Nothing is simpler than a necklace. Sometimes, all we need is just that one to decorate our outfit. Necklace can really define and establish your outfits and fashion style. But be forewarned that we must know what can be worn so we don’t appear gaudy. The easiest way is to recognise ourselves and the outfit’s neckline.

Neckline is the border at the top of a top, from the neck to the front chest. It is sometimes referred to as a style line to note a boundary for further shaping of the upper edge of a garment with, for example, the collar of your shirt. The neckline can frame the shoulders, neck and face, and can be of many width, height and angularity.

Try to find a neckline shape that can bring balance to your natural features. For example, if you have a round face, balance it with an angular neckline and collar, whereas an angular face can be softened with round-neck collar. Similarly, a short neck and face will appear lengthened by necklines with vertical lines, such as a low V neckline. A high neckline such as turtleneck can balance long faces. If you have athletic body or broad shoulders, narrow them with a halter neckline, whereas pear-shaped figures will benefit from an off-the-shoulder or boat neckline.

Also, consider the occasion. Opt for a simple, understated piece for daytime and a more extravagant piece for evening. Follow these few tips below to make your outfit really pop!

• For V-neck, a drop pearl necklace or solitaire pendant is classic. This same piece also complements boat-neck and crewneck tops. Match the gemstone colours to those found in your outfit.

• For a classic look, your strapless or off-the-shoulder necklines can be topped with a single gold chain that remains close to the neck.

• If you are in tube or corset top, pair a fitting faux gem choker on a black ribbon with a top made of satin or silk. For the more formal occasion, nothing spells sophistication more than a short strand of pearls.

• Pair an open-collar blouse with a thicker, chunkier piece of costume jewellery. Faux silver or gold interlock chains that lie flat on the collarbone accents a dressy casual outfit or business suit. For the more artsy ones, you can opt to pair with earrings and belt, but make sure that they are colour coordinated with the tones in your necklace.

• Enhance a jewel-neck or turtleneck sweater with a long string of colourful beads. Precious stones work well with a thicker day look, while crystals bring a little glamour to an evening ensemble.

• Pair a square-neck top with a pendant that dangles from a long chain. Consider lengths that fall between the collarbones.

And the last ingredient for that pop is your mood to really show off your outfit! Keep in mind that necklaces will draw attention to your bust and neckline. So if you’re feeling flirtatious that day, a bright long chunky piece will definitely draw attention to your décolletage. Otherwise, avoid any neck accessories should you wish to downplay these areas.

Stripes are designers’ way of having fun on the fabric. Their creativity allows their creations to shine. But many of us are quite uncomfortable wearing them for fear of looking like a jailbird or a zebra. Or worse, wearing it might make us look bigger! Whether horizontal or diagonal, thick or thin, always remember that stripes can help flatter your silhouette. Worn right, you will look smashing in any kind of outfit, any occasion. But if you are clueless, here is your cheat sheet.

FOR MEN:

- Try avoiding thick horizontal stripes, as they can make you appear bulky or overweight. The texture and flow of some fabrics may make the stripes curve oddly to make you look bulky in certain areas of your body.

- Try on vertical stripes to make you look taller, which can be great if you’re vertically challenged.

- Determine the weight of the stripes you want. As a general guideline, keep them relatively thin. Whether horizontal or vertical, wide stripes are not stylish. Instead, wear stripes with less than an inch in width.

- Stick to a favourite solid colour or shade. Avoid contrasting colours. These are colours opposite one another on the colour wheel, such as red/green, yellow/purple and blue/orange. Contrasting colours will generally seem loud and often aesthetically painful when worn together.

- Pinstripe pants have become increasingly popular. They are rather versatile and can be worn anywhere from business meetings to bar hopping. When wearing pinstripe pants out on the town, you might consider pairing them with a solid shirt and a sports coat. This ensemble provides a trendy, sophisticated look.

FOR WOMEN:

- Fuller figured women should seek out thicker stripes as this will help smooth out any lumps or bumps. Petite women should go for thin or pinstripes as this flatters their figures.

- Always aim for darker coloured stripes.

- Whenever you are unsure, never mix and match stripes. You do not want to be striped head to toe and look like a complete mess. Play it safe by pairing a striped piece to a solid colour.

- The one shoulder, loose fitting top is now very in-trend. Try one with slanting stripes over a pair of dark leggings.

Lastly, for both men and women, stripes should not be matched with any other print. It will just be an overload.

Have fun with stripes. Allow your personality to shine through as you only need to play with colours when it comes to wearing stripes!

Denim usually only comes in a single colour – blue. Back in the 19th century, it was dyed with blue pigment obtained from indigo dye to achieve the classic blue denim colour. Those days, indigo were the most significant natural dye known. The durability of the colour makes it a good choice when everyday washing was not possible.

Denim is made of many fibers like polymide, lycra, polypropylene or with polyester and a special bonding with a 100% nylon net to achieve the more active, rugged look. It is also common now to see several natural fibres, such as linen, hemp or wool, to achieve the “deluxe, upper class” look. Silk and cashmere are also turning up in new denims to give them a slightly different feel. Stretchy denim is another common variation now to fit all kinds of body shapes.

Denim comes with stone wash, classic ink wash, iced wash and dirty wash. All these washes determine the end look (colour) and feel (texture) of the denim.

Traditionally, denim is worn by men only. Due to the fabric’s durability, it is usually worn for outdoors work, and with its thickness, it is perfect too for the chilly weather. Denim was famously worn by cowboys, lumberjacks and carpenters. But today, women too have been accorded the same stature to wear denim, and they surely wear them even more fashionably!

Today, denim wear has evolved so much. Denim is famously seen as pants or jeans, skirts, shorts and jacket, even for children.

Typically, denim is only worn either the top or bottom half of the body, seldom an overall look. Here are a few tips to wear and accentuate your denim:-

1)Jeans are best worn with heels to lengthen the leg.

2)Denim shirt is best paired with a bright coloured, flowery patterned chiffon skirt. Try tying the shirt ends loosely over the skirt instead of using a belt.

3)You can spice the look up with a baby tee or a lacy teddy satin top with a shawl across the neck when worn with denim shorts.

4)A denim tube or corset top will really look great with flare pants or palazzos.

5)Pair boots to any length of denim skirts. Boots can define the type of style you are trying to achieve; ie calf length boots to a long skirt for a hobo look.

6)If you do do the denim-on-denim look, opt for darker denim at the bottom. This will break up the look and bring the attention to your face. Accessorize with big or long earrings, or big red headbands.

7)Always accessorize with feminine accessories to soften the rugged, denim look.

8)If you like ballet flats, wear them with skinny jeans and not any other cut or risk looking frumpy.

Just remember, wearing denim is to achieve a casual and fun look. Having that in mind, you will definitely be able to bring the best out of the denim, even with little accessories. Denim is a classic and never out of style. Check out the denim collection at the JASPAL store near you.

Month of December always brings to mind the images of cold winter season, especially a white Christmas. The cold, rainy weather now is prompting us to bring an extra layer to work, school or shopping. Nothing is more perfect that a sweater. Or some might know it as a pullover, jumper, or jersey. It is usually light weight and it is just an accessory to a more bulky, warmer wear. It is light and airy, and many times, adds a nice, colourful aesthetic to an otherwise drabby outfit.

Sweaters are typically made from fibres woven together, can be from either wool or cotton.

A woollen or knitted sweater usually brings to mind of a Christmas gift from a favourite aunt. Wool sweaters are typically made from wool, a derivative fibre of the hair of sheep, but specialty wools can include goats, llamas and rabbits. Because of its fibre’s originality from mammals, sweaters made from wool never lose its shape. So you can be assured your cashmere sweater will never shrink.  But be forewarned, the care of woollen sweater is a bit tedious, not difficult per se, just with extra dedication. The end result is a beautiful, long lasting sweater that will give you enjoyment for many long years. However, some of us are allergic to wool, causing us to itch, and that is where we turn to the alternative – a cotton sweater.

Cotton sweaters look every bit as elegant as their wool and cashmere counterparts, but watch out!  Also, cotton sweaters can be usually machine-washed, but do use the gentle cycle. To keep them looking like new, hand wash using a mild soap and then lay flat to dry. Always remember, as with any other fabric, never hand wash anything and hang it out to dry, as it will elongate the fabric due to the weight of the water.

Another positive point for cotton sweaters is that they come in a many different colours. Cotton can be dyed extremely well. Be bold and pick a bright cotton sweater to jazz up your wardrobe.

There are different types of sweaters, including cardigan, pullover and vest. A cardigan is a sweater that opens in the front and can be closed with pull strings, buttons or zippers. A pullover is the most common type of sweater, offering full coverage around the torso and arms. The term, “pullover” is labelled quite obviously- one must pull the sweater over his or her head to wear it. Just like a t-shirt, only slightly thicker. Finally, the vest, it has no arms, and is it always worn over a button down, blouse or other knit shirt.

The crocheted sweater is also quite popular – the classic cable-knit which is perfect if you’re layering your clothing for warmth. Crocheted sweater is also a very chic office wear. And, of course we can’t not mention the fashionable hoodie sweater. The hoodie is gaining popularity now, made famous by the rap and hip hop music industry. It offers its wearers a very laid-back, casual look.

In conclusion, the best thing about sweaters is that they can be worn in so many ways. It can be worn for casual or formal occasions. The elderly consider them comfortable while younger ones find it “cool”. Whether you’re trying to spot a laid-back or an elegant, sexy look, sweaters can easily do the trick! It often takes a minimum amount of intelligence to achieve a clever look by combining a sweater with two or three other items.

For a casual Saturday in the mall, at the cafe chilling with your buddies or just about anywhere, the white shirt can be worn completely unbuttoned, but make sure you have a great looking tee inside. A great printed T-shirt of your favourite band or artist, or a plain tee in either bright or dark colour would really make you a cut above the rest. But do away with T-shirts that have printed messages.  Since it will be worn underneath, what’s the point, really?

Roll up your sleeves but not totally until exposing your elbow. Compliment your top with your favourite pair of jeans. Or look for a pair that is snug but not too tight, with a waistline that hovers around the pelvic area, preferably with button fly. If you’re not confident about your rear end, opt for those with unflatten back pockets, or flapped pockets. You don’t have to tuck in your shirt. To complete the look, put on your favourite pair of sneakers.

When you are going for a weekend getaway, perhaps out of town to Cameron Highlands or Fraser Hills, roll up the sleeves and unbutton the uppermost button. If you feel dressy or perhaps this is an outing with that special girl, put on a knitted vest or a sweater that you can actually wear or put around your shoulders. Again, as with the T-shirt, it can be of any colour or design though it is safe to wear a plain, dark coloured vest. Now with your top all set, you can put on your favourite chinos or khakis. They should also be of slim cutting and the waist should also rest within the pelvic area. You can wear your driving shoes with this ensemble or you may try slipping on a pair of loafers.  Leave your sneakers or any other sporty footwear behind.

But should your weekend involve leaving town simply to enjoy seafood in Port Klang, a tour of Kelly’s Castle or walking around Jonker’s Street in Malacca, you will feel more comfortable pairing your white shirt with a pair of shorts.  Just make sure that it is tailored and you can opt not to wear socks, as you can just slip into your sport sandals. Putting on a good pair of rubber or sport slippers could also be a better option if you are not planning on walking for miles. And if you’re going down this route, forget the vest or sweater. Your printed T-shirt underneath suffice.

So guys, if you haven’t already own one, please do go and buy one or a few. When everything in fashion becomes too much for you, you can rely on it, whether long or short sleeves, for a classic and always-ready, off-the-hanger style.