How to Find the Perfect Jeans
July 17, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
If you’re looking for the kind of jeans that are flattering, functional and fashionable, you need to head to where jeans are a way of life. Stores that sell Hollister clothing or American Eagle clothing specialize in denim and various shirts, sweatshirts and sweaters. This classic style is fundamentally about comfort, and buying jeans from a store that seems to specialize in them can’t be a bad idea.
Talk to a Salesperson About Blue Jeans
In a store that specializes in denim, you’ll find multiple cuts and colors. The salespeople in the store are often specially trained in the styles of denim, so rather than braving a wall of blue alone, speak to someone knowledgeable about what it is you’re looking at. The right salesperson can be critical to finding the perfect pair of jeans.
Go Shopping on a Weekday
Rather than going to the store on the weekend when there are more customers and less knowledgeable sales staff, go one evening after work or during a long lunch break. You’ll likely be working with the manager and one of the most seasoned employees. There will also be far fewer customers letting you have all of the attention while they run for different sizes and cuts for you to try on.
Try Every Pair of Jeans Available
You never know what will fit if you don’t try it on. Grab every pair of jeans in the store in two sizes – the one you think you are and one size larger. Jeans often run small. Try on everything and when you find a cut you like, put it in one pile. The rejects go into a second pile.
Search for Shades of Denim
Once you have the right cut, start searching for the right shade of denim. Darker shades are slimming and more classic while lighter shades are much more casual. If you plan to wear heels with jeans, opt for a darker wash. Flats and sandals go with lighter washes of denim.
Try on the Final Pair
Try on the exact pair of jeans you’re thinking of buying to be sure they fit correctly. Every pair of jeans is cut just a bit differently. Trying them on ensures they still fit correctly and are long enough – there can be as much as an inch of variance in the length of jeans thanks to the cutting process.
Buy the Perfect Pair of Jeans
Finally, when you’re certain you have a pair of flattering jeans that are stylish and comfortable, buy them. If the jeans aren’t particularly cost prohibitive, buy two pairs.
Easy Step By Step Instructions For Finding The Perfect Jeans
- Shop on a weekday for the best assistance
- Speak with a knowledgeable sales person
- Try on all the styles of jeans available
- Search for shades of denim
- Try on your final selection
- Buy the jeans you love
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Finding The Perfect Jeans
If you’re between sizes, buy the larger size in jeans. The denim will almost certainly shrink a bit in the wash and a larger size will help you stay comfortable in jeans that have shrunken just a bit.
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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How to Buy Clothes for College
July 17, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
If you’re ready to head off for higher learning, you might need to revamp your wardrobe a bit. Shopping for an experience you haven’t tried yet can be daunting, but buying a few basics now and saving some of your fashion budget for must-haves down the road is a clever way to be sure what you have fits in with everyone else.
Buy Comfortable Pieces
Life on a college campus includes walking outside most often between classes, strolling the grounds with friends, sitting for hours at a time and then walking back to your dorm or car. All that walking and sitting means you’ll want to find pieces that are functional, comfortable and stylish.
While you’ll see some students in pajamas and other sleepwear, you would do better to try more affordable yet comfortable options from options such as H&M Clothing or Zara clothing. Look for shorts and pants that are loose enough to move in easily, but that are still flattering. Buying shirts that are comfortable is just as important as buying basic shirts that you can throw on and walk out the door to class.
Buy Layering Pieces
In the fall and spring especially, you’ll be walking to class in the heat only to find yourself sitting in a freezing classroom. One or two of your most basic pieces should be hoodies, sweatshirts or a sweater to throw on over your tank or tee. Keep it in your bag or tie it around your waist while you walk and pull it on when you sit down ready to do some learning. Look for warm, yet light pieces to avoid extra bulk.
Buy Walking Shoes
Flip-flops and mules might be adorable, but if you’re hoofing it from one corner of campus to another in fifteen minutes, you’ll want something a bit sturdier underfoot. Look for shoes that you feel fit your style but that are also supportive and won’t let you arrive at class with blisters and dirty feet from the dust outside.
Buy Fun Pieces
A lot of the fun of college life is heading out on the weekends to dance or visit parties. You’ll want to buy pieces that are fun to wear, but consider the tone of the college you’re attending and the city you’ll be living in. New York colleges will likely have a different sort of evening wear than ones in tiny rural cities. Always opt for basics you can mix and match and go for things that are easily washed in a dorm washing machine. There are rumors of beer and other easily spilled beverages at college parties.
Easy Step By Step Instructions For Buying Clothes for College
- Put some money aside to buy clothes on campus – you’ll want logo and college wear anyhow
- Buy comfortable, functional pieces – loose and easy are your motto here
- Buy layering pieces such as hoodies and sweatshirts for cool classrooms
- Buy walking shoes to replace flimsy shoes you might have worn inside a school building
- Buy fun pieces to wear on the weekends or to parties
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Buying Clothes For College
Bring the basics the first few months of college and when you head home for Thanksgiving or a long weekend, grab more of the clothes that suit your new college style. This keeps your closet from becoming cluttered.
(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Wear Trendy Clothing
July 17, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
If you’re interested in the trendy styles you’ll find at Wet Seal clothing or even Hot Topic clothing stores, you’ll need to take into consideration a few things before donning a full outfit decked in trendiness. Trendy clothing is typically not as well made as clothing of a more classic design and trendy clothing tends to run in smaller sizes for smaller people – teens and young adults.
Consider Your Age
If you’re not a teen or young adult, you’ll need to approach trendy styles carefully. Wearing too much of a style – skinny jeans coupled with a new vintage T-shirt, for example, can make you look a bit longer in the tooth than you’d expect. However, if you’re young and want to change your look to be a bit trendier, it’s simple to do.
Start with the Basics
Head to the stores that have the sorts of clothing you’re interested in and sort through the basics. Look for jeans and t-shirts or pants in a non-bright color with sweaters or hoodies. Using a large basic piece as your foundation can be an easy first step. After all, you already wear pants, so buying a new cut of pants is easy enough.
Check the Fit
Just because everyone is wearing them doesn’t mean you should. Skinny jeans tend to look best on skinny legs and hips. If you’re a bit rounder in this area, look for the wide leg jeans that are also popular right now. Choose the fit to match your body – don’t buy something you know you’re not comfortable in.
Add the Fun Elements
Once you have a solid basic, in a hipper style, hopefully, go ahead and start adding brighter colors or darker accessories. Black pants, a white t-shirt and plenty of leather accessories might be one style you like. Likewise, jeans, wedges and a halter top might make you feel fun and flirty. Find pieces that are fun to you and try them on.
Put the Outfit Together
As you try on your new clothing, pull on an entire outfit at once. You want to know how the full outfit looks and if you’re comfortable wearing it. If you’re not try a different combination of clothing items or start all over again with a different style. Don’t forget to pull on the accessories and even shoes in the dressing room to be sure everything fits and looks great together.
Easy Step By Step Instructions When Wearing Trendy Clothes
- Consider your age and motivations – old doesn’t look young in young clothing
- Look for basics in a hipper design
- Check the fit on the basic pieces you have
- Add elements with color and more style
- Try everything on together to see how it looks
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Trying To Be Trendy
Even if you’re not comfortable bedecking yourself in trendy garments, you can incorporate a few accessories or a t-shirt or cut of pants to keep your wardrobe updated.
(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Develop a Classical Fashion Style
July 17, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
There often comes a time that you realize the trendiest items simply aren’t well suited to your body shape or your position in life. It is about this time that you begin to realize the value of a classic wardrobe. Developing a classic wardrobe takes time and should never be rushed.
Determine Your Version of Classic Style
Classic style doesn’t have to be boring beiges. Take a look at Banana Republic clothing or Abercrombie and Fitch clothing to see just how elemental style can be, but with stylish elements as well. A well fitted pair of pants with a classic shirt can be easily dressed up with accessories that are a bit more colorful. That same white shirt can be worn over a brightly colored tank and the pants look great dressed up or dressed down. Flip through catalogs and websites until you find the style of clothing you’re comfortable with.
Work Slowly On Building Your Wardrobe
Building a classic wardrobe means finding pieces that will be classics. This doesn’t happen in a single shopping trip. Start by finding outfits you enjoy and possibly a few variations on that top and bottom piece. If you find a new outfit every time you shop, your pieces should begin to blend together if you’re buying the same basic style each time and the same level of quality.
Classical Quality
Classical pieces should be made with higher quality items than trendy items. In fact, buy cheap trendy pieces to supplement your more expensive items if you’d like, but splurge on quality fabrics and a great cut. After all, you should be wearing these items for years to come.
Fit Matters in Classic Style
The fit of your clothing is one of the most critical elements to a classic style. Be sure your clothing fits the largest part of your body well and then have the pieces altered to fit the rest of you correctly as well. Altering a pair of pants can be as little as $5 – not much on a fashion basic you’ll be wearing for a decade or more.
Easy Step By Step Instructions When Wearing Classical Fashion
- Determine what sorts of classical styles you enjoy
- Work slowly to build up a wardrobe one outfit at a time
- Look for high-quality items that can last for decades.
- Fit your clothing well and use alterations to ensure the perfect draping
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Wearing Classic Clothes
Classical clothing is not tight. If your clothing feels tight or is pulling, go up one size. Size doesn’t matter when building a fashionable wardrobe – fit does.
(2 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
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How to Find Fashion on a Budget
July 17, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
When money is tight, it can be harder to justify large shopping trips. Fortunately, there are ways to find your Gap or Express clothing for less than you might imagine. Finding fashion on a budget is actually rather simple with the amount of online clothing store tips available on the internet.
Shop Sales
When you’re out and about and see a sales rack, always browse through it. You might be surprised to discover what’s hiding on the rack. This is especially true of stores that sell off the pieces for larger companies at a discount. Another great thing about sales is there is always one going on. With the economy down, fashion stores are working harder than ever to bring in customers. For many this means offering mark-downs galore.
Browse Online Clearance
If looking through racks of discounted merchandise isn’t doing much for you fashion-wise, you can look through the very organized racks of online clearance goods at the websites for your favorite stores. Most fashion stores have an online component. Look for clearance and other online sales and you can easily sort by size or style to find great things quickly.
Print Clothing Coupons
Look for coupons online for your favorite fashion stores. Most coupons you’d get in the mail are also available online. Simply print the 20% off coupon and head into the store for a nice savings on things you’d otherwise pay full-price for.
Use Price Adjustments
Most clothing items don’t stay full-price for long. If you happen to see an item you just bought went on sale after you paid for it, bring in your receipt and ask for a price adjustment. Unless it is a clearance item, you can probably do this for a week or two after your purchase date if you have your receipt.
Shop Auctions For Cheap Clothing
There are professional discount shoppers who find terrific bargains and then turn those around and sell them online to make a bit of a profit. To you that means you get your new jeans for less without having to do more than click the “Buy Now” button.
Easy Step By Step Instructions When Shopping on a Budget
- Shop sales both online and off
- Print off coupons every time you shop to find additional discounts
- Take advantage of price adjustments
- Shop auction websites for deals and steals
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Getting Clothes on a Budget
When finding fashionable items for less, always inspect the clothing carefully to be sure that it isn’t damaged or poorly pieced together.
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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How to Create a Smoky Eye
May 3, 2009 by Rebecca
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
In recent years, the smoky eye has resurfaced. The challenge in creating a smoky eye is to keep the smoldering, sexy look without looking as if you just did battle with an eyeliner pencil. The biggest rule to remember is “no lines”. A true smoky eye will have no visible lines from shadows, eyeliners or mascaras.
Pick Your Smokey Eyes Colors
A true smoky eye starts with your own natural eye color. Your eye color is a reflection of your skin tone and should be emphasis when creating this sexy look. Cool eye colors like blue and green should lean more towards warm shadows and liners like raisin, warm browns and plum colors. Brown and gray eyes should use cooler tones like black, chocolate browns and navy blues. Choose two shades of eye shadow, one dark and one light version of the same color, an eyeliner and complimentary mascara. Most makeup companies have started to create kits that are designed for certain eye colors that can be purchased for a little over $20 at most stores.
Application of The Makeup
Remember, smoky does not mean overdone and scary. Start with the lighter shade of eye shadow and apply this color to the outside of your eyelid. This color acts as a highlighting shade drawing light and attention to this part of your eye. Use the darker shade along the inner creases of your lids and right along the lash line of your bottom lid. This is an easy way to alter the shape of your eyes as well.
Blend the two shadows together using a larger brush or with your fingertip. Next line the outsides (not the insides) of your eyes with the liner. Use short, light strokes to apply liner as you want to avoid heavy lines and smudges. Use an angled brush or q-tip to blend the line into the shadow and your eyelids. Finish with a coat of mascara.
Easy Step By Step Instructions For Creating Smokey Eyes
- Choose colors that compliment your eyes and skin tone and won’t overpower your natural beauty
- Smudge colors together to avoid visible lines
- Highlight areas of your eyes that you want to really pop
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions When Creating Smokey Eyes
Don’t overdo it! The sexy smoky eye is achieved by keeping makeup light and lines blended together well. Purchase kits that compliment your eye and skin colors.
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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How To Create a Scary Halloween Costume
October 1, 2008 by admin
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
If nobody is going to believe you’re an angel or fairy this Halloween, you might be better off taking on a scary Halloween costume. A favorite of older boys, especially these costumes usually involve a realistic mask or even prosthetics to recreate a look similar to what you might see in Hollywood. Your look is designed to terrify someone when you jump out in the dark or take on a role in a haunted house. To do this you’ll need three things – a mask, a costume, and acting skills.
Halloween Masks
An essential in scary costumes, Halloween masks can be silly, funny, or the best ones – down right gross and terrifying. While anything looks mundane sitting on the shelf at a costume shop, taking the mask into the night on Halloween can create a different feel entirely. To select the right mask, you should be willing to invest a bit of time and money in the selection process.
Your mask should appear realistic and be flexible. The mask that doesn’t move on your face doesn’t look nearly as authentic as the one that moves with you. Created in the same manner as masks used for special effects and prosthetics in Hollywood, Spfxmasks were designed for the individual seeking a truly terrifying, realistic mask. The masks are silicone so they fit easily and well yet move with you to make the face on the mask shockingly life-like.
Halloween Costumes
Your costume should be realistic as well and shouldn’t distract anyone from your freaky mask. Torn or faded jeans and an old button down shirts are always good choices as are the jeans and a beat-up t-shirt. Big, clunky boots are essential in any scary costume. Be sure to grab a few realistic props as well, but take care that they aren’t so real someone can get hurt.
Acting Skills
Finally, to make people believe that you are in fact the character you’re portraying, you’ll need acting skills. Monsters rarely walk casually – they limp, shuffle, sneak and even lope between locations. They skulk along in the dark and might be shy of the light. This can be fun to practice while you’re trick-or-treating with friends, but if you’re taking a role in a haunted house or trying to scare kids at your door, you’ll need to practice as much as possible so that you have your character and role down. Staying in character and looking authentic to that character are the easiest ways to terrify people this Halloween.
Easy Step By Step
- Decide on how scary you want to be
- Visit costume shops and look online for Halloween masks that are realistic and frightening.
- Once you have a mask, select clothing from your closet or from a thrift store to complete the look.
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions
Keep an open mind about a costume until you have a chance to see the available masks. Pick a Halloween mask that you find particularly gruesome or scary. If you feel scary, you’ll be able to play the role much more effectively.
(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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How to Make Halloween Costumes
October 1, 2008 by admin
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
What is Halloween without a fun costume. Of course if you’ve been to the stores lately, you know that getting a quality costume for adults or children can get rather expensive in a hurry. Making a Halloween costume is far less expensive and more fun.
Children’s Costumes
Many parents opt to make costumes for their children simply because they can’t find the desired outfit in the stores. If you lack basic sewing skills, you can always make your child a ghost. This involves cutting a circle from an old white sheet and then cutting two eyeholes. With that, the costume is complete!
To make a more complicated costume, you’d do best to look for a pattern in the fabric stores. Use the pattern to cut out the required pieces of the costume and then carefully sew the items together. In some cases, you can skip the sewing and make a Halloween costume out of items you already have at home combined with inexpensive items from the party or costume store.
How to Make a Witch Costume
To become a witch for Halloween, you need only pair up a long black skirt, black shirt and a witch hat acquired from a local costume shop. You can add a bit of sparkle and fun with spider jewelry or any other kind of Halloween jewelry. Remember too that painting faces is a big part of Halloween costumes – especially witches. Nothing goes better with all that black than a green face!
Angel Costume
To become an angel for Halloween, you can make an easy robe from a white sheet. Fold a sheet in half and cut a bit along the sides to make two long sleeves and a draping gown. Simply glue the sides together with fabric glue, turn the gown inside out and fit your child’s head through a hole cut at the top. Add a halo and wings acquired from a costume shop and you’re little angel is ready to go. A bit of glitter on her face would add the right angelic touch as well.
Cat Costume
For the sexier among us, a black cat can be alluring while being mysterious at the same time. Don your leotard or body suit in black. If you have a full body leotard you’re set, otherwise use standard leotard and black tights to make your sleek and sexy body. Buy a pair of cat ears from the costume shop, add some black whiskers and a black nose and you’re ready to slink out into the night!
Easy Step By Step
- Consider your time and abilities when it comes to creating costumes from scratch.
- Take requests from your child or brainstorm your own ideas
- Get a pattern and fabric for a costume from scratch – or –
- Buy accessories to create a costume from clothing and household items you already have.
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions
If you don’t know how to sew, a Halloween costume is a great way to learn. It’s something you’ll only use one time and a few safety pins and fabric glue are expected. Test your skills on a sewing machine or pick something you can stitch together by hand – by next year, you might be ready for the more deluxe costume varieties!
(3 votes, average: 2.00 out of 5)
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How to Make Hair Bows
July 30, 2008 by admin
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)
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Tying a bow in a girl’s hair is reminiscent of youth and frivolity – not to mention they are so darn cute! The kinds of bows that are popular today for young girls are not the pouf creations of a decade ago. Instead, hair bows are slim and trim.
Making a Hair Bow
To make a hair bow, first purchase ribbon from a craft store. You can use any width of ribbon up to about ¾ of an inch, but the number of ribbons you use is determined by the width. The thinner your ribbon, the more strands of color you can get away with.
If the girl will be wearing her hair in a ponytail, the best way to affix the hair bow is to tie it tightly around the elastic holding the ponytail in place. To do this, use a length of ribbon about 12-18 inches long. Wrap the ribbon around the base of the ponytail so that the lose ends are on top. Tie a bow as if you were tying a shoe. Pull the ends out evenly and be sure the bowed parts match. You might need to retie if it didn’t come out evenly.
To do this with multiple ribbons, simply wrap all the strands around the hair in the same way and tie as if all strands were part of a single ribbon.
If You Don’t Go With a Pigtail
For hair that’s not in a pigtail, the easiest and most attractive style of bow in current fashion is again, a simple bow like you would use to tie your shoe, but neat and even. Tie a small bow and use a dot of invisible fabric glue on the knot to keep it from pulling out. Thread a bobby pin through the middle of the knot before the glue dries. The bow should sit at the top of the curved portion of the bobby pin.
When it’s time to put the bow in her hair, simply slide the bobby pin in the desired location. The pin will blend with the hair leaving the bow visible. For very young girls, another option would be to tie a bow, seal the knot and then use fabric or hot glue to affix the bow to a small barrette.
Easy Step By Step
- Cut a ribbon 12-18” inches.
- Pull hair into a high ponytail.
- Tie the ribbon around the ponytail and pull the bow and dangling ends evenly.
- Or tie a traditional bow separately and glue it to a barrette or bobby pin to affix in hair not in a ponytail.
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions
The larger you’d like to make a bow, the wider ribbon you should use to give it strength. Otherwise the bow will be droopy or come untied more easily. Large bows can be tied and then glued to larger barrettes. Wrap extra ribbon around the top of the barrette to hide any metal parts you’d prefer not to show.
How to Tie Scarves
July 30, 2008 by admin
Filed under Fashion & Personal Care
Scarves have been around for centuries, but they never seem to go out of style. A great scarf can keep you warm or be the ultimate accessory when you’re out on the town. There are many types of scarves with different purposes and different looks. All of these can be tied in different ways as well.
Long Narrow Scarf
A long knit, fleece, or wool scarf is generally wrapped around your neck multiple times with each wrap laying loosely on the previous one. Another method or tying a long winter scarf is to fold the scarf in half and then center the folded scarf on your neck. Tie the two ends together in a loose knot and you can tuck the ends into your jacket or let the hang.
Short Narrow Scarf
Simply a shorter version of the long narrow scarf, you can simply wrap the scarf around your neck and tie a loose knot with the two ends, or you can do a European knot. Fold the scarf in half and center it on your neck. Take the loose ends and bring them across your neck. Tuck the two ends through the loop at the fold and pull tight against your neck. You can also simply wrap the scarf around your neck once with the long portion dangling down your back.
Long Silk Scarf
Square Scarf
The square scarf is very common and can be a beautiful accessory. The most common way to tie a square scarf is to pull the two opposing corners tightly to bring the square into a long, bunched shape. Then tie the scarf around your neck with a simple knot. Small squares might sit directly on the neck with a bit of fluff at the ends where it is tied tightly. Larger squares can be artfully arranged over the chest or shoulder and should be tied loosely to give you plenty of room at the neck.
Easy Step By Step
- Long scarf – fold in half and tie in a simple knot around your neck.
- Short scarf – fold in half and feed ends back through loop around your neck
- Long silk scarf – tie in a simple knot or like a tie
- Square Scarf – Pull into a triangle and tie around neck. Arrange ends beautifully.
Warnings, Advice, and Suggestions
The material of your scarf and the look you’re working to achieve will help you determine how you want to tie it. Silk is formal while knit is very casual.
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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