Tag: cute

Sleepwear fashion shouldn’t be a snooze!

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

So winter is upon us and well, after a few years of lockdown, I feel home clothes and pajamas can no longer be sloppy, ugly or unthoughtful. Wearing sweatpants and baggy t-shirts for home and sleep feels almost like a post-traumatic stress uniform. I don’t want to be reminded of the veggie like state that the quarantine had imposed on the world, and the void it put on fashion over the last few years. Isolation had made people unfit and uncaring about looking gorgeous, whether going out or staying home. Nobody cared about image, and it hurt the beauty and fashion industry for a long time.

Fleece jogger pants are softer that sweatpants and much more attractive too!

So now comes the overcorrection; I find myself dying to look amazing even if it’s my day off and I am doing house chores at home. I ask myself why can’t I look cute for that? For answering work emails at home, or for working on social media content online? Wouldn’t it be more honest for me as a beauty professional to look good at home in real time while promoting my services online in the digital world? But on this same note, I don’t think I will be comfortable dressed to the nines at home while doing dishes and taking out the garbage. I can’t be decked in pearls when it’s evening and I want to sit in front of the tv. with a bowl of noodle soup and watch a scary movie. So, what to do?

How do I fix the gap between the stylishness of my outside/work wardrobe versus my home wardrobe? Time to do some shopping and revaluate what makes certain clothing functional and stylish for use at when being cozy at home is the mood:

This is a really comfy and cute set. It almost looks like a romper! but it is a two piece made of a cotton waffle material. The print cheers up the deep green.

Stylish Lounge or Pajama Wear Musts:

  1. Be comfortable. Part of the main function of pjs and homewear is comfort. While at home, the formalities of the work world are far away, loose and boxy cuts can be embraced. But go too oversized and it’s sloppy. There is a fine line between relaxed and just plain messy. Focus on soft fabrics with stretch, breathable cotton and flannel. Imagine a cloud and how to dress if living on one!
  2. Colour: I am not a fan of black for lounge wear. It seems depressing and can look sloppy, because it’s the colour that hides all stains. I like light colours because they are uplifting and remind me of sunny days. They also look fresh and clean and put together.
  3. For the boyish styles: I find lounge wear can be very unisex. Boxer shorts on girls, show off long legs, and waffle henley tees that are fitted show off feminine curves in a rustic, earthy way. It’s a no frills pretty.
  4. For the girly: Sleep dresses come in all styles, lengths and materials. The most casual would be a strappy tank dress style. But for more oh la la, add some lace and satin to the mix. I own a lot of satin/silk camis and find they are so girly while remaining a realistically functional item for sleep and loungewear layering
  5. Stick to the basics: soft leggings, fitted t shirts, body suits, tank tops… if it looks like something American Apparel made, it’ll probably do the job.
The softest leggings and warm socks keep the drafts away! A lace cami is feminine.

Is there any loungewear articles or musts that I have forgotten? Let me know in the comments below and stay cozy and gorgeous at home!

Stay warm and stay stylish this winter!

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

So, it’s officially winter soon in the northern hemisphere, and well it’s not really favourite season of mine when it comes to fashion. Imagine the scene: sweatpants, and sweatshirts to hide gained weight from not going outside; roomy clothes for eating copious amounts of snacks while binge watching the lastest netflix series drop. And the all too familiar feeling of being frost bitten whenever wearing something fashionable and going outside for any length of time. That is how it’s like being in one of the coldest countries in the world. I live in Canada and thankfully I’m in the city of Toronto which is as mild a location as it can get here. But still, looking good in the winter needs a bit of finessing. Here is my list of fashion staples to survive a few cold winter nights in or out!

Look at all the sweaters of different colours and textures so easy to have some fun with style while staying warm!
  1. Winter Fleece lined tights: Nobody wants to wear sweatpants all winter, but they are so warm and comfy like a hug. But I feel that fleece lined tights give the illusion of dressiness while also having the softness and stretch one gets from sloppier clothes. Buy a few colours and styles and then wear them with skirts and dresses that still make a statement in the dead of winter. Fleece lined tights also fit so well in boots, and are actually pretty warm for a fitted bottom attire!
  2. Cute Sweaters: Ok, so what makes a sweater cute? So many things, my dear, so many things! Colour. Don’t go for black or white. But go for intersting colours like kelly green, coral, blush pink, mauve. These colours are unique in the clothing world and will make a statement. Cut: drop shoulders make a frame look petite, crop sweaters show off the waist (hopefully not ruined from overeating) and fitted long turtleneck sweaters look great with leggings. Interesting necklines like lacing. Just make sure it doesn’t look frumpy and it’s already a hit fashion item.
  3. Cute lounge wear. I cannot stress this enough. A lot of living in Canada is about staying at home. So cozy slippers, warm socks, boxy shorts, and plush cute robes! Stuff to wear around the house is important and all about fashion with a healthy dose of cozy. I like to keep it classy and not like a pajama party. My silk kimono is a great way to cover up a set of jammies warmly.
  4. A Wide Variety of Winter Jackets: It’s a long winter here in Canada. So it’s best to have two or three. They should be different styles ie. parka, peacoat, wool, and even puffer. But the key is to make sure it fits. An accentuated waist tie coat looks better than a shapeless blob draped on the body. And colour is important too. In Canada, we don’t get a lot of light in the winter, so any jacket colour that isn’t black is ideal. Even though dark colours can be attractive, navy can always be a substitute for black.
This is an example of cozy cute attire. A soft oversized sweater on top of a cute flowy dress and fleece tights! Super comfy and not one bit frumpy!

And there it is. 4 fashion staples that can get any fashionista through the winter in the simplest way. Did I forget any tried and true items that make long cold winters just a bit more fun? Let me know in the comments below and stay warm as we head into the long winter months!

Asian make-up trends are coming, coming, and now here…do we want them?

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

Japan, Korea and Taiwan have been making some super cute, funky, and pretty make-up for the last while.  I’ve noticed that here in North America and especially Canada, we are just starting to see the brands.  Asian make-up packaging are a bit different, so are the scents and formulations.  And then there are the trends: BB creams to compliment fair complexions, and false lashes to make eyes look doe-like…etc.   There is definitely a market for these kinds of aesthetics over seas but what about here?  Does Toronto’s westernized/multicultural demographic make Canada the next big market for Asian make-up companies?

Typical examples of Japanese and Korean cosmetics...I want all of these...they are just too cute!
Typical examples of Japanese and Korean cosmetics…I want all of these…they are just too cute!

It seems like we are fair game to international corporations that need to expand to survive in this global market.  Already Face Shops have sprung up everywhere, not just in the Asian malls north of Toronto, but are now in almost every mainstream mall, and just the other month, another Korean make-up heavy weight Holika Holika set up a boutique on Queen Street west.  I have yet to see really the public response, but throwing Asian make-up brands at the mainstream market without any introduction doesn’t seem very intelligent.  Face Shop for example had to buy out Canadian company Fruits and Passion here in order to set up shop.  Already they are not starting off with the most clean image as some Canadian consumers see the pop up stores as an invasion rather than them “sharing the goods” with us!  Even myself, with my Asian heritage and knowledge of cosmetics, I still find it difficult to just adopt everything the Koreans are making, just for the sake of trend or readiness.

This brand is HOT in overseas markets. Now they have popped up here, on funky Queen West. If only their customer service was better... :(
This brand is HOT in overseas markets. Now they have popped up here, on funky Queen West. If only their customer service was better… 😦

On the other hand, I guess we should be happy now that we have easier access to what is on trend at the moment, the only problem is that Face Shop make-up gives my skin allergic reactions.  My skin is sensitive, so I can’t slather on things with 10 different chemical names on it!  Perhaps these big make-up companies can stop working on gaining capitol on trends for a second, and work on better quality and formulations of their make up and skin care?  It is not too much to ask…and consumers in any part of the world’s market can relate to this need and we deserve it too.