‘I think that high heals were invented by a man, he wanted to slow women down so that he could catch up with them’.

For those in the fashion world, whether it is by greater or smaller degree most likely were riveted to the fashions in the movie The Devil Wears Prada, 2006, staring Meryl Streep. Now that it is out on DVD, you might enjoy an evening of just drooling over each and every fashion as it hit the screen. But this time take out your notebook. There are lessons here about fashion that every woman can learn from.

Warning: If you are a great lover of this movie, you can stop here. I don’t want to get into a fight but I warn you – I have accessories and I know how to use them.

First, I loved Meryl Streep’s in The Devil Wears Prada. I appreciated every definitive movement of Streep’s, from the sweep of her hands, her expressive eye movements( that could freeze water into ice and serve them to you in cubes), her majestic walk and her heads up – first in the class attitude. Now in the real world I rather she be nice to people – but that would make a boring movie. Streep in each and every fashion outfit she wore was the epitome of elegance, style and class in this distressed-denim-drenched fashion deprived world. How I watched each scene with envy, appreciation, anticipation and delight.

I bet, I was not alone in the hero worship of one of our favorite bedecked movie icon. Wow. Her silver white silky tresses alone made me reconsider my next bottle of dye. And let us not forget that across the country big girls were hopping up and down – please don’t imagine that – celebrating the fashion blessing that Ms. Streep was no size 4.

Ann Hathaway, on the other hand, in the number two role as the much put upon junior assistant, sails through the movie going from Cinder Maid to Cinderella. The majority of the outfits were pin up and “cut out worthy” from our favorite fashion spreads. Ms. Hathaway, sporting a slim trim body once again showed Hollywood’s predilection to wafer thin women. At least we were not subjected to bones jutting out from ridiculously sharp collar blades.

Oh, what a delightful succession of fashions that just delighted the eye, inspired the imagination and caused us to dream.

Lessons Learned

Here is how we can take to heart some lessons we learned from the silver screen.
Fashion is designed to have you buy something that has the predetermined shelf life of cottage cheese. The scathing comments directed to Ms. Hathaway at the beginning of the movie, clearly indicate that picking your day’s attire takes more than sniffing for what’s clean and searching for something that doesn’t need ironing. That a designer will put a fashion combination on a cover of a magazine that you would never dream of coupling together. Remember the screen when we were stung with not knowing the “proper” belt accessory. Bah humbug. This should remind you that even in the fabulous TV’s Sex in the City’s there were wardrobe hits and misses. The designers can be experimental, after all, the fashion has a life span of a June bug. That people can pay all too much money for a handbag – after all it is just something to put “stuff” into. Well, just think of a purse is another opportunity to be mismatched with your shoes. Real women will die wearing high heals that are high enough to give you a nose bleed. Be comforted in the fact that you may avoid being crippled later. I think that high heals were invented by a man, he wanted to slow women down so that he could catch up with them. The good news though for those who do not heed my words, that any pair of those shoes could double as a lethal weapon in case of emergency. Even designers have off days, and seasons for that matter. Learn how to just walk away from anything you can’t describe what color it is. I believe that one of Hathaway’s dresses could best be described as the color of thawing frozen spinach.

But rejoice. Revel in a few moments of pleasure when you were transported to a better place, before your feet must touch down once again to the bosom spilling, acid rubbed, liquidly tight jeans and T-shirts we are forced to see on the streets today.

So maybe, you can forget the plot, turn off the sound, hold on to the remote and fast forward though the movie, to lovingly feast your eyes on “the wardrobe of our dreams”. Welcome to fashion heaven.

A fashion models job has the first appearances of being a glamorous one. Once you attain the position of it you go through a life of beauty, receive tons of money for just looking great, and numerous people idolize you for both your looks and your talent.

Numerous younger girls and boys alike, dream of someday living the life of a successful fashion model. Nevertheless, the job itself is more challenging then they realize. There are many requirements to be a fashion model. In addition to the mandatory requirement of exceptional physical beauty, you also need superior mental traits to help you to both survive and excel in the fashion and beauty industry as well as with your competitors.

The Talent

A certain amount of talent is a necessary trait to have when being a fashion model. Beauty only takes you so far in modeling. Simply looking into a camera is only one aspect of modeling as there is so much more to it than that. In a sense it is kind of like acting. You must become the character or the object that you are modeling. You have to have the ability and talent to portray emotion from the facial expressions you show to your body language.

A fashion models primary job is to make any type of item look good and hence more appealing to the market they are catering to. This also goes beyond just clothing. They are suppose to make look appealing anything from a dust-repelling sofa spray or million dollar shoes.

Lets face it, if these models do not look good or with their charisma do not sell the product, then there is no point to them. Some also walk the catwalks and runways. To do this in a proper manner, the right posture as well as walking must be learned.

The Look

Sadly, personality and inner beauty do not cut it when it comes to the world of fashion. A certain look must accompany a fashion model. Fundamental guidelines state that to be able to walk down the runway, a female model must be at least 34-24-34.

That is to say that their bust and hips should be 34 inches and their waist should be 24 inches. Additionally, they should be at a minimum 5 feet 8 inches tall. Because measures such as these are very extreme, they have promoted dramatic eating disorders. There are some modeling agencies that will not accept models who have been proven to be underweight on a clinical level.

Naturally, not all women modeling fall under this thin category. There is an additional option of plus size modeling. Plus size modeling stands for bigger sizes. An average woman would most probably not conform into either of these categories.

In addition to being the right weight and height, a fashion model must have beautiful hair, skin, and face. Make up and airbrushing can make anyone thinner and flawless, only it makes the job easier if they can take a fresh, young face and work from there.

When it comes to buying fashion accessories online, one can easily get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices available. After all, you have complete access to the world’s largest mall. However, there are also certain things to keep in mind before you make that purchase final. So in order to help your buying experience more enjoyable and safer, here are some tips that you should remember.

1. Shop around. Yes, that one shop has got some of the trendiest and cutest options out there. However, there is a good chance that there are also other online stores that carry the same products and at a much lower price. So, bookmark the site then continue with your search. If you find that the prices for the items that you want have remained the same in every other shop you’ve browsed through then do proceed with your purchase.

2. Make sure that the seller is legit. Keep in mind that not all of the sellers out there have good intentions. Some are simply fronting and would simply disappear after you’ve paid for the items that you want. In order to avoid this when buying fashion accessories online, it is wise to conduct a background research first. If these people have been around for a while, chances are there would be reviews and comments from their existing and former clients online. Read through them in order to gain the information that you need.

3. Shipping and handling. If you are buying from a different country, you should know about these two things before you order anything. Basically, shipping and handling can add a whole lot to the total amount that you need to pay for so if you’re unsure, ask the seller about it. He or she should be able to provide you with a good price quote.

4. Return policies. Lastly, make sure that you read through the shop’s return policy. After all, you wouldn’t want to end up with a low quality product which cost you a significant amount of money that you are now having a hard time returning for a refund just because you failed to read that the store doesn’t take returns. Save yourself the trouble and read this first before buying anything.

Whether you are looking to buy something in your favorite brand or just a nice add on to your favorite outfit, these tips can help make buying fashion accessories online safer and easier for you to accomplish.

The Designer product is all around us nowadays, with every accessory from dog leads to luggage available with that status symbol stamp of pedigree. In our recession hit times however, the Designer logo on non prescription glasses is fading into the background a little, with people looking for less ostentatious displays of their wealth and good taste.

In the Eighties and Nineties designers were keen to splash their names across frames with every ounce of sparkle and dazzle they could muster. Logos were big, bold and totally in your face, shrieking their branding for all to see. Versace, Dolce Gabbana, Bulgari all loved the big and bold exclamation of their name. Remember the ever present Burberry check or Louis Vuitton initial splattered patterns? These have now been replaced with much more subtle indications of heritage.

Some manufacturers have gone for subtle, hand-written-font logos – Gucci do a beautiful and very elegant swept version of their name. Some now engrave and etch their name rather than sticking them in bold stand-out lettering on their goods. Giorgio Armani has always gone for very understated and subtle engravings on their specs.

Of course if you still love a logo, there will always be the likes of Marc Jacobs, who stamp their name across frames which are very discreet but unmistakably Marc. With the demise of the detail strewn it bag and even Birkins available without a waiting list now, subtlety in all accessories is clearly becoming cool. Some Designers stick to using their signature pattern or logo on the inside of the frame, a chic and understated way of letting the buyer know they’ve chosen quality goods without advertising the fact to the world.

Whatever the size of the logo, don’t dismiss these non prescription glasses and think you’re only paying for the name. Hugo Boss or Christian Dior would never put their name to anything if they didn’t think the quality lived up to their stringent standards. You’re paying for top quality materials, luxury details, and the very best the world can offer in design. Can you put a price or a name on style?

The promise of fame and fortune go along with the fashion industry, so by having a great body, some luck and through lot of hard work and people skills you might be very rich and famous before coming of age on your 21st birthday. However do not imagine that becoming a fashion model is going to be easy.

The initial part is simple, if you fit the measures quite soon somebody is going to spot you and if it doesn’t happen you have but a few simple steps in order to get noticed. As a matter of fact if you are really interested in becoming a fashion model you optimize your chances by moving to New York, Paris or Milan, of course it is not necessary to live in one of those cities in order to get spotted but if becoming a fashion model is your primary objective that is where you will end up eventually.

In order to become a fashion model you might start by sending your pictures and portfolios to agencies, try not to overreact with the clothing and the make up. The agents need to see as much of your natural self as they can in order to better place you. You can also call the agencies in order to find out when they have open castings which could provide you with a shot at your goal of becoming a fashion model.

Even though some models have been discovered through schools, most of those are a waste of money and they tend to earn on people whose aims are non realistic. So the agencies are your best shot and if you do get signed on by one, you have a big chance of moving to N.Y, Paris or Milan and the agencies will actually help by finding you a place to stay and introduce you into the new life. That is the moment when you can say that the first step towards becoming a fashion model is completed and it is now that the hard and the exciting part begins.

It is great to be out on your own in a City like N.Y or Paris and hanging out at the most fashionable places while being looked upon with admiration and envy, but some models find it hard to adapt and miss their families while others tend to overreact with the nightlife and do not take the job seriously, some of those get their act together and others go or are sent home.

Emerging models stand the best chance if they are ambitious but sometimes the ambition can be very dangerous since the glamour and the money surrounding the fashion industry attracts many sharks and some over ambitious models tend to get hurt.

The cardigan has long been a staple item of clothing in the wardrobe of many a woman – but, while cardigans have always been a unisex staple of knitwear, the men’s cardigan has recently experienced a fashion resurrection. In fact, the men’s cardigan is one of this year’s most essential male fashion items.

But this trend of male cardigans is nothing new. Famous male cardigan wearers throughout the twentieth century have included a range of personalities, from the American comedian Bill Crosby and the British comedian and TV presenter Simon Amstell, to the renowned children’s writer Roald Dahl and even rock legend Kurt Cobain.

In fact, the Cardigan was first named after James Thomas Brudnell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who was a British military commander during the Crimean War; since this time the cardigan has always been worn by both sexes. The male cardigan even made the headlines in the twentieth century, when the outspoken Bulgarian-born broadcaster and dissident, Georgi Markov, was involved in an attempted assassination – a poisonous pellet was saved from entering his skin too deeply because he was wearing a very thick woollen cardigan!

2007 sees a range of men’s cardigans transform a range of men’s fashion outlets – from the catwalk to designer boutiques and top high street fashion stores. Whether you’re looking for a smart cardigan to adorn a formal outfit, or you’re more interested in finding a stripy cardigan to complete an effortlessly casual look, 2007 is the year to enhance your wardrobe with cardigans!

This season’s collections sees many top fashion retailers in the UK take their influences from the Beatnik era of the 1950s and 1960s, with strains of Parisian chic and jazz-soaked fashion penetrating the Spring/Summer 2007 look. Casual cardigans were a large part of the sophisticated image perpetrated by both well-known French philosophers, like Jean Paul Sartre, and legends of the American beat generation, Jack Kerouac and William Boroughs. If this is the look you’re going for this season, then make sure you invest in some stripy cardigans or plain woollen cardigans for maximum effect.

And as the summer fast approaches, cardigans could also form an essential part of your festival fashion wardrobe. In fact, the men’s cardigan is one of the most flexible and adaptable items of clothing a man could own. For instance, a cardigan can be worn loose during the day over a t-shirt for a chic but informal look; however, paired with a skinny tie, smart trousers and formal shoes for an effortlessly stylish evening look. So make sure you’re not left out of this year’s men’s cardigan revolution and give yourself the freedom to adapt your look!

Another Christmas comes and goes, all the painful preparations gone in a flurry of excitement. And next year much the same again. The good news it gets easier more enjoyable and more economical, but only if you take advantage of the convenient services on offer online. No longer is it perceived a dumping ground (bargain Basement) for overstocked and end of season fashion accessories, or counterfeits. There are dedicated commercially minded independents featuring some top brad names like Vivienne Westwood and Timothy Everest of Savile Row and more.

For small independent onliners like us, it’s time to reflect. What sold well and what did not. What are our customers demanding?

Well, the big surprise was and still is Victoria Richards, a fashion designer best known for her handmade silk neckties, often worn by Channel 4 Anchor Man Jon Snow. She struck the right combination of colour, pattern and most importantly texture, giving depth and added interest. And in spite of her little known brand, outsold most styles, the most popular being the “Devon Bar” a combination of broad slightly irregular horizontal lines in varying shades of blues. They’re slightly reminiscent of the original school ties, Remember. Here is an anecdote to prompt your memory. In 1880, the rowing club at Oxford University’s Exeter College, invented the first school ties. After an emotional win over their rivals, they celebrated by removing their ribbon hat bands from their boater hats and tying them, four-in-hand around their necks. When they ordered a set of ties, with the colours from their hatbands, they had accidentally created the modern school tie. Schools, clubs, and athletic ties appeared in abundance. Some schools had different ties for various grades, levels of achievement, and for graduates.

Then came Vivienne Westwood and her 2008 cufflink collection. Westwood lovers were willing to pre order knowing their arrival would not be until February 2008. There is value in the product and the name here. And she remains true to good form and function in all her good work.

Here is a very brief look into her past. Vivienne Isabel Swire was born in Glossopdale, Derbyshire, on 8 April 1941. Her mother had been a weaver in the local cotton mills and her father came from a family of shoemakers. Her parents ran a sub post office in Tintwistle before moving to north-west London in the 1950′s.

In 1965 she met Malcolm McLaren together they went on to become one of the most creative partnerships in history and as they say the rest is history.

Vivienne Westwood accepted a DBE in the 2006 New Year’s Honours List “for services to fashion”, She has won the award for British Designer of the Year three times. In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs, testimony to her versatility and maturity and the respect she has garnered, a far cry from Punk. Endurance in such a volatile industry for a prolonged time is a hallmark by any measure.

London Badge and Button cufflinks were another big surprise. Based in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, The London Badge & Button Company has over 30 years experience in the design and development of fine cufflinks, buttons and men’s accessories and are the manufacturers behind many of the UK’s leading stores and fashion house collections.

Louisa Taylor and Pei-Nap Mok is the award winning design team behind the current LBB London cufflink collection. As a team they have given life to a new breed of cufflinks

Traditionally recognised for its strong & distinctive enamel and silver cufflinks, LBB’s current collection has expanded to use silver & unusual materials for both its classic & contemporary cufflinks with matching accessories.

Ian Flaherty’s handmade Swarovski Crystal cufflinks have always been a good steady seller, his out of ordinary designs blended with classic styling deliver in accordance with demand. His Cube Multi has been a best seller for two years in a row.

All available online for your pleasure and convenience.

The fashion design industry has witnessed a tremendous growth over the years. The increasing demands of the fashion industry have made it imperative for fashion designers to turn to the latest technology. This accounts for the popularity of fashion design software.

Fashion design software is beneficial for designers as it guides them right from the stage of designing to production. The software has mechanized the whole process of designing, making patterns, cutting and production. There are software modules that assist designers to create initial designs faster and with more accuracy. The designers can use the existing designs to their advantage by following the steps given in the software module. The designers can initiate minor changes in the already existing designs. They can personalize them by adding features out of their own innovative ideas. These designs are then translated into ready-to-wear collections.

The pattern making software comes handy to the designers who create perfect fitting garments. They use the software to create accurate patterns such as the different types of cross-stitch patterns. Creation of patterns includes drafting, grading and making layouts. It also assists the designers in texture mapping. The guidelines in the various software modules make the whole process easy and convenient.

The software also meets the coloring needs. With the help of different modules the designers can create weaves with as many colors as they want, set the imported fabric image in new colors and then customize them.

There are illustrations that keep the designers abreast of the latest trends in the fashion industry. The software equips them with the tool to create images and render realistic designs, colors patterns and textures.

Fashion design is not limited to making designs and patterns but also includes the larger domain of production. In this sphere too, fashion design software are used extensively. It provides guidelines to manage production and market the production.

Fashion design software assist the designers in increasing their efficiency and productivity. This, in turn, helps them in creating an extensive market for their designs and meets the demands of the competitive fashion market.

Jewelry
Ancient Greeks had an affinity for earrings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and rings, made of metal and semiprecious stones. Precious metals were also used, but gold became popular only in the 6th century BC.

Jewelry evolved over time. During the Archaic period, jewelry pieces were simple and mainly functional. Such were the pins or brooches used to fasten the himation or the chiton, or the seal rings used to seal letters and important documents. By Hellenistic times goldsmiths had mastered their craft and jewelry featured an exquisite design and composition.

Footwear
The sandals were the common footwear for both men and women. The Greek sandal featured several straps, which stretched between the toes to the ankle in various fashions. They were minimal, light, and left the foot almost bare. Although high heels are considered to be a 16thcentury invention, already in ancient Greece women tried to make themselves taller by attaching cork sole to the leather sole. For travel or warfare, men wore fitted shoes – ankle-high or mid-calf length -and boots that either laced up or stayed on the foot with the help of a criss-cross thong at the toe.

Hats and head-dresses
Headgear came in different shapes and styles. There were several variations of a cone-shaped hat. The bonnet was another known style. The pilos was a brimless skull cap made from felt or wool. Women wore scarves, wrapped around the head. The saccus featured a tassel at the back as well as nets or snoods to hold the hair back. The petasos was made of woven straw. It featured a brim that could be turned up or down, and could also be fastened at the neck by a ribbon.

Hair styles
Hair styles for men and women were initially similar. In the early ages men wore their hair fussy with curls forming a crown around the forehead or braids wound around the head. But styles eventually were simplified and long hair became acceptable only for the elderly male, young men or boys.

Hair styles were known by names: the kepos was unkempt, the Hectorean style involved cutting and combing the hair backward into curls, and the Theseid featured strands of hair worn short at the forehead while the rest hung down longer at the back of the neck.

Young girls let their hair fall freely. Older women wore their hair long and let it fall loose over the shoulders. They could also wear their hair parted in the middle, waved, and scraped back so as to expose the ears. Sometimes, three or four strands, or spiral curls, were sectioned from the rest of the hair and styled so they hung down over the forehead while the rest of the hair hung down loosely at the back. Bands, ribbons, diadems, or strings of pearls added sophistication to hairdos.

Beauty and grooming
Make-up was used by most women. It consisted in applying a white base color to the face, rouge to the cheekbones, and painting one’s lips. The base color was often made of lead, which could have fatal consequences, while the rouge was made from vermilion or vegetables. Women would also use eye make-up, which involved Egyptian kohl and shadows in different colors. Eyebrows were groomed and, painted black.

Perfumes were very popular, especially the essences of violet, mint, myrrh, marjoram, and thyme. The Greeks often applied different scents to different body areas.

Women conditioned their skin on a daily basis, used depilatories to remove body hair, and used different concoctions on both their face and body.

Good physical shape was important for both sexes, although only men were allowed in the palestra – a complex devoted to exercise.

It is fair to say that the majority of women love fashion and wearing beautiful clothing. It is probably equally fair to say, that only a minority of women choose to wear dresses as part of their clothing. There are many reasons for this, but mostly it is due to a lack in confidence in their ability to carry-off a casual and natural air when wearing dresses.

However, there is nothing more simple, or easy, to wear than a casual dress. Here, we will offer some advice on the types of dresses available today, in the hope that by understanding a little, a lot of confidence can be gained and that perhaps a few more women will experiment with their clothing and begin to wear dresses with poise and self-assurance. If just one woman changes her mind, and decides to experiment with dresses, then this article has done its job correctly.

There are various styles of dress, which can be separated into different categories depending on their cut. There are many styles of dress, from the casual dress that can be worn every day, to the formal dress that is generally worn only on special occasions. In this latter category is the gown, made famous through various fairytales, such as Cinderella and Rapunzel – and many girls spend their childhoods dreaming of the opportunity when they can finally wear a gown themselves.

In adulthood, there are many opportunities for wearing such a dress, most notable are the end-of-school Dinner Dance, graduation ceremonies, and most of all, weddings. The gown style dress is arguably the most feminine style of dress, flattering the figure in a manner that is attractive, and yet, not too revealing. Although they are not ‘sexy’ in the sense that a little black dress may be, they are supremely alluring nonetheless.

Beyond the gown, there are various styles of casual dress, such as the mini-dress, the sheath dress, the shift dress, the sweater dress…so much so, in fact, that women are spoilt for choice. And given the incredible range of dresses that can be found, there is certain to be a cut/style to suit even the most ardent of dress-protesters! Dresses can make a statement to the world about the type of person you are, saying ‘I am confident, chic, and sure of who I am’ – no other item of clothing can boast quite that reputation, with the exception, perhaps, of the stiletto heel.

Different countries have different traditions when it comes to wearing dresses, and indeed, even in the UK, until the Women’s Movement of the 1960s, it was practically unheard of for women to wear trousers!