Monday, August 12, 2013
Guy Spotlight: Ojay Clarino
AZKALS' Ojay Clarino, a winger and forward player of the Philippine's Men's Football team, considers competing in the Europe World Cup as his ultimate dream. This may be a long shot but this rising star commits to doing his best to reach his goals.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Ladies, the Gentleman!
Jolo: I think modesty is what preserves the true beauty of a woman. All women are supposed to be respected, appreciated, and loved, and i think modesty is key in seamlessly tying all these together. It's what helps the guys love their girls right. It's what makes guys want to know more about the girl for the sake of knowing and appreciating her, not for anything else.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
America's Next Top Model Finalist Leah Darrow on Fashion and Modesty
Sunday, November 25, 2012
ARE YOU GUTSY?
Friday, August 31, 2012
BRAND SPOTLIGHT: JUANA
Fresh, modern, wearable and proudly Filipino, ladies ready-to-wear brand Juana makes fashion accessible to all.
Ann Francis King-Anasco, 38, proprietor of Juana Clothing Corporation, is a dentist by profession who stumbled into fashion as part of a business decision.
G: What got you into fashion?
G: Tell us about your style philosophy.
G: Describe Juana's aesthetic? Who wears Juana?
G: Take us through the designing process--from inspiration to construction to finished product
G: What is your take on dignified dressing? Would you advocate it?
Sunday, June 24, 2012
BRIDAL STYLE: Sunshine Plata-Alimagno
Most women consider their wedding day one of the most important occasions of their lives. It is the one that usually takes the most effort to prepare for, and mention one of the most expensive. For good reason, since your wedding is a once in a lifetime event.
New Bride Sunshine Plata Alimagno shares with GUTSY her tips to feeling your best during this big day.
Full Married Name:
Kresta Ruth Plata Alimagno
When? Where?
May 4, 2012, Friday at San Antonio De Padua Parish in Calumpang, Marikina City
Photographer
Imagine Nation's Noel Salazar and Shayla Sanchez
Make-up artist
Ann De Leon- Perez
Who designed your gown?
The gown is a merge of my ideas as well as my own, incorporated with the vision of Ms. Vilma Orticio, our trusted family dressmaker throughout the years.
How was the designing process? Any style inspiration?
I wanted a classic style as not to look outdated when I look back at photos. Besides, I had to be honest and realistic with myself that it should be something that should suit me and my body frame.
I got the inspiration from Audrey Hepburn’s iconic black and white Ascot race dress from her 1964 film version of My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle (take out the long sleeves, the heavy laced pouch, the wide brimmed hat and the black and white ribbons but keep the umbrella for the rain).
Any considerations when coming up with the design?Modesty is a top consideration since God is a major witness who will bless your marriage as you exchange sacred vows with your husband-to-be.
Can you describe your gown? The mermaid cut gown is predominantly made of tulle, lace and duchesse [satin], then there is the beadwork. For the veil, 5 yards of tulle, edged with heavy lace, were used.
Any other gown related unfortunate events before your wedding?Before the wedding, I purchased a pair of yellow suede stilettos. It looked so perfect! When I got home everybody agreed that it was such a pretty find, except my mom. She was totally against the four-inch heels because she knew how I was used to walking with just the common flats or rubber shoes. Wearing 4 inch stilettos without practice might cause me to trip during my big day. So the following day, my mom insisted that I return the shoes. My hubby asked me, "Ok lang ba sayo? Malungkot ka ba ibabalik natin yellow shoes mo???" I exchanged it for a pair of white and silver flats (an extra to my collection) and mom helped me find an equally stunning but funky pair of open-toe pumps instead. I was proud to say, there were no "tripping feats recorded on photo or video on that faithful day of May 4, 2012!
Any style advice to future brides? 1.) Choose a classy and elegant style of dress that flatters your body frame without compromising too much skin, you'll never go wrong! :D
2.) Scout for the perfect make-up artist you're most comfortable with for the both of you to work on your winning look!
3.) Try to save up for a professional photographer who does really wholesome and fun photo shoot sessions
4.) Be open to constructive criticism even if it's justified that YOU RUN THE SHOW or THIS IS YOUR WEDDING. You may be required at times to give-up some of your "addictive little wants and caprices" versus a higher "unfathomable good “but in the end you'll be very grateful for being docile.
5.) Always, always pray to Our Lady Mother of Fair Love. She will accompany you in your "uphill and downhill" battles to stay chaste as you look forward to your wedding day. Best assurance is that, she will ask her Son to never let you down on your most special day just as she did to the couple who invited them to be part of their "Wedding at Cana".
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Dressing According To Context
--My mom’s reaction when I told him that my businessman friend is inviting me to go out with him and a bunch of beauty queens.
I’m a leggings and dressy top kind of girl. Smart Casual/Dressy corporate is my favourite attire. Something safe—something I can wear to meetings, to the mall, maybe to a not so formal dinner date. But Smart Casual is not something you wear to a night-out of partying of cocktails or maybe dancing with friends. So when a friend of mine told me he was in Manila, and that he would like to invite me to cocktails in one of the most popular bars in the metro, I declined, knowing that I won’t have time to change from my “daily attire” to the suitable “bar attire”. Especially when he said, “Kasama naming friends ng girlfriend ko, BB Pilipinas candidates”.
No, I am not in any way encouraging everyone to dress like a beauty queen when going to a bar—fitted dresses, platform heels, big hair, false eyelashes. What I am saying here is that part of modesty is dressing within context. Simply put, wearing the right clothes includes considering occasion, location, company and sensibilities of people you are with.
Standards of modesty vary by culture. I think this is most obvious with Islam women who in the heat of the city only have their kohl-rimmed eyes exposed since exposure of hair, other parts of the face or even the ankle are considered immodest, whereas, other cultures don’t go to that extreme.
The left one is the digitally covered one to suit the sensibilities of the Middle East Market.
The one on the right is the original US H&M Campaign.
A large part of modesty depends on context. For example, a bathing suit worn in the mall is considered immodest while in the beach and swimming pools, bathing suits are the proper attire. (Wearing them with shorts, in fact are prohibited in some sports clubs). For men, board shorts are not immodest in the beach, but these are inappropriate as office or Church attire.
My dad wears white linen shirts and dark jeans/trousers to work, to church, to the mall, everywhere—even to the beach. He looks normal in a mall setting, or to work as a photographer, but when he goes to the beach in the same clothes, people are staring at him in a weird way as if he is out of place. One even remarked, “Wala na bang ibang damit ang dad mo?”
For dresses as in special occasions—you also have to consider the setting. A floor length prom dress in heavy fabric may look elegant in a ballroom-setting prom, but cocktail length and lighter fabrics are the way to go should the prom be held in a gym or in a venue without airconditioning (In the same way that wearing backless in an airconditioned venue may be immodest, and may cause bronchitis).
Modesty is not only the amount of skin you cover, but also the way you wear your hair and make up. Dyed hair, colourful makeup, tattoos, body piercings and ripped jeans may look great when your job is a stylist, or if you work as a creative staff member in an ad agency, but doing so in a regular corporate setting would be improper. One would say that their fashion is their way of expressing themselves, “This is me; it is my creative outlet”. Yes, truly, personal style can say a lot about the person, as it is your way of presenting yourself without saying a word—but you also have to take the sensibilities of others and rules (such as dress codes) into consideration.
You can say, to some extent, that modesty is relative. But in any kind of dress code, there is always the more modest choice. For example, choose a tankini or one piece suit instead of a bikini for the beach, leggings instead of cycling shorts when working out, for cocktail dressing, you can get knee length instead of micro mini.
* Written by a GUTSY correspondent