How to Dress in Retro Clothes

Sometimes it seems like fashions these days are uninspired, while fashions of yesteryear are so much cooler. Don't settle for the same elderly clothes as everyone else when there is so much beauty & mystique in the fashions of previous generations, & it is within your grasp to sport those retro fashions. Retro clothes can give you a new persona, & whether you wear a pair of bell bottoms or you swap your entire wardrobe for matching tweed pencil skirts & jackets from the 1940s, your style will never go unnoticed again.

1.

Pick a time period. If there is a decade in particular that you think has great fashions, select it as the basis for your first retro outfit---or maybe even for your entire wardrobe.

2.

Study the fashion of that time period. You can find information from primary sources from that time period such as movies or old sewing patterns, or you can use secondary sources, such as books about that time period or Internet sites detailing retro styles.

3.
Make a trip to the vintage store or thrift shop. If you are choosing retro fashion from more than 40 years ago, you'll have more luck going to a vintage clothing store to find items you like than to a thrift store, where only more recent clothes are still regularly donated and put on the shelves. Antique stores, usually more expensive, can also provide great retro finds.

4.
Get yourself a sewing machine and learn to sew. This is essential for making sure you have all the retro essentials, for chances are you won't be able to find everything you need at the store. Plus, buying a new set of clothes can be expensive. Retro patterns can often be found online or at antique stores.

5.
Find or make accessories. Accessories are essential for completing a retro outfit. Vintage purses, necklaces and neckties can be bought or handmade without much trouble or expense.

How to Seek a Personal Shopper

Finding a personal shopper can save you a lot of time, money and frustration when buying clothes. A nice personal shopper will know what sizes and styles work best on you and will filter out a lot of things that don't work. There's a few ways to seek a personal shopper and get the most out of your wardrobe makeover.

Instructions:

• Take inventory of your closet. Look through your closet and figure out what clothes you need and where you can get them from. If your need is mostly for suits, you will be contacting a professional atelier or other suit maker. If you need a total closet makeover or are beginning a job and need professional pieces as well as a variety of new items, your best bet is to use a department store service.

• Contact the wholesale store or atelier where you require to shop. Ask if they offer a personal shopping service. these services are free. You may be expected to purchase a positive amount of clothing, however, to be eligible for the service; that amount will vary by store & by your clothing needs

• Set up an appointment to meet with a personal shopper at the store you have contacted. Your personal shopper may be a specialist in the type of clothing you need or someone on staff who has an opening. You may be asked to bring in some items that you like so the personal shopper can receive a sense of your personal style. The personal shopper will also take your measurements and perform an in-depth consultation with you about your clothing needs, because they may know better than you do about what would be appropriate for sure settings, locations and events. If you are unhappy with your personal shopper for any reason or feel that you are not connecting, don't waste your time. In lieu, speak to the manager of the personal shopping department before your shopper begins pulling items for you and ask to be matched up with someone else. You will be called in at a later date when your personal shopper has pulled pieces for you to try on.
  

How to Avoid Fleeting Fashion Styles

#Step 1- Develop and keep your own style. Trust your instincts about what looks best with your coloring, habits, personality and place in the world.

#Step 2- Adopt what you truly like, but recognize that it may not be the last word forever.

#Step 3- Understand the process. Be aware of why, as well as when, a trend is cooling. Fashion trends and fads can happen because a style is cool (heavy-soled shoes) or fun (temporary tattoos) or even shocking (lingerie as outerwear).

#Step 4- Adapt the style you want to adopt. For example, is everyone wearing short shorts but you just can't? Add a piece of fabric or ribbon to your hems so you can wear them short but not as short as everyone else.

#Step 5- Mix trendy pieces with classic ones.

#Step 6- Break some rules; bend others. If the fashion is large breasts, get a maximizer bra and avoid the more radical surgery route. If straight hair is in, use large rollers and blow-dry your hair before you chemically straighten your ringlets.

#Step 7- Develop confidence: Take a class, read fashion magazines, get a makeup lesson, get your colors done.

#Step 8- Learn about fashion, style, tips and tricks, then go out and make your own fashion news.

Tips & Warnings

• Take a long look at yourself before you go on a shopping safari. Will those capris go with your voluptuous body type and your weakness for biker boots?
• Realize that a stylish woman with purple hair can carry it off if she's confident.
• Impulse buys are for gratification in haste and repentance at length.

Tips and tricks to finding your best clothing cut:

It’s a woman thing- You see that beautiful shirt in the store- you buy your size, thinking it will look great, you take it home.. Then disaster hits. The bust is too small. Or the bottom is too short. Or that once strategically- placed bow hits at an unflattering angle.

The biggest, simplest trick to buying clothing you will look good in is to try them on at the store. And if you’re pressed for time and can’t, remember to save the receipt and to keep the tags on the clothes as you try them on at home, so if you don’t like them, you can return them. Keep in mind, though.. Not all stores allow you to return things, and all stores that do have a policy- 10 days, 20 days, so on and so forth.

Tips and tricks to finding your best clothing cut:

You need to decide which body type you are: Pear, Hourglass, or Ice cream cone?

Refer to the category that best describes you:

Pear: You are small on the top, and bigger on the bottom.
Clothing to wear: find clothing that puts focus on your waist, not your hips. Higher belted coats are a good example. Make sure to pick tops that show off your beautiful shoulders, as they will bring attention away from your waist. Straight boots are good to cover up your calves. You should not wear side pockets, but rather go for pants that do not have any pockets at all, as it will have a slimming effect on your hips.

Ice Cream Cone: You are bigger on top and smaller on bottom. Clothing to wear: clothing that drapes off you creates curves where they aren’t there, which is good for this body type. Skinny jeans and leggings show off your legs like no other pair of pants ever will. You should go with strappy, delicate heels, to show off your ankles. Stilettos are a beautiful add- on, as well.

Hourglass: you have big boobs and ample hips, and a waist to kill for. Clothing to wear: Tight on top and tight on bottom- pencil skirts work well with this body shape, but they have to sit at the waist. Some high- waisted skinny jeans, with rounded toe shoes, work well also. V- neck shirts paired with a belt at the waist work wonders.

These are the most common, basic body types. Hopefully, the next time you go shopping, this article will help you to not make another mistake- you won’t have to spend your time taking things back, and you’ll be happier in the end. And your closet will thank you!

5 Slimming Style Tricks

Haven’t lost those last 5 pounds yet? Don’t fret! From the ultimate slimming accessory to advice on what kind of pants to avoid, we’ve got 6 sure-fire ways to make you look longer and leaner. The best-part?: These tips work for both guys and gals!

1) Be a Cardie Shark:

Investing in a high-quality, light-weight cardigan—especially one with a slightly longer-than-usual cut. When buttoned-up, the sweater’s dapper-looking front creates a sleek, slimming vertical line and when worn open—to reveal a pants’ or skirts’ waistline—the contrast of horizontal lines makes legs look longer. Special bonus for the boys: A cool cardigan serves as a great suit jacket substitute for Casual Fridays.

2) Get Waisted:
While some are hesitant to emphasize their waist (which is often a trouble spot for gym-bunnies and couch potatoes alike), a cinched center creates the illusion of a lean’n’fit silhouette. So whatever you wear, belt it up before heading out the door! For guys this includes dress pants, khakis, and even jeans, while women should experiment by layering a belt over light-weight sweaters, long blouses, and sheath dresses to give some shape to their figure.

3) Cultivate the ¾ Length Coat Look
Owning a trim-looking outerwear garment is crucial: After all, it’s what many a colleagues and acquaintance see first when greeting you. To make a powerful initial impression, look for a coat that hits at the mid-thigh. Cold-weather versions with buttons on the top part of the coat make girls’ gams look supermodel-long while guys wearing similarly structured jackets turn into statuesque gents.

4) Go Full Blazer:
A dark-hued, well-fitting blazer is a wardrobe must-have for both sexes. (The most flattering proportions for almost any shape nip in slightly at the waist and hit just below the hip.) To make the most of this polished look, wear jacket unbuttoned and pair with a light-colored shirt: This contrast of hues in the center of your torso transforms your silhouette into one long, clean line from head to toe. This creates the all-important optical allusion of making your waist look thinner than it really is.

5.) Get the Perfect Pant:
Figuring out the ideal trouser length can be tricky stuff. A good rule of thumb is the longer the pant, the longer the legs appear. Another good rule: Never let your socks show! Ladies especially should remember this when wearing trousers with heels: If the pant skims the top of the foot it’s too short and can make the wearer seem squat. But don’t get too carried away when telling the tailor to add inches at the cuff: Floor-grazing pants will only make you seem sloppy, not lanky

Savvy Strategies for Some Shopping Problems

Problem: You hate fighting crowds and sorting through messy merchandise

Solutions: Shop during the middle of the week. Not only are stores less crowded on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday but you'll also get first dibs on new merchandise, according to many salespeople. "Retailers prefer to get their merchandise on the floor before the weekend, when it gets crowded,".

Wake up early. "The best time to shop is in the morning," The employees have yet to tire from irritable shoppers, the merchandise hasn't been picked over and displaced, and there's also comfort in the fact that you have time to come back for a purchase that needs to be mulled over."

Problem: You want to save time

Solutions: Make a shopping list. You write down fruit, cereal, and for the grocery store and even clothing store. Why hit a retail store, where you're likely to spend a lot more money, empty-handed? Write down what you want and where you plan to buy it.

Avoid the mall. If you're looking for just one or two things, you may want to stop at a boutique or a freestanding department store. "It's in the mall's best interest to place the best stores far inside, at the heart, away from the entrance, which is why stopping into one store at the mall ends up taking you a solid two hours,".

Shop alone. Women spend the most time in a store when they're shopping with a friend or a child, If you want to get in and out, go solo.

Problem: You're shy about asking for a discount

Solutions: Don't be shy. "Ask for a discount on anything you buy - but not for a specific amount off," Instead, leave things open-ended by asking, "Can you give me a better deal?" "If your salesperson isn't authorized, you may have to ask the manager," If you find a slight flaw or damage - or even if the product's packaging is mangled – you may be entitled to a discount.

Wait until the store has a major sale, when most items are already discounted 20 to 30 percent. After convincing the clerk or manager that you're serious about a larger-than-normal purchase, request an additional 10 to 20 percent discount to close the deal. "If she won't discount the items further, ask her to throw in shirts, shoes, ties, or socks at no additional cost," says Wayne Tate, who, after 25 years of practicing law, has mastered the art of negotiation in and out of the courtroom.

Dressing for Success in a Down Economy

Perhaps the most important upgrade is the suit. While you may not receive frowns in a 10-year-old suit, you will most likely get compliments when you upgrade to a modern style. Today's contemporary suits, such as the two-button, side-vented silhouettes by Adrian Jules, are less boxy than what was offered in the past with less excess fabric to make you look slimmer and more youthful.

For women, power dressing has never been easier. Feminine yet work-appropriate looks peppered the runways this spring. Pretty, structured skirt suits, high-waisted, wide-legged trousers and belted dresses by designers like Akris Punto and Michael Kors will be hitting the stores this fall.

Bag It
A serious "work bag" is another opportunity to make a statement. Women know this and often rotate their bags with the seasons. Men have a tendency to cling to a backpack or
beat-up briefcase. They'd be better off opting for a classic textured-leather messenger bag that will take one seamlessly from the office to the weekend, thanks to interior pockets for paper work, a cellphone, business cards and pens.

When "casual Friday" comes around, some make the dreadful mistake of thinking it's Saturday morning. The jeans that you wear to work should not be the same ones you wear to walk the dog and mow the lawn. Men should try dark and dressy washes in a stretch fabric with a medium rise. Women can play it safe with a bootcut unfaded stretch denim pair with no whiskers, abrasions or distressing.

Extras, Extras
Finally, wear accessories. While the last thing on, they are often the first thing noticed and shouldn't be an afterthought.
For women, statement jewelry is a must-have and can transform and immediately upgrade an outfit. Unlike men, whose options are restricted, women can tastefully go big and bold and can choose between a ring, bracelet, necklace, earrings or even a broach. The best part is that you don't need any other jewelry — just let the one eye-catching piece take the spotlight.

"Wearing the right jewelry shows a woman knows quality and she is not afraid to show it," she says. "It sends a powerful message that she has taken the time to prepare and understands the value of completing things — dotting her I's and crossing her T's. It shows she can communicate good judgment."