Our feature on Gossip Girl fashion generated a lot of fab comments, but one that interested us was a reference to the Bill Blass white ruffled Flamenco halter neck worn by Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester).

It got us thinking about the white blouse being a wardrobe essential.

I deliberately hadn't included it in the photo gallery as I didn't like it, but since changed my mind. Perhaps it was just the way the ruffles were styled when she wore it? Or it didn't suit her torso? Was it paired with the wrong skirt? Should it be worn with a long pant?

So I tracked down other versions of it and now adore it. Sadly, it was selling for $1990 but sold out (not that I could justify the purchase!).

I have, however, found a similar version of the shirt from ShopStyle: Trina Turk 'Sayulita' Ruffled Sleeveless Blouse, pictured left.

It was priced at $178 and is now reduced to $105.90. It also comes in pink and turquoise.

Here are some other white shirts and blouses to help inspire your next purchase, including a selection from our partners at ShopStyle.

If you make a purchase with them, Luscious gets a little commission and that helps keep us in gorgeous white blouses!

Here is a beautiful book about white shirts by Pia Catton, pictured right.

And here is our own little white blouse photo gallery. Enjoy.

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White blouse

 

-Open cardigans, scarves and long necklaces all work to lengthen the body by using the ‘vertical drop’ to cut the body into sections.

-To lengthen the body further, try wearing v-neck tops or long earrings as this makes your neck and upper body appear longer and leaner.

-Avoid wearing fuller skirts which are cut below the knee, this cuts your legs off and can make you look shorter. High necklines and long dress lengths tend to maximize the body area and shorten the look of your extremities.  If you prefer this covered look, ensure your items are quite fitted and tailored to your shape.

-Not only do we love a high heel, but they will make your legs look longer and slimmer as well as your body stand up straighter.

• Try matching the colour of your shoes, necklace and lipstick against the rest of your outfit. When meeting someone their attention will be drawn to these colourful items and, essentially, up to your face and what you are saying.
• To assist in accentuating areas of your body, use lighter or brighter colours on smaller areas and darker colours on larger areas. We all know that black is slimming, so use this knowledge to your advantage while styling.
• Know the colours that suit your complexion and hair colour and use these to your advantage. Wearing the right colours can assist in making you look warmer and even slimmer when you style them appropriately.

 

A lot of people ask me how to wear a scarf, how to apply lipstick and where I buy my shoes, so here's a quick look at the first question.

Others have explained it better than me, hence the links.

Pictures: Hermes tying guide from the official Hermes website, above, and from the Well That's Just Me blog, below

READ

• Savvy Mode: How to Tie/Wear a Hermes Scarf and 6 More Ways on How to Tie/Wear a Hermes Scarf
• Brooks Brothers: Elegant scarf knots
• Bag Snob: Hermes Scarf - Knotting Tips and Tricks

WATCH

• Stylist Amy Salinger provides tips for scarf tying: How to tie a winter scarf
• Seven Ways To Wear Your Hermès Scarf from Asia Tatler
• Konstantin-Michael Mihov demonstrates a turban-like head scarf option and fancy scarf suspenders
• Hermès scarf styling at Vogue Fashion's Night Out from Liberty Daniel

Note: You will receive the Hermes tying guide when you purchase a scarf but it's also available for free on the Hermes website or download these two PDF files - part 1 and part 2 - which we already took from the Hermes site.

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 Pictures below: Hermes - Brides Rebelles scarf, flat and tied

Spanx swimwear

At last they’re here!  Pick up your forks girls, no longer do we have to diet every summer thanks to the genius of Sara Blakely at Spanx and her marvelous new swimwear line!

First we were obsessed with her miracle tummy tucking lingerie, and now we can look slimmer in our swimmers!

These classic pieces priced from just $178 are ensured to lift, tone and tuck us in at all the right places so we can relax and enjoy our beach time!

In fact, each pair is said to prevent the unsightly bulge around the bottom as well as claiming the Italian jersey fabric contours the body to give maximum compression (we love the sound of that!) They are available in a range of styles, colours and both one and two-piece sets!
 
Check out the full range on the Spanx website or visit Amazon’s own Spanx store to order. 

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Black magic: The little black dress

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If you have the luxury of not needing the assistance of products such as Spanx to tone you up, Jenny Tew may have invented something that you would prefer! 

Ms Tew, has found a solution to a lack of curve to the backsides of women with her bottom enhancing underwear.

These unique pieces are designed and sold in Cabramatta in Sydney and have been extremely popular with slimmer ladies and Asian women to give them a fuller derrière.  

It seems everyone who walks past these pieces buys them, as Tew sold over 1500 pairs during 2009!

Each pair can give up to 4cm to the bottom and help create a more ‘bootilicious’ backside.
 
Check out the article about her success in the Herald Sun newspaper or start plumping your backside now by ordering them online through Bubbles Bodywear and take your gluteus to the maximus! 

And because we are such fans of Amazon, we also found a range of body products from Silicone Body such as hip and butt enhancers, reusable waterproof nipple pasties, adhesive bras and fascinating item for blokes called the "package booster" (padded under pants for their crotch and butt). Mmmm!

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I love putting together outfits for special events, mixing and matching pieces to create something fabulous and individual. I believe that you don’t have to be in designer labels to look luscious, wearing designer labels doesn’t necessary grant you instant style.

It takes time to select the right pieces to to suit and flatter your body shape and mixing your range of luxe to less items together to compliment each other is the key to good style.

I urge everyone to get out there and have a go putting outfits together. So I’ve created some steps to guide you in the right direction.

Step 1

• Start with what you already have.
• Take time to go through the items in your wardrobe. Your first step will be to eradicate items of clothing that you no longer wear that are taking up valuable wardrobe real estate.
• Seperate all of your clothes into three items:

1. Keep: the clothes you definitely want to keep in your main wardrobe
2. Chuck: the clothes you haven’t worn in two years, you no longer like to wear, or have worn out.
3. Store: if you have winter jackets taking up room in your wardrobe in summer, remove them and store them in another part of your house until the winter chill kicks in.

Step 2
Now we work on the clothes you have decided to keep. Scan though all of your items to check you havethe basics:

• Jeans – at least two pairs, one fitted dressy pair, one casual pair
• Pants – standard black fitted pants that can be worn in a corporate style with a shirt, or dressed up with a nice top
• Skirts – one standard black fitted pants that can be worn in a corporate style with a shirt, or dressed up with a nice top, one casual floaty skirt that can be worn to the beach
• Dresses – casual to wear during the day, and cocktail to wear to a evening event or wedding
• T-shirts – at least four basic T-shirts, one black and one white
• Tank tops – at least two, one dark, one light
• Shirt – a standard white shirt for classic corporate style
• Long-sleeved tops – at least two to wear when the weather is cooler
• Jumpers – at least two warm jumpers to keep warm in winter
• Cardigans – two cardis as a minimum, one light weight, one heavier
• Dress tops – camisoles, floaty, sequined and beaded, embellishments and details
• Jackets – three jackets, one corporate, one dressy, one really warm.

Step 3
Shop for basics. If you need to stock up on basic pieces, take some time to carefully plan a shopping day and be sure to follow these tips:

• Have a checklist of all the items you want to purchase.
• Have a budget on each item and a total budget for the day so you don’t lose control.
• Look to invest in items that you will wear often, such as jeans and jackets. It’s really worth paying a bit more for these items as you will be wearing them so much more and you’ll want them to last.
• Do some research first, go online and look at your favourite stores' websites to see what’s on offer. Some fashion websites allow you to shop online or recreate a wishlist of items, which you can print out and bring with you shopping, ie. www.witchery.com.au.
• Also online, check for upcoming sales that are happening near you. The Missy Confidential website allows you to register for email alerts and notify you with all the current sales on a weekly basis.
• Take advantage of sales time, mostly Boxing Day/end of year sales and mid year stocktake sales. This is the time of year to snaffle up some great bargains for basic items. Make sure you stick to basic items and steer clear of any trends that will not make it to the next season. Look for the season clearance stock and choose only items that have classic colours and styles that will not go out of fashion when the seasons change.

Step 4
Once you have your basic wardrobe, it’s time to start to fill the gaps. This is where you get to shine as the individual you are and choose pieces that reflect you. But there are some rules to follow, as even the most stylish people can get fashion wrong from time to time.

For more information, check out the Trinny & Susannah website or any of the style books listed below:

• Dress for your body shape: This is very important and there is a lot of information on the different types of body shapes and how to choose pieces that work best with your shape. See Trinny and Susannah's The Body Shape Bible: Forget Your Size Discover Your Shape Transform Yourself.
• Dress for your complexion: Choosing clothes in the right colours and shades is very important and can affect your appearance dramatically. See Trinny & Susannah’s book, What You Wear Can Change Your Life
• Highlight your features: Once you’ve identified your best features, it’s time to enhance them, by carefully selecting items than highlight your assets.
• Choose pieces that compliment each other as well as yourself: Make sure tops and bottoms are balanced to make your silhouette well proportioned. Choose colours that go well together and harmonise each other.
• Mix basic items with feature pieces: Start with the basics and add a feature, whether it be some Marc Jacobs top, a Sportsgirl dress, a Burberry jacket, or a Mimco handbag.

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See also:

• Rules of Fashion Math
• How to host a swap-shop
• Wardrobe Workshop

Gloves are the pivotal symbol of elegance and femininity.

While the satin opera-length gloves may no longer be mainstream, one cannot deny the simple glamour of a three-quarter-length jacket with a pair of situation-appropriate, well-fitted leather gloves – nothing could be more chic.

These glove moments in history however will surely still inspire:

The first opera gloves were worn by Queen Elizabeth I in 1566. They were said to be 18 inches long to a ceremony in Oxford.

From the 1930s to 1950s gloves made many appearances on the arms some of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars such as Lana Turner in The Merry Widow, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Marilyn Monroe sporting pink opera gloves in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; and who could forget Rita Hayworth in the most famous opera glove movie scene of all time in the 1946 film, Gilda.

In the 1950s, gloves were seen to complete a woman's grooming – without gloves she was not properly accessorised.  Clean gloves were the hallmark of a lady and white or cream was the most favoured colour.

Gloves have always been a fashion accessory tradition for many occasions such as weddings, church and especially the races where hats and gloves were an expectation of women.

In 1965 when British model Jane Shrimpton arrived at the Melbourne Cup in a white shift mini-dress with no hat and gloves, she caused both outrage and envy around the world.

Fingerless gloves have always been associated with to a certain sense of rebellion,  such as John Bender in The Breakfast Club.

Most notable for forging the way for fingerless gloves to become fashionable was Madonna, who adopted a more new-romantic style with lace fingerless gloves. On her 1984 album cover, Like A Virgin, she is wearing the quintessential 80s outfit - a white wedding dress with white fingerless gloves. 

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Old black still seems to be the new black with vintage inspired styles taking over – including eyewear! Here at Luscious we are inspired by Dita Von Teese’s eye accessories.

This girl has got the retro shades look down pat and has not once relied on the Ray Ban Wayfarer to complete her vintage ensemble.

For more inspiration, why not check out New Zealand designer Karen Walker’s eyewear range.

Also visibly vintage provoked with her Cobalt blue frames, pink lenses, rectangular tortoise, and perfectly circular styles – these are the ideal ways to shield your eyes from a not so vintage sun.

To view the catalogue, visit www.karenwalkereyewear.com.

See also: Dita Von Teese in our Style icons section, plus additional photos on our Luscious page on Facebook.

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Denim is a very personal thing. We have all been in a fitting-room horror scene – trying on jeans of every cut, style and colour in four different sizes.

Hopefully this simple guide will assist you all in your search for the perfect denim match. The key is choosing the right cut for you and how it can enhance your figure.

The Straight-Leg. Straight legs are ideal for women of short stature as they can elongate the leg, without appearing too fitted or restricted like its sister style the Skinny Leg. Visit Country Road for some great straight leg styles.

The Skinny Leg. Most people see the problem with skinny jeans is that they make them feel anything but skinny. The trick is knowing what to wear with them.

We suggest that for women with hourglass curves and wider hips to choose a flattering empire waist top that flows over the hips.

For boyish silhouettes try wearing skinny jeans with leaner, body-skimming jersey tops. Remember too that the skinny jean does not necessarily mean they have that “sprayed on” look. Shop online at sass and bide for a great collection. 

The Bootcut. An undeniable classic that suits most body types. It’s ideal for women with an hourglass figure as it flattens out curves and lengthens the appearance of the legs. The Flare will perform the same illusion. Just Jeans still boast a fantastic collection of the classicist bootcut. 

The Wide Leg. A wider leg styling suits women with larger legs who benefit from the roominess of the cut.

Wide leg is also ideal for women with boyish figures who want to add a little ‘oomph’ to their silhouette.

The Carpenter. The pocket detail of the carpenter jean takes the focus off the thighs, and being slightly higher waisted, flatter every shape. They elongate the leg, narrow the bottom and hold in the waist. Try Sussan for a great selection.

Other denim tips:

• Try stretch denim – a revolution you will never look back from!
• Consider coloured denim – black is very flattering.
• Try a mid-waist or high-waist jean – this not only creates an illusion of longer length but also eliminates the muffin-top situation!
• Always look at the pocket detail on the back. Pockets that sit a little higher on your bottom can create the appearance of a perkier butt without an exhaustive running regime! Pockets that sit lower at the back however can make your bottom seem longer.
• Jeans, remember are meant to be the most simple and casual fashion staple – it is just important for them to feel good as it is for them to look good. 

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