The Right Colors For Your Skin Tone

Actually, I should have said the right shades of colors for your skin undertone, because it is your skin undertone that will dictate which shades of colors will complement your skin. And yes, you read it right: I said shades of color and not color, because for each 12 seasons (yes, you read it right again!) there will be different shades of blue, green, yellow, red, purple, pink, orange, gray etc that will be perfect for each. In another words, if you want to find the right colors for your skin you will need to think about which shades of colors are your best friends.

And by your best friends shades of color I mean that shade of color that will make you look your very best, that will uplift you, that will enhance your best features and that will make you glow even with no makeup on or sans a nice healthy tan to back you up.

What I am gonna teach here is a test you can do on your own with each shade of color you come across. So, you can do it with every piece on your wardrobe or with every piece you are buying from now on. Having said that, the fitting rooms are not the best place to decide wether or not that shade color is for you or not. Below you will understand why.

To the test:

First, you will need a natural light from a window or a door or from being outdoors. And a mirror. It is a good idea to have no distractions in your background or simply choose a gray one. Make sure you have no make up on. Then get the piece of clothing with the particular shade of color and place it right below your chin. Then pay attention to the effects that this shade of color causes in your face such as: 

• The white part in your eyes looks sparkling whiter.
• So your teeth. (smile to check this out)
• Your skin looks healthier.
• If you have dark circles or bags under your eyes they will look smoother, suddenly.
• Even without makeup you look refreshed, glowing, your best.
• The wrinkles might look smoother.

If you got those effects when testing a shade of color, then yes, this is a friendly one. If by any chance the results you get when you test that shade of color is:

• Unhealthy, opaque or dull looking skin.
• Opaque eyes.
• More than usual yellow smile.
• Wrinkles look more visible.

Then that shade of color is not your bff.

By the way, your friendly shades of colors are your best bet to wear near your face in tops, scarves, coats etc. When you wear them near your face they will do their magic. If you like a shade of color that doesn’t belong to your friendly palette you can wear it in a place away from your face as a bag, a shoe, a skirt or pants, for example with no side effects.

Of course that if you wear only friendly shades of color head to toe it would be the best, but it is not necessary.

And if you are testing a printed top or scarf, well, let’s say that 70% to 80% of that should be in friendly shades of colors. At least.

If you have a tan, you can do the test and take a note that this shade of color is great for you with a tan and when you no longer have one, retest it to confirm if it is a good shade of color for you. I am saying it because sometimes makeup and a tan can help a shade of color be your friend, but without them, not so much. And here we are trying to establish which shades of colors are the very best for you under any circumstances. That will make you look great even waking up in the morning after a bad sleeping night.

Having said that, of course that if a shade of color looks good on you wearing makeup or a tan and you do intend to wear that shade of color with one or the other, than that color will be a good friend of yours then. 

Got it?

Another way to know if a shade of color is your best friend: take a mental note to the compliments you get every time you wear a particular shade of color. That can help too.

By the way, if you are not so sure about the outcome of certain shades of colors you can always invite a dear friend that can help you with that.

The Look: How To Wear Brown And Black Together

Photo: Instagram @ilariaurbinati

Although black and brown can be a little bit tricky when paired together in a look, the duo is totally possible. Just like Armie Hammer shows in the photo above.

The trick to get it right? It is a tricky one, actually. And it is because it will all depend on the shades of the color in question, even the shades of black. And to get it right you will have to have an eye for it, I am afraid.

But you can take a clue from his outfit to guide you through cause this totally worked. And it did because the shoes and the coat are brown and the jeans pants and the turtleneck are black. If by any chance he would have bet in brown for the pants and turtleneck and black for coat and shoes the result would not have been this good. In this case, the shoes should be brown and the coat could be black but still, the result would have been way less interesting than this one.

How To Cuff A Shirt In A Cool Way For Her

This a different way to cuff your shirt. A cool and yet very elegant way. And it goes like that:

• With an unbuttoned cuff fold the sleeve halfway up the arm, at your elbow height.
• Roll the bottom of the sleeve up the arm once or twice as you wish.
• Then smoothly pull the cuff..
• Scrunch the sleeve up as you wish.
• Tug the cuff once again.
• And voilà.

You can check via gif how to do this tutorial here. And bear in mind that you can leave more cuff showing if you want to. It is up to you.

Having options is always a good thing. And this could be that detail that would add some thing extra to your plain Jane look.

Give it a try. It is not hard at all.

Should My Belt And Shoes Match?

Yes. And no. I explain. If you are going for a classic look or want to follow the fashion rule on this, then yes they should match. However if you want to break the rule or is betting on a more casual look or even if you have a more alternative look, then they don’t. Let me illustrate it better.

With a suit, usually it is a good idea to match shoes and belts not only in the color (and preferable even in the shade of it) but also in the vibe (dress up or down vibe). If you want to go absolutely classic on that. If you want give a little edge to it, then you cam mismatch the shade of color, betting in a dark brown shoes and a medium brown belt. Or in a opaque black shoes and shiny black belt.

And yes, even with a suit there is a possibility of going beltless. Even if your pants have the place to wear a belt. Even without suspenders. It is up to you.

To be honest, I don’t like the idea of wearing, let’s say a brown belt to a black shoes. And vice-versa. Mostly. The only exception for me is in the case that your pants are black and you are wearing brown shoes. The vice-versa here sometimes don’t work as well.

And if by any chance your fashionable self are betting in a gray shoes then your belt could be gray, brown or black.

In a more casual look, then you don’t have to match shoes and belts. Although the deal with brown and black is the one to approach with caution here. Not always is gonna be a good idea.

And speaking of brown… this is a great bet to pair with colored shoes like sneakers, driving shoes, espadrilles etc. Beige is also a good bet. Black? Not so much. But it is possible.

And yes, it is a good idea to bet on belt that is more casual. I will talk more about it in another post.

And although I did this post with men in mind, women can also take a clue from it.

The Perfect Hem Length To Every Pants

Forget about trends for a moment, this is a guideline to hem length in a classical, better way to go for it, if you are looking for a hem that plays on your team and makes you look polished.

First of all, the most important thing to have in mind is to hem the pants wearing the shoes you are planning to wear with that particular pants, because the height of the heels matter. This is the only way you can decide the proper length for your pants.

If by any chance you want to wear that particular pants with two different shoe heights then choose a length in between. But be aware that this is not going to look your best either way, just Okay. Okay? Unless the difference between the heights is close to nothing. Then this will be more than Okay.

Or you can choose the highest heel shoes to determine the hem and when you wear it with a flat shoes or a shoes with a lower heel then you hem it with a temporary hem via a hem tape, for instance. Although a wide leg pants or a pants in a very thin flowing fabric can be tricky to get away with it.

Anyways, here are the proper hems for every pants’ style:

Classic Straight Tailored Pants:

And here I am talking about a straight and slightly flowing pants that can be menswear inspired (or not). That kind of working trousers that could be part of a suit or the perfect piece to wear with a shirt or a blouse. The back of this pants should be ½” off the floor. In any way you should step on your hem with this one. In the front it could have a bit of drape (break) but not enough to hide the shoes. Or no break at all. In anyway, the front of your shoes should be visible.

Wide Leg Pants And Flare Pants:

They both look better with a longer hem length, that kind that almost sweeps the floor and has no break. Keep your back hem just a ¼” off the floor. Or even less, but never to the point of touching the floor. In the front, just a peek of your toe, if that much.

Bootcut Pants:

This one can get the both hem heights above or be placed in between them (¼” to ½” off the floor in the back).

Skinny Jeans, Leggings or Jeggings:

This is the most versatile type of pants in terms of hem. Because the hem will go with any shoe heights, from flat to stilettos and everything in between. This hem should be at the top of the ankle or somewhere around, up or down. But not much.

Straight Leg Slim Pants And Tapered Pants:

This straight is the one with a straight cut but quite slim, almost skinny so the cuff area usually is not wide enough to drape well over a shoe or even a boot. The tapered one starts as a straight one and from the knee starts tapering towards the bottom. In these two cases, the best hem option is around the bottom of the ankle, before your foot starts. Having said that, if the pants and the fabric allows you to go a bit further down (in the straight slim one), then you can do so.

Cropped Pants:

Or ankle pants. This type of pants demands some skin showing between your shoes and the pants. Unless you are going for ankle boots, then you can forget about it. Or keep that in mind and apply. This one should be hemmed pointing (or revealing) at the slimmest part of your ankle, somewhere around your ankle bone. Or a bit higher.

How To Wear Neutrals In A Fun Way

And the fun way can be adopted by a female, a male or a non binary. Here it is how:

Just pick a different neutral color to every piece in your look. This way: navy pants, white shirt, dark brown shoes, grey sweater or coat and voilà.

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For that you can use any neutral color. And if you don’t know which ones are the neutral colors, let me tell you:

• White.
• Off-White (it is a dirty white that can oatmeal, linen, ecru, ivory, icy and so many other shades).
• Gray.
• Beige.
• Camel.
• Brown.
• Khaki (beige or green).
• Navy.
• Black.
• Blue jeans. In all its shades. Included the light blue jeans. Of course that if the jeans is in any of the color present on this list, it is also a neutral one.

I often include on this list of neutrals other colors that are almost neutrals like:

Olive, Military and Burgundy. There are lighter and darker shades of those colors as well.

• Burgundy or basically any dark shade of red alike.
• Olive or Military green. Those are very close shades of khaki green. Even a dark green can feature on this list.

And I do include them because like the other neutrals they do talk well with other colors. And yes, you could include that in your fun neutral look, however those colors will add an extra touch of color to your neutral look. If you want to keep a whole neutral look vibe, stick with the first list for your options.

Where The Tip Of Your NeckTie Should Fall

Photo: Brooks Brothers.

And here it is your answer: the tip should touch the top of your belt. Have a look at the picture. The tip should never go longer than this. It could be a little shorter but never to the point of showing some shirt between the tie and the belt.

If you are not wearing any belt, just imagine where the belt would go or just don’t leave any shirt showing between the tie and the pants. Got it?

And if by any chance you want to break this rule, go shorter (but just a little bit, showing an inch or two of the shirt), never longer. Deal?

How To Tie A Scarf In 25 Ways

One thing that you should learn if you don’t know by now is how to tie a scarf. Because a scarf can be that final touch that will make a difference in your look. Or it will just add an extra charm.

In any case, there are tones of ways to do it. Some pretty known, others, not so much. And of course that you don’t need to know every single way there is. Just a few that speak to you and compliment your style. So you will have that in your styling sleeve from now on.

Below there is a video with 25 ways to tie a scarf. You can choose some of them and master to vary your scarf look whenever you feel up to.

Or you can pick one of them to be your trademark, if you don’t have one by now. That is also a possibility.

And yes, you can do it with a shawl or a with a thicker scarf.

Which one is your favorite or trademark? My to-go knot is the European knot (aka Chelsea Knot). But I like to vary…

Dimpling Your Tie Knot

I don’t know if you know but tying a tie in a classical way requires a dimple under the knot. Do you? It does. Besides that, tying your tie with a dimple will give a certain personality to it and will make the knot smoother therefore will drive more attention to your face. Because when there is no dimple it is like you focus there, on the knot. It screams for your attention. When there is a dimple, it gets softer and your attention is no longer demanded there. Just compare.

Photos: Getty Images.

And yes, a dimple is this indentation, this little fold under the knot.

If you don’t know how to actually give your tie a dimple, here it is the way I learned:

• Just tie your tie the way you normally do it until you are going to finally tie the knot tight.
• Then before you pull the tie to make it tight you put your index finger just below the knot and pinch the tie in a W.
• Then pull the tie from the loop til the knot is tight as you like.

In the video below you can see this way and another way to give your tie a dimple.

Either way, just don’t forget about the dimple. And yes, you can keep on tying your tie without the dimple. Or alternate between the two options (with and without). Let your own style (and mood?) decides on that.

Airport Style: Efficient, Effortless Look

When traveling, if you want to keep it simple, comfortable and yet elegant, this is a great go to staple look to brave the airport style:

The Elements:

A comfy dark legging (black, grey, navy, brown…). A dark colored one is preferable cause if it gets dirty will not show up that easily. It’s gotta be comfortable (to sleep in), so pick one that it is not compressing tight and made of cotton, wool or viscose, depending on your destination. If you are going to a cold place, a warmer one made of wool or from one of those thermal fabrics is a good idea. If the place is gonna be hot, a cotton or a viscose one, please.

Dark and in a neutral color is a more versatile option for leggings.

A top that could be a shirt, a bohemian top, a blouse, a tunic, a t-shirt, a cami or tank top, a sweater, a sweater dress, a long sleeve t-shirt… anything very much your style. Still, choose a top accordingly to your destination: if cold, a warm one like a sweater is the way to go; if hot, a lighter one like a blouse or a t-shirt or a cami. Got it?

Here you can go neutral or with a splash of dark color. With a top in your style. And yes, it can a very basic, classic top or a trendy, not so basic one. It is up to you.

Having said that… if the place you are departing from is too cold, you can wear some warm clothes to travel and underneath or in your bag bring a fresher top, like a t-shirt or a cami to wear when you arrive. This is a good idea especially if you are going back to the same cold place.

And yes, a dark one is more practical. But it could be a dark shade of any color, not only neutrals. The same can be applied to the next element.

A coat, a cardigan or a jacket. Choose it according to your destination weather. If you are going to a cold place, you can wear your heavy coat. If you are going to a warm place, then a cardigan is enough to be your extra layer if you need one during your stay or while you are in the aircraft.

A splash of dark color is welcome for a coat, cardigan or jacket if you want to run away from neutrals.

It is a possibility (and a good idea) to take with you a nice pashmina. To warm you up in the airplane and in your destination. Even if over there is gonna be hot. You never know when that freezing breeze will strike your vacations. And a pashmina can be your just-in-case coat. No need for a cardigan or a jacket.

Who said you cannot have some fun with your shoes? A splash of color, animal print are welcome to add some jazz to your outfit. And if you are gonna go for the gym sneakers (the New Balance one on the photo), bet in a dark color to polish up the look. Leather or suede instead of canvas is also a more interesting option.

And finally shoes. An easy one to take off at the airport and comfortable to travel with. Good options: boots (ankle boots or mid calf boots, zippered or slip ons), sneakers (slip ons are the best bets), ballet flats, flat sandals (a little bit dressier than flip flops 🙏) and even wedges.

Okay, if you are a major boots fan and will take a knee high boot, you can travel wearing this one to save some space in your luggage. The same philosophy is applied to your heavy coat.

And yes, socks are a good item to bring with you if you wearing shoes without them. For the airplane ride.

A handbag: big enough to carry everything you need to with you. If you taking a carry-on with you, your handbag can be small as a baguette just to carry important things such as your passport, wallet, phone… things like that. And in your carry-on you can take your laptop, tablet, some clothes, a makeup bag, your jewelry etc…

The pashmina can be neutral or the splash of color in your look. And the sunnies can be a statement, why not?

Sunnies: Just.In.Case.

Underwear: pick a bra that is comfortable to sleep in and yet it has some proper support. But not the wired ones because, first, they can cause some trouble at the airport and second, it is not the most comfy one to sleep with. A comfy panties are a good idea too.

The last element is an optional one: headwear. If you are going to a cold place, a warm one (beanie, fedora etc) made of wool or felt is the perfect choice; if you are heading to a sun shinning destination, then consider a straw one like a Panama or then a cotton or linen one. And yes, the headwear can be part of your traveling look.

This way you are gonna be comfortable, cozy and presentable all times during your airplane ride, sleeping time included. And you will be prepared to face the different temperatures from your departure to your destination city and the airplane in between.

Here you can check some whole looks in this vibe.