Today's Fashion

Summer trend: transparent clothes

2009-02-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

Transparent clothes - is one of the hottest trends of spring-summer 2008 season. In our reviews we often met transparent dresses, blouses and even jackets. Today we shall talk about transparent trousers. So, let’s look, what should transparent trousers be and with what clothes it is better to combine them, so that they would look stylish.

The form:
* straight, but not densely fitting trousers;
* actual form with softly expressed cut of riding breeches. Color and print:
* black and white;
* quiet actual colors which are in harmony with other parts of suit;
* such trousers should be fabric with a soft graphic ornament are well looked.

Combinations:
You may combine such trousers independently:
* with long blouse;
* with a dress of a simple cut;
* with a skirt

BEST FASHION DESIGN OF MARCH 2009

This drawing has been designed by fashion student :
Susanna Ciocchetta

Eco Fashion

2008-10-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has come to this…despite our best intentions we are forced to give some credit to the new 90210. Sometimes a golden nugget really can be found in the most unlikely places: in this case the latest episode of the series, "Model Behavior”. We’ll spare you the details but basically one “Debbie” (Lori Loughlin) is given the opportunity to shoot a fashion show for Nylon magazine, and this is where the eco chic twist comes in, the brand on the runway is none other than fashionably green favorite The Battalion. Designing sisters Chrys and Linda Wong (aka: the Bat and Lion, hence the name) are on a crusade against the sloppy casualness that has invaded West Coast dressing. Understanding the need for comfort and lush materials, they have been designing a line of contemporary urban clothes made from bamboo and organic cotton that does not compromise on design.
Tailored suits, structured blouses and draped coats are part of the offering at The Battalion, as well as some drool worthy plaid patterned coats and ponchos. The brand is just an example of the thriving eco fashion scene that is developing in LA, look out for many more innovative sustainable designers when we cover LA Fashion Week from October 12th to the 16th. After all, we can’t imagine Brenda (Shannen Doherty) or Kelly (Jennie Garth) would be caught dead in belly baring T’s anymore.

Indian Men's Traditional Clothing

2008-08-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

Though the majority of Indian women wear traditional costumes, the men in India can be found in more conventional western clothing. Shirts and trousers are worn by men from all regions in India. However, men in villages are still more comfortable in traditional attire. The men wear

The Sherwani : a coat like garment, worn by men, fitted close to the body, of knee-length or longer and opening in front with button-fastenings. Below the men wear a garment for the lower part of the body, baggy and wide at the top tied with a string at the waist , and tight around the legs and ankles. It is avery elegant dress for the men and mostly worn during ceremonies.

The Lungi : The traditional lungi originated in the south and today it is worn by men and women alike. It is simply a short length of material worn around the thighs rather like a sarong.

The Dhoti :A dhoti is a longer lungi but with an additional length of material pulled up between the legs

The Kurta-Pyjama :The Kurta or the top is a knee length colarless shirt which is adorned inmostly white or pastel colors. But today you will find Kurtas made out of the most wonderful and colorful of fabrics. Pyjama-are like loose trousers with a string tie at the waist. Traditionally white in color.

Dress Styles

2008-05-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

The dress style among the three groups varies as well. The Lehrerleut probably dress the most conservatively, with dark colors worn by adults and brighter colors by children. The Dariusleut dress similarly. The Schmiedeleut probably dress the least conservatively of the three.
Women in all three groups wear long dresses and Tiechle (Head coverings). For the Lehrer- and Darius-leut, they are dotted (polka dots). Some polka dotted Tiechle can be found among the Schmiedeleut women as well, but often they are all black.
Men wear suspenders and dark pants. Married men wear a beard in all three groups.
All three groups typically wear suspenders (white/black) and black pants or dark jeans. Shirts are homemade and could be almost any dark color/pattern. All groups typically wear white "Sunday" shirts.

Schmiedeleut men in leadership positions often wear a narrow-rimmed black fedora though wearing of hats is not confined to leaders; it just turns out that fewer other males wear them.
Darius and Lehrer -leut often wear wide-rimmed hats, and "hat-wearing" is not confined to men in leadership roles; most males wear them.

Schmiedleut women wear lighter dresses but no aprons. They wear a kopftiechle (head covering) that is not typically dotted or the dots are smaller and farther apart than those of the Lehrerleut.
The Kopftiechle of the Lehrerleut are large dotted, whereas those of the Dariusleut are smaller.

Lehrerleut women wear light-colored dresses and aprons. Lehrerleut men and women seem not to have collars on their shirts or jackets. They do, but the collars are small, stiff, and not bent over like one would expect.

Darius and Lehrerleut men/women wear black jackets without a collar.

Dariusleut aprons are the same color as their dress; not so with Lehrerleut; aprons are a different color/pattern.

Darius and Lehrerleut always wear dark socks and plain shoes.

Children of all three groups usually wear lighter colored clothing.
It is important to note that particular dress styles are cultural traditions and the goal is to wear modest and "humble" clothing. It is deemed important to be obedient and to wear uniform styles, according to each leut's Church ordinances.

Summer Style

2008-03-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

I recently made the acquaintance of a super-cool boy called Audrey. The good news is that as well as working as a buyer & designer for a men’s youth line, he is also a style fiend. He wrote this & I liked it so much that I asked if I could post it here for all the male readers! I hope you enjoy it!
Summer raises the question about office etiquette when it comes to dressing for work. Winter to me, is far easier for work — sweaters & vests & jackets & long sleeve shirts (though my shirts are all constantly folded to my elbows because my forearms are actually one part of my body I actually like & try to accentuate).
Summer, on the other hand is slightly more difficult. Lucky are those who can just tumble out of bed & throw on shorts & a tee & toddle off to earn their scratch! Some of us just don’t have that luxury. & this Summer is especially tricky: not only do I work at an office so must remain respectable, but also the office for a youth fashion buyership & design area — meaning there’s a certain, unspoken expectation that I’ll look somewhat… well, “cool”. I admit, I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I somehow manage to toe the line of being appropriate, yet stylish. As my friend Vicki recently put it, she hated the fact my casual & work wear are somewhat similar, so I always look like I could be coming straight from work, or I could be coming out of a club – she’s just never actually sure.
Personally, I don’t happen to own a suit anyway. I consider it my own little act of rebellion, because I still manage to remain stylish, yet acceptable & proper at all functions — even those where technically I should be in a suit. But I guess I could soon be given my orders to take the plunge & max out another credit card, as our CEO has tightened the noose (pun only kind of intended) this week too, after noticing that with the jump in temperature a lot of males in the office are forgoing their tie & vowing to take action against any anyone not conforming with office policy.
So therein lies the challenge. How to keep the people in the Ivory Tower content, while still maintaining a sense of comfort, surviving peak hour sardine-tin rides to and from the office & conveying a sense of style and authority to potential suppliers to your business? I understand an office supplies clerk needing to be in corporate black & whites but my particular situation is slightly different.

I’ve found some slight loopholes in the system & exercise them to their extreme at all available opportunities. I’m a huge fan (yet the ONLY one doing it at my office) of a good fitting teeshirt worn over a long- or short-sleeve shirt & tie. You should probably should stick to plain, unless you happen to work for a really cool & relaxed office, when vintage & band shirts can definitely make an appearance & will offshoot a tie with spectacular results. Wrangler cigarette leg black denim jeans come with black solid metal rivets on the pockets, so are in fact passable as not actually being jeans.
Business shirts can be worn slightly different if you can manage to shake off the salesperson & buy things that aren’t necessarily your technical correct size. I suggest dropping your shirt size by two standard sizes, but make sure you get the ‘long’ sleeve length. Doing this gives you a nice slim fitting shirt (business shirts are always made extra long to still tuck in if you need to), with a top button that will casually sit open as it is in fact — in all technical aspects — too small for your neck. Plus, you can loosely knot a tie around because business shirts are usually made with bones or more starch in their collars than their casual counterparts.
Another great look involves having your work pants tailored just a little too short, investing in some snappy looking, high fashion slip-ons (patent leather, anyone?) & skipping the socks. (Note: this last one is not for beginners. & for the love of god, invest in Odour Eaters first!)
But I think the biggest mantra to stick to in the workplace is the age old saying that you should dress for the job you want, not for the job you’ve got. I myself got noticed by the youth fashion department by actually dressing the part in my former role – even the head menswear buyer was trying to head-hunt me out of homewares before I got snapped up by my current department.
So keep in mind — being the stylish, fashion-conscious man at the office is great, but it’s a double-edged sword. If you’ve got your eyes on the business manager’s job, then obviously what’s written above won’t be applicable to you. Sometimes you do have to suck up to The Man & ‘play the game’ & leave your stylishly impressive wardrobe moves to where it counts most — out in the bars over summer where all the cute, scantily-clad ladies are bored of those hipsters & their godawful fluoro neon Henleys & Havaianas.

Dress, Jewels, Arms and Coat of Arms: Material Culture and Self-Representation in the Late Middle Ages

2008-02-07T03:20:00.000-08:00

PrefaceThe serious gentlemen on the image above are - no doubt - feasting. Who can they be? One is startled by the huge 'stars' on their 'coats': are these the apostles receiving apocryph stigmata at the Last Supper, or the jolly company at the feast of Cana? The supposed divine halo is nothing more than a sign of earthly pride: the apostle-looking figures represent the Order of the Star, l'Ordre de l'Etoile, a French order founded in the 14th century ro rivalize the English Order of the Garter. The size of the stars suggests the basic importance of the Order in the self-representation of these knights, at least, it seemed so to the 15th century illustrator of this manuscript of the Chronique de France.
The purpose of this manual is similar: to show how the emerging self-consciousness of the Late Middle Ages tried to represent and define itself in objects. Of course, the fashioning of human identity was already a common process in the Classical Antiquity: "Such self-consciousness had been wide-spread among the elite of the classical world, but Christianity brought a growing suspicion of man's power to shape identity." (Stephen Greenblatt) Augustine said: "Hands off yourself: try to build up yourself and you build a ruin." In this aspect the Late Middle Ages, but in some cases already the High Middle Ages have brought along a change. The representative members of the society, whose circle gets bigger and bigger, start to fashion themselves according to ideal patterns: from the idea of Christian ruler it descends to the courtly lover, to the knight and finally to the bourgeois. The self-fashioning consists not only of manners and taste, the internal adornment of the man, but also of external, bodily ornaments, which express the belonging of their possessors to a certain part of the society.
The four essays gathered here give both an introduction to evolution and history of medieval arms, heraldry, costumes and jewelry, and try to offer a key to the interpretation and symbolism of the ornaments, where possible. The authors of the manual (Russel Mitchell - arms and armor, Vladimir Baranov - heraldry, Annamaria Kovacs - costumes, Dora Sallay - jewelry (techniques), Elena Lemeneva - jewelry (symbolism), Kiss Farkas Gabor - editing) do not claim originality, the purpose of the project was to produce a booklet which might serve as a useful tool in teaching and also as a reference and starting point for further studies.
The manual consists of four main sections, a glossary with links to the sections and a general bibliography. We tried to link the hypertexts at as many places as possible, so one could find cross-references between different sections, as well. The navigation is made easier between the four main sections by references at the top of the pages. Almost each image can be viewed in largo by clicking on them.

Do you need a style update?

2008-01-22T03:55:00.000-08:00

If you feel you need to update yourself be comforted that you are probably not as old fashioned as you think. The very fact that you are thinking about updating, implies a certain awareness of style. Be comforted that only twenty percent of the population is actually wearing fashion. Most choices we make are utilitarian and related to the lives we lead. Many women are simply safely in the middle, neither being bang up to date nor dreadfully out of fashion. Most of those clothes are available nationwide and affordable by most people, so cannot possibly be cutting edge high fashion.Remember also that the star's thighs you see on a magazine cover have often been airbrushed to perfection, so that no cellulite is visible. It certainly makes many of us feel less than perfect. However take a glance at the next twenty people in the street and come back to reality. Learn to accept a few flaws and work with what you have, it might be beautiful hands, lovely eyes, glossy hair, good ankles or a graceful neck. Draw attention to that.If you really are larger than the average person buy some of the clothes especially designed for larger ladies and listed on my new page called Plus Sizes at www.fashion-era.com . You can also read and see photos of the Evans summer 2005 collection or the fall/winter 2005 collection of Evans plus sizes.When you are younger you automatically tend to know what is in fashion and what is not. This is always enhanced if you are in a workplace where there is a buzz. Those days of intuitive knowledge soon fly past when combined with the reality of living with figure faults, running a home and budgeting. You may like me, have had to wear some garments in fabrics you hated simply for comfort during weeks of medical treatment such as radiotherapy. Welcome to the real world, where for many of us life is not quite like the catwalks would like it to be on a daily basis.You may even have found the ideal shapes that suit and flatter your body. But are those shapes in fashion at this moment and if they are not, how can you still look as if you are aware of new styles.Fashion pundits have always said that if you want to get the look, first get the hair and the feet right, and the rest will follow. Or you can invest in wacky up to the minute accessories for a funkier look by choosing the latest handbags, belts, hair ornaments and contemporary jewellery. Modern jewellery can give you an instant up date. In the shops right now are great boots of the 'noughties', not boots of the nineties. If you want to see how fashions relate to the timetable of style read the page on Laver's Law. Learn to Assess Fashion LooksSo go out and buy four or five women's magazines that have fashion spreads. It will be £15 or so well spent if it saves you making great gaffes and eliminates hours of trudging around a city sorting out what racks have panache. August/September is always a great time to check the looks in magazines as is February/ March. Then after you have followed this guide, go window shopping, but remember your first view is simply a recce about town. On this first shopping occasion leave your cheque book and credit cards at home. Take only a limited amount of cash with you. Spending real cash will make you think long and hard. It's much easier to get entwined in a credit card transaction and often that will be for an impulse purchase. Impulse buys are often our finest buys. Yet sometimes when you are trying to develop a new look, or update your appearance, you need just to see what is in the shops and get an overall picture of current fashion styles.All you intend to do on the first visit is look to assess styles, colours and beauty ranges. You can also look at what's available online. I feature Wallis, TopShop, Next and Miss Selfridge all of which cover a wide age range. You should find some information in my trends section that will help you.If you do take and use that credit card always ask the assistant 'Can I bring it back if my husband, boyfriend, partner, children, cat, dog etc., hate it on me....'. Find out if it's within 1 or 2 weeks or 28 days, or a fairly open policy of returns. For example Laura Ashley UK will refund a credit card, or return cash within a 28 day return. After that, they will not refuse to take an item back, but they will only give you a credit voucher to be spent in their shops.Be aware though that if you remove the hanging tag labels most shops will likely refuse you a refund after making the assumption you removed the labels to enable you to wear an item even if it is within the time limit for a refund. Personally this irritates me because frankly I can never really decide if a skirt or trouser waistband really fits me correctly with bands of card labels and envelopes of spare buttons all sticking into my fleshy waistline!

Ceremonial dresses for men

2008-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Earlier, only women used to have lots of options of wearing different dresses but now men also have various attires to dress themselves in

What are gentlemen wearing to formal occasions these days?

Fashion and style are things that always keep changing in our lives. We love to pamper ourselves with makeovers, especially with the fast changing styles of dressing up. Earlier, only women used to have lots of options of wearing different dresses but now men also have various attires to dress themselves in.

Men who have got bored of their regular trousers, shirts and ties must try these new looks which are traditional but much in fashion at the moment: Kurta pyjamas, Sherwanis, Achkans, Churidar kurtas, Bandh gala suits, Dhotis and Angavastram, are creating waves at social do’s.

India is a land of culture and heritage. Different people have different tastes, which naturally get translated into different likes and dislike in their fashion preferences. Indian fashion is greatly influenced by the background and culture of its people. Moreover, this is the country, which is well known, all around the world, for its classic fashion styles. In northern India, men are mostly seen in Kurta Pyjamas for casual or semi-formal occasions like a visit to friends home, for some pooja- path in temples. A few like to wear kurta pyjamas in the evenings, for walks or as their night suits too. They consider it as an easy and comfortable dress for evenings.

Kurta pyjamas are also worn for the evening parties like Sangeet ceremony at weddings that require an Indian touch. So, to make a style statement, opt for the traditional kurta pyjamas with Chikankari Kashmiri or Kashida embroidery. Churidar kurtas can also be a good option. Kurta in red silk with embroidery on the front panel accompanied with golden stole in a crushed material gives a stylish look. You can go for fabric like jutes, silks and linen in shades of pastels and creams for the morning and darker shades of wines and blacks for the evenings. Kurta pyjamas truly represent the ultimate conventional ethnic fashion attire.

Nowadays, there are various pre wedding functions so you have to decide on clothes for all those function like the engagement, tilak, sangeet, wedding and reception. Varieties of alluring Indian wedding dresses are available in the market. Grooms wear different kinds of clothes on their wedding. Like, on your engagement you can opt for an Indo-Western styled suit comprising of a Bandh Gala jacket with pants and an inner vest in contrasting brocade. Different colours are in vogue in different season but you should go for colours that suit your complexion. Indian suits are a fusion of rare fabrics and western style with an Indian touch.

The Sherwani is a typical attire for the men, which signifies elegance and style. It is the most traditional Indian garment, which look fine on tall and well-built people. Sherwani is a long coat, buttoned up in front with Nehru collars. Worn with tight fit churidar or trousers in contrasting colours with scarf or shawl draped over one or both shoulders, they give a regal and graceful look. They are the perfect attire for the wedding and also for the reception party

Traditionally, the sherwanis worn are off-white. But other colours are also worn these days are like black and other darker shades. They can be of various types like the Peshawri and the Baloochi, and are usually embellished with embroidery and zardozi work. The groom's sherwani is incomplete without the ghatcholas, flowing kurtas with churidars and jooties or Indian sandals. For your reception party you can pick regular three-piece suit for a formal Indo-western look. Go for stylish colours like shades of copper, grey, navy blue or any other.

And, of course, if you are planning to attend a friend’s marriage and are confused about what to wear, you can go for Achkan with churidar pyjamas. As seen in movies even Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and many more, gear up themselves in achkans with stoles or shawls for party scenes.

In the South, grooms either wear the traditional veshti (dhoti) and kurta or three-piece suits. Now, the dhoti has also become tasteful attire.

Traditional dresses have come back in the markets with a new look. Dress designers have also made a lot of efforts to give a ‘hot’ look to such attire so that men can also flaunt themselves at parties where women have always been the main attractions. Not only in India, but in Asia also, these dresses have become popular.

So, this time when you have to get ready for some party or function, we recommend that you try some of this attire to give yourself a new look.

Fabrics of India

2007-12-31T23:29:00.000-08:00

India has a rich, diverse and unique textile tradition. Weaving has been an extremely well developed craft form in India from as early as the Indus Valley civilization. India has had strong traditions in the making, dyeing, printing, and embroidering of cloth as is evident from historical records. The array of textiles varies from place to place by factors like geography, climate, local culture, social customs, availability of raw materials etc. The extraordinary range of Indian textiles reflect the cultural richness and adaptability of the country.

A variety of raw materials like silk, cotton, wool, jute etc are used in India for creating fabrics. Though silk and cotton weaving predominates the Indian weaving tradition, wool is also used for weaving in many parts of the country especially in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and North Eastern States.

Most textiles are produced by twisting fibers into yarns and then knitting or weaving them into fabrics. The craftsman does most of the work by hand, but today with modern machinery and textile mills, the process has become simpler and faster than before. Indian fabrics are unique for their excellent workmanship, colours and durability. Interestingly nowhere else will anybody wear the range of colour combinations like the Indians do.

Fabrics in silk, cotton and wool are more in demand inside the country as well as abroad. Every state in India is known for a particular textile, showcasing the lifestyle and culture of that place.

What you need to know about men's fashion

2007-12-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

Here offers several style tips that will help you earn the �best dressed� status symbol. There are some of the �commandments� they list for men's fashion to achieve this look:

1. Honor thy tailor. According to GQ, even the best suits need altering. In men's fashion this is probably the most important detail that is not always adhered to. Pants need to be shortened, jackets need to be brought in, sleeves need to be narrowed (yes, you can ask your tailor to slim down your sleeves), and buttons need to be realigned with buttonholes (most guys� shoulders aren�t entirely even, meaning your jacket often sits a bit askew).

If you're going to buy off the rack, you should always buy your correct size, then have a tailor customize it to your body. GQ says that the chances are you�re wearing your suit a size too large. Its shoulders should hug your shoulders (not jut out past them). Also, have your tailor size the sleeves so they stop at the hinge of your wrist (not halfway down your thumb) and to size the pants so they break once (not gather in a baggy mess at your heels). Having your tailor properly fit your suit is the difference between being appropriately dressed and being stylishly dressed.

Custom tailored suits and even dress shirts are another option. Custom tailoring means that everything will fit right - and if you need to have a lot of alterations done on ready-made clothes, it may be an economical alternative.

2. Thou shalt learn when to cuff �em. If you�re wearing a trim, modern suit with flat-front pants�the kind often shown in men's fashion magazines�you should not cuff your pants. However, if you�re a guy who likes a classic suit with a single pleat, go for a cuff�but not more than one and a half inches deep.

3. Thou shalt match your socks with your suit. Another must in men's fashion. When choosing socks, the basic rule is to consider the suit instead of the shoe�in other words, if you�re wearing a navy suit with black shoes, reach for navy socks. And when wearing a light suit, make sure the socks are darker than the suit but a shade or so lighter than the shoes.

4. Thou shalt not wear a tie that is too slim. Unless you�re a hard-core men's fashion guy who favors a superskinny tie, stick with one that measures about three inches at its widest point. It will be narrower than traditional ties, but not by too much. Tie one on and you�ll look modern and sophisticated. We assume that�s the look you want to achieve!

5. Remember thy undershirt. This one�s an interesting and tricky men's fashion tip. If you�re wearing a conventional white broadcloth dress shirt (which means it�s fairly see-through), you have two options: Skip the undershirt and you�ll look clean and stylish. Or, if you�re a hairy guy who perspires a lot and you feel safer in an undershirt, wear a crewneck. The lines of a V-neck or tank top will be visible beneath your shirt and tie and you�ll look cheesy. GQ suggest that if you prefer a V-neck or tank top, you might consider other dress shirts. Go for ones with checks or stripes, which make an undershirt less visible. Or opt for hardier fabrics, like an oxford cloth, which make undershirts all but invisible.

6. Thou shalt put your wallet on a diet. Your wallet should not be as fat as a burrito. In fact, GQ says that you should get rid of your wallet and you should trash all the receipts, video cards, that�s stuffed into it. Buy an elegant, slim leather credit card holder and stock it with your essential cards. Then, fold your cash in a money clip. All that other nonsense can go in your desk drawer. You don�t need it.

7. Thou shalt wear brown shoes�with nearly everything. Black dress shoes are easy�they�re understated and tasteful. In men's fashion, the GQ experts say that brown dress shoes up the style factor. People notice them. They go best with gray, khaki, or navy. Dark brown shoes are easier to pull off than light brown ones.

Brands with something more to say

2007-12-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

While fashion has always been used as a form of self expression, we’re seeing an increase in the number of clothing labels that go beyond aesthetics to make a statement. COTAM (Clothing of the American Mind) was one of the first labels to jump on this trend, by using quirky graphics and text to convey strong political and social beliefs. Now we’re seeing even more brands use text and images to lend deeper meaning to their threads.

Swedish subscription-based t-shirt label T-post’s “94% News, 6% Cotton” tees feature unique, descriptive graphics, complete with a printed text explanation on