouse or dress in chiffon in my opinion, does not require much accessories to add glamour as this fabric already in itself contains softness and represent femininity.   Check out four of my favourite chiffon pieces:

 

Do you prefer solid chiffon fabric or printed chiffon fabric?

Today's Fashion - The Cold Shoulder

Carnival 2016 in Trinidad is right around the corner.  While there many elements to this yearly celebration, I look forward to seeing the variety of fashion trends.  Not one to shy away from a party (otherwise known as fete) at that time of year, Carnival is when I use the opportunity to show off my love for cold shoulder tops, which is always trendy here in Trinidad.
 

The “cold shoulder” is not a new fashion.  In fact, they have been around both broad and in Trinidad for quite some time; however, I find this style never gets old.  Whether they are used as dresses or simply as tops the cold shoulder speaks of elegance.  In fact, minimal accessories needed when using an outfit with this style. 
 

In anticipation of the upcoming parties for Carnival 2016, check out below some cold shoulder styles I intend to use: -

Would you use a cold shoulder top?

Today's Fashion - Racerback Tops

I have mentioned on numerous occasions on my blog of the hot temperatures in Trinidad.  As such, racerback tops is a must have staple item of clothing for staying cool.  Generally resembling a “tank top” the racerback design is slightly different and more stylish to the tank. 

Feel free to use a racerback top by layering with a tank top that has a pop of colour.  A racerback can be used with skinny jeans, shorts or a ¾ pants.  Added with flats, accessories are a must and a simply fashionable look is completed.

How would you dress up a racerback top?

 

Today's Fashion - Ruffles

Ruffles is a form of trimming or frills that can be added to clothing - whether its tops, skirts or dresses to name a few and in my opinion adds fun to the garment.  Ruffles usually “catches” the eye and as such, it can be a fashion option of choice for persons who are not afraid of standing out from a crowd.  Ruffles can be incorporated onto an outfit to be the main part of the design or it can be used just to highlight a certain detail of the design.   However, paired with a variety of fabrics, ruffles can be used casually or formally.

In Trinidad, I think Trinis like to dress safe (myself included) and don’t utilise ruffles enough to really add that element of flirty and fun to clothing.  Nevertheless, because of my insatiable appetite for fashion, I always keep my eyes open for any ruffle clothing I can find, once it suits my personality.  Check out these simply fashionable ruffle tops I found.  Paired with the right colour leggings, these outfits can be used casually.

Tell me, would you accessorise with a necklace to either of the tops above, or the ruffle element itself is enough to brighten the design?

Today's Fashion - Costume Jewellery: Handbands

Costume jewellery can be considered cheap and disposable, but it does contribute significantly to adding the finishing touches to an outfit and certainly shows one fashion sense.

For this post, I wanted to focus on costume jewellery handbands.  I love chunky handbands.  Not only are they less noisy than the typical "bangles" but as a simply fashionable Trini, I want an accessory that can immediately add style to any outfit without much effort.  In my search for stylish chunky handbands in Trinidad, I visited several stores throughout the country.

While there is no shortage of beaded costume jewellery and bangles in fun and bright colours, chunky handbands stole the show.  Along with your typical gold and silver palette, colourful chunky pieces are readily available to simply transform your attire from drab to fab. 

 Check out these favourite simply fashionable chunky handbands I found:

What type of costume jewellery handband do you prefer - beaded, bangles or chunky?

Today's Fashion - Clutch Purses

Every woman dreams of having the perfect purse to complement the perfect outfit.  And the clutch purse makes this dream come true.
 

The clutch purse was originally from the Victorian era. This fashion accessory represented elegance for women everywhere and it became the evening bag of choice.
 

Clutch purses are designed to be carried by hand, however, more modern designs have chains and leather straps incorporated on the purse so they be used to hang over the shoulder.
 

Clutch purses are easy to find in Trinidad and I definitely have fun dressing up with these clutches below:

What colours (other than the standard black, brown, gold and silver) can really make clutch purses remain elegant?

Todays' Fashion - Cardigan Sweaters

A cardigan is a sweater that may or may not come with buttons and opens at the front.

Cardigan sweaters date back to the 17th century when the French fishermen in those days wanted garments to provide warmth on the cold seas.

In my view, the use of cardigan sweaters today is two-fold.  It serves its purpose which is to provide warmth as well as to serve as an additional facshion piece which can be casual or dressy.  The fabrics used on cardigans are generally light to heavy wool, cotton or even cashmere.

While the temperatures in Trinidad are often times quite hot, cardigans are quite popular and can be seen in a wide variety of colours and styles.
 

Check out my favourite cardigan pieces below:

What type of style do you prefer for cardigans - plain or patterned.