Dating & Mating: How To Make Yourself More Attractive

So our friend Jackie shared a interesting video on the science of beauty. Yes, there's a science to it! Quite fascinating to ponder the math and science of your face, but how does that translate into what a regular woman can do to increase the recognition of her beauty? I've scoured lots of research and articles, and combined that info with my own personal findings.  Here are the easiest and most essential tips to help out! Share your thoughts on the video!

• Figure out your best haircut and hair colour for your face. Don't know? Ask your friends, ask some men, ask a professional. Too afraid to cut or change your hair? Try on wigs and take pictures, then share the pic collage with close friends and ask them to vote. This way you'll notice which styles draw the most attention.

• Get your skin clear. This is a sign of health. Buy a moisturizer for day (with spf 15 at least) and night and apply religiously. Hydrated skin is happy skin.
• Look well groomed. Being neat is more appealing than being trendy. Nobody is attracted to sloppy or disheveled attire.
• Enhance your eyes and lips. Make your lashes bold. I recommend a mascara with fibers for additional length like Loreal Million Lashes.  For your lips- try lipstick (not just a nude or pink tone). There is plenty of research that shows men are attracted to red lips!
• Get healthy. Again, the health part is important. Health is not only fitness and figure related, but it's mostly about good self-care and wellness. You know when you're on your health game and when you're not, so I won't preach. But I will say: water, fruits & veggies, plenty of sleep, get an outlet for stress (exercise, a hobby, a pet, a club, etc.)

Simple right? Now all you have to do is keep your personal style on point and you're a knockout. Try reading What to wear on a first date, and other Dating & Mating articles! Click on the tag "dating" for more articles!

Update on Wed, February 4, 2015 at 4:42PM by The Gathered Lady

In Our reboot of this fabulous blog we're reposting all the juicy articles you may need to re-read! Here's our first one!

The Gathered Fashion Spread (May 19, 2013): Super Sunday Edition!

We had an awesomely busy week and found many gathered fashionistas in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Atlanta stealing the spotlight! Our main mistress Bree attended "The Debut" for UBLUSH Magazine at the sophisticated Beso Restaurant in Los Angeles. Special shout out to Dunnie O and the ladies of UBLUSH Akilah, Ashley, and Brittany for a wonderfully gathered event. Definitely check out the magazine and Dunnie's site for the latest and greatest! As you can see, the UBLUSH crowd makes a statement with stylish and sophisticated outfits. We love it!

Tashia & KayCee of Poise Magazine/ Dunnie O (center)

Ricki Jae Morris of Visionary Style The Ladies of UBLUSH magazine Akilah, Ashley, and Brittany (middle picutre)Dunnie O & Ibrahim Hasan of Facet Studio & Photography

Our ATL girl Queen Aftan was at the 'Know Your Destiny Awards'  by Kontrol Magazine. The event attracted many celebs you may recognize and other gathered ladies in a lovely buffet of hot fashion :)

Queen Aftan of I am a Queen Royalty ProductionsSinger Nivea/ Dondria (2013 Entertainer of The Year- KYDA)/ Tami Reed of TalkingwithTami/R&B singer Syleena Johnson/ Dondria/ Music Artist Crystal NicoleSinger Vina Mills Singer, Songwriter, Actress Jade NovahCici Kelly/ Dr, Sherry of Braxton Family Values & Essence Magazine/ R MillsLillie Mae/ Sera Hill singer & former contestant from The VoiceKYD Awards Nominees Elite Noel and Frankie / Lomax (Assistant Fashion Stylist of Kontrol Magazine)

krystal Kature / Creep Radio/ Lillie of Diamonds and Peals Couture and DPC JewelryAva Smith of Thompson of yarn Consulting Group/ Prissy In The City

Our New Orleans writer Danni attended an intimate event in the fun city of New Orleans and captured a few stylish southern belles in easy spring fashion.

 

 Back in Los Angles, Bree visited the exclusive Nic's Poolside Martini Bar in Beverly Hills. Located near Rodeo Drive, this lounge and restaurant draws the cutest styles!

Do you and your friends have style when you go out and about? Submit your fierce pictures to thegatheredlady@gmail.com and you may make our weekly Gathered Fashion Spread!  Style. You have it. We Love it. 

Happy Saturday! Where's the Fashion Spread?! We've got great events lined up this weekend and want to capture all of those fabulous fashionistas so check back tomorrow for a Super-Sunday edition of the Fashion Spread AND Fashion Mashup!!

Back to Basics, Pt. 2: Gathered Bras

Happy Friday girls! We’re back with part two of back to basics series and we’re going to talk to about.. well, your girls. It’s bra talk fashionistas, and it’s a key foundational element to a gathered look. There is pretty much nothing more ruinous to a cute bodice, blouse, or top, then to have erratic, lumpy, floppy, or - excuse the made up expression - nipply lines created by a bad bra choice (or no bra at all). As I said in Back to Basics, Pt. 1, “to put it simply, your underwear supports your outerwear. The wrong undergarments will ruin an outfit.”  Applying excellent knowledge of the basics makes the line and flow of your clothes a cinch to perfect, and that’s all there is to it. Let’s get started, shall we?

The pic above shows just a glimpse of the diversity within the category of the brassiere. (For more basic and helpful walkthrough of bra styles click here.) I’ve heard lots of jokes about taking a swing at the evil man who invented them, but they actually date back to ancient Greece or even farther, so they’ve been with us a long time. Currently, statistics show that 75 - 90% of women wear bras daily. It’s important to get this right! Here are some helpful tips to pair bras with clothes perfectly every time. You’ll be so delightfully gathered!

Step 1: Consider your boobs.

 Here is where we stop to take a look at ourselves. All nakey. In the mirror. (Hopefully you do this all the time. I do. It’s good for your self-esteem and self-acceptance. And you will be hotter because of it.) Now.... look at your boobs. What kind of bra will suppport, lift, and separate your girls? Are you small and round? Large and ripe? Medium-sized and conical? Your bras should fit your breasts themselves, and not every bra style is a win for every breast type. In other words, a smaller less round breast might benefit from a plunge or demi-cup style with padding (which will shape the breast and add a bit of volume while creating cleavage) , whereas a larger, fuller breast would benefit from a full coverage bra with less padding and fuller straps (which will support the breast and not add volume and not overflow the bra because larger breasts tend to need no cleavage help).

Note: if looking at your breasts fills you with confusion about what styles to buy and what looks good, seek professional help at your nearest quality boutique that sells a variety of brands and styles and does bra fittings. It’s not something easily explained in this format, and experts are experts for a reason.

Now that you have good bras styles that work well with your breasts and your closet is stocked with the right things...

Step 2: Consider your bodice

A bodice is the upper part of a woman’s dress, but for our purposes this will stand in for whatever clothing you’ve decided to wear to cover your top half, whether a tee, halter, blouse, button down, crop top, etc. You must look at this piece of clothing every day and decide which bra will work well underneath to support and enable that bodice to get its best look. That means paying attention to these factors :

• Neckline. (i.e. is it scooped, vee, boatneck) 

  • Pair any neckline with a bra that a) does not show above the neckline, b) does not show above the rise in the back, and c) does not created too much cleavage or bulging. This also applies to when sitting down and leaning over. Test this to be sure. Nothing worse than giving the pimply-face barista at starbucks a cheap thrill when leaning over to sign your receipt (<--- real life example!)

• Straps or Sleeves. (i.e. is it cap sleeved, off the shoulder, tank top, racerback, strapless)

  • This is the most common and easily identifiable issue with a bad bra choice. Visible, distracting bra straps. Endeavor to hide your bra straps completely by choosing a bra with the same strap configuration as your top. There are many bras that have changeable strap configurations for this reason. If all else fails, wear a strapless bra.

• Fabric type. (i.e. heavy cotton, drapey jersey, transparent chiffon)

  • When your bodice lays against you, can the impression of the bra or your nipples be seen? Take action against this! Try seamless bras or t-shirt bras to calm this effect under most generic tops. Use a camisole underneath a transparent top unless you are intentionally baring your bra. Don’t wear a textured lace pattern underneath a clingy fabric - it will show through.

• Color

  • There's nothing worse than getting everything else right and then the bra color or pattern shows through your clothes. Try again if this happens. It never looks good!

 

Use these tips to ensure that you’re always supported, lifted and separated under those lovely gathered clothes ladies!

How to Rock a Trend: The Maxi Dress

Hello, Gathered Ladies! Short post today, since I’m travelling. The maxi dress is a very versatile piece that can be worn three of four seasons a year (and year-round if you live in sunny SoCal). However,
there are some potential pitfalls that you’ll want to avoid to make sure you look fabulous every time you step out in a maxi dress.

1. Match your maxi to the occasion. Maxis come in a variety of styles, fabrics and colors, and depending on where you’re going, your maxi may or may not be a good fit. More casual fabrics, such as cotton and denim, are great for everything from shopping expeditions to casual dates. Dressier fabrics, like silk or chiffon, are great for garden parties or afternoon tea. Remember, your accessories will help you successfully dress your maxi up or down, so…

2. Select the right accessories for the weather and season. Remember when I said you can rock your maxi from spring to fall? Well, the right accessories will make it work. In the spring, pair it with a jean jacket or casual blazer, an armful of bangles, and peep-toe wedges. For the summer, try sandals, an eye-catching necklace and a statement ring. When the weather starts to chill again, you can rock your maxi with an over-sized cardigan, boots and a beanie. Have fun and experiment!

3. Undergarments! As we all have been learning from Danni, the undergarments matter under any dress, but especially under a fitted maxi. Look for seamless underwear, or a structured slip for additional support and smoothness. Up top, be sure your bra isn’t visible. With maxis, this usually means racerback or strapless. As always, proper fit is everything—don’t let ungathered undergarments ruin a perfectly-sized maxi.

4. When a maxi won’t work. As versatile as maxis are, they aren’t always the appropriate fashion selection. Semi-formal and formal occasions call for a more polished look than a maxi can provide. I
know it may tempting to try to get away with a maxi due to the length, but trust me, the casual fabric of most maxi dresses make this impossible. The exception would be maxi dresses made in evening wear fabrics.

And that’s how you rock a maxi dress! Have a maxi dress you love? I know I have a couple I would live in, if I could. Send us a picture of you in your favorite maxi-centered ‘fit, and if we love it, we’ll
share it on Instagram. If we really love it, we may be in touch to feature you as a Gathered Fashionista.