Archive for December, 2007

Prom Dresses – Blending Comfort with Style

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007

Prom dresses are gorgeous and glamorous, but they can also be very uncomfortable. An uncomfortable prom dress can ruin your formal evening. That’s why you should consider not only the style and beauty of your eveningwear, but also the comfort level. Beauty doesn’t have to be painful. Fashion doesn’t have to ruin the most magical night of your high school life. Use the guide below to look elegant and feel great on your prom night.

Prom Dresses for Comfort

When comparing prom dresses either online or at a formal eveningwear shop, consider the material of the dress, especially for the areas of your body where it needs to give a little. Prom dresses made of stretchy material in certain areas allow you to be comfortable and flexible while still keeping in fashion.

Ask these Questions about any Prom Dress You’re Considering:

*When you bend over to pick something up, sit or twist and turn while dancing, does the dress give in areas where needed?

*When you sit to dine and need to move your arms freely, will the prom dress be comfortable?

*Does the material breathe so you won’t get too hot during the prom or dinner?

If shopping for your prom clothing online, ask questions about the material and if it gives and breathes for ultimate comfort. Order your prom dress far enough in advance so you’ll have time to try it on and return it if you absolutely don’t like it.

Prom Dress Materials to Consider

Stretchy fabrics for prom dresses are great for those moveable areas of the body while dancing and dining. They’re also great for the tummy area for easier breathing. Look for prom dresses that are highlighted with stretch satin, stretch lace, stretch illusion, or stretch mesh. These materials will give and stretch as you move without taking away from the design of the dress. Other popular materials are ultrasuede, velvet, and silk or silk blends.

Items to Avoid

Avoid fancy fabrics that are itchy, hot, or those that can tear easily. You’ll need a durable prom dress that can withstand all the movements while dancing. Also, avoid a lot of glitzy items that will make you uncomfortable or that can rub your skin such as sequence, lace, and beads. You might choose from prom dresses that are only modestly decorated with these items, but avoid excessive decoration for maximum comfort.

The Right Prom Dress Fit

If you want a tight-fitting prom dress that clings to your body, you better make sure you can walk, sit, and dance in it before buying! There are many styles of long, elegant dresses that are made for beauty and walking, but nothing else. Many homecoming gowns, eveningwear gowns, and Quinceanera gowns are made this way, but prom night requires much more movement than many other special occasions. So, choose a prom dress that allows you to move, even if it is tight fitting.

Don’t settle for an uncomfortable prom dress. Shop around online at a prom dress specialty website for one that will allow you to make the most of your dream night!

Fashion Trends in 2008: The 50’s is Back!

Friday, December 21st, 2007

The world of fashion is constantly changing, more and more designers are looking to the past for inspiration; what’s old is new, and nowadays fashion is shaped by all the cultural influences from around the globe. The past continues to be the inspiration for the future but more than ever, designers are concerned about where fashion and beauty trends originate. The styles and trends you will see in 2008 will inevitably reflect modern interpretations of past designs, while also keeping an eye on emerging global trends in beauty and culture.

The colors that are dominant for the style for 2008’s spring and summer are the grey, black, red, white plus yellow. This color is a problematic color that does not suit with everything, so it must be worn with great care. Use these colors to add to your classic wardrobe in unique ways. However, next year, dare to wear yellow and see how it looks.

Designers: The Gods Of Fashion Industry

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

Fashion designers help create the billions of clothing articles, shoes, and accessories purchased every year by consumers. Fashion designers working for apparel wholesalers or manufacturers create designs for the mass market. Fashion designers are the people who create the elegant, whimsical, fun, silly, and often expensive clothes we see parading down runways twice a year. Fashion designers design and create clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Some high-fashion designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. Other high-fashion designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores.

Fashion

Fashion design is the applied art dedicated to the design of clothing and lifestyle accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time. Fashion designers have brought about a storm in this glamour world with their commendably fabulous variety. Fashion industry has always welcomed new talent giving rise to the budding stars of tomorrow. While all articles of clothing from any time period are studied by academics as costume design, only clothing created after 1858 could be considered as fashion design.

Before the former draper set up his maison couture (fashion house) in Paris, clothing design and creation was handled by largely anonymous seamstresses, and high fashion descended from that worn at royal courts. Throughout the early 20th century, practically all high fashion originated in Paris, and to a lesser extent London. At this time in fashion history the division between haute couture and ready-to-wear was not sharply defined. Designers

Designers know they have this power, and will continue to use it to influence global fashions throughout the eras. These designers create original garments, as well as those that follow established fashion trends. Most fashion designers, however, work for apparel manufacturers, creating designs of men’s, women’s, and children’s fashions for the mass market. Designer brands which have a ‘name’ as their brand such as Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren are likely to be designed by a team of individual designers under the direction of a designer director. Thus, the tradition of designers sketching out garment designs instead of presenting completed garments on models to customers began as an economy.

Popular Western styles were adopted all over the world, and many designers from outside of the West had a profound impact on fashion. Currently, modern fashion has seen a reference to technology such as designers Hussein Chalayan and Miuccia Prada who have introduced industrial textiles and modern technology into their fall collections. Mass market designers generally adapt the trends set by the famous names in fashion. Increasingly, many modern high-end designers are now beginning to turn to mass market retailers to produce lower-priced merchandise, and to broaden their customer base. Perhaps most importantly, designers use their imaginations to come up with new ideas.

There are a number of well known fashion design schools worldwide. Most fashion design courses last for three years. As well as teaching students about the artistic and technical side of the subject, some courses include a year working in the fashion industry, to give students a taste of commercial fashion design. Others offer the chance to visit fashion houses abroad.