Scottish Textiles

Often when sale time comes many people rush out to grab a bargain or two to save some money, however are the clothes you bought from the sale at a discounted price a bargain? Will you actually wear them or is usually a purchase you buy with the thought that it will come in handy but never actually get round to wearing like a super pretty, sparkly women’s t-shirt or the oh so pretty dress. So if fact the bag full of cheap clothes you have bought won’t be a bargain after all when they were full price you didn’t buy them and managed without so spending money now al be it a little less can’t be considered a saving.

However sales aren’t all that bad you can sometimes find great value clothing that you can get wear out of time and time again such as wardrobe basics but these can be hard to find because sales normally consist of throw away fashion clothing that’s in this year but might not be for another couple of years. You need to keep your eye out for items such as plain shirts, t-shirts, vest tops and jackets, clothing that is simple and timeless that you can mix and match with others. Other every day clothes such as trousers and jeans are a great buy especially at sale prices especially as simple styled jeans or black trousers and skirts never go out of fashion. Another good buy if you can find one is every girls wardrobe staple the Little Black Dress (LBD) look for something plain without any trendy features that can be out of fashion in the next breath.

The main thing to remember above all else when sale shopping is to think will I actually wear this, now, next year or years to come.

Fashion evolves all the time, but there are some things that never change and one of those is how to choose the clothes that will flatter your body shape. Choosing the right style can make all the difference to how you look and feel and give you confidence, below are some things to remember when you next visit a clothes shop.

Pear shaped women have broad hips, a relatively small bust and a pronounced waist. If you fall into this type you should avoid clothes that draw attention to your hips. This includes items such as jackets or trousers that finish at the waist. Select fitted tops to draw attention to your bust and avoid lighter colours on your bottom half as this will accentuate the width. Darker shades and structured cuts are best, while bold tops in eye-catching colours will also draw attention to your upper half.

If you have the classic hourglass figure you should select clothes that show off your curves. Choosing clothes that skim the body, neither too loose nor too tight will flatter your figure. Accessorise with belts or tops that tie at the waist to accentuate your shape. Fitted waist-length jackets and tops will flatter your shape, but avoid shapeless tunics. Pencil skirts and scoop necks are also good choices.

Women who have a boyish figure should show off their slender legs. Choose skirts and dresses that lengthen the appearance of the torso. V-neck shirts or tops with a low collar will draw attention to your neck. Avoid belts, shirts or dresses that gather at the waist. Women with small busts can wear a wide range of tops, backless, strapless or plunge necks will flatter neat proportions.

If you have a round figure with a large bust, narrow hips and a round stomach you can still dress in chic styles. Typically, such women have lean legs and drawing attention to these will be their best bet. Wear tops with a longer neckline, but avoid broad collars or polo necks. Tunics are a good choice, but avoid anything that is tight fitting. Narrow belts that blend with the colour of your outfit are also a good choice. If you have a large bust then a good bra is essential. Avoid tops or dresses that don’t allow you to wear a bra underneath.

Selfridge’s new boutique the Forever Shop which is open from now through to 15 August in the Wonder Room concept store area and it features items that have transcended fashion history to become timeless style staples, which is a refreshing change in these times of throw away fashion.

In the collection you will find something for everyone with inimitable pieces, that even a fashion novice should recognise like the Chanel 2.55 handbag and the quintessentially English Burberry trench to the cult classic, white Converse All Star and Doctor Martin’s black eight hole boot. On top of this you will be able to admire a selection of culture-shaping works of design and literature to ponder, that will give you an insight on how fashion developed.

The pieces in this collection have been handpicked by the best in the fashion business, those who have lent their expertise with this include: Selfridges’ Creative Director, Allannah Weston, British design legend Paul Smith and Elle Decorations Editor-in-Chief, Michelle Ogundehin.

Selfridges’ Creative Director, Allannah Weston, believes now is the right time to host such a store saying “The pieces selected by our curators are the true heirlooms and keepsakes of fashion and design with real longevity and appeal. They are the reference points that are often reinterpreted but never bettered, presented for the first time in one place. We have been talking about bringing together the pieces that define ageless style for a while, and now just seemed the perfect time for our Forever Shop.”

When it comes to doing sports in winter, you need your kit to be comfortable but to also keep you warm and dry when the weather turns bad and for summer you need it to keep you cool and dry when the temperature rises, so now we are into summer, and the kids are about to break up from school it’s an ideal time to think about changing your sports clubs kit. Many clubs use t shirt printing to have their teams name on and any sponsorship, so it’s not that hard to have a summer kit also printed up onto a new summer kit.

No matter what sport you play you need your kit to be practical, comfortable and of high quality, so you need to make sure you use a reliable retailer, such as online printing company Splash Logo who offer a wide range of sports clothes. Anything from football, golf, cricket and rugby to performance wear, motorsports sailing and cycling, logo’s , embalms and sponsorship can easily be put on using various high quality long lasting printing methods. They also offer a quick turnaround time so if you need a new kit in a hurry they are the ideal option.

Fashion designer Stella McCartney is set to take over as Addidas’s Olympic Creative Director and will be designing a fashion athletic kit for those taking part in the 2012 games, Stella already designs a best-selling line for the label. A UK adidas official said: ‘This is the ultimate fusion of performance and style,’ at her appointment, Stella’s latest adidas designs include a gorgeous glow in the dark running range, which will be launched soon.

Speaking about her designs that not only look great but are also affordable, Stella said: ‘When you are running in an urban environment, you need to feel safe, when people can see you coming and stand out, especially in winter when it gets dark earlier, but at the same time we used it on a leopard print, so it’s not so masculine and graphic. We also have glow-in-the-dark key rings which have a nice sense of humour, which you can have if you are a man, a woman, or a kid.’

Determining the right colour to wear can make all the difference to the impression that you create. Skin tones can be divided into seasons so the first step in choosing the correct colour for both women’s and men’s clothing is to decide which skin tone you are.

People with winter complexions have blue or pink undertones. Their skin may be pale white, yellowish olive or dark. Winter people are usually brunettes with deep coloured eyes; many people of African or Asian descent will fall into this category. If you fall into this category you should choose sharp, stark colours and black, navy blue, white, red or shocking pink go well with this type of complexion. If you want a lighter colour go for icy colours rather than pastels and avoid subdued tones such as gold, orange or beige.

Summer complexions similarly have blue or pink undertones. Summer people have skin that is pale and pink and are often natural blondes or brunettes with pale eyes. Soft neutrals or pastels with blue and rose undertones go well with summer complexions. Plum, rose-brown, lavender and soft blue are good choices, but avoid orange and black.

Autumn complexions have golden undertones and many brunettes and redheads with golden brown eyes fall into this category. If this is you, go for colours with golden undertones such as dark brown, gold, orange and camel, but avoid any colours with blue tones, such as navy.

As with autumn complexions, spring complexions have golden undertones and are usually peach or creamy white. Spring people tend to have strawberry red or straw-coloured hair with rosy cheeks and green or blue eyes. Good colours for spring complexions are warm colours, such as peach, golden yellow, golden brown and camel. People with spring complexions should avoid dull, dark colours.

No matter what styles are in each season you will be able to find something that suits your skin tone whether you wear a patterned dress, or something plain, for the guys as a smart shirt or t-shirt in a colours that suits your skin tone is all you need as part of your wardrobe essentials.

When it comes to fashion, denim is one of the most popular fabrics around. It was first developed as a fabric for work wear, but rapidly became popular as a fashion fabric. Most people have at least one denim item of clothing in their wardrobe, but more than half the population will have at least two pairs of jeans. 

Denim is no longer limited to one colour. There is a range of ‘washes’ available for different looks, from vintage wash, which is a faded colour, giving the impression of a well-worn fabric, to a standard wash, which is the dark blue denim that we are all familiar with. Two of the other washes that are popular include bleached and stone. 

When looking for denim clothes, most will be searching for the perfect pair of jeans. They come in a number of different styles, with leg cuts such as boot cut and straight leg as well as a wide range of waist styles. It is a good idea to try on several different pairs before buying, so that you find one that is the most flattering for your body shape and offers the most comfort. 

A denim jacket is the ultimate casual fashion item. There are lightweight versions, which are ideal for cooler summer days or heavier fabrics that are suitable for milder winter days. 

Denim clothing is available from most designers, although for those on a budget there is always a wide range of affordable shops to choose from. This fabric is always a popular choice when considering vintage clothing and jeans from the 1960s are much sought after. 

Denim, jeans especially really do go with most things and can be easily dressed down for a casual day look with a t-shirt or vest top or dressed up for a glamorous evening look with a pretty top and great accessories.

Denim selection

Red carpet fashion is a much-publicised phenomena and each time there is a film premier or awards ceremony the fashion journalists are eager to decide which designers are in favour at the moment and to spot the latest fashion trends among the stars. They are also very keen to highlight the stars that have made a fashion faux pas. 

The stars that usually get a good write-up from the fashion editors are those who keep it simple. Male celebrities are usually fairly safe if they turn up in a tuxedo and keep their hair neat, but their female counterparts can come in for a lot of criticism if they do not look absolutely perfect. An overly fussy hairstyle and neckline can take the polish off a look and leave the journalists wondering where the stylist was. 

Awards ceremonies tend to show fashion trends; for example, the Oscars ceremony a couple of years ago saw a number of ‘A’ list female stars opt for flesh-coloured dresses. Other years have seen trends for black, silver or red, but it is worth remembering that these trends change very quickly.

Some retailers will see a dress on the red carpet and very quickly bring out a similar item at high street prices, although most people rarely have the occasion to wear them. The designers that are showcased on the red carpet often have their careers made or broken by the clothes that the celebrities wear. It is the perfect opportunity for an unknown designer to become better known and some have become overnight sensations. 

There are many things every day that cause damage to our hair, some things we can prevent, others we can protect against, many people do not realise the damage daily styling does to their hair, from washing it, to drying it and styling with ghd hair straighteners, as well as lots of brushing.

But fear not there are a couple of things to do that will help you hair and keep it looking as good as possible.

Firstly to prevent breakage when your hair is wet, you should never ever brush it with a brush, instead use a wide toothed comb, and when drying your hair and styling it make sure you use a heat protection spray, such as ghd thermal protector. If you spend a lot of money having your hair done, there is not point on saving with shampoo and conditioner, instead opt for good quality salon recommended ones, although they are generally more expensive you will find you don’t need to use as much of the product and because they are designed specifically for salons they will work well with your hair.

If you have dry damaged hair from excess styling or dying then it’s worthwhile every so often doing a conditioning treatment for your hair to replenish lost moisture, there are many different types available from ones that you leave in for 10 minutes to those you can leave in overnight.

During the summer you also need to remember it’s not only your skin that needs protecting from harmful UV rays, your hair does too, you can get hair sunscreen which you can spray into your hair, it’s also advisable especially if you have coloured hair to wear a hat otherwise it will fade much quicker.

Men have it so much easier to women when it comes to fashion choices, and for most this is just fine, it makes it easy to choose what to wear and generally doesn’t require much looking into what’s ‘in’ fashion every season. However there are a number of you guys who seem to be unable to dress with a bit of style, wearing men’s clothing that’s ten years out of date, ill fitting clothes and generally not being able to dress your age.

You don’t have to be a fashion expert to dress smartly all it takes is a bit of common sense and realise that you are no longer a teenager so some things are not suitable to wear anymore. Most of you will spend most of your time when you’re out wearing jeans so you need to make sure they fit properly, you don’t want them sliding down your bottom showing off your not so nice pants, trust me the world does not want to see that. Instead opt for a well fitting pair of straight leg designer jeans, and if they are not snug around the waist pop on a belt, not only will it keep them in place but it also finishes off an outfit.

If you like going out on a night to pubs and clubs you may find that many have a dress code policy, wearing smart dark jeans and a fitted shirt with shoes should stop you from being denied entry but it will also make look much more smart than wearing trainers and a logo t-shirt.