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Men and Fashion

One might be tempted to believe that the fashion world belongs first and foremost to women. Most of the fashion ads and shows are dedicated to them. You can tune into your favorite tv show or watch a movie at http://www.direct.tv, and see how much the fashion industry is influenced by media. Indeed, according to some preconceived notions and stereotypes, it is assumed that men are not attracted to anything like fashion and designer looks. However, upon closer inspection, much more is discovered and assumptions cannot be used to prove a rule.

This assumption is not new! Who said men did not like taking care of themselves and that they do not care for their style? Many people seem to have forgotten the times in which men wore powdered noses before donning outfits decorated with stickers and ribbons. Their heads were topped by a wig.

Later, the men of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries reduced a few frills, but always took care of their appearance. The dandies grew even in this passion for style even more. They adopted fashion costumes extensively, and studied the characteristics of dressing for their social status. Finally, in many ways, men’s fashion has been found over the centuries to be more outlandish than the style of the ladies. It was not until the 1970s that then began to wear clothing that really different.

The men were able to change their style by playing with the hair length, or not wearing a mustache, beard, sideburns, a variety of hats, gloves, sticks or other capes and coats for much longer. If the masculine style of dress has long been a reflection of social class, the twentieth century has brought a new approach to men’s fashion.

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How to Shop Celebrity Looks for Less

If fashion is your vice, but your wallet cannot handle it, you have to learn some tips and tricks for looking like a celebrity without having their bank account. Fortunately, there are some quick and easy ways to find these celebrity looks, and you can even put your shopping alerts on autopilot.

Flash and Private Sales

Here are some of the websites that offer members special deals on high-end luxury goods and fashion at deep discounts. Websites include Hautelook, Gilt, Rue La La, Ideeli and Gilt. Some membership sites require you to register as a member, while other websites require that a current member of the site refer you to be a member of the site. The discounts that these private sales offer reach as high as 90% off the retail price.

How it Works

Once you become a member of one of more of these sites, you will receive a daily email that previews the specials for the day. These are private sales, so the deep discounts on designer fashions are only available to members. There are also a limited number of items available and the sale only lasts for a set period of time. The sale ends when the item sells out or the time runs out, whichever of the two occurs first.

Additional Perks

Some of these private sales websites even reward you for recruiting additional members. Some sites offer you a discount off your next purchase on the site. Other sites offers gift cards to retailers, which can range from Starbucks and Omaha Steaks to fashion retail stores such as Gap and L.L. Bean.

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The Growing Trend of Dressing Pets Up

For many people, a pet is just as important as an immediate member of the family. Due to this fact, people will do just about anything to ensure their pet is safe, taken care of, and comfortable. This concept is by no means new, as pets have been a warm and welcome part of families for decades. However, people are seemingly becoming more pet crazy as modern society exhibits elements of popular culture.

Popular culture is vastly determined by what celebrities do and how they act. A growing trend among celebrities that pertains to pets in particular is the act of dressing them up in pet costumes. More and more celebrities are utilizing their pets as an accessory rather than as an actual pet. This can become especially prevalent during Halloween.

Celebrities such as Alyssa Milano and Martha Stewart are among some of the more widely known celebrities who enjoy dressing their pets in costumes. As these instances are featured in popular celebrity magazines and on television, people become interested in mimicking the concept. As such, pet costumes have experienced a great deal of growth in popularity over the past decade. People see their favorite celebrity fashioning their pet in a cute pet costume and in turn want to see what their own furry family member will look like in a costume of their own.

Now it is not just celebrities dressing their pets up any longer, it has become a popular trend in pop culture. As more people continue fashioning their pets in innovative costumes, more styles will continue to be released.

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Classic Fashions

Is your wardrobe recession proof? A wardrobe built around classic styles and investment pieces can actually save you money in the long-term. Classic fashions do not depend on trends. They are flattering to all figure types and have simple lines for a sleek silhouette. They come in classic colors like camel, black, blue, white and brown – not electric yellow or hot pink.

Classic clothing is made from natural materials like silk, wool, leather, and cotton, and it is well made. Seams are sturdy, collars are turned properly, and everything fits well. A few well-made pieces in classic styles can go through the seasons and can last for years. Wise shoppers use a “cost per wear” formula when shopping. An inexpensive piece may last one season and be worn six or seven times, but a slightly more expensive piece can last for years – and ultimately cost less per wear. Some shoppers believe in investment clothing – purchasing a few expensive pieces that they love and will wear for many years. These pieces may be vintage (think Chanel suit) and have never gone out of style.

Check the Internet and you will find several sites with basic wardrobe lists. Most include dress trousers, a daytime dress or two, a blazer, skirts, basic black dress, and trench coat. Add well-made pumps, flats in black and taupe, and a small clutch, and you have a foundation wardrobe that you can dress up or down with accessories.

Classic fashions are for those who do not follow trends. Women who develop a signature look and love timeless fashions follow their hearts, not current trends.

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Business Attire

If the only label you consider before a fashion purchase is the one with the laundry instructions, you may be fashion challenged. And if your fashion decisions center on comfort and stain resistance, what sort of makeover might you need?

Most working women eventually come to the truth that first impressions count. Do you think you are taken seriously at work when you are badly dressed? Studies show that pretty people are more successful – certainly being well dressed and well groomed can only help.

Where does a fashion challenged person start? A successful business look is one that is polished, professional, and flattering. Project a professional image no matter what your position or pay level. Unless you are in the fashion business, a good rule of thumb is to dress conservatively and save the trendy clothing for social occasions. Some offices have written dress codes. If your office does not, pick the most successful person in the office and emulate them. If the highest-ranking woman always wears dark color suits, follow her example. If there isn’t a high-ranking woman in your company, follow the example of the men. If they wear a suit and tie every day, choose suits or conservative pantsuits.

Business jewelry should be tasteful, small, and quiet. Noisy bracelets and dangling earrings can be distracting, particularly in meetings. Avoid oversized slouchy handbags – they look sloppy. Avoid any overtly sexy clothing – see though blouses, very short skirts, or any clothing that may be considered too tight.

Look for well-made clothing and make sure it fits properly so you will not have to constantly adjust a short skirt or gaping blouse. Your motto should be “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

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Casual Friday

What is “casual Friday” and what can an employee wear?  If a company doesn’t have a dress code, what style of clothing is appropriate? Some businesses allow employees who do not have contact with the public to dress very casually. But employees who attend meetings or have contact with the public represent their employers and need to live up to a standard of dress and decorum. Many businesses are backing away from casual Fridays and casual dress entirely because it has been interpreted as too casual. When employees show up to for work at the office in tank tops, shorts and flip-flops, employers start rethinking policy. Some businesses have created written dress codes to lessen confusion. Others rely on their employees’ good judgment, but can ask an employee to change or go home.

In general, business casual means shirt and long pants for men – ties and jackets are optional. Clothing should be clean, free of tears, and wrinkle free. Sweatsuits are not appropriate. On casual Fridays, women should wear a skirt, slacks, modest tops or sweater and shoes or sandals. Neither men nor women should wear flip-flops – ever. Women should not wear tank tops, bare midriff blouses, short skirts, or shorts.

Many bosses have found younger workers are confused by the term casual, and are likely to show up in outfits better suited to a beach than an office. Standards of dress allowed in high school and Universities have created a generation who believe appearance does not affect your work or people’s perception of you.

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Hiding Flaws Under a Dress

Most women do not have the perfect figure. There is always at least one perceived flaw, such as large breasts, saddlebags, a round stomach, flat-chest or big bottom. There is good news. Even if you have flaws that make your figure less than ideal, you can still dress, look, and feel beautiful.

Some people consider their body type, if it is not the classic hourglass shape to be a flaw. Even if you are a pear, apple, rectangle, or inverted triangle, there are cuts and styles that will disguise and hide the perceived flaws.

Every woman should have at least one perfect figure flattering dress, but there are so many cuts to choose from. Which one is right for you and hides your flaws the best?

Some of the most versatile and flattering cuts, regardless of your flaws are:

The Empire cut dress is flattering to almost every figure. The waistline on this cut sits above the natural waist and will hide wide hips, saddlebags, and stomachs well. It is also flattering for petite women because it adds the illusion of length. It often comes with a deep neckline. The baby doll is based on the same premise but has a shorter length and round neckline. The empire style is flattering on any figure shape.

The shift, which is a perfect  style to wear during the day or out at night, is considered the ideal for the little black dress. Avoid shift dresses with high necklines if you are large-breasted, as it will run into your neck and you will lose definition the tailored style is trying to achieve.

The Maxi is also a figure friendly option for many women. It is feminine and hides hips, bottoms, and stomachs. If you are petite be careful with this style as the full skirt can make you appear shorter. Add heals or platform shoes to compensate.

The wrap dress disguises stomachs and reduces the waist, is most flattering for curvy figures, so this may not be the best choice for a woman with a rectangular body shape, or women who are flat-chested.

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Shopping Tips

Some women love to shop and others hate to shop, but whichever type you are there are some tips that can save you time, money and stress.

-    Know what you need, based on what you already have in your wardrobe, so take inventory before you head to the store. Buying those adorable orange print Capri pants  won’t do you any good if you don’t have anything to wear them with.
-    Have a budget set ahead of time. This will reduce the number of items you can even consider purchasing.
-    Dress for shopping. Wear comfortable easy on and off clothes, since trying things on is necessary to finding the perfect item. Don’t buy it if it doesn’t fit properly.
-    Check care and washing instructions. Know ahead of time if that great dress on clearance is going to cost you a dry cleaning bill or time hand washing. The worst thing is to find the perfect item, bring it home and ruin it by washing it incorrectly, before you even have a chance to wear it.
-    Don’t get distracted by sales. Keep your needs in focus or you will end up with a bunch of things you don’t need and leave without the item you went shopping for because you spent your budget.
-    Shop by yourself. Shopping with friends can be fun, but you will often spend more and be enticed into buying things you either don’t want or don’t need because your friend says it looks great on you.
-    Start ahead of time. If you are shopping for a special event, do not wait until the last minute. It may take time to find the right dress or outfit, or you may need to have the length shortened, which takes time. If you wait until the last minute it will be more stressful, which means it will not be fun, even if you love to shop. If you have to settle for something you are not happy with, you will not enjoy wearing it, which can ruin what should be a wonderful event.

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Belts

A belt can be a fabulous fashion accessory. Belts are one of the few accessories that are for both men and women. They are obviously functional accessories, since their primary use is to hold pants up.

Men usually stay with a more classic thin leather belt with a metal buckle, though making a statement with a belt is becoming more common, for example on the television show Bones, Sealy Booth wears a belt with a large buckle that says “Cocky” on it.

Women’s versions tend to have more variety in width, pattern and color. Women wear belts at both the waist and hips. Chain, hip, and thinner belts are more flattering on a more slender figure. Wider belts at the waist are more flattering to larger figures. Self-tie belts that are made to give definition and form rather than contrast are appropriate for all figure types.

Belts can be made out of many materials in addition to the classic leather, such as chain, ribbon, elastic, and even a scarf can be worn as a belt. Corset belts are also becoming popular around the world.

In addition to the variety of belt materials, colors and patterns, there are equally as many types of buckles. The traditional basic metal buckle is the most classic. Many people are familiar with the large western belt buckles, which can come in a variety of sizes and adorned with a gemstones for more flash. Western belts and buckles are typically worn with jeans, however they can also we worn with formal wear. Studded belts are also common. Buckles can be artistic, hand-painted, or in designer shapes to create a statement simply with the choice of belt buckle. A belt is a way to express your individual style, it can be subtle or it can be bold, it can be classic, or trendy, the choice is yours.

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Picking the Right Dress for Your Wedding

The pictures are going to be around forever so you want to make sure that you absolutely get it right. Picking the right wedding dress is one of the biggest challenges that any bride faces and she wants to make sure that the dresses for her bridesmaids are timeless as well. You don’t want to look back in ten years and wonder what you were thinking.

The number one rule for dress shopping for a wedding is to establish a budget before you ever step into any bridal shop. If you set a limit, you will not be caught in the position of falling in love with a dress that is out of your price range or beyond the reach of the members of your bridal party. If you establish the budget up front, sales agents should not even bring out anything to show you that is more than you are willing to spend.

After shopping for diamond engagement rings, finding the dress should be your number one priority. Settle on a bridal gown before you start shopping for the bridesmaid dresses because this is your day and how you look is more important than the members of the bridal party. Find a design that is flattering to your figure and a dress that you can move around in if you are planning on dancing at your reception.

When it comes time to select bridesmaid dresses, try and settle on a style that will look good on all of the girls in the wedding party. Do you want a knee-length dress or one that goes to the floor? You also should have a good idea of the color scheme for the wedding before shopping for gowns for the wedding party. A rainbow of color surrounding the bride makes for a very stunning effect in photos, or you can choose a more traditional approach and go with gowns of the same color.

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