Scottish Textiles

Scottish Tartans & History

August 25, 2010

Choosing the Right Summer Dress for You

Summer dresses come in all styles, colours and fabrics, and are an integral part of women’s clothing so how do you know which one will suit you? The best idea is to find one you like and try it on. A helpful and honest shop assistant is ideal in these circumstances as they can offer advice about any changes necessary. For example, a dress with an A line skirt might not suit you, and you will need someone to tell you it doesn’t look right, and not allow you to make what could be a very expensive purchase.

Dressing to suit your body shape will make you look better; therefore it is also a confidence booster. Curvier ladies may find that floaty fabrics are best as they do not cling to any lumps and bumps that you may wish to keep hidden. Drawing attention away from your problem areas is also a good idea, and this can be done easily with a few well thought out accessories.

Those slimmer ladies may find that more fitted style dresses are ideal as they accentuate the waist area and give the illusion of curves. Floaty style clothing is more likely to just hang loose around the hips and appear shapeless.

Dresses in cotton or linen fabrics are ideal in hot weather as they allow the skin to breathe. Man-made fabrics tend to make the wearer feel hotter and therefore more uncomfortable. Colours of clothing is also important as it is very easy to appear ‘washed out’ just by choosing a coloured item of clothing that does not compliment the skin tone.

August 23, 2010

Shoe Shopping Online

It is always a worry buying clothes, shoes and other garments online as one can never be sure of fit or comfort. Often colours and styles can look slightly different in reality from how they appeared on the webpage. There are several ways to avoid the worry which makes shopping for clothes and footwear bargains online less enjoyable.

Choosing an already established high street outlet that has an online ordering service is one of the best ways to avoid problems. If this is a store you use regularly, you will already be aware of the size fluctuations and can order online accordingly.

An established and reputable company will also have a good customer service department for any queries and problems that may arise. If choosing a company that is not as well known, and there is difficulty in contacting them prior to purchase, then that would give cause for concern and it would be wise not to proceed any further, particularly in regards to making any kind of payment to them.

As shoes should always be tried on before purchase, this is a problem when buying online. Many reputable companies have a measuring service and measuring guides that can be sent out prior to purchase, which is one way to get around the problem, although this is not always convenient for a purchase that is needed in a hurry.

There are many bargains to be found shopping for clothes and shoes online, but first and foremost it pays to be cautious about which companies receive your money.

August 21, 2010

Festival fun t-shirts

If you have got your tickets booked for some of the festivals that are coming up you will most probably be hoping for some sunny and dry weather so your clothes don’t get ruined. However the forecasts at the moment don’t look that promising but if you are worried you’ll get wet and your favourite band t-shirt will get ruined so why not create your own designs so you don’t have to take your favourite t-shirt. It’s easy to make a t-shirt featuring your favourite band or artist you can use t shirt printing to do this.

Your design can be of anything you want such as favourite band, artist or musical preference then all you simply have to do is have it printed up using an online printing company such as Splash Logo, who use various methods to bring your design to life. Plus it’s not just t-shirts they offer, they also stock a wide range of clothing such as vest tops, hoodies, jackets as well as accessories such as bags and hats, all of which can be printed on using suitable methods. 

An because its your own personal design no one else will have anything like it

August 19, 2010

Choosing the Right Style Trousers

Many women find it difficult to choose trousers that suit them.  This is because not only do the trousers come in all shapes and sizes, but so do the women.  It is important not to rely on the latest fashion trends when it comes to choosing a style, but to opt for one that will flatter your shape and feel comfortable to wear.

Petite, slim women are very lucky in that they are able to wear fitted and narrow leg styles of trousers.  They are not really suited to the wide leg or flared styles of trousers as these unbalance the body.  Taller women may find that the narrow styles of trousers add even more height to their figure, but by wearing a style with a wider leg it helps to reduce the appearance of height. 

Those with a fuller figure should avoid tight styles of trousers and opt instead for a looser style with some tailoring at the waist.  This helps to make the waist look slimmer and other clothes can be added to the outfit to slim the figure.

Pear shaped women have heavier hips and do find it hard to find trousers in the right styles.  Fitted waists will again help to slim the look and if you are also tall, a straight legged trouser – as opposed to a narrow leg – can help with both issues. 

It is important to try the trousers on before you buy, and if you do not feel comfortable you should not consider them

August 18, 2010

Accessorising Evening Wear for Men

Choosing the right accessories can really make or break an outfit. Choosing the wrong accessories is the easiest way to ruin what could otherwise be a very good look, and both men and women are guilty of doing so.

Accessorising men’s designer clothing, particularly formal wear, is easy to do. One simple way of accessorising is by choosing the correct cufflinks. Smart cufflinks that are plain or that include a colour that matches the tie give a very classy and elegant look. Novelty cufflinks can give the suit a funky feel, and this is rarely right for a formal occasion.

Shoes and socks can also let down the look one is trying to achieve by wearing a smart suit. Black shoes can be teamed with any colour suit and are often thought of as the dressiest shoe. The socks should match the colour of the trousers.

The laces on a shoe also tell a lot about the wearer; for instance, lacing up in a criss cross pattern is usually reserved for more casual shoes and running shoes, while dress shoes should be laced horizontally.  Pocket hankies should match the wearer’s tie colour; in the event that no tie will be worn, then it should match the shirt colour.

The trick is to not over-do it. Some may think that wearing several rings and many chains around ones neck for a formal occasion shows wealth, but in fact it has the opposite effect and looks very cheap. A smart watch and a simple wedding band (if applicable) is often all that is needed.

August 13, 2010

Tips for Buying Children’s Clothes

Shopping for children’s clothes can be hard work, particularly if you are traipsing around the shops with a couple of bored children and no idea what to get them.  There are a few ways in which the process can be made easier.
 
If your children have grown recently then you should go armed with their sizes.  This saves a great deal of time trying things on to see which size you need.  If you also talk to your children beforehand so as to get a good idea of what they would like to wear, that will help too.  This way you can go straight to what you are looking for without the need to go hunting.

Girls’ clothes can always be awkward as there is usually a much wider range than there is for boys, but girls have a fixed idea of what they like and what they do not, so it can be easier in some ways.  Some girls will go through phases of liking one particular colour, but it is a good idea to buy items in different colours as their tastes can change on a regular basis. 

Boys are less inclined to be fussy and will generally be happy with jeans and t-shirts if buying for casual wear.  The problems may come when they need something a little more formal.  Boys do have their own tastes but have less patience when it comes to buying clothes so the shorter the shopping trip, the better.

August 5, 2010

Colour pop

Summer is still here even though new Autumn/Winter clothes have been trickling into high street clothes shops, so make the most of the sun and inject a pop of colour into every outfit for an instant hint of cool and a notice me style.

It’s a great way to wear the hottest clothes of the summer, team a block colour piece with elegant neutrals for a stand-out-from-the-crowd style, and a great way to spice up a boring piece of clothing and add a sense of fun and excitement to your look. Plus there is nothing better than a bit of colour on a dreary British summer’s day!

This summer’s ‘colours’ include turquoise, tomato puree, fusion coral, violet, aurora and amparo blue, and these are what you should be mixing into your wardrobe, either as statement on pieces or as the odd top or skirt to mix and match as well as funky bright accessories like scarves, belts and bags. However it is important to remember as great as these colours look on the rack they may not do the same for you when you have them on. You need to make sure you pick colours that really compliment your skin tone, if you have a warm skin tone, you will look best in reds, oranges and yellows and if you have a cool skin tone blues, purples and pinks will look best on you.

Wearing bright colours will also give you a boost, they evoke thoughts of the tropics with tropical flowers, tropical fruit and green rain forests and they will get you in the summer mood.

Colour pop

Colour pop

July 28, 2010

Useful clothes to buy from sales

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.