Archive for the ‘Clothing’ Category

Dress Shirts – Buying A Shirt For The Graduation Ball Or Wedding

Dress shirts ought to be a staple in every stylish mans wardrobe. Some men save dress shirts for special occasions, a party, wedding, or after work drinks with the boss. Others use them to add a bit of luxury to their everyday dress. In either case, finding the right style and quality to suit your personal taste can sometimes be difficult.

Dress shirts connote a man not afraid to be himself, or to subtly display his success in the world. On the high street, however, there is often only a choice between tacky, mass produced dress shirts and ones that would require you to re-mortgage your house. Luckily, the internet has a wide range of specialist designers, for all price ranges – from the historic Savile Row Company to new and innovative dress shirt designers.

Comfortable cotton is the most popular fabric used, though you will also find fine garments made with silk and man-made materials. The fabric is important when choosing a dress shirt. You should consider your purchase as an investment to last a number of years.

Furthermore, high quality fabric benefits both the look and the feel of a shirt. Poor quality fabric is often treated with chemicals, and can cause skin irritation. To avoid this, look for 100% cotton. A split yoke fabric is a sign of quality, as it allows the fabric to fall across the shoulders without puckering or creases.

Other dress shirt fabrics include Oxford Broadcloth, which is famous for its durability and prestige; Seersucker, which is cool in summer and designed to have a crumpled, lightweight feel; and Silk Linen, a compound fabric that combines smooth durability with breath-ability.

These days, women expect men to have as good a sense of style as they do! So it is important to get the right colour and fit for you, especially if you plan to wear the shirt at a wedding or some other flirting opportunity. That is one plus of the Internet – dress shirts, ties and other accessories are often categorised by colours that match. This takes all the effort out of buying an outfit!

If you do buy online remember that when you have made your choice and the garment arrives that the colours may look different and not suit you, so make sure that the website has a good returns policy.

If you can afford it you should consider having shirts customised to your requirements. Some people prefer fitted dress shirts, others a loose design. Buying a customised dress shirt also gives you power over sleeve length, collar shape and lets you match the best fabric with the best shape.

You should know your measurements before buying any clothing online. The most accurate way of doing this is to use a shirt you already have, rather than getting someone to measure your body. Lay it out flat and measure from a centre of the collar to the shoulder, then from the shoulder line to the cuff. Then you are ready to buy the perfect dress shirt.

Do You Remember: Retro Fashion and 70s Nostalgia

Take for example the Mini Skirt.
Mary Quant, chanteuse of the swinging 60’s Carnaby Street, is credited as the first to reveal the ultra-short miniskirt. The mini was shocking, and not since the 20’s flapper had exposing your knee caused such a stir. Respectable ladies wore skirts at knee length, and young girls were supposed to follow the respectable path, but something happened when the daring Quant shortened skirts, and the world went mod.

Designer Andre Courreges is also credited with the mini’s creation, but Quant successfully commercialized the new freedom of teenage fashion, exposing the sexually explosive 60’s to the mini. The all-too-revealing miniskirt coincided with the birth of the sexual revolution, and exposed more than legs. The birth control pill hit the market in 1960, and in 1962, feminist and future Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown published Sex and the Single Girl, a support manual for young women who refused marriage but didn’t want to sacrifice the most primal urge. Sex was everywhere, and even more shocking than girls enjoying sex was that they were talking about it. And the miniskirt was the best advertisement for the sexual revolution.

Girls could strut their stuff, free to expose their sensuality, and men were just going to have to deal with it! No more covering up, keeping flesh under wraps because of the consequences of temptation. The miniskirt boldly stated the new confidence of a woman’s body, and her place in the feminine world. Protection and ‘providing for’ was no longer what the 60’s gal wanted. She called the shots, and in her sexy new miniskirt, she got what she wanted.

The miniskirt has remained a major staple throughout the years, as a sign of both sexuality and confidence (though we should warn you that showing thigh won’t instantly turn you into an Amazon princess. The mini might make you look sexy, but the confidence part is up to you). The 80’s returned the miniskirt back to pure unadulterated sensuality when Madonna slithered across the floor in thigh-high, black lycra miniskirts. Paired with lace tights and mesh shirts that exposed the navel, the 80’s miniskirt was unashamed and in your face. The 60’s mini was mild in comparison to the body-hugging shamelessness of 80′s cotton lycra.

The mini-skirt received even more controversy when it found its way into the professional realm of the 90’s. Heather Locklear’s ‘Amanda’ on Melrose Place stirred up attention in her skirts that barely hung below the hemline of her suit jackets. Professional women were conflicted: yes, the mini-skirt made your legs look fabulous, but was this going too far? When Calista Flockhart’s title character on Ally McBeal received more attention for her skirts than for her law practice, girls had to wonder if the line had been crossed.

Hemlines rise and fall faster than the stock market—where liberated women are down on the exchange floor beside their fellow man, thank you very much. The true fashion icon of the 60’s, the mini skirt is fearless: it allows women to celebrate their sexuality, and yet defies the old fashion convention of yesteryear.

Discover Maternity Clothes That Will Keep You Feeling Beautiful

A mother-to-be should be the happiest woman on the earth, but sometimes the extra weight gain can put a damper on the way a pregnant woman feels. Choosing the right maternity clothing can go a long way toward alleviating the unattractive feeling a woman often experiences.

Whether you are petite or plus size you can discover some funky and trendy maternity outfits at cheap discount prices. Looking good is half the battle when it comes to feeling good. And looking good is just a matter of spending a little time finding the right maternity clothes for you. Appearing stylish is a goal that can be achieved through the entire pregnancy experience.

Some women believe they have to look thin to be beautiful. That is so far from the truth it is not even funny. There is a wide selection of cute maternity clothes in retail stores or online that can make you feel attractive again no matter what size you happen to be. There is absolutely no reason why any woman should have to squeeze uncomfortably into an outfit that is way too small in an attempt to look stunning. It’s not the size, but the style and fit that will improve your look.

The purpose of maternity clothing is to help you feel as comfortable as possible with your increasing weight and size. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find some trendy maternity clothes that you can feel good in. Finding some funky maternity clothes just takes a little bit of searching online or through retail stores. The cute maternity clothing you crave is out there, it just has to be found.

In addition to maternity pants, shirts, skirts and dresses there are other items of clothing that can increase a pregnant woman’s comfort. Finding the right underwear is very important too. If you want to look good you need to feel good. Nursing bras should have the ability to stretch, which is why cotton bras are the most popular during and after pregnancy.

If you are wanting to continue feeling sexy for your husband you may experience the need for some maternity thongs. They have become a very popular item of late. They can be found in very soft fabrics that will stretch comfortably below a woman’s belly. They can be made of stretchy cotton fabric for the ultimate in comfort and also come in an assortment of exciting colors and prints. Just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t wear similar clothes that you are already used to.

Other items of clothing that can still be worn during this period are jeans and T-shirts. Jeans and T-shirts are specially made for mothers-to-be. They have special stretchy areas that will conform to your shape while still looking trendy and attractive.

Skirts and dresses can also be worn regularly during pregnancy. Skirts are probably the most popular form of apparel during this time of your life. They can fit loosely for comfort while hiding some of the extra shape you are doing your best not to display. Dresses are also popular for the same reasons. This type of apparel gives you a little extra room for both growth and comfort.

The main thing to watch out for is not buying outfits that are too snug to begin with. It’s usually wise to purchase apparel that has a little “growing into” room. Buying things too tight means you will outgrow it quicker. If you have a large shopping budget you may be able to get away with buying things to fit. But if you are looking to save money by going with cheap discounts you should consider finding maternity clothes that will have a little extra room for growth. By shopping this way you will be able to save money by wearing those funky clothes for a longer period of time.

Now that you can see how important it is to find cute, trendy and funky maternity clothing for both your comfort and your appearance it’s time to start searching for them. Shopping online allows you do find cute petite or lovely plus size outfits in the convenience of your own home. Once you know what’s out there you can then visit the retail stores and start trying on the clothes that will help you to feel the most beautiful possible.