Category: Fashion

New York, Paris, London, Milan are known as the big names in fashion cities to see the best of fashion world has to offer. In these fashion capitals shadows are emerging cities that are frequently overlooked by the masses, enabling them to develop truly forward-thinking creativity in bustling art communities, and perhaps most notably, the freshest in fashion. We choose the three most promising cities for a sneak peek of whats to come in the world of fashion.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands:

Some have called it the “Venice of the North.” Amsterdam is known worldwide for its tolerance and liberalism. This beautiful city also reflects these qualities in its eclectic and creative fashion sense. Big scarves, stripes, leather booties, and bright accessories rule both the streets and the ever-popular boutiques dotting the Dams zig-zagging narrow lanes. In July and January, the city becomes the backdrop for its red-hot International Fashion Week, and the AMFI Amsterdam Fashion Institute fosters the freshest faces in the industry year-round.

Cape Town, South Africa:

Cape Town is Africas most progressive fashion city. Known for its multicultural population and gorgeous oceanfront landscape, it might be hard to focus your attention on just one visual pleasure, but a quick trip to one of the citys many boutiques is sure to distract you. Cropped trousers, full skirts, body-con, tiered dresses, pleats, drapes, sheer, chiffon and lace are ruling styles from Cape Town designers and fashionistas, making for an interesting interplay between conservative and sensual.

A benefit for many travelers in Cape Town is the favorable exchange rate and comparatively low production costs, so giving in to that to-die-for garment becomes that much easier. A capital of goldsmiths and jewelry makers as well as textile producers, look for high-quality leather goods and inexpensive, luxurious accessories. Greenmarket Square and the Cape Quarter are two places to start your shopping explorations, and mid-August is the time to catch Cape Town Fashion Week.

Bali, Indonesia:

Bustling and vibrant, the archipelago city, though known perhaps more for its gorgeous textile supply than groundbreaking design, local fashion thought is on the upswing. Maybe the best place to explore grassroots style is at one of the many open-air markets in the city, with colorful prints and breezy fabrics begging to be worn on Pacific-tanned bodies. Local style as of late has been centered on retro dresses, defined waistlines, relaxed-fit trousers and show-stealing peeptoe pumps. The citys fashion week has been suspended since last few years due to international economic troubles, but Bali is back in our list of fashion cities regardless of big fashion events speaks volumes.

So, whether you are planning a fashion trip around the globe or exploring the new fashion designers, keep in mind that the world of fashion goes well beyond the traditional hubs.

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Fashion is an ever changing concept. Fashion lies icon style, fashion lies in presentation, fashion lies in the way you talk and also on the way you perceive things. Fashion changes from country to country. The concept is differently practiced in different places depending on the climate and choice of the general population.

When talking about Asian fashion you have so much to say and so many things to present. Asian influence on fashion genre has increased with days. Several Asian countries have now entered fashion competitions to prove their likeness and respect towards impending fashion. Before they used to dot upon local markets and now they want to reach out to international fashion bazaars. They have crossed the lines and have always tried to come up with something new and extraordinary. This is what Asian fashion all about is. Lots of Asian designers are flooding the international fashion market with their innovations and fashionable endeavors. Most Indian designers are trying to mix and match traditionalism with contemporary fashion to make something really pleasing and appreciable.

Korean fashion is a more restricted one. They really find it hard to move out from their respective boundaries and present the world with something new and unique. Korean fabrics are excellent and they are enough to give other cloth materials a tough fight. Korean people have a legendary fashion history. They like to rule with conventional styles among contemporary fashion lovers. Korean fashion designers are hard workers. There is no scope of any kind of loop holes in the kind of design they are presenting the world. It is only that they are not so much interested in experimenting with their age old authentic fashion. They love the way they have always been. They dislike breaking rules and this is what Korean fashion is all about.

After the Koreans the Japanese to are not far behind. They have a host of their personal collections as well. Japanese fashion designers are both amazing and exceptional. Japanese fashion reflects both culture and soul. Its fashion reflects Japanese tradition and history. Japanese fashion is a perfect mixture of the past and the present. Starting from their traditional kimono ton contemporary western style outfits the Japanese fashion conscious population has always made a mark in fashion industry. Japanese fashion is not about flaunting. They have silently presented the international market with world class designs. Japanese are extremely fashion conscious people because they believe in out and out enrichment with age, time and style. However, they hate unnecessary experimenting with uniqueness because they believe that what is traditional is always pure and trusted. Thus the world of international fashion ahs a lot to learn from Japanese fashion conscious people. They have presented the world with a different and exemplary STYLE STATEMENT.

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Jewelry has always performed numerous functions. It can express your personality, pull the look of your ensemble together, and enhance the clothing you are wearing. Engagement and wedding rings can serve as an expression of unending love and devotion. On the other hand, the purpose of trendy fashion jewelry is more or less always about the accessorizing of an exclusive look.

Though the fashion industry often sets the stage for the seasonal styles of trendy fashion jewelry, there really are no set rules when it comes to choosing trendy fashion jewelry that’s right for you. There are a few tips that can help you make the most of your jewelry in terms of accentuation and functionality.

Tips for Choosing the Right Trendy Fashion Jewelry for Your Needs

Choker necklaces can add an appealing, sexy look to low cut tops. Conversely, tops with a higher neck can be accentuated with longer necklaces. An extremely long necklace that is worn in multiple strands has become a hot piece of trendy fashion jewelry.

If you have toned arms you can draw attention to your curves with a fashionable cuff that wraps around your upper arm. This will create a sensual look and work well with any strapless or sleeveless top or tank top. A belly chain is a trendy accent for those with toned abs.

You can add an elegant, sophisticated look to your ensemble with a classic strand of pearls, burnished gold or silver jewelry, or even a classy cameo brooch. Chandelier earrings are a popular trendy fashion jewelry item right now. These dangling earrings look great no matter what they are paired with. Big rings have also become another trendy fashion item and have been sported by numerous starlets all over Hollywood.

If big rings aren’t for you, you can always opt for another sizzling style, stacked bangle bracelets and the more the better! If you want to keep your jewelry looking magnificent, be sure to store it in a high-quality jewelry box. Your jewelry pieces should be properly separated to avoid scratching and damaging each other.

This year’s trendy fashion jewelry features some scorching colors. Yellow is one of the hottest winter and fall jewelry colors this year, making yellow topaz, citrine and canary diamonds outstanding additions to your jewelry collection.

Favored shades also include pink and purple making pink topaz and amethyst excellent fall and winter choices. Trends show that blue will remain popular shade adding the choices of sapphire, blue topaz, tanzanite, aquamarine, and iolite to the spectrum of trendy fashion jewelry.

Other colors making a comeback this fall include chocolate brown, gray, and pumpkin. The bottom line is, no matter what your taste, there is bound to be a trendy piece of jewelry out there just for you. Have fun with you fashion, wear colors you love, and choose pieces that make you feel confident when you wear them.

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For those who do not know the difference between fine jewelry and high fashion jewelry, the latter is traditionally cheaper than the fine jewelry because of the materials which are used. But today, more and more high fashion jewelry are surpassing the price of fine jewelry because the materials used are the precious metals and stones, the only difference is that they come in trendier designs which last a season or two.

Traditionally, high fashion jewelry meant buying a dress which comes with cheap costume jewelry. If the dress is no longer going to be used, the costume jewelry would also go with it, to the trash or to be given in charity.

Today though that has all changed, thanks in part to Hollywood. It was because of Hollywood that costume jewelry culture changed. With Lauren Bacall and Elizabeth Taylor wearing fantastic collection in their films which glittered so much like the fine jewelry, many people actually thought that they were wearing the real things. They were not.

The crafters of high fashion jewelry at that time used materials which were more expensive than the earlier ones and they also lasted longer. In fact, because the cheaper metals were being used in the WWII effort, many of the jewelry were made using silver.

Today, there is Channel and Dior high fashion jewelry which prices rival fine jewelry and use materials like high grade sapphires, cabochon crystals, amethysts, pearls combined with platinum, gold, silver and other precious and semi-precious stones.

All of this modern and traditional high fashion jewelry is now available online and it has created a craze. More and more people find they have more choices so they tend to gravitate to the sites which offer them cheaper and fantastic looking jewelry. The aim is to look beautiful and if they can easily find it online, the entire better.

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Power ties, or popularly known as neckties, actually started more than three centuries before the New Millennium started. Even before civilization started, fashion has long been a reflection of the power or nobility of a personbe it a King or a member of the army. Power ties would not be an acceptable item of fashion today if it did not start during the 17th century.

In China, during 221 B.C., power ties were not ordinary fashion accessories. This is said to be the first ever fabric wrapping accessory used to a mans neck. Around 7000 terracotta soldiers were found neckties on their necks. However, when the Han Dynasty started, the use of neckties or power ties was banned, and was not used again in China until the 20th century. Meanwhile, the Roman Military were already seen painted in art works wearing power ties as part of their uniforms during 101 to 106 B.C.

More than 1, 500 years later, the military dress of the roman soldiers manifested neckwear that was observed keenly by historians. While there were wars and cultural clashes as well, the trends on the clothing of these soldiers also evolved.

Meanwhile, when King Louis XIV ruled France, lace ruffs wrapped around the neck were considered a fashionable accessory around Europe. This also became a product of austerity measures. To cut the expenses of soldiers then, men were allowed to wear ruff only, especially when attending funerals.

Meanwhile, the Croatian soldiers also have worn cravat or power ties as part of their uniform. This actually caught the attention of the whole continent. It became a form of identification when they are on the battlefield, as it also served as a crucial part of a fold costume. Croatian soldiers also gained respect not just because of their distinctive uniform, but because of their mercenary ways.

At the start of the 18th century, meanwhile, fashion then was led by the French through the French Revolution. When the 19th century started, George Brummel introduced fashionable innovation through power ties. He mainly designed power tie designs and knots that were immediately widely used in England, France, Germany, Italy, France and other countries within Europe. Later, he was crowned King George V, where he introduced a black power tie. Years after, more colors and designs of power ties appeared used in the military, sports, school and even hunting. At the middle of the 19th century, the designs of power ties were almost similar to the modern power ties we have today.

Since then, more developments on power ties were recorded in history. But one milestone in power ties history was given by Jesse Langsdorf, a manufacturer of Amerian tie. He invented his own stitch allowing the tie to move along the threads, while the tie is being knotted. In 1924, some designs of power ties were patented.

Now, power ties or neck ties are known to be used by high profile persons and corporate executives. More designs and brands are also now available in the market than ever before.

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