General Articles

Essential This Autumn – Women’s Cardigans

Light Weight Cardigan.

A lightweight cotton cardigan is perfect for layering. Wear it belted over a blouse for work. Paired with a pencil skirt, this style is appropriate for any office. Wear a thin cardigan over a tee shirt for a more casual look. Paired with jeans and boots, this effect is perfect for an afternoon football game or shopping with friends.

Twin Set Cardigan.

The twin set sweater first gained popularity in the 1940s because of its versatility and ease of wear. It has remained popular through the years for those same reasons. A twin set sweater is comprised of a shell and sweater. The shell is usually either a tank top or a short-sleeved sweater in a lightweight fabric. The outer sweater is a cardigan with long sleeves. The outer sweater is worn open to reveal the matching shell. Traditionally, the shell and the outer sweater were made of the same color and material, giving it the name “twin set”. Over the years, the twin set has changed with the times. Twin sets range from tone-one-tone combinations to contrasting color combinations and combining prints and solids. Worn with a strand of pearls, the twin set is the epitome of a classic, timeless look. However, a twin set pairs just as easily with a pencil skirt at the office or with jeans for weekend activities.

Hoodie Cardigan.

A hoodie is the ultimate in casual comfort. Often made from heavy gauge yarn, a hoodie offers the convenience of a cardigan combined with the ease and warmth of a sweatshirt. Hoodies zip up in the front and sport a hood knit of the same material as the rest of the sweater. Paired with a tee shirt and jeans, a hoodie cardigan is a warm, stylish fashion choice.

Long Cardigan.

A long cardigan is a versatile choice for fall. These sweaters are fashioned in a variety of colors and a variety of weights. A long cardigan should fall halfway between the hip and knee. It looks best when it is paired with jeans, leggings, or other pants, due to its length. Worn over a tee shirt or other lightweight shell, the long cardigan is usually worn open. However, many long cardigans are cinched at the waist with a belt that is knitted from the same material as the sweater. Worn with a simple blouse, the belted, long cardigan provides a streamlined profile.

Swing-Style Cardigan.

The swing-style cardigan combines the comfort of a sweater with the clean lines of a jacket. Large buttons fasten the sweater at the neck, leaving the rest of the sweater open to reveal a complimentary shell. This delightful sweater can be worn with a pencil skirt for a business meeting. Dress it down with jeans for a pulled-together casual look.…

The Antwerp Six, Ann Demeulemeester and Co – Where Are They Now?

In the late 80s, six friends from Antwerp’s then little known Royal Academy set out to take London by storm. They showed up at London Fashion Week with a rented truck filled with their “deconstructivist” samples, and, within days, had made their mark on the fashion world, securing a new international reputation for their school in the process. To this day, it continues to be known as one of the top schools for fashion. Since then, all six, including Dirk van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee have gone on to make names for themselves, although perhaps none more so than Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten.

Walter Van Beirendonck

– is head of the fashion department at the very school where he and fellow designers Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten first got their starts

– in the ’90s, he designed the clothing for the U2 Popmart Tour

– he also designs for the ballet, theatre and movies

Perhaps his biggest accomplishment: His Zulupapuwa line of clothing for children sold at the Belgian retail chain JBC. He somehow makes classic primary colours and the alphabet look edgy!

Ann Demeulemeester

– met with almost immediate success after that critical first London Fashion Week

– like her former classmate Walter, Ann Demeulemeester has forged connections with the music and art world

– her longtime muse, Patti Smith, has contributed original material to the soundtracks for Ann Demeulemeester’s fashion shows

– Karl Lagerfield once referred to Ann Demeulemeester as one of the most gifted young talents of her time

– Ann Demeulemeester is reportedly at work on a line inspired by artist Jackson Pollock

Interesting fact: Ann Demeulemeester lives in the only house in Belgium to have been designed by superstar architect Le Corbusier. Oh, and you may not have heard of Ann Demeulemeester, because she does not advertise.

Dries Van Noten

In a recent essay for the Wall Street Journal, Alison Gopnik writes that “for most of our history, children have started their internships when they were seven, not 27.” Dries Van Noten definitely belongs to the old school:

– Dries Van Noten comes from a long line of tailors

– Dries Van Noten’s grandfather reportedly introduced the city of Antwerp to the concept of buying clothing off the rack, i.e., ready to wear

– Dries Van Noten’s father ran a high-end clothing boutique in the ’70s

Like Walter Van Beirendonck and Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten has known enormous international success:

– Dries Van Noten has resisted moving to a city such as Paris, which is more of a fashion centre than Antwerp, because he enjoys the anonymity that living in a non fashion-oriented city grants him. If he lived in Paris, people might stop him on the streets. As it is, he made waves there this fashion week with his avant-garde peplum pants, a cerebral take on one of this spring’s hottest trends.

– In 2008, Dries Van Noten was named International Designer of the Year by an American fashion council.

The influence of Antwerp does not end with these designers. An Antwerp-based boutique called RA is currently the talk of the couture scene. The spirit of the Antwerp Six endures!…

Women Casual Wear Fashion Tips

Comfort is the primary concern for any one whether a sports woman, housewife, college girl, or working woman. Women casual wear is the one way of getting such comforts. However besides the comfort, every woman wishes to look fashionable and keep up with the current fashion styles without looking sloppy and out of fashion.

Women Casual Clothes

Women those are lucky enough dressing in women’s casual clothes everyday could face multiple challenges.

First challenge for the fashion seeker is building the core wardrobe.

Such wardrobe should have enough varieties to choose from.

Selecting the perfect one without looking like a slob is the basic objective.

Getting Help With a few Tips

For those aspiring to get the best women’s casual or women fashion dresses can do well with a few tips to accomplish the task. Such tips would help them build up their casual attire. Here are some tips for such people.

Casual wear should be bought the same way as the regular wear for the women.

Since the challenge would be building up the best women dresses wardrobe with casual wear and sportswear, the steps should be taken in that direction only.

Best approach for casual clothing is buying trio colored and making the best mix.

Matching the wardrobe with the best color collection of fashion suits for women would be the right way for building it up.

Wardrobe should also contain accessories like handbags and purses besides shoes, stockings, goggles, and caps to match the best women dresses available.

Multiple colors are suitable for casual wear like the denim, tan, white, black, and khaki.

Matching Shoes

While the women skirts, miniskirts, Ritz outerwear and such other women dresses are great for enhancing the appearance and personality of a woman, one cannot undermine the value of matching shoes. Providing completeness to the apparel they offer the best solutions for converting the ordinary into something extraordinary. In the process they also enhance the beauty and elegance of the person substantially. Matching shoes go well with all types of casual wear including the sportswear.

Casual accessories like purses and handbags go well with the casual wear for women. Casual attire and classic looks are two different things but can be blended to make great combination in the world of fashion.…

Advanced Hairdressing and Styling Techniques – Feathering Hair Cutting Tips

Although there are numerous hairstyles to choose from some of them serve purposes other than appearances. In some cases if there is a particular problem with the hair, a specific technique can be used to rectify the problem. In the case of the feathering techniques, it’s additional purpose beyond the style is to create a much softer flowing look to the hair yet provide some texture to it as well. For those individuals who really favor the shagged style the feathering technique is perfect to achieve this.

The best technique and most successful way of achieving the feather can be accomplished on either wet or dry hair. Whatever the stylist feels most adept at working with. When you take a section of the hair, it is important that you hold it taunt. The way you hold your scissors is important because they must be fanned across the hair shaft. You will be cutting in a forward direction what holding an 80-90 degree again the hair ensuring your scissor is open no more than two thirds. It’s the end of the shaft of hair that you will be cutting so you must extend the section but firmly hold the end.

You need to begin cutting in close proximity to you fingers at the same time cutting in a fanning motion. You need to determine the type of affect you are after as this will determine how much you should move upwards. Up to about 10cm at the most. If you are familiar with the techniques of using a razor then you will find the feathering technique rather easy. You will be cutting the hair ends of the V of scissors which is where the two blades meet. If you attempt to hold the scissors open too much, you will see that the scissors begin to catch. Although this is an easy technique, it takes a bit of getting use to. Not too many people will want you practicing on their hair so consider using a doll that has long hair to practice on. A great source for these is at yard sales. This type of client at least will not complain about your mistakes.

Don’t even attempt the feathering technique without the proper pair of scissors. The most favored is the medium precision and even better is a cobalt alloy with a cutting edge that is angled at 45 degrees. Don’t rush out and buy a brand new pair for the occasion if you have a relatively new set around that is about six months used. These will in fact due a much better job but we are not referring to old damaged scissors. If you attempt this style with high precision scissor, you are going to run into problem. High precision scissors are far too sharp for this job. Along with the edges being too fine. What happens is these types of scissors will skin the hair as opposed to creating the texture. You will end up splitting the ends of the hair.

It important that if you are going to attempt a detailed technique such as feathering that you use the proper tools. Without them no matter how good your skills are, you will not achieve the desired results.…

Guide to Buying Men’s Fashion Clothing

Like women, men too have become very fashion conscious and would like to look stylish and smart. Men’s fashion can be useful in many ways – a corporate person can use that to make an impact on his superiors, his peers – sales and marketing person can use that to make an impact on his customers, both existing and new – youngsters can use that to attract members of the opposite sex and so on. It also boosts the self esteem of the individual and makes him feel more confident and assured when he sets out for the day. It also speaks something about the individual when he interacts with others – it makes the others feel that here is a guy who takes pains to look good and dress well.

Today there are a lot of good fashion designers – their clothes are definitely quite expensive and exclusive but people who can afford to do so do not mind in spending the money to buy clothes from renowned fashion designers since that makes a statement about themselves and will make them stand out from the crowd.

One can find out the latest trends in men’s fashion in many ways: reading fashion magazines, looking up the internet, browsing through in-flight magazines, watching what other well-to-do people are wearing at parties, conferences and social-dos, watching movies etc. You can also get tips about men’s fashion by discussing with well-meaning friends and peers. One must be prepared to adapt, to keep your mind flexible. If you are sensible you can wear something really classy which the people would admire and would probably intimate – you could start a trend. One must have the basic confidence in oneself, in one’s taste, in one’s choice – one must not always try to imitate others.

Today, in men’s fashion, the latest trends could be found in both formal and casual wear. Fashion designers have begun designing, even for casual and informal clothing – for youngsters and even big people who need to go for a casual occasion, classy informal wear will make them look good and make them stand out. Moreover, people have become quite brand conscious and would not hesitate to spend on good brands. Casual T-shirts and polo T-shirts have always been popular. Buttoned down polo shirts are the latest trend now. You also have designer T-shirts with colorful graphics and wacky sayings.

With summer suits, striped and print ties are popular – no doubt, the solid red tie has been the favorite for many years. For the classic black tie affair, the black tie needs to be worn. For a business meeting, it helps you to be staid and have an understated classiness permeate your personality – a black tie will always be useful – a good dress, smart suit will complete the look for you for an important business meeting.

When going to a department store to make a purchase, do not hesitate to ask the sales personnel for tips and advice but let the final decision be yours. Make sure that the clothes you select are comfortable, that they fit you well – check that the sleeves are not too short. Take a look at the mirror, check with the sales person how you look – only if you are satisfied, then make the purchase. There is no point in spending a lot of money if the fit is not correct and you end up not wearing it too often. Men’s fashion is about being sensible, using common sense, about keeping your mind flexible and choosing something which complements your own personality rather than concentrating too much on what others are wearing.…

Why Casio Watches Are So Popular

Casio have long-since been in the electronics industry and were best-known for their musical instruments, cameras, calculators and audio products, but in the 1980s they ventured into the watch industry and took it by storm. Casio watches were loved by many for their simple designs, easy to read screens and being packed full of new technology, the likes that hadn’t been seen on watches before.

The G Shock watches of the 90s, which were originally for servicemen as they could withstand knocks, were also a hit with civilians who loved the big rubber straps and tough exterior. As time has gone on, Casio watches have evolved into smart, luxury items as well as still having functional and practical ones for those who need more from a watch. The multifunctional watches from the 80s still exist, albeit in more appealing cases and nowadays they even come with metal bracelets. You can still buy Casio watches that have rubber straps or even leather ones, and as you know you have a company that has been around for the best part of 80 years behind the manufacturing you know it’s going to work for many years to come.

The rugged looks of the G shock and indeed the Pathfinder watches are liked by adventurers and people that love the outdoors. There is a need for water resistance, the ability to take shock impacts well and not falter at the first sign of hard use. The tough rubber straps are comfortable and hold onto your wrist well, and yet Casio watches are so light so you barely even notice them on your wrist. You can find Casio watches with almost as much technology in them as your smart phone. From barometers to thermometers, altimeters and diving features, there are so many people in the world that could benefit from a Casio watch. There are LED lights, alarms, reminders and countdown timers as well as stopwatches available so you don’t have to carry around extra items as your watch has it all.

Casio watches are favoured by those who love to get out and about, doing dare-devil sports and adrenaline-fuelled activities. They are hard-wearing, full of technology and look fantastic at the same time. When you buy Casio watches, you are owning a stunning timepiece that has been developed over generations and is back by the detailed reputation that the company has.

Conclusion

Casio watches have been around since the 1980s and continue to be one of the most popular and affordable classic watches. They are packed with technology and suit the adventurer-type perfectly, although now, there are luxury Casio watches available too.…

Organic Skincare – ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’ Is Only Natural

Parabens are the preservatives in cosmetic products most widely used to protect them against microbial growth, both to protect consumers and to maintain product integrity. But do current levels of parabens exhibit estrogenic activity that increases the risk of breast cancer? Phthalates are commonly used in cosmetics as plasticizers (to soften products), solvents and fixatives (to slow scent evaporation from skin). But does regular use of cosmetics containing phthalates pose a danger to hormonal and reproductive systems? Can long-term exposure to synthetic fragrance ingredients really contribute to damage of the brain and nervous system?

Scientific studies about all these questions have been conducted; some identified the respective risk, some disputed it outright, or at the chemicals’ typical concentration levels in cosmetic products. These opposed scientific positions accompany the opposed commercial interests between consumer activists and the established cosmetics industry, and the respective political repercussions between lobbying interests and the government.

Even though cosmetics are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, unlike drugs, they are not subject to market pre-approval. Although the FDA does have the power to intervene to protect the public from adulterated products, enforcement comes too late on an individual basis, since the injurious effect will already have been experienced. The FDA states, “Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing.”

In light of the possible health risks and regulation of cosmetics, consumers might be well-advised to adopt the ‘precautionary principle’ and opt for natural or organic products.

In 1998, the Wingspread Conference defined the Precautionary Principle as follows:

“When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”

In other words, ‘better safe than sorry’. When Germany discovered in the 1970s that its forests were dying, the government acted to cut power-plant emissions, even absent scientific proof that acid rain was the cause. Soon thereafter, the precautionary principle was enshrined in German environmental law. In the meantime, the principle has been invoked internationally for many other hot-button issues with disputed causal and risk relationships, including genetically modified crops, beef treated with growth hormones, and greenhouse gases.

In the public arena of international trade and regulation, this principle is also politicized between its adherents, who see it as aligned with sustainable development and consumer protection, and its opponents, who argue that it stifles calculated risk-taking and technological advances.

But in the private space, featuring just the consumer and a choice of cosmetic products, the purchasing decision might be well-informed by the precautionary principle. In the absence of universally accepted scientific proof addressing the health risks of artificial cosmetics ingredients, will you take precautions?…