提包雨伞 Inside Out Umbrella

这个来自 Seung Hee Son 设计的折叠伞则可以将伞转变为一个小的手提袋，就不必担心雨伞上的积水到处乱滴。当你把雨伞放进卫生间的时候，不必担心身后（走廊、电梯、大厅……）的一长串。

by linguowei@bmonidea

NEW GAP FALL COLLECTION

ITS FABOLOUS ..

~aL~

FORMAL ATTIRE

after a long hiatus, i am back again contributing my thoughts and opinions. This time around I will not be talking about movies, i will discuss on FASHION ..

Fashion is a very very big topic but since now i am preparing myself, getting to know how to dress formal for an upcoming event which is the exhibition that is going to be held. I am the narrator and according to them i need to wear formal, therefore i have noted out some of the rules and tips on how to wear formal. So, GUYS PLEASE DO not repeat the mistakes that I have just said.

RULES ON HOW TO WEAR FORMAL…

SHIRT

1. White is the safest color for a man's formal shirt. Incidentally, white is also the most boring. In some situations, however -- including job interviews and black-tie events -- a white shirt might still be the best option. In more relaxed settings, you should stay conservative, utilizing soft, natural colors, and/or mild patterns like stripes. See through shirts are not flattering at all.

2. It is important getting a shirt that actually fits well. You can manage to squeeze into a variety of sizes, but without the proper fit, the sleeves will leave your wrists exposed if they're too short or will bunch up if they're too long. Moreover, a tight collar will look bad and choke you when you wear a tie. A loose collar will look ridiculous. Make sure the sleeves and collar are the right size to fit comfortably and look sleek.

3. On a shirt, all buttons should be fastened, including the small ones on the side of the sleeve near the cuff. Although these buttons might not seem functional, they prevent your forearm from being exposed through the hole where the sleeve is unbuttoned. A button-down collar must also be fastened. If left unfastened, the buttons below the collar will stick out awkwardly.

PANTS

4. For semi-formal occasions, figuring out what you can pull off by experimenting with pastel shirts and ties can be fun. Pants, however, are an entirely different story. If you are considering wearing some powder blue pants to a formal event, think again.

5. With pants, much like with shirts, you have to get the right fit. If you purchase a pair of pants that are too long, get them hemmed. Pants should rest at the waist and should be long enough so that there is a slight break before the bottom rests on the top of your shoe. If they bunch up at the bottom, they are too long. Of course, the opposite rule applies as well: Pants that are too short will make you look like you are going clamming. Pants should fit your waist properly. If the waist is too small, you'll be in pain. If it's too large, your pants will look baggy.

6. Prevailing fashion is doing everything in its power to banish pleats from pants. But yet somehow, they are still everywhere. MEN EVERYWHERE PLEASE DO NOT WEAR PLEATS. They are just horrible. That Z. Cavaricci look died in the '80s; just let it go and embrace the flat fronts.

SHOES & SOCKS

7. Never, ever, wear brown shoes with a black belt or vice versa. The color of your shoes should always match (or at least go with) the color of your belt. Those colors, by the way, don't extend beyond black and brown when it comes to formal occasions. Pants have loops, therefore WEAR A BELT.

8. Sneakers are not supposed be wear with formal attires. For certain formal events, always invest in a very posh looking shoe. It’s worth every penny. A really nice pair of formal shoes will also give your look that subtle added elegance.

9. For any formal occasion, your socks need to be super conservative. Always wear natural, neutral colors. The colors of the sock should also match the ensemble; you don't want them to stand out. For your info, socks with holes belong in the trash, not on your feet.

10. DO NOT wear gym socks. Always wear dress socks. They should be long enough so that if you cross your legs, the skin of your ankle and calf remain unexposed. Moreover, formal socks should be relatively thin.

TIPS TO REMEMBER…

11. When dressing formally, make sure your clothing is in good order. In other words, ensure that your clothes are clean and pressed. This tip might seem obvious, but for some reason, ring around the collar still exists. This also applies to shoes: Make sure you keep them polished and odor-free. Finally, if a garment has a problem, either fix it or get rid of it. For example, if the white shirt turns yellow/blue/red, do not wear it out anymore.

12. Formal occasions demand formal accessories. Don't wear a sports watch or drugstore sunglasses. A fine timepiece is one of the few high-end pieces of jewelry that modern fashion allows a man to wear, so get one. Brand like Omega or Rolex will definitely be the best choice but since we all are just normal ordinary human beings opt for simple designs yet still formal looking. Also, be sure to match metal tones throughout your jewelry. For example, if you are wearing a watch, a ring and a belt, match the metals by wearing all silver, all gold or all two-tone. The blending of metal tones isn't exactly a mistake, but it also isn't ideal.

13. Finally, the well-dressed man follows certain rules in order to wear his formal attire with class and sophistication. Making even one of the mistakes explained above could potentially ruin an otherwise great-looking formal ensemble.

At the end of the day, Formal means formal -- no exceptions! There is, however, a little room for creativity, but use common sense. feel free to show off your individual style with your shirt and tie color combinations.

~aL~

保存香水,我有辦法

香水你用我塗，舊瓶未盡，新瓶又來。喜新厭舊乃人之常情，與其忍痛別過新出爐的香水，倒不如學習如何正確保存已有香水，當一位懂得欣賞亦會珍惜香水的收藏人。

香水保存方法

1. 避免變質
香水一般分為冷艷和清香兩種。香水或古龍水一旦開封使用後，在正確保存的情況下，壽命頂多維持3至5年。由於香水使用的香料，對外在物質相當敏感，保存時要非常小心，首先不得和空氣接觸，每一次使用後須將蓋子蓋好，此舉不但可避免酒精成份蒸發，也可防止空氣中的氧將香水氧化繼而導致變質。
2. 避免陽光照射
香水不可擺放在陽光直射的地方，以免在強烈光線照射下，導致香味及顏色產生變化。最好的方法是，每天使用過後，蓋好瓶蓋放回盒子裡，再放置在陽光照射不到的抽屜中。
3. 使用保鮮膜
為防止香水產生激烈的溫度變化，短時期不用的香水，可以用保鮮膜包好，再放進溫度變化小的冰箱中，但儘量避免受到食物的影響。至於未開瓶者，也應細心存放在日光和溫度變化較小的陰涼處。
香水和香精有何不同？

香精（Parfum）︰濃度為15~25%，香氣持續5~7小時，適合夜晚外出、或赴宴會等正式場合使用。

香水（eau de Parfum）︰濃度為10~15%，香氣持續5小時左右，適合白天的宴會或是外出使用。

淡香水（eau de Toilette）︰濃度為5~10%，香氣持續約3~4小時，上班及日常使用都很適宜。

古龍水（edude Cologne）︰濃度為3~5%，香氣持續約1~2小時，一般是在沐浴後或是運動前使用。

使用香水6秘訣

秘訣1︰貼身接觸
香水直接接觸肌膚，身體的溫熱會使香氣蒸騰繚繞，更顯魅力。

秘訣2︰少量多處
均勻而淡薄的香氣，帶來的是若有若無的朦朧之美，耳根、手肘內側、膝蓋內側是用香水的佳處。

秘訣3︰傾聽香語
香水有語言有品性，每一種香水都有自己獨特的品位。“毒藥”，是桃花香水，性感、嫵媚、多姿、妖嬈；“沙丘”，是蔥郁自然的綠色植物型香氣，生命氣息撲面而來，猶如身臨其境於碧海藍天之中；“鴉片”是經典的中性香氣，集男人的精明幹練、成熟灑脫和女人的清香於一體，默默地散發著永不褪色的愛情。

秘訣4︰依時而變
香水的用量要與時令配合。晴日裡，香水會比溫度低的日子濃烈；雨天或濕氣重的日子，香水較收斂持久。另外，溫暖的天氣宜用幽雅襲有的香型，大熱天最好用清淡兼提神的香型，冷天則可選用溫馨、濃厚的香水。

秘訣5︰切合環境
香水如時裝能起到烘雲托月的效果，因而不同的環境需用不同的香水。上班時用的香水宜清淡優雅，晚宴或聚會時可選用濃烈的香水。隨身攜帶的香水瓶一定要精緻小巧，金屬電鍍口紅香水瓶適合於配亮麗高雅的時裝，玻璃瓶晶瑩透明，適合休閑服飾。

秘訣6︰甜蜜伴夢
香水如花香一樣具有鎮靜有安撫精神的作用，玫瑰、柑橘花、薰衣草、茉莉等都是催眠效果極佳的植物，將以此為主要原料的香水，滴二三滴在腳上與手腕之上或耳根之後再入睡，能使你的夢更香甜。

選香水4禁忌
1. 切忌一“嗅”鐘情，因為香水接觸肌膚後散發的氣味是初調，只會維持10分鐘左右，隨後的中調和基調才是持續伴隨你的香氣，所以不要在10分鐘內下決心。
2. 別人身上的幽香，不一定適合你，因為每個人的膚質、體溫、習慣都不同，與香水產生的化學作用當然也不會一樣。
3. 身體某處若噴了香水，就不適宜又在身體其他其他部位再噴香水來測試，因為道理簡單不過，太多香味混合在一起，你還能正確分辨嗎？
4. 選擇香味時，不能同時超過3款香水，否則你肯定無法正確感覺出香氣。
（光明日報/副刊/整理：邱詩韻•2007.06.25）


by seanWON

New Boutique

by linguowei@bmon