Sep 01 2010

There are plenty of options for cocktails.

A date for high tea? Although the formality of white gloves is gone it is still important to dress nicely. Do not wear jeans or a sloppy shirt. If the high tea is an informal meeting then pants with a nice light jacket is spring colors is appropriate. If high tea is to honor someone then step it up a notch with a nice light skirt and top, or a nice light dress with jacket. Some funky jewelry for the casual get together or more elegant jewelry for the more formal get together.

Cocktails? There are plenty of options for cocktails. A light weight dress in spring colors with short sleeves, dress it up a little with three quarter sleeves. Go for a fun print, v necklines are great, and don’t forget the finishing touches with jewelry. Try some dangle or chandelier earrings. Add a tennis bracelet or bead necklace, some fun but sexy shoes and your set.

The Trends

Fashion magazines will call them “must have” items, but look at trends skeptically to see whether they fit your body, clothing personality, and lifestyle. Don’t worry about the price. If you find something you like and want to wear, look for an inexpensive version of the trend at your favorite discount or outlet store. Buy cheap, wear often, and discard when then trend is over.

The Updated Classics

Most women recognize that classic styles are a good value, and fashion magazines know this. So they’ll show trendy new ways to wear classic styles and give you plenty of ideas in the process. All you have to do is take a moment to break it down to see how you can apply this to your own closet.

Sep 01 2010

Try something in a festive jewel tone

Winter can be a busy time – with Christmas looming, New Year’s Eve to celebrate and Valentines Day just around the corner you’re going to need to be prepared. So what’s the right winter fashion etiquette for the occasion?

Get together in the near future?

A re-union? Try something in a festive jewel tone and be sure to finish your look with some fabulous shoes and hand bag and don’t forget the jewelry. Add earrings and a necklace to finish your look.

A baptism – you’re the godmother? Try a soft flowing skirt and a cap sleeve blouse. Or how about a nice light shift topped with a print jacket. You’ll look stylish but you won’t be over done. Pay attention to the shoes on your feet – classy but comfort is important because you’ll be standing for a while. Add some light jewelry, a pair of baguette studs and a chain and you’ll be ready.

They’ll put a portion of their budget into ads, a portion into lending clothes to magazines for photo shoots, and a portion into creating clothes for celebrities for red carpet and other media events. That way, they spread the name recognition around. It’s clever - and expensive. But it works. If you love labels and see a look you like in a couple of fashion magazines and on a favorite celebrity, wouldn’t you be more inclined to buy it if you had the money? Many are. A look through the society pages will tell you as much.

THE LESSON

So now that we’ve addressed the models, ads, and editorial spreads, here’s what you SHOULD be looking for when you read a fashion magazine (and yes, it’s okay to rip out pages and put them in a file for future reference - but only if you own the magazine!).

Sep 01 2010

With a personalized photo handbag

With a personalized photo handbag, you will be able to choose a picture that she likes and have it imprinted in the side of the handbag. It could be your wedding photo, your family photo, a picture of her kids, or any photo that she is especially fond of.

Taking the time to choose the photo and having it imprinted in a handbag will show that you care about her feelings and you want her to be happy. With the technology available today, you will be able to order a photo handbag and have it finished in no time at all.

Let’s start with a little dissection first, then move on to the “how to” part of the lesson.

THE MODELS

Overall, fashion magazines tend to show young, thin, attractive people in their pages for the exact same reason that grocers tend to polish their apples and car dealers tend to have you test drive clean cars: because it sells more. It’s as simple as that. Fashion Marketing 101. Whether you agree with it or not is beside the point; it works — VERY well.

So well, in fact, that somewhere along the line, many women went from trying to determine whether the clothing being shown would work well on their bodies to bemoaning the fact that their bodies don’t look like the mannequins. Let me let you in on a secret: those girls don’t look like that every day, either. They have an army of people to get the hair, makeup, clothes, and lighting just right. If that doesn’t work, they airbrush the photos to get the right look. And if the model packs on a few pounds or starts to show signs of ageing, she’s replaced. Nothing like being a “has been” by the age of 30, eh?

Sep 01 2010

A photo handbag just shrieks of personalization

When I recently advised a client to study a few fashion magazines to glean some ideas for the upcoming season, she flatly refused.

“I HATE those things!” she told me vehemently. “Skinny girls, expensive clothes - what does that have to do with my life? Nothing!”

Now since this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this argument, I realized that she was missing the point of the exercise - much like the women who tell me that VOGUE or W are “their bibles.” In this corner, we have someone who’s way too caught up in her own reality; in the other, we have someone who’s much too caught up in someone else’s. Let’s all move a bit more to the center and learn how to read these things properly, shall we? We’ll all dress a lot better for it.

So what kind of gift should you get that shows all of what has been said in the previous paragraph? What gift says you took the time and the effort to make it really personal? Definitely a Playstation 3 is out of the question. You need something feminine yet has some touches that show that it’s not just something you picked out from a rack. It would also be great if it’s practical, something she can use on a daily basis and something she can show off to her friends.

Chocolates and flowers are too cliché, you need something that lasts. Something like a handbag. But not just a handbag, it should be a handbag that shows you put some effort into it; this calls for the photo handbag. A photo handbag just shrieks of personalization, it means that you personalized it, there is something in the handbag that she will appreciate.

Aug 25 2010

Fashion helps you express yourself better

Wondering why men’s fashion is so important these days? In addition to the general need to look good, fashion helps you express yourself better. It can be used to deliver a message, make a statement, or even express emotions. With all this, it is no surprise that many a career can be given an extra boost if combined with a good sense of fashion. Just think of all the times you have seen people on the street and thought one or the other thing about them, based on their appearance.

Tail Coats
: Though a slightly backdated style, tailcoats are yet another option to pick from for your wedding day dress. The defining feature of these tailcoats, are the prominently longer back parts of their jackets, resembling the look of the swallow bird and its tail, hence the name. Tailcoats like the frock coats look best in black teamed with striped pants.

Dressing According to the Climate:

Weddings that take place during summers or at warm locations must have the groom dressed in light colored suits. These suits must also preferably be made of linen or seersucker which is a light thin fabric. Saying `I do’ in colder climates however, requires the groom to be dressed in warmer clothes. This includes woolen suits, teaming a navy blazer with charcoal colored pants or even a blazer worn over a sweater and tie.

An important thing to note about in the context of men’s wedding attires is that wearing a tuxedo before 6 in the evening is a major faux pas. Make a style statement with your wedding attire keeping these technicalities in mind. Your wedding day is something you will look back upon forever, so make sure to look your stylish best!

Aug 25 2010

Cruelty-free fashion is one of the newest trends to hit the catwalk

Move over mainstream trends! Cruelty-free fashion is one of the newest trends to hit the catwalk. Vegan fashion is taking the world by storm. With their sleek and chic designs, durability and craftsmanship, and freedom from materials derived from animals, those with an eco-conscious and ethical outlook are turning to these quality fashions more and more. As eco awareness, green living and anti-cruelty movements grow, more and more vegan fashion choices are making their way onto the scene.

If vegan fashion is all about living a more eco-conscious lifestyle, then you may be wondering how it can possibly go hand-in-hand with stylish living. Can the two co-exist? Today’s vegan designers prove that this is certainly the case, by refusing to sacrifice aesthetics to create an earth-friendly look. If anything, the inclusion of eco-friendly materials adds to the appeal of the fashion.

So in this case, perhaps it does make sense to judge a book by its cover or a man by the length of necktie! Or, if it’s not something you want to adopt for yourself, at least be prepared to project a successful and confident look by using fashion effectively. After all, you will be judged on the basis of your appearance and the way you dress. With the huge inroads that visual culture has made into everyone’s reality, your clothes and accessories are supposed to make a huge statement about you- and trust us, they will! Not only your boss, but also your colleagues, friends and family members are going to judge you on the basis of what they see, at any rate, at least to begin with. and we all know how lasting first impressions can be!

Aug 25 2010

Vegan fashions come in the same wide array of styles

Vegan fashions come in the same wide array of styles and current trends you’d find in the mainstream market. From clothing to handbags and shoes and more, there is no shortage of great items to buy. Vegan fashions are made from plant materials, such as hemp, or synthetic fibers, such as rayon. Many of them also include recycled materials such as rubber and plastic. The dyes used are organic. No one will be able to tell the difference between vegan styles and mainstream looks, unless you let them know. Vegan fashions are durable, comfortable, stylish and even biodegradable, though they are also beautifully crafted to withstand many years of use.

The stylish look of Vegan fashions could easily fool those who still are not aware of this trend into thinking you are wearing real leather, suede, or velvet. They offer rich colors and textures and a bold fashion statement without the harm to animals or the earth. Any eco-conscious, animal loving individual will want to check this out and take advantage of the great range of vegan fashions that is quickly taking over the fashion world.

Well, now that we’ve established that men’s fashion is important, how does one go about interpreting men’s clothing and accessories in order to access their personality? To begin with, start to notice what people are wearing and how- and it’s very likely that you will be able to find a link between people’s appearances and their preferences and behavior.

To make it simpler, men’s fashion may be classified into three broad types, mainly: commercial, conservative and edgy. The first style is usually sported by people who spend too much time buying and very little of it thinking! They believe in buying the latest, right off the new arrivals shelf and in replicating the poster-boys. As the name itself suggests, such style can be functional or fussy, but what remains is that it remains confined by what’s in and what’s not, and does not reflect much personality.

Aug 25 2010

Vegan fashion is taking the world by storm

Move over mainstream trends! Cruelty-free fashion is one of the newest trends to hit the catwalk. Vegan fashion is taking the world by storm. With their sleek and chic designs, durability and craftsmanship, and freedom from materials derived from animals, those with an eco-conscious and ethical outlook are turning to these quality fashions more and more. As eco awareness, green living and anti-cruelty movements grow, more and more vegan fashion choices are making their way onto the scene.

If vegan fashion is all about living a more eco-conscious lifestyle, then you may be wondering how it can possibly go hand-in-hand with stylish living. Can the two co-exist? Today’s vegan designers prove that this is certainly the case, by refusing to sacrifice aesthetics to create an earth-friendly look. If anything, the inclusion of eco-friendly materials adds to the appeal of the fashion.

Sticking to what is necessary and minimal accessories, combined with a traditional choice in outfits would imply a more conservative fashion sense. Men who follow this style are usually people who play it by the book, and may not have the confidence required to experiment. For them, functionality is more important than style.

People with an edgy sense of style on the other hand, like to experiment and play around with their look, be it by way of clothes differently worn, unusual color-combinations, or interesting accessories. Of course, they must have the ease and confidence to carry it off, or they’d be fashion disasters! Their flexibility is what sets them apart, and makes it easy for them to shift from one style to another-be it casual, rugged or formal without being under or over dressed, and makes for a refreshing twist on prevailing fashions.

Aug 18 2010

Fashion really has no age limit

Fashion really has no age limit…

Suzanne Bishop, owner of a fashion boutique in Chattanooga, Tenn. believes that there is no age limit for looking stylish. She points out that “Women of all ages want to wear stylish fashion.” In her opinion, the ability of a woman to become stylist just depends on knowing “what looks good on you and what doesn’t.”

Ms. Bishop does not speak just for herself. Rather, she speaks on behalf of her customers. She stated that her customers are usually between ages 18 to 65. Some are even older. However, she noted that there are some issues regarding the preferences and “fashion goals” of the young and the old. Ms. Bishop notes that there are a few physical issues that many older women want to address. This includes the task of concealing certain body features – the arms, knees and necks – which may reveal elaborate signs of old age.

For a more casual hangout, search for comfortable flats. Here, avoid high heels and this goes as red lights to those with a job that requires you to stand all day. Have summer colors glow in trendy floaters. If your personality is more boyish, then floaters and sneakers are the ones to keep in mind. Coming geographically to South Asia, with a girlie look in simple salwar kameez, there is always the Kohlapuri Chappals as well as the Rajasthani Jutis for a neat yet fun look. If there is a lot of running involved, stick to flat compact sandals. On the other hand, with a bit more dare, try out semi heels with beads and stones to give an extra glaze on those feet..

Aug 18 2010

A good way to think about staying in fashion

There are lots of different things that you should keep in mind when it comes to fashion. Sometimes, it is important to think about the way that you look and the way that others see you. It is important to look and feel your best so that you can continue to be successful at your life. In order to avoid being called in by the fashion police, there are a few tips that you can follow, and a few coupons that you can use to allow you to get great fashion at a fraction of the cost.

First of all, a good way to think about staying in fashion is just to pay attention to what people are wearing around you. Looking at the ads and finding coupons for great deals isn’t going to help you unless you know what you want to look like. Look at the people who are around you each day and see what they are wearing, and the people you think look the best should have a great example of the fashion that you want to aspire to.

It doesn’t take much to be in fashion. Something that you want to remember is a lot about fashion is simply being comfortable with who you are and being in clothing that is comfortable as well. You can do this easily, and you can allow yourself to have the pleasure of looking great while you do. It shouldn’t be something that is hard, and with the right coupons, it doesn’t need to be something that is expensive, either.

In classic leather, nothing says glamor with an edge. Remember, this is not the flat soled cloth type. There is just a basic structure at play, a leather pump in style along with a neat cut and a thin strap ending. They are best worn with skirts. If high is too high for those nerve racking knees, try out flat or ballet style shoe which also comes in leather. With a traditional cut, whether plain or decorated with slight grosgrain bow at the toe, never go overboard. A casual ballet slipper best with jeans or khakis is the other option.