Nina Garcia answers your biggest fashion woes

DEAR RISSA, 

What can I wear to appear slimmer? And how can I look taller even if I am not wearing heels?                                           CECILE

Your questions are the biggest fashion woes of women. I get asked about these issues all the time by readers like you, women in the corporate world, college girls, my modeling students, moms, wives, and friends. And yes, even seasoned models and celebrities face the same fashion problems as you!

For this week’s Style SOS, I was able to interview creative director for Marie Claire and Project Runway judge Nina Garcia. This international fashion expert was flown in by Jag Jeans for “Jag Origins,” a fashion and design advocacy program which aims to benefit Filipino design students and budding fashion entrepreneurs through a series of forum-type discussions that cover global style, design, and fashion trends worldwide. All the biggest stars have been coming to our country! When I found out Nina Garcia was coming, too, my Pinoy heart burst with pride! Bravo to Jag Jeans for making this happen! 

I’ve long been an admirer of Nina Garcia. I’ve read all her books from cover to cover — The Little Black Book of Style, The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, The Style Strategy, and Nina Garcia’s Look Book. So when Edd Fuentes, PR consultant for Jag, invited me to the intimate welcome dinner for Nina Garcia last Thursday, I said yes in a heartbeat. We were a table of around 10 people which included the Jag executives, Edd Fuentes, the brains behind Philippine Fashion Week Joey and Audie Espino, designer Rajo Laurel, and Preview magazine’s stylish Pauline Juan and Daryl Chang. I brought all her four books. The fashionista and book lover in me couldn’t let this rare opportunity pass! I had hoped Nina Garcia would sign even just one book, so imagine how thrilled I was when she signed all four! It was an honor to meet a woman I admired so much.

It was on the next day that I was able to interview her for this column. Jag Jeans had arranged pre-show cocktails and Edd Fuentes invited key people in the fashion industry to meet the international fashion icon. Present were Project Runway Philippines’ Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez, Apples Aberin, and Rajo Laurel; Preview magazine’s Pauline Juan and Daryl Chang; Cosmopolitan Philippines’ editor Myrza Sison; celebrity stylist and lifestyle blogger Jenni Epperson; fashion show director Robby Carmona; international photographer and resident judge for Top Model Philippines Sean Armenta; accomplished models and beauty queens Patty Betita and Maggie Wilson; and next-generation fashion royalty Sabina Gonzalez, Sam Sadhwani, and Aryanna Epperson.

 Read on to see what this global fashion influencer and style guru has to say on the latest trends, dressing right, and even on selfies! 

PHILIPPINE STAR: What trend are you loving most right now?

NINA GARCIA: Graphic black and white. You can interpret it in so many ways — you can go the Sixties route, you could go the minimal route, you could go a very architectural route. So there’s a lot of interpretation and I think it’s hitting all the markets from the high-end to the mass. It’s very easy to adapt. 

What can a woman wear to look 10 pounds lighter?

Tone-on-tone. I’m a real believer in dressing tone-on-tone. I’m not saying you need to dress black. Dress just one color so the colors are not breaking your silhouette. 

What can a woman wear to look three inches taller?

Longer silhouettes, longer pants that are a little high-waisted and a bit flared.

What affordable piece of clothing or accessory can a woman wear to feel like a million bucks?

The little black dress. And a red lip! It just updates and glamorizes any look.

Shopping and malling are a national pastime of sorts here in Manila. What is the most important factor when shopping? What tells a woman, “Go buy it!”

My rule of thumb is when you do buy something, make sure (in your head) that you know three things in your closet that you can wear with that item that you’re buying.

You are one of the most followed fashion icons on social media. What’s the biggest tip to look great in selfies?

Oh God. I do not do selfies! That’s a tough one because I don’t do selfies, but I think it’s all about personal style. The more outrageous, the better.          RISSA

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Up in arms against your big arms?

HI, REGINA!

I’m not comfortable with my arms. I think they’re a little big. Do you have any suggestions about what I can wear that I’ll feel okay in, but also looks good?

TIN

I know the Philippines doesn’t exactly have the right weather for long sleeves, but you’d be surprised by the number of sheer, airy, long-sleeved button-down shirts there are in stores. That’s one surefire way to technically still show some skin but be covered up. (If you’re on the daring side, just throw a sheer shirt over a plain black bra; if not, wear a spaghetti strap top underneath in a similar color.) They’re great paired with cutoffs; I’m of the belief that if you keep one section of the skin covered up, you show another off. Since you’re wrapping your arms and torso up in fabric, work your legs. (Buff a little of Benefit’s Bathina down the front of your legs to create the illusion of slimness, and to give your skin a healthy-looking glow.)

Also, if you have a sleeveless top or dress that you want to wear but aren’t 100-percent sure whether you can, why not jazz it up with a blazer (made with lightweight fabric) or a dressy cardigan? It need not look business-y or boring; you can dress down a blazer-and-shirt combo by matching it with your favorite skinny jeans, a pair of short shorts, or a cute mini-skirt. Throw in some edgy accessories for a fun look. If you have sheer kimono-style coverups left over from summer, those work just as great, too.

It’s actually possible to layer here in the tropics; just make sure that all the fabrics you use are breathable, sheer, and super light.                                      REGINA

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The skinny on skin care

DEAR LUCY,

How do I find the right skin regimen? What is a foolproof way of doing that?                              CITA

Unfortunately, there really are no short cuts when it comes to finding the right mix. There are so many products out there, at different price points, one practically as good as the next, and finding the right ones for your skin type and need will take some semblance of trial and error always. It would help if you get the expert opinion of a reputable dermatologist, just to streamline what you must look out for. Take as much time as you need — when your skin is already very nice, makeup will be very fun and easy to use!

LUCY

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Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @RissaMananquil. Send Regina Belmonte your questions at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com or tweet her @vivatregina.