Women, Beauty, Fashion   Ultimate reference on fashion

The hairdressing industry is thriving. Whilst some people prefer to pay ten pounds for a quick trim, others are prepared to spend thousands of pounds to get the most modern, stylish or unique look. Our high streets are full of salons, covering their windows with photographs of the latest ‘doo’ and promoting their newest offers.

Whether you want your hair neatly trimmed, drastically cut, dyed, spiked, shaved, waved, curled, straightened, extended or plaited, there is always somewhere close by you can go and get your new look.

Hair products also over rule our shelves. There is wax, moose, styling sprays, heat protection sprays, shining sprays. However, it does not stop there. For instance, wax is not just wax. You have to chose which type you require, be it strong, wet look, non sticky or fluorescent.

Is this fashion craze a modern development, or has hair been a great cause of concern and a victim of experimentation for years?

The answer is, hair consciousness has been around for years. From Ancient civilisations to modern day, people have been flaunting and developing new and bizarre styles.

Take yourselves back to the Fifteenth Century for a moment- the era of Christopher Columbus. European craze at this time in history was to pluck your hairline to create a high forehead. Sounds strange today but back then it was the thing to do.

Wigs have been very popular all over the world for centuries. In Ancient Egypt Pharaohs used to wear long wigs, complete with plaits and accessorise. Other ancient peoples, including the Assyrians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans also wore wigs. Curiously, wigs are principally a Western form of dress. In the Far East they have rarely been used except in the traditional theatre of China and Japan.

After the fall of The Roman Empire the use of wigs vanished from the West for a thousand years, however, they were revived in the Sixteenth Century. People used them to hide their hair loss and to improve personal appearance. Hygiene conditions could be pretty poor with many people suffering from head lice. Therefore, one of the best solutions was to shave all your hair off and replace it with a wig. Genius. Fashionable and practical.

Wigs remained popular throughout the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, becoming even more extravagant. In the Seventeenth Century Queen Elizabeth was famous for her red wig, whilst King Louis X111 and King Louis X1V of France set the trend for male wig-wearers.

Wigs were often full, thick and fell below the shoulders. White powdered, long ringlets were the order of the day often tied back with a black bow for men or decorated with flowers and garlands for women. Elaborate wigs worn by ladies consisted of mile-high coiffures and highly decorated curls to emphasize their social status. The fancier the better was the fashion with many ladies modeling “bird cage’ or maritime hair doos complete with model bird or boat.

There was, however, one problem with the large elaborate wigs. They took a long time to complete and often became the very favourite nesting place for vermin. Nice.

Male wigs became more subtle, as the Eighteenth Century continued and were adopted by many professionals. Full Female wigs were not in fashion in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Women would simply wear them if they had lost their hair and they were often connected with the symptoms of diphtheria.

During the early Twentieth Century, wigs were exchanged for regular trips to the salon to have hair curled and set by a large hair dryer. This would take up a lot of time, however, women were prepared to sacrifice their days to make sure they were in fashion.

The ‘Roaring Twenties’ saw a change in hair trends, curls and ringlets were swapped for short, sleek bobs or short, tightly waved, tight curl styles, continuing into the 1930s. More ladies had access to the cinema and were keen to follow the styles of their actress role models. Males wore shorter, rather conservative short back and side styles.

The war meant both ladies and gentlemen had to be practical due to warfare, hard working conditions and lack of shampoo. Many women opted to hide their hair away in a hair net or a head scalf, just exposing their fringes.

Post war saw the introduction of home hair curlers, reviving the curl. Although, curlers were practical, they were difficult to get used to and led to many an uncomfortable night, sleeping on the rollers for the price of fashion. Think Sandra Dee type curls and flicks. Eventually one of the first hand held hairdryers came on the market, connected to a pink plastic bonnet that fitted over the woman’s head to help with drying and setting styles at home.

Males donned crew cuts and thick sideburns, as well as the famous “duck tail”. The “porcupine” was also a hit. These styles were complete with excess starch and Bryl Cream. Think Elvis or James Dean.

The 1960s ladies exchanged ringlets for the beehive. The bigger the better was the trend and the most important product was hairspray. Mountain like styles were often complemented by blond streaks. Men proffered choppy, side-parted, bed-head styles.

The bouffant styles were soon replaced by long straight hair. As people got caught up in the progression of civil rights and women’s movements, fashion also adapted. Ladies skirts became tighter and shorter and their hair became longer and sleeker.

The rebellious nature of society continued throughout the 70s and 80s, with long hair remaining a feature of the hippie movement. Long, flowing, natural styles were preferred, accessorised with flowers and multi-coloured headbands. Madonna helped set the trend in the eighties with her ever changing styles.

The 90s was almost a free for all with people experimenting with all kinds of ideas, yet there were still those styles which were more popular than others. Tight pony tails with two, bleached strands of hair framing the face was a popular look amongst teenagers. The guys also thought they were cool when they shaved their heads leaving just a thick fringe at the front- this was almost always bleached too.

So, it seems that hair trends constantly change. So what is next? People rule out the Chav look. However, give it a few more years to catch on and the impressively slicked down, comb streaked, high pony tails, complete with mis-matched scrunchies may come into fashion. I believe the large silver hoop earring and tracksuit attire compliment this look even further.

Ok, Ok, I know, everyone has to chip in. After all, we all live on this planet, right? So honestly, I don’t mind the recycling every object that comes into my home. I don’t mind all the sorting and bins and the 245 different brand numbers on the bottom of plastic items. I don’t mind the chemical deprived household cleaners that seem to work OK and smell a lot nicer. I don’t mind the smaller model car that has; gasp and count them, four cylinders although I will admit to missing my big block Chevy.

My point is I am trying. I can buy organic with the best of them, I watch my energy and water usage and count my carbon footprints. I consciously try to reduce my garbage and I and filter my water too. I can reuse plastic bags and buy swirly looking light bulbs. However there is one “green” issue I just can not abide by. I’m talking about those ugly re-usable shopping bags. I mean, whose idea was that, and why do they have to be so darn ugly?

There is no way in heaven I’m gonna walk around with a ugly colorless store branded re-usable shopping bag over my arm. I have to draw the line somewhere and that is it. No way am I going to pair my beautiful shoes, vintage purse and designer outfit with a faded green looking canvas bag, even if it is just from the store out to the car and then in side to the kitchen. Gosh darn, doesn’t someone have to stop and say enough!

So girls, I’ve given this a lot of thought, and here is my green but still very fashionable opinion: Go out and get yourself a beautiful beach bag or two or three. Beach bags can be for towels, books, ipods, books, lotion, valuables, and yes even groceries. If you don’t care for colorful beach bags, get a few fine looking leather book bags.

Choose carefully and keep in mind they will have to go well with any outfit you happen to be wearing when you wander into the store. The ideal bags should be big, and heavy duty, with thick fabric and well sewn seams. Throw those beautiful bags in the back seat of your car and the next time you have to shop, you can do it in style and still living a green lifestyle!

Chris Jensen is a contributing Author of Jetfly Blog. For more related articles and reviews visit Jetfly Fashion & Style Blog now. Also, for the Best up-to-date related Online Products, check out Jetfly Women’s Beach Bags Shop for Todays Current Online Deals.

Although handbags are not purposed to be merely fashion and trend accessories, there is no doubt that the majority of women buy designer handbags for this purpose. So, if you are going to buy an expensive handbag, you should treat your purchase as an investment. It is highly recommended that you handle your designer handbag with care. Here are some protective measures that you can take in order to preserve the cleanliness and elegance of your fashion investment.

A Bag for Your Bag

You can protect your designer handbag by assigning a protective case or bag especially for it. There are many designer handbag brands that already come with a bag for your bag with purchase. However, if you do not have one, it is a good idea to get one because this will shield your precious handbag from any dust or other particles from inside your home. In addition, it will protect it from any surrounding elements that may potentially spill over or stain it such as rust from metal surfaces or even the growth of mold due to wet and humid temperatures.

Sprays that Protect

If you have a leather or suede designer handbag, there are sprays specifically designed to protect leather and suede from staining and water. These sprays create a sort of invisible force field against liquid that causes it to slide off the material that it is applied on. Staining and waterproof protector sprays are a great way to preserve the life of your designer handbag. As mentioned before, treat your handbag as a great investment and invest a little money towards the protection of your great and trendy asset.

Be Cautious of What It Is a Vessel For

It may not be the greatest idea to carry an uncovered pen or packet of ketchup inside of your handbag. Why? Because these items have the potential to break and spill over . As a result, you can stain the inside of your handbag and perhaps even cause it to have a bad and unpleasant odor. The stain from liquid may even stain straight through to the outside of you handbag also. Al0though these instances may seem unlikely, keep in mind the law of Murphy. Yes, whatever can go wrong will go wrong, so it is always a great idea to be prepared.

Avoid Messy Situations

Lastly, you can protect your designer handbag by using common sense and avoiding potentially messy situations. If you see an open can of soda, do not lay your handbag beside it. If you are eating a messy hot dog or sandwich, it may not be the best idea to have your handbag in your lap as you eat.

If you apply all these protective measures, this will ensure that your designer handbag will get the maximum life span possible. Designer handbags are already made with quality and durability in mind. Treat your handbag with care, and it will last you a lifetime.

Designer sunglasses may seem a relatively modern phenomenon, the celebrities we see today posing in designer shades on the promenades of the south of France and Los Angeles are not however the archetypes of this style, the trend is far older than that. The history of sunglasses goes back eons with a wide variety of materials used in construction as well as a huge variance in the uses, one thing is certain, the designer sunglasses we see today are in no way the first.

If the annals of history are correct the first time sunglasses were used was in ancient Rome. Emperor Nero reportedly has a pair of shades made up from polished emeralds; the purpose of these designer shades? To let the emperor watch gladiator bouts without straining his eyes. Conjecture still surrounds their effectiveness, some historians now believe that the emerald acted as a mirror meaning that sight was hindered rather than enhanced.

After Nero’s pair of specs the next recorded used of sunglasses comes from ancient China. The designer of these Chinese sunglasses once again could not use glass and hence natural materials were used. This time, instead of emeralds the glasses were manufactured using flat, smoky quartz. Their usage however was not comparable to how we use our sunglasses today; in Chinese society these glasses were used by judges; not to shield their eyes from the sun, but to shield their eyes from the courtroom. The reasoning behind this was that if those inside the courtroom could not see the judge’s eyes, they would not be able to read any of his emotions or facial expressions, and subsequently a clue to the outcome of the trial.

These early sets of sunglasses cannot be compared to the varieties we see today. While Nero wanted eye protection from the sun, the polished emeralds did not have the same UV protection as modern polarised lenses. In addition, while it is now possible to obtain designer shades with sight correction properties, these ancient sets had no such ability.

After these two initial uses the widespread use of sunglasses took centuries. Arguably it was the work of scientist James Ayscough who invented the technology needed for the lens. By studying the effect of certain colours of lens on the eyes he believed that he could cure visual defects. His work was never far reaching enough to be labelled comprehensive however and he never reached the point where UV protection was an objective. It was during the twentieth century that sunglasses became truly popular, especially in the United States where their popularity grew unbelievably. The protection of the eyes first became a goal with the work of Sam Foster; an entrepreneur who sold many pairs of glasses on the beaches of New Jersey and Atlantic City during the summer months.

With the popularity of Hollywood and celebrity ever growing during the thirties and forties, designer sunglasses really came into their own. Thanks to movie stars and musicians constantly wearing what was now considered a fashion accessory; the general public were enthralled by the idea of having shades. As a result the fashion industry embraced the glasses producing iconic designs that screamed chic and were hotly desired all around the globe.

Since this time sunglasses as a fashion accessory have continued to be the trend. Nowadays legislation ensures that no matter what style of glasses you buy your eyes will be protected from the harmful effects of the sun. Today the place of sunglasses as the world’s favourite summer accessory seems to be assured. As celebrities continue to wear these designer sunglasses, undoubtedly their popularity with the general public will not diminish.

Fashion expert Thomas Pretty traces the development of designer glasses from ancient times to the modern day.

When it comes to lingerie, there are many different types to choose from. From exotic lingerie, to sexy, sheer lingerie, garter belts, and more. The most classic lingerie style is by far the baby doll, which is usually a short gown with built in bra cups and a loose flowing skirt. These are typically made out of silk, nylon, and other sexy, sheer materials and are popular for all types of romantic occasions, from impromptu little trysts to wedding night fantasies.

Another classic lingerie item is the garter belt, which is designed to be worn around the waist and support sexy silk stockings or thigh highs. Garter belts have been worn by women for centuries, and todays garters are designed with comfort, and style in mind. Another lingerie classic, the teddy, has also been around for a long time, and is similar in appearance to a bodysuit or revealing one-piece bathing suit. They are very low cut and usually have a thong back.

If youre looking for a lingerie item that you can wear every day, even with jeans, a bustier is probably your best bet. Bustiers are sexy strapless bras that extend down to the waist and can be worn with or without panties. Bustiers are typically made out of silk or other shiny materials. Camisoles can also be worn as day wear, under a sweater or an open jacket, or on its own for a come-hither look, inside of the bedroom and out. For many women, this type of lingerie is their favorite, and most used.

For a more exotic lingerie look, thongs and g-string panties, that cover your front and leave your bottom exposed, are a racy alternative. Although there are many women who choose to wear thongs outside of the bedroom, thongs inside the bedroom are a much more effective way to set an exotic and romantic mood. Thongs may look uncomfortable, but they are actually much more comfortable than traditional underwear, which, lets face it, can be more than just a little restrictive and has a tendency to bunch and create unflattering bulges and lines as well.

Todays lingerie can be as daring or demure as you desire, from a romantic soft pastel babydoll to a dramatic leather lace up. Do your research and take the time to find the lingerie thats right for you, and you will be well on your way to a new look for the New Year.

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