She built an empire and today, her empire still has her name on it on over 300 Chanel stores worldwide but who is Coco Chanel? Coco was born in Saumur, France on August 19, 1883. After her mother died when the girl Gabrielle, who later in life will be called Coco, was 12, she was left in a convent by her father. Chanel learned how to sew thanks to the nuns who raised her. Her early years were not glamorous of course considering that she grew up in a convent but Gabrielle would later create timeless designs that will later function as a symbol of luxury and style. Chanel did not care for wearing corsets because she believes that luxury should be comfortable or else it shouldn’t be called luxury in the first place. The fashion pioneer got her nickname during her brief career as a cabaret singer. Chanel herself revealed that “Coco” was short for cocotte –a French word that meant “kept woman”. When Chanel was in her 20s she took a wealthy lover by the name of Etienne Balsan who was instrumental in helping her start a business in Paris. As the story goes, Chanel left Balsan for one of his friends. Arthur Capel was wealthier than Balsan and had connection so being the practical girl that she was, Coco took him as a lover. Coco Chanel set up shop at the Rue Cambon in 1910 where she started selling hats. Later on, she opened stores in Biarritz and then in Deauville and started making clothes. According to history, her first taste of being a successful designer is when she turned an old jersey of one of her lovers into a dress. The jersey was warm and it was cold in her base in Deauville. She once told that her fortune in the world of fashion started out with that jersey dress.

The 1950s is a good year for the fashion world because it brought about a variety of styles that are distinctive. If one takes a look at photos from the 50s, it would be easy to identify the era because of the originality of the clothes. Some may say that it’s not original at all because they just added the A-line cut to the rather manly cuts used in the 40s but in America the 50s brought new life and a metamorphosis.

During this era, women dramatically made changes through the style of their dresses and of course by the way they presented themselves. During this time, the society is already more liberated and women also wanted their clothes to be more relaxed making the 50s a deviation from the used to be oh-so-formal way of dressing up among women.

The trends in the 50s included fitted blouses, knee-length skirts and dresses and button up jackets. What reminds most about the 50s however are the casual dresses that were usually worn with belts to accentuate the figure of the wearer. The dresses had full circle skirts and usually either had halter straps or small collars.

Pastel hues were a favorite in this era but they went really bold with the ruffles. If you would like to dress like a woman from the 50s, you might want to take a look at dresses with a lot of frills.

Petticoats were worn during this era as well but they were unlike the petticoats of past centuries because they were of course shorter. The petticoats were needed to take full advantage of the fullness of the dress. The trapeze dress, a dress that is almost a triangle also became quite popular during the 1950s. Christian Dior’s popular H-line was also a favorite. A and Y lines were also introduced by Dior during this period.

Photo via mens-fashion-authority.com 

There is no such thing as too many shoes for a woman but those who are fond of shoes should never buy any of these:

 

Back in the 1580s to the 1620s, the Armadillo may not have looked that bad especially if its competition looks like the photo below.

 

These are called Chopines and they were the shoe design of choice for many an Italian women during the start of the 17^th century. Today however they can only be seen in museums.

 

 

 Photos via Listverse

 

 

For centuries mankind has used body adornments and clothes to indicate what kind of people they are. Tribal women for example wear a lot of trinkets to show how wealthy they are while those in India wear certain types of adornments to indicate that they are single.

 

 

Fashion is not just about clothes or accessories or shoes or whatever we buy at our favorite boutiques. We wear clothes not only because we need to be clothed but because our clothes are a signal to other people about who we are –our identity. It is a language of symbols and signs so to speak that is why it is never far fetched to say that the clothes make the man or woman for that matter.

 

 

 

 Call it stereotyping but hipsters for example wear knit hats just about anywhere just to show that they are cool even if the weather is not cool. Apart from a good way to judge people and what they like, fashion is also deemed as a good barometer for cultural changes.

 

 

 

Looking for the right jeans can be troublesome for many women especially the petite ones. Do not be sad though because there are styles that can fit you perfectly.

Straight cut jeans for example can be quite flattering because they will make you look leaner and longer. It would be best however that you purchase something with a dark wash rather than a lighter shade.

Those who are petite and have a full figure can use jeans that either have straight legs or wide legs to achieve a well-proportioned look.

How about skinny jeans? You should steer clear from them especially if you are not slender enough. Some petite women who re very skinny can use skinny jeans but those who aren’t thin, should steer clear from this cut.

For the curvy and short, boot cut jeans are the right fit. Those who have either triangle or hourglass figures can don these but don’t go full blown with the boot cut i.e. bell bottoms –these are too wide. Boot cut jeans will make you look taller.

If you are skinny and short and would like to look curvier, you may want to try tapered jeans. Those who have inverted triangle figures or those with rectangle shape figures should use tapered jeans to “get” curves. A little bit of styling on these jeans can help too –an embellishment or embroidery on the back pockets will make your hips look curvier than they really are.

 

 

Photo via mh.co.za

Despite its usefulness and being dubbed as a must-have in every woman’s and man’s closet, jeans are still a subject of discussion. Which style of jeans fit you best? Which one should you buy? How does one know if it’s the right fit?

Boys get ready, you will know the answers in this blog –or maybe not if you are indecisive. If in doubt, you better ask your girlfriend or wife or your sister or mom if you do not have any of the two.

 

RELAXED FIT

These look like slacks only in denim. They are fuller on the thighs to the hem giving the wearer more legroom and of course maximum comfort. Make sure however that you do not buy those that are too roomy unless you are a rapper or someone who really likes hiphop. For those who have an average build or are thin, please avoid this style. The stocky, muscular, the athletic and the larger boys are the only ones who should don this cut.

ATHLETIC CUT

If you are athletic –please do not pretend that you are if you aren’t. You might have placed athletic as a description of yourself in a dating site but it would be best to be honest with yourself when you are buying jeans. The athletic cut is a relaxed fit that offers sufficient leg room and of course, comfort. If you are thin, it would be best to look for a different style.

STRAIGHT LEG

Now this one’s for the athletic or ones with average bodies. They do well in sculpting one’s appearance. A straightforward design, everything falls into place when you wear this one. Those who are thin can wear these but should be low-rise. Stocky men should never wear these.

BOOT CUT

For the athletic and average, this is one of the best styles you can find for yourself. In fact, stylists say it should be your go-to style when you are in doubt. This is suited for the tall so if you are stocky, keep them away from your closet.

SKINNY JEANS

Yes there are skinny jeans for men. If you are thin, you can use these but don’t purchase something that is too snug for you or else you will be putting other things on display.

Photo Via Styletips101.com

Dubbed as the ultimate fashion staple, jeans are not going to go out of fashion anytime soon. As we have mentioned before, you should have at least a pair of jeans in your closet because they are very versatile. Some women however do not like wearing jeans because they do not look good in them. Everyone can look good in jeans, all you have to do is to find the right style for you. How does one do that?

The Straight Cut

Straight cut jeans are great for those who do not have long legs –they will make your legs look longer and can be used either during the day or at night.

The Boot Cut

According to stylists, this looks awesome on everyone so you must have at least one pair of these. It is true though, boot cut jeans look great on short women and also on tall ones.

Skinny Jeans

Skinny jeans look great on a lot of people but if you want to accentuate your curves, these might not be the right jeans for you. They however are very good for making the legs look slim.

The Super Flare

Now this one was a hit in the 70s but if you have big thighs and want to hide them, you would need to use one of these. It balances out the hips as well.

Wide-leg Jeans

A pair of wide-leg jeans is perfect for women who are tall and curvy. They are usually very trendy yet casual at the same time.

Capris

Ankle length jeans also known as capris are perfect for petite women and for showing off your shoes.

High Waist

These jeans are perfect for those who would like to look curvaceous. These are not advisable for the curvy though because you might look like you’ve stuffed yourself inside your jeans.

Boyfriend Cut

Now this one’s cut but you can’t use them on a daily basis unless you are the boyish type.

Trouser Cut

If you want something more formal, trouser cut jeans are your best bet. This design is also great for women who feel that they have big thighs.  

 

 

The earlier American blue jeans were made by Levi Strauss, Calvin Rogers and Jacob Davis. These were made in 1873. They weren’t that popular back then but by the 1950s, the trousers originally made for cowboys became a trend among teenagers. Today of course jeans are part of almost everyone’s wardrobe.

The term “jeans” comes from the French word bleu de Genes which literally means the blue of Genoa. This originated in Nimes or de Nimes where the jeans got their name.

Before Levi’s became rather popular and one of the bestselling jeans in the market, the brand was sold to the mining communities in the State of California in the 1850s. One of the customers at the time was Jacob Davis, another tailor who bought bolts of cloth from Levi’s because he had customers who needed to buy cloth to reinforce their torn pants. This gave Davis an idea of using copper rivets to reinforce these pants later on giving birth to US Patent 139, 121.  Davis did not have the money to purchase the patent though so before he got the patent, he wrote to Levi Strauss that they do business together. By May 20, 1873, the two were able to improve fastening pocket-openings.

In 1885, jeans were only sold for $1.50, today however it is sold from $36 or higher. Other brands are available though and they cause much less however, they are not as sturdy as Levi’s. There is also a good market for used jeans even if they can be bought just about anywhere. 

 

Sunglasses have a long history but the sunglasses they had in prehistoric times are a lot more different compared to the ones we have today. History has it that the Inuit used flattened walrus ivory as a protection from the sun. These glasses had narrow silts to them so that the wearer could still see.

It is interesting to note that as early as the 12^th century, flat panes of quartz were used to protect one’s eyes from glare. Smoky quartz was used in China at the time but some historians believe that the Chinese may have used “glasses” as protective wear way before the 12^th century.

There are also ancient documents that indicate the use of crystal sunglasses among judges in China during that time. According to the accounts, these glasses helped conceal the expressions on the judges’ faces while questioning criminals or witnesses.

It is also said that Nero –the Roman emperor liked watching fights with emeralds. They worked as mirrors though and not as protective wear. However, this may have been useful later on for those who invented spectacles for corrective purposes.

It was only in the middle part of the 18^th century though when James Ayscough started his experiments with tinted lenses. These aren’t the sunglasses we know of though because Ayscough believed that glasses that are either tinted blue or green can help in the correction for certain vision impairments. One must remember however that Ayscough did not make these spectacles to protect one’s eyes from the rays of the sun.

Another interesting point in history is when amber-colored glasses were prescribed for people who were suffering from syphilis in the latter part of the 19^th century and the early part of the 20 century. This is not some shaman-like prescription though because those who suffered from the disease were very sensitive to light. 

Photo via the-shoppings.com

 Sunglasses are used for the entire year –they do not go out of fashion and they never will because we need to protect our eyes from the sun. For those living in tropical countries, sunnies are needed all year round. These after all are a must-have and can even make your outfit look more gorgeous.

The brand of your sunglasses should not make an impact because as long as you choose a good pair, you are good to go. Classic black sunglasses ala Jackie O. are a good choice. If you want to save some money, do not buy sunglasses with colored frames because these go out of fashion pretty easily. Black sunglasses are a good idea.

Sunglasses also spelled as sun glasses are a kind of protective eyewear that prevents sunlight from discomforting the eyes. Although they are not known as visual aids, some now use them as such because there are lenses that are darkened or polarized to enhance one’s eyesight.

In the early part of the 20^th century,  sunglasses were known as sun cheaters. The word cheaters is American slang for glasses or spectacles –at least at the time.

Many people who find direct sunlight discomforting usually use sunglasses but it’s not just about discomfort of wanting to look trendy, healthcare professionals recommend using sunglasses too to protect the eyes from blue light and UV rays. These two can cause rather severe eye problems.

It is interesting to note however that sunglasses are associated with stars i.e. film actors, singers and celebrities but they during this “association” they did not use sunnies to protect their eyes from the bright flashes of cameras but to mask their identities.

Since the 1940s, this fashion accessory has become quite popular especially for those who love going to the beach.

In prehistoric times, sunglasses were also used but they do not look like the sunglasses we have today.