Where do fashion rules come from? Is there a fashion board that decides what we should and should not wear, or what ‘goes together’ and what looks bad? Not hardly. The rules and lists we read to guide our fashion choices are produced by fashion columnists and editors as part of the business of selling magazines and drawing an online readership. Take this into account when making your choices, and consider the rules more like guidelines than absolutes.

In fact, to be truly fashionable you should be breaking the rules occasionally. An overly fussy and cautious approach to fashion makes you look like a follower rather than an innovator. Instead, try breaking some of the rules below to add some twist to your style.

Your colors should not clash: What a limiting belief! People often think that there are colors that you should wear together and colors that “clash” and should never be combined. This narrows your choices considerably. Instead, why not indulge in unusual combinations from time to time?

Stay away from the extreme end of clashing; there are colors that do look horrible together. But, colors that don’t seem to naturally ‘go together’ can be visually stunning when worn in combination. Most fashionable dressers play with combinations that stop just short of horribly clashing.

Save bright jewelry for nighttime: This rule doesn’t make sense, if you think about it. Most jewelry isn’t harmed by sunlight. Why set aside some for strictly nighttime use?

Have fun with some of your brighter pieces by wearing them during the day on occasion.

Play up eyes or lips, but not both: Many women believe that you can wear striking eye makeup but then need to have a neutral lip, or if you wear a colored lipstick you should be very light with the eye makeup. But there is no reason for this caution.

Choose colors from the same color family – you don’t want a cool-toned lip and a warm-toned eye or the face will feel disjointed. Then, apply with a slightly lighter hand than you would if you were only playing up one or the other. You’ll be surprised with how flattering the results can be.

Have you ever wanted to get an effortless, sophisticated and chic look while avoiding the high sheer lace, chiffon or light fabric’s price tags?
Classy grown-up and sophisticated garment accessories trimmings can easily fit in with your personal style and persona when they are trims and accessories that have been choosing for the fashionable comfort and the self-assurance that they can provide.

The fashion industry always gives us envy to embrace fashion. Its weapon is celebrity’s red carpet, model cat walks or fashion weeks in fashionable European capitals all well talked about in fashion magazines…

If you are convinced that fashion accessories and haberdashery will make you noticed and set of that gossip and admiration murmurs then you would probably love to know where to get the chance to build up your own fashion style.

This interesting thing is that no matter where you are buying your outfit, embellishment ribbons and haberdashery chiffon can always help you blend the subtitles of tone in your wardrobe. You just need to mix and match them with an appropriate sense of what’s in vogue, style and elegance.

We all know that sometimes, it’s difficult to divert our attention from things, especially when its fashion related, that made us truly envious. This magnetic experience usually happens in the street when we are watching people or reading fashion magazines or even when reading about celebrities fashion gossip.

Hopefully, there are many ways to dress, feel and look as fashionable and confident wearing as if we sere wearing those same outfits that make us so jealous… and at an appropriate price tag! Fashion is about self-confidence. They are no other recipe for that.

Your fashion conscious people might want to be personal and creative while wearing your Cocktail dress at summer parties. Look glamorous, sensual and truly sensational, and of course feel every glance around you.

This is a history repeating itself: fabrics, trimmings, accessories, etc. are made to keep things very intense and interesting in world of fashion.

So get to know what to wear this summer; try and experience the best ways of embellishing at a non extortionate price tag.

Jewelry watches represent commitment, love and thoughtfulness. It might take a while to find the perfect look within your price range, but in the end, you’ll be glad you selected this no-fail gift. Jewelers are more than happy to help you select the perfect item, while providing you with warranties and repair information before you buy.

While you may find good deals online, there are several stores that will guarantee the authenticity of their jewelry watches and provide you with an optimal service plan.

Jewelry watches come in all shapes, sizes, colors, bands, jewels, metals and price ranges. It’s best to begin shopping with a game plan. Have an idea what you want to spend and which brands you like. Generally, the sales associates are more than happy to help you find the perfect gift.

The benefit of going with a retailer instead of shopping online is that you can guarantee authenticity of your product because you don’t want to end up purchasing a fake Rolex. You can also get a better warranty with accessible customer service and you don’t have to pay for shipping.

There are some brands that specialize in reasonably priced jewelry watches. For example, Seiko, Fossil, and Guess offer some elegant choices in the $100 or less range. Macy’s Department Store shoppers can often find them on sale, priced down by as much as $100!

Also, they frequently run sales that include a bonus gift, such as a diamond accent pendant for only $49 with your watch purchase. The great thing about Macy’s is that their warranties are amazing!

For instance, you could buy a women’s Fossil bracelet watch with a sparkling Swarvoski crystal and stainless steel band, a diamond marker and Mother of Perl inlay for $57 and you’ll receive an 11 year warranty! In the next price bracket, Kay’s and Zales Jewelers has a really nice selection of Seiko, Citizen and Bulova men’s jewelry watches with diamond accents for under $200.

For the big spenders, Tiffany and Company has become a symbol of high taste. When women see the box, they know something extraordinary is inside. Starting at $1,000 and going all the way up to $54,000 for an 18-karat white gold and diamond piece, these ones are designed to impress. Zales carries men’s and women’s Movado watches in the $2,000 – $5,000 range.

If you’re looking for the extreme in high-end ones, you will have to visit New York City or Toronto to find an authorized Rolex dealer in North America. Of course, Omega, Tag Heuer, Gucci and Breitling watches may be easier to find at your local jeweler with some styles available in the low thousands.

Online browsing is a great way to figure out what you’re looking for prior to going into a store and meandering around. Get an idea of jewelry watches styles, brands and price ranges you prefer. Then watch your loved one’s eyes light up at the thoughtfulness you’ve displayed!

Basic wardrobe planning may be more cohesive if you figure out your fashion style type. Some types of fashion, offered with the over-50 woman in mind, are:

• arty or bohemian
• sophisticated
• sporty
• suburban
• professional
• simply elegant (or elegant simplicity)
• trendy or trend-setter.
• romantic or sexy.

I call these fashion styles fashion archetypes, because they embody deeper needs and behaviors of our personalities. Expressing one of the types of fashion is a way of becoming the star of our own lives.

As we age, we may have to reassess our fashion style: The suburban mom takes a job and needs a professional wardrobe; the lawyer retires from her professional career and takes up her dream of landscape painting. The suits have to go.

Here are three advantages of basic wardrobe planning around a type of fashion that suits your personality and lifestyle:

• Efficiency shopping and pulling an outfit together, even on the fly. If you decide your fashion style is sporty, you’re less likely to splurge on that emerald green, ruffled jabot blouse that you will only wear once a year. After all, it hardly goes with the khaki and charcoal cotton slacks that are the core of your comfortable daily uniform.

• Spending limited wardrobe budgets on what will give us the most use. Basic wardrobe planning involves figuring out what types of fashion we most need. It makes sense to add a black skirt to our professional wardrobe when we understand we’ve got 18 tops and three jackets to team with it. Shopping for an item we might have spurned as too ordinary becomes a fashion triumph.
• Feeling well-dressed and comfortable on every occasion. The best fashion advice for women is to decide what feels good and looks good on you. Your personal fashion style emerges from that. What looks and feels good changes over time. Periodic reassessment is essential.

Here’s a summary of eight fashion archetypes.

ARTY/BOHEMIAN

The arty look is colorful, quirky, sometimes ethnic, and always fearless. Natural fabrics are preferred. A snowy white poet’s shirt, an embroidered jacket that goes from work to art gallery reception, and a luxurious handbag are suggestions for the bohemian wardrobe.

SOPHISTICATED

The corporate executive wife and the charity fund-raiser are some typical lifestyle choices of women who express their inner creativity with sophisticated fashions. Wardrobe suggestions are a Chanel suit, a silk dress, gold cloche earrings and a diamond pendant necklace.

SPORTY

This fashion style is tailored. A blazer jacket is a must. It can be worn with a variety of durable, washable cotton pants, such as khaki, a good choice for the active, outdoorsy woman. Sweaters and sweater sets work well. A silk T-shirt adds sophistication. Avoid fussy prints and ruffles.

SUBURBAN

Suburban fashion goes from town to country with ease. She visits a corporate office in tailored slacks, a fuchsia shirt, an elegantly tailored long jacket, and pumps appropriate for lunch at a chic restaurant. Then she’s off to a soccer game. The pumps are replaced by rubber-soled loafers, the jacket with a sweater. Pick garments for their versatility.

PROFESSIONAL

The professional fashion archetype loves suits – pantsuits for every day, skirt suits for court, a tuxedo suit for formal occasions, and a tailored dress when a skirt is a must. Choose suits and tops so you can mix-and-match for maximum versatility. Add an embroidered vest for pizzazz.

SIMPLY ELEGANT

If you’ve asked yourself What Would Jackie [Kennedy Onassis] Do?(book by Shelley Branch and Sue Callaway) Or What Would Audrey [Hepburn] Do? (by Pamela Keough), this is your fashion archetype. Stock your closet with solid colors and garments with simple lines such as the A-line, princess, and cheongsam dresses. Shop at designer consignment shops to achieve this look on a budget.

TRENDY/TREND-SETTER

The older woman who adopts the latest fashion trends may end up looking as if she is desperately clinging to her passing youth. For best effect, add fashion trends to classic costumes. For example, an outrageous jacket, with lots of bling and some feather accents, might be worn with simple black or white beneath. Experiment. Every fashion mistake can be changed tomorrow.

ROMANTIC

Flirty grows up after 50 or risks appearing as if life has passed her by. Ruffles, but not frills; clinging fabrics that hug curves without being skintight; and decollete that knows when to quit are hallmarks of the romantic fashion archetype. Strive for glamor and sensuality using texture and a bit of bling.

In summary, knowing and expressing your fashion archetype starts with identifying the fashion styles that fit your lifestyle and personality. Buy clothes that look and feel just right. Basic wardrobe planning is a snap when we build our clothes collection with our personal type of fashion in mind.

Luckily for us and our wardrobes, the faithful frock’s made a dramatic comeback. It’s no wonder we’ve loved dresses for so long and with good reason; this style staple is so flattering whatever your shape. Just think how fabulous curvy Marilyn Monroe or slender Audrey Hepburn looked in theirs. Whichever way you look at it, the dress has bags of pizzazz and is used by many women on the Continent in Spain, France, Germany or Portugal to create an effortless style statement. So why not steal a few top tips from Europe’s most stylish women on how to wear them?

Inch Losing Dresses Delivered to Your Door

What dress you choose really depends on your height and shape and with the right choice you could save inches outwards as well as adding inches upwards. So, where to start? If you’re slightly fuller in the bust like many British and German women you should probably steer clear of high neck dresses, instead, try going for a deep v-neck to balance out your heavier top half and lengthen your legs. Equally, for a rounded figure or apple shape, a dress with a pleated waist will help skim over lumps and bumps and give the illusion of a smoother, lither body. If you have a slender Mediterranean figure like the French and Spanish and crave curves, a great dress can help you you can say au revoir to the ironing board chest; try wild animal prints to give the clever illusion of a waist and with a great belt your bust will look bigger too. If a heavy bottom half weighs you down, disguise thighs with a classic wrap dress, just make sure there’s enough fabric to glide over the top part of your legs and bottom to flatter your fabulous form.

How to Accessories Dresses

Finally, dressing up your dress with seasonal or fashionable accessories really can make the difference between a fashion faux pas and a show stopping entrance. So ladies, think like your stylish European neighbors, play with on trend colors and always, always team with fantastic footwear like the Portuguese, a cute bag and if you’re an ex-pat in Europe, you know by now, that no stylish outfit is complete without those essential oversized sunglasses for instant Riviera style glamour.

There are many different types of tall women, long legged, long bodied, slim, hourglass; and it’s important to work out what your specific shape is – if you don’t already know. Often tall women get labelled as one particular category, which can be frustrating and very confusing when it comes to creating a wardrobe.

• Keep these simple rules in mind:
  create layers to help balance your figure, for example, if you have a smaller bust, adding ruffle details and higher necklines will keep you in proportion, or if you have an undefined waist pop on a layered high waist skirt and a belt to cinch you in and mimic curves
• long bodies require shorter top lines and higher waist lines, long legs need longer top lines and lower waist lines; so if you have a longer body than legs, invest in 50s style dresses and styles, but longer legs can layer long tops over jeans for a trendy day look
• the larger your bones, the bigger your jewellery; look at pictures of yourself in different kinds of jewellery, dainty and chunky, and decide which makes you look more in proportion, as well as which makes you look more like ‘you’
• tall women are really the only ones who can pull off couture looks and extraordinary shapes – oversized clothing looks awesome on taller ladies, as do short haircuts, bold stripe prints, printed tights, rompers/playsuits

Not only should you take your shape into consideration, but you ought to develop your own individual clothing style and taste – whether that’s a slightly androgynous, boyish look or a super sexy Amazonian style.

Essential items for any tall woman’s wardrobe:

• skinny, straight leg or slim boot cut jeans – a good fitting pair of jeans is a casual day staple, you can pair them with anything, and inject your own style personality when choosing them too
• well fitted jacket or coat – one of the secrets of the stars is a good fitting coat, no matter what shape
• waist belt – this is essential for helping define your shape, and adding curves to a tall frame
• scarves – any kind of scarves will do, but for those with a small chest, this is the best accessory to own for quickly adding a touch of glamour and making you look in proportion
• dresses – any girls best friend is a beautiful dress, but tall girls require several of these in their wardrobes to help them look feminine and flirty – there are several style which look great, try on all sorts to find one that really looks great on your particular body, halter, t shirt, oversized, fitted, bodycon, maxi, a-line, princess cut…
• flats – pretty and comfortable ballerinas are the most important addition to your closet, as they will be perfect for everyday wear and will go with anything if you have them in a few different colors.

Vintage clothing is all the rage having gone from being a quirky trend to mainstream fashion. The celebs are doing it and so the masses have turned to it too.

To do the vintage look right you’ve got to have the makeup to match the clothes. If you don’t pay attention to what works on the makeup side of things, you could end up looking like a vintage disaster. Take a look at this guide to see how to successfully pull-off the complete vintage look.

Vintage Fashion Has Gone Mainstream

The world of fashion has fallen in love with the vintage look all over again. Models strut in exotic and elaborate vintage designs and designers are doing their best to create the old-fashioned feel by designing vintage clothes and accessories.

Vintage fashion does not stop there. Even makeup is getting the vintage makeover. Every decade has its own makeup trends and vintage fashion is now incorporating the appropriate trend to get the perfect look.

Retro glamour is the coolest thing now and celebrities like Adele and Dita Von Teese have popularized old-fashioned makeup and vintage trends for the masses.

It All Began In The 1920s

Makeup became a popular phenomenon in the 1920s. This era was characterized by the Flapper style, featuring a pale look contrasted by bright red lips. This vintage trend was punctuated with kohl eye-shadow and mascara for the dark eyes.

The 1920s was also the age of glorious rebellion. Models wore scandalously short hemlines rising to the knees in Boardwalk Empire shows. Women began showing off not just their legs, but their arms and hips also. Do not be stingy with the lipstick and eye-shadow when trying to recreate the vintage fashion look of the 1920s.

1930s – The Sophisticated Look Is In

The 30s saw makeup becoming more sophisticated and refined. Bow-shaped lips went out of fashion and focusing on the upper lip became the next vintage trend. The upper eyelashes received generous quantities of eye-shadow while the lower ones were left untouched. Pencil-thin eyebrows made sure that the heavy and made up look of the 20s was replaced by something more elegant.

The simple and sophisticated look dominated Hollywood, symbolized by the glamorous long gowns that helped enhance the overall elegant and sensual feel of vintage fashion in the 30s.

1940s – Functional Styling

Not surprisingly, vintage fashion in the 1940s was dominated by the military look. Dark foundation makeup and strong eyebrows were in vogue. Light red with a hint of orange was preferred for the lips.

1950s Vintage Fashion Gets A Makeover

The 50s saw Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn give way to Parisian couture trends dominated by designers like Jacques Fath, Balenciaga and Dior.

Post war, the feminine look was back in fashion and pink dominated the vintage makeup trends. Lips were given a voluptuous look with rouge and pastel colors applied with a lip liner to extend the natural border of the mouth.

How To Approach Vintage Fashion

If you are thinking of replicating vintage fashion trends, then make sure you choose your decade carefully.

The secret to making a success of any fashion style is to make sure you are comfortable with how you look, especially when venturing to new territory. Don’t be afraid to try new styles like the vintage look, but be sure that you still feel good. Any lack in confidence about your appearance will convey itself in your demeanor and is sure to result in failure.