fashion

The best clothes for your children are not always the most costly ones. You can buy affordable clothes at thrift stores, yard sales and online auctions. Use these ideas to dress your kids nicely on a budget.

Bring the kids. Always try to shop with the kids along, so you can be sure whether the clothes fit them right and not waste money. Try on the clothing and see if it suits them well. Consider the following – your kid’s clothes should match their height, body type, activity level, and personal taste. Also think about the occasion and the weather the clothes would be worn in.

Buy good quality clothes.  You can tell the quality of the clothes just by looking at how the fabric is made. Is it tatty?  Does it have bumps in some areas? How perfect is the cut? Ensuring that the clothing has a long life will reduce the later cost of replacing them as they wear out.

Buy in volume.  To save money, try to buy clothing separates in bulk. Just be certain that eventually the items will get worn. Think about buying a larger size so that kids who grow quickly may still be able to wear them.

Look for bargains. Discounted clothing prices can be found at various stores when they have sales. You can buy clothes cheaply in off-season sales. Buy these a size larger than what your child currently wears so they will have grown into it when the season does come. Often, consignment stores will have stocks of items people have sold because they no longer liked them. This means they will still be in good order, sometimes with the original tag still on… so look for something your children can wear. This of course also goes for yard sales, eBay and opportunity or thrift stores.

Purchase classic things.  Trendy fashion clothing is dearer and quickly gets replaced with newer trends.  Seek classic, timeless items that your kids can wear over and over and still look stylish. Just add fashionable accessories to the ensemble to freshen up their looks.

Learn to sew kids’ clothes. There are many benefits to constructing your own clothes for your children. For one thing, you know they will fit really well. You can copy make copies of expensive designer trends using cheaper materials. In addition, you can sew clothes that the kids design through their own efforts. Finally, it can be far more inexpensive than purchasing store-made goods. The only con is that you must invest your own time, talent, and effort. In addition, consider showing your kids that they can stitch together clothing for themselves. This will take some creativity and patience! They may enjoy being useful and clever at the same time.

It’s a practical decision to supply your children with clothes inexpensively. If you spend less money on clothing, you can spend more on toys, vacations, or other things that you want. Enjoy being thrifty!…

Bomber jackets were originally designed with functionality in mind. Pilots in WWI needed something to keep them warm while they flew at freezing high altitudes. They were immortalised in fashion when Tom Cruise wore one in the movie Top Gun. Every man, woman and child wanted one as they epitomised the virtues of suave and cool. Bomber jackets cave wearers an edgy, intrepid-adventurer look. It's doubtable that many slaves of fashion gave any thought to the fact that their latest acquisition saved the lives and limbs of countless airmen in both world wars.

Aeroplane cockpits in WWI were not closed as they are today. It was clear that pilots needed something to prevent them from being frozen to death or losing limbs to hypothermia as temperatures could go as low as -50 degrees Celsius. In an effort to resolve the problem the US Army established an Aviation Clothing Board. In 1917 they started distributing heavy-duty, fur-lined leather flying jackets. On the opposite side of the Atlantic, the British Royal Air Force was trying to come up with a solution of their own. It was only in 1926 that Leslie Irvin found a solution when he designed a sheepskin flying jacket that was immediately snapped up by the RAF.

While they have kept the classic look and style of traditional bomber jackets, modern designs have been tailor to fit modern men. In general, men were smaller in the 20s and 30s than they are now. They were thinner and did not have the V-shaped bodies that define today's fit young airmen. The shoulders in particular have had to be broadened to fit modern physiques.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the period after Top Gun, bomber jackets were at their peak fashion-wise. Their popularity is slowly declined after that, with only bomb die-hards keeping them in the front of their cupboards. But they are expected to make a comeback, as fashion fundis predict their resurgence in autumn and winter of 2007/2008.

The prospective trend is borne out by the fact that some of the hottest celebrities have been spotted out and about wearing bomber jackets. While it's doubtable whether Tom Cruise will be able to lead the fashion trend again due to his steadily declining cooling factor, Johnny Depp is more than capable of taking over. While it must be acknowledged that Johnny could make plastic rubbish bags look like haute couture, his appearance in a bomber jacket is enough to send hordes scuttling to the nearest retro shop.

Nowadays the jackets are made from a range of materials ranging from traditional leather to silk and synthetics such as nylon. They are even available in metallic colors, as opposed to the traditional black or brown. Those in the know say that they can be worn with tailored shirts and skinny ties: a trend that is sure to amuse war veterans. It seems that however you choose to wear them, they will always carry the air of a maverick.

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What is Cashmere?

Cashmere is the lush, delightful wool shorn from a cashmere goat. This soft, downy material gets its name from Kashmir, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Cashmere has a soft and warm nature, but it is extremely light Any breed of goat that produces cashmere wool, is called a cashmere goat. Clothing made from cashmere is soft, luxurious and resilient. Known as the Yarn of the Kings, cashmere is the worlds finest and most luxurious fiber. It is soft, warm, and hard-wearing. Garments woven from this material are very soft and lightweight but extremely warm and strong. China is the largest maker of cashmere, producing a whopping 10,000 tons annually.

Cashmere is fine in texture, very strong, light, and as soft as cotton. It originated in the Western region of India in the 11th century, and was used primarily to make woven shawls. By the late 18th century, enterprising traders were importing goat down from Tibet. By the early 19th century, cashmere was a burgeoning industry

Sweaters made out of cashmere have been a popular piece of clothing for many decades. Cashmere socks have recently become popular. Cashmere scarves, sweaters, gloves are also in great demand.

Today, cashmere is used to produce sweaters, scarves, socks, and many other items of apparel.

When you buy cashmere:

Look at the tension in the knitting: gently stretch a small part of the fabric. If the quality is good it should return quickly to shape and not leave a mark. The best cashmere has a density to it. Hold it up to the light with your hand behind it. If you can see your hand clearly, the material is of poor quality.

Look at the surface of the fabric. The fluffier it seems the more it will unravel, as it is probably made from shorter hairs. Clothing made of cashmere can be purchased at many high-end fashion stores such as Macy’s, Gimbals, and Neiman Marcus. Some retailers offer discounts a few weeks before the end of the season.…