6 fashion mistakes women make (and how to fix them)

Text: Denise Ngo
Photos: Denise Ngo & Diva Universal

Fashion experts have long maintained the connection between looking good and feeling good, but it's not every day that you meet someone who has forged a career from her personal psychology of style.

Asian-American TV personality Jeannie Mai, who recently visited Singapore to prepare for an undisclosed show for women, believes that you can use colour and texture to direct circumstances in your favour. For instance, green projects energy and excitement. Black projects boldness. And if you've ever heard anyone tell you that blue is a depressive, think again: on her website, Jeannie says that blue is a healing colour capable of clarifying and cleansing the senses.

So it's little wonder that when she met us on a rainy afternoon in July, blue-haired Jeannie struck a snazzy figure in her emerald shirt with black stripes and high-waisted leather mini shorts. The bubbly entertainer, who hosts "How Do I Look?" on the Style Network and serves as Digital Correspondent for NBC's Fashion Star, had loads to say about fashion in Singapore and what we can do to upgrade our wardrobes.

Unlike Audi Fashion Festival headliner Roland Mouret, who told us that he was "shocked" by the fashion disasters here, and that there are "too many to name," Jeannie said that she loves Singapore's sense of style as people here "are the most experimental in fashion."

On the other hand, women - and not just Singaporeans in general - have gotten so stuck on certain fashion principles that we've forgotten to evaluate whether they're still relevant. As a self-proclaimed "Fashion Wearapist," Jeannie was more than happy to give us some creative guidelines on creating an empowering wardrobe.