Diamonds are not for informal affairs

I was invited to an informal gathering recently and the dress code was smart casual. I know that some women don’t really know what casual means and they dress up elegantly, as if for cocktails, which is not a bad thing at all. Perhaps they have somewhere to go after. But, in this affair, I noticed there were two or three ladies who were dressed according to the dress code – casual – but they had diamonds and other precious stones dripping on their ears, their necks, their fingers. They beat Imeldific hands down with their display of jewelry. My aunt, who was one of Imeldific’s Blue Ladies, told me that she wore toned-down jewelry when she was dressed casually. When she was dressed in her ternos, and evening regalia, she showed off her drop-dead gorgeous pieces of jewelry. These ladies were dressed in jeans/slacks and casual tops, but their jewelry pieces were for Buckingham Palace. They provoked a lot of the guests to whisper behind their backs unkind comments like "noveau riche," or "poor taste." An English lady who was there said that not even Queen Elizabeth wore that kind of jewelry to informal functions. There must be some guidelines to follow when it comes to wearing jewelry.

Ms. Good Taste

There is a saying in Latin "Degustibus non est disputandum," which means " Of taste there is no dispute." So if it brings joy and happiness to these ladies to hang the Christmas tree on themselves complete with all the lights on, who are we to question their taste? However, there are still certain guidelines to follow so we don’t fall under the category of poor taste, bad taste or no taste! During the time of our parents, anything that sparkled was for the evening. Whether it was a dress that had beads or sequins or diamonds on jewelry, these were considered good taste for the evening. But fashion is constantly evolving and now, it is acceptable to wear beaded sandals, Swarovski crystal bracelets and necklaces, beaded bags and T-shirts for daytime wear. But one can still tell, even if they sparkled, that they are for daywear because of their design. But serious pieces of jewelry that are loaded with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, etc. set on yellow or white gold – in other words, jewelry that should be worn to the Buckingham Palace or pieces like these – shouldn’t indeed be worn to an informal casual affair. To compromise, if one must really wear a piece, perhaps wear the ring, without the necklace or the earrings, as a ring is the least conspicuous of the three. But to wear the whole set and sparkle 10 miles away is bad taste and will provoke not only unkind comments, but temptation to the holduppers and kidnappers to put you in their hit list! Unfortunately, very rich people love to show off their grand pieces even when the occasion does not call for it. I have a friend who wore her 10 carats to the Greenhills tiangge and the grocery. One fine day, she got mugged by three men at knife point. So that was a hard-earned lesson. Being unostentatious in dress and jewelry during daytime is not only good taste but also a safer course to follow.

Breaking The Egg Myth

I used to eat eggs for breakfast but was horrified to learn that they’re loaded with fat. Although my cholesterol level is low, I thought I could eat an egg for breakfast because it is, in fact, in most of the diet books. I have stopped eating eggs now but really miss it because I like it for breakfast when I am on a diet. What can I substitute in place of eggs?

Egg Lover

Just because a food contains fat does not mean it is fattening and the opposite is true as well. Pasta does not contain fat, but if you eat a plateful of it, it is fattening. Eggs have only 80 calories and five grams of fat. The fat is in the yolk so if you’re afraid of the fat, make yourself an egg white omelet, which is also delicious. Eggs contain a lot of protein and vitamins which make them nutritious. Is egg fattening? Not in itself. If one has no cholesterol problems, eating one egg a day is not harmful.

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