Engagement Ring Issues

Although they wouldn’t probably ever admit it, some men are just born to shop and seem to have a real knack for picking out the ring that is exactly right for their future spouse. Unfortunately most of these men are gay. Just kidding.
Seriously though it wouldn’t hurt some of us straight men to have a little more of a queer eye when it came to things like picking out engagement ring. In fact, if you have a gay friend they are not a bad person to ask about what is “hot” in the world of fashion – period!
Not only do gay fellows have extremely good taste they have inbuilt radar that knows a “rip off” when they see one. Take one with you when you go shopping for a dollar. He will make sure that you will get every single carat’s worth for you dollar.
What is even better is if your girlfriend has a best gay boyfriend! He will more than likely to be able to pick out exactly the ring that your girlfriend has been lusting after all of this time.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking “if you’ve seen one diamond ring you’ve seen them all!” =
An engagement ring is more than just a beautiful piece of jeweler, it’s design and everything about it embodies the very essence of your feelings for her.
Keep in mind you can throw a lot of money at a rock, and she could still hate the ring. The ring has to be unique and the stones set in it also should express that “jet new says quoi” quality about your love for her. It should also be a quality and durable item because hopefully she will be flashing it on her fourth finger for the rest of her life.
Do you really want her flashing a cubic zirconia as a beacon of your love for the rest of your lives. Perhaps something a little more traditional fits the bill.
A word to the wise – don’t be cheap and don’t be tacky!
I can tell you right now what kinds of rings to stay away from.
Stay away from any style of ring has the names Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears or Princess Diana attached to them. Millions of people sport these huge rocks as costume jeweler all over the world.
Any diamond with a celebrity’s name on it is probably a fake. You might think it is glamorous. She will think you are tackier than hell.
Also stay away from the words “cubic zirconium” unless you are fond of the words “you cheap bastard.” Those cubic zirconium look good at first but they are as about as plastic as fake breasts!

How Trendy Lingerie Came to Be

Lingerie was not always such a bright mish mash of different textures, fabrics and colors as it is today. It was also not always worn if we want to believe that everyone was nude in the Garden of Eden. The first pieces of lingerie can be traced bake to Egypt and Greece. In ancient Crete women also wore a form of bustier and in ancient Rome women wore a device called the strophium which supported the breast.
In the Middle Ages women wore many linen undergarments to protect beautiful garments made out of expensive silk from being stained by body fluids. As small breasts were in style women wore flat band aid style bras that constricted their breasts. The true corset did not really turn up until the fifteenth century and the carvings on the breast bone piece were acknowledged to be an art form.
During the Elizabethan era a torturous garment called the farthingale, which pushed the breast outwards and cinched the waist in was in fashion as it suggested fertility. The farthingale was detested because it appeared to mold a woman’s body out of shape and it was painful to wear.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth century women endured decades of whalebone undergarments including corsets and crinolines. These were worn with pantaloons and layers of petticoats. The corset’s tyrannical reign did not end until around 1913 when Mary Phelps Jacobs first invented the brassier. Girdles first became all of the rage in the 1920s as the Flapper style of fashion demanded long narrow bodies with flat stomachs.
Lingerie as we know it today first came into being in the 1930s when movie stars like Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich began to wear slinky satin fabrics and more structured undergarments that emphasized an hourglass figure. Latex rubber, under wiring and elastic were also seen in these garments for the first time.
In the 1950s Howard Hughes designed the famous cantilever bra for his girlfriend Jane Russell. This was the quintessential atomic age garment with the missile silo shaped bra cups.
In the sixties there was a rebellion against wearing bras, thanks to the feminist movement but lingerie returned with a vengeance in the seventies and eighties as garments made out of Lycra and other stretchy materials. Padded and molded bras (such as the ones made by Victoria’s Secret, Warner’s and Wonder bra) were invented so no seams ever showed beneath a sweater.
Since then some lingerie has become quite avenge grade and most of it so elegant and beautiful that it was worn exposed through open clothing and sheer clothing. All through the 1990s it was worn on its own in the form of bra tops, camisoles and slips dresses instead of being hidden away beneath other clothes. Punchy and creative designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gautier started to play with the concept of underwear as outerwear and to this day quite a bit of lingerie are considered to be couture.

Sizzling Summer Fashion Trends

Does the thought of baring all in a tank top this summer scare you? You don’t have to worry if you are wearing a. Yummie Tummie summer tank top. This clever company offers shapewear that whittles your waist but in stylish styles and prints you can wear all on their own. This means we can throw away those body shapers that are too hot to wear under tops in the summer.

Need a nice all round big bag that can go from the beach into the evening without the blinking of an eye. Mui Mui is making quilted versions that look quite snazzy whether they are on their way to the beach or masquerading as an evening bag. The nicest one is a coal black bag with braided leather handles and lavender stitched quilting.

Want to obtain some cheap yet fashionable jewelry to wear with some of the forties styles that are so hot this summer. One of your best bets is from Nicole Richie’s line which is called House of Harlow 1960.  The collection consists of bold bangles, statement necklaces and even a Hollywood style headpiece.

Ecologically correct clothing companies are all the rage and one of the most popular of these companies is Thread Social. Thread Social has just put out a line called Red Thread which specializes in making clothes out of the scraps thrown away from the manufacture of other couture designer’s clothing creations.  You can get very classy and contemporary looking skirts and mini dresses made out of this type of excess fabric for around three hundred dollars.

Also cool for this summer is Gap’s 1969 line of jeans which are a revamp by notable retro look designer Patrick Robinson. Two styles of this jean are destined to be very popular this summer.  There is the Always Skinny style, with cool brass button ankle closures that you can unbutton to slide over the tops of your heels and the Boyfriend jean which is a faded blue with a slouchier, softer look that fits very comfortably.

If you want to look nearly nude under your clothes then you want to try on the Barely There collection of underwear. This lingerie is absolutely seamless smooth and flesh colored. They are the perfect bras and panties to wear under a white dress or white shirt and pants. The most exceptional thing is that the bras and panties come in over twenty skin shades which means that they can match just about any flesh tone on earth.  You will never have an underwear line again if you wear this company’s underwear which is also light and sheer enough to wear during hot weather.

Hot Scents for Summer

Guess which scent is making a hot come back for this summer? That’s right. It’s Chanel No 5. It just never seems to go out of style.  There is a new commercial out for it as well which is getting as much attention as the commercial made with Nicole Kidman five years ago.  The commercial is more like an exotic short film. It apparently took a staggering three weeks to shoot) will feature a series of missed encounters between Audrey and Travis Davenport, while they make their way from Paris to Istanbul on the Orient-Express.

Ralph Lauren has put out a vintage scent to celebrate its thirtieth birthday… Originally inspired by equestrian tradition and the raw sport of polo, Ralph Lauren is celebrating the scent’s sophisticated heritage with the release of Polo Modern Reserve. It is a unique blend of rich cardamom spice, vetiver-leather and humidor wood to create a crisp new twist on the old-boy favourite.

Paris Hilton’s sweet fruity scent Can Can is going to be hot all this season. This is thanks to the fact that her scent actually won a Fifi award which is a top honor for perfumers. The scent is frivolous  and light enough to go well with a strappy summer dress.

Do you like kitschy scents from the past?  Then you will love Bond Number 9. This company is known for their bottles which look like something Marilyn Monroe might have perched on her vanity.  They look like small genie bottles. The company calls their larger bottles “perfume fountains.”  They also put out a special edition bottle that is covered with precious crystals and that is worth over four grand.  Aside from the bottle being glamorous it is also a very sophisticated and Hollywood old style frangrance.

If you like the smell of ginger then you might want to try the retro-inspired limited edition Ginger Snap Collection from Barefoot Venus. They smell delicious and are gorgeous enough to sit sink-side with their sexy pin-up labels. Plus, it’s the gift that gives back—10% of profits are donated locally in support of Autism awareness.

Are you sick of childish fruity perfumes. Then you might want to try on  Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue Nights. This is a floral oriental loaded with white flowers finishing with a white chocolate dry-down. It is quite classy both in smell and the bottle is a hip slim tower that is very “New York minimalist.”

Do you want your hair to smell really, really nice. A lot of celebrities are using this sweetly scented hair spray called Shea Spray. It is made with 100% organic essential oils and plant extracts and do not contain any artificial ingredients, perfumes, or colours. You will smell like shea  butter which is a smell that is both innocent and tropical at the same time.  Many people think it smells a bit like cocoa powder and that it is a bit of an aphrodisiac.

Fashion Fierce Make Up for Summer

Many of the make up companies are doing some interesting promotions for Spring. Many have also come up with some interesting products – especially for special occasions and weddings.

Prescriptives’ lovely new In Bloom collection seems the perfect makeup pick for a blushing bride. This is a palette of rosy pinks that is offset by golds, yellows and peaches. These are the perfect tones for the sun kissed bride who is thinking of getting married outdoors and wants her make up to look natural.  The thing to remember about this line is that it looks very bright and almost garish in the tube but it actually slicks on quite sheer.  The effect is lovely, vibrant and contemporary because it is bright without looking vulgar at all.

If you are feeling chartable at all then you might want to go for MAC cosmetics latest Viva Glam shade which is a light mauve.  This shade is endorsed Fergie and all of the profits of this lipstick go to help fund research for AIDS couresty of the MAC AIDS FUND.

If plumping up your lips is on your mind then you might want to try the DuWop Lip Venom which has been around for some time now and is still going strong across Europe and North America. This is supposed to be one of the best lip plumpers.  For this season the company is putting out its Venom Flash lip paint again which contains a hint of dazzling color to go along with the lip plumper.  If you don’t want any color at all then you can get the DuWop Elixrstix which fattens up your lips as well to achieve that Angelina Jolie style trout pout.

If you are looking for wild eyeshadows that are not too opaque and kind of classy looking then you will enjoy the ones made by Shoo Uemura that are part of their Mirage collection. These are very sheer shadows that come in colors like mustard, pink , coal and yellow.  They are sheer enough that you can get away with wearing all four colors at once without looking like you are getting ready to go to the office.

Of course no make up is going to look perfect without the perfect primer beneath it. Why don’t you use what American Idol Judge Simon Cowell is rumored to use on his skin to look young on television. The stuff is called Luxtoral. It is a very deluxe skin care line that focuses on keeping the skin looking young and hydrated with the help of Pacific Rainwater (which is supposed to be highly ionized and help plump up the look of tired old skin.)  This gives you a firm foundation upon which to slick on your make up.

Fashion Fierce Beauty Aids

This summer there are some new fashion fierce beauty aids on the market that can help you look better than ever.

One great new product is called David Babaii for WildAid Bohemian Beach Spray.  So just what is Bohemian spray? Remember in the good old days of the Brady Bunch when you used to braid your hair before you went to bed while it was still wet. Then the next morning you would unbraid your hair and end up with instant curls?  This spray is meant to be put on your hair before you braid it and then again after you unbraid to “hold the set” and so that your kinky curls will last all day.  This will give your hair that wild sought after “Bohemian beach baby” look that is very effortless.

If you like eco-products you will love the new cream that is being put out by the skincare brand known as Origins. In partnership with the Forests Global Releaf Program, the company aims to help plant thousands of trees around the globe in aid of reforestation. To kick-off the tree-hugging love, they’ll plant a tree for every Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant moisturizer with White Tea that is sold. Now that is motivation enough to use this fantastic moisturizer which is full of natural ingredients and costs less than fifty bucks retail.

Is your skin an atrocious texture after a tough long winter and wet Spring? It might be time for some exfoliation. One of these trendiest and hottest products invented for this purpose is the Bioelements buffing cloth made of 100% natural woven cactus fibers.  What a great use for this desert plant.  This buffing cloth does wonders for rough skin but it is not so abrasive that it can injure your skin during the scouring process.

Coconut hair products are fashion fierce this summer especially because coconuts are so emollient.  The Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk  line of hair products calms down frazzled and heat fried locks with intense moisturizing. It contains organic active ingredients such as egg white protein, coconut oil, coconut milk, vitamin E, and shea butter.  The other great thing about this company is that it uses recycled post-consumer bottles, eco-friendly labels, and sulfate-free ingredients.

A similar product that is a must have for summer is Frizz-Ease.  It is a serum made by the company John Frieda and is especially helpful if you have very dry or damaged hair.

Finally you might want to polish up your lips with the Burt’s Bee Products. These are organic lip balms made out of pure beeswax. The company has been around a while and has many devoted fans.  This is because beeswax is about the perfect substance to put on when it comes to protecting your lips.

Designer Dresses and Skirts 2009

When it comes to designer dresses there are several definite trends that are going to come into play.

One of them is the cut out slashed or vented dress. This type of dress looks a bit punky. It boasts slashes across the front of it that looks like punky venting. The company Bebe makes a beautiful creamy white version of this dress that is sleeveless with a very short skirt. The dress also has a very flattering boat neck and buttons with a bright brass button at the back.

BA&SH is also offering a signature white mini dress for summer. This one is a cross between a Greek Goddess Gown and T-shirt. It has one shoulder that is braided and very short.  It is very skimpy and you would have to be small with an excellent figure to pull this very plain yet revealing dress off properly.

Not every company is making a great white dress for summer. The popular clothing company Banana Republic is offering a shift in a brilliant fuchsia color. It has a ruched neckline and seams with puffed out shoulders.  Otherwise it is just a very stunning short, above the knees sleeveless shift with a very high neckline that cuts in a bevel shape across the collar bone.

Wild patterns are also very in when it comes to summer mini-dresses. The company Ksubi makes a silk dress that is made out of a sheer silk in a smoke color that is patterned over with neon orange abstractions. The effect of this is very Italian and yet contemporary.

If you want to go out for a night on the town then one of the disco style silver dresses might fit the bill. Religion makes a nylon dress that looks like it belongs on the dance floor at Studio 54.  It is strapless with an empire waist and a ruched bodice. The hemline is almost at hip length and triangular looking.

One of the most charming of summer skirts in stores this summer is by BNX.  This company makes a multilayered creamy pink silk skirt that is tied together with big pink ribbons.  The effect is very casual; one could say it is contemporary yet Victorian in flair at the same time. It looks best on a real “girly girl.”

It never goes out of style and the same is true again this summer. The short, short denim skirt is back. French Connection makes a very shapely and affordable version in classic navy blue that hangs low on the waist and that has a low front zipper fly.

The thing about short skirts is to remember that they do hike up if you bend over. Before you buy something with a short hem be sure to test out how much of your body will be revealed if you sit or lean over to avoid unnecessary public humiliation.

Hot Designer Tops for Summer

Anyone can wear a t-shirt but it takes a real woman to pull off the look of a true designer top.  This summer’s tops are very unique looking and have a combination of both retro and futuristic details.

For instance Karl Lagerfield makes a shirt that looks like the ordinary white sleeveless button up cotton linen shirt only his version has a pleated long collar that fans out over the shoulders and breastbone.  There are no buttons and it does primly up at the neck only. It is an expensive item and it looks expensive to maintain too as it will need very specific pressing techniques to look good. It is the perfect kind of designer top to wear to a wedding.

Some designers are going very simple and relying on a stunning color to make the top look great. Helmet Lang’s specialty this summer is a bright fuscia top that has tow thick straps that flow into a single strap at the back like a swimsuit. It is not a tight fitting shirt and it flares at the bottom with a bit of a swing, presumably to hide figures with pot bellies.

The utilitarian look is also very in. It is cool to wear a shirt that looks like it belongs on a uniformed waiter or on a  janitor. Elizabeth and James makes a white nylon shirt that fits the bill for this fashion trend. It has short rolled up and buttoned sleeves and a widish collar. The shirt has tiny buttons that fasten to the neck. A look like this looks best if the shirt is highly tailored as is the case with this Elizabeth and James version of the white short sleeved shirt.

Belted tops are also very fashion fierce this summer.  The designer Philip Lim makes a version that has a very short capped sleeve and a heart shaped neckline. The belt is taupe fabric and contrasts nicely with the wooden buttons on the cream colored shirt. The look is very late seventies in style.

If you want a long sleeved shirt then the GAP blue pin striped cotton shirt is a very good choice. It has a short cuff that is tied with fabric ribbons and a thinner collar that is more reminiscent of early eighties styles of shirts.  This shirt is mannish enough for a male to wear. It looks great with a scarf tied around the neck.  The cotton fabric is very sheer which helps you to keep cool during the summer months.

No matter how beautiful a shirt is it is very much recommended that  you choose comfort or style as temperatures are predicted to soar this summer. Tight fitting shirts may not cut it especially if you are known to live in a climate that really heats up during the summer months.

Summer T-Shirt Chic 2009

It is not always what is on the runway that dictates what fashion fierce is. It is also very important to keep your eye out for what is happening on the streets.  This is especially true of something like T-Shirt styles which do change very fast from season to season.

This season, like last season, you are going to see a lot of T-shirts advertising eco-chic. Expect to see logos of the earth on t-shirts with shortish sleeves or capped sleeves that are paired with torn old jeans or cut-offs that have been “recycled.”

Fringed style t-shirts from the seventies are also going to be very popular. This type of shirt is shredded at the bottom with the fabric strips left to hang dangling downwards. In some styles the fabric is hung with beads at the bottom. This style is worn with tights or with jeans and has a very sixties flair.

White torn up looking t-shirts with graphic letter stylings on them are also in vogue. These t-shirts are long, made of cotton and can be worn with leggings by very thin people as a dress. Some kids are wearing this with chains or a black studded belt to create a very effective homage to the punk years.

Yet another hot look is satin or silk t-shirts that are worn with mannish pants. These shirts usually have obvious or even contrasting stitching and are available in very vivid colors such as neon pink or bright lime green. This type of shirt is also quite cropped and lands at the waist.

Black t-shirts that have a brownish or greenish tinge to them are hipper than pure black and coolest of all are shirts that have embossed gold designs on them. Designs that celebrate dog breeds are especially popular in this style.

Rock n’ roll never seems to die when it comes to T-shirts and street chic. It is very hip to wear any type of t-shirt with a picture of a rock band on it.  The best colors for these shirts are the dirty black hues as well. Pure inky black shirts are a bit out of style.

The tattered T is also still very much in style. An occasional hole or rip is desirable as is a t-shirt with a few threads sticking out.  Tie-die or bleach stains are not cool and t-shirts held together with safety pins are also not as hot as they were last summer for this summer.

Layered t-shirts will also be part of street chic this summer. The look will entail taking a short sleeved or cap sleeved t-shirt and then draping a strappy t-shirt over it. If the t-shirt has some kind of theatrical design on it then it is even more fashion fierce.

White Wedding Lingerie is Hot

When it comes to wedding lingerie white lingerie is going to be very hot to wear on your honeymoon.  There are also a lot of naughty designs on the market that are bra and panty sets.

Chemise and baby doll designs are going to be very popular especially sets that have a bit of a fifties flair. Think about what Doris Day would wear in a movie also starring Rock Hudson and you get the idea.  A good example is the empire waisted sheer baby doll with eyelet bra cups and a sheer fall made by the lingerie company called La Senza.  La Senza also makes a sheer baby doll made completely out of eyelet fabric.

Also hot is the Angharad style of baby doll that is made by Agent Provacteur. This style is a one piece white body suit over which a sheer short babydoll made out of white polka dot organza and pink ribbon hangs to the hip.

If you like a sophisticated sleek look then you will like the chemise made by Elle McPherson Intimates which is just a straight cut satin dress with flat triangular lace ridged cups. Elle McPHerson makes a thong and a garter belt to go with this lingerie item which can easily double as a fancy white slip.

One of the nicest and filmiest looking chemises on the market is made by La Vie En Rose. This white chemise is completely sheer and edged by frilly bright aqua satin ribbon.

White bra and panty sets are very much in vogue as well.  Styles that play on lingerie styles and cup shapes from the fifties are very popular. This means that many companies will be making a more high waisted panty, panties with panels and also bras that have thicker straps.  Freya makes a bra and panty set that embodies this type of retro style that is made out of lace and embellished with tiny pink satin bows.

Sheer yet elaborately woven is also very popular this summer and both Freya and Chantell brands are showcasing this type of fabric for their lingerie creations this summer. Huit is a company that makes a bra and panty set so sheer you won’t even know that you have anything on.  This set is purely sexual and not meant to be worn to mask one’s body under a tight fitting sweater.

Boy shorts and panties with little skirts are also in evidence. Elle McPherson makes a bra and panty set that looks like tap shorts paired with a bra with wing like shoulders. The fabric is cream colored with forties style bright orange piping on both the bra cups and the panties.  This is a big step design wise for Elle McPherson who is known more for her contemporary designs.  This retro design is complete charming and original – especially for white lingerie.