I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. ~ W.E. Henley

Dressing Up To Melt Hearts


Suddenly the breeze has acquired a slightly sticky feel to it. I, for one, can sense that my tan is making a slow comeback. Well, hello February! This is the month everyone seems to be at their prettiest. Whether you are on a look out for a new squeeze or you are on the steady wings of love, everyone wants to wear that distinct blush akin to sweet romance. Leave any semblance of gloom and ditch that pale disposition. Replace them with a lovely glow, the kind we all want that special someone to remember us by. 

Mission: Captivate
Try to wear clothes that deviate from your usual look. Go for a dress if you consistently wear laid back styles, or try on a pair of sleek wide legged pants if you are mostly a very feminine dresser. If your wardrobe consists mostly of clothes in the neutral colors of black, white, brown or cream, have the courage to experiment with color blocking. Start by putting together two or three pastel colored garments. Have fun figuring out what makes sense on the color wheel. If you are bold enough, try formulating your own theories on color harmony. This year, I hear the color tangerine will stand for fresh and bold. How does a little orange dress appeal to you? Surely that is captivating! 

Now that we have laid out our color foundation, let us move on to setting the mood. I am talking about the intensity of impact. There are three ways to dress up to melt hearts; simmer, sizzle, or boil.

Simmer
Just like butter on an ever so slow heat, to look simmering is to dress subtly. Pick tops with scoop neck cuts, no showing of cleavage or bodily assets please. Show your charm in clothes that merely hint at the depth of your allure. Channel the Duchess of Cambridge for inspiration. 

Sizzle
Moving on to a notch bolder than the previous suggestion, dressing to look sizzling hot would not be that hard at all. Cebu’s fine weather allows for us to incorporate feminine textiles like chiffon and accents like lace into our weapons of choice - our clothes! This time it is all about sheers, silhouettes and light fabrics that seem follow where ever the wind blows. I love how this makes quite a room for imagination! 

Boil
The word needs no further adjective to further expound it. The communication is loud and clear, it is attention you want and therefore you shall get it. This time the clothes barely matter at all, it is the attitude brought forth by what we wear that gives the level of hotness we are after. The key is power dressing. Will for admiration and romance to come your way, by donning clothes that make you feel good about yourself first. I find that playing with men’s clothes, or those inspired from it, serves two purposes. One, men really like it, and two, girls feel empowered by it. It is hard to resist a woman in a boyfriend shirt dress. 

It is up to you to pick one course of action or you can just go ahead and progress to a boiling point. It is, after all, St. Valentine’s season - snag a heart!

note:  The foregoing is my article for Cebu Review's February Issue.  Download the digital version by clicking on the image below.

Thanks Mac of Style Cebu from lending me her gorgeous picture!


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