ASK WONGIE: Tebbie Part 2

How to be a "stylish nerd"? 8D

Well....

Here are a few stereotypical nerdy pieces:

-glasses (the hipster kinds are not really nerdy. They're just feeling nerdy. There's a difference :P )

-bow tie <3

-suspenders

-button-down shirt - either short or long sleeves

-ill-fitting somewhat loose trousers in different shades of brown

-knee-high socks

-ugly shoes

Dear nerds and feeling nerds, you don't have to follow these things! I will have you arrested if ever you do. =)) And by golly, do you want to be beaten up by stereotypical jocks?? =)))) I kid. Anyways, the trick in pulling off the nerd look is not going all the way. BALANCE. Your goal here is to dress nicely with a touch of nerd. :-bd 

So how?? 

Mix nerdy and non-nerdy pieces together, that's how! 8D But mind you, pls choose good-fitting pieces. -__- I know nerds are popular for wearing ill-fitting clothes but DON'T YOU DARE. 

Examples from Lookbook :)

nerd factor: button-down shirt + brown bottoms

nerd factor: everything. But what's great about this is the individual pieces are constructed so as not to give too much nerd vibes. For example, the shirt is so prim and proper but when you look closely, the first button is located really low to give off a nice sexy effect. hohoho :> 

nerd factor: shirt + socks + shoes

nerd factor: shirt + shoes + length of pants

nerd factor: bow tie + glasses (too girly for you, Teb. lolzz)

Dear Teb, 

Katy says you don't dress like a nerd.. but you got some nerd vibes going on.. so I guess you are on the right track. =)) I still think you dress like an Asian nerd tourist though. =))) (not that there's anything wrong with that) Tebbie, I could never find the perfect picture that matches your Teb-ness. You are very unique :) and your sense of style is too so i can't really tell you how to dress up =) hehehe 

<3 Wong~

ASK WONGIE: Tebbie

Another one of these ASK WONGIE posts! 8D This time, it's for my other friend, Teb :) :) She asked me 2 questions. 1) How to stretch your wardrobe. 2) How to dress up in a non-girly nerd way. But I'm gonna tackle #2 next week. Ok here we goooo~


HOW TO STRETCH YOUR WARDROBE
Now that we're already college chicks, goodbye high school uniforms!! 8D You open your closet to see what clothes you can dazzle people with. But oh no! A new problem arises! Turns out that you only have a limited wardrobe! And you ask yourself WHAT DA HELL AM I GONNA WEAR?? 


You don't want to let people notice you've been repeating the same articles of clothing, yes? So what are you supposed to do?? Well... 


FIRST THINGS FIRST! Shopping helps but is not the solution. You can't just shop all the time so you'd have something to wear =)) I would want to..... but hat's not wise. :< So..


Organize. Ew, but yes. Organize your closet. YOU, not da maid. =)) Trust me when I say that you'll have a better view of your options. The last time I did... I found soo many things I haven't worn for a long time =)) And if you have a particular thing in mind, you wouldn't have a hard time looking for it. :) So yeah. 


Accessorize! Need I say more? :) Don't be limited to necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.! Hats, scarves, random pins, belts, headdresses and bags are accessories too!


Mix and Match:
*Colors and prints. Set a color scheme. :) Like, TODAY I FEEL LIKE WEARING RED AND GRAY. Then you scavenge for red and gray clothing that you can match. 8D or or or play with print on print! If you managed to harmonize different prints, the outfit would look very interesting :) (Tebbie darling, I don't think prints suit you though.. except manly stripes.. or plaid? Prints aren't Teb enough hehehe)


*Theme. As previously mentioned in my MENSWEAR post. Mixing themes is cool B-) I feel like I'm just gonna repeat what I wrote before.. so yeah, I'm not gonna dwell on this anymore. :)) But my favorite mix is flowy and feminine dress + long-sleeved button-down shirt :) 


Ok I feel like I lack content. :| But that's basically it! I don't have anything else to say. It really calls for your own strategy. Experimentation = mastery. But what I do is... for example, I wore this shirt today. The next time I'm allowed to wear it again is after one or two weeks and it should be paired with something else. =)) TADAAA. =))) 


Oh and another thing is.. I layer a lot so it's not really noticeable. There was one time I wore black camisoles for 3 straight days :-bd Nobody remarked anything... so I guess no one noticed? :D


Hope this heeelps :) :) Keep the requests cominggg~

ASK WONGIE: CV

My friends saw my post on menswear, and some surprised me big time by asking if I could help them with their own fashion crisis. I AM HONORED. and KILIG. So here's a post for one of my close friends, CV! 8D

CV says..

college (and practically everywhere) wardrobe no-no's:

very short shorts

camisoles and tube tops

anything revealing

her style: "I naturally dress like a nerd and really neat and clean. Clean preppy Japanese"

                     Library dress code. =))

                     Minimalist.

her dilemma: "that doesn't work in college! How can I dress trendier without freaking out the conservative family?"

I say..

oh wow. CV darlingsss, we actually have a similar case here. I'm not allowed to wear shorts in school too. HUHUHUHU it sucks coz the weather's always so hot!! Anyways, so what to do with limited choices? Maximize em! 8D I believe that the person who can stretch and find ways to innovate what he already has is much better than the one who already has a lot. Gets ba? AHAHAHA 

• First thing's first. I stress the importance of fit. It should both look and feel good on you :)
• Know your body shape and how to dress up accordingly. I think you are an inverted triangle with a high waist.. and legs as your asset :-bd Rule of thumb: Highlight assets, hide insecurities :)
• Know your style. :) You already do.. but you just want to "enrich" it, yes? Hmm.. I can't really dictate to you exactly what you should and should not wear. =)) and soooo, I suggest you try out new things. Like.. have you ever wanted to wear <blah blah blah> that ain't gonna overwhelm people? Experiment in a subtle way and of course, without ruining your CV-ness. :) That's how you create/enrich style. Experiment to see what works out for you. :) BUUTTT if you don't really know how, start with accessories. :) or shoes 8D
• These are what I see you wearing... and I don't know why. I just do. HAHAHHA

*pastel/light-colored pants!! DIBAAA?? 8D but but.. I can't imagine you tucking in your shirt though.. See for yourself if it would work. :)) 

*loose and long tops but not too long! Your legs might appear shorter. And and they might look so baggy on you. I say, if a top is constructed to be a top but is as long as a dress, it's a no-no. But but the picture below works. The length is, however, on the borderline. Pair with tights/skinny jeans for balance. :)

*mid-length shorts look kinda sporty.. and we all know that CV, you are not. =)) But that doesn't mean you can't wear em! Just pair em with a dainty top :) 

*If cool weather or in air conditioned room, pants + knit sweaters/jackets. 

*dresses with black tights. If you feel the need to be a little bit dressy.. :> very very chic <3 Oh and the dress should be A line :) 

This ends here! Hope I helped you the way you wanted me to! AHAHAHHA weee~ goodluck, bebe gurl! and if you want a shopping buddy, you know who to call :>


Next stop: Tebbie. 8D


For those who want me to write a guide for them similar to what I just did ^, don't hesitate to PM me ;)

*pictures are not mine

CASUAL MENSWEAR: a guide

A guy friend asked me for some advice a week ago on how to dress up. (His identity is withheld upon request.) :-bd so there! Even though I have tons of homework and stuff to prepare for interviews and auditions, ayan na. =)) whatever. I'm happy to do this for you :))

Ok some key points!

• DON'T WEAR SLIPPERS WHEN YOU GO OUT. EVER. IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. SWEAR.
• If you are super thin *ahem ahem AHAAHHAHA*, do not wear super skin-tight jeans. You will make girls feel bad. =)) lolz. However, skinny jeans with some breathing space are acceptable. :)
• Unlike women's fashion, menswear silhouettes are relatively limited. It's always bottoms + shirt + jacket/blazer(optional). Sooo it's harder to make your outfits more diverse. I suggest you play with:

    *COLOR - either multicolored or analogous. 

   With multicolored, learn how to mix colors that go together. Avoid wearing pieces that contrast with each other. But if you want some contrast, make sure to wear a 3rd color and the contrasting pieces should be of different color temperature - that is if the pants are dark red, opt to wear a blazer with a light shade of green + a white shirt. That would make the outfit more pleasing to the eye. If you really wanna learn how to mix colors, read about Kecleon Color Theory. Very helpful! 

   Also, avoid mixing too many colors! Have a color scheme of 2-3 dominant colors. :)

   Analogous is when the colors are close to each other. They are adjacent on the color wheel. Example, red and yellow, blue and purple, etc.

    *ACCENTS - They are a great way to make any outfit less boring. For instance, you're wearing a white shirt and equally white pants. Opt to wear brown shoes, brown belt and a brown vest. So the effect is like... white but with a touch of brown. :-bd

     *PRINTS - prints are nice!! They are not anti-masculine!!! =)) Nautical stripes, pinstripes, plaid, herringbone, houndstooth, etc.!

     *TEXTURE - I see a lot of dudes wear cotton shirt + denim jeans. CAN WE HAVE MORE VARIETY PLS??? liiike leather material, shiny smooth cotton, knitwear, etc! Basta not always t-shirt cotton and denim , my goodness. =))

     *ACCESSORIES - If you want the shirt + jeans silhouette, at least wear a scarf. Or a vest. Or a hat. Or a tie. Or suspenders. A pop of creativity naman. :))

     *LAYERS - Your add-ons. :) Jackets can range from jersey jackets, sports, hoodies, etc. Sweaters. Casual blazers / club jackets. Long sleeved button-down shirt + V-neck shirt. Collared shirt + sweater. etc.

      *THEMES - mix em! 8D It's so interesting to see inconsistency. Like..

casual + formal

sporty + casual 

rocker + formal 

sporty + formal

    *MISCELLANEOUS - Do stuff like.... roll up sleeves, unbutton shirt, tucked-in shirt, button this, loosen that, etc.

• Blazers add a huge dose of COOLNEZZ. Pair with nice fitting shirts/turtleneck, slim jeans, loafers/oxfords/combat boots.
• Vary your shoes. Don't always wear Chucks/sneakers. :)

• You might say.. OH NO. THE PHILIPPINES IS SO HOT BECAUSE OF WONG :> SO I DON'T REALLY WANT TO LAYER THAT MUCH. BLAH BLAH. Oh no indeed. The silhouettes are already limited, the climate limits it further. What to do?? Pay attention to detail, mainly color, print, texture, other unique details. Sooo when you select the shirt + jeans silhouette, it won't be so boring. :)
• You might say.. OH NO. I ONLY HAVE SHIRT AND JEANS IN MY CLOSET. .............. @$$^%&*(*&^%$&* SHOP!!!!
• Gone were the days where guys only wear denim jeans. There is a bigger variety for bottoms now! 8D IN DIFFERENT COLORS! 8D 
• The fit is very important! Even if you wear super nice clothes, if they don't fit nor look good on you, USELESS. But if the fit is nice but it looks like a basahan.....UGLEH!! 
• Confidence is also key. You have to be able to wear the clothes.. and not let the clothes wear you. Notice the guys in the photos. They got swag, yo.

EXAMPLES

Blue + khaki

Blazer + button-down shirt + shorts + hat + shoes

notice the pinstripes and how the blazer matches with the shirt

Gray on gray with eye catching red accent

color blocking

rocker + formal + casual

Layering + accessories

Layering with sweaters

Common silhouettes

2-tone outfit

So there. I hope this helps you with your dilemma. Although I'm not quite sure why you asked me to teach you what I know, considering that you have to wear uniform.. HAHAHA whatevs. I hope that you at least understand it and all my terminologies. =)) hehehe

****photos are not mine.