In the past, the fashion industry only produced clothing that most regular sized women could never slip into. In fact, it got so bad that women over a certain size found it impossible to find a designer who would create clothing in larger sizes. Fortunately, all that has changed and the fashion world is finally waking up to the needs of the plus-size woman. Designers and manufacturers are finally realizing that by catering only to a small number of near anorexic women, they are simply turning a blind-eye to the large population of women who are willing to spend more if the clothes fit them right.
Voluptuous women don’t have to hide behind shapeless unflattering apparel anymore. Top fashion designers have always maintained that it’s not how you look but how you carry your look that matters. Which is why, a whole new range of sexy and trendy outfits for full-figured ladies is now available on the market.
Each and every woman is beautiful in her own way and there’s absolutely no reason for why anyone to hide her beauty behind loose drapes of cloth. Plus-size dresses can also look aesthetic and appealing and with the new styles and designs, they’ve never looked better.
It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a pretty wedding dress or a
foxy swimsuit, women’s plus size fashions can be found in your nearby shopping malls or even online! In fact, online stores offer a better variety because many of the better plus-size designers are now offering their collection to online shoppers.
The humble bathing suit that has long been worn by plus-size women at the pool or the beach has now come into its own. The horrific looking swimsuits of the past are now history because modern companies are using the latest construction techniques and high tech fabrics to produce stunning swimsuits that perfectly complement the figure of a bigger woman. No longer do you have to settle for those homely rags, because you can now strut your stuff with equal élan, be it on the sunny beaches of Florida or on the pristine sands of the French Riviera. So dig out those sexy shades and rub on some of that sun lotion and simply watch all those so-called bronze gods go weak in the knees!
Although a plus size dress or swimsuit can’t always deliver the same sort of look as smaller fashion, but they come in pretty close. An aesthetically designed piece of apparel will highlight the beautiful curves on a woman’s body along with other fine nuances of visible titillation.
Apart from the fact that these designer clothes make you look and feel good, the most important change brought about by the development of attractive plus-size clothes is that women the world over, finally have the freedom of choice and can now say no to unflattering clothing.
By: Tim Gorman
How To Find Plus Size Special Occassion Dresses And Plus Size Swimsuits
March 8th, 2010 by admin No comments »How High Quality Custom Hand Made Shoes Are Made
March 7th, 2010 by admin No comments »
Footwear is created from a great variety of different substances like canvas, leather, vinyl, and other synthetic materials. The vast majority of footwear is mass produced but the highest quality shoes are those that are made by hand. Of course handmade shoes are as a rule more expensive than those made on an assembly line.
If you want the best possible fit and the most comfortable shoes possible then you will want to choose those that are handmade and custom fitted. Footwear like this will come from high quality handpicked leather which comes from animals such as pigs, cows, or even exotics such as snakeskin and alligator. The highest quality leather will be soft and pliable with some degree of stretch to it in contrast to lower quality leather which you may find to be very stiff.
The great thing about custom shoes is that they can be created to have additional custom features such as additional arch supports for those who may have flat feet or other components that you may need due to a particular foot condition. Handmade shoes are also sewn together much better than manufactured shoes in most cases and this is usually done with heavy nylon thread. The result of this is a more durable shoe that will last longer than normal.
Custom handmade shoes use patterns just like other items such as clothing and the shoe makers usually pick out the raw materials by hand. The leather that is chosen to build a particular shoe is then cut into several sections to make for the custom fit and design.
Just like patterns are used for making new clothes and outfits, patterns are also used to construct a new pair of shoes. After the pattern is cut for the shoe into various shoe parts, the process of putting the shoe pieces together can be explained in three steps:
There is a wide range of shoemaking methods and depending upon the style and the pattern of the footwear you are considering it will be your choice as to whether to go with mass produced or custom made shoes. If you are looking at dress shoes or shoes that you intend to keep for a long time, the custom handmade shoes may be well worth the investment just for the comfort alone in addition to the fact that they will last quite a bit longer. You don’t have to be wealthy or affluent to enjoy handmade shoes.
By: Gregg Hall
Buying the Right Men’s Dress Shirt
March 5th, 2010 by admin No comments »
The dress shirt, like most men’s clothing items, has a lot less variety than women’s clothing. Nevertheless, there is enough diversity that every man can create his own, personal style. You simply have to find the shirt type and style that works best for you.
Fit
Nothing ruins the look or comfort of a dress shirt faster than a bad fit. A long sleeve shirt uses two numbers: neck and sleeve — a 16/35 shirt means a 16-inch circumference neck and 35-inch long sleeves. A short sleeve shirt is measured by collar alone, often with an SS (as in 16SS or 16/SS) to designate short sleeves. Waist measurements aren’t included because shirts have plenty of room for most men.
Neck measurements change in 0.5-inch increments, sleeves usually in 2-inch increments. That’s why they are often marked 16/34-35. When measuring your neck, look straight up, this old trick actually expands your neck to its fullest — often boosting you up another size — which means added comfort when you aren’t counting ceiling tiles.
To measure the sleeves, you’ll need help. Place a tape measure at the base of the neck over the spine, then lay it flat along the top of the back to the shoulder. From the shoulder, move along the arm around the bent elbow to the point where the thumb connects to the wrist. The total length (should be very close to half your height) is your proper sleeve length. For a slightly fancier look, give it an extra inch.
Men’s dress shirts are made in three basic patterns: Regular-fit is the standard; it is cut full for best comfort. Big and tall shirts are designed 1.75 inches longer than regular and a little wider (how much varies by manufacturer. Trim-fit (also called athletic-, slim-, or tailored-fit) shirts are tapered in the chest (about 5 inches less than regular) and waist (about 6 inches less).
Parts
A long sleeve shirt usually has a barrel cuff, also called a button cuff, which closes with a button. Actually, two; if you wear a 35-inch sleeve and have 34-inch arms, using the second button should bring the shirt length closer to what you need. French cuffs are the fold up variety that needs cuff links. Both are excellent for the office, evenings out or social events. French cuffs are considered executive attire and a more elegant fashion statement. Many French cuffs (and the collars that go with them) are white, even on colored or patterned shirts, while a ’self-French’ or ’self-button’ cuff uses the same color or pattern.
Collars come in three basic styles: The turn down collar is the standard. Length and width of the tips vary by manufacturer and ebb or flow with the tides of fashion. Usually, they have stays sewn in to keep the shape. The button-down collar (erroneously called an Oxford collar) has no stays — buttons keep the tips in place. Collarless dress shirts are a growing trend. At present, collarless shirts are generally limited to formal wear or causal tops, not for the office.
Fabrics
There are several options available, some of which deserve little consideration. Like wool in men’s suits, cotton is king of dress shirt fabrics. Though less durable than man made fabrics, a cotton dress shirt breathes, making it more comfortable to wear and, with proper care, cotton shirts always look better.
Poplin
Originally a silk blend, modern poplins are usually 100 percent cotton. Smoother than Oxford, lighter than broadcloth, it is the most-often-used fabric for dress shirts and formal wear. Poplins do vary in weight, summer weights being very light and somewhat translucent; winter weights being heavier, but still thin compared to other weaves.
Oxford
Among the most popular dress shirt fabrics; Oxford is a softer, heavier cloth with a larger weave. Most have button-down collars — it’s a trademark. Oxford cloth shirts, all-cotton or cotton-blend, are very appropriate for business and casual wear in long sleeve or short. Pinpoint Oxfords, pinpoints for short, is a lighter, smoother material.
Twill
Heavier than poplin or pinpoint; lighter than broadcloth or Oxford; with a distinctive diagonal weave (including the famous herringbone twill) similar to Oxford. All-cotton or cotton-blend twills make great dress and casual shirts.
Broadcloth
Originally a woven wool, the heaviest common shirt fabric has also switched to cotton. Broadcloth can be smooth as poplin or have a twilled, almost ribbed texture. Weights do vary, as do weaves and textures. Broadcloth is a durable fabric for casual, dress and formal shirts.
Other materials
Man-made fibers (polyester, rayon, dacron, etc.) are very sturdy and very economical, but these petroleum based long-chain polymers don’t breath well. They can be excellent imitations of natural fibers or they can look bad and feel awful. Blends with cotton, wool or other fabrics combine the strength of man-made with the comfort and appearance of naturals.
Linen is a classic which looks good and makes a great men’s shirt if you want to have an ongoing, intimate affair with an ironing board.
Silk, the strongest natural fiber, is just spectacular for men’s shirts or anything else — warm, receptive to dyes and soft against the skin like nothing else. Unfortunately, it fades easily if not dry cleaned, tends to stretch out of shape and is the most expensive. Most men save it for ties or the most formal occasion shirts. Silk blends (often with wool or cotton) feature improved elasticity and affordability.
Care
The care tag on most dress shirts reads: Machine wash cold. Tumble dry. Press with a warm iron. Do not bleach. That tag is there to help you keep your shirt looking good, so read it and do whatever it says. Some cottons must be ironed after every wash to remove the wrinkles, but factory-treated cottons are now available that need minimal, if any, ironing. (Although, a quick touch-up is never out of order.) Don’t be afraid to bleach white shirts; pick out one of the new color-safe bleaches for colored and patterned shirts.
If the collar has removable stays, as most designer shirts do, be sure to remove them before laundering — they will get lost if you don’t. If you can afford it, nothing looks better than a professionally laundered and pressed shirt.
Terms
Relatively new to the market are a variety of 100-percent cottons:
‘140 broadcloth’ is the best, with high thread count and close weave for superior performance. ‘100 two-ply broadcloth’ is also almost as good. ‘80 pinpoint Oxford’ is a durable two-ply with a more pronounced weave than broadcloth. ‘50 broadcloth’ is single-ply and lightweight but still durable. ‘No-Iron’ or ‘Easy-Care’ shirts are available in oxford or broadcloth and are wearable right out of the dryer.
Price
You can spend $500 on a quality men’s dress shirt, but you’d be wasting a lot of money. Any national department store chain will have excellent shirts for $100 or less. If you buy from the clearance or close-out rack, or wait for end-of-season sales or hit the discount outlets, you will save even more. (and you’ll be the only one who knows!)
Questions and Answers
When must I wear a white dress shirt?
The short answer is, when everyone else wears them. It’s a must with tuxedo or dinner jacket. A few companies still have strict dress codes; following them is a key to corporate acceptance and advancement. Some men — lawyers, bankers, politicians and senior executives, for example — are silently expected to wear a pure white dress shirt or one with a minimal pattern. You’ll also see many of these gentlemen favoring French-cuffs, if you look closely. That said, many companies and organizations have adopted very casual attire. Colored, striped, checked or other patterns on dress shirts are vastly more popular (read: ’socially acceptable’) than they were just a generation ago.
What does business casual mean?
It doesn’t mean wear your gym shorts to work (unless you work in a gym, of course). It means jacket and tie optional; casual shirts, jeans or even denim shirts may be acceptable. This makes the dress shirt a key to your style and look, if you choose to wear it to work. A dress shirt that fits well, looks good and stands out from the crowd a little can be valuable. After all, regardless of how good you are, if you are more noticeable, you are more promote-able.
What about pockets and monograms?
Dress shirts generally have one pocket, over the left breast; a few sport two or none, a few pockets have button-down flaps. Pockets are not there to use as a trunk or filing cabinet. Glasses, a pen or two, a few business cards or a name tag are all they can handle without detracting from the great look you are working so hard to achieve. Monograms are embroidered initials; some fashionistas say they must be just above the cuff of the right sleeve, others say they should be seen only atop the breast pocket. Most people think monograms are a waste of money.
The best?
It is a good idea to buy one dress shirt — white, poplin, French cuffs, the whole nine yards. This shirt is to be worn only for weddings, funerals, court appearances, IRS audits and other serious occasions. Laundered professionally and pressed after every use, it is kept in a protective bag after each wearing.
The rest?
Now that you have new dress shirts, you may need a new suit to go with. Every man needs on good wool-flannel or wool-gabardine suit in black or gray (for the above named occasions) which you treat with the same care as that best shirt. You’ll also need black dress shoes, black leather belt and a silk tie/pocket hanky set with a conservative pattern or stripe. This is the one where you buy the finest you can afford and don’t look back — when you wear this ensemble, you really do look spectacular.
By: Phoenix Roberts
