Very often, people equate style with fashionable clothes but style is far from merely donning the latest trends. It’s about having a sense of self-expression that translates who you really are from inside out; it’s in the subtle body movements, the way you carry yourself, your natural swagger, and even the way you shrug your shoulder as you walk. Clothes are simply tools that help individuals express their emotions.

Different clothes determine the way you move as the style, cut and structure of the garment put you in different states of mind. There is a distinct psychological change between wearing a loose pair of pyjamas and a suit; or the difference between a pair of sneakers and heeled shoes that almost certainly affect your posture and poise; something happens and it affects your mannerisms, and perhaps even your thought processes.

You don’t need a lot of clothes to be stylish. Timeless items can be some of the best style companions: A classic navy pinstriped suit, a pair of well-worn jeans, a well-cut white shirt, a fitted T-shirt.

However, it is the way you mix things together that ultimately creates your style. Dressing head-to-toe in designer labels isn’t being stylish, it screams “fashion victim”. Mixing old and new items are great but you must have a sense of aesthetics and creative imagination to make it work.

There is no room for modesty when it comes to creating your own style; you have to be narcissistic, get the right hairdo and the right outfits – and look effortlessly put together. You need to know yourself and who you want the world to see.

While it’s hard to pinpoint what makes a certain style desirable, suffice it to say good taste is only one small part of what makes a person stylish – you can be a geek and be extremely stylish, or you can be super-wealthy with zero style.

Karl Lagerfeld probably sums it up best when he says: “Good taste only tastes ‘good’ to the people who think they have good taste; good taste can be very uncreative and boring. Good taste is something very bourgeois, very established, so it needs fresh air.”

It’s time to own your style.

No Comments  Email This Post

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The inevitability of progress stimulates, as when entering into the eclectic house of an artist. Never subject to rules, new aesthetics flow throughout the collection, conveying a feeling of unsentimental refined street dandyism.

SINGULARITY. An independent spirit and visible good taste epitomises the portrait of the cultured street dandy. A touch of irony and personal eccentricity is a visual device, not a way of life.

DESIGN. Sophisticated sharpness penetrates through the solid tailoring background. Street art prints harmoniously synthesise the aesthetic to create a refined urban backdrop. The ‘Giacca Doppia’ debuts for summer, reinventing tailoring with a deconstructed double layer.

SHAPE. Tall, lean and slender proportions are shaped to be graphically masculine. Raw edge tailcoats and sleeveless jackets with clean yet soft necklines are paired with narrow trousers elongating the silhouette. Jackets with multiple layered pockets and trench suits emphasise the waist and enhance the shoulder proportion.

MATERIALS. An invigorating thrill resonates through all the fabrics and materials, miraculously light and compact. Fresh touch cottons, tussah, translucent silks and oversize striped suitings portray a effortlessly breezy air. Kangaroo leathers, ultra-light suedes and linen satins are all strikingly weightless while conveying a sense of inner strength and fortitude.

COLORS. From modern painters to graffiti artists without yielding to any nostalgia. The palette playfully juxtaposes a mix of stripes and contrasting colors, with opaque and shiny finishes. Shades of blue reign supreme, from navy to ink to royal. Discrete tones of natural whites and concretes compact and blur into lilacs.

ACCESSORIES. Distressed raffia top hats give a mercurial twist to the aesthetic. Soft and romantic leather highlights uplift travel bags, belts and bi-color boots. Eccentric coin chains and revolutionary rever scarves confirm the intellectual and fun character of the collection.

“Derived from diverse street dandy sources, Z Zegna is an independent projection of style and look. A touch of personal eccentricity and refinement define the spirit of the Summer collection.”  Alessandro Sartori, Z Zegna Creative Director.

1 Comment  Email This Post

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

When shopping for a new dress this season, be sure to keep your body type in mind. By following these simple tips, you can accentuate the positive and downplay the areas of your body that… well, aren’t so perfect.

Full hips and thighs

For pair-shaped women with full hips and thighs, the dress should shouldn’t be shorter than an inch or two above the knee. Select a dress with an A-line skirt but not something too full. A short, fuller dress will look like a tu-tu.

Adrianna Papell printed halter dress To draw the attention away from your lower body, select a dress with a plunging V-neck, halter top or embellished neckline.

Thick waist

If you are apple-shaped with a thick middle, you need to elongate the look your torso and draw the attention away from your waist. Select a dress with an empire waist or drop waist to re-define your waist line.

Avoid thick belts cinched around your waist and instead choose a chain or sash belt slung low on your hips.

Heavy arms

Sleeveless and cap sleeve dresses aren’t for you. Instead, select billowy, bell sleeves that are 3/4 or even full-length to hide flabby arms.

Use hand-held dumbbells 15 minutes a day to get your arms in tip-top shape.

Small bust

If you weren’t endowed with ample breasts, avoid deep plunging necklines. Instead select dresses with a scoop or bandeau neck with sequins or other adornments to add a little dimension up top.

Layered necklaces are very popular right now and they can add some dimension to depth to your bust. You can also follow these simple instructions to make your breast look bigger with makeup to enhance your cleavage.

Big bust

Dresses with halter tops and deep V’s are very attractive for women who want to accentuate their big bust. Select fabrics that aren’t skim your body rather than bind, which can make your breasts look too big.

To draw some attention away from your bust and balance out a smaller lower body, choose a dress with an A-line skirt that falls one or two inches above your knees.

Plus size

Don’t pack on layers of baggy clothes to try to cover-up your body. Contrary to what you may believe, baggy dresses will just make you look bigger. Select fabrics that don’t cling to your body, but drape nicely.

A wrap dress is particularly flattering to full-figured women. Don’t avoid color and prints. The colorful collection of plus-sized dresses at Avenue.com offers a variety of different types of dresses for full figured women, including bold prints and sexy styles.

Too thin

Sweater or knit dresses are terrific options for thin women. Add layers to your dress, such as a cardigan or fitted jacket to add some bulk. If you have extremely thin legs, avoid mini-skirts and choose longer, flowing dresses instead.

Thin women can add a thick belt to give their waist more definition. Bubble dresses are very trendy right now and can also give the appearance of a larger lower body.

Shift to the shift

The shift is a dress that hangs straight down from the shoulder. It’s a dress type that is flattering to almost everyone. It skims your body nicely, but doesn’t cling. For summer, you can find shifts in cool cotton, linen and light knits. When fall arrives, wool and heavier knit shifts will continue to be popular.

Though the typical shift dress has a straight skirt, some fashion designers have created shifts with a slightly A-line cut this season.

The Lilly Pulitzer crocheted shift dress pictured here is perfect for a summer party. It’s beaded jeweled neckline adds some glitz. You can get this dress for $328 from Nordstrom.

Whatever your body type, you can find a beautiful dress that will flatter your figure. When shopping, bring a trusted girlfriend along for her honest opinion and be sure to look at the dress from all angles in the dressing room mirror.

Remember to accentuate the positive and don’t obsess with the negative. If you dress confident, you will look and feel beautiful too!

5 Comments  Email This Post

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Kate Hudson, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon. A fashionista’s dream team and we’re about to get a massive, massive, massive dose of glamour this weekend at The 67th Annual Golden Globes!

“You never really know what people will wear, you never do. They could all walk out in black caftans for all we know, it’s always a surprise!”

That’s InStyle Fashion Director Hal Rubenstein. Hal says it’s hard to make predictions, but he definitely has ideas on five cool things we could see Sunday at the Globes as well as a few opinions on what people should wear.

1. SHORT IS SWEET
“Young actresses should wear short,” Hal says. “I think it’s odd for young girls to wear these big dresses. If you’re on the cast of ‘Glee’ or Carey Mulligan, what could be cooler than wearing a sexy short dress? You’re only young once, only got skin like that once, show it off!”

2. COLOR, OF COURSE
“But unexpected color,” Hal says. “Instead of black, white, pink or red, look for deep fuchsia or really dark teal. You might also see prints because there are so many extraordinary prints this season thanks to advances in technology. Someone with a fun, bold personality like Kate Hudson can pull off a print beautifully.”

3. GROWN UP GLAMOUR
“We will still see ‘The Big Dress’ on someone like Penelope Cruz. But also look out for dresses that are closer to the body, less ball gown-ish.” Hal loves that evening wear right now is “designed for grownups and by that I mean anyone over the age of 12 and more than a size zero! Women have curves and evening wear is more sensual, more womanly,” which is perfect when nominees include actresses Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock.

4. RED CARPET RISK TAKERS
“No one wanted to be destroyed in tabloids the next day and people got safe. But every year, the range of looks gets wider and wider and there are more and more possibilities. With more choices, expect less of a cookie cutter look. Look for dresses that have incredible embroidery, layering, texturing of the fabric and prints.”

5. NOT YOUR USUAL BLING
“I think jewelry will be more exotic. Some people will wear classic jewelry from the big houses, but there are so many other amazing pieces out there.” Hal says look for mixed stones and jewelry with a more romantic flair, as well as jewels with Indian influences and Eastern exoticism.

No Comments  Email This Post

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Emporio Armani hosted 2010 Men fashion show in Milan on Jan 16, 2010.  Following are the fashion show’s’ video.  It also has Emporio Armani’s ladies fashion show video.

Men Fashion Show Part 1:

Men Fashion Show Part 2:

Ladies Fashion Show:

No Comments  Email This Post

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Tie is an essential in men’s fashion.  However, many men do not know how to tie a tie properly.  Here is a step by step guide for how to tie the most east tie knot: Four in hand tie knot.

To tie the Four in Hand Knot, select a necktie of your choice and stand in front of a mirror. Then simply follow the steps below:

1) Start with the wide end (“W”) of your necktie on the right, extending about 12 inches below the narrow end (“N”) on the left.

2) Then cross the wide end over the narrow end.

3) Turn the wide end back underneath the narrow end.

4) Continue by bringing the wide end back over in front of the narrow end again.

5) Then, pull the wide end up and through the loop around your neck.

6) Hold the front of the knot loosely with your index finger and bring the wide end down through the front loop.

7) At last, remove your finger and tighten the knot carefully to the collar by holding the narrow end and sliding the knot up.

No Comments  Email This Post

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•