Fashion Hookup

Keeping You Up On The Latest Fashions

Spring is on the Horizon

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Even as most of us are still bundled up in winter coats and gloves, the fashion-savvy it’s already time to start educating ourselves about the new fashion trends for spring. The new pieces are arriving in stores and display windows even now. What pieces can you keep and update with a trendy accessory? What absolutely requires an updated replacement?

One of the easiest ways to begin evaluating your current wardrobe versus exciting—and possibly expensive—new fashion trends is to take a look at the “new” colors emphasized on the runway. Instead of overturning your entire wardrobe, though, consider incorporating accessories like bracelets, scarves, necklaces and even shoes into your closet to keep it current.

2013’s New Colors

Unlike previous years’ easily described pastels or neons, the colors of 2013 include dynamic brights mixed with unusual neutrals and also new, lighter shades too powerful to be called pastel. “This season’s color palette emphasizes the need for balance, while at the same time allowing for individuality, self-expression and excitement,” explained Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Use Elseman’s quote to justify your new color combinations and pairings of the old and new.

·       Greens

Appropriate for the season, a range of greens is prevalent in designers’ collections. First, there’s Pantone’s Tender Shoots shade, a mix of a light yellow with a pale lime green. The color combination is almost neon—but not quite—and provides a significant degree of power to a piece despite its gentle shade. A second green common to this season’s collections is known as Grayed Jade. Unlike the muddy mix you might imagine, it’s in fact a more subtle, lighter hue. Finally, the most vibrant of the spring greens is that of Emerald, described as sophisticated and radiant.

·       Blues

The new blues of spring have nothing to do with a down mood and everything to do with the range of shades you might associate with a summer day at the beach. Dusk Blue is the shade of a child’s crayoned ocean: a light to medium tone with its slight potential for brightness just barely held in check with a very slightly gray undertone. The much darker Monaco Blue is a navy blue infused with a purple tint that allows it to serve as the foundation of an outfit, if necessary. In between these two blues is a light but corporal African Violet shade—almost like lavender with muscle.

·       Whites

Get ready for white, a lot of it and in almost every type of garment. The crisp, clean white of 2013 is less a neutral shade to provide contrast against a color, and more of a stand-out shade on its own. Designers have played with white to demonstrate two huge fashion trends of the season: laser cut-outs of the primary white fabric for a peek-a-boo effect and the sheer craze that teases the eye with pretend exhibitionism. Pantone’s Linen hue most likely stands in as the light neutral of the color family as white holds court on its own.

Ready for the Change?

After a few seasons of color blocking bright neons against seemingly incongruous shades of deep intensity, the hues of 2013 seem fresh, fun and gentle to the eye. There’s still plenty of power to be had in the new Poppy Red and Nectarine shades; they just don’t have to be worn together to catch the eye and keep up with style.

 

Hot Colors for Dreary Winter Days

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Winter’s palette tends toward dreary: Outside, the sky is grey, the trees are bare and nothing grows. When the world around you is cold, dark and damp, a little pop of color can enhance your mood, giving you that little lift that helps get you through the day.

Warm Colors That Work for Winter

Chartreuse adds a hint of unexpected color that’s more chic than sunshine or butter yellows. This acid yellow green color works best in small doses, so rather than go full-on chartreuse, try it in an accessory or layer a chartreuse tank under your basic black blazer for a cheery pop of color.

On the yellow spectrum, lemon is also in. This shade’s a little less wild, so you can really show some color. Try fun winter wellies in lemon yellow, wear a lemon-colored dress to a nighttime event or include yellow in a separates look.

Neon pink turns up the dial on a classic feminine color, giving it the necessary oomph to add flair to your winter wardrobe. Look for flaming flamingo, magenta, fuchsia or hot pink. For a sophisticated work outfit, pair a neon pink or even fuchsia shirt with a black or charcoal pencil skirt for a pop of color that doesn’t lack in sophistication. Or try a neon pink statement necklace, winter scarf or beanie.

Orange is still in, so extend the life on some of those orange shirts, sweaters, earrings and scarves you may have picked up for fall trends. Orange can be tricky to pull off in a head-to-toe style and may look too Halloween-y if you match it with black, so try pairing this hue with camel and beige neutrals for a classy take on pumpkin colors.

Cooling it Down a Notch

Not every woman’s a warm color fan, especially when it comes to the brighter shades. If you prefer blues and purples, these are still great accent colors to wear in winter.

Emerald green is bright yet classy and was just named Pantone’s color of the year for 2013. Rich greens like this evoke the coming days of spring, helping you remember that you can get through winter! This shade works equally well for daytime events and nighttime ones; Angelina Jolie wore an emerald dress to the 2011 Golden Globes, for example.

Teal also works well as an accent color for winter. Teal and its cousin turquoise pair well with hot reds and pinks, yet work equally well with sophisticated blacks. Try a teal skirt with a cozy black sweater, or wear teal tights or legwarmers to give your legs some love on a dreary day.

If you’re not much for bold colors, start with a hue like teal to build some confidence. After you’ve put a few looks together, work in some of the bolder hues. You don’t have to go head-to-toe to give your wardrobe some much-needed color in the depths of winter. Even a splash of color will lift tired spirits.

What’s In for Jeans in 2013

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The jeans never goes out of style. Yes, it has evolved through the years but it remains popular among people, young and old alike and there’s always that suits one’s mood. Most, if not all, surely has a pair in his closet.

Jeans-Fashion

Many of you know the traditional well known brands such as Levi’s, Pepe, Calvin Klein, Wrangler and Replay jeans. The newer brands are Diesel, Jack & Jones, Armani, Versace, Esprit, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karan.

The versatility of jeans is what makes it very popular among users. Whether it’s the classic blue denim or the black one you wear, it can be matched with any top from a plain white shirt, polo and blouses to sweaters, short coats and jackets.

The fall/winter season saw dark colored denims (brown, burgundy, plum and wine) in vogue although designers were also okay with earthy tones and the deep blue jeans. But for this year, here’s what we’ve gathered as to the trends for the spring season and throughout the year. [Read more…]

Will Eyelash Extensions Look Good on You?

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The eyes are known as the windows of one’s soul. And the more they are enhanced when one has nice and thick lashes. This is the reason why women want to curl their eyelashes and put mascara in an effort to make their eyes look more attractive. Whether it’s to boost their self-confidence or be attractive to men, they’re doing the right thing.
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Unfortunately, not many women are gifted with long and curly lashes. The good news is that one can use fake eyelashes today. They can either use the ready-made ones that they can just stick above their original lashes or they can use the latest eyelash extensions.

The extensions are more expensive and requires a steady hand to be able to glue them in the right areas.

Instead of cluster lashes, this involves gluing a single eyelash in between your existing lashes. Experts recommend that these be attached by a professional salon hair and makeup stylist.
[Read more…]

Go High Tech with Your Winter Fashion

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Many things that people use today are going high tech. Fashion is also not to be outdone.

For technies and the fashion conscious out there looking for some unique clothing this winter that can keep up with their passion for technology, I’ve done a little research and found some items worth
considering. You may buy them for your own personal use or they can also make for great Christmas gifts to your friends and loved ones.

Hoodies or ponchos with built-in headphones. This will keep you warm while letting you enjoy your music wherever you go. Some headphones used are even washable. You can choose from varied designs and colors to go with your favorite winter outfit.

Go thermal all the way. Manufacturers of thermals have been developing new products to meet the needs of consumers during the cold winter months. Damart, a leading manufacturer, is using a special fiber called Thermolactyl in creating its thermals and has been creating winter clothing from shirts and cardigans to jeans and even boots.

Thermal underwear is also popular as it keeps the legs warm during cold weather. Uniqlo and Icebreaker are leaders in creating this product that not only helps retain the heat but helps the wearer cool down as well.

Clever winter jacket. Kathmandu has created its Breccia jacket that can be worn comfortably even when engaged in extreme sports such as snowboarding and skiing. It features the c_change membrane that retains the body’s heat when a person is not moving or inactive and allows the heat to escape to the outside air when the wearer is in action.

Beanie with audio. A beanie helps keep the head part warm but did you know that it is also now multi-functional? You can get a padded beanie with an audio. It comes with earphones which means you can stay outdoors while enjoying your favorite music.

Cool USB fur gloves. Cold weather often makes the hands and fingers numb and unable to move properly. But you can get a pair of these USB gloves that you can plug to a USB port and keep your hands warm while using your laptop outdoors.

Heated socks. Keep your feet happy and warm even in winter by using these heated socks. They are battery operated and can keep your toes warm for six or more hours. Most of them are made from acrylic, polyester and nylon.

Photo via squidoo.com