FASHION ARIA

SOME RECIPES

2010-11-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Prep time: about 90 minutes

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 3/4 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
nonstick spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
Beat eggs well in a small bowl.
In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, add the vegetable oil. Add the sugar a little bit at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy.
Add the eggs to the mixture in the large bowl and beat well.
Add some of the flour mixture to the large bowl and beat well. Then add some of the mashed bananas and beat some more. Continue adding flour, then bananas, then flour, then bananas, until everything is mixed in.
Pour mixture into a baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Bake for 70 minutes.
Flip your banana bread out of the pan, let it cool for a bit, and cut it into slices to eat and share!

Serves: 16

Serving size: 1 slice

Nutritional analysis (per serving):
145 calories
2 g protein
5 g fat
24 g carbohydrate
1 g fiber
27 mg cholesterol
155 mg sodium
37 mg calcium
0.8 mg iron
Note: Nutritional analysis may vary depending on ingredient brands used.
Suggestion:
If you like nuts, add chopped walnuts during Step 6.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

2 6-oz. salmon steaks (a normal portion size for meat and fish is 3 oz.)
butter or vegetable oil cooking spray or fat-free canola cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the broiler. Cover the broiling pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease the foil with butter or vegetable oil cooking spray.
Place the steaks on the pan and broil the salmon for 5 minutes. Turn the steaks carefully and broil the other side for 4 to 5 minutes or until the fish is firm but still springy and a bit translucent in the center.
Serve immediately topped with the sauce of your choice.

Serves: 2
Serving size: 1 salmon steak
Nutritional analysis (per serving):
350 calories
34 g protein
20 g fat
114 mg sodium
0 mg calcium
Note: Nutritional analysis may vary depending on ingredient brands used.
Variations and suggestions:
This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 4. Salmon freezes well if prepared properly. Freeze each piece separately, wrapped first in plastic and then in aluminum foil to preserve freshness and facilitate defrosting.
Serve with Orange Ginger Sauce.

Prep time: about 25 minutes
Ingredients:

1 12" pizza base (a large Boboli shell is excellent)
1 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes
fresh basil leaves, sliced finely
2 or 3 pieces of prosciutto or Parma ham, sliced very thinly (you can find it at the deli counter)
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius).
Place the pizza base on a baking sheet and spread it with a layer of tomato.
Sprinkle the basil over the tomato.
Tear the prosciutto or Parma ham into small pieces and lay the pieces over the pizza. Sprinkle the pizza with the feta cheese.
Drizzle the olive oil over the pizza.
Cook in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese browns and bubbles. Cut into 8 slices, share, and enjoy!

Serves: 4
Serving size: 2 slices
Nutritional analysis (per serving):
484 calories
24 g protein
19 g fat
58 g carbohydrate
0 g fiber
38 mg cholesterol
1765 mg sodium
350 mg calcium
2.1 mg iron
Suggestions:
Experiment with other toppings on your pizza: olives, peppers, broccoli, avocado, and whatever else you like!
Babysitters beware: Small food items (like hard vegetable pieces or cut-up sausage or hot dog) can be a choking hazard for very young children. Don't top your pizza with foods like these if kids are under age 4.

Taking Care of Your Body

2010-11-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

I'm fat. I'm too skinny. I'd be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs.
Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you're not alone. As a teen, you're going through a ton of changes in your body. And as your body changes, so does your image of yourself. Lots of people have trouble adjusting, and this can affect their self-esteem.

Why Are Self-Esteem and Body Image Important?

Self-esteem is all about how much people value themselves, the pride they feel in themselves, and how worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is important because feeling good about yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will make friends easily, is more in control of his or her behavior, and will enjoy life more.
Body image is how someone feels about his or her own physical appearance.
For many people, especially those in their early teens, body image can be closely linked to self-esteem. That's because as kids develop into teens, they care more about how others see them.

What Influences a Person's Self-Esteem?

Puberty

Some teens struggle with their self-esteem when they begin puberty because the body goes through many changes. These changes, combined with a natural desire to feel accepted, mean it can be tempting for people to compare themselves with others. They may compare themselves with the people around them or with actors and celebs they see on TV, in movies, or in magazines.
But it's impossible to measure ourselves against others because the changes that come with puberty are different for everyone. Some people start developing early; others are late bloomers. Some get a temporary layer of fat to prepare for a growth spurt, others fill out permanently, and others feel like they stay skinny no matter how much they eat. It all depends on how our genes have programmed our bodies to act.
The changes that come with puberty can affect how both girls and guys feel about themselves. Some girls may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their maturing bodies. Others may wish that they were developing faster. Girls may feel pressure to be thin but guys may feel like they don't look big or muscular enough.

Outside Influences

It's not just development that affects self-esteem, though. Many other factors (like media images of skinny girls and bulked-up guys) can affect a person's body image too.
Family life can sometimes influence self-esteem. Some parents spend more time criticizing their kids and the way they look than praising them, which can reduce kids' ability to develop good self-esteem.
People also may experience negative comments and hurtful teasing about the way they look from classmates and peers. Sometimes racial and ethnic prejudice is the source of such comments. Although these often come from ignorance, sometimes they can affect someone's body image and self-esteem.

Healthy Self-Esteem

If you have a positive body image, you probably like and accept yourself the way you are. This healthy attitude allows you to explore other aspects of growing up, such as developing good friendships, growing more independent from your parents, and challenging yourself physically and mentally. Developing these parts of yourself can help boost your self-esteem.

A positive, optimistic attitude can help people develop strong self-esteem — for example, saying, "Hey, I'm human" instead of "Wow, I'm such a loser" when you've made a mistake, or not blaming others when things don't go as expected.
Knowing what makes you happy and how to meet your goals can help you feel capable, strong, and in control of your life. A positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle (such as exercising and eating right) are a great combination for building good self-esteem.

Tips for Improving Your Body Image

Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.
The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or color it comes in. If you're very worried about your weight or size, check with your doctor to verify that things are OK. But it's no one's business but your own what your body is like — ultimately, you have to be happy with yourself.
Next, identify which aspects of your appearance you can realistically change and which you can't. Everyone (even the most perfect-seeming celeb) has things about themselves that they can't change and need to accept — like their height, for example, or their shoe size.
If there are things about yourself that you want to change and can (such as how fit you are), do this by making goals for yourself. For example, if you want to get fit, make a plan to exercise every day and eat nutritious foods. Then keep track of your progress until you reach your goal. Meeting a challenge you set for yourself is a great way to boost self-esteem!
When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop. Try building your self-esteem by giving yourself three compliments every day. While you're at it, every evening list three things in your day that really gave you pleasure. It can be anything from the way the sun felt on your face, the sound of your favorite band, or the way someone laughed at your jokes. By focusing on the good things you do and the positive aspects of your life, you can change how you feel about yourself.

Where Can I Go if I Need Help?

Sometimes low self-esteem and body image problems are too much to handle alone. A few teens may become depressed, lose interest in activities or friends — and even hurt themselves or resort to alcohol or drug abuse.
If you're feeling this way, it can help to talk to a parent, coach, religious leader, guidance counselor, therapist, or an adult friend. A trusted adult — someone who supports you and doesn't bring you down — can help you put your body image in perspective and give you positive feedback about your body, your skills, and your abilities.
If you can't turn to anyone you know, call a teen crisis hotline (check the yellow pages under social services or search online). The most important thing is to get help if you feel like your body image and self-esteem are affecting your life.

We Are Worrying About Your SkinCare

2010-11-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

Acne

A pimple starts when the pores in the skin become clogged with a type of oil called sebum, which normally lubricates the skin and hair. Acne is common during puberty when hormones go into overdrive, causing the skin to overproduce sebum. Because many oil-producing glands are on the forehead, nose, and chin, this area — the T-zone — is where a person is most prone to pimples.
Here are some tips to help prevent breakouts and clear them up as fast as possible:

Wash your face twice a day (no more) with warm water and a mild soap made for people with acne. Gently massage your face with circular motions. Don't scrub. Overwashing and scrubbing can cause skin to become irritated. After cleansing, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends applying an over-the-counter (no prescription needed) lotion containing benzoyl peroxide. This will decrease oil and bacteria.
Don't pop pimples. It's tempting, but here's why you shouldn't: Popping pimples can push infected material further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness, and even scarring. If you notice a pimple coming before a big event, like the prom, a dermatologist can often treat it for you with less risk of scarring or infection.
Avoid touching your face with your fingers or leaning your face on objects that collect sebum and skin residue like your phone. Touching your face can spread the bacteria that cause pores to become inflamed and irritated. To keep bacteria at bay, wash your hands before applying anything to your face, such as treatment creams or makeup.
If you wear glasses or sunglasses, make sure you clean them frequently to keep oil from clogging the pores around your eyes and nose.
If you get acne on your body, try not to wear tight clothes. They don't allow skin to breathe and may cause irritation. Scarves, headbands, and caps can collect dirt and oil, too.
Remove your makeup before you go to sleep. When buying makeup, make sure you choose brands that say "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic" on the label. Throw away old makeup that smells or looks different from when you first bought it.
Keep hair clean and out of your face to prevent additional dirt and oil from clogging your pores.
Protect your skin from the sun. It may seem like a tan masks acne, but it's only temporary. A tan can cause the body to produce extra sebum, which may worsen your acne, not improve it. Tanning also causes damage to skin that will eventually lead to wrinkles and increase your risk of skin cancer.

If you're concerned about acne, talk to a dermatologist. Dermatologists offer a range of treatments that help to prevent and clear up acne and acne scars. A dermatologist can help you find the treatment method that's best for you and can also give you lots of useful tips for dealing with acne and caring for your skin type. Some salons and spas have trained skin specialists, called estheticians, who can offer advice and skin care treatments.

Sun and Skin

We all know we need to protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays. Of course, it's impossible to avoid the sun — who wants to hide indoors when it feels so great to get outside? And the sun's not all bad, anyway: Sunlight helps our bodies create vitamin D. So follow these tips when you're outdoors to help manage sun exposure:

Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, even if it's cloudy or you don't plan on spending a lot of time outdoors. If you sweat a lot or go swimming, reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours (even if the bottle says the sunscreen is waterproof).
Choose a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Look for the words "broad spectrum protection" or UVA protection in addition to the SPF of 15 or greater. Select a sunscreen that says "nonacnegenic" or "noncomedogenic" on the label to help keep pores clear.
The sun's rays are strongest between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, so reapply sunscreen frequently and take breaks indoors if you can. If your shadow is longer than you are tall, then it's a safer time to be in the sun (you should still wear sunscreen, though).
Apply more sunscreen (with higher SPF) when you're around reflective surfaces like water, snow, or ice.
We all know that the sun can damage skin, but did you know it can contribute to eye problems, too? Protect your face and eyes with a hat and sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection.
Some medications, such as prescription acne medications or birth control pills, can increase your sensitivity to the sun (and to tanning beds). So if you're taking medication, increase your sun protection.
If you want the glow of a tan, try faking it with self-tanners or salon tanning treatments. Avoid tanning beds, though. They still contain some of the same harmful UV rays as the sun.

Cold Sores

Cold sores usually show up as tender "pimples" on the lips. They are caused by a type of herpes virus (HSV-1, which most often is not sexually transmitted) so they are contagious from person to person. Once you get this virus it stays in your body, meaning you'll probably get cold sores every now and then throughout your life. Here are ways you can help prevent cold sores from making an appearance (or reappearance if you've had them in the past):

Avoid getting cold sores in the first place by not sharing stuff like lip balm, toothbrushes, or drinks with other people who might have cold sores. The virus that causes cold sores is transmitted through the nose (in mucus) and the mouth (in saliva).
People who have the virus know that cold sores can flare up from things like too much sun, stress, or being sick. Just one more reason to lather on that suntan lotion, eat well, exercise, and get plenty of sleep!

If you do have a cold sore, here are some tips for keeping yourself comfortable:

Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen if the cold sores are painful.
Suck on ice pops or cubes to ease pain and keep cold sores cool.
Stay away from acidic foods (like oranges, tomatoes, and lemonade) and salty, spicy foods, which can cause irritation.
Don't pick at cold sores while you're waiting for them to go away. They may bleed or become infected with bacteria.

Usually, cold sores go away on their own after a week or two. But if you get them frequently or they're a problem, talk to your doctor or dermatologist, who may be able to prescribe medication to alleviate symptoms and shorten the amount of time cold sores last.

Eczema

Eczema is a condition that causes skin to become red, itchy, and dry. If you have eczema, you might notice that you are prone to getting itchy rashes — especially in places like where your elbows and knees bend or on your neck and face. The symptoms of eczema can vary from person to person. Though you can't cure eczema forever, you can take steps to prevent it from flaring:

Stay away from things like harsh detergents, perfumed soaps, and heavily fragranced lotions that tend to irritate the skin and trigger eczema.
Because water tends to dry out the skin, take short, warm showers and baths. If you're going to have your hands in water for a long time (like when you're washing dishes or your car), try wearing gloves.
Soothe your skin with regular applications of a fragrance-free moisturizer to prevent itching and dryness. Creams generally moisturize a bit better and last longer than lotions for most people. Creams work best if applied when the skin is slightly wet, like just after bathing.
Be careful which fabrics you wear. Cotton is good because it's breathable and soft. (But if you are exercising, some of the newer synthetic materials actually keep you drier and are better for you than cotton.) Try to stay away from materials like wool or spandex that may cause irritation or allergic reactions.
Keep stress in check. Because stress can lead to eczema flares, try activities like yoga or walking after a long day to keep your stress levels low.
If you wear makeup, look for brands that are free of dyes and fragrances that can aggravate eczema.

If you're having trouble managing your eczema, talk to a dermatologist, who can suggest ways to better control it.

Other Skin Conditions

Warts are tiny skin infections caused by viruses of the human papilloma virus (HPV) family. There's no way to prevent warts from occurring (other than avoiding contact with people who have them). But if you do get them, don't rub, pick, or scratch them because you can spread the virus and get new warts. Some over-the-counter medications containing special acids can help get rid of warts, but it's always a good idea to see your doctor before trying one. If you find warts in your genital area, you should see your doctor, who can recommend the best treatment method for that sensitive area.
Another type of wart-like viral infection is molluscum contagiosum. (It's not as scary as its name sounds!) Like warts, it can be transmitted through scratching and sexual contact.
Fine white or purplish lines on the skin called stretch marks are pretty common in most teens. Stretch marks are formed when the tissue under your skin is pulled by rapid growth or stretching, like during puberty. Stretch marks usually fade on their own over time. Talk to a dermatologist if you're concerned about them.
Because our skin is the most visible reflection of what's going on in our bodies, people equate healthy skin with beauty. But healthy skin is about more than just good looks; it's essential to our survival. So keep your skin glowing with the right skin care techniques and by eating well and getting lots of exercise.

Some Beauty Tips

2010-11-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

Ageing and Hair Falling – In 50’s age, Women are undergoing hormonal changes in your body due to menopause, which leads to decline in the female hormone, estrogen, making the male hormone relatively hyperactive. This leads to androgenic alopecia or male pattern balding. Dry skin is one of the other effects of these hormonal changes. For this skin you need to get an oil massage once a week.
Darker Upper Lips : Lighten Up – A dark upper lips is normal; the lower lip looks pink because of lip biting, which is very common. It is important to break the vicious cycle of lip biting and skin dehydration. For this, try using a petroleum jelly-based lip balm several times a day. Apply a lightening cream containing kojic acid and vitamin C in very small quantities on lip mergins at night.
Darker underarms – It is embarrassment to use sleeveless tops if your underarms are darker. There are several reasons for darker underarms, using deodorants directly on your skin, hair-removing creams, friction in case of excess weight and an existing hormonal imbalance. Avoid using deodorants directly pn your skin. Use a lightening agent containing mild hydroquinone locally at night. Use in very small quantity and avoid sun exposure while you are using the cream. Dust on an antifungal powder to keep the area dry.
Oily Skin & Dust – Teenage girls glands are very active, producing sebum in excess which gets deposited on the surface of your skin, making it look oily. It can cause acne. Avoid oily products and preferably use gel-based cosmetics. Mix some calamine in your sunscreen as it will absorb excess oil and keep your skin dry.

Hair Loss Treatments

2010-11-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hair Loss > Diet and Hair Growth

Hair is part of the complete biological system of the human body; disturbance in one part of system can cause dysfunction in other parts. To maintain optimum health, it is best to maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen.

Hair growth and thinning is mostly determined by your genes and the way the hair follicles respond to hormones. A very poor diet can cause thinning of hair and speed up the onset of hereditary hair loss. Getting the right nutrients is important to help keep your hair healthy and shiny.

The best way to maintain a healthy vitamin and mineral intake is a good diet. It is not necessary or advisable to go out and buy a bunch of over-the-counter vitamin supplements. It is easy to overdose one with over-the-counter vitamins particularly when taking supplements of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, causing toxicity and adverse reactions. The likelihood of doing this is far less with food; therefore, it is always best to obtain the bulk of your vitamin and mineral requirements from whole foods.

Experts agree that following the Food Guide Pyramid, which is a general eating guide that includes all of the daily food groups, offers a reliable and easy-to-follow plan to guide you through developing a healthy diet. A healthy diet ensures the intake of essential vitamins and minerals that contribute to your health and a healthy head of hair. Regular exercise and stress management are also essential to good health and are important for the prevention and treatment of temporary hair loss. It is suggested to make any change in the diet only after consulting a nutritionist or your health care provider.

Food Pyramid for Diet:

What your hair needs?	It's effect on hair	What to eat?	What to avoid?
Proteins	Hair itself is made up of protein.	Meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, soybean, etc.	Sugar, processed foods, fatty red meats, full fat dairy products; caffeinated products such as coffee, tea, cola drinks and chocolate. They can deple te the body of nutrients and raise adrenal levels, which will cause a chain reaction of producing more androgen and causing hair loss.
Vitamin A	Vitamin A helps to develop healthy cells and tissues. Its deficiency commonly causes thickening of the scalp, dry hair and dandruff.	Liver, fish oil, eggs, fortified milk; red, yellow, and orange vegetables are good sources for vitamin A, as are some dark green leafy vegetables like spinach.
Vitamin B6, B12, Biotin	These are important to maintain the level of iron, which helps in carrying oxygen from the lungs to the tissues.	Brown rice, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Oats, Sunflower seeds , Walnuts, Soya, Peas, lentils, Cooked egg yolk, etc.
Vitamin C	Vitamion C is responsible for the development of healthy collagen, which is necessary to hold body tissues together. Its deficiency can cause split ends and hair breakage.	Fresh peppers, citrus fruits, melons berries, potatoes, tomatoes and dark green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin E	Vitamin E is necessary to provide good blood circulation to the scalp by increasing the uptake of oxygen.	Green leafy vegetables, nuts, grains, vegetable oils, and most ready-to-eat cereals, which are fortified with vitamin E.
Folic Acid	Important for iron absorption	Marmite, Calf's liver, Chick peas, Endive
Iron	Ensures healthy supply of oxygen to hair.	Green leafy vegetables, kidney beans and bran
Zinc	Zinc is responsible for cell production, tissue growth and repair, and the maintenance of the oil-secreting glands of the scalp. It also plays a large role in protein synthesis and collagen formation. For this reason, zinc is important for both hair maintenance and dandruff prevention.	Seafood, oysters, oats.
Copper	It is necessary for the production of hemoglobin.	Good sources of copper are liver again, seafood, nuts, and seeds.
Iodine	Hair needs iodine for growth.	Seaweed, salmon, seafood, lima beans, molasses, eggs, potatoes with the skin on, watercress and garlic.
Silica	Silica is vital to the strength of hair, and although it will not necessarily stop hair from falling out from the follicle, it will stop hair breakage. It works by stimulating the cell metabolism and formation, which slows the aging process.	Rice, oats, lettuce, parsnips, asparagus, onion, strawberry, cabbage, cucumber, leek, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb, cauliflower, and Swiss chard.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)	EFA are a key component to healthy skin, hair and nails.	Deep-water fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, or herring.
Water	Water is vital to proper hydration, which is necessary in order for all nutrients to be utilized properly by the body, not to mention the proper function of every cell in the body including hair follicles.

Celebrity: Amrita Rao's Sister Preeta Makes It to Filmdom

2010-11-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Amrita Rao’s Sister Preeta Makes It to Filmdom!Actress Amrita Rao has been flying high after the success of her last two films Vivaah and Welcome to Sajjanpur and now her younger sister Preeta Rao is also going to make her debut in films. Preeta is a qualified journalist and is a successful model. She has been signed for a South flick called Rakthaksha. She wants to hone her acting skills with South movies before she makes her Bollywood debut. She looks very similar to her sister Amrita. Looks like the Rao sisters will be taking on the Kapoor sisters, the Shetty sisters and the Khanna sisters.

Bollywood beauty Amrita Rao’s charming sister Preeta Rao has decided to step into the world of movies. This model and qualified journalist has decided to walk on the path of actresses like Aishwarya Rai and Deepika Paduekon as the gal is starting her career with a south flick titled Rakthaksha. Like her sister, Preeta too desires to make her name in Hindi film industry but before stepping into Bollywood she wants to enhance her acting skills by portraying different characters in South flicks. She considers South Indian cinema as a learning place where she can improve her talents. Preeta says she will need to try really hard to reach anywhere near her sister. Preeta further adds that Amrita is one of the best actresses in the country today.Well, Preeta we wish you all the very best for your future projects and hope to see your killing looks and sensational adas in Bollywood soon.

Biography

Profile: Preeta Rao is an Indian Model. She has a Hindu name which means “ Love” and can be also spelt as Prita Rao.Preeta hails form the Chitrapur Saraswat Bhramin Community . Her roots can be traced to Mangalore. Born and Educated in Mumbai Preeta Graduated from Sophia College Majoring in History.Preeta Rao also studied “Advertising” in College and was a topper in her class. She is the beautiful sister of Bollywood Star Amrita Rao. Interestingly Preeta turned a Vegetarian in school along with her sister Amrita.

Career :Preeta’s career in Modeling took off when she was selected in an Audition from over 200girls in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi for the Cadburys Dairy Milk Tv Commercial opposite the Bollywood Super Star Amitabh Bachchan. Rao later got several movie offers from Bollywood after she got noticed in the Anchorgel Tooth paste and the Cadburys New 5-star Crunchy Advertisements but declared that she dose not intend joining Bollywood. Rao’s Beauty and Talent made her one of the most sort after faces in the Ad- World. In the span of 3years Preeta Rao has endorsed over 60brands all over India, Pakistan and Bangladesh on her own merit.

Work Done: Some of Preeta Rao’s Ads are :Cadburys Dairy Milk ( 2004)Pantene Shampoo – Pakistan ( 2004)Anchorgel Toothpaste ( 2004)Margo Sandal Soap for Hyderabad ( 2004)Ashirwad Haldi ( 2005)New 5star Crunchy ( 2005)Icici ( 2005)Sahara Mutual Fund ( 2005)Care Honey Lotion – ( Pakistan) 2005Nallis Sarees ( 2006)Danish Condensed Milk – Bangladesh ( 2006)Chic Shampoo ( 2006)Rmkv Sarees( 2006) Uzazi Clothes Line – Pune ( 2007) Temptation Deo ( 2007) Her other Assignments are unavailable to our information.

Beautiful Eyebrows

2010-10-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

Perfect eyebrows almost transcend the beauty of the face and make an immediate visible impact in a makeover session. The most coveted eyebrow shape is the one that starts directly above the inner corner of the eye, while its highest point is little beyond the outer corner of the iris. It tapers off to the end in a rounded bow like shape. However, not many women have been endowed with that perfect brow so most of them have to resort to many other procedures to attain the desired shape or reach nearest to it such as plucking, tweezing and waxing the brows. Here are some simple tips to tame your brows:
Spray a little hair spray on your brows and brush them using your toothbrush to keep them in place.
If you don't have time for tweezing, you can get the desired contour quickly by brushing them upwards and then snipping the longest hairs beyond the natural arch using a pair of tiny scissors.
Eyebrows slanting upwards make you look angry, so be careful not to take off too much at the outer corners.
Before tweezing your brows, you must prepare your skin by wiping the brow area with a cotton ball soaked in astringent. The cooling effect numbs the skin for sometime and thus, you do not feel much pain.
Hold the tweezers at 45 degrees and pluck the stray hairs below the brow line in the direction of the hair growth.
If your brows are sparse, use a freshly sharpened brow pencil to fill in the areas with light, quick strokes.

To get a natural and more defined look, you can brush your brows with a brow brush dipped in brow powder in upward and outward strokes.
It is important to use the correct shade for your brows. Fair women can use blonde shades while olive colored women should choose tawny or brown. Dark African-American women can use gray shades.
To add volume to your brows, use a stiff, slanted brush to apply eye shadow in short gentle strokes.
In case, you have over tweezed certain brow area, try to fill the patch using brow shadow, applying in the direction of the hair growth.
Eye shadow gives more natural look to your brows than an eyebrow pencil!
Brow shade should be about two shades lighter than hair color for olive or dark skinned women and two shades darker than hair color blondes or women with grey hair.

Hijab centre fashion

2010-10-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

HOW TO WEAR HIJAB AND DUPATTA:
BEAUTY WITH HIJAB

Hijab Style Finds: Ribbed Long Cardigan/Sweatercoat

Today’s Hijab Style Find is a hijab style essential in my opinion. It’s a long cardigan that has big buttons — which I love — and a ribbed texture which makes it just a bit more casual. This long cardi comes in four festive colors, all at around $20 each — depending on what size you need.

Hijab Style Tip:
They’re calling this sweater a “boyfriend cardigan” — which usually means that the sweater fits really loosely. But, as you can see in the pic, this particular cardigan is slim cut. It also has a very deep V-neckline, so you’ll have to be a bit careful about what you wear it with.

I would suggest wearing it open over very full and flowy items, like a cotton maxi dress. HINT: This is a great way to take your summer dresses into the Fall & Winter seasons! Unless you want to fidget with your hijab all day to make sure that your chest is covered properly, you’ll want to wear a tank top underneath of your dress as well if the dress is also low-cut. Or you could wear a large hijab and wrap it in such a way that it would cover you enough.

What Not to Wear à la Hijab

This is the first of a new WE LOVE HIJAB segment that many people have been requesting: a hijabi version of What Not To Wear. In these posts I’m going to be your Trinny & Susannah, and Clinton & Stacey. And I’m going to show you What Not To Wear (or how to wear things that you normally couldn’t)!

Up first, are sheath dresses. Sheath dresses are a really big trend right now, but they’re not hijab-fashion friendly for a couple of reasons:

[1] They’re tight.
[2] They’re short.
[3] They’re sleeveless (usually).

For these reasons, I wouldn’t normally recommend sheath dresses to a hijabi, BUT, there is one thing about these dresses that makes them wearable. The length. Sheath dresses are usually mid-thigh length, which makes them great underthings when you’re wearing longer blazers and cardigans. Check out the look below and tell me, are you feeling sheath dresses?

The Middle East Fashion Days

2010-10-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

So it seems like today is full of event announcements and this one is also taking place in Dubai later in October.

We're talking about the Middle East Fashion Nights by Who's Next Paris & Premiere Classe which will be on the 19-21 of October. Fustany is very glad to announce that we are Media Partners of such a successful event in the region and definitely one to keep an eye on.

So, let's give you a walk through the different aspects the Middle East Fashion Nights has to offer.

A mix of international and local designers will be exhibiting at The Middle East Fashion Days and not to mention the daily catwalk shows. An example for these designers would be Essa, Jerome L'Huillier, DAS collection, Mila Louise and Mellow Yellow to give you a brief list. (Makeup by L'Oréal Paris and Hairstyling by L'Oréal Professional)

It also includes a series of industry forums, a great collaboration with Pure London, an exhibition with the best creations of ESMOD students, the S*uce Lounge and much more.

So why should you attend such an event, which is open to the public on the last day? Well, there’s a pop up store with stunning designs you wouldn’t want to miss out on. We also recommend it because of the unique grabs which will definitely be statement pieces in your wardrobe, and are rarely found around the Middle East.

FOREVER LATEST JEWELARY

2010-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

ASIAN

Bridal Fashion

Buy wholesale 14k Yellow and white gold diamond bracelet at discount price, unique, vintage and antique looks diamond bracelets. Explore our comprehensive online store and find your dream jewelry such as bridal jewelry, engagement rings, anniversary rings pendant and studs with our extensive range of natural loose diamonds.

LFOREVERATEST JEWELRY

2010-10-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

ASIAN FASHIONS

Can you imagine a bride in a beautiful bridal dress but without any jewelry? And yes, she is Indian bride. It’s just next to impossible. Even while heading for any party women adorn her with jewelry; then how on her big day she will skip it. Jewelry is very important for the overall appearance of the Indian bride. In fact if she misses on any jewelry her look is considered incomplete. Bridal look is called perfect when she is adorned with each and every piece of the jewelry meant for her.

Mangal Sutra (Necklace with Black Beads)

Mangal Sutra i.e. necklace with black beads comprises one of the most important pieces of the bridal jewelry. It is tied by the groom around the neck of bride, as symbol of their union and is one of the rituals of wedding ceremony. It comprises of a string of black beads, with a gold or diamond pendant.

Maang Tikka

Maang Tikka is one of the important jewelries of the Indian bride and is worn on the center parting of the hair. It comprises of a string with one end hook on the hairs while the other hand is sits on the center forehead.

Shringar Patti

It is a kind of tiara adorning the forehead of the bride and is usually in gold. It is placed along hairline of the bride and has a circular plaque in the middle, which hangs below the hair line (on the forehead).

Necklace and Earrings

Bridal set forms one of the major parts of Indian bridal jewelry. It incorporates necklace and earrings. Bridal set should be complementary to the bridal dress.

Nose Ring or Nath

Don’t think of nose ring or nath the one woman generally wears. Bridal nath is very different and beautiful one. It is quite large in round shape and is studded with either gold or diamond generally and has a long chain attached to it. The chain is tied up in the hair of the bride, above the ear.

Bangles or Chudi

Bangles or Chudi are must for brides and are of gold or glass. They bring great show to the bride appearance.

Bracelet with Rings or Hathphool

Hathphool is a beautiful jewelry that embellishes the wrist as well as the fingers of the bride. It is a bracelet with one or the more strings attached to it, having rings at the other end.
Finger Rings or Anguthi
Fingering or Anguthi is a compulsorily worn jewelry by the bride. Don’t misunderstand it with engagement ring. This is another ring of gold or diamond which bride wears in one or more fingers.
Toe Ring or Bichhua
Bichhua is considered very essential in many states of India. It is of silver. It is also looked upon as one of the signs of a married woman and is worn in pairs in next to thumb finger of foot.
Anklet or Payal
Anklet or payal or pajeb is yet another very important jewelry for the bride. It adorns the ankle of a bride and is usually of silver. It has decorations of meenakari, kundan or beads.
Waist Band or Kamarband

Kamarband is tied around the waist of bride. In earlier times brides used to wear it. Though presently also it’s worn in few parts of India but not compulsory. It is a heavy piece of jewelry and is meant to support the wedding dress and keep it in place.

FASHION FOR 2010

2010-10-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Fashion for All

Hairstyles are representative of your own personal style and taste. With so many different hair styles out there that are available to select, finding the right one could be tricky. If you are interested in keeping up with the latest hair style trends, consider choosing a hair style that is suitable for the fall season. This will not only help keep you looking in style, but it can also be a great way to determine what hair style will suit you well.

Fall Hairstyles Length Trends

During any time of the year, the most common hair style length is medium. The main reason is because this is the length that is the easiest to take care of for just about any hair type. It is also great if you want a hair style that is easy to maintain, but that also will look great with your face shape.

Other Hairstyle Trends

Choppy hairstyles are expected to remain popular for quite a long time, so it is likely that you will find them to continue to be very common during the fall season. Layers are always a very popular hair trend and something to consider during any time of the year. Just about any hairstyle looks great when accompanied by bangs, which seem to be remaining consistently popular.

There are many hairstyle trends which can be found in 2007 fall, but it is important to keep in mind that many of them seem to remain popular throughout most of the year. Before you make the decision to choose any hairstyle, always spend some time researching the current hairstyles trends. Of course, you should not feel discouraged if the style that you really want to wear is not a very popular fall hair style.

Try to avoid allowing yourself to be a slave to fashion. Although following the current hair style trends can be great, sometimes you may be better off wearing the hair style that is the most suitable to your own personal tastes.

Along with medium length hair styles, short length hair styles are also just generally popular during any time of the year. The reason is because they are also easy to take care of. A sophisticated bob is the best option for you this fall. Bobs are the most popular hair style trend in general and are quite fashionable during the fall season.

Color Trends for Fall Hair Styles

Fall is well-known for the beautiful colors that are found in its scenery. One of the most interesting things about fall hair styles is that some of the most common hair style colors are similar to those that are found in the fall leaves.

Golden blondes, light or honey browns, fiery reds and auburns are all very popular colors during the fall season. If you want to make a hair color switch, consider choosing one of these popular fall hair colors.

nly mean that you can sleep nicely in it but the women’s nightwear should have the right fit for you.

Women often complain of being not in their best when evening comes. Ill-fitting nightwear is one of the problems of women and yet the irony is, it is still being used despite of the baggy and sagging curves it creates making you a huge-chunk of a woman. Therefore, you should learn how to find the right type. The rule in choosing the perfect women’s nightwear for you is that the dress should be able to highlight assets of the body and downplay the unsightly curves. If you have a nice pair of long legs, choose a short nightdress like the one with a flounce hemline. Find the luxury of wearing it by being conscious of the material like prefer to have the one made of cotton or silk. If you have the curves placed at the right places of your body, a delicate shoestring straps and expertly tailored bodice would make a superb fit for you.

2010 hair styles for women

2010-10-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

2010 hairstyle trends will feature a lot of new looks: there are the new hair trend heavily influenced by the recent Spring 2010 catwalks, and there are the reworkings and evolutions of last year's hair trends. Below are 99fashions-pk-uk.blogspot.com's top picks for hair styles in 2010, with seasonal styles alongside looks for hair from short to long. For more on hair cut trends keep reading.

Plaited & Braided hair

The popularity of milkmaid braids in 2009 evolves into the braided hairstyle trend in 2010. While it's natural for hair trends to evolve between the years, the resurgence of plaited / braided hair is mostly as a result of the hairstyle heavily featuring on the Spring 2010 catwalks. Particularly prominent on Alexander Wang's Spring 2010 runway, we also spotted them at Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu Spring 2010 and, increasingly, amongst street style pictures.

There are two distinct braided hairstyle looks for 2010: the long side braid, and the fish plait as seen on the Missoni Spring 2010 catwalk.

Fashion Trends 2010

2010-10-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Kai-aakman is a contrasexual casual brand aspiring harmony of Animas and Anima, inspired by Carl Jung; The Anima, the personification of all feminine psychological tendencies within a man, the archetypal feminine symbolism within a man's unconscious; The Animusm, the personification of all masculine psychological tendencies within a woman, the archetypal masculine symbolism within a woman's unconscious. Kai-aakman applies this perspective into fashion aesthetics. The true beauty deep in every human being's potential ambivalence is being reinterpreted into mix and match of everything.

Anatomy of a Trend

Most Important Beauty Tips for Pakistani Bride

2010-10-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Experience the freshness of glowing skin on your wedding day. The wedding season is in full swing with all its excitement, beauty tips and pleasure. Girls got so much indulged in the midst of all the marriage related activities that they hardly give time to adopt important beauty tips and beneficial bridal beauty tips that can do wonders in their bridal look. If you really want to look good and fresh on your wedding day, these bridal beauty tips are essential for you.

When it comes to bride and bridal beauty tips, most of us only focus on the Wedding and Walima day, when we thought makeup and beauty tips will cover all our spots, dark circles and dull skin. However, girls forget the importance of early marriage days, when thesebeauty tips will actually work for them to make theirskin look fresh and healthy.

Wedding day is not the only day when you have to look beautiful by using these beauty tips. In fact, by these easy beauty tips you will feel difference in your skin texture and freshness. The most important amongst all bridal beauty tips is to drink a lot of water minimum before two months before your wedding. By following this beauty tips, you will maintain the hydration of your skin, keeping it supple and soft.

Drinking minimum 10 glasses of water every day is among best beauty tips to control your stress level that you will be experiencing as the wedding date will be coming near. No beauty tips and treatment will work for you if your skin is not hydrated properly.

To attain a healthy glowing skin on your wedding, the best amongst the bridal beauty tips is the three steps procedure, which all of the girls can easy follow. These three steps are:

Cleansing is the most important and vital among the beauty tips, as without cleansing any expensive cream or mask will do no good to your skin. Before 2 months of your wedding, try these easy beauty tips to make it a routine to cleanse your face with a non-alcoholic cleanser every morning and before going to bed. By adopting our beauty tips you will definitely feel the difference in your face and skin, as cleansing will remove all the dirt and excessive oils that are harmful for your skin.

Toning is the next step to attain the benefits of our bridal beauty tips. After cleaning your face, dip a cotton ball in a non-alcoholic toner and apply it all over your face and neck. If you cannot buy toner to follow these beauty tips, you can achieve same effects by using rose water.

After toning, the third part of our beauty tips is to moisturize your skin with some good brand crème that suits your skin type.

Along with these bridal beauty tips, always wear sunblock SPF 15 or SPF 30, 20 mins before going out for shopping. You will find these little and easy beauty tips more than beneficial from expensive beauty salons treatments.

Some Wedding Dresses

2010-10-10T01:59:00.000-07:00

Pakistan brings to you wide coverage about Pakistani wedding dresses for not only bride and groom but also helping family members choosing right from variety
of latest styles and designs.
Our detailed portfolio of wedding dresses is updated with highly stylized bridal
dresses of latest fashion for all classes of people. Our wedding dress portfolio
also includes low budget dresses without compromising on style and elegance.
You can select your choice of dress from our wedding dress portfolio depending
on the glamour you want to add in your looks and function.
Our wedding dress portfolio includes sharara, gharara, lehnga choli,
mermaid cut lehnga, choridar pajama with angrakha. All these wedding
dresses are available in wide range of colors and styles. For these
dresses we give complete advisory service of matching jewellery and other
accessories like hand bag or matching pouch, shoes and variety of other
stuff.
All these wedding dresses are cut, stitched and embroidered neatly by
highly professional designers, tailors and karigers of Pakistan fashions.
Embroidery works for these wedding dresses include combination of
different embroidery styles by expert karigers. Some of these embroidery
works are gotta, dabka, kora, beads, thread work, discs, resham
embroidery (resham ka kaam) to produce elegant, modern and
traditional wedding dresses.
ladies wedding wear or pakistani dresses for bride and groo.
Pictures of bridal wear on wedding that include wedding lehnga pictures.
groom dress pictures that include sherwani pictures.

Wedding Dress Perfection

2010-10-10T01:11:00.000-07:00

The biggest challenge for any bride to – be is making the right decision when choosing her wedding dress besides that of choosing the ideal partner she wants to spend the rest of her life with. This is where the bride gets to live her dream of being princess for the day. So what are we waiting for lets go make your dream come true.

Brides-to-be need to consider the comfort level when buying the wedding dress. If the dress causes you extreme discomfort; then expect all dances at the reception be that of a waltz, heaven forbid should you take to the floor to do the hippy hippy shake. Keep in mind that if the dress is tight it can hamper your circulation causing you to faint.

Plans for the wedding dress usually start months before the set date, well in advance in some cases. What you have to remember once you have chosen the gown you have to stick with your diet, no piling on the pounds only to lose them with more expense incurred where the wedding dress has to be altered.

Styles of wedding dress/gown selections can be chosen personally from a bridal shop. Magazines are also a good choice for making your selection and for gathering some useful tips on wedding plans.

An important factor that has to be addressed is body types. Petite to pleasantly plump figure shapes will definitely need to be taken into consideration when making that decision in what will or will not suit your frame. Either way regardless of size the right choice will have you looking beautiful on the day. To find the perfect wedding dress is to be prepared to make a day of it where the trying of many will be in abundance.

Vera Wang is one of the famous names in the world of weddings. VW is noted for the detailing put into her gowns along with luxurious craftsmanship, also an additional bonus of personal hand beading. Famous stars like Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson line up in the wedding queue, not forgetting Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman. If your budget allows then go all out for a designer dress.

Other options for the pocket which says go easy on the pennies. In addition to the more traditional bridal shops, check out discount stores, charity shops, even going online at eBay is another fine option recommended and far less expensive.

Common sense prevails when buying the perfect wedding dress online, because of the way the purchase is to be handled, it is a good chance that you only get to see the dress by photo so be sure to check measurements and be specific when asking details on the condition of the dress. Another important factor is to double check on the person selling before going ahead with any transaction involving money.

If it is a traditional wedding theme that you have in mind for the wedding then go for a vintage dress. Vintage dresses intend to discolor so check this out before making a purchase. Remember vintage represents old so check for wear or tear.

Vintage Dress Patterns

2010-10-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

Vintage Dress Patterns

If you love vintage clothes and are having trouble finding one in a store, then the best way to go about is to sew one yourself. There are many easy vintage dress patterns from which you can make any dress you desire. When we talk of vintage fashion, it brings to mind style icons like Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe.

The vintage dress patterns of 1930s and 50s were flamboyant with great detailing and use of luxurious fabrics. Famous couturiers and fashion designers like Coco Chanel, Jean Patou, and Jeanne Lanvin came up with some innovative designs and styles that are relevant even today. Coco Chanel was the one to come up with the little black dress that is synonymous with high fashion and is an essential fashion item in any women’s wardrobe. Here we will discuss all about vintage dress patterns.

Vintage Dress Patterns for Girls

If you are looking for vintage dress pattern to wear for your prom, then you cannot go wrong with a 50s vintage dress. A 50s prom dress pattern is characterized by the use of fabrics like duchesse satin, raw silk, bold prints and bright colors. A 50s vintage dress pattern has a fitted bodice with emphasis on the waist and with a full skirt. Hemlines hit just below the knees and these type of dresses were usually worn with a narrow belt to emphasize the waist.

Fabrics that can be used for vintage dress patterns of the 50s are taffeta, velveteen, silk, satin and crepe. Colors like fuchsia, electric blue, turquoise, aubergine and burgundy works very well with these patterns. Vintage dress patterns of the 1950s are full of old world glamor and will make you feel like a Hollywood star. You can even take inspiration from vintage style wedding dresses.

Vintage Dress Patterns of 1920s

If you like a more restrained look, then you can use vintage dress patterns of 1920s. A straight shift dress in fabrics like cotton, silk and linen were very popular choices for formal dress patterns in the 1920s. The hemline for vintage dress patterns in 1920s were from the modest calf length to the more trendy just above the knee. Dresses were more streamlined and form fitted. Jackets with dresses were worn by a lot of women. Another vintage dress patterns style that is synonymous with 20s style is the flapper dress. 1920s flapper dresses had a dropped waistline with multiple fringes and was usually sleeveless.
Vintage dress patterns are notoriously difficult to find and the best places to look for them is in thrift shops, flea markets, yard sales and auctions. Many cheap vintage dress patterns can also be found online and there are many websites who offer free shipping as well. When you choose free vintage dress patterns to make a dress, make sure that you update the look by using modern fabrics. For women on the healthier side, there are many plus size vintage dress patterns to choose from. Wrap dresses as well as drop waist and empire cut dress patterns work well for plus size women

Street Wear

2010-10-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

In October 2010, Fashionoffice received an image showing a female racer in sportive fashion pieces that are created for the style of a new car.
On occasion of this rare coincident of 'woman-car-sport-fashion', collected pieces that are inspired by pioneering women and pieces that have a bloody-oily-street touch.
'Jeanne Lanvin' eau de parfum, seen in FW2010/11. 'Jeanne Lanvin' is an homage to the founder (1889) of the house. In her lifetime, she has created scents like 'My Sin' (1925), 'Scandal (1933), 'Prétexte' (1937)... and her most successful perfume 'Arpège' (1927). The perfume that you can see on this page is created by Anne Flipo; the flacon design comes from Lanvin artistic director Alber Elbaz who was inspired by an historical bottle. He packed it into one of his favorite materials - silk tulle, with Paul Iribe's portrait of Jeanne Lanvin and her daughter on the closure. 'Jeanne Lanvin' eau de parfum premiered in September 2008.

Black body peeling scented with chypre and violets by Balenciaga; the 'Balenciaga Black & White' limited edition comes into shops by the end of October 2010.

'Dream' lingerie in tango-red and purple by Calida, FW2010/11.
'Hawaii Five' is a comfortable sized messenger bag (300x90x170 mm) for the essentials like keys, mobile phone, lip gloss, sunglasses, etc. with zipper and outer pocket by Freitag, seen in FW2010/11. Photo: Peter Würmli. The idea for the bag comes from the street. Originally designed in 1996 by the Swiss design brothers Freitag, the shoulder strap is made of a used car seatbelt, bicycle inner tubes, and used truck tarpaulins.
Necklace with 'statement'-pendants by Pierre Lang, FW2010/11. Photo: Pierre Lang. The words peace, magic, together, wonderland, love are written in bright colored antique-effect lacquer.
'Fever Gloss' in bloody black cherry by Lancôme, FW2010/11. Photo: (C) Hondodigital für Lancôme. The colors of the collection are inspired by the female avantgarde of the 'Belle Époque' at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.
Black fashion wedges by the high fashion, streetwear, and sport inspired collection from the line SLVR by Adidas, FW2010/11. SLVR FW2010/11 presents classic sportswear silhouettes in new interpretations such as the laced sneaker a-like shoes as high-heel wedges.

Fashion Trends

2010-10-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Fashion Ideas

Today in the 21st century the women fashion industry influences the lifestyle of women around the world more than it did before. Actually it does not only control the way women dress today. It has even brought changes in women's overall outlook. Today fashion wear reflects a generation of women who are not afraid of saying what they think and of wearing what they want. With the changes in living standards, women clothing has redefined itself and now it is more than just a means to cover the body.

Today fashion is of great significance and there are lots of different fashion carnivals and numerous channels providing hours of transmission time to various fashion topics. In order to known what is in fashion now women subscribe to different fashion magazines. They are also searching for other fashion resources to know the latest news about trends. They show high degree of interest in celebrity fashion.

Being aware of what you wear today has a quite different implication than it had a few years ago. There was a period when many people considered wearing clothes as necessity but with the process of globalization nowadays we all want to wear fashion clothes and fashion shoes together with accessories, perfumes, hair and skin care products from the most popular manufacturers. Today women clothing is a means to reveal their inner world, their character and emotions, their tastes, education and social status.

In the past we had limited opportunities to shop for fashion clothes. We used to walk down into the shopping centers after looking through different catalogues. But today the situation has changed greatly and now we have an additional platform allowing us to shop without difficulties. The advent of the Internet has led to the creation of a new world of online shopping where it is possible to purchase any fashion product easily.

The IT technologies have created a virtual world making latest fashion trends available for every woman. An online fashion store is a store offering females the latest dose of fashion. With such stores retailers have received the opportunity to create fashion garments and can publish pictures of the clothes offered by them online in a short period of time and with minimum expenses.

With enormous choice of trends, online fashion stores are considered to be the
best place to do shopping for fashion clothes, shoes, accessories, make-up and perfume products. Lots of women are searching for ways to save hard earned money and purchasing clothes at online fashion stores is best way to do it. Apart from this, some of the other major advantages of online fashion stores are: at any time and from any place it is possible to shop anything beginning with apparel and ending with the latest fashion accessories; women can browse online stores easily and choose products by brand, by price or by a specific category; online shopping allows to save great amounts of energy; women have various ways of payment such as credit cards, online banking or cash on delivery at their disposal.

Fashion Trends

2010-10-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

Latest Women Fashion Trends

Fashion is an unstable phenomenon that constantly changes in the way impossible to predict by any prophet. Consequently, one of the most insuperable female desires is to keep pace with the latest women fashion trends. In the light of current monetary boom when most women strive to keep a tight rein on their pulse online trending guides try to educate and highlight contemporary women in facts that fashion is not restricted to the rack or shopping any longer.

The quintessential aim of any female nature is to remain attractive despite the circumstances and flee of time. Perfect look stands for confidence, that in its tern, exudes sexiness. Either in attending a significant dinner with distinguished guests or planting the flowers in the suburbs each woman is to keep the form and remain unique. That’s why trends have a tendency to design the uniforms that are meant to make every woman stand out, never get left behind but strive to be ahead leading the masses. In drafting the design for every particular style of evening clothes or urban fashion cloth makers try to contribute some novelty and freshness in the image of designer clothing in pursuit of would-be trend. The most significant ideas of world brands that have been praised by fashion critics and recognized by people of fashion serve to be a pattern of how a woman is to look for the nearest several months.

Trending collections that have gained the most susceptible support with the public are placed on the leading fashion sites, catalogues and stores taken directly from the source of ultimate brands creation for the purpose to keep general public on the edge trends and make them their own. The world of fashion has something to offer every woman. Whether you are a carrier oriented personality or consider keeping a family to be an immediate priority in your life you are certain to find a suitable variant in sections of urban fashion or highly elegant evening dresses. Before starting to look for the style to expose your inborn traits it’s necessary to keep in mind that’s you who create yourself.

2010-10-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

Skin Care Roundup
Which products are the biggest bang for your buck?
By Michelle Klein, SkinCareCop.com

Every year, the Skin Care Cop goes out and buys hundreds of the most popular skin care and beauty products for our annual Skin Care Roundup. Our volunteers spend several months trying the latest and greatest creams, lotions and makeup in hopes to find products that stand out and earn our Editor's Choice award. We find out which products deliver results and which ones are just hype and false promises. We also consider factors such as customer service, refund policies and website content in our reviews. This year, we break it down in 12 parts...

Part 8: Skin Whiteners
We tested 14 popular brands and our #1 choice is...

Meladerm Pigment Reducing Complex
Skin whiteners have just started to become very popular in the beauty industry because of their versatility in treating many types of skin conditions such as age spots, melasma, scars and acne marks. After reviewing over a dozen of the most popular skin whitening creams, our Editor's Choice awards goes to the Meladerm Pigment Reducing Complex by Civant Skin Care. Meladerm stood out due to the quality of the finished product and the fantastic results we saw in just a short period of time.

The manufacturer also backs the product with an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee, though we're pretty sure you'll be keeping this product and perhaps even buying more for your friends. We sent an email to the Civant Skin Care support staff and they responded very quickly with answers to all of our questions. Their customer service representatives are very friendly and easily accessible. We also found that their website is very easy to navigate and extremely informational. Ordering is a breeze and an overall pleasant experience.
Pros

Strongest formula available over-the-counter
Hydroquinone-free
Manufacturer offers a money back guarantee
Professionally tested for safety
Packaged in an airless dispenser preventing
light and air from damaging cream
Results seen in a short period of time

Cons

Does not come in very large sizes
Sunblock has to be purchased separately
Currently only available online.

The Bottom Line

Civant Skin Care has been in business for several years and their product Meladerm is the most widely known skin lightener on the market. The formula has the strongest available concentrations of ingredients for over-the-counter use and is recommended by professionals worldwide.

Description

Manufacturer - Civant Skin Care
Kit available for all skin types
30-Day Guarantee
Strongest formula available OTC
Suggested Price - $49.99 for 1.7 oz

Do you suffer from embarrassing dark or discolored intimate areas?

2010-10-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

Millions of women (and men) do! We all want to look our best. Especially in the most intimate areas of our bodies! Now you can with South Beach Skin Solutions™. Don't be fooled by imitators. Trust the original innovators! Ours is the original all-natural product created specifically for use in intimate areas with years of proven results. Our advanced formulas are all-natural and do NOT contain harsh chemicals such as Hydroquinone or Kojic Acid found in other lighteners! Instead, we feature gentle lightening agents that won't irritate or have dangerous side effects. Great for ALL skin types:
Our Products - Which one is right for me?

Fashion History

2010-10-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

Nineteenth Century
The influence of English dress on America, the growth of the industry, and the impact fashion had on English and American cultures is documented throughout the century through various literary means.
Fashion in Literature Nineteenth-century transatlantic literature reflected the importance and progression of fashion British author Charles Dickens references the importance of the female seamstress and her role in English society, as well as ideas surrounding femininity in his novel Little Dorrit (Famine 55). Dickens' American Notes continues to illustrate a preoccupation with the fashion of both American and English with his opinion regarding the dress of American women (Dickens 36). American author Leander Richardson's The Dark City: Customs of the Cockneys further compares the relationship between American fashion trends in New York and Boston with those of London women. His criticism regarding the tendencies of American women to mimic British fashion trends reflects the idea of fashion as a transatlantic industrial market (Richardson 110). The American magazine, Godey's Lady's Book, edited by Sarah Josepha Hale connects nineteenth century fashion as a reflection of moral values of the time. Her praise of Queen Victoria's style of dress in 1868 revealed her understanding of women's dress reflecting the morality of English speaking people (With Grace 27).
Aesthetic Fashion As the century progressed, the importance of dressing correctly and dressing in aesthetically pleasing forms were also documented by nineteenth century authors. By the end of the 1870s, fashion in both American and English societies saw a shift from corsets, padding, and petticoats to fabrics that revealed the shape of the female body, a trend noted by English novelist Wilke Collins (With Grace 22). The aesthetic importance of nineteenth century transatlantic fashion appears in other various literary works. Several essays by Oscar Wilde, as well as Mary Hawei's Art of Decoration (1881) and Art of Dress (1878) encouraged women to dress in a more aesthetically pleasing manner inspired by nature (With Grace 22). In 1880, the importance of Aestheticism further inspired authors and performers in the arts field, ultimately leading to the increased recognition of aesthetic styles of fashion in the Western world. In addition to aestheticism, several reform movements, such as the American movement started by the National Dress Reform Association in 1856 sought to make women's clothing safer and more practical (With Grace 17).
Technology and Fashion As the century proceeded, the continued advancements of communication and technology allowed for an increase in production of textiles, particularly in America. American shoppers known as shopping agents traveled to Paris and were able return to America with clothing that would otherwise be unattainable for American women to own (With Grace 2). The increasing ability for transatlantic traveling in the nineteenth century allowed for the fashion trends of England and France to be seen in America. As the American economy grew with the expansion of markets like the cotton and fur industries, much attention fell upon transatlantic consumers.
The first fashion designer to become truly famous was Charles Frederick Worth (1826–1895). Before the former draper set up his maison couture fashion house in Paris, clothing design and creation was handled by largely anonymous people, and high fashion descended from style ordered it and the resulting garment made money for the house. Thus, the tradition of designers sketching out garment designs instead of presenting completed garments on models to customers began as an economy.

Early twentieth century

Throughout the early 20th century, practically all high fashion originated in Paris, and to a lesser extent London. Fashion magazines from other countries sent editors to the Paris fashion shows. Department stores sent buyers to the Paris shows, where they purchased garments to copy (and openly stole the style lines and trim details of others). Both made-to-measure salons and ready-to-wear departments featured the latest Paris trends, adapted to the stores' assumptions about the lifestyles and pocket books of their targeted customers.
Around the start of the twentieth century fashion style magazines began to include photographs and became even more influential than in the past. In cities throughout the world these magazines were greatly sought-after and had a profound effect on public taste. Talented illustrators - among them Paul Iribe, Georges Lepape, Erté, and George Barbier - drew exquisite fashion plates for these publications, which covered the most recent developments in fashion and beauty. Perhaps the most famous of these magazines was La Gazette du bon ton which was founded in 1912 by Lucien Vogel and regularly published until 1925 (with the exception of the war years).

1900s

The outfits worn by the fashionable women of the 'Belle Époque' (as this era was called by the French) were strikingly similar to those worn in the heyday of the fashion pioneer Charles Worth. By the end of the nineteenth century, the horizons of the fashion industry had generally broadened, partly due to the more mobile and independent lifestyle many well-off women were beginning to adopt and the practical clothes they demanded. However, the fashions of the Belly Époque still retained the elaborate, upholstered, hourglass-shaped style of the 1800s. As of yet, no fashionable lady would (or could) dress or undress herself without the assistance of a third party. The constant need for radical change, which is now essential for the survival of fashion within the present system, was still literally unthinkable.
Conspicuous waste and conspicuous consumption defined the fashions of the decade and the outfits of the couturiers of the time were incredibly extravagant, elaborate, ornate, and painstakingly made. The curvaceous S-Bend silhouette dominated fashion up until around 1908. The S~Bend corset was very tightly laced at the waist which forced the hips back and the drooping mono bosom was thrust forward in a pouter pigeon effect creating an S shape. Toward the end of the decade the fashionable silhouette gradually became somewhat more straight and slim, partly due to Paul Poiret's high-waisted, shorter-skirted Directoire line of clothes.
The Maison Redfern was the first fashion house to offer women a tailored suit based directly on its male counterpart and the extremely practical and soberly elegant garment soon became an indispensable part of the wardrobe of any well-dressed woman. Another indispensable part of the outfit of the well-dressed woman was the designer hat. Fashionable hats at the time were either tiny little confections that perched on top of the head, or large and wide brimmed, trimmed with ribbons, flowers, and even feathers. Parasols were still used as decorative accessories and in the summer they dripped with lace and added to the overall elaborate prettyiness.

1910s

During the early years of the 1910s the fashionable silhouette became much more lithe, fluid and soft than in the 1900s. When the Ballets Russes performed Scheherazade in Paris in 1910, a craze for Orientalism ensued. The couturier Paul Poiret was one of the first designers to translate this vogue into the fashion world. Poiret's clients were at once transformed into harem girls in flowing pantaloons, turbans, and vivid colors and geishas in exotic kimono. Paul Poiret also devised the first outfit which women could put on without the help of a maid. The Art Deco movement began to emerge at this time and its influence was evident in the designs of many couturiers of the time. Simple felt hats, turbans, and clouds of tulle replaced the styles of headgear popular in the 1900s. It is also notable that the first real fashion shows were organized during this period in time, by the first female couturier, Jeanne Paquin, who was also the first Parisian couturier to open foreign branches in London, Buenos Aires, and Madrid.
Two of the most influential fashions reflected light. His distinguished customers never lost a taste for his fluid lines and flimsy, diaphanous materials. While obeying imperatives that left little to the imagination of the couturier, Doucet was nonetheless a designer of immense taste and discrimination, a role many have tried since, but rarely with Doucet's level of success.
The Venice-based designer Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo was a curious figure, with very few parallels in any age. For his dress designs he conceived a special pleating process and new dyeing techniques. He gave the name Delphos to his long clinging sheath dresses that undulated with color. Each garment was made of a single piece of the finest silk, its unique color acquired by repeated immersions in dyes whose shades were suggestive of moonlight or of the watery reflections of the Venetian lagoon. Breton straw, Mexican cochineal, and indigo from the Far East were among the ingredients that Fortuny used. Among his many devotees were Eleanora Duse, Isadora Duncan, Cleo de Merode, the Marchesa Casati, Emilienne d'Alençon, and Liane de Pougy.
Changes in dress during World War I were dictated more by necessity than fashion. As more and more women were forced to work, they demanded clothes that were better suited to their new activities. Social events had to be postponed in favor of more pressing engagements and the need to mourn the increasing numbers of dead, visits to the wounded, and the general gravity of the time meant that darker colors became the norm. A new monochrome look emerged that was unfamiliar to young women in comfortable circumstances. By 1915 fashionable skirts had risen above the ankle and then later to mid-calf.Between the WarsThe period between the two World Wars, often considered to be the Golden Age of French fashion, was one of great change and reformation. Carriages were replaced by cars, princes and princesses lost their crowns, and haute couture found new clients in the ranks of film actresses, American heiresses, and the wives and daughters of wealthy industrialists.
1920s
Soon after the First World War, a radical change came about in fashion. Bouffant coiffures gave way to short bobs, dresses with long trains gave way to above-the-knee pinafores. Corsets were abandoned and women borrowed their clothes from the male wardrobe and chose to dress like boys. Although, at first, many couturiers were reluctant to adopt the new androgynous style, they embraced them wholeheartedly from around 1925. A bustless, waistless silhouette emerged and aggressive dressing-down was mitigated by feather boas, embroidery, and showy accessories. The flapper style (known to the French as the 'garçonne' look) became very popular among young women. The cloche hat was widely-worn and sportswear became popular with both men and women during the decade, with designers like Jean Patou and Coco Chanel popularizing the sporty and athletic look.
The great couturière [Coco Chanel] was a major figure in fashion at the time, as much for her magnetic personality as for her chic and progressive designs. Chanel helped popularize the bob hairstyle, the little black dress, and the use of jersey knit for women's clothing and also elevated the status of both costume jewelry and knitwear.
Two other prominent French designers of the 1920s were Jeanne Lanvin and Jean Patou. Jeanne Lanvin, who began her career in fashion as a milliner, made such beautiful outfits for her young daughter Marguerite that people started to ask for copies, and Lanvin was soon making dresses for their mothers. Lanvin's name appears in the fashion yearbook from about 1901 onwards. However, it was in the 1920s that she reached the peak of her popularity and success. The Lanvin style embraced the look of the time, with its skillful use of complex trimmings, dazzling embroideries, and beaded decorations in light, clear, floral colors that eventually became a Lanvin trademark. By 1925 Lanvin produced many different products, including sportswear, furs, lingerie, men's fashion, and interior designs. Her global approach to fashion foreshadowed the schemes that all the large contemporary fashion houses would later adopt in their efforts to diversify.
The style of Jean Patou was never mainstream, but full of originality and characterized by a studied simplicity which was to win him fame, particularly in the American markets. Many of his garments, with their clean lines, geometric and Cubist motifs, and mixture of luxury and practicality, were designed to satisfy the new vogue for the outdoor life, and bore a remarkable similarity to modern sportswear. The most famous advocate of his style was Suzanne Lenglen, the legendary tennis champion.
In menswear there was a growing mood of informality, among the Americans especially, which was mirrored in fashions that emphasized youthfulness and relaxation. In the past, there was a special outfit for every event in the well-dressed gentleman's day, but young men in the Twenties, no longer afraid to show their youthfulness, began to wear the same soft wool suit all day long. Short suit jackets replaced the old long jackets of the past which were now only worn for formal occasions. Men had a variety of sport clothes available to them, including sweaters and short pants, commonly known as knickers. For evening wear a short tuxedo was more fashionable than the tail-coat, which was now seen as somewhat old-fashioned. The London cut, with its slim lines, loose-fitting sleeves, and padded shoulders, perfected by the English tailor Scholte, was very popular.
Fair Isle patterns became very popular for both sexes. Heels, at the time, were often over two inches high and helped popularize the two-tone shoe its one of her trademarks. Salvatore Ferragamo and André Perugia were two of the most influential and respected designers in footwear. Many stars of the [silent film]s had a significant impact on fashion during the 1920s, perhaps most notably Louise Brooks, Gloria Swanson, and Colleen Moore. The lighthearted, forward-looking fashions of the 1920s gradually came to halt after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and succumbed to a more conservative style.
1930s
In the 1930s, as the public began to feel the effects of the Great Depression, many designers found that crises are not the time for experimentation. Fashion became more compromising, aspiring to preserve feminism's victories while rediscovering a subtle and reassuring elegance and sophistication. Women's fashions moved away from the brash, daring style of the Twenties towards a more romantic, feminine silhouette. The waist was restored to its proper position, hemlines dropped, there was renewed appreciation of the bust, and backless evening gowns and soft, slim-fitting day dresses became popular. The female body was remodeled to a more neo-classical shape and slim, toned, and athletic bodies came into vogue. The fashion for outdoor activities stimulated couturiers to manufacture what would nowadays be called sportswear. The term 'ready-to-wear' was not yet widely used, but the boutiques already described such clothes as being 'for sport'.
Two of the most prominent and influential fashion designers of the 1930s were Elsa Schiaparelli and Madeleine Vionnet. Elsa Schiaparelli showed her first collection in 1929 and was immediately hailed by the press as 'one of the rare innovators' of the day. With her exciting and inventive designs, Schiaparelli did not so much revolutionize fashion as shatter its foundations. The first pullover she displayed in her windows created a sensation: it was knitted in black with a trompe-l'oeil white bow. She consistently turned out breathtaking collections thereafter. Schiaparelli was a close friend of Christian Berard, Jean Cocteau, and Salvador Dalí, who designed embroidery motifs for her and supplied inspiration for models like the desk suit with drawers for pockets, the shoe-shaped hat, and the silk dress painted with flies and the one bearing a picture of a large lobster. All of Paris thronged to her salon at 21 Place Vendôme as collection succeeded collection.
Madeleine Vionnet found her inspiration in ancient statues, creating timeless and beautiful gowns that would not look out of place on a Greek frieze. Queen of the bias cut (cutting diagonally across the fabric's lengthwise threads), she produced evening dresses that fitted the body without excessive elaboration or dissimulation, employing a flowing and elegant line. Her perfect draping of chiffon, silk, and Moroccan crepe created a marvelously poised and sensual effect. The unparalleled success of Vionnet's cuts guaranteed her reputation right up until her retirement in 1939.
Mainbocher, the first American designer to live and work in Paris, was also influential, with his plain yet supremely elegant designs, often employing the bias cut pioneered by Vionnet. The luxury goods manufacturer Hermès started selling handmade printed silk square scarves in early '30s, and also popularized the zip and many other practical innovations. Toward the end of the decade, women's fashions took on a somewhat more imposing and broad-shouldered silhouette, possibly influenced by Elsa Schiaparelli. Men's fashions continued the informal, practical trend that had dominated since the end of the First World War.
Mid-twentieth century
The Second World War created many radical changes in the fashion industry. After the War, Paris's reputation as the global center of fashion began to crumble and off-the-peg and mass-manufactured fashions became increasingly popular. A new youth style emerged in the Fifties, changing the focus of fashion forever. As the installation of central heating became more widespread the age of minimum-care garments began and lighter textiles and, eventually, synthetics, were introduced.
In the West, the traditional divide that had always existed between high society and workers came to be considered simply unjustifiable. In particular, a new young generation wanted to reap the benefits of a booming consumer society. Privilege became less blatantly advertised than in the past and differences were more glossed over. As the ancient European hierarchies were overturned, the external marks of distinction faded with them. By the time the first rockets were launched into space, Europe was more than ready to adopt a quality ready-to-wear garment on American lines, something to occupy the middle ground between off-the-peg and couture. The need was all the more pressing because increases in overheads and raw material costs were beginning to relegate handmade fashion to the sidelines. Meanwhile, rapidly developing new technologies made it easier and easier to manufacture an ever-improving high-quality product.
Faced with the threat of a factory-made fashion-based product, Parisian haute couture mounted its defenses, but to little effect. It could not stop fashion leaking out onto the streets. In these years when the old world was taking its final bow, the changes in fashion were one of the most visible manifestations of the general shake-up in society. Before long, whole categories of women hitherto restricted to inferior substitutes to haute couture would enjoy a greatly enlarged freedom of choice. Dealing in far larger quantities, production cycles were longer than those of couture workshops, which meant that stylists planning their lines for the twice-yearly collections had to try to guess more than a year in advance what their customers would want. A new power was afoot, that of the street, constituting a further threat to the dictatorship of the masters of couture.
1940S Many fashion houses closed during occupation of Paris during World War II, including the Maison Vionnet and the Maison Chanel. Several designers, including Mainbocher, permanently relocated to New York. In the enormous moral and intellectual BUM-education program undertaken by the French state couture was not spared. In contrast to the stylish, liberated Parisienne, the Vichy regime promoted the model of the wife and mother, the robust, athletic young woman, a figure who was much more in line with the new political criteria. Germany, meanwhile, was taking possession of over half of what France produced, including high fashion, and was also considering relocating French haute couture to the cities of Berlin and Vienna, neither of which had any significant tradition of fashion. The archives of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture were seized, most consequentially the client list. The point of all this was to break up a monopoly that supposedly threatened the dominance of the Third Reich.
Due to the difficult times, the number of models in shows was limited to seventy-five, evening wear was shortened and day wear was much skimpier, made using substitute materials whenever possible. From 1940 onward, no more than four meters (thirteen feet) of cloth was permitted to be used for a coat and a little over one meter (three feet) was all that allowed for a blouse. No belt could be over 3 centimetres (one and a half inches) wide. Despite this, haute couture tried to keep its flag flying. Humor and frivolity became a way of defying the occupying powers and couture somehow survived. Although some have argued that the reason it endured was because of the patronage of the wives of rich Nazis, in actuality, records reveal that, aside from the usual wealthy Parisiennes, it was the wives of foreign ambassadors, clients from the black market, and a whole eclectic mix of people who continued to frequent the salons, among whom German women were but a minority.
In spite of the fact that so many fashion houses closed down or moved away during the war, several new houses remained open, including Jacques Fath, Maggy Rouff, Marcel Rochas, Jeanne Lafaurie, Nina Ricci, and Madeleine Vramant. During the Occupation, the only true way for a woman to flaunt her extravagance and add color to a drab outfit was to wear a hat. In this period, hats were often made of scraps of material that would have otherwise been thrown away, sometimes incorporating bits of paper, and wood shavings. Among the most innovative milliners of the time were Pauline Adam, Simone Naudet, Rose Valois, and Le Monnier.
Paris's isolated situation in the 1940s enabled the Americans to exploit the ingenuity and creativity of their own designers. During the Second World War, Vera Maxwell presented co-ordinates in plain, simply cut outfits and also introduced innovations to men's work clothes. Bonnie Cashin transformed boots into a major fashion accessory, and, in 1944, started to produce original and imaginative sportswear. Claire McCardell, Anne Klein, and formed a remarkable trio of women who were to lay the foundations of American sportswear, ensuring that ready-to-wear was not simply thought of as second best, but as an elegant and comfortable way for modern women to dress.
Among young men in the War Years the zoot suit (and in France the zazou suit) became popular. Many actresses of the time, including Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn, and Marlene Dietrich, had a significant impact on popular fashion.
The couturier Christian Dior created a tidal wave with his first collection in February 1947. The collection contained dresses with tiny waists, majestic busts, and full skirts swelling out beneath small bodices, in a manner very similar to the style of the Belle Époque. The extravagant use of fabric and the feminine elegance of the designs appealed greatly to a post-war clientèle and ensured Dior's meteoric rise to fame. The sheer sophistication of the style incited the all-powerful editor of the American Harper's Bazaar, Carmel Snow, to exclaim 'This is a new look!'.
1950s
Flying in the face of continuity, logic, and erudite sociological predictions, fashion in the 1950s, far from being revolutionary and progressive, bore strong nostalgic echoes of the past. A whole society which, in the 1920s and '30s, had greatly believed in progress, was now much more circumspect. Despite the fact that women had the right to vote, to work, and to drive their own cars, they chose to wear dresses made of opulent materials, with corseted waists and swirling skirts to mid-calf. As fashion looked to the past, haute couture experienced something of a revival and spawned a myriad of star designers who profited hugely from the rapid growth of the media.
Throughout the 1950s, although it would be for the last time, women around the world continued to submit to the trends of Parisian haute couture. Three of the most prominent of the Parisian couturiers of the time were Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Pierre Balmain. The frugal prince of luxury, Cristobal Balenciaga Esagri made his fashion debut in the late Thirties. However, it was not until the post-war years that the full scale of the inventiveness of this highly original designer became evident. In 1951, he totally transformed the silhouette, broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957. And eventually, in 1959, his work culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut like kimonos. His mastery of fabric design and creation defied belief. Balenciaga is also notable as one of the few couturiers in fashion history who could use their own hands to design, cut, and sew the models which symbolized the height of his artistry.
Hubert de Givenchy opened his first couture house in 1952 and created a sensation with his separates, which could be mixed and matched at will. Most renowned was his Bettina blouse made from shirting, which was named after his top model. Soon, boutiques were opened in Rome, Zürich, and Buenos Aires. A man of immense taste and discrimination, he was, perhaps more than any other designer of the period, an integral part of the world whose understated elegance he helped to define.
Pierre Balmain opened his own salon in 1945. It was in a series of collections named 'Jolie Madame' that he experienced his greatest success, from 1952 onwards. Balmain's vision of the elegantly-dressed woman was particularly Parisian and was typified by the tailored glamour of the "New Look", with its ample bust, narrow waist, and full skirts, by mastery of cut and imaginative assemblies of fabrics in subtle color combinations. His sophisticated clientèle was equally at home with luxurious elegance, simple tailoring, and a more natural look. Along with his haute couture work, the talented businessman pioneered a ready-to-wear range called Florilege and also launched a number of highly successful perfumes.
Also notable is the return of Coco Chanel (who detested the "New Look") to the fashion world. Following the closure of her salons in the war years, in 1954, aged over seventy, she staged a comeback and on February 5 she presented a collection which contained a whole range of ideas that would be adopted and copied by women all over the world: her famous little braided suit with gold chains, shiny costume jewelry, silk blouses in colors that matched the suit linings, sleek tweeds, monogrammed buttons, flat black silk bows, boaters, quilted bags on chains, and evening dresses and furs that were marvels of simplicity.
Despite being a high fashion designer, American born Mainbocher also designed military and civilian service uniforms. In 1952, he redesigned the Women Marines service uniform combining femininity with functionality. Previous redesigns include uniforms for the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in 1942, and uniform designs for the Girl Scouts of America and the American Red Cross in 1948.
Dior's "New Look" (that premiered in 1947) revived the popularity of girdles and the all-in-one corselettes. In the early 1950s, many couture houses used the interest in "foundationwear" to launch their own lines, soon after many lingerie manufacturers began to build their own brands. In 1957, Jane Russell wore the "Cantilever" bra that was scientifically designed by Howard Hughes to maximize a voluptuous look. The invention of Lycra (originally called "Fibre K") in 1959 revolutionized the underwear industry and was quickly incorporated into every aspect of lingerie.
After the war, the American look (which consisted of broad shoulders, floral ties, straight-legged pants, and shirts with long pointed collars, often worn hanging out rather than tucked in) became very popular among men in Europe. Certain London manufacturers ushered in a revival of Edwardian elegance in men's fashion, adopting a tight-fitting retro style that was intended to appeal to traditionalists. This look, originally aimed at the respectable young man about town, was translated into popular fashion as the Teddy boy style. The Italian look, popularized by Caraceni, Brioni, and Cifonelli, was taken up by an entire generation of elegant young lovers, on both sides of the Atlantic.
The designers of Hollywood created a particular type of glamour for the stars of American film, and outfits worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, or Grace Kelly were widely copied. Quantitatively speaking, a costume worn by an actress in a Hollywood movie would have a much bigger audience than the photograph of a dress designed by a couturier illustrated in a magazine read by no more than a few thousand people. Without even trying to keep track of all the Paris styles, its costume designers focused on their own version of classicism, which was meant to be timeless, flattering, and photogenic. Using apparently luxurious materials, such as sequins, chiffon, and fur, the clothes were very simply cut, often including some memorable detail, such as a low-cut back to a dress which was only revealed when the actress turned her back from the camera or some particularly stunning accessory. The most influential and respected designers of Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1950s were Edith Head, Orry-Kelly, William Travilla, Jean Louis, Travis Banton, and Gilbert Adrian.
By the end of the decade mass-manufactured, off-the-peg clothing had become much more popular than in the past, granting the general public unprecedented access to fashionable styles.
1960s
Until the 1960s, Paris was considered to be the center of fashion throughout the world. However, between 1960 and 1969 a radical shake-up occurred in the fundamental structure of fashion. From the 1960s onward, there would never be just one single, prevailing trend or fashion but a great plethora of possibilities, indivisibly linked to all the various influences in other areas of people's lives. Young people, with a power and culture that were all their own, now at an age to speak out, were a force to be reckoned with and had a powerful impact on the fashion industry. For perhaps the first time in history, there was an independent youth fashion that was not based on the conventions of an older age group. In the past, failure to follow fashion merely meant that you were poor, but in the Sixties it became just as much a statement of personal freedom.
In stark contrast to their mature, ultra-feminine mothers, the women of the 1960s adopted a girlish, childlike style, with short skirts and straightened curves, reminiscent of the look of the 1920s. At the start of the decade skirts were knee-length, but steadily became shorter and shorter until the mini-skirt emerged in 1965. By the end of the decade they had shot well above the stocking top, making the transition to tights inevitable.
Many of the radical changes in fashion developed in the streets of London, with such gifted designers as Mary Quant (known for launching the mini skirt) and Barbara Hulanicki (the founder of the legendary boutique Biba). Paris also had its share of new and revolutionary designers, including Pierre Cardin (known for his visionary and skillfully-cut designs), André Courrèges (known for his futuristic outfits and for launching the mini skirt along with Mary Quant), Yves Saint Laurent (known for his revolutionary yet elegant fashions), and Emanuel Ungaro (known for his imaginative use of color and bold baroque contrasts). In the United States, Rudi Gernreich (known for his avant-garde and futuristic designs) and James Galanos (known for his luxurious read-to-wear) were also reaching a young audience. The main outlets for these new young fashion designers were small boutiques, selling outfits that were not exactly 'one-offs', but were made in small quantities in a limited range of sizes and colors. However, not all designers took well to the new style and mood. In 1965, Coco Chanel mounted a rearguard action against the exposure of the knee and Balenciaga resolutely continued to produce feminine and conservative designs.
The basic shape and style of the time was simple, neat, clean cut, and young. Synthetic fabrics were very widely-used during the Sixties. They took dyes easily and well, giving rise to colors that were both clear and bright, very much mirroring the mood of the period. Hats suffered a great decline and by the end of the decade they were relegated to special occasions only. Lower kitten heels were a pretty substitute to stilettos. Pointed toes gave way to chisel shaped toes in 1961 and to an almond toe in 1963. Flat boots also became popular with very short dresses in 1965 and eventually they rose up the leg and reached the knee.
Two notable and influential designers in the '60s were Emilio Pucci and Paco Rabanne. Emilio Pucci's sportswear designs and prints inspired by Op art, psychedelia, and medieval heraldic banners earned him a reputation that extended far beyond the circles of high society. His sleek shift dresses, tunics, and beachwear, created a 'Puccimania' that was all part of a movement to liberate the female form and his designs are today synonymous with the 1960s. Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (later Paco Rabanne) opened his first couture house in 1966 and, from the start, produced resolutely modern designs. Rather than using conventional dress materials, he created garments from aluminum, Rhodoid, and pieces of scrap metal. His designs, as well as being experimental, were also closely in tune with what modern adventurous young women wanted to wear. Among his innovations are the seamless dress made, after much experiment, by spraying vinyl chloride on to a mold, and the low-budget disposable dress made of paper and nylon thread. Rabanne was also the first fashion designer to use black models, which very nearly resulted in his dismissal from the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. The success of his perfume Calandre helped support the less profitable areas of his work, while his utopianism assured him a unique position in the conservative world of haute couture.
The principal change in menswear in the '60s was in the weight of the fabric used. The choice of materials and the method of manufacture produced a suit that, because it was lighter in weight, had a totally different look, with a line that was closer to the natural shape of the body, causing men to look at their figures more critically. The spread of jeans served to accelerate a radical change in the male wardrobe. Young men grew their hair down to their collars and added a touch of color, and even floral motifs, to their shirts. The polo neck never succeeded in replacing the tie, but the adoption of the workman's jacket in rough corduroy, and especially the Mao jacket proved to be more than simply a political statement. A few futuristic rumblings were set off by Pierre Cardin and Andre Courrèges, but the three-piece suit still survived intact.
In the early 1960s there were influential 'partnerships' of celebrities and high-fashion designers, most famously Audrey Hepburn with Givenchy, and Jackie Kennedy with Oleg Cassini. Also, many models had a very profound effect on fashion, most notably Twiggy, Veruschka, Jean Shrimpton, as well as Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick. Early in the decade, culottes were in style and the bikini finally came into fashion in 1963. The hippie and psychedelic movements late in the decade also had a strong influence on clothing styles, including bell-bottom jeans (designed by the English tailor Tommy Nutter, from his Savoy store), tie-dye and batik fabrics, as well as paisley prints.
1970s
Nicknamed the 'me' decade; 'please yourself' was the catchphrase of the 1970s. Some saw it as the end of good taste, while many perceived it as the beginning of individuality. The decade began with a continuation of the hippie look of the late 1960s, with afghans, Indian scarves, and flower-print tunics. Jeans remained frayed, tie dye was still popular, and the fashion for unisex mushroomed. An immense movement claiming civil rights for blacks combined with the influence of soul music from the USA created a nostalgia for Africa and African culture. A radical chic emerged, influenced by the likes of James Brown, Diana Ross, Angela Davis, and the Black Panthers, in everything from afro hairstyles to platform soles. During the Seventies brands greatly increased their share of the international market. Hems began dropping in 1974 to below the knee, until finally reaching the lower mid calf in 1977 and shoulderlines were dropped.
Perhaps the two most innovative fashion designers of the 1970s were Sonia Rykiel of France and Kenzo Takada of Japan. The undisputed star of Parisian fashion in the Seventies, Kenzo drew his inspiration from all over the world, mixing Western and Oriental folk influences with a fantastic joie de vivre and an instinctive understanding of what his young customers wanted. With his fluid lines, unusual prints, clever accessories, and finery that was hitherto unprecedented in ready-to-wear, he very much turned the fashion world upside down. The queen of figure-hugging knits, in 1974, Sonia Rykiel designed her first pullovers with reversed seams. However, more than that, she created a whole range of clothes that were extremely individual and yet could be worn almost anywhere. The Rykiel style, dominated by fluid knitted garments, dark blacks, rhinestones, long boa-like scarves, and little crocheted hats, conquered the American market, and even to this day Rykiel is considered by many Americans as the true successor of Chanel.
Late twentieth century
During the late twentieth century, fashions began to criss-cross international boundaries with rapidity. Popular Western styles were adopted all over the world, and many designers from outside of the West had a profound impact on fashion. Synthetic materials such as Lycra, Spandex, and viscose became widely-used, and fashion, after two decades of looking to the future, once again turned to the past for inspiration.
1980s
The society of the Eighties no longer criticized itself as consumerist, but was, instead, interested in 'the spectacle'. The self-conscious image of the decade was very good for the fashion industry, which had never been quite so à la mode. Fashion shows were transfigured into media-saturated spectaculars and frequently televised, taking high priority in the social calendar. Appearance was related to performance, which was of supreme importance to a whole generation of young urban professionals, whose desire to look the part related to a craving for power. The way in which men and women associated with the latest styles was no more a matter of passive submission but one of active choice. As fashion once again looked to the past, baroque evening dress and long gowns made a reappearance.
The two French fashion designers who best defined the look of the period were Thierry Mugler and Azzedine Alaia. Strongly influenced by his early career in the theater, Thierry Mugler produced fashion designs that combined Hollywood retro and futurism, with rounded hips, sharply accentuated shoulders, and a slight hint of the galactic heroine. Mugler's glamorous dresses were a remarkable success, and signified the complete end of the hippy era and its unstructured silhouette. Known for his awe-inspiring combinations, Azzedine Alaia greatly influenced the silhouette of the woman of the Eighties. The master of all kinds of techniques that had previously been known only to haute couture, he experimented with many new and underused materials, such as Lycra and viscose. The finish, simplicity, and sheer sexiness of Alaia's look made women of every generation identify with his seductive style, and during the 1980s he achieved a certain glory and was held in high regard by members of his own profession.
Also creating designs very typical of the era were Claude Montana, whose imposing, broad-shouldered designs, often made of leather, would not have looked out of place in the futuristic universe of Thierry Mugler, and Christian Lacroix, who sent shock waves through the world of haute couture, with his flounced skirts, embroidered corselets, bustles, and polka-dotted crinolines which evoked the rhythms of flamenco.
A number of promising newcomers entered the fashion scene in the Eighties. Angelo Tarlazzi, an extraordinary technician who once worked for Patou, bewitched both the press and his customers with his 'handkerchief' dresses. Made of squares of fabric, they transpired, when you came to put them on, to be far more complicated than at first appeared. Many a Parisian soirée of the 80's was enlivened by his dresses, all in a fluid and original style, in which cutting and sewing were kept to a minimum. Chantal Thomas, the queen of sexy stockings and lace, won a devoted following for her seductive underwear and for evening gowns that looked like nightdresses and vice versa. Guy Paulin was one of the first designers to promote a severe, plain, and uncluttered look. His garments were classical in their proportions and made for comfort and simplicity, with their harmonious lines reinforced by a subtle palette of colors and fine materials. Under his own name, Joseph designed luxurious knitwear along classic lines, creating loose, sexy garments in neutral colors. Carolina Herrera, long regarded as one of the most elegant members of the jet set, in 1981 launched a series of collections aimed at women like herself, featuring impeccably cut clothes of high quality and attractive evening dresses.
Japanese designers such as Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto offered a look which marked a total break with the prevailing fashion image of the time. Flat shoes, no make-up, reserve, modesty, and secrecy were the hallmarks of this modern look. Eventually, it began to include details from the fashions of the past, as Europe's ancient sites were revisited by these anarchists of fashion, whose influence on shape of clothes, at the end of the twentieth-century, became legendary.
In American fashion the seductive, clinging style of Donna Karan and the casual sophistication of Ralph Lauren were very influential. A star of the New York social scene, Donna Karan brought a very personal and feminine approach to the severe, sober-colored, casual look that dominated American ready-to-wear. Setting up her own label in 1984, her designs won instant popularity among active urban women who greatly appreciated the understated luxury of her clothes. In 1971 Ralph Lauren opened a boutique for both men and women in Beverly Hills. His aristocratic style at prices the average American could afford created a sensation. For an elite faced with all kinds of avant-garde fashions, it represented a rallying point, endorsing a classic look that had been adopted for an active life. The number one of American ready-to-wear, Lauren was equally successful with his sportswear and jeans, which allowed him to reach the widest possible range of social classes and age groups.
Central to the success of a new wave of American sportswear was the Perry Ellis label, established in 1978, which used color and natural fibers to great advantage in its elegant variations on the basics. Norma Kamali, with her short skirts made of sweatshirting, leotards, headbands, and leg warmers, made jogging look fashionable. Kamali also created the popular 'rah-rah skirt'. Also notable is the extreme popularity of the Adidas sports label, which achieved an incredible level of street cred in the '80s, inciting the hip hop group Run DMC to release the single 'My Adidas' in 1986. The legendary shoe designer Manolo Blahnik also rose to fame during the 1980s.
The multiplicity of trends that bloomed during the 80s were curtailed by the economic recession that set in at the beginning of the 1990s. The 1990s opened our eyes to a fresh look.

1990s

In the 1990s it was no longer the done thing to follow fashion slavishly, a sharp contrast to the highly á la mode '70s and '80s. The phobia of being underdressed was finally completely displaced by the fear of overdressing. Fashion in the '90s united around a new standard, minimalism, and styles of stark simplicity became the vogue. Despite the best efforts of a few designers to keep the flag for pretty dresses flying, by the end of the decade the notion of ostentatious finery had virtually disappeared. As well as the styling of the product, its promotion in the media became crucial to its success and image. The financial pressures of the decade had a devastating effect on the development of new talent and lessened the autonomy enjoyed by more established designers.
Fashion at the end of the 20th century tackled themes that fashion had not previously embraced. These themes included rape, disability, religious violence, death, and body modification. There was a dramatic move away from the sexy styles aimed at the glamorous femme fatale of the Eighties and many designers, taken with a vision of romantic poverty, adopted the style of the poverty-stricken waif, dressed in a stark, perversely sober palette, with a face devoid of make-up. Clothes by ready-to-wear retailers such as The Gap, Banana Republic, and Eddie Bauer came to the forefront of fashion, managing to tap into the needs of women who simply wanted comfortable, wearable clothes. Retro clothing inspired by the 1960s and 1970s was popular for much of the 1990s.
The famous Italian fashion house, Gucci was created in 1921, by Guccio Gucci and was originally a firm that sold luxury leather goods. Under Guccio Gucci's children, by the end of the 1960s the label had expanded to include a plethora of products with a distinctly Latin glamor. However, only in the '90s, when the Gucci heirs gave up control of the company to Invest Corp., who planned to turn the business around, did it truly begin to enjoy the kind of success it enjoys in the present day. Employing an unknown designer, Tom Ford, as design director in 1994, the fashion house was endowed with a great prestige, as Ford triggered a tidal wave with his chic and shocking collections, perfumes for men and women, revamped boutiques, and advertising campaigns. In 1998 Gucci is named "European Company of the year" by European Business Press Federation.^[1] Today it is the second biggest-selling fashion brand (after LVMH) worldwide with US$7 billion worldwide of revenue in 2006 according to BusinessWeek magazine.^[2] Most importantly Gucci is the biggest-selling Italian brand in the world.^[3]
In the '90s the designer label Prada became a true creative force in the fashion industry. The Milanese company was first established in 1923, two years after Gucci, and like Gucci, it was a firm that sold high-quality shoes and leather. It was not until the Eighties that Miuccia Prada, the niece of the company's founder, began to produce ready-to-wear fashion, gaining fame for her subtle, streamlined, yet unquestionably luxurious style, that catered for the privileged young woman who prefers understatement to flamboyant extravagance.
In America three of the most influential fashion designers of the time were Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, and Calvin Klein. Michael Kors set up his own business in 1980. However, it was not until the Nineties that the designer reached the peak of his popularity. His knowledge and consciousness of trends enabled him to produce simple well-cut garments, whose sophistication and elegance appealed to a whole new breed of wealthy American customers drawn to the new vogue for minimalist chic. Marc Jacobs is one of the most notable American designers of the period in that, unlike many American fashion designers in the past, he was not so much the co-ordinator of a mass-produced garment as a designer in the European sense of the word. One of the most promising talents in the fashion industry at the time, the LVMH (Louis Vuitton-Moet Henessy) group offered him the job of designing a line of ready-to-wear to compliment the de-luxe products of luggage specialist Louis Vuitton in the late '90s. One of the first fashion designers to anticipate the globalization of world markets, the already well-known designer Calvin Klein started to market his fashions, perfumes, and accessories not only right across the US, but also in Europe and Asia, achieving an unequaled success. A brilliant artistic director, Klein used carefully constructed advertisements containing images tinted with eroticism to promote his sophisticatedly functional mass-produced designs, which won massive popularity among the urban youth of the 1990s.
The group of designers known as the 'Antwerp Six' (so named because all of them were graduates of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp), who first emerged in the 1980s, came to prominence in the 1990s. Three of the most influential of the group were Ann Demeulemeester, Dries van Noten, and Walter Van Beirendonck. Ann Demeulemeester, from her first collection in 1991, demonstrated a great deal of confidence and inventiveness. Naturally inclined to understatement, she built her designs on contradictions, introducing contrasting elements into her fluid and streamlined fashions, which appealed to women who dressed, above all, to please themselves. The work of Dries van Noten was founded on a solid mastery of the art of tailoring, to which the young designer added discreet touches of fantasy in a highly personal style. Managing to be both classical and original, his fashions appealed to those who preferred to express their individuality rather than slavishly follow trends. Walter Van Beirendonck, who erupted onto the fashion scene in 1995, produced decidedly futuristic designs under his label W & LT (Wild and Lethal Trash). Deliberately using fabrics developed by the very latest technologies, in violently contrasting colors, he produced clothes that were full of erotic and sadomasochistic references, touched with a caustic adolescent humor. His highly distinctive approach related to a resurgence of anti-fashion, but this time an anti-fashion with nothing in the least ethnic about its origins, instead based on science fiction that provided the inspiration for displays of such high-spirited provocation.
In Italy, Gianni Versace, with his brilliant, sexy, and colorful designs, and Dolce & Gabbana, with their superfeminine and fantastical style, broke away from the serious and sober-minded fashions that dominated during much of the Nineties. The British designer Vivienne Westwood produced many influential and popular collections in the early '90s, which included outfits inspired by eighteenth-century courtesans and the Marquis de Sade, with rounded hips, corsets, and platform heels. The London-based designer Rifat Ozbek was also popular, particularly in New York and Milan. His youthful style, which mixed references to India, Africa, and his native Turkey with clever takes on historical clothing, was reminiscent of hippest nightclubs and the more outrageous street fashions of the time. Rap music was a prominent influence on popular and street fashion during the early- and mid-Nineties. Followers of hip hop adopted huge baggy jeans, similar to those worn in American prisons, with big patterned shirts and heavy black shoes. The sports label Nike had great popularity and materials such as Lycra and Spandex were increasingly used for sportswear. Increasing eco-awareness and animal rights made even top couture houses such as Chanel introduce fake fur and natural fibers into their collections.

2000s

In the '00s, as the future began to seem increasingly bleak, fashion, and indeed the Arts in general, looked to the past for inspiration, arguably more so than in previous decades. Vintage clothing, especially from the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties (the eighties idea of clashing, electric colours becoming especially popular in mid-late 2007) became extremely popular and fashion designers often sought to emulate bygone styles in their collections. The early '00s saw a continuation of the minimalist look of the '90s in high fashion. Later on, designers began to adopt a more colorful, feminine, excessive, and 'anti-modern' look. Name brands became of particular importance among young people and many celebrities launched their own lines of clothing. Tighter fit clothing and longer hair became mainstream for many men and women.
For many of the own-label designers who emerged in the early years of the twenty-first century, financial factors became increasingly critical. Many new young talents found they now depended on investors (to whom, in extreme cases, they would even surrender their names) and were always burdened by the risk that their partners, motivated by market realism and the desire for quick returns, would severely restrict their autonomy.
The mid 2000s celebrated the return of a more feminine look. This began with the comeback of the dress. The figure-hugging look was disbanded in the summer of 2007, when designers began to experiment with flowy, tunic shapes. Bright, block colour also became a focus. Menswear has become increasingly important as well and has too gone in a slightly feminine direction, especially apparent after the middle of the decade.