Real bodies to reap rewards

Plus size supermodel Robyn Lawley.

BRING on the ''real women'' photo spreads: Australia's glossiest images can now vie for the federal government's Positive Body Image Awards.
In an echo of the Australian Heart Foundation's tick campaign, winners of the new awards will be able to use a Body Image Award Winner symbol on their products such as magazines, websites and advertising campaigns.
''I certainly believe that companies would want that symbol,'' said Australian Women's Weekly editor Helen McCabe, who will chair the award panel. ''Women are now very aware of pictures that have been overly Photoshopped or digitally altered.''

Italian Vogue apologizes for slavery trend piece. Digs hole deeper.

Periodically, fashion has its Zoolander moments—those idiotic decisions by arbiters of the industry that trivialize real human suffering for the sake of controversy.

In the 2001 parody movie there was the homeless-inspired Derelicte clothing line. In real life, there was the Duncan Quinn ad with the woman being choked, the Calvin Klein child pornography campaign, and now the latest: Vogue's slave earrings. 

In this month's Italian edition of the magazine, a trend story on hoop earrings bares the headline "Slave Earrings." The text accompanying the image of a model wearing the circular jewelry reads: "If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of colour who were brought to the southern United States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom.”

Model dumps flirty Prince Harry

End of the affair ... model Florence Brudenell-Bruce calls it quits with Prince Harry and his "wandering eye". Photo: Getty Images

Prince Harry's latest romance with a blonde lingerie model ended because of the royal's wandering eye, a British tabloid says.
Widespread media reports in recent months matched the red-headed grandson of the Queen with 25-year-old Florence Brudenell-Bruce.
However the pairing has ended and it was her decision, the Sunday Mirror newspaper reports, contradicting previous comments from royal sources that it was the prince who called it off.

Proof: pregnancy's in fashion

Fashion accessory ... Natalie Portman shows off her glowing style. Photo: Getty Images

Since Miranda Kerr's nude magazine spread and Natalie Portman's Academy Award acceptance speech, the baby bump has become a celebrated fashion accessory - and it's about to hit the catwalk.
Mums-to-be will grace the runways of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week for the first time this year, in a bid to make the event more accessible to average Australians by celebrating the beauty of various body shapes and sizes.
Event organisers held an open model call in Melbourne on Friday, inviting men and women of all shapes and sizes to audition for a spot on the Spring Fashion Week runway, from September 5 to 11.

Body art

The impulse to adorn the skin with permanent markers of love or identity has brought adoration and approbation throughout the ages. Today, as fashion increasingly finds itself flirting with the fringes, people of all ages are daring to embrace the ultimate form of bodily decoration.
ON HOLIDAYS in Vietnam last year, my tattoos received quite a lot of attention. I was unprepared for this because in Australia and Europe they are barely noticed. Also, like Vietnamese women, during the day I covered myself against the sun. Come evening, with arms and legs bare, my skin was scrutinised. Some women would sit next to me and touch my hand; they would point to my lobe plugs and labret. Their curiosity was unfailingly polite and warm.
My travelling companion, Jack — also tattooed — stood out less, though he was always uncovered. Most of the white men in Nha Trang, the seaside resort where we stayed, seemed to have at least one tattoo. Nha Trang attracts the most cosmopolitan mix — Russians, Chinese, Koreans, a wide variety of Europeans, Americans and Australians. Most of the tattooed were the latter — and most were men.

French lingerie brand creates range for tots

A designer of a new range of 'loungerie' for 4-12 year olds says she is shocked at the negative reaction to her promotional campaign.
The website for Jours Après Lunes shows 10-yr-old girls in make-up and with voluminous up-dos wearing panties, bras, camisoles and T-shirts from the range. Fashion media and parent groups have expressed consternation over the underwear. Comments on parenting site Babble.com have called the images "totally inappropriate" and "disgusting."
But in an open letter to fashionista.com, designer Sophie Morin has as defended her designs.

Two images from the Jours Apres Lunes girls' range.

"All I wanted to do was offer underwear that is soft and pleasant to wear... that is suited [to] their age, and that wasn’t an extension of women’s labels, which are often vulgar," wrote the designer.

Gloves off for Miss Universe training

Miss China, Luo Zilin, takes in the sights of New York's Times Square.

If the Miss Universe pageant was the Olympics, China would be out to win gold.
In the last decade no Chinese woman has won the title of Miss Universe, yet this year's entrant is an odds-on favourite to take home the diamond-encrusted crown – thanks to a Rocky-style training regime.
For the past month TV personality Yue-Sai Kan (the most famous woman in China, according to People magazine) has been coaching and training Miss China, 24-year-old statuesque model Luo Zilin, to ensure she becomes Miss Universe on September 12.

"The girls are beautiful that we send but just being beautiful is just like telling me that your talent is to be a great swimmer. If I don't give you training you will never get the Olympic gold," Ms Kan told the Wall Street Journal.

Halle Berry's beautiful body secret revealed

Lift and firm ... Halle Berry's body 10 years younger than the rest of her, says personal trainer.

Halle Berry's personal trainer has revealed some of the secrets that keeps the actress' body in such great shape.
Nat Bardonnet says they focus on the Oscar winner's problem areas but ensure to always keep her physique feminine.
Berry recently turned 45 and in an interview with Us Weekly, Bardonnet says she looks better than ever.

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Teeth: how white before they're wrong?

"American teeth" ... is Lara Bingle's ultra-bright smile too white?

Now I know what they mean by too much.
There's always warnings about going ''too far'' with teeth whitening; to avoid at all costs ''American'' teeth.
They should hold up David Hasselhoff and his new girlfriend as examples of what not to do. Their teeth are so whiter-than-white on the pages of Hello! magazine that it makes their whole heads look superfluous. All you can see is the teeth.

Style tips from Madonna's girl

Material girls ... designing duo Madonna and daughter Lola.

Even though she's got her own fashion line, Lourdes Leon — better known to the masses as Lola, the daughter of Madonna — admits that she had a lot to learn when she first launched the Material Girl brand.
"It was really hard at first because I didn't know what I was doing," Lola, dressed in a tank top and jean cutoffs, said in a recent interview. "I was like, 'You know, not a lot of people wear this. Let me just wear it.' It wasn't even that it looked good on me. I was just like, 'Let me do this because not a lot of people are doing it.' Now I feel like I can follow fashion a lot better than I used to, but also have some of my own take on it."
Her learning curve is understandable: After all, she's just 14. But she's already a fashion star with Material Girl, which is geared toward teens and sold at Macy's Inc. stores. The line, which she launched with her mother last year, is now branching out into cosmetics, undergarments and nail polish.

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Through laughs and typical teenager banter, Lola talked about her vision for Material Girl, her mum and fashion dos and don'ts.
AP: It's been a year since your clothing line launched. What have you learned about fashion over the past 12 months?
Lola: I learned a lot of things that I shouldn't wear or do. Like don't wear white to school, because then stuff gets dirty really fast. I don't think you should wear shorts that are too small and I don't think you should wear shorts that are too big either because I find myself looking really awkward. It takes me a really long time to find the perfect pair of shorts. I like the ones you can pull up to your bellybutton almost, which makes it look extra weird and retro.
AP: Your mum once told me that the two of you don't always agree on designs.
Lola: Absolutely. Every day. ... I will be like, "Mum, you can't wear that." Or she will be like, "Lola, you can't wear that." A lot of the time we don't listen to each other, but sometimes we do.
AP: When it comes to designing Material Girl, who wins out?
Lola: Me. I have to tell her, "Mum, it is the in thing. This is what kids are doing now. If you don't do this, then it is going to suck." And then she usually gives in.
AP: Do you go to your mum's closet for inspiration?
Lola: Her closet is huge. All the time. I am always in there and if no one knows where I am in the house, it is usually my mum's closet and I am usually taking something without asking her. She gets mad at me.
AP: How does it feel to have a clothing line at such a young age?
Lola: It is really cool, and also it is a lot of fun to know that my friends enjoy it, and to know that a lot of people enjoy it because it is also a lot of what I like. My friends have great style. I go to an arts school, so a lot of them are really artistic and passionate about a lot of things that inspire what they wear.
AP: Advice time. What is your idea of a fashion faux pas?
Lola: Don't wear white. I am all for crop tops, but I don't like it when people wear crop tops that are excessively cropped. Really, don't be a skank with your crop top. I think boots are always a "go-to," no matter what you are wearing, but you always have to make sure they don't cut off your leg because that is not right. When you are wearing heels, it is more comfortable to walk in platforms. Platforms always look good and they are more comfortable to wear and they make you look way taller. I used to do this a lot, but the hippie bands around your head are very out. Don't ever wear that again.
AP: Your line has expanded to include nail polish and undergarments. What is your ultimate vision for the collection?
Lola: I think it has continued to evolve and now it is at a point where we have so much stuff that I use and that I think other people will really enjoy using, so I like it.
Associated Press

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/style-tips-from-madonnas-girl-20110811-1inue.html#ixzz1V52BtN1a

Period-piece suit

One of the most influential fashion designers working today doesn't show in Milan or New York or Paris. She doesn't even have her own label. Yet Janie Bryant, the costumer on the Emmy-and Golden Globe Award-winning AMC series Mad Men, is the woman who's launched a thousand slim-tailored suits and hourglasses poured into body-conscious, flattering sheaths.
Meanwhile, Bryant has worked with retailer Banana Republic to create a line of Mad Men-inspired clothing.
"I've been obsessed with old movies from the time that I was a very, very little girl," Bryant explains when I reach her between fittings on her cellphone in Los Angeles, where production on Season 5 has begun. (Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner runs a notoriously tight-lipped set and no, dear readers, I could not wrestle even one tantalizing tidbit of next-season information, fashion or otherwise, from Bryant.) "I didn't care about who the actors were, it was only about the costumes!"
Since its debut in 2007, the show has earned a fanatical following for both its storylines and production design. Its costume designer has likewise been the object of devotion. Her work inspired Michael Kors's Fall 2008 collection, and almost needless to say, vintage clothing dealers everywhere have cause to rejoice.
Thanks to Bryant's just-so revival of grown-up, dressed-up style and soignée feminine fashion for the characters, she's one of the breakout stars of the show. Last year, she published The Fashion File, a truly musthave style advice book, and recently launched an extensive eponymous website that highlights everything from labels she loves (the skyscraper heels of her good friend, Québécois shoe designer Jerome C. Rousseau, for example) to what's in her makeup bag, and her current fashion icons and inspirations (Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra and Guys and Dolls).
On set, Bryant leads a staff of nine, who work from an assemblage of old catalogues, vintage magazines, TV shows and the Internet to dress Mad Men's ensemble in a mix of vintage with custom pieces she's created from scratch (Bryant is a trained fashion designer). To create the extensive Mad Men collection that launches at Banana Republic on Thursday, Bryant and the retailer's creative director Simon Kneen used her mood boards, sketches, fabric swatches and actual garments from the show for inspiration.
In the series, the goal is to look period-accurate - costume that's seamlessly believable and realistic. But it's still costume. With erainspired clothes in a store, however, you don't want to be too literal, and there are other considerations, such as fit. "The collection for Banana Republic is amazingly modern and chic and contemporary, in terms of cuts and fabric," Bryant says.
Some of the modernizations include a more relaxed waist for both men and women, and a bustline that reflects the silhouette of present-day foundation garments (i.e. no longline brassiere or girdle required). "The all-around fit for the contemporary customer is not a vintage cut or fit, but it's inspired by genuine vintage pieces and pieces I've designed for the show."
To create outfits for every scene, Bryant starts with what's in the script to get a sense of dialogue, season, silhouette and colour palette. With Banana Republic, there's no storyline to follow, so she approached each item in the 65-piece collection a little differently. "Each look definitely has a character in mind," Bryant says, "from Joan, Betty, Peggy - even the Midge skirt, which is kind of fun." Playing on the fact that each character has a distinct visual signature, a tweedy grey skirt suit is ambitious secretarial chic; a textured houndstooth fabric dress "is a little bit Peggy, and then the sheath is definitely Joan," she says.
Apologies to Archie's Riverdale, but the question is no longer whether you are a Betty or a Veronica, but whether you are a Betty or a Joan. "Or a Peggy or a Trudy or a Sophia or an Audrey," Bryant chimes in, "or whoever! It's also about feeling a mood - that's really what it's about, what is the mood that you want to be that day?"
For the menswear, it was "all about combining the Don Draper with the Roger Sterling and the Pete Campbell." On a streamlined shawlcollar cardigan with pockets: "I would see more of a Pete in that sweater," whereas, "the sweater-vest is definitely a Don Draper." There are bygone haberdashery accessories such as money clips, tie bars and pocket squares; much of the suiting, like a grey pinstripe, two-button with ultra narrow lapel, is also Don.
Bryant also did Emmywinning work on the HBO series Deadwood, but it isn't the three-piece suits worn by Ian McShane that her fans are clamouring for, it's those of a certain suave and debonair ad agency creative creative director - stingy-brim fedora, skinny tie and all.
So why does Mad Men's mid-century period resonate so much today?
"I think it's a few things, especially the early 1960s," she opines. "It was American Camelot - it truly was, before the fall of innocence and I think that people look back on that time and totally romanticize the time. And also I think it's because the clothing of that period is still so accessible, and we still have those silhouettes in fashion today. They're true, true classics."
Sixties style is one of the last visually identifiable eras - the Rat Pack tailoring, polished strands of pearls and ladylike gloves - that, when worn 50 years later, still looks modern and not anachronistic. The decade's influence is still keenly felt in contemporary fashion, Bryant says. "You can still wear sheaths today - Dolce & Gabbana, every season, there's still a sheath. It's that sexy, beautiful hourglass."
The Mad Men collection at Banana Republic ($13-$475) launches in stores and online at bannarepublic.ca on Aug. 11. Fans, take note: includes a casting call competition, wherein customers can win a walk-on role in a Season 5 episode.
natkinson@nationalpost.com
National Post

Support for saggy pants

The Sagz pants can be snapped to the waist-hugging underwear to avoid wardrobe malfunctions.

Men who like to sag their jeans down low but fear they could end up around their ankles may be interested in new pants that snap to special boxer shorts for support and improved mobility.
Irese and Mark Davenport, two brothers from Newark, New Jersey, unveiled Sagz Jeans this month. They noticed their teenage children's movement was hampered by the look, which came to prominence in 1990s hip-hop music videos.
"They're holding their pants up not being able to play sports, basically being unhealthy because of the attire they were wearing," Mark Davenport said.

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His brother invented the concept and patented it in 2006 to give sag jean wearers a active lifestyle.
With Sagz Jeans, the pants can be snapped to the waist-hugging underwear at three different heights allowing the wearer to show how low he can go without actually risking a wardrobe malfunction.
Both brothers are aware of the controversy surrounding the style, in which large swathes of the wearer's underwear are visible above their pants' low-slung waistline. Several US municipalities have instituted fines or even jail time for those caught sagging.
Even President Barack Obama has weighed in, saying in 2008 that although he considers anti-sagging legislation a waste of time, he thinks "brothers should pull up their pants."
"You don't have to pass a law, but that doesn't mean folks can't have some sense and some respect for other people and, you know, some people might not want to see your underwear - I'm one of them," he said.
Dwayne Hoard, the creative director of Sagz, believes such reactions are simply the latest in an inevitable cycle of older people finding themselves unnerved by the tastes of the young.
He said young men who sag their pants are unfairly demonised as hooligans or thugs. The style is sometimes thought to have originated in prisons, where new inmates would be handed oversized pants but no belt for fear it could be used as a weapon or in a suicide attempt. Hoard prefers to date its origins to when Michael Jordan started wearing relatively baggy basketball shorts.
He said it's a form of youth expression doomed to be misunderstood by elders.
"Young folks, they will sag no matter what," he said. "What we are trying to do is offer a better alternative."
The line will sell online only for now. A pair of Sagz jeans costs about $US80, including a pair of snapped-in boxers. The company aims to make between $US500,000 and $US1 million in sales in its first year.
Reuters


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/executive-style/support-for-saggy-pants-20110810-1ilxm.html#ixzz1UhC24CAn

Risque business: Is Miss Australia's gown too revealing?

"Curvaceous beauty" ... Scherri-Lee Biggs models the Miss Universe Australia official evening gown. Photo: Kevin Tran

There were sequins, there were hair extensions and there was pancake makeup and that was just the guests. The official Miss Universe Australia 2011 national costume launch at lunchtime yesterday was an unofficial beauty pageant and impromptu runway for everyone in attendance - though not even the slimmest, blondest, brownest local celeb in the teeniest tightest frock could come close to the spectacle that was beauty queen Scherri-Lee Biggs.
Miss Biggs, 20, a sweet-smiling, honey-blonde from Perth, was there to showcase to a select crowd the wardrobe she will be taking to the Miss Universe final in Sao Paulo in September. Local models helped her out with the Everyday Wear - mostly ho-hum numbers from Wish and Bardot (flowered jumpsuit anyone?). Any one of the girls could have been rival entrants in Donald Trump's intergalatic beauty quest - they were long of hair, high of breast and plump of lip to a tee. But then the real deal came out in the official Evening Wear gown. The gown is in on-trend nude, designed by Sylvia Lee of Sydney to ''show Miss Universe Australia's curvaceous beauty'', according to the MC. It also showed her bum. You could see straight through the lace to the leotard beneath. That must have been the decadence bit mentioned in the invitation along with Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, canapes and champagne.
It was good prep for the main event, the unveiling of the Australian National Costume - the costume that will soon be seen by 3 billion people (Miss Universe is apparently the second most watched TV event after the World Cup). The name of the designer gave a bit of a clue to what humanity is in for. Kooey Swimwear has produced a national bikini (canary yellow) with a long, multi-coloured train.

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Aussie style? ... Scherri-Lee Biggs showcases the Australian National Costume. Photo: Kevin Tran

The MC explained there was a lot of thought and symbolism behind the choice in design. ''It is a literal translation of Australian colours, from coast to centre,'' he said. The yellow represented Australia's beautiful beaches and, in the skirt, the blue represented the magnificent sea, the reds the breathtaking desert, etc. ''The gold headband and buckle represent Australia's minerals,'' he said. ''Like gold.''
Of course finding a national costume is never going to be easy for Australian beauty queens. Kimonoes and lederhosen are not available as they are in some other countries and so our Miss Universes have been put into high-heeled ugg boots (2010), Oprah house colour (2009), frills (2008) and a surf life saving outfit (2007). Miss Universe is another universe. Mum didn't think it was very nice that you could see her bottom through the evening gown but as Laura Anderson, chairman of the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, said in the lift afterwards, they're not things anyone would wear in normal life but they are right for what they're meant for - the stage setting of a beauty pageant. They're costumes.
Beauty pageants are fantastical but does this make them irrelevant? Is there still a place for beauty queens, and their associated outfits, hair and makeup, even if it just to provide easy entertainment? How do you feel about the Miss Universe competition and similar beauty quests? Did you feel differently in 2004 when Jennifer Hawkins won it for Australia?


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/beauty/blogs/beauty-beat/risque-business-is-miss-australias-gown-too-revealing-20110810-1in33.html#ixzz1UhBUming

Fruit souffles for supple skin

Back in the days, spa treatments revolved around using expensive body creams from Europe, or treatments which made use of exotic ingredients from faraway places.

This trend, however, is changing as spa owners realise that there are equally refreshing spa treatments they can offer their customers. Spas are now integrating farm-to-spa fruits into treatments and massages so that you can get the relaxation that you deserve, while supporting local farmers.

Face dessert
Take a newly-opened skin spa, for instance, which provides natural beauty fixes made with fresh fruit and veggies. All the ingredients are sourced from reliable local markets.

Each therapy room is designed for a different part of your body. Women undergo skin treatments with spa products good enough to eat - for instance, papaya cleanser, mango mousse cream, honey and oat scrub and avocado face pack. Apart from these 'face desserts', clay treatments and acupressure massages are also available.
Out of the bottle

"With the growing pollution we are inevitably exposed to, in a city like Chennai, our skin is becoming more and more sensitied. So I thought, 'why feed our skin with more synthetics in a bottle on a daily basis?'" says Diya Dembla, the mind behind the service. Qualified from an international dermal institute in Boston, Dembla recently returned from Hong Kong where she was certified as a masseuse for pregnant women and babies.

Indigenous versus insta-beauty
If you live in the city, and don't want to invest in unnecessary time driving and dealing with traffic snarls, a spa experience is only a phone call away. There are several doorstep services that bring the spa home. Trained therapists visit you with a spa kit, including a portable massage bed, fresh linen and towels, indigenous products, disposable spa attire, candle diffuser and essential oils. They collect fresh and natural ayurvedic ingredients from the remotest corners of India in the right season to provide the best Ayurvedic herbal spa. For instance, the apricots for some apricot body scrubs are sourced directly from the farmers in Uttarakhand.

In many spas, experts start your first session with a detailed skin consult that is individually stored in a database for future reference. You are then guided to specific treatments, depending on your problems and the results you desire. "As the name suggests, we cook skin food in our kitchen fresh, natural and absolutely preservative-free. Your skin will make an instant connection," says Dembla.

When you book to undertake a spa therapy, say a body scrub, therapists use fresh fruits like banana, apple, papaya and oatmeal. These are mixed in the spa's laboratory with other special herbs and carried in an ice box, to give you the freshest and most refreshing natural spa. Time to put the fruit where your face is.

What suits your skin?
Opt for treatments with these foods depending on your skin type:
Normal: Avocado, papaya, strawberry
Dry skin : Banana, chickoo, unpasteurised full fat milk, honey
Oily skin: Orange, tangerine, lemon, tomato, doodhi
Combination skin: Strawberry, aloe vera, lemon
Mature skin : Banana, primrose, crushed egg shells or egg whites

Source: The Times of India

Find the Right Hair Style for your Face Shape

Finding that perfect hair style only takes a bit of research before you hit the hair salons
Having the right hair style can be a big decision, with many people using their hair as their way of expressing their personality, their style, their individuality. Most people go through many different hair styles in their life, simply going into their favourite hair salons with a picture of a celebrity and saying "I want that." Sometimes this can work, sometimes it won't. But why? Why does a one hair style look so great on one person but a bit of a mess on another?
It's all about the face shapes and balance. The shape of a person's face will dictate what looks good and what doesn't, with symmetry playing the most important role. To get the most out of your hair, you need to find out what your face shape is.
The first step? Work out what face shape you have. Of course, you can simply ask a hair dressers or hair salons , but if you are contemplating what hair styles you want and what would suit you there is a simply experiment that you can do to determine just what face shape you have. So past methods include tracing your face shape in a mirror with lipstick, but if you don't want to ruin your favourite lip shade there is an easy scientific method that gives you the best results.
Start by using either a tape measure or ruler and take down the following measurements of your face:

1. Measure across the top of your cheekbones
2. Measure across jaw line from the widest point to the widest point
3. Measure across forehead at the widest point which you will find will generally be halfway between the eyebrows and hairline
4. Measure from the tip of the hairline to the bottom of the chin

When looking at these results, compare them to the criteria below to determine what face shape you have.

Round Face

Relatively equal in width and height with the widest measurement being your cheeks.
This face shape is ideal for hair with height and fullness at the crown of the head with off centre parts also complimenting by minimizing the roundness of the cheeks. Short and long hair can match but layering is essential with short hair styles better when brushed away from the face, with tight layering to achieve a lengthening of the face.
Centre parts, straight fringes, chin length blunt cuts and fullness at the cheeks can emphasise roundness, so it is better to avoid these styles.
Celebrity Round Faces: Christina Ricci, Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst

Square Face

Equal lengths in width and length with no real widest point as forehead, cheeks and jaw are all relatively the same width.
Square faces are typically recognisable for their strong jaw line, with the best hair styles for this look being those that soften this line with soft curls and volume. Use of layering, wave or roundness around the face, and soft bangs all add this softness and can lessen the sharpness of a square face. Off centre parts and height at the crown can also be very attractive as it will add symmetry without adding angles.
Square faces should avoid long straight styles, or blunt cuts as this will only add to the edges of the persons face. A short, blunt bob is the worst choice, but layering would soften this look if a short cut is what you are after.
Celebrity Square Faces: Demi Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rosario Dawson, Angelina Jolie

Oval Face

Oval faces have length as 1.5 times of the measurement of their faces width. Key attributes include high cheekbones and a relatively narrow chin, though balanced with their rounded forehead.
One of the most balanced faces, most hair styles suit this face shape due to its symmetry with short, medium and long hair lengths suiting. One style tip that many hair salons suggest is slicking the hair back from the face and taking advantage of the balanced hairline.
Heavy fringes are probably not one of the best choices, as it may add weight to the top of the face, creating a heavy look.
Celebrity Oval Faces: Jennifer Anniston, Jessica Alba, Uma Thurman, Tyra Banks

Heart Face

Widest point is the cheeks and extends to the forehead with a narrow chin that tapers in.
Due to your narrow chin, this can often be a focus for a heart-shaped face. As a result, chin length or longer styles work well as they add width and balance the face. Fringes work well with this face shape, especially side swept fringes or side parted hair.
Heart shaped faces should typically avoid short, cropped styles that focus on the upper face and have height at the crown of the head. Additionally, softness is better to have around the face so slicked back hair is also better avoided.
Source:hairsalon.com.au

Naughty but Nice

My mother always told me it's what's underneath that counts.  My grandmother however always told me to wear nice underwear in case I got hit by a bus... More about emergency room doctors than passing pedestrians I think, but the message is the same - whether it's a saucy weekend away or a trip to the corner store, it's best to be prepared.

Lingerie, as it suddenly becomes when lovingly stitched from silk and lace instead of target cotton blends, is somewhat an abused area of apparel these days. It can be difficult to tread the thin line between steamy and seedy, my thoughts are that line is drawn fairly clearly by a clothes line strung with poly-blends and synthetic lace. In red. That campaign for natural fibres shouldn't stop short where it counts the most. Once you have removed all such offending fabrics from the scented draw in which you keep your secrets, it's time to think about design.

Crotchless, 'open back' sequinned teddies are not sexy. They are a a staple of the sex trade, and I'm hoping that whoever is lucky enough to see you in your scants is going to work for it, not pay for it.  Part of seduction is the slow reveal, part of what makes lingerie is the beautiful, suggestive promise of sex, not a blatant "this way, come get it". If that's what you're trying to say, you should probably be naked. There was a time when the lingerie floor of Galleries Lafayette and several select designer boutiques understood this, now there's no excuse.

La Perla has long been making women, and subsequently men, very happy.  If it's a little conservative for your tastes, Myla accessorises its seasonal pieces with six- speed Marc Newson -designed sex toys, and in terms of style they sit where Agent Provocateur used to, should do, but doesn't. For French and frilled try the flirtatiously sexy Fifi Chachnil, or do yourself a serious favour and shop Kiki de Montparnasse.

It's not just about pleasing the one you're with though, wearing carefully selected pretty things under your over things creates a whole new state of mind that can't help but make you feel better about your day. Remember though, the only thing less sexy than the practical is the screaming seams of an ill-fitting, uncomfortable undergarment. There is, however, nothing more attractive than a woman with an attractive secret- slip on some of these sweet, silk nothings.


Source: The Vine

Colour me chic

I am convinced. 2011 is the year of colour. Colour blocking is a huge trend. What is colour blocking did I hear you say?
There is no text book definition of the phrase. Simply put, it combines the use of two or more blocks of colour in a single outfit or ensemble. In other words it means creating an outfit by putting areas or blocks of solid colour next to each other. It can include monotone, bright colours, muted colours, contrasting and complimentary colours.
If I were to summarise in two words and put it blatantly. Anything goes. Another thing. Designers are not using muted colours like greys and black to colour block. Their palette is very strong and very, very bright.
With designer labels such as Jil Sander, Prada, Christopher Kane and Louis Vuitton all pushing this trend, the high street has caught on as well. Clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories all feature colour blocked design. Every brand that wants to stay on the retail map has used this trend. Karen Millen seems to have put its punt on this trend. Contrasting horizontal striped skirts and dresses this season.
It is a strong, bold look. Popular shades include blue, green, hot pinks, coral and purple if you want to keep accessories neutral. For the first time brighter is better. Coral works with hot pink. Emerald green with wine. Even midnight blue with canary yellow. The coral and purple combo has been particularly popular with celebs such as Nicole Scherzinger, and Jessica Alba and Cheryl Cole.
A friend of mine who is an image consultant to the A list has the following tips. A darker column of colour down the torso will have a slimming effect and can easily be created by wearing a coloured jacket or fluid cardigan worn open. Generally a colour blocked outfit will work best if you stick to the usual rules for your body shape. If you are pear shaped, opt for darker colours on the bottom half. If you are apple shaped avoid horizontal blocks of colour around the stomach area but highlight legs with colour blocks created by brightly coloured tights. If you are hourglass, a colour block around the waist is a great way of highlighting it and drawing attention to you womanly figure.
Brighten up your mood. Wear colour. They say the colour you pick reflects what is going on inside.
The writer owns a fashion brand based in Europe. She can be reached on info@amishi.eu
Source: The Asian Age

In search of sartorial splendour

When it comes to the design of their clothes, men are either clones or clowns.
Fashion for males is almost a contradiction in terms. At best, men recognise a canon of sharpness, neat combinations of garments and footwear rather than interesting designs. A shirt with a cheerful print or a tie with an image is about as risky as most men will dare try on.
Female fashion, meanwhile, is imaginative and aesthetically rich. The sculptural potential of dresses, skirts, blouses, coats and accessories such as handbags is constantly realised afresh in fabulous designs of great sophistication.

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Sara Thorn and Bruce Slorach

The sartorial repertoire for men is so impoverished that dignifying it with the word "design" seems like hyperbole. There are certainly designers who want to create interesting clothes for men. The problem is that there are so few men who want to wear interesting clothes and so couturiers design for a provisional male who will be emancipated from the square stereotypes we know so well, devoid of colour or whim.
A beautiful exhibition at the NGV, ManStyle, concentrates on designers who have tried to break the conservative mould. Spread over Federation Square and St Kilda Road, the exhibition has fine examples of exuberant clothing for men, albeit a certain type of man who doesn't mind being considered a peacock, a fop, a clown or deviant. Even a standard suit done in a lavish pattern, such as WORLD's Sanderson suit, would be regarded as exhibitionist.
The great strength of ManStyle lies in something that only a gallery with the resources of the NGV can achieve: it provides a history of male attire that reminds us just how flamboyant male clothing was before modernism. If you could afford it, you wore stockings, floral embroidery, brocade, pleats, slashes, ornamental lace and boofy sleeves. Nothing among the outrageous contemporary designers is quite so out-there as an English Waistcoat from 1845.
This extroverted historical backdrop contextualises the efforts of contemporary designers in liberating men from the bleak standards that have encased the sombre sex in a conformist uniform for a century. We can recognise that the blandness of the businessman is not at all natural but rather a historical freak, a grim anomaly in the history of design.
As functionalism and the machine aesthetic became the dogmatic principle of modernism, males had to own the look. It was necessary throughout modernism for men to appear standardised, mechanical, predictable, rational, regular: they are the responsible organisers of society. Women, meanwhile, would be encouraged to retain all the aspirations to frivolous hedonism, leggy fancies, extravagance and irrationality, because these indulgences became signs of inferiority and powerlessness.
In fact, there's nothing more irrational than a suit and tie. Try riding a bike in that stolid garb. The suit has nothing to do with reason but rather the gender stereotypes that developed during modernism, which are based on assumptions of biological determinism in sexual roles.
Women are supposed to be encoded to attract men by their looks and charm (and hence their need for striking costume).
Men, on the other hand, are configured to attract women by their power and wit. It therefore seems like fate that men forbear from colour and panache but project their masculine airs with rigid suit and shirt, kitted out with managerial authority for the institutional world.
So a new concept arose, masculinity, which only took on its contemporary meaning in the later 19th century. From then on, men would be socialised to be utterly dull in their appearance but bombastic in their behaviour. They would be denied any self-expression by means of dress and would have to impress other people by talking imposingly about all the things that they know better than anyone else.
Oh men! They're embarrassing because they're embarrassed: heterosexual men are so scared of being considered gay or narcissistic that they gird their loins with all the institutional armour that could ever efface their personality.
If only they could walk into the NGV and recognise that it doesn't have to be like this: you can have any amount of fun with hue and flounce and be man enough to enjoy the aesthetic.
robert.nelson@monash.edu
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/executive-style/style/in-search-of-sartorial-splendour-20110727-1hzhf.html#ixzz1TNDslNn2

Dear Beyonce: why underwear is not stagewear

Beyonce.

Blog originally posted at TheVine.com.au
I recently put my leather cap and my high-waist light blue straight-cuts on and went to London’s Royal Albert Hall for an evening with Janet Jackson and her rhythm nation. It was an incredible experience—these days it doesn’t get any bigger than Janet —and quite an antidote to everything else that’s going on in pop music at the moment. Because every single concert I’ve been to over the past few years has felt more like an odd strip show of Swarovski covered bras. You see, Janet had actual clothes on the entire way through.
For a very long time I’ve been wondering what happened to costumes. When did it become acceptable—and passable—to just wear a bra and a pair of knickers on stage? It’s not the lack of modesty that bothers me (I did grow up on Madonna, after all), but rather the lack of effort. When I watch a music video or go to see a show, I expect grand, elaborate costumes. The more clothes the better, basically. Bras and knickers are boring. They might be great for straight men, but how many straight men do you really expect at your concert if you’re Britney, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, or indeed Madonna?
Imagine if you went to a Justin Bieber show and he was running around in his boxers. Would be slightly weird, no? I can’t quite recall when this trend for wearing underwear as stagewear started, but I guess it boils down to Madonna and Cher. While Cher has always kept a certain balance between nudity and glittery mummification, it seems that as Madonna’s grown older, she’s been bearing more and more flesh on each tour. What a shame for an entertainer, who gave us amazing clothes-heavy live performances such as the 18th Century version of "Vogue", or the 19th Century version of "Justify My Love". I was particularly appalled by those big knickers she wore on her last tour.
Britney Spears has every reason to wear head-to-toe costumes. And no, I’m not referring to her body—I’ve been to two of her shows and she always looks tiny in real life—but rather her costume history. This is the woman who gave us the "Oops I Did It Again" catsuit, and numerous one-pieces after that. Why are you suddenly settling for a rhinestone bra, Miss Spears? Gaga of course entered the entertainment scene after everyone had already started this unfortunate trend, but I will say this: in the Telephone video for instance, was I the only one who thought the dull lingerie set for the prison dance routine was a total anti-climax? After that Castelbajac prison suit, I had expected at least a little skirt.
But Beyoncé, I mainly take issue with you. You just released a video in which you’re basically just standing straight and singing, whilst wearing a lingerie set (see below). That, Honey B, is just lazy. For whatever reason, people worship you. At least have the courtesy to give them more than they could see in a tacky Victoria’s Secret shows. No, it truly doesn’t get bigger than Janet Jackson. Here is a woman with no reason to cover up—I promise you, her body is remarkable in real life—and yet she chooses to. One, because she has amazing costumes. And two, because no one needs to see your private parts while you’re singing a song about saving the world. Next generation, take note. (And you too, Madonna.)
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/dear-beyonce-why-underwear-is-not-stagewear-20110727-1hzde.html#ixzz1TNC7GfbB

Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress on display

The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress, designed by Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton, is to go on display at Buckingham Palace on Saturday.

The dress will be in the palace's ballroom from 23 July to 3 October during its annual summer opening.
Curator Caroline de Guitaut said it was "very fitting" the exhibition was where the royal wedding reception took place.
Ms Burton said Kate had wanted a dress with "presence and of historical importance" with a contemporary feel.
The designer, whose identity was a closely guarded secret until the duchess's marriage to Prince William on 29 April, has rarely spoken about the dress.
In a film of Ms Burton, which will also be on display alongside the dress in Buckingham Palace, the designer said she had wanted the dress "to look to the past, yet look to the future as well".

 

The embroiderers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace pristine

"There were a lot of references to Victorian corsetry, the padded hip, the tiny cinched-in waist, and also to the arts and crafts movement with all of the hand-work on the lace of the dress and also the bustle inside to create the shape of the back of the dress.
"It has an essence of Victorian but we cut the dress in a very modern way. It is in a very light fabric. Also the pleats and the folds create a modern feel rather than a historical piece.
"I think what we wanted to achieve was something that was incredibly beautiful and intricately worked."
Ms Burton also described the dress - which includes six different types of lace - as a "real feat of engineering".
Ms de Guitaut said she thinks visitors will be surprised by "how much detail and how much work" went into the creation of the dress.

The dress in detail

• 1. The 1936 Cartier "halo" tiara was lent to the bride by the Queen
• 2. The veil is made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers
• 3. The bodice, narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, is a hallmark of McQueen's designs
• 4. For the dress, individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and sewn onto ivory silk tulle
• 5. The train measures 2m 70cm
• 6. The shoes (hidden), made of satin with hand-embroidered lace, were also Alexander McQueen

"The beauty really is in the detail," she said.

The duchess's bridal gown featured lace applique floral detail - which was hand-made by embroiderers at the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace - and was made of ivory and white satin gazar.
The dress has a series of lace motifs including a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock to represent England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Each motif, some as small as a five pence piece, was applied with minute stitches every two to three millimetres.
The duchess's veil, tiara, Alexander McQueen bridal shoes and diamond earrings will also form part of the display.
Her veil, which was made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers, was also embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.
The 1936 Cartier "halo" tiara was lent to the bride by the Queen, while Kate's diamond earrings were commissioned by the Middleton family as a personal gift to the bride from her parents.
William and Kate's multi-tiered wedding cake, created by cake designer Fiona Cairns, will be recreated and shown in the state dining room to complement the wedding dress exhibition.
Ms Cairns said the cake, which was covered in cream and white icing and decorated with up to 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers, was a "very rich, dark traditional fruitcake".
Meanwhile it has emerged that the royal couple kept the top two tiers of their eight-tiered wedding cake - a tradition usually undertaken by couples who plan to serve the cake at the christening of their first born.
Ms Burton joined Alexander McQueen's studio in 1996 as an intern, working alongside him on his collections for 12 years, before he took his own life in February 2010.
She was named creative director of the Alexander McQueen label the following May.
Source: BBC News