Category: Fashion

Winter is the best time for you to update your wardrobe with trendy warm clothing. So as the winter season approaches, you need to get heavy and attractive clothes that will not only keep you warm and comfortable, but also allow you to look cute and stylish. The following are some of best winter fashion trends to go for this year:

1. Camel Coats
These timeless coats are available in a variety of impressive colours lengths that you can choose from. Keep it casual during the day by pairing your camel coat with jeans. In the evening, you can pair it with any of your favourite evening dresses. Whether you are going to work, party, or just for an evening walk, a camel coat will definitely look nice on you.

2. Chunky Scarves
Wrapping a long, thick, and colourful scarf around your neck during winter will make you warm and boost your appearance. Be sure to choose a scarf or scarves made of a strong material like fleece or wool. Note that there are a number of chic and creative ways of wearing a winter scarf. First, you can fold it in half and wrap it tightly or loosely around your neck. Secondly, you can drape it around your neck several times and then tuck the ends into the loop. Last but not least, you can drape it once or twice around the front of your neck so that the loose ends can dangle or hang behind your back.

3. Pointy Shoes
If you might not have noticed, fashion boutiques are already stocking up on pointy shoes. These shoes are available in different sizes, colours, patterns, and designs. Apart from adding you a little bit of height and class, the shoes also go quite well with skinny jeans and big coats.

4. Over-sized Sunglasses
Wearing over-sized sunglasses during winter is an excellent idea. They add glamour to your outfit and protect your eyes against dust, harsh wind, and the harmful effects of UV rays. You should be very careful while choosing winter sunglasses. Be sure to go for a reputable brand made of high-quality and durable material.

5. Knee-high Boots
Knee-high boots have a timeless appeal and are very versatile in that they can go well with any of your favourite clothes. They look great when paired with skinny jeans and add a cool touch to dresses and tights. Depending on your taste, you can choose boots made of leather, vinyl, rubber, or suede, all of which are beautiful, strong, and very durable. For safety and total comfort, it is very advisable for you to go for low-heeled boots.

6. Sweater Dresses
Sweater dresses come in a wide variety of thicknesses, lengths, and designs and you can wear them in many different ways. You can combine your sweater dress with leggings, a form-fitting belt, and boots. To achieve a sexy look, you can combine it with a classical pencil skirt. You can also wear it with your favourite jeans and necklace.

7. Chunky-Knit Cardigans
These loose cardigans are specifically designed to keep you warm, cosy, and stylish during the winter months. You can combine them with a thin t-shirt and skinny jeans. You can also pair them with thick tights and knee-length boots. For a touch of personality, you can fasten chiffon flower pins or vintage brooches onto your cardigan.

8. Fur Coats
Fur coats allow you to stay warm and look fashionable. They come in natural colours, textures, and patterns and are capable of complimenting almost any outfit.

Introduction

It is nothing new to fashion; jewellery designs have used printing companies for models for years; but 3D printing is now entering mainstream fashion.

Clothing designer Catherine Wales recently took her new 3D collection of masks, corsets and helmets and exhibited them at Arnhem Mode Biennale, Netherlands.

Two more designers, Francis Bitonti and Michael Schmidt, have produced a 3D printed gown that is stunning. The garment is made of 3000 articulated joints and dotted with 12,000 Swarovski crystals. Modelled by Dita Von Teese at a presentation in February, the gown perfectly fitted her figure and the addition of Wale’s feathered shoulder piece, fluffed and fell realistically. Although this piece isn’t for the general sale it demonstrates that 3D fashion printing could soon be common.

Already here?

In May the world’s first 3D printing shop opened in London and Dr Gibbons, a 3D printing expert at Warwick University, claims it won’t be long before it becomes common on the high street. Even now there are companies that produce 3D printed works for architects, interior designers and artists.

At the moment; there seems to be a concern over quality for fashion items. Although developers for 3D printing are getting closer to developing a material that has the same feel as fabric, they haven’t got there yet. And designers will be less inclined to use 3D printing until the materials produced are of better quality.

This has created a chicken or the egg scenario.

Some designers question whether this form of production is demanded by the consumer. Anna Sheffield, a jewellery designer based in New York, has experimented with 3D printing. Although she admits that there could be some great applications for the technology she feels it is not right for her brand as she likes the little imperfections in each piece that make each of them unique.

Probably one of the best current uses of 3D printing in the fashion industry is to mix both organic materials with 3D printed items. Bitonti is currently working on 3D handbags with a stingray leather finish. This will probably be the intermediate step that fashion consumers will first see on the high street.

Young Designers

Despite the negatives there are many benefits. 3D printing could easily take control of short production runs of ready-to-wear items where financial insecurity and the consumers’ draw to the artistic aspect are major factors in the success of the fashion line.

Kimberly Ovitz, who showed off her small range of printed nylon jewellery at the New York Fashion Week in February 2013, revealed that 3D printing has transformed her production. Consumers could buy her ‘ready to wear’ jewellery immediately after the show and their orders could be delivered within two weeks.

This is great for young designers as items are printed on demand and not on expensive production runs; allowing young designers to take less of a financial risk in an industry that has a high failure rate due to the occasional botched manufacturing run and overestimation of interest. It will be these adventurous designers that will probably make the first inroads in this technology and get their 3D printed designs to the high street.

Conclusion

3D printing is bound to be something big in the future of fashion but currently it is best suited to fashion accessories and jewellery. However with the rate that technology advances, it won’t be long before print services like Document Options Limited will be offering to print out your next garment from the next courageous young fashion designer.

It’s hard to believe we’re already thinking about what to wear this winter, when it’s beginning to look as though we won’t be getting very much of a summer. But it’s always a good idea to stay one step ahead of the game, and there are certainly some playful trends on the horizon.

PUNK’S NOT DEAD

If you’ve ever wished you’d had a chance to live through the punk revolution, then this year at least you’ll be able to enjoy the styles, even if you don’t listen to the music or buy into the philosophy. The main points to look out for are the little touches you would expect: chains, safety-pins, PVC and tartans, but with an emphasis on looking neatly finished, rather than the shambolic-chic of the original punks. The must-have items are a short kilt, preferably in leather, and a biker jacket. The great thing about this look is that you can ‘dip your toe in the water’ with some punk-style jewelry or accessories, without making a big commitment. You can find some ideas on how to do it in this blog post.

WET AND WILD

A hot tip for the winter season is the wet look; high-shine fabrics are going to be virtually unavoidable, so you definitely want to make your statement loud and clear, before everybody else. The best garments to get in these materials are skirts, eveningwear and outerwear. Victoria Beckham’s show at New York Fashion Week demonstrated how hard her finger is pressed on the style pulse, with the high-shine look making several appearances. With the added advantage of being easy to clean, it makes a nice change for the latest look to be practical too.

TOP COATS FOR TOP CATS

The big thing in coats this winter is going to be big coats. Really big! To be totally on trend, these oversized coats should have giant revere collars and, ideally, they should be in strong colours. With the layering trend set to continue, and of course with the prospect of another cold winter, the outsize look is sure to be a winner with anyone who has ever had to sneak a set of thermal underwear into her shopping basket while her friends aren’t looking.

WARM IS COOL

Nobody wants to see your lips get so blue they clash with your coat, so it’s important to consider what you are going to do to stave off the winter chills. With the punk look, the fashion for layering and the onset of the new age of the massive coat, you’ll be able to keep warm as you play around a little with the footwear and the winter woolens. SealSkinz have a wide range of items to keep you warm, yet stylish, including snug socks that would be perfect to wear underneath a pair of biker boots with your punk outfit.

You decide what you want to wear, but it’s always nice to know where the designers are heading, because where the designers lead, the high streets follow and that’s where most of us do our fashion shopping. If you want to try something new, then go for it, but remember, the design classics like the ‘little black dress’ and vintage jewelry is always in season. The hottest trend of all, every year, is being yourself, so go out there and do it in style.

Socks are an overlooked and often misunderstood item of menswear. Neatly concealed by trouser legs, it can be very tempting to think that any old pair will do no matter what the occasion. However, the right pair of socks can really complement an outfit as well as provide much needed comfort and protection to your feet. Buying an appropriate selection of socks can be essential to completing your look and style, and you’ll wonder how you lasted for so long with your tried and trusty multipacks of plain, black socks.

Design, Design, Design

Novelty socks can be fun and they might get a remark or two from friends and co-workers, but they don’t really exude gentleman’s fashion. When choosing the colour or design of a pair of socks, a simple tip is to go one shade darker than your pair of trousers. This gives your socks and trousers a natural, seamless look. Many men make the mistake of matching their socks to their shoes, but this can be distracting and make it look like you’re wearing a pair of child’s bootees. If you want to experiment or go for a more visually arresting style, complement the style of your trousers with socks that have a solid colour design or a basic pattern. Learn what colours go well together without clashing and match your socks appropriately so they don’t come off as garish.

Wear the Right Material

Cotton is by far the most common material used to manufacture socks, and chances are most of the pairs you already own will be made from some sort of cotton blend. While cotton socks are cheap and easy to take care of, making the change to wool can make a big difference to your style and how comfortable your footwear feels. If you’re always on your feet, you’ll know that cotton socks absorb moisture and sweat during the day. Wool is a moisture wicking material, which means that it repels water and can absorb more before it feels wet. Wool is also an excellent insulator so it will keep your feet feeling nice and toasty during the winter. Don’t despair during the summer months though, as the sweat wicking properties of wool means that they won’t feel wet even if you’ve been walking all day. While wool socks may be a little more expensive, they will have a much better cut and shape than a cheap pair of cotton socks and will last much longer. Cotton socks may have a wider range of designs, but wool socks have plenty of contemporary and classic styles that make them perfect for any casual or smart look.

One Size Does not Fit All

There’s more to choosing the right size of sock than just going by the size of your feet. There is a diverse range of different sock styles and sizes. The ‘no show’ or ‘invisible’ sock is pretty self-explanatory; they hide inside the shoe so no material is on display. Although most men wear liner or anklet socks with shorts during the summer months, no show socks will look much better as they won’t distract from the rest of the outfit. Standard mid-calf socks are fine for casual or office wear, but proper dress socks should be worn with formal attire. Long dress socks should be worn with a suit or in professional situations as they not only ensure that no skin is on display when the trouser leg rides up, but they are also less likely to bunch up or fall down.

One of the best ways to stay warm, comfortable, and trendy during the autumn/winter season is by wearing a specially designed hat. With the availability of many designers and companies coming up with a wide variety of styles and designs, choosing the perfect winter hat can be a bit challenging. Below is a list of some of the most fashionable and comfortable hats you can ever go for during autumn or winter.

1. Jaxon C-Crown Crushable Fedora Hat
The Jaxon C-Crown Fedora stands out as one of the most stylish and dressy winter hats in the market today. A big letter “C” is formed beautifully at back side of the crease, just at the upper part of the crown. The hat is made of 100% wool and has a removable feather and a cotton sweatband. It comes in a variety of colours including grey, pecan, brown, navy, and black and is available in small, large, medium, X-large, and XX-large sizes. Its price ranges from £25.00 and £26.66.

2. Belfry Croner – Wool Lined Derby
This wonderful hat is made of 100% wool felt, a very strong, comfortable, and stylish material. It features a removable feather, a soft liner, a classic derby bowler, a 4″ crown, and a 1 7/8″ rolled brim. It only comes in black colour and is available in small, medium, large, and X-large sizes. Its price ranges from £25.00 to £25.89.

3. Kangol Jacquard 507 Fishbone Ivy
This is one of the most modern and elegant hats from Kangol. The hat is made from 91% acrylic and 9% wool and has a sleek shape with a 10″ diameter and a 1 1/4″ sewn visor/bill. It is adorned with a beautiful blue and fishbone pattern. It also features an elasticised nylon sweatband, a padded rim, and an embroidered Kangol logo on the back. The price of this hat ranges from £35.00 and £35.84.

4. Brixton Gain Wool Fedora Hat
The Brixton Gain Wool Fedora is the special type of high-quality winter hat you would like to hold on to forever once you have it. The hat is made of 100% wool and features a 1 5/8″ over-welt brim, a 3 5/8″ centre dent crown, Brixton logo tip, a Brixton side pin, a sleek grosgrain ribbon. It not only defines your personality and sense of style, but also boosts your confidence in a very unique way. The hat is only available in black colour and retails between £30.00 and £33.32.

5. PC Tanana – UPF50+ Weather Coated Cotton Safari
The PC Tanana is s superb outdoor hat made of a distressed cotton material. The hat features Weather Guard Protect, a 4 1/2″ crown, a 3″ shapable brim, and a pair of side grommets for efficient ventilation. It also has a leather chin cord to ensure the hat doesn’t get blown off your head on a windy day. The hat is only available in brown colour coming in small, medium, and large sizes. It costs between £20.00 and £23.90.

6. Stitch Eddie Teardrop Pork Pie Hat
Stitch Edie is specifically designed to define your personality and make you the centre of attraction between your peers. The hat is made of 100% wool felt and features a rope trim, a removable side feather, and a 1 3/4″ bounded brim for extra strength. It is available in a variety of impressive colours including grey, olive, black, and oatmeat. It is also available in small, medium, large, X-large, and XX-large sizes,It costs between £66.00 and £66.36.