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The word Fashion derives from the Latin word facere, which means to make. Fashion, as we all know, is associated with clothes, because it can also apply to almost anything from interior decorations to the clothes on models and toys. Fashion as we see it today is normally associated with trends, textile and garments. Textile refers to made clothes, and clothes consume great amounts of materials.

The prominent types of materials used to make clothes are manmade fibers, cotton, silks and synthetics. Today silks are the highly demanded and recommended fibers. Silk is well-known for the production of priceless textiles that offer the finest quality. It has undoubtedly carved a name for itself in the Fashion world all over the world.

Designing fashion is the art applied and is dedicated to designing clothes, especially accessories for the lifestyle of people created within the social influences of a certain time in life. Designing fashion is very different from designing clothing. When designing fashion you have to go with the seasons, and these are defined as spring/summer or autumn/winter. Designing of fashion was considered to have showed its face in the mid 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth. Worth was the first person known who sewed a label inside the garment that was created by them.

The clothing articles from any given time period are studied as costume design by academics, but only the items created by Worth were considered fashion. Most fashion designers today are self-employed and design only for individual consumers. Other designers cater for high-fashion specialty stores and/or department stores. Brands like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein both have a brand name. These designers are likely to consist of a team of designers who work under the direction of the director in charge of the specific name.

Here are some of the top fashion tips for 2007, and maybe this year round you will become noticed the next time you walk down to the beach. This is called Superwedges. With this you will have more glam than ever. You can simply use an instant leg-lengthener and team this up with micro-shorts. If you have the legs for this one, then the Nano-mini is just for you. Flaunt your legs, flash your thighs and cover the chest. Next! For the feet, try Plat-heels. Platforms, as high as 6-inches, will make your legs seem never-ending! For some jewelry, try jewels and studs.

Anything from little Rhinestones to oversized crystals will do the trick. A simple outfit and just allow your shoes and bag to do the talking for you! Hair bands are here to stay! Whether thick or thin or bright and feminine, with beads or just stretchy material these are going nowhere! Try going Logo mad! Pick an item of clothing and become a logo maniac! The maxi dress could only remind you of Paris Hilton when she decides to feel all feminine and chic. Try a long cotton dress and add some bright swirls to your hair. That should do the trick!

http://www.candh.co.uk/ supply Curtains, Bedding, Blinds, Haberdashery, Crafts, Gifts, Wool, Knitting Patterns.

Natural fabrics are derived from the fibres of animal coats, plant seeds, stems and leaves, and silkworm cocoons. They are soft and breathable and UV light does not cause discoloration.

Coir is a natural fabric which is obtained from the fibrous husk of a coconut. It is stress resistant, bio-degradable and buoyant. Coir is used to make sacking, twine, doormats and items such as bags and ropes. Coir can also be used in construction and to improve clays. It is a good fabric to control soil erosion.

Cotton is one of the best-known natural fabrics. The fibre grows around the seeds of the cotton plant and cotton has been used since about 3000 BC. Cotton is soft, strong, flame retardant, hypo-allergenic and easy to wash. It is the most popular natural fabric used in making clothing. It is also used to make home furniture, bags and medical products. Heavyweight cotton fabric can be used to make items such as shoes and tents.

Hemp is quite unusual in that it is both very soft and durable. It can be used for many things from work clothing to home decoration such as table linens, dish towels and sheets. It has a great luster and dyes easily.

Another widely used natural fabric is jute. It is economical and strong, reusable and repairable. Jute fabric comes in a number of varieties including Hessian, CBC, sacking, a heavy fabric variety, jute yarn, webbing and non-woven felt. It is a good insulator of electricity and heat. Examples of items made from jute fabric include fashion apparel, soft luggage, backing for carpets, inner spring webbing for car seats and bags or sacks for packing.

A natural fabric with interesting natural textures is leather. Leather is elastic and soft and very comfortable to wear. It does not pick up the surrounding temperature so is comfortable in heat or cold. As well as being made into clothing and shoes, is also used for belts, sofas, harnesses, wallets and many other things. Various types of leather include suede, nubuck, embossed leather and aniline leather which shows all the natural textures and scars.

Linen is hypo-allergenic and protects against sun radiation. It has been used for over 10,000 years and is luxurious and comfortable. Linen is obtained from the flax plant. It is strong and can absorb up to 20 times its own weight in liquid. It is used for rugs, painting canvases and apparel.

Ramie is stronger than linen or cotton. It is obtained from the ramie plant. Ramie is strong, absorbent and can be dyed easily. Its uses include clothing, pillow cases, tablecloths, sacks and cable insulation.

The strongest natural fabric in the world is silk, which is obtained from the cocoons of silk worms. Silk is luxurious, beautiful and keeps you warm in the cold or cool in the heat. Silk is used in clothing, medical textiles and home furnishings.

Another very durable yet soft fabric is wool. Wool comes from sheep, goats and even Angora rabbits. It has been used in clothing for over 12,000 years. There are various types of wool such as chenille, flannel, felt, tweed and melton. Wool is warm and absorbs moisture well. Wool is used in blankets, carpets and clothing.

Fabric blends are made of different types of fibres twisted together. This can result in an item that is easier to clean, care for or more comfortable. Polyester blended with cotton is very common. Silk can be blended with wool to result in a subtle texture, for example in making ties. Ramie blended with acrylic results in a softer fabric which is easier to care for.

C and H Fabrics online at http://www.candh.co.uk/ offer a great variety of textile products including curtains, blinds and cushions.

Synthetic fibres are made from chemicals and can have superior properties to natural fibres such as cotton or silk. Synthetic textiles are made from either inorganic products or a mixture of organic ones and chemicals. Some can be strong and durable. Some might dry extra quickly and others might be absorbent or very easy to dye.

One example of a synthetic textile is acetate, which is made from the cellulose resulting from the deconstruction of wood pulp or cotton. Acetate is soft and silky and drapes well. It dyes well but does not absorb moisture easily which means it dries quickly. Acetate is resistant to mildew and shrinkage and is often used to make linings because it absorbs moisture from the body. Acetate is also used to make home furnishings such as drapes and bedspreads.

Another synthetic textile is acrylic which is soft and luxurious and also drapes well. It is not a heavy fabric but it gives warmth. It was originally used to make outdoor goods but now is common in clothing and carpet although pure acrylic can result in pilling. It can be dyed to bright colours. Acrylic is made from a petrochemical called acrylontrile.

Latex fabric derives from the latex fibre which comes from the milky or colourless sap of certain plants. It can be mixed with other fibres to make materials such as spandex. It is resistant to light and heat and is waterproof. Examples of latex products include gloves, soles and mattress pads.

Nylon is a polymide which is made from petroleum. It was discovered by a chemist named Du Pont. It is durable and lightweight. Nylon is quick drying and cleans easily because dirt does not cling. It can be static and does not absorb moisture so, if used it clothing, it can be clammy in the heat. Examples of nylon products include luggage, carpeting materials and hosiery because of its elastic recovery ability.

Polyester is soft and strong, resistant to shrinkage and does not stretch. It is a polymer which is produced from coal, water, air and petroleum products. It can blend with natural fibres such as cotton or wool or with artificial ones, to increase the fabric more durable and easier to wash. It can be used in clothing, filling for upholstery, floor coverings and insulation.

Rayon is created by the regeneration of natural materials. It is made from wood pulp and its properties are similar to those of linen or cotton. There are various types of rayon including regular, high tenacity, high wet modulus and microfibers. High tenacity rayon is strong and used mainly in industry. Regular rayon is often used in clothing. High wet modulus has high wet strength and microfibers are fine and silky.

Another example of synthetic textiles is spandex which can stretch up to 600 times and bounce back. Because of its elasticity, spandex is often used in apparel. It blends well with other fabrics, especially rayon, wool or silk. It is light and very comfortable to wear. Spandex is easy to dye and absorbs moisture and body oils. It is often used in hosiery and lingerie.

C and H Fabrics online at http://www.candh.co.uk/ offer a great variety of textile products including curtains, blinds and cushions.

Whether you’re checking out the newest Louis Vuitton creation or more than happy with the tiny backpack that was so popular in the 90’s, you’re part of a long tradition that goes back to the Egyptians. Every woman has had the experience of knowing that she’s carrying exactly what she needs in her bag and being able to produce it with a flourish, but you may not have known that the experience goes back so far!

5000 years ago, during what is normally termed the Neolithic era, people had primitive pouches that in which to carry their worldly belongings. One of the oldest bodies ever discovered, that of Otzi, the Iceman, was found with a belt pouch around his waist. In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, men are seen with pouches tied to their belts as well.

The first mention of handbags in written literature shows up during the 14th century in Europe, when men can be seen wearing fabric or leather bags that hung from girdles, which were a kind of fabric sash. Much like today, you could tell quite a bit about a person from the type of bag that they wore. People who could afford it would have their bags embroidered or set with jewels.

By the 16th century, there was a rise of bags that were carried using straps rather than tied to the belt. A variety of materials like leather and cloth were used and a variety of methods were found to decorate them. Less than a hundred years after that, men and women were carrying smaller bags with more complex shapes to them. These accessories could be fashion statements in and of themselves as young girls learned to embroider and personalize them.

During the 19th century, when women disliked the look of the handbag that was carried over the shoulder, handbags shrank again, were carried in the hand and were called reticules. The reticule served to transport things like rouge, visiting cards, and lemon water for scent; it was the 19th century equivalent of carrying some lipstick, a PDA and some perfume!

By 1900s, the term “handbag” came into circulation, but it usually referred to more masculine, hand-held luggage bags. These bulky items were shrunken and then decorated within an inch of their life by women’s fashion designers. The handbags become even more feminized with the addition of specialized internal compartments, decorative fasteners and locks.

The 1920’s saw the birth of the flapper, and to match the breezier, more carefree look, handbags became more artistic, with a focus on beading and elegant silver clasps. When King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered, it resulted in many purses with an Egyptian motif. By the 1950s, many familiar names like Chanel, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton were making an appearance.

Today, handbags come in all manner of shapes and sizes, and there’s no telling what exciting new changes the next generation will bring!

C&H Fabrics online at http://www.candh.co.uk/ offer a great variety of textile products including fashion handbags, cushions and curtains.

It is May and this is the time of year when gift giving can become very expensive. We start off having to dole out for Mom, and this is a gift that no one on the planet can escape from. Enter June and the wedding, bridal, and anniversary season. Depending on how social you are, this can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. In the Italian culture it is not uncommon to have a wedding to go to every weekend for the entire summer.

Gift giving nowadays is getting much more complicated with the increase in technology available to us. It seems that everyone already HAS everything and finding that perfect gift is next to impossible. When it comes to jewelry however, the spring and summer months seem to symbolize the diamond and endless possibilities of gift ideas. The diamond is not just for the newly affianced anymore; it truly is a gift for everyone. The greatest advantage of giving a diamond is that it is a timeless gift, it will never go out of style and regardless of what you spend on it, it will only appreciate in value.

If you decide that diamonds are going to be the gifts you give this year, do not waste time at a commercial jeweler. Find an established diamond store in your area that specializes only in diamonds. The reason is you are going to find better quality diamonds, and a more unique selection. With the commercial retailers, all of their jewelry is mass produced, and that is reflected in their pricing. If you are looking for gifts as unique as the people you are giving them to, specialized diamond stores will be able to meet all of your needs.

The three C’s for giving diamonds as gifts are: cut, color, and clarity. Your diamond store will be able to help you with these. Cut is noted as the shape of the diamond and the terms will be princess, emerald, round, and so on. Color is the color of the diamond and they are rated from the letters D-X. The lower the letter in the alphabet, the better the color. So, the X range of diamonds is going to look on the yellow side. D is the whitest clearest color available, and consequently more expensive. Clarity is the quality of the diamond and its state of perfection. They are rated from flawless, to VVS1 and VVS2, VS1and VS2, and S12 SI2 and SI3, and I1 I2 and I3. A flawless diamond is just that, and the closer you get to the I grouping the more imperfections in your diamond. All of the choices you make for the big 3 C’s will depend largely on your budget.

Your diamond stores are going to be able to help you find the perfect gifts when it comes to your budget. Sometimes it is better to go for quality than size. Try getting a smaller diamond now, and you will have nicer color and clarity. Try to avoid a big diamond that is going to be full of inclusions and tinged with color. A woman that knows her diamonds will appreciate gifts in small packages if they are high quality.

Ajeet Khurana writes about life, the universe and everything. He recommends Gift Ideas at http://www.rollingidea.com Diamond Stores at http://www.diamondtrend.com/ and Business Gifting at http://www.giftingbiz.com

A home big or small is perpetually equipped with innumerable appliances. In the busy schedule one does not have enough time to complete petty routine jobs as it is time consuming and relentless.

Thanks to the advancement in science and technology that has lead to various innovative techniques to help the home makers. Many home appliances like mixers & grinders, microwave ovens, laundry appliances, are specially designed to assist in daily household chores. The washers and dryers are no exception. In fact the burden is totally reduced with the presence of washers and dryers. Half of the monotonous job is undertaken by these appliances relieving the whole lot of time to be spent constructively.

Washers and dryers are available in a wide range of collection. Some of the prominent brands are LG, Samsung, Bosch, Sears and many more with almost similar features. All these brands are more or less similar as they try to succeed each other and end up giving their best by manufacturing the appliances with typical facilities. Basically, all washers and dryers perform similar functions like scrubbing clothes and wringing the water out by spinning. Adding to these basic functions, many sophisticated functions are facilitated with the controls like electronic timer and its control. Handling these appliances must be done with utmost care and awareness. It is difficult to imagine leading life without these house hold items like washers and dryers.

Washers and dryer’s combinations are very effective and useful as they save energy, time, space, and are facilitated with no venting system. Similarly, dish washers were considered to be a luxurious appliance previously. But now it is a prominent house hold item as the work is done efficiently and quickly.

Acquiring washers and dryers must be done after collecting adequate information on the various brands available and its facilities. Today, market is flooded with household appliances leading to confusion. Initially one must take references from their friends and relatives about the product. The next few steps to follow are a purchaser should go to few shops and note the differences. Enquire for discounts and check whether the specifications fulfill his requirement.

Checking through online also proves handy while purchasing. Similarly, the instruction book should provide enough guidelines to understand the operating techniques. The most important point is that the brand you are purchasing should have a service centre in the local areas. Finally, the warranty period ought to be supportive as they should be prepared to offer us the after sales service during the warranty period. One should be precise about the terms and the extent of its coverage before purchasing washers and dryers.

James Brown writes about http://www.homeappliancesonsale.com

Snowboarding is a sport that most teenagers are fond of. Even adults are crazy about it. The sport may be similar to skiing but it was surfing and skateboarding that stimulated it. Like the different sports mentioned, snowboarding is possessed by inordinate excitement. Imagine descending along those ice-covered slopes with a snowboard tied to your feet in whatever style you like. There’s freestyle, freeride, freecarve and whatnot to choose from. But that excitement could crush in a second with the wrong snowboard boots on.

Snowboard boots are the most significant equipment in the snowboarding sport whether for a novice or an experienced snowboarder. Thus, it is important to take on these tips when buying snowboard boots as a preventative measure.

Always try on the boots. Never purchase a boot because it looks like you could fit into it. When you do try it on, make sure to wear the socks you’d wear it with. Once you’ve strapped the boots onto the board, take note of how it is holding your feet. Is it too tight or too lose? It should be tight enough. Feel the parts that are hurting your feet. As much as possible, you shouldn’t be feeling any strain in wearing the boots for this could become a problem afterwards. Test the boots as long as you could. If it’s still comfortable then it’s the right boots.

Choose the boots with a reduced heel lift. When you slip on the boots, try to bend into a turn using your toe and see if it lifts your heels. If your heels do lift, try on another. As much as possible, it should be the board that lifts and your heels should be in place.

Check out the insides. Go for the boots that give a more accurate fit and one that can easily be adjusted. Also, you should choose the boots that have a removable inside layer. This way, it would not be difficult to dry out when its insides get wet.

Think of it as an investment. Just like regular shoes, expensive pairs give more quality. When it comes to snowboarding boots, the more costly it is, the more advanced it is in terms of features. It might not be a need but these features can make your snowboarding ride a treat rather than a torment. You want to give your best performance and you wouldn’t want to be experiencing any injury.

James Brown writes about http://www.onlineshoesdepot.com