Earlier this month, we advised one of our male readers (Phil) about what to wear to his casual wedding.  In the comments, Ria chimed in about her own casual wedding, held this past summer.  Said Ria, "We had a casual wedding, no ties! Well, no ties for the guests. My husband wore a tie but no jacket, same with the groomsmen. Just putting it out there as an alternative. It was hot so no jackets or vests worked for us, but the ties added to the wedding party style."

A: 
Obi belts do wonders to define your waist, so you can pair them with larger, more shapeless garments. Obis are a wonderful accessory for calf-length dresses, long tops, tunics and loose blouses. 

Most necklines will look good with an obi belt. Just be careful with turtlenecks/mock-turtlenecks if your top doesn’t have sleeves. Depending on how wide the obi belt is, the overall affect may or may not be slimming. 

Obi belts are worn higher up than a normal belt, and they should cinch you a little above the waist. The belt should be cinched around you, but it shouldn’t be too tight. If you can’t move freely and sit comfortably in your outfit, it’ll be obvious, and the outfit won’t look right.

Because the obi belt makes a bold statement, pair it with solid colors to heighten its appeal. Bonus points for choosing a bright solid color to pair the obi belt with—the resulting look is very modern. 

A:  Too bad the temperature will be that cool, but in the spirit of the cruise I would pack some fun and flirty outfits.  A cruise is a time to play, so I would recommend a couple of fun dresses to throw into the mix with your jeans.  As for what to wear with your jeans, you can always take your outfit up a notch by throwing a wrap around yourself or adding a cute short sleeved jacket to coordinate with your jeans–and the dresses. 

Here are a few dresses to get you started:
Free People ‘La Isla’ Embroidered Voile Dress | $118 at Nordstrom
Twisted Heart ‘Bianca’ Hooded Terry Dress | $143 at Nordstrom
BCBGMAXAZRIA Flutter Sleeve Knit Dress | $178 at Nordstrom
(Pictured) Diane von Furstenberg ‘Reno’ Silk Damask Shift Dress | $325 at Nordstrom
Theory ‘Azuri - Acute’ Printed Dress | $455 at Nordstrom

And a few separates you might find cruise-worthy:
BB Dakota ‘Evie’ Jacket (in White) | $44 at Nordstrom
Free People ‘Indian Princess’ Racerback Top | $98 at Nordstrom

The dresses I am recommending would look pretty with heels or flats, and the white Free People blouse with jeans would show off any tan you may get.  During the day, jeans or walking shorts with a cute tee or blouse would serve you well.  And if you invest in a short sleeve jacket (like the BB Dakota one), you’ll be covered–even in 60 degree temperatures.   Have a fun filled three days in Mexico!

We asked: Is Bright Yellow In or Out?

My girlfriends and I have very different definitions of timeliness.  While I’m the supreme planner and book our dinner reservations weeks (sometimes months) in advance; many of my girlfriends either forget to RSVP or show up moments after its fashionable.  As my party slowly trickles in, I ALWAYS receive a call from someone running ridiculously late.  (My favorite excuse is “Where are we eating again?”)

During our most recent holiday dinner, I had an “ah-ha” moment in the middle of a very heated discussion about Gossip Girl.   One of my girlfriends threw her hands up in excitement.  As her thumb knocked over a glass of red wine, I noticed that she wasn’t wearing a watch.  I quickly scanned the table and noticed that all our wrists were bare (well, actually I was wearing enough bangles to score a starring roll in Yash Chopra’s next Bollywood flick)—and ah-ha!  I realized that I had to get all of us in the same time zone!  Read on for 5 watches (one for each of my best girlfriends) to invest in.  No matter what your personal style, you’ll come out stylishly on time.

A:  How you dress is critically important to making a great impression. You don’t want to send him the wrong signals about you by how you dress—or how you act, or your date may just think you are looking for something other than a significant other.  How to put your best foot forward every time?  Dress for yourself first and foremost.  Here’s what you need to know:
 
How Much to Reveal:
Women know men like to see a little skin, but how much is too much? You want to show enough to get his mind thinking about what is underneath. But suggesting and showing are two very different things.

How do you balance suggesting and showing off your assets?  Two examples: wear a crisp white button-down shirt by Ralph Lauren and leave the top couple of buttons open to hint at some cleavage. Or try a deep scoop neck top with three quarter sleeves.  The arm-thinning three quarter sleeves balance out the suggestive scoop neckline. 

Dress to reveal your strengths.  What’s your favorite part of your body?  Wear clothes that highlight that.  Are you in love with your long, long legs?  Wear a more revealing skirt to show them off.  Do you have an elegant swanlike neck?  Wear a statement necklace to draw attention to it.
 
What to Wear:
If you’re a dress kind of gal, you’re in luck.  Fashion’s fascination with dresses translates into a wide variety of styles for you to choose from.  For a day date, try a cotton sundress or a silk jersey wrap dress (extra points for bright colors or bold patterns), a statement accessory, and the appropriate outerwear.  For an evening date, venture into cocktail dress territory—or, if the occasion calls for it, slip on an evening gown.
 
What about pants—or is a skirt better?  Either can work, but when in doubt, go with a skirt. Skirts are, by nature, more feminine and their inherent sexiness can unleash your natural confidence.
 
If you’re feeling brave, try an above-the-knee length skirt with a sleeved top.  The more your reveal of your legs, the more you should cover up on top—and vice versa.   If you’re more comfortable with conservative skirts, go for an ankle-length skirt (not one that hits at mid-calf—that length is almost universally unflattering) dressed up with sexy heels.
 
As for footwear, high heels add extra shape to your legs—and they’re a real leg lengthener (especially in styles without an ankle strap).  But if you’re not comfortable in high heels, try a lower heel height or a thicker heel, both of which are easier to walk in.

Lastly, you come to the coat.  If it’s cooler outside, then a snug peacoat or three-quarter length coat is an attractive way to finish off your outfit.  If you’re blessed with warmer weather, then a simple shawl or button up sweater would do the trick nicely.

The next time you’re getting ready for a date, dress for the occasion (no evening gowns at Sunday brunch!), but more importantly, dress to make yourself happy so you’ll make the great impression that will get him asking for that next date.

A: 
Headbands are stylish, easy to wear, and versatile. And the great news is that they’ve been re-embraced recently. No matter how long or short your hair is, there’s a headband out there that’s right for you. How do you know what kind of headband will work for you?  Here’s a good rule of thumb: the shorter your hair is, the thinner the band should probably be.

Headband Types:
Not only can you choose the color of your headband, but you can also choose patterns, materials and widths. A solid colored headband can look proper and polished if worn in a classic or neutral color that shows nicely against the color of your hair. Then again, a solid colored headband can also look trendy and fun if worn in a bright hot pink.

What’s hot right now?  The skinny headband is on the rise—probably to suit the ever-so-popular bob hairstyles.  But choose your headband to flatter your own hair and head. Any width can look nice.

How to Wear a Headband: Three Easy Ways
The easiest way to wear a headband is to just slide it on - it’s even simpler than programming a TiVo! But if you’re short on time and want a different look, you can mix up this simple look by changing your part, or wearing the headband with no part.

My newest favorite way to wear a headband is to pull the top half of my hair up and back into a clip. (I usually leave some shorter layers out to frame my face, using pomade to help define the pieces.) Then I put a headband on. For thinner headbands, wear as is. But the thicker the band is, or for a more dramatic look, I suggest putting your hair up so that it has some height (a light and quick application of both holding gel and hairspray will help) and then putting the headband on so that it’s very low and angled a bit forward.

We asked: Is Light Blue Denim In or Out?

It’s been a long (and sleepless) couple of days, but I’m pleased to announce that we’re back up and running. 

What happened?
Our web hosting provider, Open Source Host, dropped our account without any advance warning on Wednesday afternoon.  Yup, that’s right.  No warning emails, no courtesy notices. Open Source Host claimed "high CPU usage," but they weren’t able to identify the source of the issue.   They were, however, very insistent that our account should stay shut down! Six phone calls, three support tickets, and no answers.

With no info to go on, we set out in search of a new hosting provider.  We’re now with HostMonster, and we’ve spent the last day and a half doing data migration and fixing bugs to bring the site back up.  We’re not all the way there yet–as you can see, we’re having some character issue problems, but we’re working on a fix for that as well.

Thanks for all of your support, your emails, and your offers to help.  We love you guys, and we’re looking forward to bringing you more fun fashion finds and style info in the months and years to come!

See you soon,
Trisha and the Omiru Team

Update: Just fixed the character encoding issue.  Time for sleep! (2:16am - 1/20/08)

A:  You should be as formal as your bride.  You said that her dress is a full bridal gown, but it isn’t a “crazy formal or elaborate” gown.  Does this mean the dress isn’t down to the floor?  The length of the dress instantly adds (or subtracts, in the case of a short dress) to the formality of the gown. 

If her dress is knee-length, try a blazer over a button-down shirt with wool trousers with dressier leather loafers.  Warning: I wouldn’t suggest pleated khakis and a navy blazer, unless you’re going for the country club look.  Instead, try a medium or dark gray blazer with a white shirt.  You’ll find that a crisp white shirt will really pop beneath that color blazer. 

If her dress is down to the floor, I would say go with a suit but no tie. The key to this look is the shirt collar.  Get a flimsy collar and it will fall down under your jacket lapel and look sloppy.  Keep the look sharp with a firm collar.  GQ explains how to pull off the look here.

In either case, you’ll be wearing a jacket over a button-down, so tuck in your shirt.

You said you want a “relaxed” suit, but I don’t think you mean that.  Relaxed is a term that describes a loose but not baggy fit.  It’s usually associated with jeans.  If that is what you mean, then I apologize.  In that case, try looking at American made suits.  The so called “sack suits” are usually boxier, looser cuts.  The jacket would follow your silhouette, the trouser will feature a wider leg, and so on. 

It’s up to you, but I personally favor a more slim-fitting suit, especially for a no-tie look.  Try some European designers.  I have a Paul Smith London suit and can personally vouch for its fit.
 
A big factor of formality with suits is color.  The darker the color, the more formal the suit.  I would agree with you and stick with a darker suit here.  Moreover, you’re not wearing a tie, which also makes your look less formal, but if you did, I would tell you to wear a skinny (but not TOO skinny) tie.  I would also tell you not to wear a belt.  A lot of people don’t wear belts nowadays, especially with the “shrunken” suit in fashion.  Going beltless is a sleeker look and tends to add an air of informality. The beltless look has become a fashionable look; GQ’s Style Guy (Glenn O’Brien) has written that he never wears belts with his suits. 

Whatever you do, just remember that sophisticated is clean, simple and tailored.  If your clothes are all of those things, you will shine whatever you wear.  Also, before you buy anything, know how things should fit. Certainly, the tailor will help you when if you get a suit, but you should also know yourself how things should fit.  I liken it to buying a car.  Sure, you can go to the dealer and trust everything they say (and if you go to a respectable dealership they probably are honest), but you still want to have prior knowledge.  I strongly recommend reading Details’ Men’s Style Manual.  It will give you a very good sense on what proper fit means and how to really look chic.