9 Tips On Wearing A Peplum (for all shapes!)

Yesterday, the lovely Sara Jessica from Fashinny let us go on her lovely blog and share with her readers a few tips on peplums, one of our favorite trends! The article had to be tweaked a little to fit her blog and what her readers love, but we decided to share the original post with nine tips with our readers here at Fashion Wolves. However, be sure to visit Sara Jessica's blog, as there are hundreds of tips there! Let's show some love!

We're pretty sure all of you fashionistas out there are well informed and know exactly what a peplum is, but just in case you need a reminder, a peplum is just a short overskirt, generally cut as a circle skirt to add movement and volume. Here's how to wear it:

1 - Peplums can add volume to your mid-section and/or hips. That's clearly a problem area for a vast number of women... Should women who don't exactly look like a model not wear the peplum trend at all? No! Much on the contrary - anyone can rock a peplum! A perfectly placed peplum can hide that little extra tummy and even make your waist look a lot smaller. It's all about placement! So the tip here is to try as many different outfits as you possibly can and see what you prefer.

2 - If you need to emphasize your waist, chose a peplum that starts bellow the smallest part of your torso and add a belt, preferably of a color that is darker than the rest of your outfit and make it a wide belt rather than a skinny one if possible. You'll be drawing attention to your smallest part because you're wearing an accessory there and you'll be slimming it down due to the visual effect of a darker color. There - instant hourglass figure! You're welcome.

A color to suit every skin tone! A Nanette Lepore dress.

3 - If, however, your problem area is your belly as whole instead of just waist definition, search for a peplum that starts a little higher up and that is a little longer, thus covering most of what you want to conceal. The volume of the extra peplum fabric won't let any lumps and bumps show, while at the same time tricking the eye into thinking that the volume that there may be is all from the fabric. Generally you'll find longer peplums when you pick a top with a peplum instead of a dress or a skirt with this feature.

4 - Wide hips? No problem! You have three alternatives here. Either you wear a softer fabric that creates the effect without the stiffness of the overskirt and consequent added volume or you go for a really short peplum on a knee lenght skirt so the volume is above your hips and thus not widening them or...

Can you tell I'm loving white for Summer? Peplum Embroidered Top

5 - Opt for peplum skirts instead of dresses or tops if you have wider hips. May seem totally counterproductive but if you wear a lighter top and a darker bottom, it will all even out. Always remember, the human eye sees shape and proportion much better and much quicker than it sees actual size. Human eyes (and especially men's) are very easy to trick - scientifically proven!

6 - If you're curvier, go for a longer skirt. Just bellow the knee is usually as long as you can go when it comes to a peplum. This is a good idea because you're widening your figure with a peplum and with a short skirt you risk making yourself look shorter and boxy - it does not sound like a recipe for success, does it? If you feel the need to show a little skin, go for cap sleeves or go sleeveless. A nice cleavage is also a good bet!

Pink and plus size! Daisy lace makes life prettier!

7 - Beware of patterns and shiny fabrics! Especially when it comes to a dress. You are tampering with proportions and adding further visual distractions can be just too much if not chosen carefully! If you feel you must go with a pattern, choose something small or only as an accent. As for shiny fabrics... Well... A peplum in a shiny fabric (polyester, lurex, raw silk) looks like it just belongs in the 90's. Trust us, it's not the right way of going vintage.

8 - Make sure the rest of your outfit is fitted. This will make sure you don't look bigger than you really are. Skinny or straight pants and pencil skirts are the perfect solution, as well as more fitted tops. Actually, bonus tip, keep your look monochromatic (all in one color) and it will make you look taller!

Sale alert! Find this cute little number at Sears.

9 - If all else fails... Wear what you love, whenever and however you want to wear it. Other people have the option of looking away if they don't like it! But they won't be able to, you know why? Because there is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is confident and comfortable with her fashion choices and isn't afraid to be a little daring! Like my grandma used to say "Let them look, sweetheart! All pretty things were made to be looked at."

What about you? Have you tried a peplum before?

Makeup After 40 - A few updates that can make you look fresher

When you're young, makeup sits just right and you can pretty much get away with anything if you know the basic rules of thumb like blending well, matching your foundation and choosing to play up the eyes or the lips but not both at the same time. When you're no longer exactly a teenager, things can start to get a little more complicated. Fret not, we're here to give you some tips.

Foundation

The two main things you have to remember regarding skin and foundation is that your skin changes with the years both in condition and in tone and that foundation will only look good on a skin is has been well taken care of. As you age, your skin tends to get drier and, obvisouly, wrinkles start to be a concern. Don't forget to wash your face twice a day with a mild cleanser (mild, always, always, always use a mild cleanser), exfoliate (the frequency depends on what you use), moisturize and protect from the sun. Update your routine whenever you feel that you need to - I usually recommend every six months, with the season change. As far as foundation, it needs an update as well!

Here's a foundation I like, Clinique's Even Better foundation.

With age, your skin gets lighter, so the foundation color you wore at 20 may be the wrong color for you now! Get a consultation with a makeup artist at a department store, get your foundation matched and even if you don't want to buy foundation from there, at least now you know what great foundation looks like and you can search around for a similar one. Avoid foundations that are too matte and too shiny, go for a happy medium! Whatever you do, though, don't go too pink: it makes you look drained even if your skin tone is a little on the pink side (in which case you should wear a foundation that is neither yellow nor pink).

Eyes

When it comes to eye makeup, there are also two main things to remember: avoid harsh lines and avoid chunky glitter. Chunky glitter is too juvenile and makes the texture of your skin look more uneven; harsh lines are a pretty heavy look that is very dated, especially on your lower lashline. Practice blending eyeshadows and avoid pencils whenever possible - even if you love eyeliner, it's best to invest in a good angle brush and do your eyeliner with eyeshadow (since it looks softer).

You can never go wrong with neutral eyeshadow! 

I love this Naked Basics Palette by Urban Decay

Lips

Beware of the lipstick you buy! Don't buy anything too pale as it can drain the color out of your complexion and also avoid anything too matte because it looks drying. If you feel that lipstick fades and feathers, apply a fine layer of foundation or concealer and then apply your lip-color. I don't like lipgloss at all, but some people do and I respect that - however, I think a "glaze" lipstick, which is basically a solid lipgloss looks better and feels just as comfortable.

Give Stila's Color Balm Lipstick a try! 

Resist the temptation to make your lips look fuller by lining them on the outside. A lip-liner that is as close to your natural lip color as possible, lining your lips on your actual lip line and also filling in your lips is the best way to make your lips look fuller.

Random Quick Fashion Tip Sunday #2 Basic Rule For Shirt and Tie Matching

Yes, gentlemen, I know, I know, it's sometimes not very easy to wake up in the morning and always picking the right shirt and tie to go with one another. Today, we'll leave you with the most basic tips for what really is a basic task. Keep in mind these rules can be broken and you can still look good while breaking them (se photo), but if you really are unsure and need a helping hand, follow these tips:

Solids and Prints

As a rule of thumb, if your shirt is solid (meaning, it's all one color), you tie can have a pattern if you want it to; if your shirt has a pattern, the easy way to get things right is with a tie that is all the same color. Easy enough so far, right?

Color

Things get a little more interesting here. Say your shirt has a pattern that is made up of/with different colors - your tie should be of one of the colors present in your pattern if you want to keep things easy. The same works the other way around. Don't stress it too much, though, small differences in shades (how dark or light a color is) are just fine!

Matching colors

This matters more if you're going for a shirt and a tie that are of a solid color. Combinations are endless, it's a matter of taste and personality. Some people like darker, more sober colors; some people like to go all out and be colorful! Some combinations, however, are just not very pleasing on the eye. Here are the main ones you should avoid in our opinion:

• Black and navy blue 
• Black and dark to mid-brown
• Red and pink
• Colors that are too close (eg. yellow and orange, white and very pale colors). This is because it will just look like you thought they were the same color when they're really not.

Let us know if you found these helpful! We'd love to hear from you.

Random Quick Fashion Tip Sunday #1 Smells Like Leather

Everyone can use a quick tip now and then, right? Here's the tip for today!

Sometimes, when it comes to leather goods like shoes, bags, jackets and so much more, there's that odd leather smell. Some people like it and some don't - personally, it doesn't bother me unless it's too intense!

If you're having problems with your leather smelling like... well... leather... the tip is to either wrap or stuff the item in newspaper (or both, really, depending on what it is)! Leave it for a couple of days and the smell will be gone. Since the newspaper paper is porous, it will sort of absorb the leather smell.

This even works for leather sofas! Ask me how I know!

Try it and let us know,

Fashion Wolves

Hot Fashion Trends - Summer 2013

Being up to date with the trends, even if you don't intend to wear them, is always a necessity for every fashion addict. Let's take a good look at what's out there this season. 

Stripes

Stripes never really go out of fashion. They are a classic (and classy!) look, especially for Summer. This season, designers like Dolce&Gabbana (above) and Tommy Hilfiger had nautical inspired stripes all over their runways. Between you and me, it's not like Mr. Hilfiger betting on stripes for Summer is something new...

Minimalism & Monochrome

Hermés, Calvin Klein (above) and Valentino, among others, showed us their vision of simplicity. Minimalism isn't that easy of a trend to wear, despite appearances. The trick to being minimalist but never looking under-dressed or, worse, boring, is to bet on quality. Good materials and good tailoring are important all the time, but even more so if you're not wearing much to distract from poorly made clothes.

Geometry

Illusion dresses and block prints (above, by Michael Kors) are the wardrobe staples when it comes to geometry applied to fashion. Illusion dresses are perfect for women who need a little more curves and for those who want to slim their figures down a little while still maintaining a curvy shape. As for block prints, they're perfect to hide any imperfections you maybe be concerned about. Geometry is usually more worn by women, but I'm pretty sure there are options for men as well!

Sixties

One of the cutest decades of the 20th Century in terms of fashion is back. Short skirts, looser silhouettes and bright colors as well as delicate details are all part of this style. It's very ladylike and especially appropriate for a younger lady. For the average person, this style is ideal for Summer formal events such as weddings, for examples.

Our personal favorite here at Fashion Wolves from all the above are stripes - would you like a post on tips to wear this trend? Let us know!

Coming soon...

A brand new blog, full of fashion tips for everyone.

Our goal is to provide our readers with information and to help everyone, everywhere, no matter what their gender, shape, size, color or style is.

Stay tuned!