Wordless Wednesday

Behind the scenes look with my mentor and friend, stylist extraordinaire, Leilani Lacson.

Tips on a Tuesday: Sunglass Shape

The one accessory that I can’t live without is my sunglasses.  I can’t have enough of them!  I have some that I got for 5 bucks at a flea market to some that cost me a little more then I probably should have spent.  But whether you’re doing some casual shopping, heading to a business meeting, or having a lunch date, sunglasses are a necessity to staying stylish.  Below I will address the different face shapes and the appropriate style of glasses that will be the perfect fit.

General tips:

-Keep proportion in mind, not just facial but your body as well, if you’re 5’ 2” don’t buy the largest pair of shades you see at your favorite store.

-Never cover up strong cheek bones if you have them!

-If your frames angle downwards this WILL age you, upward frames lift the face.

-Generally, the shape of the frame should be in opposition to your face shape.

-If these are reading glasses, you should update them every two years

-Most importantly, sunglasses should ALWAYS be UV A/B protected!  This protects your eyes from harmful UV rays.

If you have…

An oval face:

-Almost any shape looks good on an oval face; they are just the lucky ones.

-Frames should be as wide as or just slightly wider than the broadest part of the face.

-Don’t go overboard; stay proportionate to your features.

An oblong face:



Great for oblong shaped faces!



-An oval shape or other shapes with a strong horizontal line will help shorten the face and soften the angles.

-Decorative details can add width to the face.

-A low bridge and low temple will again shorten the face and can be extremely flattering.

A round face:

-Wide ovals, cat eyes and angular shapes diminish fullness to a round face.

-Higher temples will compliment this shape well.

-Frames should be wider then they are tall, the taller they are, the more full your face will look.

An inverted triangle:



Aviators for an inverted



-Frames with emphasis up top will compliment this face well; this includes aviators and half-frames

-Glasses should have an angle that goes inward at the bottom.



A heart shape:

-Oval shapes, slightly rounded or a butterfly shape looks great.

-The wideness of these shapes will soften the features and compliment the face shape.

A square shape:

-Curved shapes that are more horizontal and less vertical will soften angles on this face shape.

-With this face shape avoid flat bottomed frames, this will square out your face shape and make your angles look more prominent.

Some terms you should know about sunglasses!

Polarized:  These lenses reduce glare by absorbing reflections from horizontal surfaces, such as highways or pools of water.  This is highly recommended for those who do a lot of driving, or are outside for prolonged periods of time.

Photochromic:  These lenses are light sensitive:  They get darker as they are exposed to UV light, this allows you to wear them both indoors and outside!

Polycarbonate:  Made from a light weight plastic, these lenses offer amazing impact-resistance, so they are great for those who wear their glasses while playing sports or are extremely active outdoors.

Gradient tinted lenses:  They are treated so that the lens is dark at the top and gradually lightens as they get to the bottom.  These are useful when you want to cut out that overhead glare.

Colored Lenses:

You may think that coloration on a lens doesn’t make a difference but it does!

Green-gray:  This is the most popular color for lenses, because it filters light evenly and distorts color the least.  These lenses are great for bright, sunny days.

Brown to yellow:  These lenses distort color somewhat, but allow for a higher contrast by filtering out blue light.  They are helpful for driving on overcast days, hazy days and at dusk.

Purple, pink or blue:  Lenses this color should be saves primarily to make a statement, only because they distort color perception.

Project Desert Storm

A little glimpse into the day of a wonderful shoot.

            The minute my eyes opened up I knew it was going to be a crazy busy day.  Testing is never easy, with no pull letter and not a lot of contacts, as I’m still working on building my name in this industry; I knew that I had to be on top of my game today.  I had received the inspiration images from Paula, the hair stylist and the one coordinating the shoot, and wanted to make sure I gave them the best possible looks I can provide.  A close friend of mine had been generous to let me pull some items from her the night before, and I had packed everything that came close to the inspiration that I had in my kit.  My mission the day of the shoot was to pick up some last minute accessories, hit the fabric store, and drape a few dresses out of chiffon and see what I could come up with for the shoot.  Head to the shoot then rock it out.  Luckily call time wasn’t until 3pm.

            My alarm clock went off around 9pm, I hopped in the shower and quickly through on some cool, comfortable YET cute clothes that I would be able to do my last minute prepping in.  I had already pre-packed my personal shoot clothes in the car.  I headed to Cerritos mall just to grab some spare accessories to cushion my kit with (yes, often with stylists who are still establishing their name and book, expenses come out of pocket).  As I was at my check out at the store I was in I received a text from a stylist that I assist from time to time, he agreed to let me pull some items for my shoot out of his kit.  Only one thing, he would only be at his place in Los Angeles for 1 hour.  I still needed to go to the fabric store which was in the opposite direction and head back home to pack the rest of my car!  I decided that it would be to my benefit to make the trip regardless.

            I quickly ran out of the store, accessories and Starbucks in hand and got on the road towards Los Angeles.  It took me 45 minutes to get there!  And mind you, my lovely air conditioning in my car decided to not work, in the middle of summer!  Once there, I showed him the inspiration images that I had received, and he was able to pick out a handful of items for me that I could pull.  At this point it was 1 o’clock.  I had two hours to make it to Jo Ann’s, head to the fabric store, pack my car and make it too Aliso Viejo, which is a good 20 something miles away from my house.  I was in and out of LA in less than 20 minutes, and back on the road headed towards Orange County.  I decided to go straight home, pack my car and then head to the fabric store as my last stop.  From there I would go straight to the prep location.  An hour or so later, I finally arrived at the prep shoot location, after picking up over 6 yards of fabric from the store.  We had been informed that Make-up artist Au Mauricio (http://www.paulamauricio.com/) was on the way, so the photographer Jacqueline Grossbard (Jacqueline Harriet Photography), the MUA (make-up artist) Paula Peralta (Paula Peralta's Blog) and model Jessica Brittain (Jessica Brittain's Facebook) decided to have a fit session before we got started so we could get the looks on lock, since we would be shooting on location in Trabuco Canyon, there would be very little time (we were using natural lighting) and no changing room.  Once we narrowed to the looks to top 5, I packed them up and headed to Target to pick up a last minute nude swimsuit she could wear under some of the sheer items.  When I came back hair and make-up was all set.  We then set out on our 20 minute drive to the canyon; we had to work quickly because we were losing light very fast.  Once we got there it was non-stop, first look was a gorgeous fur vest and a skirt that I had fashioned out of a bolt of burgundy lace.  Then one of the girls had an amazing idea to lift the lace up and have Jacqueline shoot through it, to create a print on Jessica, the models, face!  It turned out beautifully!  The next looks was a sheer orange chiffon wrap around dress that we fashioned into a top, with a plum patterned high wasted skirt, again, knocked that look out of the park.  Last but certainly not least, we used a nude chiffon tunic with metal sequins, and a cropped chiffon bolero with orange faux fur attached to it.  Just as the sun was setting the image was captured and it turned out beautifully.  After we all had wrapped, and packed up from this exhausting day, we took a little trip to Café Rio in Lake Forest to have a celebratory dinner, which was super yummy!  I could not have asked for a better team and a better shoot day.  I loved every minute.

Check out how the shoot turned out below!

Man's World Monday: Timeless Timepieces

            In my opinion, there is a very limited option of accessories out there for men, fashion forward or not; men want to keep a sense of simplicity when it comes to accessorizing, save few, who enjoy a more gaudy approach.  But there is one accessory that no man, fashion forward or not, that works well in any situation, the classic timepiece.  A watch is not only fashion utility at its best but also a great way to accessorize a man’s wardrobe, but you can tell a lot about a man by what kind of timepiece he is wearing.

            A classic crème faced watch with black or brown leather band usually denotes a guy serious in nature, business minded or of a mature mind.  Usually someone who wants to maintain an air of being timeless, or traditional.

            A watch of a metallic nature usually denotes a man on trend.  But how the watch is designed, and what brand can also tell you a lot as well.  Someone who has a very simple steel banded watch is usually someone who wants to make sure the watch he is wearing is versatile enough to go with him throughout the entire day.  This might be a young professional who likes to work hard during his 8-5 and then party just as hard at night. 

            A man who is somewhat of a show off or someone who just enjoys the fruits of his labor might wear a watch a little bit gaudier.  A popular trend I’ve seen lately is watches adorned with diamonds.  Black diamonds, white diamonds.  I’ve usually scene this on the types of guys that are very into fashion, staying on trend, and definitely trying to up the “impress” factor.  Of course, the watch to top all of man’s watches is the Rolex.  But this lately has come up for a lot of debate among some of the more fashionable men I know.  Although Rolex has undoubtedly been the symbol of wealth and achievement for most men, with today’s economic struggles, a lot of people still want to pay for quality without having to pay the Rolex price tag.

            Although Tag Heuer is another great option, there price range is still in the low thousands.  Thus designer brands have picked up on this trend for man’s need to have a timeless timepiece and have since started to make their own brand of watches. Gucci, Burberry, Michael Kors and Guess? all have greatly priced watch of course some are still Swiss made, while others not, which does make a difference in the price tag.  But now men have the option to mix it up in their wardrobe and still make a statement with their timepiece without breaking the bank.

Look for Luxe:



Rolex Green Submariner $8750



Look for Less:



Guess Bold And Classic $125



Enjoy!

-B

Wordless Wednesdays: Sneak Peak

A sneak peek of my photoshoot from Tuesday!

Man's World Monday: Summer Trend

For many Men, fashion is the last thing on the mind.  Save for the few that are meticulous about what they wear and how they look.  The Spring/Summer Gucci ’11 collection debuted a strong image of a combined use of neutral and achromatic colors to comprise its Spring/Summer Runway show for 2011.  A strong piece that was represented was the blazer.  I pick one of the most iconic pieces for a man, only because a great blazer can have so many uses in the day to day life of a man.

Gucci Men's Spring/Summer 2011

            If you’re not required to wear a suit to work, (the difference between a suit jacket and a blazer, is that a blazer is its own piece.  A suit jacket is cut from the same bolt of fabric as the slacks and vest it came with) then a blazer, dark denim, nice vest and bold tie can leave a lasting impression on most.

            If you’re going to a lunch date, or business meeting, the blazer can be utilized as an accent piece to create a more formal atmosphere.  A black blazer, sleeves pulled up, with dark denim and a bold colored dress shirt or even V-neck can give you an extra edge on impressing a potential client, or girlfriend.  For a casual look, and for the daring man, it can be paired with a European style short.

            If you’re heading out for a night on the town, wearing a blazer over your favorite dress shirt (2 open buttons MAX), a pair of fitted slacks or denim and your favorite watch, not only gives the impression that you have style, but shows a girl that you pay attention to detail.

Check out these below:

Look for Luxe:



Gucci Dylan Check Blazer $1770.00



Look for Less:



Zara Pique Collared Blazer $130.00

Enjoy!
-B

Spotlight Saturday: Trendy in Turquoise

So as I’ve been people watching, I’ve started to notice that turquoise is making a huge comeback in street fashion.  Along with its fellow blue hues that are hot for this season, turquoise is one of those colors that when placed correctly, whether formal or casual, really makes an outfit pop!  I’m talking yellows, whites, reds, crèmes, and browns.  It has the capability as an accessory to create a resonance between the colors is complimenting.  And has the key garment that you’re wearing, the ability to create a stunning impression.

When pairing turquoise jewelry within your wardrobe, you can come up with many different forms and variations.  To jazz up a basic lunch outfit, try pairing a very chunky or bold turquoise necklace, with a white tank top, khakis and a neutral wedge.  If you are already wearing a bold colored item, let’s say yellow.  Try using a smaller item, like perhaps a chunky turquoise ring or bangle. That way you maintain a very stylish contrast with the jewelry without visually blinding someone because of too much of a high contrast.

When creating a formal look, for let’s say a night out.  My favorite combination with a bold turquoise piece would be pairing a very beautiful necklace with a white or crème outfit.  It’s basically like a summer look that was tailored for a night out!

Whether it be a turquoise bib necklace for a night out, or a semi-precious stone teardrop necklace to accent the perfect lunch date outfit.  Make sure you enjoy the Spotlight item of the week in this years summer fashions!

Enjoy!,

-B

Looks for Luxe:



Devon Leigh Chunky Turquoise Neclace $670.00 USD



Looks for Less:



Chico's Crisanta Necklace $44.00 USD



B’s Guide to Figure Flattery

            Does this look good on me?!  It’s the first thing that we normally ask any person at any given time when we are trying clothes on!  The answer to this question has the power to make us drop double our budget on a clothing item, be it dress, shoes, a purse or a necklace!  So how can we make shopping easier on ourselves without having to bring along a second opinion.  Below I’m going to list some ideas to combat some common figure types.  Now these rules are by no means set in stone!  Every body type is different, so mix and match and see what works for you!

Are you…….?

Curvy?

            With this type of body you want to showcase your waist and elongate your figure to be able to show off your curves without over emphasizing it!

What to buy?

-Garments that lay gently over your curves not hug them like a second skin.

-Dresses that are cinched at the waist and narrow at the knee are great pieces to have

-Blouses that show skin at shoulder, neckline, collarbone or cleavage are good.  Age appropriately of course!

-Slits are a great way to cut into your figure and allow you to show some skin!

-Vertical detailing and clean lines is KEY!  This will slim any body type!

-Wraps are also a great thing to have blouses or dresses.

-Jackets that button DIRECTLY under the bust have a great effect on your body.

What to stay away from?

-Anything too tight!

-Loose fitting jackets are sweaters at the waist line.  This will take away all your beautiful shape!

-Anything bulky or oversized especially at the fullest part of your hips or waist.

Short?

            With this body type you want to create the illusion you are taller and create a strong vertical line from head to toe!

What to buy?

-Monochromatic Outfits (outfits that stick within the same color hue i.e. A dark violet cropped cardigan and a lavender shift dress.) This creates a very strong presence!

-Fluid fabrics, movement increases drama creating again a stronger presence, just be mindful of proportions!

-Princess seams, and center seams don the back or front with high closures will add a strong vertical line to your body.

-Medium to high heels, try to avoid shoes that wrap around the ankle or are extremely strappy.  This will cut into the vertical line of your body and make you look a lot shorter then what you really are.

-Check out Shakira, she's only 5' 2'

What to stay away from?

-Horizontal prints!  Just say no!

-Pleat trousers, this adds bulkiness which adds width and not length.

-Cropped pants, you probably already know this but they won’t hit you at the right angle.

-Mid-calf length skirts

-Any “sweet” details (eccentric bows, extremely ruffled blouses).

-Anything baggy.

Broad Shoulders?

            We want to soften your shoulders and create balance.

What to you buy?

-Raglan sleeves. (Dolman sleeves)

-Dark tops

-Deep V-necks, this will cut in to your upper body and also take bulk out of your shoulder by cutting into your chest.

-If it doesn’t add to much bulk to your hip, try a horizontal pattern in your skirts or bottoms to balance out your figure.

Stay away from?

-Shoulder detailing (epaulettes, bows, hardware, puffy sleeves).

-Shoulder pads. Enough said!

-Bateau Collars (Boatneck collars).

-Horizontal lines at shoulders, this includes seams and yokes.

Full Bust?

            The goal is to show off your curves without over-emphasizing them as well as making your neck and torso look longer.

What to buy?

-Dark toned tops with lighter bottoms to add balance.

-Tops with very light detailing, if there’s too much going on this will only make your bust look bigger!

-Open necked sweaters, blouses and dresses.

-Anything kind of garment that add a vertical line above the waist or releases fabric and adds movement at bottom.

Stay away from?

-Anything double-breasted!

-Wide/contour beltes.

-Anything adding bulk around the neck, this will also add bulk around the chest and make you took top heavy!

-Baggy tops!

Heavy Arms?

The goal of this is thinning out and extending your arms.

What to buy?

-Tops or blouses with sleeves that taper to the wrist.

-Raglan, dolmon and kimono sleeves will always slim out the arm.

-Any tops with vertical prints or seems that follow the arm.

Stay away from?

-Tight tops and sleeves

-Any kind of stiff fabric.

-Some stylist will say stay away from sleeveless; I’m an advocate of positive body image.  If you want to show those arms then do it girl!

Tummy?

            Our goal is to draw attention from your mid-section to your legs or face and creating a vertical line on the body. (Great for pregnant fashionistas)

What to buy?

-Long tops like cardigans, jackets, tunics and shirts that you don’t tuck in.  Remember we don’t want to create unnecessary lines.

-Fabrics that drape but don’t cling.

-The Empire-waist will do absolute wonders for you! (Check Out J.Lo!)

-Narrow pants and skinny jeans (if you have slim hips otherwise it will accentuate your hips)

-Monochromatic outfits

-Tops or blouses nipped at the waist

Stay away from?

-Belted dresses or tops.  (This adds unnecessary bulk.)

-Tops with waistbands or that cinch at the waist.

-Pants or skirts with any waist detailing.

-Anything cut on the bias.

Bottom Heavy?

            Our goal is to show your curves without over-emphasizing them, creating balance between your hips and your shoulders as well as elongating your figure.

What to buy?

-Close fitting tops that flow over your hips and derriere.

-Dark colored bottoms.

-Lower pockets on denim also take away from a prominent bottom.

-If you are pear shaped, tops with horizontal stripes or shoulder detailing will help.

-Monochromatic outfits, with the darker tones at bottom will help.

-Tailored jackets and tops with nipped waistlines that stop at the hipbone or just cover the hips.

Stay away from?

-Bottoms with horizontal lines

-Bottoms or dresses made from anything clingy.

-Bottoms with a lot of pleats, gathers, or big prints.

-Tops that stop at the waist or mid hips.

-Anything that hits at the widest part of your hips.

-Anything that cinches at the waist.

And there you have it!  Just a couple of helpful hints to help you address the way you dress in your everyday life!  But please remember the best way to solve a figure “problem” is to have confidence.  Don’t forget that everybody is different and might have a combination of these things.  Find what works for you and you will be set for life!  Have any questions!?  Feel free to email me and I promise to do my best in answering all of your inquiries.

Stay tuned!

Hey everyone!
     So in a very short amount of time, http://www.brandonsapin.com/ will be up and running, along with this wonderful new blog,  so my question to you is?  What do you want to know about.  Feel free to send me an email or leave a comment on this blog as to what it is about the fashion world you want to know!  And also keep a look out for my upcoming posts on upcoming trends and great deals I think you should now about!
Love,
B