Women's Fashion in 2008 - Wrap Dresses

70's inspired clothing is really in this season which makes the wrap dress the perfect addition to your closet. Once extremely popular when they hit the runways in the early 70's they've been laying dormant close to 30 years making the occasional appearance in the early 90's. Lucky for you 2008 has fully welcomed this easy to wear dress and you should be able to find one you love at your favorite clothing store.

Why You'll Love the Wrap

For women who are slightly curvier or on the fuller side the wrap dress was definitely made with you in mind. While these dresses look great on almost any body type it's the full breasted curvy hip women out there who really benefit from this style. It lifts, separates and breaks up the body in such a way that your curves become your number one asset. One of the biggest benefits of this dress is the hour glass appearance it gives those who wear it. Worn the right way this dress can mask bellies while playing up hips and flatter that junk in your trunk without flattening it out. Gone are the days when stick thin was in and more and more women are learning the it's the hips and the breast that make a women who she is. This dresses embraces the woman.

What if I'm super thin you say? Have no fear you can wear this dress just as proudly as your thicker sisters. The art of mastering the wrap lies within knowing and understanding what works with your body type. Those of you who are super thin or have smaller breast can wear wrap dresses that have adjustable ties and are less ruffly up top. In keeping with the rule of less is more, your goal is to find a wrap dress that gives you a little extra up top by limiting the amount of fabric used in your chest area. If you can't find one that fits perfectly you can always rely on the good ol' push up bra for some assistance in pulling of this sassy fashion.

How to Pull of the Wrap

* Before you choose a wrap it's important to figure out what body type you are. Different wraps will look good on different body types. Full figured women will look good with fuller skirts where as small framed women will need dresses that aren't as full.

* Since the wrap dress has the tendency to pick up panty lines which can draw attention to your tummy, be sure to choose the right underwear. If you are concerned about your stomach area look for some quality shape wear to really look terrific in this dress.

* Patterns are very popular when it comes to wrap dresses but be careful when choosing one. You need to keep your body type in mind and know what works best with it. For fuller figured women, choose diagonal or vertical patterns and stay away from the tiny patterns that can make you look larger than you really are.

* Wrap dresses are fun and easy to accessorize for any occasion so be creative when it comes to personalizing yours. Experiment with different belts, bracelets, shoes, and tights or leggings to really make it your own.

For trendy clothing and accessories including women's dresses shop at Baby Phat. Baby Phat offers trendy urban style for women of all ages.

PhotoCredit:
http://chicstories.com
http://www.girlawhirl.com

Author: Jennifer Wasilewski

Women's Fashion in 2008

Shopping Tips: Finding a Perfect Pair of Shoes

Following a recent advertising campaign I asked a number of women what information they would find most useful about womens shoes.

After collating the feedback received the majority asked for:-

  • How to find the right size and width
  • How to find discount or inexpensive designer shoes
  • Assurance of return policy/shipping service etc
  • How to choose fashionable shoes that are comfortable
  • Reasonable priced shoes without searching all day to compare prices
  • Quality - how to recognize poor quality shoes

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT SIZE AND WIDTH

Know your shoe size and always choose a pair in your true size. The size you usually wear.

Most online shoe stores offer half sizes.

Unless the store is in Great Britain or Australia, most online shoe stores list their shoes in US sizes.

Check your country shoe size. For instance I live in England and my size is UK 7. In US this would be a size 9.5 and European size 40.

Not all online shoe stores offer narrow or wide width shoes.

If you require a narrow or wide width shoe try to choose stores that provide these.

It would be disappointing to go shoe shopping and find a pair of shoes you love only to discover the store only offers standard widths.

HOW TO FIND DISCOUNT OR INEXPENSIVE DESIGNER SHOES

The beauty of online shoe shopping is that the majority of the top stores offer up to and more than 100 designer branded shoes.

It is unrealistic to expect to get yourself a pair of Gucci shoes and only pay $30 for them.

However, there are shoe stores that offer such designer names at far lower prices than you would expect to pay at a boutique or mall store.

There are sites that have unique partnerships with designer houses and only offer end of season or discounted items.

Be very wary of doing random searches for designer shoes online.

The increase in fake or replica items is on the increase.

You might end up paying a little more than some of these sites offer. However, shopping with a reputable store will ensure you get what you are paying for and not some fake or replica item that will only be very poor quality.

Sadly sites offering fake goods are
only after your money and not to give you any customer satisfaction in terms of service or quality product.

ASSURANCE OF RETURNS / SHIPPING POLICY

There a few top stores that offer free shipping [usually within the US or their own country] and free returns.

Stores usually only charge for worldwide delivery.

Always check the return policy before actually paying for your shoes.

Reputable online stores offer excellent customer service and make great effort to ensure their customers are happy.

They give you fast delivery and a free or inexpensive return service.

HOW TO CHOOSE FASHIONABLE SHOES THAT ARE COMFORTABLE

Almost all top internet shoe stores offer designer and branded shoes which means they are well made and have comfort elements taken into account.

There will always be reports out there that high heels will ruin your feet.

A poor quality pair of any shoe including high heels certainly will but you can be fashionable without sacrificing the comfort and health of your feet.

Current fashion spreads across an enormous selection of styles which means you don't have to have towering high heels to be fashionable.

Wedge heels are very fashionable at the moment.

Due to the fact that you have a wedge heel rather than a spike or narrow high heel they are very easy to walk in.

You won't feel like you have the height they actually are.

Wedge heels give you all the benefits of high heels such as lengthening and slimming the look of your legs and lifting the posture of your bottom.

They also come in closed toes, sandals and lots of different colours and textures with ankle ties or straps.

High heels will always be fashionable and wedge heels are a great way to get the heel without the wobble if you struggle to walk in heels.

Sabrina or kitten heels are quite in vogue.

The heel is only up to a couple of inches in height. You do still get the heel benefits but are extremely comfortable and easy to walk in.

Flat sandals or flip flops will always be comfortable if they are well made.

If you don't fancy being completely flat you can get wedge flip flops or small heeled sandals.

A shopping tip to remember with sandals is to choose something that flatters your feet.

If you have long toes or feet, choose a flip flop that has some detail at the centre of the thong. This draws the eye away from your toes and creates width rather than length.

Sandals that have a strap or band across the foot to reveal your toes will draw attention to your toes. Trying sandals that have a thong style will reveal more of your foot.

Shopping tips show that an ankle tied sandal which will draw attention to your legs as well as your feet.

Loafers or slip on flat shoes are always comfortable.

Shoe shopping trends show that indian style satin slippers are extremely fashionable at the moment you can choose a few pairs in a variety of styles and maintain the flat heel.

A good shopping tip is to choose one with a genuine leather hard sole. The quality is better and they won't fall to pieces after short while either.

Mules and pumps are becoming more popular and designers are creating collections of colours and styles in these ranges.

REASONABLE PRICES WITHOUT SEARCHING ALL DAY TO COMPARE PRICES

Top online shoe stores are extremely competitive.

Behind the scenes each store will compete for certain key words that their visitors search for.

For instance if you are looking for a flip flop and go to your search engine and type in 'womens flip flops' you will see pages of listings to choose from.

Each company's listing has competed against the next to get higher up on the search engine page.

Their listings then entice you to click on their listing.

Just because you click on the top listing doesn't mean you are getting the best store for womens flip flops.

It just means that particular listing has competed better for that particular word and got to the top.

Unless you have purchased shoes online and know of a few reputable stores, its best to check out a guide or read up on what to look for.

Prices vary enormously online. The top online stores remain at the top because
they offer their customers low prices and quality products.

These stores will regularly offer sales and maintain low prices.

Again, don't expect to buy a pair of Gucci shoes for $30. You can expect to get shoes far cheaper than in the stores at the mall and a greater choice of quality designers and shoes in general.

A good shopping tip is to shop around the top online shoe stores. All have regular sales and heavily discounted lines.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE POOR QUALITY

Due to the fact that online shoe stores only offer branded items, you can be assured of the quality.

A good shopping tip is to look at the shoe images on the sites you are shopping at.
They should be clear and a description and larger photo available for you to view.

Don't waste your shopping time buying shoes from sites that offer little or no choice in terms of both styles and sizes.

The store doesn't have to be the largest out there but any store should offer you a good selection to choose from.

The quality of the site itself is also a good indication on what you can expect in terms of service and value for your money.

If you find it impossible to locate the policy, terms of use or contact us page try and avoid. Its important to have clear policies.

A shopping tip to remember is the more customer service benefits you see the better your overall shopping experience will be with them.

IMPORTANT TIPS

Shopping tips are important if you want to do this in a breeze. Try to decide what you want before starting out and remember some of the things outlined above.

Payment is an extremely important factor and you should never give your credit card or personal details if you are not on a secure site or subscribing to something.

An accurate way and most important of the shopping tips is to check that the payment page is secure is to look at your browser. It takes a second.

The browser is the white box you see at the top of the web page beginning http://www.thenameofthepage.com

When you have selected your item[s] and click to checkout the browser screen should change to https://www.thenameofthepage.com/paymentorcheckout.html

Or something along those lines.

What is important is the little letter s. This means you are on a secure page to provide your payment details.

If you note these shopping tips your online shoe shopping experience will be a good one.

PhotoCredit:
http://www.seenon.com
http://www.bastetsbeads.com

Author: Shelley Costello is webmaster/author of the Womens Shoes Guru site which provides a complete guide and benefits to womens shoes. Shelley works from her home in England with her partner and two young children.


Shopping Tips and Tricks to finding a Perfect Pair of Shoes

What It Takes To Be A Fashion Designer

Let's get one thing straight - to be a fashion designer you'll need to possess a formidable range of skills and personal qualities. Be honest with yourself, evaluate the extent to which you possess these skills and qualities otherwise you'll eventually run into obstacles in your attempts to be a fashion designer.

First and foremost you need talent. This encompasses a wide range of skills including drawing, sewing, research, vision and creativity. Without a high level of natural talent you can never be a fashion designer.

The fashion industry is tough and competitive - you need to be prepared to use your abilities to give yourself an edge over your rivals. This only comes through having the confidence to truly believe in what you're doing and the assertiveness to deliver.

Without a high level of ambition and the necessary commitment to achieve that ambition you may struggle. You have to be prepared to work hard yet remain open to learning. Displaying high levels of flexibility and using criticism from others in a positive way will allow you to adapt in what is an ever-changing environment.

Effective communication skills are a must. If you can't explain, listen, negotiate or delegate you'll struggle. Likewise organizational skills - if you can't plan and co-ordinate you simply won't finish jobs on time. Part of this comes from being able to make quick decisions and accepting responsibility for those decisions.

If you want to be a fashion designer then you need to accept the fact that you'll also be running a business. That means being able to spot opportunities as well as carrying out the more mundane tasks that are part and parcel of running a business. You'll need to be able to show leadership and be prepared to take a few risks if you want to achieve real success.

On a more artistic level you'll need to be imaginative and creative to generate new ideas. Without a genuine ability to visualize, draw and paint in two dimensions you won't be able to deliver innovation which is the energizing force of fashion design. The same can be said for color sense and the many practical skills that go into making a fashion designer.

To be a fashion designer means being prepared to work as part of a team. You'll need to enjoy group activities and recognize you're only part of a bigger picture that draws from the input of many players. This calls for a friendly, calm temperament, patience, humour and at times a little bit of humility.

The one personal quality that pulls all of this together is having a real passion for fashion - without this the other skills and personal qualities become undermined and you'll find it difficult to be a fashion designer.

If you feel you possess these qualities then don't give up until you cover all the steps you need to take to become a fashion designer.

Author: James Mitchell owns and operates http://www.fashiondesignerbasics.com Fashion Designer


What It Takes To Be A Fashion Designer