Style Inspiration: Learn from the Royals

Modest and classy. Regal.

These are the elements of royal fashion, or at least the ones I most prefer. Of all the styles I could copy depending on my mood, this has to be my most favorite, and the most I try (in my mere mortal ways) to imitate. And like a dream come true, I have found the one who I can look up to when it comes to fashion. She is the epitome of royal elegance that is modest and classy, but emanates magnificence: HRH Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge- also known as Kate Middleton (my ex-boyfriend's wife).

Why do I love her style? Let me count the ways...

1. Modest (antonym: ostentatious)

As you can see in the above photo, Kate does use jewelry, but they are never worn in a way that it steals the show; rather, it complements her whole look. From her earrings to necklace, from her engagement ring to her wrist watch, from her tiara down to her elegant brooches, Kate is never seen wearing big gems that flaunts her social status; she is already a royalty, and she doesn't try hard to show it.

2. Coats and Fabulous Hats

One mark of a royal is the coat and hat one wears. For Kate, she wears her coats not just to serve as cover, but they are also good to be worn as dress. To complete the look, she pairs them with fabulous hats. Now where can I find those hats? ♥

3. The Hair

Speaking of hats, it is always wise to pair it with a flattering hair style. For the above photo where the duchess wore a pillbox hat, she pairs it with a chignon. For hats with brim, she also wears the same hairstyle. However for cocktail hats, she styles her hair with her signature hairstyle, like in the picture below:

4. Tailored- Cut Dresses

Kate loves High Street style, but over the course of her journey as Duchess, her style evolved, and she now frequently favors designs most royals would approve. Of course it also takes personal style to create a work of art, as I call it, and Kate pulls out her royal look and has upped the royal style with her impeccable taste. I go crazy over her tailored-cut dresses which do not reveal too much skin, but comes with a slight twist- showing her legs. I think it just flatters her look perfectly.

See how it flatters her feminine figure? Take it from Kate, ladies! Wear a dress fit enough to show you are a woman, but not too revealing to show you have class. ;)

5. Pump it!

From the aforementioned style elements, the Duchess look would never be complete without them pumps! Yaas, honey. The right type of shoes will take a woman to beautiful places. With pumps, especially, it turns women into foxes. Imagine Kate wearing a fabulous hat, a gorgeous coat, and pretty jewelries, but she's wearing stilletos or flats- eeek! No, no no, I'ts just wrong. It doesn't go with the whole look. Pumps are the way to go for her royal duties. It is both stylish and appropriate. No question about it.

6. What else?

Okay by this time, you should have already understood Kate's style. We all know other royals wear designer tailored-cut dresses, more-expensive-than-your-house jewelries, and hats and shoes your lady boss will envy, but what really separates Kate from other royals? What is it that makes her stand out from the rest? I would like to compare a couple of photos of the beautiful Kate and the equally beautiful and stunning Queen Maxima of Netherlands:

photo courtesy:
https://www.instagram.com/queen.maxima/

What is it? Can you guess? No, it's not Prince William by her side that makes her stand out...

..it's her poise that does! Look at Queen Maxima's photos again, then look at Kate's. Kate holds her clutch back with both her hands and place it below her waist and voila! It ultimately creates the illusion of a longer stature. Both lovely ladies follow the stand-straight poise (royal etiquette) but as I said, Kate has upped the royal game by flashing her personal touch. I have obsessively browsed through the Instagram accounts of royals to check out their style, but it is Kate who have this signature poise. It is also said that she uses her clutch bag in awkward situations where she may choose not to extend her hand for greetings. Afterall, protocol says you cannot touch a royalty unless they approach you.

Going back to clutch bags, Kate, and female royals around the world use clutch bag, so spare us your designer purses. Read: #hermesbirkin #purseforum #purseaddict They might be gorgeous and screams, 'Fabulous', but they're not royalty. :p

So that ends my fashion review from my style icon. One last photo before I end this article:

royal elegance from head to toe

Photos are courtesy of the awesome Katie from NZ. Please check out her IG account for more Kate photos. Enjoy!

Movie Review # 1 | Mine

Hey, there!  How's it going? It's been a long time since I posted on this blog.

I just watched a movie, like literally just less than an hour ago, and it's titled, "Mine", starring my ex husband ☻ Armie Hammer. I was impressed with the surprising twist in the movie (which not all viewers may easily discern), that I chose to write my first ever movie analysis/ movie review on this blog. I apologize in advance for not remembering the names of the characters :)

So are you ready? Let's start!

The story follows the character of Armie (I forgot his character name), who is an American Sniper sent on a mission somewhere in the Middle East to kill a terrorist. With him is his partner and bestfriend, and they were the only one on that mission- which means, their backup is thousand of miles away, so we know they're into real trouble should they fail on their mission.

Flash forward to the scene where Armie wasn't able to shoot the target, and worse, they are being chased after by the bad guys. Luckily though, they were able to divert the enemy's attention, and the two were forced to flee and walk miles along the wide desert, under the scorching sun. While walking for hours, they come across this area where he believe is a mine field, after he saw a danger sign blown away by the strong wind due to the sand storm. His partner told him he is just being paranoid, and that sign was just made by villagers to scare people away from that area. While Armie is reluctant to go further, his partner would jest and proceeded to walk further in an animated way, proving to his friend that there are no land mines in that area. Then we know what happens next- his partner did step on one which blew up his two feet. Devastated with what happened to him, and recalling that their rescue will not arrive until after a few days, he decided to end his life with his own gun. While that was happening, Armie also stepped on a land mine. He was helpless; he couldn't move or else he's next. He was able to radio for backup, but they will be able to arrive only after 52 friggin' hours. So this is where the exciting part starts...

At first I was like, Uh Huh, I see. This is a low-budget film which just centers around his struggle to break free from that land mine. Wise idea. No other characters involved, just him, his arsenal, and his gut to survive. But then I started to see beyond his what I deem to be a superficial struggle. Here are the 3 main symbols one can discover from the movie:

Land Mine

Armie (his character) stepped on a land mine, and this trapped him so that he cannot walk ahead and find that village where he may seek shelter and protection, while waiting for backup which will arrive a few days after.

It is later revealed in the movie that Armie has many "land mines" in his life, which deterred him from moving on, and walking ahead in life. This scenes are projected in his mind when he had hallucinations due to hunger and lack of sleep.

He had a rather rough childhood. He grew up with an abusive alcoholic father who would constantly batter his wife. As he was helpless and could only watched his mother, he grew up resentful and hateful towards his dad. I was not able to catch a few scenes from the movie (I constantly went to get some drink), so I wasn't sure what happened to his dad. When he grew up, there was a scene which tells how he met his wife. She was a waitress in a bar, and a perverted customer was dissing her. From his seat, Armie furiously stared at the guy but is unable to move and do anything against the abuser- this showed him trying to take a step but then he accidentally stepped on a land mine. Meaning, he was stuck in that cycle again where he wanted to fight and emancipate the abused, but he, too is reluctant and helpless.

Flash forward to the scene where he is now happily married to that waitress. Everything was fine until they went into an argument like normal couples. In the middle of their heated argument, he almost hit his wife. Before he could lose it, he snapped out of it. He realized he is becoming like his dad, the man he loathed. He tried to run away, and his wife chased after him. Realizing how impulsive he was, he tried to take a step back to her, but when he did, he finds himself stepping on a "land mine" again.

His land mines are his fear toward his malevolent dad; his hatred toward his abuses, and that cycle of hatred and fear which he constantly finds himself in.

The Villager Guy

Come the villager guy. He is a black guy who seems to be familiar of that deserted area, and he appears to be walking in a certain manner to avoid land mines. He came across Armie, and ironically (and annoyingly) asks him why he is stuck (instead of just finding a way to hel him out). Armie tried to patiently explained to the villager that he stepped on a land mine, and he is unable to movie and get his things which was blown away in a few distance because of the sand storm. The Villager seems to act as if Armie's predicament is nonsense, and simply told him that he needs to walk and move on, in order to arrive at his desired destination. The Villager added that Armie must emulate him- a free man, All he needs is to take a step and leave that place which he is stuck him. This infuriated Armie, because his explanation is futile, and his apparent suffering is dismissed by the villager as a petty trouble.

The Villager Guy, for me, symbolizes an Angel, a messenger from God. This Angle tells him that he is stuck in a predicament he himself has created. All he needs to do is move on, let go, and leave his baggage behind. Or, the Villager is his conscience, the inner voice which tells him to gather his strength, but was muted because he let his fear take control of him. I remembered when his bestfriend told him, "You are just being paranoid."

The Desert and the Sand Storm

The desert is a desolate area which symbolizes dryness, predicament (trapped in a situation), and trial. Remember it was in the desert when Jesus was tested by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights. 

It was in the desert where he was able to delve deeper into his inner self (projected as hallucination). He discovered all the anger, frustration, bitterness, and hate which consumed his heart and trapped him from doing the things he wanted to do.

The sand storm also serves as a symbol of conflict, of turmoil. But not so in that desert alone, but also his inner turmoil.

It was in that desert that he had a catharsis, a purging of all his emotions, so that he can let them out in the open and finally leave these baggage and move on.

***

The rest, I say, is for you to find out. I know this is already a big spoiler, but there is still much to discover in the movie. ;) I am just surprised to expect an action-packed movie, but was instead served with a psychological thriller. Hashtag symbolism. Hashtag catharsis. Hashtag flashback. Hashtag foreshadowing. Hashtag inner conflict.

Thanks for reading!

DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional writer. This movie analysis is from a perspective of a regular movie goer who happens to recall the Elements of a Short Story taught in high school. :)