Retro Sneakers

For a couple of years retro sneakers have been all the rage and this is a trend that is going to survive 2008 and 2009 as well.
Many retro sneakers are being remanufactured by the companies that made them in the seventies and eighties. One of the nicest pairs is the PF Lyers Boub Cousy All American Sneaker which is the original black and brown plaid sneaker worn by Hall of Famer Bob Cousery as he racked up six chanmpionships.
Converse All Stars also seem to never go out of style and although black is still a very popular style for these high topped classic running shoes.
If you want to look cool and like you are into martial arts then you should try theOnitska Tiger Tai Chi shoes. These are sleek and look like slippers. They actually look good with a skirt because they are so comfortable and molded. They come in red and black, silver and black and white and black. This is the shoe that is famous for its stress relieving effects on the mind and body. It is based on the teachings of the famous martial artist and movie star Bruce Lee.
Vintage style puma’s are also pretty popular. This is a fatter style of shoes. The silver and green Cel Cerae II is a pretty nifty shoe. More streamlined is the Puma Lady’s Speeder’s M which comes in a variety of colors as well.
The Klim Ripston is also very unique. It is basically a street version of a climbing shoe and it is has a unique low profile look. The shoe is made out of ripstop nylon and the sole is made out of rubber. The shoe has that cool rubber outsole that wraps around the side of the shoe and gives it an elegant molded look.
Thos old style Converse slip ons are also back. These shoes look like deck shoes and have a thick white sole. The most classic version is in white and the second most classic version is navy blue. The Camouflage version is also very popular and very seventies. These come in all kinds of different patterns as well including a pink Deco Flower, red graffiti pattern and a broken heart pattern. T
The traditional plaids are also still very hot when it comes to the Converse retro running shoe. It is available in green and pink plaid.
However if you want to be really cool then go for the Converse Skidgrip Sailor Jerry Canvas Slip-On with a screened image of a skull and crossbones on it. Tattoo like designs on running shoes are very cool for the winter and spring.

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Must-Have Shoes in Your Closet

There are some shoe styles that you should absolutely own this season if you want to look sexy. The first is a comfortable black pump where the heel is not too high but it is also not too low. Trotters make a nice style with a curved cleavage and a chunky low heel.

Also for partying you will need a black highed heel dress shoe. You don’t need a lot of straps on this shoe but a nice big jewel on the toe (preferably open toed) s very classy.

One pair you own should just be all out “glammit” with rhinestones and gold or silver lame.  These shoes really dress up that little black dress or a pair of black

You should also try to own neutral pumps in a beige color. The fabric of choice for these is suede. This type of pump goes well with everything including slacks. Try and get a high heel as high as you can stand. The standard height for a lot of these dress shoes is about four inches.  Any higher and most women really do have some difficulty walking in them.

A pair of casual, flat running shoes are also absolutely essential for wearing around the home. These are a pair of plaid or black shoes that you can just slip on. Rocket Dog and Keds make nice comfortable and durable versions of this.

A pair of heeled booties in black leather or suede are also a way of instantly dressing up a more casual outfit.  You can look chic, even in jeans when you were this type of shoe. The heel should be conical and the front part of the shoe should look a little bit like a cowboy boot. This type of shoe almost always stays in style no matter what.  The tighter the book is at the ankle the better it will look with a skirt.

You should also have a pair of sneakers that you can just put on for jaunts to the store or anywhere else. The old style Addidas shoes are very popular right now, not to mention affordable and comfortable.  The more retro your sneaker is the more “in trend” you are (as Tim Gunn would say.)

Every girl should also have a pair of terry cloth slippers that are designed like thongs. These are just practical and are great to wear after you have a bath. They are the type of slippers that are usually given out in spa.  A good example of this type of high end slipper is made by Dr. Scholl’s.  A pink pair of Dr. Scholl’s slippers is fashionable as well as quite pampering for your feet.

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The Square Toe Shoe

The square toe has been fashionable all year and it is still very much in evidence. They have been ultra hip ever since Prada showed them last year in the form of open toed stilettos. The Prada version was glossy and almost ridiculous in terms of actual height. These six inch heels have the foot straightened almost completely out just like a ballerina’s but these patent leather torture devices have been the hottest shoes in town for quite some time.

Pointy toed flats and stilettos are still around and go great with that little black  or red velvet dress that you will be wanting to wear at a Christmas party. Even though the square toes shoe is here to stay for a while you don’t want to be throwing out your pointy toed shoes just yet.  The reason that pointy toe shoes will never ever go out of style is because they elongate the leg. They give this illusion whether or not the shoe is high heeled or flat. Of course if you do go with a square toe you will have a very long look to your leg if the show has that square toe.

There are some super gorgeous square toed shoes out there. If you need a pair for wedding BCBGirls makes a lot of affordable ones in satin metallics. Particularly classy is the pair called Zabrinna that has a big flat metallic slab on the open toe.

There are many beautiful leather versions of the square toed shoe but they are also available in microfibers and faux suede if you don’t think that leather is bad ecologically or if you are a vegan.

The square trend works with anything including skirts, dresses and skinny jeans. They do look better with pants that have a slight flare to them. If you have short legs you will look better in them if you are wearing a longer skirt.  Never wear them with socks unless it is a Mary Jane style or you will look too clunky.

Square toe shoes are very in for men as well. Kenneth Cole Reaction makes a style for men called Super Streak that is a laced shoe with outside stitching.

Stitching is also very trendy and whether it is a man or woman’s style, the more stitching that the boot or shoe has the cooler it is going to be.  Contrasting laces are also a hip theme in shoes.

The flatter the heel the more space age this type of square toed shoe or boot is going to look.  For the holidays consider getting a flat heeled or low heeled boot in a metallic color like platinum or gold and you will be considered to be very hip.

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The Eternal Little Black Dress

The little black dress is here to stay even though people keeping saying that brown  is the new black.  The indispensable black cocktail dress was first introduced to us by Coco Chanel in 1926 and it was not long before it became the epitome of fashion. The little black dress is worn everywhere – from casinos to cocktail parties to funerals.’

As an object of fashion it is almost iconoclastic. It was the uniform of the twentieth century. It was a perfectly simple but sexy object. It is one of the few items of clothing that never seems to be affected by trends. It also tends to stay chick.

The black cocktail dress knows no style, social or size boundaries. Whether it costs one thousand dollars or fifty dollars or whether is a size two or a size 22 it is still the little black cocktail dress. All the big fashionistas, including Anna Wintour and Coco Chanel always said that a woman should have at least one of these in her closet.

The black dress changes in construction but not as much as other garments. It can be above the knee or below the knee, have any kind of collar or have any type of shoulder construction or strap.  This season is no different than any other.

Black was not always a fashionable color.  Before Coco Chanel introduced her chic outfits and dresses to the world it was a color that was only seen at funerals. If you want to read a book about the history of this dress there is a good one with great photos called “Little Black Dress” by Amy H. Eldelman.

There are tips for looking fierce in your little black dress this holiday season. For one thing the whole black tights with a black cocktail dress look is out. You are better off to have bare legs or flesh colored legs. The more sheer your hose is the classier it is going to look.

The black cocktail dress that never goes out of style is knee length with no sleeves.  A good shape has slightly capped sleeves and a high scooped neck.  The sexest versions of this have V’s in the back.

If you are larger in size you will look fantastic in a dress with a lace or chiffon skirt. The fuller skirt hides full hips and thighs. Add a sash at the waist to create an instant neckline.

The beautiful thing about a black cocktail dress is that it supports accessories so well.  It is like a blank canvas that you can embellish with any type of jewelry. Gold jewelry with a black dress “reads older” than silver jewelry. You can add primary splashes of color for a very contemporary look.

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Gold is Good for the Holiday

This Christmas gold is going to be a very hot trend that extends to every design detail from the shoes on your feet to your dress to your bag. You are going to see touches of gold everywhere this season. Gilded leather, gold lame, sequins, brocades, knits and satins will all be that shiny Las Vegas gold. We have not seen this look become so fierce since the late eighties. Before that it was fashionable to wear gold lame with velvet jackets in the early eighties.
There are some rules for wearing gold simply because it is so flashy. It can literally “outshine” everything else you are wearing. You should never wear it head to toe.You should never wear it on a body part that you do not want brought to attention. For instance do not wrap a gold belt around a pot belly.
Gold looks best when mixed with black and white or flesh colored tones. You can also wear it more casually and mix it with dark denim, leather and other fabrics.
Gold makeup is also in vogue for the holiday season. Prescriptives has made a very special gold powder that looks pink in one light and gold in another. It is called Prescriptives Rainbow Powder Play. Givenchy also makes a gold iridescent powdered that is similar. The Urban Decay Shadow Lounge is also pink and gold at the same time.
A little gold glitter is also coming back into fashion. Soap stores like Lush are putting all kinds of glimmer touches into their soaps and gels so that your skin will really glow. Other cosmetic companies are also following the trend and putting a bit of gold dust in their bath products.
On the runway gold was seen in all kinds of guises. One piece jumpsuits with bear arms and keyhole necks (reminiscent of Sharon Stone in Casino) were on the runways. Baby doll dresses with mesh sleeves and mini dresses and tops with long bell sleeves also made their glitzy presence know. Gold cotton tops lined with shiny gold ribbon and long satin gowns are also going to be seen on the cocktail wear scene.
You could probably top up any outfit with a touch of gold jewelry to look as cool as possible. Solid gold earrings that are thick and solid looking are back as is those drooping long chains that were so popular in the eighties. In fact wearing several chains around the waist is very Chanel.
The key to “doing” gold correctly is to never overdo it. Another key is to not wear any jewelry (and especially gold jewelry) if you are already paving yourself in gold in the form of something like a gold leather jacket or gold lame skirt.

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Last Minute Party Plans

Want to make yourself fashion fierce for that big party but you only have a few minutes before you have to jump into the cab. Here are some glam ideas that can help get you out the door fast and to your destination faster.

All you need is a glittery top in your closet and you can transform all sorts of pedestrian outfits into more exciting ones. Be sure to search far in the back recesses of your closets to find that lurex top or gold lame piece. Gold is a very fashionable color for this holiday season.  The color platinum, which is like a very pale gold, is even more fashionable.

If it is an office party you are going to then you might want to wear a lurex top beneath a black jacket. This gives you a more polished or sophisticated look. Another sophisticated look is the cowl neck sweater with leather pants. Velvet drawstring pants can also add instant glamour to any look.  In fact anything that is velvet makes you look like you are ready to party.  As it is Christmas you can try for red or green velvet.  Don’t wear both red and green velvet together or you might look like a Christmas elf. Instead wear one or other to achieve the look that you are after.

You can also dress up an outfit with a gag. Choose shoes, wraps, necklaces and handbags that are shiny and glitzy. You can wear a group of crystal necklaces grouped together or a simple big red bow in your head or mules that have big sparkling jewels on them. The idea is to be as elegant by only wearing one or two pieces of jeweler.  You don’t have to decorate yourself too much or you will end up looking like a Christmas tree.

Don’t worry if you can’t afford real jewels. Costume jewelry is very acceptable at Christmas. Just one big faux jewel or old vintage brooch can do the trick. It is especially charming to wear a vintage brooch in a Christmas motif such as a candy cane, Christmas tree or Christmas present.

Another way to say it is Christmas and also put you in the mood to socialize is to wear a warm spicy perfume. One that is cinnamon, vanilla or sandalwood based is warm and spicy in nature and also very sexy!

A cheap way to transform your look is simply to wear glam make up. You can transform yourself into a beauty in five minutes simply by applying lush red lips, smoky eyes and a glittering face powder.  Be sure to curl your lashes and apply foundation so your skin looks flawless. You can also get away with wearing a little more rouge than usual in the winter.

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Beads Lace and Yarn for Weddings

One of the biggest themes for this winter s once again going to be the white wedding. It might be more correct to say that these are cream or off-white weddings. However unlike last season where everything was very medieval this season everything will be very Victorian in nature. You can expect to see gown in shades of oat, caramel and cream and decorated with pearls and lace. Crocheted items and knitted flowers are also part of this wedding fashion trend as are shoes and hems embellished with fine embroidery.  Boots too can be embellished with fine stitching.

This is left over from the trends towards more romantic and frilly weddings which was a really hot t a few years ago. The hot colors then were the browns, golds and blood reds.  This current look is more delicate and fairy like in nature. The gowns are very much like something you would see in a neo-classic painting.

Glamorous touches of lace and seed pearls carry over into everything including the tablecloths, flower vases and the slipcovers for the bride and groom’s chairs. Even the wedding flowers on the table can include plastic strands with seed pearls at the ends mixed with pale colored blossoms.

Even your wedding invitation can be decorated with white velvet ribbons, pearls, lace and bows made of yarns.  You can also give your wedding menus the same kind of Victorian treatment by decorating them with velvets, beads and laces.

As for yarn a couple of performance artists recently made the news when they knitted everything for the wedding including the bride’s dress and the groom’s suit. Every object was a masterpiece of knitting and looked like a fair imitation of gifts and things that you would normally find at a wedding.

This innovative also asked their guests to submit knitted gifts so that everything could be included in a book that they are going to publish called “The Knitted Wedding.”  Curiously everything that was knitted was done in white yarn so that this couple could have a white wedding that was completely made out of yarn.

If this idea appeals to you in any way the knitting patterns for all kinds of amusing wedding related objects are posted online.  You can download Microsoft word documents that contain directions for knitting such things as flowers, doves, candles, buds, leafs and even sandwiches. These can also be embellished with lace, creamy satin and velvet bows and seed pearls.

Even if you do not relish the idea of doing your entire wedding in yarn you might enjoy adding a few knitted touches to your celebration to give it a unique touch. Of course you don’t have to do this wedding all in white. You can do the lace and bead theme in another color such as light pink, lavender or even yellow!

Click here to visit the wedding store.

Looking for Asian Clothing?

If you are looking for Asian clothing them check out Yes Style. They have a $5 off $20 coupon right now. It’s for new customer only. The code is 5OFF20SHOPPINGCODES .

The jacket shown above is a motorcycle-inspired design coupled with leopard print gives you a distinctly wild street edge. It has a side zip placket, snap front collar, zipped side pockets and buckled waist.

Dr. Seuss Colors

If you want to look fierce this winter then be sure to take advantage of one of the hottest fall trends which is for patterned stockings. Patterned hosiery comes in all kinds of different styles including thigh highs, knee highs, Capri style leggings and ankle socks.

Patterned tights come in all kinds of different styles. Every single type of leopard print is in style as are cheetah and zebra prints.  Plaids and polka dots also never seem to go out of style. The main difference this year is that tights are no longer black or navy blue but  more fashion fierce if they are in the brown, orange or yellow color schemes.

Opaque tights are a winter favorite because they keep you warm and cozy and go with every outfit.  You can get these tights in a shiny or matte finish and in every color imaginable. If you want something really warm then you might want to invest in a pair of wool tights.  For maximum elegance you can get super soft opaque tights that are made out of a fabric called Velveteen. Velveteen tights come in all kinds of different patterns as well as exotic colors like bitter chocolate, royal purple and bright orange.

Not all tights have feet.  Footless tights are versatile items. They can be worn beneath pants to keep you trimmer or warmer. They look great with a skirt. You can pull a pair of socks on to keep your feet warmer than if you were only going to wear tights.

Support hose now also comes in all kinds of patterns and colors including plaids, stripes, checks, ribbons and exotic solid colors such as Aubergine or Daffodil Yellow.

If you feel hot and sweaty in tights then you might want to try the La Perla Tomorrow 50 Opaque tights. They are expensive but they are very soft which allows your skin to breathe more.

There are also many other types of unique tights. You can go for the wet look tights by Aristoc. Your legs have never been so shiny! The thing is that these tights are such scene stealers that they really do not go that well with anything but black.  Black velvet looks great with these wet look tights.

If you would like a pattern that resembles a large patterned tattoo then you might want to check out the fashion offerings of the company named Be baroque. These are cream colored tights with dark drawings on them.

If wild psychedelia is your favorite type of tights design then you will love any of the patterns put out by Celeste Stein. She makes black and white optic patterns that look a bit like the old Spirograph patterns.  Another favorite is her brown and orange print of the Beatles. Other motifs on her patterned tights include decks of playing cards, snake skin and Vroom comics.

Click here to order tights. 

Patterned Tights for Winter

If you want to look fierce this winter then be sure to take advantage of one of the hottest fall trends which is for patterned stockings. Patterned hosiery comes in all kinds of different styles including thigh highs, knee highs, Capri style leggings and ankle socks.
Patterned tights come in all kinds of different styles. Every single type of leopard print is in style as are cheetah and zebra prints. Plaids and polka dots also never seem to go out of style. The main difference this year is that tights are no longer black or navy blue but more fashion fierce if they are in the brown, orange or yellow color schemes.
Opaque tights are a winter favorite because they keep you warm and cozy and go with every outfit. You can get these tights in a shiny or matte finish and in every color imaginable. If you want something really warm then you might want to invest in a pair of wool tights. For maximum elegance you can get super soft opaque tights that are made out of a fabric called Velveteen. Velveteen tights come in all kinds of different patterns as well as exotic colors like bitter chocolate, royal purple and bright orange.
Not all tights have feet. Footless tights are versatile items. They can be worn beneath pants to keep you trimmer or warmer. They look great with a skirt. You can pull a pair of socks on to keep your feet warmer than if you were only going to wear tights.
Support hose now also comes in all kinds of patterns and colors including plaids, stripes, checks, ribbons and exotic solid colors such as Aubergine or Daffodil Yellow.
If you feel hot and sweaty in tights then you might want to try the La Perla Tomorrow 50 Opaque tights. They are expensive but they are very soft which allows your skin to breathe more.
There are also many other types of unique tights. You can go for the wet look tights by Aristoc. Your legs have never been so shiny! The thing is that these tights are such scene stealers that they really do not go that well with anything but black. Black velvet looks great with these wet look tights.
If you would like a pattern that resembles a large patterned tattoo then you might want to check out the fashion offerings of the company named Be baroque. These are cream colored tights with dark drawings on them.
If wild psychedelia is your favorite type of tights design then you will love any of the patterns put out by Celeste Stein. She makes black and white optic patterns that look a bit like the old Spirograph patterns. Another favorite is her brown and orange print of the Beatles. Other motifs on her patterned tights include decks of playing cards, snake skin and Vroom comics.

Click here to order tights.