Mega fashion style

As soon as Ibu Megawati returned from her tour of nine ASEAN countries she was immediately bombarded with criticism concerning, what else, the outfits she wore as an ambassador, in terms of fashion, for her country.

Much, if not the only, negativity has been directed at the tunic she wore during her visit to Manila.

Being a fashion designer myself over a span of 40 years, starting in 1952 when I sent my first fashion articles from Amsterdam, where I studied fashion and design, to be published in the Star Weekly for 15 years, making me perhaps a post-war pioneer in this field, before a pause of 10 years and then another 15 years of publication in diverse newspapers or media, I would like to offer my comment on the matter of Ibu Megawati's outfit.

On the whole, I didn't think there was a lot of criticism of the other outfits.

Given her Ibu-ibu (motherly) demeanor, as opposed to being a symbol glamor, they all look fine.

So, may I hereby offer several suggestions for this cream colored dress, which other ladies may also like to consider. 1. The trimming around the neck, which goes all the way to the hemline, could be made a little bit smaller. Better still, perhaps only include the beads in the middle row, or nearby. 2. The material is a bit too heavy, particularly accentuated by the puffy sleeves. No puffs, anywhere. A puff gives a round impression. 3. The sleeves are too long. They cover the widest part of the hand instead of the smaller wrist a bit higher. 4. No horizontal lines, either on the body or the sleeves.

NETTY MULIA

Jakarta