How to wear Metallics

I remember my dad once said to me when I came out of my room all dressed up, "Kung hindi ka matingkad, makinang ka naman." Lol! If it was a compliment or not, I couldn't care less. He was speaking the truth. Hello, orange nga favourite colour ko e. (Yes, go ahead, judge me and roll your eyes on me.) And while others have black and/or white as their staple, mine is metallics. Go bright or go sparkly! Haha!

Less skin, more sparkle

Metallics are tricky, though, which makes it terrifying or overwhelming to use. It can either instantly spice up or break an outfit. There's a fine line between looking fab and tacky when using metallics. Similar to colour-blocking or mixing prints, if you do it wrongly then, you'll be doomed. Nevertheless, if you do it correctly, you'll be stellar.

Here are some tips on how to look shimmery but not tacky:
1. Consider the quality of the metallic item that you want to use.
We've all seen those ghastly, super shiny, it's-just-so-tacky-it-hurts clothing items so you know what I mean. Hence, when buying a metallic-coloured item, look at the texture, the fabric and how the piece was made. I think this is the main point of what makes or breaks a metallic piece and what makes it work or not.

2. Keep it minimal. Keep it balanced.
Your metallic piece, whether it's your clothing item or accessory, is already a statement on its own. It's not sparkly for nothing. Make the piece stand out by keeping the rest of your outfit subtle or understated. If you're wearing a plain, monochrome-coloured outfit, you can go big with it. However, if there's enough texture/colour on your outfit, tone down or don't use metallics at all. It's all about finding the right balance. You don't want to look like you came out from 80's disco party or a walking Christmas tree. I repeat, keep it minimal and balanced.

3. Pair it with neutrals.
Related to what I discussed on the previous bullet point. A safe way to make your piece stand out is to pair it with neutral-coloured items in your closet.

4. Keep the palette of your outfit as monochrome as possible.
Another foolproof way to draw attention to your metallic piece for the right reasons. If the rest of your outfit belongs to the same colour family, it draws the attention to the metallic colour and you wouldn't look "too busy" to the eye.

I kept my outfit palette in the old rose/mauve shade so they would complement each other and my focal piece, which are the pants.

5. By all means, colour-block it.
If you're feeling more experimental and daring, you can also play with colours. This can be tricky as well, so choose colours that go together or choose one solid/richly saturated colour to pair the metallic colour with, such as green and gold, purple and silver, navy blue and gold, to name a few. The colour wheel or Christmas decor colour combinations can be a good reference. Then keep the rest of your outfit or your accessories toned down.

6. Use it with texture, too.
Match metallics with texture, such as chambray top or denim jeans, leather jacket, chunky knit or sheer lace (similar to what I used in the photo) to add extra oomph factor. With texture, be careful not to go overboard. To be safe, use a single texture and opt for textured items that have neutral colours.

7. You can also go full-on, head-to-toe metallic.
If you choose to go down this road, make sure to go for metallic items that are of the same or almost the same colour so you will look cohesive and not too shiny.

8. Own it!
Pretty self-explanatory, I suppose.

I'm not an expert but I hope this helps! (And I hope I explained it clearly? Haha!)
Now, go on and strut those sparkles.

DIY: Sequined sash belt

My first DIY of the year! Yay! :)

I know I mentioned that Wednesdays will be my DIY day but since I am not feeling even a bit sleepy yet, let's do this in advance!

As part of my New Year's Eve outfit, I made a belt to cover the top part of my pants that is ruched and made of garter. I opted to use a shiny organza ribbon and metallic sequins to spice my pants up a bit. Plus, the metallic trend is very hot today! :)

 Here's how I made it:

1. Needle

2. Snap fasteners

3, Satin ribbon around 1 inch in width, Silver organza ribbon around 1/2 inch in width. (It's your choice what width of ribbon you would want to use.)

4. White thread

5. Sequins (For this post, I only made a silver sequined belt. I haven't used the gold sequins yet.)

6. Scissors

7, Sewing machine (As seen in the succeeding photos)

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, MEASURE THE RIBBON ACCORDING TO YOUR WAIST SIZE AND ADD AN INCH OR TWO (TO SERVE AS AN ALLOWANCE) WHEN YOU CUT THE RIBBON. You can also make a high-waist belt or a belt that can be either used for your waist and above your waist. Your call. :)

Sew the silver organza ribbon on one side of the black satin ribbon. You can use whatever color and type of ribbon you want.

Then do the same on the other side.

Fold the ends of the ribbon and sew them to seal.

This is how it looks like after.

The fun part: embellishment! Sew the sequins by hand! You can design and put the sequins however you want to.

Ta-daaahhh!

As a final touch, sew on a snap fastener that will serve as locks when worn.

And there you have it, your own and very easy sequined sash belt! :)

I'm thinking of having one piece/pre-order of this to be sold in my online store... Hmm.

Anyway, you'll see more photos of me wearing the belt when I blog about our New Year's celebration. :)

(Oh, thanks Mom for letting me borrow your hands! :) And for really sewing the ribbons for me. Hee. Yes, I only did the sequins part.)