Every Woman Wants Something on Valentine's Day

So, she says she doesn't want anything. Believe me, this is the only time a "no" really means "yes." Romance is all about sweet unsolicited gestures, and these gestures are of the sweetest variety.





AK Anne Klein Women's Watch
It's sporty; it's sophisticated, but the unexpected hit of pink on the bracelet says "I may be tough as nails, but with the right man, I'm all cotton candy."

Juicy Couture
"Sweet Couture" compact
You don't actually think your rocker babe looks that way without some prepping. Give her this and she'll know you completely "get" her.

Faceted cubic zirconia ring(s)
Like the Baccarat rings of the 70's, but far more sophisticated, each ring is cut from a single block of pure gemstone. If your sweetie is easily impressed by carats, this will rock her world.

Secret Wish Magic Romance
by Anna Sui
There is romance for girls, and there is romance for women. Anna Sui knows how to design fragrances for both. Her Secret Wish is at once sweet and grown-up.

DKNY "Mariah" chemise

So you want your Valentine evening to end on a high note.
Believe me, if my man gave me this,
our next three evenings will reach the highest octave.

Why Shouldn't High Tech Look High Style?

While I was writing about glammed gadgets, I took stock of my own trusty workhorse, my two-year old iBook. It had definitely seen better days, and its white plastic case--which had once signaled "creative iconoclast at work"--was dingy, scratched and dull.

Now, it says, "freelance editor who can't afford an upgrade to MacBook Air."

Time for a makeover.

Swarovski crystals were out of the question. Too much surface to cover, and with the daily wear and tear involved, I would always have to carry a glue gun for emergency touch-ups. The hard acrylic cases were fine; my editor-in-chief covered her own MacBook Pro in shiny red. Alas, they don't make one for my model. I considered sleeves too, but they were too bulky.

Then I chanced upon GelaSkins.

Essentially, this is a microthin (less than 2mm) protective cover for your iPod, iPhone, laptop or RAZR, made with premium 3M vinyl and adhesive technology. It's ultra-thin and scratch resistant for a durable photo-quality finish. The adhesive has patented micro-channels for a bubble-free application and, if you're really careful, re-application.

GelaSkins cost around $15 for an iPod skin and $29.95 for a 12" Powerbook. They're available in many countries, including Hong Kong and Singapore. They also ship worldwide.

I realize that the concept is not unique, but the execution is. Tapping many gifted graphic designers, as well as a few museums, GelaSkins can make my laptop look like a work of art, and me, the stylish tech maven that (I think) I am.

(Topmost image by Bertrand Delgoff)

iBling

Back in the day, only a few of us had iPods, and like the vainglorious early adopters that we were, we carried these white chiclets like they were too enormous to fit in our purses.

Now, practically everyone has one, so where's the fun in that?

But thanks to the Swarovski crystals, our favorite little gadgets are not only tricked out, but perfectly appropriate for the evening.

You can leave the silcone skin at home and slip your iPod into a Swarovski Crystal iPod case. They come in all sorts of colors and designs, and most vendors have a model to fit your MP3 player (even the non-iPod ones). Now, a woman can listen to her playlist, or watch a video, while looking as elegant as she can be.

And don't stop there. ChicBuds Swarovski Crystal Retractable Earbuds are now becoming more widely available as well. This ear candy features an in-the-ear style that gives crystal clear (pun intended) sound quality. The Swarovski crystals add sparkle, and the retractable cord adds ease of use and convenience. The clip secures the earbuds in place during use, and when seen from across the bar, it looks like a piece of jewelry.

The best thing about these bling buds is that they can be used with iPods, notebooks and media players. So no matter which new version of iPod or iTouch you buy next, you're always glamorously wired.

Bringing Your Silver Back from the Dead

We all have a silver cuff, chain, ring, or pair of earrings that we love. But eventually, it becomes tarnished by time or by neglect. No matter how it got there, Anne Marie Helmenstine, who has a Ph.D. in Chemistry, has a recipe for removing the tarnish and resurrecting your silver jewelry.

She writes, "As silver oxidizes, it will tarnish. This layer of oxidation can be removed without polishing and scrubbing, by simply dipping your silver in this non-toxic electrochemical dip. Another big advantage to using a dip is that the liquid can reach places a polishing cloth cannot."

Ingredients:

• Sink or glass pan
• Hot water
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Aluminum foil
• Tarnished silver

Directions:

1. Line the bottom of the sink or a glass baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.
2. Fill the foil-lined container with steaming hot water.
3. Add salt (sodium chloride) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the water. Some recipes call for 2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt, whereas others call for 2 tablespoons each of baking soda and salt. Personally, I wouldn't measure the amounts... just add a bit of each substance.
4. Drop the silver items into the container so that they are touching each other and resting on the foil. You will be able to watch the tarnish disappear.
5. Leave heavily tarnished items in the solution for as long as 5 minutes. Otherwise, remove the silver when it appears clean.
6. Rinse the silver with water and gently buff it dry with a soft towel.
   

Just a word of caution: take care with any silver or gold cleanser, especially when your piece has porous gems like pearls, amber and turquoise. A harsh chemical may make your silver shine but dull your gemstone.

Watching a Growing Trend in Watches

Perhaps more than any other piece of jewelry, I love my watches. I collect wristwatches the way I collect shoes, which is just shy of Imeldific. But being a geek chick, I lean towards the classic men's brands--Omega, Seiko, Hamilton, Sinn, Oris, Zodiac, to name a few.

But lately, my ears are pricked at the tick-tock of Philip Stein TESLAR. Not just because it's one of Oprah's favorite things, but because it is, in equal doses, a fabulous piece of wrist candy and a cutting-edge electromagnetic buffer.

It emits a signal that strengthens the body's electromagnetic field (EMF), making it resistant to the effects of low-grade EMF from cellphones, MP3 players, computers and all those other electronic devices.

The result: the Philip Stein TESLAR watch wearer is calmer, more relaxed and more focused.

Talk about looking good and feeling good. If that's not justification, I don't know what is.

Why Men Don't Accessorize

Just going off-topic for a bit, here's one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris, on why men can't accessorize with style.

Enjoy!

Yvette's Anonymous

Hello, my name is Cynthia. I am an accessories addict.

During the last several days, my place of work has been overrun by Yours by Yvette bags. There are hundreds of purses--some, feathered; some, swathed in raw silk; others, covered in beads. All, exquisite. When my employer's friends come over to peruse, they are beside themselves. How can they possibly choose just one? Or two? Or four?

I know exactly how they feel.

So I chose five.

This one is called "Monarch." It's a summer's dream of handwoven cane, leatherette, bugle beads and colored stones.



This is "Paradise," a floral tapestry of gold-tone pewter, glass beads, stones and raw-edged silk.






"Coconut Grove" is an oasis of beads, with ornaments of jade and mother-of-pearl.




These other two have no names--at least, none that I can find on the Internet. But to paraphrase the Bard, what's a purse by any other name, if it looks just as sweet?

The Addictive Louis Vuitton Monogram Bag

I have an aunt who keeps a closet full of LV bags. No, she does not traffic in fakes; she's too status-conscious for that.

When I stayed at her home a few years ago, I stumbled on her stash. There they were, piled on top each other, wrapped in plastic.

She says she loves Louis Vuitton because the bags are virtually indestructible, unlike other designer lines like Fendi or Prada. She buys them, season after season, new model after model. But because every bag is so damn durable, she's still toting her second generation of LV Monograms. She doesn't know when she'll get around to using the others.

So there they lie, in her closet, waiting for someone to rescue them from oblivion...and sell them on eBay.

I admit that I'm not immune to the charms of Louis Vuitton's brown laminated canvas. In my first years as a shopaholic, I sampled a fake or two. Even with the inferior hardware and stitching, the copies were almost as durable as the originals. So now, with deeper pockets and a deeper appreciation for finer things, I find myself passing by the Louis Vuitton store in Greenbelt and musing about the prisoners in my aunt's closet.

In particular, this one, the Damier Duomo.

Yours by Yvette Sale

After the success of Rafe Totengco, Bea Valdes and Tina Maristela-Ocampo in the US, yet another Filipino designer of purses and evening bags is about to break through. Yvette Floro's intricately beaded and jeweled babies are finding their way onto the arms of Paris Hilton and her fellow celebrities--and if you're very quick, one or more of her bags may swing off yours, too.

Yvette is having an informal sale, right out of a residence in the posh Dasmariñas Village of Makati City. Most of the inventory are evening bags, but a few are versatile enough to mix well with day dresses and jeans.

And the discounts! Paris Hilton may have spent anywhere from $110 to $290 on her purse; a similar model is going for P2,550 ($63). A few lucky bargain hunters may even snatch the ones selling for P1,500 ($37).

I've been told the sale ends on Wednesday, so call Pim at 843-9989 for the address and directions.

If you want to know more about Yvette, visit her at Yours by Yvette.

I myself could not resist and bought this little blue beauty.


UPDATE:

Yvette Floro has now made Angel Guerrero her unofficial Manila distributor. You can contact her at the same number above. Make an appointment and bring your girlfriends over for an impromptu bag party!

Cropped Leather Jacket: Buy it or drop it?

I'm an incorrigible online shopper, and I love to browse the clearance pages of websites like Nordstrom, Target, and recently, Newport News.

This jacket has been tormenting me for the past few days. A "soft cropped leather jacket with embroidered appliqué patches. Rolled shawl collar, asymmetric one-button close, 3/4 sleeves " that's on sale for $64.99.

The unexpected combination of the feminine silhouette and the brown leather is sexy and quite wearable. Plus the 50 percent markdown isn't bad either.

But the embroidered rose appliqués...that could be a deal breaker.

Buy it or drop it?

Art Nouveau for a New Generation

The fashion world has finally tired of minimalist--but ultimately boring--jewelry. And not a moment too soon!

For Spring 2008, designers like Marc Jacobs, Yohji Yamamoto (he of the Adidas Y-3 line) and the houses of Dior and Eternamé are toying with Art Nouveau themes and gilding them with modern finishes. The results are sometimes playful, sometimes lavish, but always edgy.

I prefer to think of it as bling for women who think.

Yes, this is fine jewelry. But if you yearn for platinum but live on a rhodium budget, I have seen similar costume pieces at the more upscale bazaars.

A word of warning, girls. When you slip one on, don't wear any other piece. And put that Pucci-esque tunic back on the hanger. Believe me, a bauble like the Dior ring (above left) is the only statement you need to make.




A lariat with a shell pendant and the calla-lily pearl ring, from Yohji Yamamoto


















Marc Jacob's mouse ring--perfect for a delicate pinky









Eternamé octopus bracelet with diamonds and sapphires. Great on a bare arm and white linen.







Dior cocktail ring with diamonds, pearls and other semi-precious gems--best on a young debutante in a simple frock. (Mommies, keep away. This, like leopard print, is kryptonite to women of a certain age.)




(Photographs by Denko Ivanisevic)

The Bright Side of Global Warming

Winter may still be bitter in Europe and the US, but avid fans of fashion are feeling the warmth of Spring. While designers presented reliable standbys of black and metallic accessories, most collections are bursting with color. Even Louis Vuitton, which usually doesn't stray far from its neutral color palette, looks enticingly spicy.

Question is, will the average Miss--with her practical armory of blacks, whites, browns and camels--bite? Somehow, I doubt that I'll see these purses in Greenhills anytime soon.

Oh, well.





Marc Jacobs' bag-in-a-bag. Appealing to both fashionistas and pickpockets.











Chanel's 2.55goes from wristlet to anklet.










Finally, a colorful LV monogram canvas for the post-Hello Kitty set.













Surprisingly, a Dolce & Gabbana that appeals to me--edge on edge on edge.

Style ID of Vintage Jewelry

Vintage and period costume jewelry are back in vogue, although I doubt if the college kids realize that the brooches and cocktail rings they like so much are, in fact, "old lady". (Seventies-style bags have returned, too, but that's another post entirely.)

When you troll the flea markets and consignment stores for these pieces, keep in mind that "antique" jewelry is over a hundred years old, while "vintage" is anything over 50 years. Pieces that are more recent are simply pre-collectible.

Anyway, for those who want to tell Victorian from Edwardian and Art Nouveau from New Age, here are my crib notes.



Art Nouveau
(1895-1910)

The artists of this era had an obsession with Mother Nature. So curved lines, natural motifs, intertwined floral patterns, butterflies and dragonflies flitted on ladies' hands, ears and necks. The earthy luster of opals, pearls and moonstones were the jewelers' stones of choice.



Edwardian
(1901-1915)

Unlike the languid opulence of Art Nouveau, Edwardian pieces were light, feminine and ethereal. The white-on-white look of diamonds, pearls and platinum ruled the day.


Art Deco
(1915-1930)

Like the Bauhaus style of architecture and design, the jewelry of Jay Gatsby's day incorporated geometric lines and bold colors. The favored metals were platinum, white gold and silver, while emerald, ruby, sapphire, onyx, diamond and rock crystal gave ladies (and men) more options.




Retro
(1935-1950)

Think Jackie O. and you get the picture--oversized, feminine and like many of today's designs, inspired by previous periods. Rubies and other stones became popular.

Costume Chic

When we were kids, my cousins found buried treasure in their backyard on a weekly basis. I found mine in my grandmother's jewelry case.

It was just a Samsonite box of molded plastic and aluminum, but what wonders it contained! Sure, they were only faux pearls, bakelite beads, rhinestones, paste gems and what-nots, but to me, it might as well have been the Windsors' crown jewels. And when Nanay let me wear them, I felt like the Princess of Wales.

I especially loved my grandmother's gold cuff, encrusted with huge glass sapphires and emeralds. It was an ostentatious piece, a show stopper (probably a peace offering from my grandfather after one of his many indiscretions), and she never found the occasion for it.

(I remember hanging on to it, thinking I would find the perfect occasion one day. Then I went through an extended biker chic phase, and in a fit of stupidity, I gave it away.)


Perhaps post-Victorian women felt the same ambivalence towards Coco Chanel's and Jean Patou's first lines of couturier jewelry. In The Handbook of Style: Expert Fashion and Beauty Advice Every Woman Should Know, Jill Alberts said of their creations:

"The simplicity of their linear designs required more flamboyant accessories, so they created exaggerated jewelry to go with their new clothing. The fashion break with the repressed Victorian jewelry is so opulent, like Chanel's ropes of oversized pearls studded with stones and beads. There was something a little vulgar about wearing such obviously faux jewelry, and it was a big step for women to embrace 'fake jewels.'"

But once they did, they discovered the joy of costume.

As Chanel declared, "There is no such thing as fake chic."