Jimmy Choo Opens In Paragon With $2339 Limited Edition Shoe

CHOO ON THIS
British brand opens flagship store in Singapore with $2339 limited edition 'Kristelle' shoe

BRITISH brand Jimmy Choo has finally opened a store mecca in Singapore.

The 1,500 square feet shop at Paragon is said to be the second largest in Asia, next only to Japan. It is designed like a 1940s boutique with its palette of ivory, pale rose and sand; mother of pearl finishes; satin boiserie wall paneling; and crystal drop chandeliers.

“I want it to feel as though you are walking into a lady’s dressing room, a woman’s boudoir.” says Tamara Mellon, Jimmy Choo president and founder.

It's a very welcome upgrade from the Takashimaya store opened two years ago when Jimmy Choo first set foot in Singapore.

Jimmy Choo, recipient of the 2008 'Designer Brand of the Year' award from the British Fashion Council, first entered the fashion bible in 1995 thanks to Mellon, a then-British Vogue accessories editor. Choo, a Malaysian, had counted the likes of Princess Diana as one of his rich clients.

Mellon has since then bought out Jimmy Choo, but kept his name for the company. The Malaysian designer still makes haute couture shoes and is said to be contemplating opening a shoe school in Malaysia.

Jimmy Choo is one of two shoe brands that often pepper conversations of the Sex and the City
ladies; in other words, it's a fashionista's wet dream.

The Paragon store opening is being celebrated with Kristelle, a limited edition sandal (only one pair per size) available in two colours: gunmetal pixelated leather and metallic gold nappa. (see photo above)

It combines crystals and pearls on a platform with a four inch heel, epitomizing the glamour of the Jimmy Choo woman.

The prize: $2339.

The new flagship store showcases an extensive selection of Jimmy Choo shoes, handbags, small leather goods, sunglasses.

It is the only store in the region with a complete bridal shoe collection.

"The strategic location of boutique within a premium mall further reinstates Jimmy Choo as a luxury shoe maker. We believe the Singapore market welcomes a new boutique by this super iconic luxury brand synonymous with the ‘red carpet’, style and glamour,” says Mr. Ashvin Valiram, director of Valiram Group, which operates the Singapore boutiques as well as freestanding stores in Malaysia and Australia.

The Paragon store coincides with a period of worldwide expansion for the brand; with recent store launches in prime locations such as Paris Rue Saint Honore, Rome Via Condotti, Barcelona, Cannes, Munich, and Tokyo Ginza, joining well established locations in cities such as London, New York and Beverly Hills.

The new Jimmy Choo boutique is located at Paragon #01-10. Telephone number: (65) 6732 9880

Source: Jimmy Choo Opens In Paragon

Solve The Shopping Dilemma

Bag the best buys with a simple mental checklist
By Mavis Ang
Photos by www.polyvore.com

AMONGST the dangerously tempting prices during major sales, it’s easy to end up over spending on items you thought were simply too cheap to not buy. A good habit to maintain during sales, or any shopping trip for that matter, is to run the item through a mental checklist – it might just save your wallet.

Read more on solve the shopping dilemma.

How To Dress For A Shopping Day Out

Look great, feel comfortable, and shop with ease
By Mavis Ang
Photos by www.polyvore.com

SHOPPING in Singapore is very much like a sport. One needs to be mentally prepared mentally (for the kiasu aunties, irritable yuppies, and incredible customer service), and have the right gears and outfit to participate. Your shopping trip can easily turn into troublesome and frustrating with the wrong attire, so here’s some useful tips and ideas for the best hassle-free and fashionable outfits.

Read more on how to dress for a shopping day out.

Zouk’s Fashionable Flea & Easy

Caution: The cheap buys featured below may cause extreme jealousy
by Mavis Ang

Zouk’s quarterly flea market “Flea & Easy” took a different spin last Sunday with a fashion elite edition (along with Singapore Fashion Festival ‘08), where all the stall vendors belonged to the fashion industry. Amongst which are stalls owned by Cleo, Harper’s Bazaar, Channel 8 actor Chen Han Wei, modelactress Jade Seah, and radio DJs Shan Wee and Rosalyn Lee.

Within an hour, Zouk was packed with usually glamourous fashionistas jostling and squeezing their way through the crowd. A small queue gradually formed at the entrance as people stopped to look at stalls, holding up traffic behind them. After straining our necks and grumbling, my companion and I managed to step into the flea market, only to be stunned by the sight before us.

Read more about Zouk's Fashionable Flea & Easy.

Last-minute D.I.Y. Scary Costumes

You don’t think of Halloween costumes as investment dressing, but still dying to wear something at the last minute? Here are some sure-hit great ideas. Boo!
By Mavis Ang

SINCE Singaporeans don’t practice trick or treating here in our cramped HDB flats, it’s not worth the effort renting or making an outfit from scratch. So here’s a list of eight practical DIY outfits you can don for some Halloween night clubbing!

The Bum
a) Gather a few torn pajamas or unwanted clothes
b) Patch them up haphazardly and crumple them up
c) Mess up your hair. Hold up a bunch of your hair and tangle it by repeatedly brushing it in a reverse-combing motion.
d) Apply some darker-than-your-skin-tone makeup foundation on your face to make it look unwashed.
e) Hold a wooden bowl with a few coins in it, and rattle it as you walk.

Result: You might even end up a few dollars richer by night’s end!

The Sexy Secretary
a) Tuck a formal looking shirt into a tight pencil skirt with the top three buttons opened
b) Add thick black-framed spectacles (to be tilted slightly down your nose so that you can look up teasingly)
c) Tie your hair up to a bun and apply scarlet lipstick.
d) Hold a clipboard and chew on a pen seductively.

Advice: Do it only if you’re super hot. Actually, you can still do it as a joke if you’re neither slim nor sexy. It’s called irony, darling.

The Traffic Light
Guys
a) Red shirt
b) Orange belt
c) Green pants

Girls
a) Red top
b) Orange skirt
c) Green stockings

Advantage: Easy to put together, and definitely noticeable with such bold colours!

The Tampon
a) Pick an entirely white outfit
b) Paint your face and spray your hair white as well for maximum effect
c) Attach a long white string from the top of your head
d) Lastly, make a band to wear around your waist, which reads: “Tampax”

Caveat: This outfit is more effective for guys, since you would be able to execute a million cheesy pick up lines for the night in this costume.

The Fashionable Student
a) Bring out your former school uniform
b) Tie your hair up and add as many bright multi-coloured pins in your hair
c) Colourful earrings in multiple ear piercings
d) Loads friendship bands around your wrists
e) A Roxy bag over your shoulder
f) Finally, sport shoes with ankle socks

Accessorise: Braces and a nice tan would be a nice touch to the outfit too.

The Angsty Teenager
a) A black band T-shirt, black pants or skirt, black sneakers
b) Black nails and eyeliner
c) Draw a few thin lines across your wrists with red lipstick.

Don’t forget: The I-hate-the-entire-world look in your eyes.

The Celebrity
Olsen Twins
a) Big sunglasses
b) A long baggy top with footless leggings
c) Unkempt looking hair
d) The most important accessory: a takeaway Starbucks in hand

Paris Hilton
a) Pink from head to toe (Hello Kitty preferred)
b) Oh, and leave your brains behind, too

Rihanna
a) Black corset matched with a black mini skirt
b) Fishnet stockings
c) A black umbrella

Team work: Talk a bunch of friends into playing the roles of paparazzis so that you can make a grand exit out of the taxi.

A Couple Outfit: The Romance Novel Book Cover
Guys
a) White shirt with as many buttons opened, exposing (hopefully) tanned rippling chest muscles.
b) Tight, tight, tight leather pants
c) Boots

Girls
a) Put on a sheer Greek goddess-like dress, in white or skin-coloured.
b) Blow your hair to get Farah Fawcett’s flippy look.

Must-do: Arrive in a passionate embrace with wind in your hair.

Wardrobe Must-Have for Guys

Ever wished that there was one definitive list of clothes that you should have in your wardrobe for all occasions? Ever wondered how to put together a wardrobe that just works? How does that other guy always look so good? How did he manage to always look so put together, when he earns about the same as you? What kind of umbrellas should a man use?

If fashion has always been a big puzzle for you, fret no more. You are now in the possession of a very powerful list that will teach you how to assemble the pieces required for all occasions. After setting up this wardrobe, you should never have to worry about what to wear, and even how to match your clothes.

Read. Print. Tick off your list. Dress well, and be confident. Anywhere, anytime.

Formal / Semi Formals

• Four (4) long sleeved shirts in blue, black, white or with small prints
• Two (2) short-sleeved shirts in summery colours like white, green or pale blue. You can also choose a shirt with some prints but avoid anything too loud unless you are a well-sculptured male model posing for a beach wear ad
• A pair of chinos pants in khaki colour
• A pair of black pants with a flat front. Try to avoid pants that have a pleated front as a flat-front pant can give you a more cleaner and sharper look
• A pair of black and/or blue pants
• One (1) well-cut suit, if you can afford bespoke, all the better. Be sure to tailor two (2) pairs of pants with it because they tend to wear out faster. If you prefer, have one made half and inch wider around the waist for those days when you begin to grow a beer belly. If you are having a tuxedo made, make sure you have a bow tie, tuxedo shirt and cummerbund as well
• Four (4) neckties, have at least one black based, one blue based, one with a fun print or something you like and one with a flashier color or style for nights (and nights when for some reason you want to act gay or blend in with the crowd.)
• Two (2) belts - have at least one black belt and one brown belt. You will notice that I advocate separating brown and black. Black is a cold colour while brown is a warm colour and unless you look like a model, it is very difficult to pull off wearing the two colours together
• One (1) light coloured jacket in either cream, pale blue or light brown
• One (1) leather satchel for your business documents
• One (1) set of silver cufflinks to accompany your formal shirts
• One (1) good watch in stainless steel. Avoid gold
• A pair of dress shoes in good polished leather in a colour that matches your main suit. Try to choose those with a square or round toe. Avoid dress shoes with pointed toes. You are not a cowboy
• Allowable jewellery on weekdays – wear only a maximum of two at a time out of these five items: ring, bracelet, earring, chain and/or tattoo
  

Casual

• One (1) pair of extremely well-cut blue jeans that is not torn anywhere, have chains or any words attached/scribbled/stitched to it. Little frays at the hems are acceptable
• Two (2) polo shirts. One plain one and one that is striped
• Sportswear for the sports that you play - you need one set that makes you look good for each sport you play. Try to avoid wearing your sportswear all the time especially when you are not planning to play that day
• Soccer jersey for the team that you support
• Board shorts
• Three (3) short sleeved shirts. Choose shirts that are roomy but not too big. You are not 50Cent. Try to get at least one shirt that is made of quick-dry fabric
• One (1) long sleeved sweatshirt in grey, black or blue. Should be relatively simple, either in round neck or V-neck
• If you have nice arms, get a sleeveless tee shirt for the beach. If not, stick to short sleeved tee shirts
• Cool sunglasses
• One (1) waist pouch or messenger bag to keep your hands free (your preference)
• Swimming trunks in black, blue or brown. Avoid wearing swimming trunks in red, yellow, white, purple or pink. Never, unless you are a model on a fashion show and being paid to parade in them
• One (1) pair of sneakers, try and get those with shoelaces and not those with Velcro
• One (1) pair of leather sandals and/or Birkenstocks
• One (1) pair of comfortable flip flops
• White trainers or city walking shoes. They are very fashionable now, and will remain in fashion for some time, so any guy who wants to be fashion forward can consider getting them
• Allowable jewellery for weekends or nights – Wear only a maximum of three out of these 5 items: ring, bracelet, earring, chain or tattoo
  

All Weather / Travel Wear

• Sports jacket or windbreaker and accompanying pants
• A well-cut winter coat in black
• Autumn coat or leather jacket
• Dark coloured turtleneck
• Heavy scarf
• A nice pair of gloves
• Two (2) pieces of luggage – one large and one cabin-sized
• One (1) backpack
• Travel documents folder
• Shoe bag
• Travel toiletries kit preferably with a hook that you can hang – for some reason this feature is more masculine than for women
• One (1) overnight bag
• One (1) cap
• Dark and light coloured socks. Remember to wear dark coloured socks with your dark shoes and light coloured socks with your light shoes. For moccasins, no socks
• Always have a spare set of clean underwear in only two (2) allowable styles: briefs or boxers. Sarongs and G-strings do not count.
  

Other Small Items of Need

• One (1) good pen
• A condom case
• A PDA or any gadget that you fancy that you can bring around
• A professional-looking cardholder
• A nice key chain
• A flat and clean wallet. If your wallet is fat and peeling, you obviously need to buy a new one. Better still if you look gorgeous and can carry off a money clip, everyone finds it sexy
• And maybe even a nice big long umbrella. Avoid using a foldable umbrella. If you currently have one, throw away now.
  

Wardrobe Must Have For Women

The All Weather All Love Wardrobe

Ever felt that you have nothing to wear? Feel that you have all the fashion trends and not enough of classics?

We all know that we really only utilize about 20% of our fashion wardrobes. Now, the idea is to reduce the lousy duplicates and replace them with good pieces that love you just as much as you love them.

Do not feel frightened of having less clothes - clearing out your wardrobe is actually very therapeutic! And with lesser clothes to clutter up your wardrobe, and with the knowledge that everything looks good on you, you'll never lack an outfit for any occasion again.

Look forward to building a wardrobe that is filled only with pieces that you love, and that will take you everywhere!

WARDROBE MUST HAVE ITEMS!

A. Casual/Semi-Casual

TOPS

• A tube top
• A tunic – a great piece you can wear as a minidress or as a blouse.
• A halter neck top
• An off-shoulder top
• A crisp white sleeveless button-down cotton top
• A true red sleeveless top - you could pick a nice buttery yellow if you are tanned. Some color would add pop to any outfit.
• Fitted denim jacket or casual jacket
• Hooded jacket and pants for traveling and cool hip-hop weekends.

BOTTOMS

• A pair of well-cut jeans – forget about those ripped-everywhere jeans and those
  ultra fashionable ones that only last a season. Invest in a pair of well-cut and form-flattering piece and it’ll never go out of style.
• Skirts, from flirty ones to denim ones – short skirts are fine as long as you remember that the idea is to look sassy and not spanky!
• Capri pants – avoid getting those white ones that fit so tight you worry about your G-string showing!
• Nice fitting casual pants
• Dark denim shorts
• Dressy shorts
• Casual board shorts – try to choose those that are longer falling just above the knees in a quick dry fabric

FOOTWEAR

• Flat thong sandals
• Ultra comfy slippers
• Flat shoes

ACCESSORIES

• Sunglasses
• Fun earrings
• Casual tote bag for when you go swimming, should come with a zip
• Small casual bag
• Wristlet or small lunch bag
• Wide brown leather belt – surprisingly, sometimes brown is more versatile than black!

OTHERS

• White summer dress
• Patterned summer dress
• Sportswear for the sports you play - one great flattering set (e.g. tennis, gym, golf, yoga)
• Flattering bikini
• Sarong
• Plain Pashmina shawl
• Printed Pashmina shawl

B. All Weather

• Wool coat
• Lighter Autumn coat
• Leather jacket
• Cashmere sweater
• Turtleneck
• Wool pants
• Leggings
• Black boots
• Ankle walking boots
• Gloves
• Heavy scarf

C. Travel Needs

• Large sturdy hard case luggage bag
• Medium sturdy hard case luggage bag
• Hand carry bag suitable for a two-night stay
• Rugged backpack
• Foldable carry bag to bring with luggage
• Shoe bag
• Toiletries bag
• Makeup bag
• Luggage tags
• Passport holder
• Travel document folder
• Beautiful notebook – where you can write down your thoughts and don’t let them fly away!
• Small, light, foldable umbrella

D. Small Items of Need

• Good luck charm – everyone needs something that makes them feel good!
• Baseball cap, wide-brim hat, beret
• Excellent lingerie in black, white, nude, colorful and invisible
• Quirky brooch
• Gorgeous hair clips
• Cotton pajamas
• Cotton kimono, fluffy bathrobe, big towel

There you go! With that, you have everything you need for almost all occasions! Just mix and match!

Occasionally, purchase one or two trendy pieces to complement the existing clothes you have and dazzle the world with a confident new you!

Grooming Mistakes that Singaporean Men Make

10 Habits That Really Turn Women Off!

1. Not taking the effort to smell nice. Or worse, smelling bad. It is always a good habit to have proper hygiene and it’s worth the small investment to buy a small bottle of perfume and deodorant.


2. Wearing shirts that are too long. What is nice about wearing a top that looks like a pajama top on you? Never wear clothes that are too big for your frame; it’s not hard to find a shirt that fits well and flatters your body.
   
   Also, always remember that long sleeved shirts should be cuff-linked instead of rolled up during formal dates. I recommend buying a nice pair of silver cufflinks from Raoul.


3. Wearing polo tees with their collars up. This fad died a well-deserved death long ago. Wearing your polo tees with the collars up only serves to make you look like you’re trying too hard instead of suave. Wear the collars as it was always meant to be – folded down.


4. Tees with explicit/offending captions on them. Wearing shirts with offensive language and designs not only make you look like a poster boy for turn-offs; such trends (if they ever were) are incredibly passé too.


5. Shoes make an outfit. There you are wearing an awesome Bape tee paired with a sculptured pair of Diesel jeans. Everything looks good until we look down and see a well-worn pair of basketball shoes. This does not impress the girls. We are neither impressed with your military-inspired New Balance sneakers or that smelly old pair of rubber shoes you hit the gym with.
   
   Thinking you saved money when you bought that $40 pair of Nike shoes? That is not a bargain. Cheap shoes are cheap for a reason. They’re made of bad quality material. It is always a good rule to invest in a good pair of shoes even if they’re only a pair of rubber shoes.


6. Clean teeth. Oral hygiene is very important. If there’s one thing you make sure to do daily (aside from bathing!), it’s brushing your teeth. You don’t want to be caught with plaque-caked teeth when you smile across a room to that gorgeous girl who’s been eyeing you.
   
   And what goes hand in hand with yellow teeth? Funky breath. Bad breath. Whatever you call it. There is no way a girl is going to kiss you with smelly, plaque-ridden teeth. Even if you were as gorgeous as George Clooney.


7. Tight-fitting shirts. Not even if you have a physique to die for. And especially not if you have man-boobs. Avoid them at all costs.


8. Slippers. If you thought jeans with slippers was a serious faux pas, how about jeans with $2-a-pair slippers? If you really have to, please get a decent pair of jeans from Project Shop or Havaiianas.
   
   And if you’re going to be wearing slippers or any open-toed footwear for that matter, make sure that your toes and toenails and nice and clean.


9. Fabric belts. The surfer-dude look with one end of a fabric belt hanging loose is so ten seasons ago. Stop it. Please.


10. Imma P-I-M-P! I once saw someone in a COMPLETELY white outfit, from his white old-school sneakers to his white porter bag. I don't know what went through his head because he looked like a fashion victim who succumbed to a colour crime.
    
    The only forgiving same-colour outfit is an all-black get-up. Any other colour and you'll just look like one of those guys in a boy band singing in a cheesy MTV.