Fashion Fierce Tennis Player

Female tennis players are incredibly fashionable nowadays and many of them now also have their own fashion lines. Becoming a tennis wear designer is one way of extending your career far beyond where you have to.
A good example of a tennis star who is also a fashion designer is Ana Ivanovic. This Serbian is only twenty one years but she became famous after she won the French Open in June of 2008. She is incredibly attractive and a whopping six foot one in height. She is so overwhelmingly attractive and stiff in her movements that she looks just like a model on the catwalk on the court and hits really contributes to her appeal. However she is not an overt fashion horse., She cheerfully wears edgy little dresses with cyan blue or neon red adiddas while on the court which gives her both a masculine and feminine edge at the same time. Her androgynous blend of male and female stylings definitely stole the scene when it came to tennis court fashion in 2008 and her casual chic on the courts is definitely imitated by women from allover the world.
Yet another incredibly fashionable tennis player is Maria Kirlenko who wears Stella McCartney’s fabulous tennis line. Part of Stella McCartney’s appeal is that everything looks great on ordinary women as well. The skirts she wears are marketed as having just enough of that sexy sassy pleating to look great on the tennis court. She wears the pert and perky Stella McCartney styles well but there is a caveat here. The Stella McCartney styles don’t necessarily look that great on people who are a lot older. They are mainly meant for the younger set.
Venus Williams is tennis fashion royalty. She has her own line of clothes, which she also models at her tennis matches. The twenty year old contemporary tennis star offers her practical tennis clothing and accessories at a very modest price so every female player in the world can look good on the court.
Yet another big star on the court is Maria Sharpova is wears some of the boldest and most creative costumes on the court. A good example is the Swan lake style dress that she wore to a Wimbledon match in 2007 that came complete with fake feathers on her back. This glamorous six foot two blonde can afford to dress up as she makes about twenty million dollars a year.
Another clothes horse on the tennis court is Jelena Jankovic who is an outgoing personality whose clothing is a mix of tough athleticism and alluring femininity. She makes sure she wears outfits that accommodate the fancy moves she makes on the courts – such as doing the splits.
One of the boldest of the fashionable tennis players is the young Bethanie Mattek who likes to bounce around the court displaying a full generous cleavage. This fashionable publicity stunt has landed this interesting tennis player a place on the front pages of the British tabloids for days after she plays a match.

Milan Fashion Affected by the Economy

Is it true that fashion trends are affected by economics.  Well it does seem that the fashion houses of Milan (usually known for their expensive clothing lines) are doing something to try and make their fashions more affordable.  Why shouldn’t the top designers in Milan revise their sales strategies the way any other business might have to cope with the current global financial crisis.

It seems that if you do now happen to be wandering the chic district of Milan’s Montenapoleone Street you will find big sales.  In fact, Prada had been offering big sales at its flagship store in Milan and was discounting the brand’s famously hip and fashion fierce clothes at over 40%.

Some companies, like Furla, which makes fine leather goods have also been dealing with the economic downturn in their own ways – by launching more affordable lines.  Furla is one of those luxury leather good stores that has over 300  stores worldwide .  The company usually makes around 200 million dollars a year. However in June 2007 it devised a plan of how it will deal with the upcoming economic crisis.

Like many other stores, Furla plans to deal with it by being very selective about opening new stores.  Their spokesman  Paola Fontanelli, in a Google news story, said that Furla would be opening stores in less expensive locations like malls and would reschedule about when they would be exploiting their investments.

So why are these Italian companies having sales and freezing new development? This was a reaction to an announcement last year when it seems Italy’s fashion and textile federation noted that sales of luxury goods marked “Made in Italy” were down by three percent over the first nine months of the year. This was a big enough downturn for the fashion industry in Milan to ask for the Italian governments support.

Another thing that triggered alarm in the Milan fashion industry was that the Russian buyers seem to abruptly cut off all orders from Milanese designers. The reason it is so disastrous is that the Russian fashion industry used to pay Milan fashion designers upfront. This would allow the designers to put forth their clothes with confidence.  Without the funds from Russia some Milan designers are actually paralyzed and not creating their designs at all.

One of the main victims of the Russian cut off of upfront money is the Leading knitwear manufacture Lineapiu.  It and other companies have actually had to seek bankruptcy protection.

Savvy companies that have been in the fashion fierce biz for a very long time are angling more to form partnerships with Chinese companies.   This along with offering cheaper goods and also goods that are more green because of their materials or they are made are also part of the industry’s tact to make things better.

The Bandage Dress is Hot

The bandage dress is back in style thanks to the shapely Kate Winslet. The immensely popular and talented actress showed up on the red carpet in a charcoal grey bandage dress and now this type of dress is flying off the racks of fashion boutiques in both North America and Europe. For those of you not familiar with this type of dress it is made out of a series of crises crosses of fabric. Usually the top bodice is quite high cut and the design may feature a criss crossing bandeau of fabric across the rest. Sometimes the bodice is more halter like. The fabric is very shaping and elasticized and the criss crossing design does suit quite a few different figure types. The signature of the bandage dress is usually a series of criss crosses that extend across the ribs, throughout the waist, across the hips and down through the thighs. Sometimes the dress is shorter but the coolest version, (the charcoal version worn by Winslet) goes to just below the knee. This beautiful dress is not for the faint of heart as it will highlight every curve of your body. She was not the only celebrity spotted around the holiday season wearing this dress. There was also Cheryl Cole, Kelly Brook and Rachel Weisz sporting the sexy tight fitting dresses which are not for a self conscious individual. The version that Kate Winslet was wearing actually cost thirteen hundred U.K. pounds which is roughly 2600 U.S. dollars. The good news is that brands such as Topshop and French Connection are making knock offs of this particular style so everyone can now afford it. You will soon be able to find knock offs from Asia and India as well as it is such a popular design. The most slimming color is probably the black version of this dress followed by browns. If you are going to wear a louder color like candy apple red in this style be careful! This is one of the most figure hugging designs that there is… This is not a new style. We first saw celebrities like Madonna and the model Gia wearing it in the early eighties. Bandage style dresses whether tightly wound or looser in style were very popular, especially among French and Japanese Designers. It was definitely a clothing design movement that had its roots in the punk and New Wave scenes at the time. The appeal of the style today is that it has been redone for 2008 and 2009. It is happier and trimmer in flair. The tight layers of elasticised fabric are not only body clinging but they also can be body trimming. The way the dresses are designed today they pinch in the waist, lift up the bosom and straighten out the back to give you a statuesque looking figure.

Fashion Low Points of 2008

2008 was a glamorous year in fashion but it definitely had its low points especially if you look at what some celebrities were wearing on some of the most important days of their lives. The year was also not that successful economically which will hurt fashion designers in the long run.
A good example of a fashion low point was Michelle Obama’s red and black dress that she wore on election night. This was a sock like dress in an unfortunate hue that was a bit too reminiscent of the clothes of Nancy Reagan. That fiery tomato red just did not seem to suit the atmosphere of that night.
Another weird fashion debacle were the weird prim powder blue and navy blue suits worn by Sarah Palin. In the end the $150,000 worth of clothes that was bought for her was donated to charity. The fact that women have to be dressed at all to be suitable for a political belief is kind of tragic in itself, especially when the clothes are so unattractive
The Worst Fashion Movie of this past year has to be that Sex and the City movie where nothing lived up to the understated elegance and originality of the clothes worn in the original series.
One of the saddest losses of 2008 was the death of the elegant Yves St. Laurent who put safari jackets on the map and brought a real street sensibility to fashion in the seventies.
However one of the saddest things about fashion in the U.S. is that it was the worst year for the fashion business since the Great Depression. Ann Taylor, a mainstay of New York socialites for many years ended up closing 117 stores. Eddie Bauer closed 37 stores and the companies Fashion Bug, Catherine’s and Lane Byrant are each losing 150 stores.
Even really successful brands seem to be affected by the recession. Gap closed 85 stores across the United States and Foot Locker shut down140 stores. Zales also closed 100 stores. Yet another casualty was Pacific Outlet which closed 154 outlets.
Another interesting development was announcement in the United States that the sales tax on clothes was going up despite the recent rash of disasters. This means that Americans will now maybe have to pay tax on clothes that are under $110.
The other plan coming from David Paterson’s office in the United States is to jack up the taxes on luxury good like furs and jewellery that cost over twenty grand. Not that this is the biggest disaster in the world but it could discourage some big spenders on fashion from spending as much as they normally would. It seems that this is not the best possible scenario at all when it comes to keeping fashion fierce as trendy and original as it has been the last decade. That is because the more expensive the fashions the more original they tend to be in design and the more influential in other ways. So the lowpoint of a recession when it comes to fashion will be that the artists in the industry suffer as their work is devalued or made even more inaccessible.

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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