TOPAZ HORIZON

Skirts come in several shapes to suit every kind of body. The skirt you choose needs to look good and feel good on your body. So choose a shape that flatters your figure. Some skirt selection decisions are obvious for that reason. For example, a form-hugging pencil skirt is perfect when you want to highlight your tiny waist and wide hips. Very sexy!

If you want to show off your legs, a mini is great. The shorter the skirt, the longer your legs look. At the same time, however, a short skirt might not be an ideal choice when your legs are already long. It throws off the proportion of your body. Often, a skirt of a mid-range length is ideal because it shows some leg while keeping your look proportional. 

Choose the fabric that suits your needs.

Denim—the working man's fabric—is comfy and versatile. It can be sexy, too. This skirt is just P931.53!

Knowing the fabric you need or want also makes buying a new skirt far easier. When picking a fabric, you need to think about things like general comfort and how well the fabric allows airflow. A denim skirt or denim blend, for example, offers a high level of comfort. Certain blends also have additional ability to stretch, which may be important to you, especially if you intend to buy a tight skirt. Some fabrics like silk, chiffon, or lace are very pretty but can be flimsy or too high maintenance. Those would be great for a special occasion but not for your everyday needs. 

For daily wear, denim skirts are a popular choice. Denim—or the material used for jeans—is among the most long-lasting and low-maintenance fabrics. It's a safe bet for repeated use because they are comfortable and easy to care for. That's why there are so many denim skirts for sale today. Denim isn't suitable for every occasion and place (like a wedding or at the office), but if you choose a dark color and simple line, it can look formal enough to wear to a lunch out with family or a date. 

Don't be afraid of patterns and colors!

When choosing a skirt, look at color for inspiration. First, check what colors are already in your closet. Plan to buy skirts that will go with the shirts, accessories, and jackets you have to make the best and most number of combinations. This is a solid plan so you can make good color combinations ahead of time. 

Another thing you have to figure out when buying a skirt is whether you want a solid color or a pattern. Both options are fine, with some exceptions. For example, a solid white skirt will be harder to keep clean. Also, some patterns may make your butt look flat or your belly more rounded. 

Make your skirt work harder.

When you finally choose a skirt, it's important to make the best use of it. Having a skirt you love is not enough. You have to know how to wear it in many ways. Don't be afraid to change up how you accessorize it. That way one skirt can help you create many excellent outfits. Pair this bold pink denim skirt with a statement tee and sneakers for a fun day with your girlfriends. Go high-low with a luxe silk blouse, blazer, and pearls for a creative work environment. Liven up an all-black outfit (black turtleneck, black tights, black boots) with this loud pink. 

* This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com. 

Chennai is a gateway to the south of India and it has a gorgeous city landscape and diverse population. It is a unique city in India due to two primary things: its local culture is based on Tamil traditions, and it will be among the newest megacities with the highest population density. 

Bangalore is the capital of the state of Karnataka and is known as the Silicon Valley of India. Even as a megacity it is one of India’s most livable cities with large, green spaces and continued development, and is actually India’s most livable city. 

Varanasi is a gorgeous and spiritual city located in the north of India along the left bank of the Ganges River. It is a sacred place for Hindus and Jains, and more than a million pilgrims visit the city each year. It is also famous for its production of silks and brocades. 

Udaipur is a gorgeous city in the state of Rajasthan that is famous for its gorgeous lakes. It is a romantic city filled with gardens, forts, temples and palaces, while being situated up off the lakes and gorgeous views at every turn. If you plan on visiting, check in to see if there is a festival around the time you’ll be there, as it is a city that hosts them all year round. 

Delhi is the capital of India, and it offers so much in regards to arts, history, and culture. Must-see sites in the city include the Red Fort, the Baha’i Lotus Temple, and Jama Masjid. This is a city where dining out, visiting sites, walking around markets, and enjoying the nightlife will keep you busy and you’ll instantly pick up on the liveliness of the city. 

It's not just breakfast, too. He's like the instant pancake chef. When the littlest boy asks for pancakes, his Papa drops everything and whips up a batch. Breakfast. Brunch. Lunch. Merienda. Dinner. Not all the time and not all day because my kids may love pancakes but they don't want them every day. So when they do ask for pancakes, their Papa is happy to give them that.

The boys are always happy when their Papa is in the kitchen. As feminist as I am, I must confess that I'm still the one who cooks. Thankfully, it's not because my husband thinks women belong in the kitchen. It's simply because I was raised to be a housewife so I'm just better in the kitchen than my husband. We're trying to teach our kids differently. Mama cooks, Papa washes up. Papa is learning to cook more dishes, too. Japanese is his thing now. He's spending more and more time in the kitchen and getting the boys to help him out. So now we have 2 sons out of 3 who want to cook. Ladies and gentlemen, we are succeeding in this thing called parenting!    

Update, January 2021: This blog post is part of my first book, Not Invisible, my mom-oir! Grab a copy from Ukiyoto Publishing and Amazon.

It's condescension. That's what it is. 

I have a great life. I know I do. I'm so happy. My marriage is great. My kids are amazing. My dreams have all come true. I'm blessed beyond words! But instead of all these good things seen as rightfully mine, rightfully deserved, some people think I got all of them just because I married a rich man.

And that bothers me very much.

Vince will be the first to say he isn't a rich man. I find it amusing actually when he tells people, "I have a rich wife." Damn right. I work hard on my writing, editing, PR jobs, my blog, and every project that comes my way. Kung mukhang pera ang pagiging excited ko to finally cash my checks then, fine. But I deserve those checks. I earned all my money and I love it. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want that power that comes from earning an honest income!

Vince said that he finds it so disrespectful that people assume we're living on some fictional inherited money just because writers and editors like us could not possibly live the way we do (but we live so simply?!). It's disrespectful to him and disrespectful to me. We have our life because we worked damn hard for it. 

This isn't a new issue. I talked about this in an old blog post 9 years ago: