Tag Archives: wholesale clothing

Fashion in Focus: Six Reasons Why You Should Improve Your Style

October 3, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips for Women


“Putting on a beautifully designed suit elevates my spirit, extols my sense of self, and helps me define me as a man to whom details matter.”-Gay Talese (Author)

Dressing forms part of our daily routine regardless of where we might be going. At times, it might be something that we do several times a day—depending on the occasion and the venue. However, how much consideration really goes into dressing up? Do you dress with deliberate thought and care? Or have you seen this part of your everyday routine as something negligible? After all, how hard can it be just to choose an ensemble of clothes and be on your merry way? For some individuals with a devil-may-care attitude as regards fashion, this may be the case. But for people who have a penchant for all things stylish and a flair for looking sophisticatedly fashion-forward, assembling a collection of clothes to wear might just be the most significant highlight of their everyday routine.

Some individuals relish the idea of taking hours just to find the perfect outfit while there are some who wish to do just the minimum requirement it takes to look presentable. You might think there is no other merit to contemplating so much about what to wear and working on your appearance other than a sense of personal satisfaction. But, you might just be surprised at how advantageous this can turn out to be. If you steered some of your endeavors into looking good and being fashionably stylish, you would immediately see how it can impact your life significantly. It improves your life and would even go as far as help you boost your career. You might be skeptical, but before you dismiss the idea and favor your existing clothing over more stylish and urban clothing, here are reasons that might convince you otherwise:

1.) Feel more confident

This one is a no-brainer and needs no further elaboration but to illustrate here is a brief example: Deliberately choosing what you wear means you like the choices you come up with. In a sense, it would mean that the clothing you have selected makes you feel good about yourself. From that aspect alone, a boost in your confidence ensues. Taking a positive approach to fashion and style can encourage you to discover what looks good on you as well. You might be surprised, but sometimes, fashion is all you need for a better and brighter day ahead.

2.) Improve self-care

An often overlooked but pivotal aspect in fashion is personal care and grooming. While a myriad of clothes might be the solitary focus for some, how you care for yourself actually plays a role on how good clothes will look on you. In this regard, taking deliberate care in dressing up would consequently make you care about yourself and your appearance better.

3.) Stand out more

You might not exactly be itching to get yourself in the spotlight, and that is totally okay. If you take particular joy in blending it, you might not necessarily think about how your clothing selections would make you more noticeable. However, there will be times in your life wherein your desire to get noticed would be inevitable. Regardless of whether this might stem from a professional or personal endeavor, the truth is your choices in fashion are excellent avenues of you getting noticed. In the workforce, you might want to stand out because you are competing against another individual for a promotion or the like. In this regard, a well-tailored suit or simply power dressing can be of assistance to you. Furthermore, if you are weary of getting washed out in the crowd, improving your style and changing up your fashion choices can drastically change that.

4.) Discover more about yourself

Dressing with deliberate care largely involves knowing what you want and why you want it. In this aspect alone, you are given the opportunity to explore your personal style deeper and discover more about your personality and who you truly are. Looks may not be everything, but there are various hints of your character and personality in the way you dress. After all, how you present yourself to the world in terms of clothing style, makeup and the like, forms part of how you express yourself. If you are a bit uncertain about what you like and what you do not like, try to explore different fashion choices. From here, you can determine what looks good on you and what makes you feel comfortable and confident.

5.) Connect with others over style and fashion

Having a keen interest in fashion and style is an excellent opportunity for you to make friends with individuals who have a similar interest with you. People with a proclivity for trends and the latest fashion can give you sagely advice as well. This does not mean you have to be absolutely obsessed with fashion just to talk about it with others, however. Even the simplest passing interest can already give you an opening for connecting with others who share this interest. Your social stratosphere is not limited to individuals you can physically interact with, as you can communicate and connect with people online as well. You might want to read fashion blogs and interact with people in the comments or start your very own if you so wish.

6.) Learn from mistakes

Making mistakes is inevitability—especially if you are refining your style and changing your fashion choices. If you do not see yourself committing any errors, that in itself is already a mistake as you are playing it too safe. However, do not fret, mistakes are pivotal to learning after all. You might dismiss them as just clothes, but these are lessons you can apply in other areas of your life as well. Apart from teaching you about the certain styles that look great on you, it teaches you how people would react to a particular style and would help you learn about who you are as well.

 

You might see clothes, style, and fashion as negligible aspects of life, but just give it a try, and you will be surprised at the many benefits it has attached to it. Simply improving your style or changing the way you dress can already make an impact on your daily life and you will feel much better about yourself overall as well. Dress deliberately and with care, and soon enough you would be wondering why you neglected to do it sooner.

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Fashion 101: Five Ways Owning Your Style Can Change Your Life

September 26, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women


“Fashion you can buy, but style you can possess. The key to style is learning who you are which takes years. There is no how to road map to style. It is about self-expression and above all, attitude” -Iris Apfel.

It has been said that style is the perfection of a point of view. And in this regard, only one point of view matters yours. But how would one define style? Well, it differs depending on the individual you ask. Merriam Webster would define it as a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed. Universally speaking, however, it is the manner by which an individual carries himself or herself in their clothes and how one feels while they are doing so–whether that selection of clothes is largely wholesale clothing or designer purchases. The operative word here is feel–in a sense that when an individual wears their selected assembly of clothes, they would and should feel a range of things and confidence is one of them. Each and every one of us has a very distinct sense of style, and although two or more individuals may share some similar aspects and elements to their style, it is never entirely the same.

As style is incredibly personal, it is imperative that one should own it. It is not recommended for the faint of heart as it requires a degree of grit and a combination of confidence and conviction. Style is an innate voice by which we express ourselves through an ensemble of clothes and failing to own it would be suppressing that same voice. Unfortunately, many of us have fallen victim to it by mindlessly following trends which fashion regularly purveys, and as a result, we lose our identity. And if you truly wish to own your style, knowing the difference between fashion and style is paramount. Style echoes your preferences and speaks your language while fashion is basically someone asking you to learn and be a follower.

Below, you will see some of the ways how acknowledging it would significantly change your life:

1.) Helps you make a statement and reveals your identity

A wise adage captured the essence of what style truly is by saying that it is what we say without having to speak. In this regard, the style would be a unique language–a language so deeply personal to us. Initially, it might feel a little daunting to show it to the world, considering how it can be significantly different from that of the others. However, the more you communicate your style with confidence, the much easier it would be to own it and show it to the world every day. Remember, style is what you say without having to speak, so make sure you say it loud and proud.

2.) Reveals discipline

Having and owning your own style requires a degree of discipline from an individual. Discipline in a sense that they should and would say no to the trends purveyed by fashion. If a person has an awareness of their body, their lifestyle and all the aspects that would impact how they express their style, they would not be easily swayed by trends. Furthermore, discipline is seen in the way they shop, with deliberation and patience. They do not indulge their whims and shop with a purpose. They are aware of what they need in their wardrobes and would take their time to find it. Quality over quantity is what these individuals inherently live by when it comes to their clothing choices, ensembles, and purchases.

3.) Separates you from the crowd

While standing out from the crowd is a necessary consequence of possessing a unique style and owning it well, it should never be your driving goal as this may cause you to deviate from your true self. However, if the way you dress consistently aligns with who you are and your lifestyle, then it would easily separate you from the crowd. In this regard, it is important to always dress well regardless how casual or formal the occasion is. Labels and tags do not necessarily matter, as you can look fabulous even in simple clothes so long as you know how to assemble an outfit that looks good and feels good.

4.) Memorable

You might think that wearing a uniform is the epitome of looking just like everyone else and in a sense, you are right. However, this is vastly different from wearing a personal and signature uniform which you garb yourself at the moment you step out of the door–a feat which makes it a lot easier for you to choose an outfit from your closet. It can be anything from the color palettes you gravitate towards to, skirt length preference, a combination of clothing you are seen regularly wearing and the like. If you found a particular style which works for you and you can own rather well, it becomes apparent in the way you dress and consequently, people will remember you better. It can start out small such as an accessory you are always seen wearing–may that be a broach or a type of scarf. In this way, you set yourself apart from the rest with a particular kind of style, and once it sticks, it becomes timeless, and people will remember you for it.

5.) Allows us to create a unique identity

Style allows us to express ourselves in various manners that enables us to establish our identity in other’s minds. As a result, we can craft and create an identity that is truly unique, memorable and is deeply personal to us. Furthermore, as we grow and evolve, so does our style expect to see changes and upgrades in how you dress–a metamorphosis if you may. Alterations to our style stem from lifestyle changes and decisions we make through the different stages of life we go through. It should reflect who you are becoming.
An ensemble of clothes may seem like an insignificant aspect of your personality, but it is deeply telling of who you are. After all, no one would look at you and see your personality immediately and for this reason, owning your style is important. Remember, style is more than just your relationship with clothes; it is the voice and the character by which you present yourself to the world.

 

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Retail Therapy: Five Failsafe Shopping Tips to Buy Clothes That Last

September 11, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women

“Crying is for plain women. Pretty women go shopping.”-Oscar Wilde

Oniochalasia (n.): Buying or shopping as a method of stress relief or relaxation

It is without a doubt that shopping is one of the best avenues for allaying stress and it has also been known to be an effective method of lifting one’s mood whenever one is down in the dumps. Although hardly considered economic, this fact is especially so for women who have a unique affinity for sartorial items and a penchant for retail therapy. After all, a rather popular sentiment when it comes to shopping is wishing it was covered by health insurance as is it considered an excellent alternative to having a therapist. However, considering that to dispel the blues away and alleviate stress, you need to fork over some cash, you need to be extra meticulous and careful about the purchases you make. Before giving in to your shopping impulses take a look and survey your closets first? Are they filling to the brim with clothes you never wear? Or are they otherwise clothes you do wear but would wear out quickly? Regardless of whether you indulge your shopping with desires with retail buys or wholesale clothing, the fact remains that when it comes to shopping, you need to come up with a strategy in order to select only the best clothes that would last you for years and not months alone.

After all, nothing is more infuriating than seeing a brand new sartorial purchase look aged after a single wash, or having holes appear on it after several uses. While there are some clothes that are not made to last, this does not mean they should be disposable either. This fact coupled with the quality of clothes on the decline should give you a sense of urgency to be a bit more thorough in selecting the clothes you buy. Here are a few tried and trusted tips to ensure you do not make the mistake of buying easily worn-out clothes:

1.) Check the label

No, this does not mean the brand tag that your clothes come with, but rather it means the tag which indicates what the fabric content is. Regardless of where you bought your clothes, the fabric content would matter. These may come from a lot of sources such as plants and animals which would yield linen, cotton, silk, and wool. But in order not to over exhaust that limited supply, some of our clothes might be made from synthetic materials such as acrylic, spandex, rayon and the like which are spun from petrochemicals and plastics. These synthetic fabrics are made to feel a lot like natural fibers albeit, a lot less sturdy. These materials cannot withstand repeated laundering the way natural fibers can and would eventually break down in the wash or the dryer. For this reason, you need to be a bit particular about the type of fabric your clothes are made of, and consequently, it is advisable to learn what good quality feels and looks like.

2.) Use your sense of touch

There is no doubt that the singular best way to know and judge a fabric’s quality whether it is knit or woven is to touch it. In this way, you would have a better idea of whether the fabric feels soft, smooth or substantial or brittle, thin and rough. If you want a garment to last long, then you need to go for fabrics of substantial fiber as this would mean it is more likely to last longer. It does not necessarily have to be heavy, just ensure that the yarns and threads are tightly packed and observe the density. A good way to establish a sense of what fabrics will hold up well is to start with the clothes in your closet. Observe your clothes and determine which ones have stood up to the test of time and which have not. Get a feel of your own clothes in order to have a sense of what it is that made some of your garments age well.

3.) Hold it up to the light and stretch it

Sometimes, reading the label and touching a garment’s fabric just does not cut it. More often than not, if you truly want to ensure you are buying quality clothes that would last you long, you need to hold it up against the light and stretch it a bit. Touch alone would not be an excellent indicator of quality as there are some manufacturers who may add chemicals to make a cloth seem smoother and feel heftier. Holding up a particular garment against the light would give you a better sense of its weight and the density of its weave. Make sure you pay attention to the yarns as well. And remember, the more tightly spun they appear, the better.

4.) Look at the seams, inside and outside

While fabric quality is paramount to determining a piece of clothing’s quality, it is not the sole element that matters. Apart from the fabric itself, it would be wise to check what is holding your garment together. This means you have to pay particular attention the seams and see to it that the stitches should be closely spaced, even and lying flat on the fabric. Do not limit your scrutiny to the outer layer of the garment and check the insides as well. Avoid purchasing seams that look sloppy or garments that have spots where they appear loose or stitched over multiple times. Checking stitches and seams is imperative as this is what holds a garment together and ensures that it would not fall apart with movement or washing.

5.) Good quality will probably cost you

The bottom line here is: If you want your clothes to last, you need to pay a premium for it. Good quality means a lot more attention is given to detail and other aspects where manufacturers offering cheaper alternatives would overlook or even neglect. If you wish your garments and clothing to last, you must be prepared to spending money for it. However, a word of caution though: While cheap clothing can be readily dismissed as low-quality, a hefty price tag does not necessarily mean high quality. As indicated above, it recommended that you check first and know what to look for.

 

When it comes to shopping for clothes, it is always advisable that you buy those that would last you quite a long time. Hopefully, the tips written above would serve as a guide in helping you make better choices and purchases. As a result, you can have the best value for your money. Lastly, should your clothes seem to be breaking down, do not immediately resort to dispensing or giving them away, you can always choose to repair them and have them good as new. Choose your clothes well and avoid shopping on impulse, and you will have a wardrobe filled with clothes that would last you not only for months but for years to come.

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Shop Wiser: Five Bad Shopping Habits You Need to Break Now

July 26, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women

“When I shop, the world gets better, and the world is better. But then it is not, and I need to do it again.” -Sophie Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic)

It has been said that women can shop all their lives and remain at a loss as to what to wear—or might even proclaim that they have nothing to wear at all. So, what is the primary motivator of this rather expensive habit? Well, for some the compulsion stems from the feeling of euphoria they usually get after purchase—most especially if they have been plagued by a rather stressful or depressing event. After all, making yourself feel better with a few purchases here and there is a lot cheaper than seeing a therapist for your woes, hence the term, retail therapy. For others, the impulse is driven by the sheer lack of self-control when it comes to fashion items, and for the rest, there might be just an ingrained penchant for acquiring and purchasing new items. Whether your reason is to elevate or cultivate your personal style, update your wardrobe or simply just to satisfy a fancy, there is no doubt that making a habit of impetuous buying can be really damaging to your finances. While there is nothing wrong with a mindless purchase every now and then, spending most of your monthly paycheck on unnecessary items is an entirely different story altogether. The former is an innocuous act—maybe something you might do to reward yourself after a stressful week, but the latter is a dangerous habit that might send you to a crippling financial situation.

If you find yourself relating to any of the above statements, then you might have already developed a bad shopping habit. Here are some of the most expensive fashion habits you need to break now:

1.) Buying just because it is on sale

Regardless of whether you are on the market for wholesale clothing or retail purchases, you find yourself buying it simply just because it is on sale. It does not even matter whether you actually want it or not, all that you know is that it is seventy percent off. To you, it is a deal, a bargain, and a steal. Well, you need a reality check. The truth is, it is not a deal nor would it be a steal if you never wanted the item in the first place. You just felt compelled to buy the item because it was on sale. And no, you did not save yourself some money, you just spent money on something you do not even want nor need.

2.) Buying too far outside your comfort zone

While it would be okay to try and mix it up once in a while, there is absolutely no point in buying something if you know you are not likely to be wearing them anytime soon. In a sense, something might be on trend and fashionable at the moment, but you are not entirely sure if it would look great on you. True, when it comes to clothing, you should have an open mind and should at least approach styles and unfamiliar trends with at least some form of receptivity. However, there is a thin line between buying something to try out a trend and purchasing something that you know would not work for you. If a pair of leggings or sheer tights is not your thing, do not buy one just because they are all the rage right now.

3.) You do not invest in the right things

An exorbitant price tag does not always equate quality nor a worthy investment. Unfortunately, for some individuals, the heftier the price tag is, the more attractive an item becomes to them. However, this is not always the case and associating expensive items with quality is an erroneous assessment. Instead, be wiser with your money and be practical when it comes to what marks as an essential purchase for you. Go for classics—ones that you know would stand the test of time. We might have different ideals as to what constitutes as a “worthy investment, ” and it is totally alright to splurge from time to time. However, before checking out an expensive item, take the time to think twice. Make sure it is something you can wear today, a few months from now and even years from now.

4.) You do not take care of your things

You constantly feel the need to buy new clothes and accessories because yours always seem to be falling apart. It is not for the lack of quality that these items break down, but rather your inability to take care of them properly. Buying investment pieces and items that are of considerable price means that you ought to take care of them properly if you want them to last. Read the tags on your clothes as to how they should be washed and the care cards of your accessories and stick to these. It does not take much for you to take care of your personal belongings and you will no longer feel the need to replace them when they break down.

5.) You shop for social media

In a modern age where most individuals are preoccupied with personal appearances, things such as OOTDs (outfit of the day) have been conceptualized. Although there is nothing absolutely wrong with this, if you find yourself shopping for clothes just to fill your social media feed then you need a reality check. Are you buying those clothes and accessories just because you like them? Or just because you want others to know you have them? Are you likely to wear them anytime soon or are they going to be stowed away once you have snapped your photo and posted it? These are crucial questions you need to take note of. Remember, when you are buying items they need to be for you primarily and not for the sole purpose of constantly impressing your followers and friends on social media platforms.

 

So, before you try and buy things that you think you covet, have an internal talk with yourself first. Do some introspection and think if you really want the item or not. After all, you may want it today, but once you receive your bank statement weeks later, you might realize that little tee that looked so good on the mannequin might not be so worth it at all.

Corporate Fashion 101: Seven Common Office Style Faux Pas

July 11, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women

“To me, clothing is a form of self-expression—there are hints about who you are in what you wear.” -Marc Jacobs

“Dress for the job, you want and not the one you have.”

“Dress how you want to be addressed.”

These two are just a fraction of the slew of the corporate adages one would hear when it comes to the advocacy in power dressing in the office. Nowadays, corporate fashion is no longer limited to smart looking outfits and dapper suits, today it has extended its meaning well beyond that and has ventured towards quirkier and more interesting styles. After all, walking in the office day in and out then seeing it largely dominated by neutral colors such as gray, white and black can feel incredibly dull and stiff. Today, contemporary and modern fashion has incorporated the use of colors and mainstream trends into corporate style. However, this is not to say that everything you can find in casual fashion and street style wears are acceptable outfits for the office. So, do not make the novice mistake of haphazardly dressing yourself up in random retail or wholesale clothing and think it would be an appropriate outfit for work lest you commit a fatal corporate fashion faux pas.

To have a better idea of what these corporate style faux pas are, it is best if you have an idea of what the most common style errors in the office are so as to prevent to committing them yourself. Take note however that some may not resonate differently with you, but as it is in the corporate world, there are unspoken rules—even when it comes to your manner of dress.

1.) Too Casual Clothing

No matter how relaxed the dress code of your office is, there is still a business standard to what would look acceptable in a corporate setting. If your outfit looks like you might as well just be going out of your house for a brief walk, then you might as well rethink wearing it. It might be too hot to wear stockings during the summer, but that does not mean you can trade them for flip-flops instead. At the very least, wear closed shoes instead. Remember, your company (no matter its dress code) is still presenting a professional image and employees in shorts and flip flops—even on a hot summer day, shows the contrary.

2.) Inappropriate style for age

There is absolutely nothing more jarring to see than a woman in her forties garbed in a style reminiscent of today’s teenagers or youth. This does not mean to say that middle-aged women are forever constrained to wearing dull and boring styles that would seemingly age them, but they must draw the line where they would not look too mincing. After all, you would want to present a confident and powerful image so it is only expected that you would want to be taken seriously which would be a lot easier if you sported the sophisticated and professional look.

3.) Too provocative clothes

There is a reason why mini skirts, halter tops, and cleavage-baring tops are absolutely not allowed in the office. Apart from being a major visual distraction to many of your colleagues, you would make your office look like a nightclub scene instead. If your skirts hitch a little too high and if you cannot bend without showing your undies, you might want to reconsider wearing them to work (unless you plan on wearing hosiery on your legs). Similarly, if bending down gives anyone a generous view of your bosom then refrain from wearing it. All in all, if the outfit is something you would wear to the club on a Friday or Saturday night, then you might as well not wear it to work.

4.) No sense of personal hygiene

You can be as low-maintenance as you want, but that does not mean you should forego all the basics of self-care and personal hygiene altogether. More often than not, how you take care of yourself impacts your credibility, and you lose that when you do not do any personal care. Do a self-assessment and see if your hair is brushed, your nails polished (or at least clean) and your general appearance looks well groomed, and you are likely to look sharper, more professional and worthy of your position and role (whatever it might be).

5.) Strong perfume

Smelling great is nice, but sometimes when a scent becomes too overwhelming, it tends to have an overpowering effect that can be irritating to some of your co-workers—particularly those with sensitive noses. An incredibly strong perfume can be a distraction at work and can be the main source of chronic headaches in your immediate work vicinity. If you find that you are easily tracked or identified whenever you walk into a room, you might need to tone down the dosage or application of your perfume.

6.) Noisy and huge accessories

If your accessories tend to jangle whenever you do the slightest movement, they might be more in place inside a nightclub than in your office. Office etiquette dictates that you should wear minimal jewelry and probably refrain from wearing anything too flashy. When it comes to accessorizing for the office, stick to muted and more professional looking designs and save your huge and noisy ones for parties and weekend soirees.

7.) Wearing excessive or no makeup at all

Makeup is an excellent tool for upgrading our looks and making us feel beautiful as a consequence. However, in a corporate setting, it is best to apply light to moderate makeup. Never overdo your makeup as it would look hardly professional. Rather than look confident in your smokey eyes, dark red lipstick and thick foundation for your morning meeting, you would look like you are trying to score a date instead. Similarly, it is also not advisable to go to the office sans makeup—especially if you look like you were just got out of bed and went immediately to your cubicle.

 

Regardless of whether your office has a strict dress code or not, the set of mistakes illustrated above is universally regarded by most businesses as something unacceptable in their corporate offices. After all, when it comes to your manner of dress, you are not only presenting a brief impression of yourself—but your credibility and your respectability as well.

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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

July 3, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women


“Do not be into trends. Do not make fashion own you, but you decide what you are.” –Gianni Versace

Fashion is the penultimate way of showing off your personality, taste, and character through the assembly of clothing. In a sense, in the sagely and most famous words of Rachel Zoe, it is akin to saying who you are without having to speak. For this reason, each decade sees a wave of fresh, unique, beautiful and versatile style trends that would make their mark in the fashion world for that particular era. However, while it is easy to romanticize the trends of the yesteryears as innovative, inspired and truly visionary, some of them do not just make the cut, and we are left wondering whatever prompted the designer to think it was a good idea. Unfortunately, while these trends look questionable at best and downright dreadful at worst, some people seem to think that sporting them is a splendid idea and just like any trend that grips the fashion world, it spreads quickly and easily—much like an infection would. They are found almost anywhere—from retail buys to wholesale clothing brands. After all, if they are the all the rage, nearly every designer would be giving his or her own rendition to satisfy the incessant clamor for trends. Here are just some of the worst and most memorable trends that have graced every decade:

1.) CORSETS (the 1900s)

Corsets were heavily used in the 1900s as a way for women to give off the illusion of a slimmer waist and as a consequence, a svelte figure. Although it was incredibly effective, women were constrained to wearing this constricting piece which they can hardly breathe in just to appear slimmer. With prolonged use, it could potentially result in broken ribs and internal organ damage—which would mean that wearing a corset is hardly worth the trouble. Today, corsets have been given a modern overhaul but still retain that definitive waist-slimming and constricting feature.

2.) HOBBLE SKIRTS (the 1910s)

Hobble skirts look like a multilayered mess on your legs. In the 1900s, women may have thought of them to be fashionable but walking in its heavy and constricting floor-length hemlines is not exactly an easy feat to do. Owing to the skirt’s design which constricts movement (Imagine an ankle-length pencil skirt), women’s movement would be limited, and as a result, the wearer would have to move at a slower and even glacial-like cadence.

3.) CLOCHE HATS AND SWIMSUIT DRESSES (the 1920s)

The 1920s gave the fashion a lot of things to celebrate for. However, for every great piece comes a couple of bad trends. Such is the case of the cloche hats and swimsuit dresses. Cloche hats would make you look like an overgrown infant while swimsuit dresses just leave us scratching our heads. The functionality and design of a swimsuit dress are not fit for women who want to go swimming as it would actually be a feat to stay afloat while wearing the taffeta dresses.

4.) T-STRAP SHOES AND HEELED OXFORDS

The 1930s had a lot going on, and it evidently showed on their choice of clothes. Heeled oxfords were not only uncomfortable to walk in, but they were incredibly unstylish as well. Apart from giving you a few inches in height, this kind of shoe virtually did nothing for you.

5.) WHITE GLOVES (the 1950s)

Before elbow gloves were considered stylish, white gloves were trendy fashion pieces women occasionally sported to look elegant and apply a dash of panache to their ensembles. Unfortunately, while they looked sophisticated and polished, they also made one look like a limousine driver, and it was a natural deterrent for finger food.

6.) POODLE SKIRTS (the 1950s)

Poodle skirts are definitive of fifties fashion. In fact, it was the epitome of what fashion was like back in the fifties. However, while they are cute and feminine, there was no absolute reason to embroider poodles on poufy and wide ankle skirts. Over time and as the trend faded out, the design looked more childish than it was sophisticated.

7.) PATTERNED TIGHTS (the 1960s)

Patterned tights are what neon and patterned leggings are today. In no way possible was this trend ever considered fashionable by today’s standards, but apparently, in the sixties, they were all the rage. The patterns etched on the tights would only make your legs look oddly misshapen which is not exactly a good look to be sporting.

8.) FUTURISTIC FASHION (the 1960s)

In the sixties, the style trend futuristic fashion was anything but. They may have thought that individuals would be sporting more metal and silver by this time of the year, but fortunately, this has not been the case as fashion never really evolved to look like something the sixties have predicted (And thankfully so!)

9.) PATCHWORK PEASANT SKIRTS (the 1970s)

Patchwork peasant skirts may be vibrant and cheery, but they make the wearer look as if they have mistaken their quilts for a skirt. Hardly anyone can pull it off, and if they can, they would probably look like they had just gotten out of bed.

10.) SAFETY PIN JEWELRY (the 1970s)

The seventies was an era where fashion had a rebellious touch to it and where individuals would like to be perceived as grungy and a bit edgy. However, some of the trends it produced were just one of the worst ones the world has seen and could not even begin to fathom why people considered it as fashionable back in the day. Such is the case of the safety pin jewelry where people thought that it looked highly fashionable to be sporting safety pins strewn across your face. The punk rock movement might be successful, but adorning your face with office and school supplies is a trend that should never have taken off.
Terrible trends have indeed made their mark in fashion history, and they are just as memorable as the best ones in fashion. If you have ever had the misfortune of ever succumbing to any of these trends, you best be glad you know better now and are way past your cringe-worthy fashion years.

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Six Ways Your Clothing Can Affect Your Mood

June 13, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women

“Without a word, your clothes tell a story of who you are. Say something interesting.” –Author Unknown

 

Every single day, we think of choosing clothes as a mindless and perfunctory activity that is almost negligible as it is a part of our routine, but this should not be the case. Unless we are incredibly fashion forward individuals who have a keen eye for fashion ensembles, there are only a handful of special days wherein we are a bit more meticulous as to what we wear. Otherwise, we think of dressing up as another essential part of our regular everyday habit we have to get on with. However, this should not be the case as your clothes—trifling as they may seem—actually play a pivotal role in affecting your mood. In fact, this is readily seen as to how you will instantly get a confident boost from loving what you are wearing—so, indeed, dressing for your mood is indeed a thing and is actually a real concept. If you are unconvinced, wear the best ensemble you have sitting in your closet among the assortment of clothes and take a gander at yourself in the mirror. If it makes you look good then it would inevitably make you feel good—regardless of whether these clothes are branded retail buys, thrifted clothes or even wholesale clothing. So, the next time you head out to the office, you might want to ponder on these points and make a more deliberate choice in selecting your office tie or work shoes:

 

  1. What you wear can make you feel powerful

One study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science took a number of volunteers to wear formal business attires and perform a series of experiments that would challenge their cognitive processing abilities. It has been shown that people who dressed up and more deliberately felt more powerful and in control of the situation than their under dressed counterparts. From this, we can readily assume that power dressing is indeed a thing as evidenced from this successful study and experiment.

 

  1. What you wear can make you fitter and healthier

While it seems like a far fetched concept, what you wear actually contributes to a fitter lifestyle by making you exercise harder sans the difficulty that entails. In a sense, what you wear can actually make arduous and strenuous exercises feel easier. This has been backed up by the observation made in the 2004 Olympic games where athletes in red clothing won more events than their competitors who wore blue. This phenomena prompted researchers to see if there was a relation between the clothing and the success in sport. It has been found in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology that people who exercised in red clothing could actually lift heavier weights and had higher average heart rates (meaning they worked harder than those in blue). It might seem like there should be no correlation between the two, but considering how this study has backed up the theory, wearing red indeed contributes to success in sports.

 

  1. What you wear helps you think better

Apart from feeling empowered and more powerful, it has also been shown that subjects who dressed in business formal clothing can come up with better and more creative ideas on their feet than their underdressed peers. It has been speculated that the way you dress plays a role in your perception of objects, events and people around you which would prompt a new point of view or fresh ideas

  1. What you wear helps you focus

Most jobs—especially those that are seen as a bit tedious and boring, require a lot of focus. Unfortunately, that is only half the battle and when it comes down right to it, focusing on something that is boring is not exactly easy. With this, a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology has found that people who wore smart looking doctor’s labs were able to focus longer and better than those who thought they were just wearing a painter’s smock. This phenomena as explained by authors is caused by a physician’s tendency to be rigorous, careful and meticulous when it comes to detail—so it would be as if like the wearer is embodying some of those qualities. In a sense, they are trying to live up to the expectations of the outfit.

 

  1. What you wear can make you smarter

Although the correlation is hardly evident, dressing in clothing that is associated with intelligence can not only make you look smarter but act smarter as well. In the same study conducted above, subjects were given doctor’s lab coats though none of them were physicians. They were then asked to perform a series of complex tasks. It has then been shown that people in white clothes made fewer mistakes than those who worked sans a physician’s lab coats. The same experiment was again performed but this time everyone was given lab coats. However. They told half of the participants they were given paint smocks while they told the rest that they were wearing doctor’s coats. Similarly, those who were told they were donning doctor’s coats performed better in the tests. This experiment shows that it is not just what you wear, but rather what you think of what you wear that matters more.

 

  1. What you wear can make you lose weight

While clothing can make you appear slimmer and svelte with ingenious slimming illusions, it can also provide an avenue for losing weight. An example would be wearing snug pants for example or tightening your belt more than usual which would give you a subconscious signal to stop eating the moment you are full. For this reason, a lot of French women have been known to tie a ribbon around their waist underneath their clothes whenever they are going out for a meal. It keeps them conscious of their waist—especially as the ribbon starts to feel a bit tighter in their midsection as the meal goes on.
And the last but not the least is that what you wear can cheer you up. If what you wear makes you look good, you will inevitably feel good as a result. In fatc, it has been show that more often than not, we dress how we would like to feel or how we want others to perceive how we are feeling. As a result, clothing can cheer us up wheneverwe are particularly feeling under the weather. So, the next time you assemble an assortment of clothes from your closet, remember that you are not only dressing to look good, but to feel good as well.

 

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Five Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Before Purging Your Closet

February 13, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women

“Playing dress up starts at age five and never really ends” -Kate Spade

One memorable line from the hit series of HBO was uttered by Carrie Bradshaw, a self-confessed fashionista and clothing hoarder. In the series, her unsurpassed love was evidenced by her perpetually full closet and her sentiments as regards clothes stating that she wants her money where she sees them, hanging in her closet. In the real world, fashion forward women are pretty much the same. Their love for clothes and penchant for anything stylish are both unmatched. In fact, fashionable women would say that their love for clothes is anything but a penchant. Instead, they would say it is something akin to passion. With their great love for sartorial items, it would come as no surprise to find their closets and wardrobes filled to the brim with the latest finds, classic staples and the like coming in varied colors and styles. Unfortunately, one ugly reality you need to content with is that you cannot hold on to these things forever and at some point in the future, you need to purge your closet from sartorial items that are taking up too much space.

Not only would you be clearing up that much-needed space to make way for new clothes, but you would be getting rid of items which have not even seen the light of day in the past years. While letting go of clothes you once loved may be hard, you can think of it as an opportunity for a fashion catharsis. Get rid of all the items that would serve you no purpose in your closets, and you will be surprised that it might just be the perfect precursor to redefining or enhancing your style. Once you have come to terms with the need for a closet purging, how do you know which ones to donate, toss or keep? Well, to make your wardrobe purging endeavor easier, here is a checklist of questions you need to ask yourself while going through each item in your closet. It is highly recommended that you pick and ponder every item as a quick a scan would not yield the same effective results and would not help you at arriving at a decision.

1.) Is it still in style?

Your wholesale Steve Madden boots may be your favorite pair, and it certainly has a way of elongating your legs when you are wearing minis. But your favorites may not exactly be in trend or even in season today. While you might not have any fashion items from the seventies hanging in your closet, you might not be aware of the subtle shifts in fashion that would cause you to throw out some trendy wardrobe pieces that may potentially become fashionable once more in the future. It is no secret that fashion is cyclical, so a good workaround to determining which items you should chuck out and which ones you can keep for storage is to see if these items still work well with your current wardrobe. If they do, stash them away until such time that they become fashionable again.

2.) Does it still fit you well?

Keeping an article of clothing in the hopes that it would fit you one day when you finally lose weight is only going to succeed in clogging up your clothes. If you have gained or lost a few pounds over the months or have stopped working out altogether, some of your clothes may still fit you but are not going to look quite the same as they did when you first purchased them. Be honest yourself when it comes to this matter, and if you feel that it would take some time before you would finally fit into that blouse, it is best to toss or give it away. Besides, it might not even be in style by the time it would finally fit you.

3.) Does it still have a place in your life?

Admit it, at some point in your life; you may have bought sartorial pieces that were appropriate to wear in your profession. But if black ties, suits, high heels, pencil skirts and the like no longer have a place in your current life (unless you like wearing them to work), then there is absolutely no reason for you to be holding on to them. Whether it may be a career shift or a simple matter of wanting to change the tune of your style, if your clothes no longer serve you its purpose, then either toss them or donate them. Whatever the case might be, there will always be a time in a woman’s life where you need to make a sartorial shift—and throwing away tacky clothes is just one step in the process. Decide if you want to go through this transition, and purge accordingly.

4.) Can you flip it?

Under any under circumstance, it would be hard to part with an item that once held an exorbitant price tag. While this might be true, you have to take into account that you need the extra space in your closet. And if having that space would require you to get rid of an expensive piece that is no longer trendy or ill-fitting, then, by all means, you should. If you are afraid of underselling it considering the premium you paid when you first bought it, then sell it at a local designer consignment work who might pay you more. You can then use that money to buy something that is in season and would fit you well.

5.) Do you have a lot of them?

There is a saying that goes that if you want a pair of shoes, you should buy it in every color. Unfortunately, this SHOULD NOT be the case when you are looking to trim a little extra fat in your closet. Look for styles that you have a tendency to buy in repetition and look for those in bad shape. Say for example you own eight plain colored tees, look for the ones that are in the worst shape or the ones you have worn the least. Look for those items that you would not lose sleep over losing and donate them to charity.
Parting with some of our clothes may present itself as a challenge—especially if you are a fashionista with a taste for variety. However, if your clothes are sitting ducks in your closets, then they are not really doing anything to help your style. On the contrary, keeping so many of these stocked in your closet can even preclude you from reaching your true style potential. So, ask yourself the questions stated above and start paring down the items in your closet.

 

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Fashion 101: Five Common Fashion Errors You Need to Correct This Year!

January 23, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips, Fashion Tips for Women

“The three biggest fashion mistakes are cheap suits, shoes and shirts. Spend your money on something good.” -Donatella Versace

“One person’s fashion is another person’s disaster” -Hillary Clinton

Without a doubt, fashion is a complicated and fickle thing. Some sartorial items are considered trendy and fashionable, while some are tacky and garish. From the myriad of style and fashion items we can choose from, it can be rather hard to discern which items go together and which do not. However, let us make one thing clear, this article does not mean to define which erroneous fashion habits you have which could land you it the worst-dressed list, but rather this article aims to tell you which mistakes are often overlooked, neglected and often accepted while in reality, they are the farthest thing from fashionable. As we usher in another year, let us make new style resolutions and break those long-held flawed fashion habits that we have adopted and accepted as correct over the years. This year, learn to distinguish the fashion wins from the fashion flubs and form habits that will enable you to develop a better fashion sense. As fashion forward individuals, you deserve to be better dressed and it is imperative to be on the lookout for fashion mistakes that fall under the radar. Nip them in the bud while you can before they get out of hand for the sake of a more stylish and fashionable you. Below is a list of some of the most overlooked fashion mistakes which you can finally correct this year.

1.) Showing a little too much skin

Where do you draw the line between sexy and sultry? Well, that seems to be the question on every woman’s mind when it comes to baring a bit of skin. While you do not want to be all covered up, you would not want to look like you are auditioning for your first Playboy Magazine cover either. You want to add a little mystery and intrigue to your ensembles and not show everything in just one outfit. A good rule of thumb for this is that if you are baring skin in one area of your body, then needless to say the rest should be covered up. An example would be if you are donning a revealing top that exposes a generous cleavage, then leave your stomach and your legs covered and if possible, your arms as well. Take note: There is a fine line between sexy and trashy, make sure that the way you dress is veering towards the former than the latter. In lieu of a daringly low-cut dress, opt for a body-hugging dress that accentuates and shows off your curves. It shows minimal skin, but the effect it achieves is stunning and elegant.

2.) Wearing pants that are not tailored correctly for you

Though not exactly haute couture, the advent of boyfriend jeans and track pants has still been widely considered as du jour not only by fashion enthusiasts and pundits but by regular women as well. There is just something so comfortable about slipping into a non-traditional pair of jeans that does not constrict the blood vessels of your legs. It makes you appear relaxed and stylish while being comfortable. However, while a good and well-fitting pair of boyfriend jeans would look excellent on you, the same cannot be said for a pair of jeans that were meant to snugly fit you. Wearing pants several sizes too loose when they were meant to hug your legs would make you appear frumpy and disheveled. Do not let this style affliction become a habit of yours and instead, go for a pair of trousers that would enhance your legs in all the right places. Do not settle for inferior alternatives—especially if they were meant to be worn by someone of a different size.

3.) Confusing oversized with ill-fitting

Oversized clothes have recently become trendy and more and more women are buying into the style by sporting clothing that are several sizes too big for them. However, while oversize looks excellent, ill-fitting is another thing entirely. There is nothing attractive about a woman who is dwarfed by her clothes which would be the likely mistake most women make in substituting oversized clothes for ill-fitting ones. Wearing oversized clothing can be a bit tricky, if you end up doing it wrong, you could look sloppy and lose your shape. Before deciding on a final ensemble, take a look at the mirror and make sure you have blended elements well and not look like your outfit has eaten you up.

4.) Choosing heels that are too high or are not high enough

A choice pair of heels would make any ensemble instantly look ten times more stylish. This is why every woman needs her own go-to pair for whenever the occasion calls it. From wholesale Steve Madden heels to Christian Louboutin pumps, women do not have a shortage when it comes to a wide selection of heels. However, wearing heels can be a tricky ground to navigate (literally and figuratively). If you wear them too high, you run the risk of looking trashy and cheap, wear them too low and you might as well just be wearing flats. Find the perfect height for you which is appropriate for the occasion as well as your ensemble—that one pair that hits the in-between spot. Invest in a good pair of pumps with a mid-height heel that would make your outfit look gorgeous and give you that erect posture without compromising your balance as well as your comfort.

5.) Wearing too many accessories

Accessorizing with jewelry and other different fashion knick-knacks is one way to amplify and augment your sense of style. They have a way of making your ensemble look more put-together and in effect, make you look more polished and elegant. However, you need to strike a balance between appearing sophisticated and looking like you are an overadored Christmas tree which would likely be the case if you decked yourself out in too many diamonds and pearls. When it comes to accessories, always remember Coco Chanel’s sagely advice: Always remove once accessory before you leave. Instead of decking on a lot of bling, try rings and bracelets which may have less sparkle, but whose glimmer are less ostentatious and more elegant.
Now that you have read and understood what fashion errors and cliches you have been possibly been doing in the past, it is high time to correct it. Take matters into your own hands and ditch these style flubs and leave them in the past where they rightly belong.

 

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Style Review: The Biggest Trends of 2016!

January 18, 2017 by admin
Posted in Fashion Tips for Women

“Do not be into trends. Do not make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live.” –Gianni Versace

“Fashion is a language that creates itself in clothes to interpret reality.” –Karl Lagerfeld

Without a doubt, fashion is one of the most fickle things in the world imaginable. What is trendy today may not be so in the next year but might have the potential to be stylish again in five years or so. It is an unpredictable and cyclical phenomenon that keeps an individual’s manner and state of dress perpetually riveting and interesting. Because fashion changes every year, it means that as we usher in 2017, we all have a lot of new trends and styles to look forward to. In the same vein, this gives you a chance to give your wardrobe that much needed overhaul and update with this year’s predicted potential styles and trends.

But before going into that, let us review some of 2016’s biggest and most fashionable trends that have dominated almost every nook and cranny in the fashion world. After all, these are the trends that would help engender 2017’s biggest styles and potential fashion ensembles, so it is only right that they be given their appropriate recognition. From the ever omnipresent perfected eyebrows which women of every age sported down to off-shoulder everything trend (tops, cropped tops, dresses, etc.)—whether bought from retail or wholesale clothing, here are some of 2016’s definitive contributions to fashion:

  1. Chokers

In mid to late 2016, chokers made waves in the fashion industry and almost every style icon and celebrity was seen wearing it—from the likes of Kendall Jenner to Ariana Grande, this was one trend that was imperceptibly creeping on to everyone’s fashion ensembles. There was a wide range of styles as well from velvet, classic black, lace, diamonds and even nameplates and DIY shoelace chokers. Though almost everyone seemed to be sporting this accessory, there were innumerable ways of personalizing it which made it the most “lit” fashion accessory of 2016 that came in almost every fabric, width and color last year.

 

  1. Off-shoulder apparel

Off-shouldered apparels may have looked more at home in music festivals, boho and beach themed parties, but in 2016, almost every top possible was reimagined as an off-shouldered top and a myriad of styles were then conceived. From blousy boho tops to stomach-baring cropped tops, the variety of off-shouldered tops made it possible for women of every age to find one that was appropriate to their personal style. Bare shoulders feel sexy and flirty yet they do not give too much away which explains why this trend continues to be a dominant part of a woman’s ensemble this year.

 

  1. Vintage Band Tees

Although some of them were no longer relevant or even remotely popular or have disbanded, vintage band tees were a huge thing in 2016. It seemed that sporting one was the ticket to being considered cool and was considered the height of casual yet hip fashion. It was the ultimate streetwear and suddenly everyone was having a bit of rock and roll touch to their clothes last year—even if they do not necessarily recognize the band emblazoned on their shirts or jackets. As long as Nirvana, Guns N Roses, Slayer or Metallica was emblazoned conspicuously in any part of your clothing—nothing else mattered. Hopefully, this trend will die with the year. Though the appeal of rock and roll is undeniably palpable, it does not bode well for the wearer to be wearing the tees of a band he or she knows nothing about just to be considered hip and cool.

 

  1. Velvet

Although it was hardly practical to wear anything velvet during the hotter and more humid seasons, that fact did not stop people from buying into the velvet-anything trend. It seemed like the love for velvet has transcended that of any fabric as in 2016, it seemed like everything was made out of velvet. It did not matter whether they were booties, a one-piece suit, a dress or a top—velvet rarely goes unnoticed and the lush fabric which is the very definition of luxurious elegance can be found anywhere and everywhere.

 

  1. Tour Merchandise

Beyond the significant rise of vintage band tees was also the rise of tour merchandise. What was once a clothing item you can buy exclusively on concert venues became a more expansive clothing line in 2016 all thanks to Kanye West and Justin Bieber. Last year, celebrities and some of the biggest names in rap and pop business have leveraged their personal brands to create concern merchandise that seemed to be more of full-fledged labels than one-time souvenirs. Many celebrities soon exploited this trend with celebrities like Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian creating their own merchandise despite not actually going on tour.

 

  1. Slip Dresses

Is it bedroom wear or can I appropriately wear this when going out to buy groceries? This seems to be the dominant question in everyone’s heads when slip dresses became a thing. Women started sporting dresses that look more at home in the bedroom than out of it. Although, some women gave it an ultra 90’s vibe by layering it over a shirt which compensated for its lack of material. The slip dress came in a variety of materials and came in a range of lengths and styles which made it perfect for the daytime and nighttime scene.

 

  1. Over the knee boots

Last year, the trend of wearing over the knees pair of boots became phenomenal. What seemed to be a signature style of Ariana Grande became an apparent trend amongst celebrities with Taylor Swift riding on in the trend. It was certainly one way to compensate for short dresses and mini-skirts and though they hid much of our legs, it gave them the illusion of sexier and svelte legs.

 

After reviewing 2016’s biggest trends, it is up to you to decide which ones of these trends should stay and which ones should go. But always make room for the new trends that are about to be welcome by this year so that you can stay relevantly stylish.

 

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