what denim are you?

Denim has been popular since the day it was invented and is still one of the top wardrobe staples. Historically deemed as casual wear, it has risen throughout the years to smart casual and even dressy. All you need to do is find the right fit for you and take it from day to night by wearing with the right shoes and bag for the occasion, mix and match by layering from simple sweaters and tees to fancy blouses and blazers and finally style with the right accessories. Here's some stylish denim style mixes snapped at Bloomingdale's Dubai event & a few tips on how to land your perfect pair at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Karli Vickers is all romantic meets edgy denim style with a feminine silk blouse, candy pink slim jeans and studded loafers all from Zara. Her Alexander wang bag adds just the right bold element. Love her high girly bun too!

18 year old Blogger Fia dyer reflected her fresh trendy denim style by teaming 2 layers of shirts, primark denim over vintage print with a cute topshop black short. She nicely pulled the look together with white doc martins shoes. I love her playful mix of print, fabric & color. Notice how her hot pink heart shaped earrings and bracelets tie in with her socks. Even her ponytail done on the side was playful, showing us "how to stylishly dress for your age" -  It's all in the details ladies! Check out her blog for some more inspiration on her style

Blogger Iman Omrani was there too & I love her unique style at all times. Going for a romantic denim style, she wore her dyed jeans with a lovely white ribbon knitted sweater from Romwe & cute blue ballerinas with ribbons too from zara! Her splash necklace with oval shaped stones and her very feminine wavy blonde hair finish off that feminine look.  Check out her blog for some amazing DIY fashion.

Love how Zhineh wore her amazing back studded knitted sweater bought from London spitafield market, bringing the edgy look together by matching with the shape of her hair tie on that super cool messy bun. Repeating small details such as shape, color, texture or print is what makes a unique style. Truth is sometimes we don't even notice we're doing  it! Am sure many of you don't plan all these details in an outfit, but again, this is how unique style is created.

Now here's Omar, one stylishly confident kid!  You can't miss his cool nonchalant character that shows even at his age! He's wearing nothing less than a ralph lauren shirt, true religion jeans & making one amazing statement with his roberto cavalli shoes :)

That's Seif, Omar's adorable & equally fashionable brother! I had to run after him for 5 minutes & couldn't get this shot until I found his dad who volunteered to catch him for less than 60 seconds. His sutograph jacket, picollo shirt, true religion jeans & "very fast" Cityshoe are just the cutest combination I've ever seen!

Last, you have to meet the dad who makes sure that style runs in the family!

He's wearing his Tommy Hilfiger blazer over a Ralph Lauren shirt, with straight legged Rock n republic jeans. Love how the handmade shoes from London in white Linen and tan leather piping pull the whole look together.

Now, when it comes to jeans, ironically the question I’ve been asked the most is “ what denim am I ? ie how do I find the right style for my body shape?” Here’s a few tips on what to look for!

To add curves go for skinny jeans. The tapered hemline at the calves gives the illusion of a wider hip and curvier bottom. Bright, shiny and light colors are great for visually adding volume too.

To conceal & balance wider hips, opt for boot cut jeans with a flare at the bottom and make sure that they’re long enough to cover your heels. Avoid boyfriend jeans, low waisted styles & skinny. Only way to wear skinny jeans is to pair with a longer top.

To look slimmer and taller, go for a darker wash. Look for vertical seams to visually add height. Go for straight leg styles to look taller and avoid flared or wide jeans. Stay away from cropped or cuffed jeans as not to visually cut your legs. Wearing high heels is always good to add height too.

So, what denim are you?

Men's Fall Accessories!

Kamal sharing with us his own accessories. Have fun adding that extra personal touch to your outfits Louis Vuitton sunglasses - Evidence and vintage gold spike ear cuffs

Diesel limited edition watch

M zero shoes in dark blue plastic

Men! Style your Outfit | cowboy inspiration

Meet Kamal, our street style fashion correspondent from Athens, Georgia USA. Expect a weekly dosage of "edgy, eccentric and quirky" from Kamal's own styling too!

The outfit. A modern take on the ranch. Riding in style doesn't have to be overboard. Choose one "cowboy" element as in the shirt, belt, hat or boots. Keep the rest individual and make your statement with one focal point, being your shirt here.

Sally Hansen tried and tested

I've never been a fan of applying my own nail polish at home as I could never achieve that salon perfect application and I've never been a pro at it. So am pretty impressed with the results I got with sally hansen, first time I try the range. I think a big part is owed to the bigger size of the brush which helps in getting fewer streaks. But the best part was that my nails still looked great after a week (apart from the tip showing due to natural nail growth)- no chipping at all - even after a day spent swimming at the beach!

I used Gilty pleasure from the complete salon manicure range and laced up salon effects real nail polish strips on my ring finger and loved it! As easy as peel, apply and shape! "Looking at the picture, I should have cleaned the edges better - so yes am still not a pro at polishing my own nails :)"

What do you think? Have you tried their range?

nicki minaj | shatha hassoun wear same eccentric top

Shatha Hassoun wore this eccentric piece of art as a corset top in one of her scenes in music video Alaa Eldeen, style by me. Check out the video & full wardrobe styling here Later, Nicki wears same style with an elaborate headdress in one scene from her music video Va Va Voom. Check out the video here

Who do you think wore it best?

Street style | Feminine meets Edgy

Love how Rei from Thailand looks like a fresh spring flower on a winter day!

On the street in Navigli, Italy. Shirt:Zara, Leggings: Designer from Thailand, Shoes: Vintage market, Jacket: H&M, Bag: Zara

Taking her floral shirt clubbing, all she had to do was change into burgundy velvet leggings, pull the outfit together with a blue jacket and change her bag for an evening clutch.

At Sho club, Italy. Shirt:Zara, Leggings: American Apparel, Jacket: H&M, Clutch: Alexander McQueen

A taste of Italian style

Style never grows old! Check out that individual signature with personal touches like his beret, scarf and the amazing mix and match of color!

So my sister decided to leave me (ok that's a bit dramatic) and travel to Milan for one whole year to finish her business Design degree in in the school of Domus Academy, Italy. Although I miss her like hell, am very proud of her brave endeavor of making a success story of herself (that's her in the picture with our stylish gentleman). I love travel, being thrown into a totally foreign city where you don't know the language and being forced to step out of your comfort zone. Am sure it brings out all those amazing traits in you that you would have never thought existed before.

And what I really love is the melange of culture and style found on the streets. Looking at style from a different point of view is such an inspiration and I have demanded that she becomes my Italian street fashion correspondent so I can share the muse!

Looking through this shop window is like peeking into another style era - it almost looks staged!

If you have an eye for photography and spotting special moments, please feel free to share with me your street style pics and I will feature them in my next posts :)

Stop wearing other people's jeans!

Are you constantly looking for that next perfect pair of jeans to add to your collection of over 10 pairs? Jeans is an essential wardrobe staple for all the different reasons ranging from practicality and comfort to style. Nothing easier than grabbing a pair of jeans and dressing it up for a night out or down with trendy tees and jackets. But still, I always get questions on how and where to land the perfect pair for my body shape? When shopping with clients, I can make their lives easier by picking specific styles but it's really hard listing all the variances to look for when I don't know what your exact body shape is! My answer has always been that you can't just fit into any brand or size -you need to look at specific details and styles/cuts that will flatter your unique shape starting with the waist, crotch to the pockets and definitely legs width and style. Even the wash of the denim has a great effect in visually slimming or adding a few pounds.

So just last week, I stumbled upon Nomo, a new shop open in Sunset mall and it looked like the answer to everyone's prayers!

Previously found only in Hamburg and Helsinki, it has a lot of promises to offer to the Dubai fashion crowd. As their story goes, NOMO makes computer-assisted made-to-measure jeans. You simply walk in the shop, choose the cut, color, effects and numerous details. Then they will take your precise measurements with their 3D body scanner - YES a body scanner - and your perfect made to measure jeans is only a month and a half dream away! To add to that,they arrive with a guaranteed satisfaction. So I do think the guys at Nomo will keep their promises.

I asked the sales lady if all those specific measurements means no one else can wear your jeans, and her answer was YES - it won't fit anyone but you!

Now even though I am the proud owner of 6 currently worn pairs of jeans,I am intrigued to try having my own personalized jeans. What do you think of this concept? Let me know if any of you tried it too!

BRAND MANIA

I love people who are true to themselves and confident enough in their own skin to pull off any outfit and carry themselves with poise. I believe everyone should feel great about the way the look and have fun reflecting their best image to the world! No fashion is “in” unless it’s “out” of your unique style. But you are NOT what designer brands you wear! It saddens me to see/hear some people judging themselves and others by their latest “it” buys or lack of it. Since when has high street brands become an indication of a lesser social status? Yes, some people do think that they can not be seen sporting anything less than a designer branded look from head to toe. This is not just wrong, it’s a pity. It only shows that you lack self confidence, style and creativity. Am definitely pro designer brands – we all love the luxury, quality, attention to detail and craftsmanship that goes into creating each unique piece – but I wouldn’t buy any piece just because it’s a designer label. I will only invest in it because it looks great and fits perfectly on me – just like any other label. And I specifically hate “in your face” printed logos. We all mix designer with high street and we won’t have to explain ourselves for it! Copying the latest catwalk or window look won’t win you the style stakes. Creating your own unique style will. Look inside yourself and outside your window for inspiration – and am not talking shop windows :) Street style is the truest form of real fashion. Your own unique personality should show in the details of how you style your look. Get inspired by your favorite designers, style icons, movies, songs, books, nature… but please don’t turn into another copy cat fashionista!

Finally on!

So I have been in the image, fashion and styling  business for 7 years now - contemplating writing my own blog but never getting down to it... Today I decided it's "better late than never" time I do what I always wanted - share my stories, behind the scenes secrets, tips and advice - and most of all - hear back from you!