Dear darling readers,

There is really no rest for the stylishly wicked (or should that be wickedly stylish?), even during the holidays! While you guys are probably enjoying your Christmas break, here I am still getting emails by the sleigh-load. (I’m just complaining for the sake of it – I need my weekly fix of fashion dilemmas to resolve!) But by those emails, I can see that many are still quite in the dark about the basics on style.

So to give that jolly man in a red suit a run for his money (I love him but the poor man needs a stylist stat!) and as a final rejoinder before 2011 draws to a close, I’m making my own naughty-and-nice list! I’ve limited the sartorial faux pas and hits to just five each but trust me that the list is long and growing. Let’s start with my seriously-do-NOT-do this list!

The Naughty List
Everywhere in the world, people commit a lot of fashion offenses, every single day. We all have our bad days but that doesn’t mean we should let those overwhelm us. So if you are guilty of any of these, make amends or do not pass go, do not collect $200.

1. Wearing “too” of anything – too loose or too tight, too short or too long – This includes super baggy oversized sweatshirts and T-shirts that make you look like a hobo. “Muffin tops” and other sorts of “body pastries” becoming too obvious because one thinks that “fitted” means “tight”. Wearing tops that are meant to be tops as dresses. Uber-long skirts, dresses or jeans that give a new, unhygienic meaning to “floor-sweeping”.

2. Wearing very ratty clothing. – I know distressing is in, my lovelies, but when your T-shirt has seen nearly two decades of use and is sporting identical holes in the armpits bigger than the actual sleeves, I think there’s no point in using “artistry” or “trendy” as excuses. A hole is a hole, and it’s time to dump those clothing wrecks into another hole: the garbage bin.

3. Wearing the wrong shoes – True story: I’ve seen women wear four-inch stilettos while going around amusement parks. Similarly, I’ve seen guys show up at job interviews wearing soccer cleats, trailing little gobs of dirt on the carpet. Moral of the story? Take some time to figure out the right pair to wear for an occasion – a wedding, school presentation, hiking, swimming, etc.

4. Wearing pajamas/sweatpants/house clothes to school or work – While we all want to kick back and just laze around (thanks, Bruno Mars) once in a while, there is a time and place for everything. Showing up at the office or in class wearing your teddy bear footie pajamas is just not cool, dude. There’s no faster way for people to not take you seriously (think first impressions) than to show up dressed like your mother’s worst laundry nightmare.

5. Poor hygiene – No amount of designer clothing will help camouflage body odor or poor hygiene. Similarly, wearing ill-fitting clothing may also create skin or other body problems such as chafing, irritation or excessive sweating. Aside from investing in the season’s styles, consider investing also in your personal appearance. Take skincare and bodycare seriously: use sunscreen everyday, remove makeup before you go to sleep, shower daily and try to always look your best inside and out!

Don’t forget to check out my “Nice” list (aka part 2) next week! Sound off in the comments below if you’ve been naughty!

Have a wonderful Christmas darlings!

xoxo,

Nikki

Have a question for our resident Style Guru?
Submit your question to Nikki now!
If your question is selected (lucky you!), it may appear in a future post here at Ask Nikki!.