Fashion and Prescription Eyeglasses

Take a cue from celebs and fashion types who know that the right pair of sunglasses can add instant mystique, chic and polish to any look.
But also know that sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement: they are a necessity to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
Look for sunglasses that block at least 99% of harmful UV rays (check the label!).

Lens
A sun glass lens can be made of glass or plastic and can have special hi-tech treatments.

Mirrored - Thin layer of metallic applied to lens that may reduce visible light to reach eyes, but not UV rays according to AAO.

Gradient - A tinted lens that is darker on the top fading to no tint on the bottom



Polarized - Cuts the glare from smooth surfaces such as water, snow or pavement.

Photochromic - These lenses are sun-sensitive and transition from light to dark shade according to light conditions.

Tints - A color called neutral density gray will shade but not change your color perception, according to Dr. Bert Dubow on Styles

Sunglass trends have taken their cue from runway and street fashion. Retro looks like aviators and oversized, "Jackie O" frames along with sleek, futuristic shield shapes compliment what's going on in fashion.

Trendy tints span the rainbow, so look for a hue that flatters your coloring.

Wraps - Extending past the eye to the temple, this style "wraps" around the face.

Shields - One-piece shields have a modern look and are often partially rimmed or rimless and come in a wide range of tints.

Aviators - Shaped like a teardrop, metal-rimmed aviators have enjoyed waves of trendiness since WWII when pilots favored this style.

Clip-ons - An easy way to convert prescription eyeglasses to sunwear, clip-on shades can attach with either clips or magnets.


Flatter Your Face
In general, you should choose a pair of shades in a shape that is the opposite of your face shape.

For example, round faces look best in anything but round shades. A rounder face can carry off geometricshapes, ovals, wraps and shields.

More angular or thin faces look better in rounder frames; oval faces can carry off almost any style.

WARDROBE

SUMMER FASHION

HOT BABAES

MODERN FASHION

FASHION WEEK

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Fashion in winter

Fashion Tips Winter

A woman’s wardrobe should include items that are not only stylish and flattering, but versatile and functional as well. There are several essential accessories that no modern woman should be without. Check them out:

Cardigans

Cardigans are button-up sweaters, and they are a key wardrobe accessory that every woman should have. It is a good idea to have four cardigans: one black one, one tan, one white, and one gray. By getting these four colors in particular, you are pretty much covering all of your bases as far as being able to match with any other item in your wardrobe. You will be hard-pressed to find anything that doesn’t match with at least one of these colors. Many times, you wear a short-sleeved shirt or a tank top, but you need something to bring along with you that is lighter than a jacket in case you feel like covering up for whatever reason. Well, a cardigan will solve that problem easily and fashionably. 

Brightly-Colored Scarves 

Brightly-colored scarves are an important accessory to have because they can add vibrancy to your style. If you are like most women, you love the slimming qualities of black clothes, but you don’t want to look like you are in mourning. Adding a colorful scarf to your outfit can completely change the “all-black” look. Instead of looking gothic and somber, you will look artistic and sleek.

Hoop Earrings 

Hoop earrings are very stylish and versatile accessories that are sure to look great with almost anything that you may be wearing. You should purchase either silver or gold, depending on the metal that you prefer. If you have to make the shift from work clothes to evening clothes, a pair of hoop earrings is perfect for either setting, so they will give you one less thing to worry about! 

Bag 

Hands-down, the absolute most essential accessory item is a bag. Many women feel that they keep their whole life in their bag – their money, their date book, their extra nylons, their powder compact and lipstick, photos, etc. If you can only afford one bag, make it a black or tan one so that you have a good chance of matching with most of your outfits. 

Black Wrap 

Every little black dress deserves a little black wrap. If you have your sexy little dress on, the last thing you will want to do is hide it underneath a jacket. A wrap can give you a little shelter from the cold without sheltering your dress from view.

Wallet 

Wallets aren’t just a place to hold your cash and credit cards anymore – they are a fashion statement. This may not seem like a wardrobe accessory that you would care about, but many women, especially singles, go out to bars and clubs with just a wallet – not a bag. Therefore, you want your wallet to be cute and functional. For one, you should get a wallet that closes securely, rather than being open at the top like a men’s wallet. Also, get a wallet that is likely to match most of your outfits, like a black or a tan one.

Hair Ties

Hair ties are an essential accessory because you never know when you are going to need one. If you have a short (too short for a ponytail) hairstyle, then you are exempt from this essential accessory.

HAPPy WinTEr

How to Wear Skinny jeans

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Understand that all skinny jeans are not created equal. Try on different brands and cuts to decide just how fitted you want them to be. The right pair can make you look thin!

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Step 2

Look for styles that come up high enough in the back if you have a curvy figure for the most flattering effect.

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Step 3

Look for straight-legged styles if true "skinny jeans" just don't work on you. You can achieve the same look.

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Step 4

Wear tops that are long enough to cover any problem areas you have. Tunics or long slim fitted sweaters can usually work well.

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Step 5

Pair a short dress with skinny jeans instead of wearing tights. This is a modern, and warm, option.

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Step 6

Pair skinny jeans with ballet flats for a great day look.

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Step 7

Put on knee-high boots with the jeans tucked in for a modern silhouette.

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Step 8

Step into high-heeled shoes to dress up skinny jeans for a night on the town.

PATTERN FITTING

Patterns assume that, if you're bigger around, you must also be taller. Therefore, the waist length gets longer as the size increases. If you're a large person and long wasted (like me), you're fine. If you're a small person and short wasted, also fine.

Any other combination will have problems (as I did until I reached the point that my girth matched my back-waist measurement; girth is an easier adjustment than waist length, IMHO).

Also remember, as has been indicated but not stated outright in this discussion, Pattern Sizes Are Not The Same As Ready-To-Wear!!!! The last time the pattern companies adjusted their sizing to match 'store-bought' clothing was in the 1960s. The same number-size in ready-to-wear is considerably larger today than it was in 1965. In patterns, however, it's still the same.

You will therefore need to buy a larger-numbered pattern than ready-to-wear dress, and will _definitely_ have problems if you don't. For me, I usually have to buy two sizes larger in patterns (or grade it up myself if it doesn't come that big...) than I do in ready-to-wear. Another thing to remember is that not all patterns fit the same.

Every pattern includes in the text description a fit indicator: "very loose fitting", "close fitting", or some such phrase. These have specific meanings related to 'ease', which is the difference between the garment measurement and the body measurement. Some ease is necessary to allow you to move, but designers put in different amounts for different looks. You can see what the standard ease amounts are at

http://www.butterick.com/tech/ease/ease.html

If you make a pattern that is 'close fitting', and you wanted 'loose fitting', it will feel too tight even if you have the right size for your measurements. Similarly, if you wanted to show off your body, but bought a 'very loose fitting' pattern, you'll be unhappy. The amount of ease needed for comfort or a particular look is very much a personal decision - there are no 'right or wrong answers' here, either - and it's Yet Another Really Good Reason to make a muslin.

SIZING UP PATTERN

Most costume patterns only go to a pattern-size 20, which is smaller than a retail-size 20 by a goodish bit. I usually figure about two full sizes different, so if you buy up to a 16 or so in ready-to-wear, you're probably okay with, say, the ever-popular Simplicity 9198. If you take larger than that, you'll have to do some additional work.

First of all, look in the back of the pattern catalogue, and figure your pattern-size by your measurements, not the size number. Be honest about your measurements.

While there is some variation between patterns in the amount of ease (how much bigger the dress is than you are - and it has to be bigger if you're planning on moving at all... 8-). It's best not to rely on having any extra. As my mother told me years ago: "You can always cut it off, but there's no way to put it back on." (Well, there is, but it's a lot harder, and tends to show; let's not go there.)

Look at the dress you want to reproduce, and define its basic characteristics. Does it have princess seams? Is it pull-over or zipped (pullover will have to fit more loosely)? Is the skirt straight or flared? Things like necklines, waist seams, collars, drapey things, and long, flowing sleeves can be worked; look for the 'silhouette', the underlying construction of the thing, not the details.

You will not find every feature you're interested in in any one pattern. You will have to adjust, adapt, combine, and generally mess with your patterns. You are not in any way unique; none of the smaller patterns is quite right, either.

Now look in the 'larger sizes' section of the catalogue. There won't be a lot of patterns in there, but there are sufficient for our purposes. Find a pattern that has the features you decided were important.

Simplicity has a princess-seamed evening/wedding dress, 7163, which is what I'm using. It's a little tricky, because the upper bodice is seamed into the lower, princess part, but I pinned the lower part and the solid yokes together, held it up to me, had my mom draw an new, rounded neckline (which I then smoothed out and adjusted), removing the yoke seams.

Simplicity 9516 looks to have possibilities; it has an empire (raised) waist and both a four-gore and six-gore skirt. Every one of the major pattern companies has at least one princess-seamed evening top and skirt pattern (e.g. Simplicity 5973, McCall's 3114, Butterick 6413); Simplicity has several. If you stick the top and skirt together at the waist, you should have a good place to start for many elf costumes.

The Simplicity jumper pattern is 9295; it has darts, but I can see it as a place to begin for Eowyn's brown or Arwen's Blood Red - Blue/Grey/Requiem - Lime Green overdresses. (McCalls has a princess jumper, I think, but I couldn't find it quickly on-line.) I think I could make approximately the male?/female? elf extra silver robe out of Sim 7168, by lengthening everything, spitting the collared dress up the front, trimming back the curve on the lower part of the opening, and putting the skirt or the uncollared dress under it.

Now, for your details, start with the suggestions on ACS and here; they work the same for us as for the smaller ladies. Adapt the pattern you have (e.g., Sim 7163 has 'flutter' sleeves which could be lengthened), or you can also get, say, Sim 9198 and scale the collar or sleeve pieces up to match your size. ('Grading', or scaling a pattern to a different size, isn't nearly as difficult as it sounds; once you know the general shape of a particular detail, you just make it the same shape only larger. I once drafted a costume for myself - pattern-size 26 - by looking at a "Barbie doll" pattern, believe it or not...

NECK LINE

How you would modify a square neckline to a "V" neckline?

A number of the patterns we are suggesting have a square neck... here are some quick steps to help you modify the patterns.

Tape your two front pieces together just to the neckline (that's piece 1 & 2) - be careful because you're going to want to untape them for use! And overlap the seam allowances for this. Don't worry that they won't tape around the bust curve you don't need to worry about it that far.

Now very lightly with a pencil (but make sure you can see it), draw a straight line that runs from the shoulder of piece 2 to the midline of piece 1. You may need to tape a piece of paper behind both pieces to fill in the gap from the square to the V.

Once you've got this, carefully separate piece 1 & 2 (leave any pieces of filler paper attached to their respective pieces!). this is your new pattern. REMEMBER, you just drew the sewing line, NOT the cutting line! You may want to leave a little bit of excess paper to draw on your seam allowance cutting line.

Oh, about the overlapped seam allowances: when you lay it out to cut the fabric, just extend your revised cutting lines to follow whatever the shape for the seam allowance was - you just didn't want it to mess up the lay of the finished V when you drew it.

Not really difficult to do. Just pieces and a little fussy. Oh, and you'll of course need to make the same changes to any neckline facings they call for.

After you make these change, cut a muslin out (of at least the bodice area). You want to check and make sure that the neck does not gap out. If it does, take in a little dart on your fabric pieces. It shouldn't be an adjustment of more than a fraction of an inch, but will let the neckline sit cleaner. Flatten that our, and try that as your new fabric piece. Just fiddle with

FABRIC REQUIRNMENT

Estimating Fabric Requirements

How you find out how much you need?

If you’re estimating straight from a pattern, cut the pattern pieces apart.

If you’re using your muslin, you’ll be using half width... like a pattern. Make notes about any facings.

(Suggestion... you ought to be using your muslin... no crying if you mess up your fashion fabric otherwise.)

* Find an open section of floor, yard something.

o Measure half of your fabric width

o Mark the rectangle, with strings, yards kicks, books anything.

* Lay out your pattern pieces within the area.

o If your fabric has nap... make sure you lay out all your pieces one way.

o Pay attention to the grain arrows and lay it about with the grain

o (This doesn’t need to be as precise as when you’re cutting it, but get things going approximately the right way.)

* You can use the pattern envelope as a guide to laying out the pieces, even if you modified it into a muslin.

o However, often you’ll be able to find a better layout yourself.

* If you’re using a muslin, remember to add hem distance onto the bottom of any skirt pieces.

OK... no one has 5 yards of free space in their house... but you can lay pieces out and mark and move things down just like you were laying out the real thing.

From you’re layout, you’ll be able to see how much fabric you need.

I do this anytime I’m planning on picking up expensive material. I go armed with the knowledge of how much I’ll need at 45, 55 and 60. When a fabric is $75 a yard, a half yard makes a lot of differences... and I can splurge occasionally.

If you’re getting a cheaper fabric where you’ll just go... Oh, I’ll get 10 yards... you may still want to check skirts and sleeves. Some of these patterns will not lay out on 45” or even 55.

-Cat-

PATTERN MODIFICATION ( MAKE MUSLIN)

What is a "Muslin"

A Muslin is a mock-up of a pattern. It is traditionally made from muslin fabric. It allows you to try a pattern and fix the fit so that the final garment will fit you perfectly.

Even when you "think" you have a perfect pattern, you still want to check the pattern. Create a muslin and then cut and sew with confidence

You make all your changes on your muslin, you can move seams, change necklines, or just adjust fits. Your mistakes get made in the cheep fabric.

For an very good example of why and when you make a muslin.... check out the description on the Making of the Blood Red Dress.

Fabric Choice for a Muslin

First off, a "muslin" does not have to be made from muslin. You want to make it out of cheep fabric. $1 a yard stuff, old sheets, stained stuff, ugly colored stuff. You make it out of old or seconds type fabric.

The trick is not the name of the fabric, the trick is to pick a fabric that will be close to your final fabric. For woven finals, use a woven muslin. For knits, use a knits.

Wovens

Use a muslin (or other lightweight woven cotton), if your final garment is going to be something light to mid-weight. Weight, if not the final, will not matter too much as long as you're not looking to see how it drapes. On the drape of a skirt or a long sleeve, weight of the fabric really matters.

For corsets and tight bodices, stiff, unwashed muslin or cotton takes the place of a heavier fabric. It will also help you smooth out your wrinkles. Personally, I prefer to use a wide check or strip cotton to help make sure the grain is perfect This is important on anything that will take a lot of stress and the grain of the fabric really matters.

If the final fabric is something like a heavy tapestry and you are concerned about how it drapes, you may want to use a denim or canvas. when you get to your test garment.

If the final is ultra-shear, old, very soft sheets work better.

Knits

When your final outfit is knit, make sure you find a fabric that matches it. This means, if you final is a one way stretch, get a one way stretch. If your final is a two way stretch, make your muslin out of a two way stretch.

If you are making something skin tight try to match the stretch percentage. Yes, this means you'll pay a bit more for your "muslin" fabric, but do you want wrinkles across your rear? Or gap-osis at your cleavage???

Bad Fabrics

There is only one type of cheep fabric you don't want to use. Don't make it out of fabric that has a twisted grain. This would be fabrics that main the dollar bin because they got pulled or twisted in the mill process. It's fairly easy to see/feel. You hold the fabric and something just doesn't seem right, the treads do not cross in right angles, etc. They may be large greasy mill marks.

Making a Muslin

Where you start with your muslin depends on you. You may have modified your paper pattern already or you may have made no changes. You can also start with an old garment that fits or is shaped like you want. (If you're advanced, you can wrap your model in a stripped sheet and just start pinning... no pattern needed.)

Yes, if you're making only light alterations, you can skip a lot of these steps... However if you're moving seams around and working from a pattern that is another size all together, it pays to do each of the steps.

First Try

So, whatever is your pattern... cut out your muslin. Cut extra big seam allowances. Mark all your dots and grain line in marker, not chalk. Mark the sew line for the neck line and the sleeves. Also label each piece front, back, side, and label it V1 for the first version. If something is cut on the fold, mark that center line top and bottom.

Use a black pen for your original marks, use red for your adjustments.

Don't worry about the facings, collar or sleeves at this point.

Pin baste the garment together though the shoulder and waist area. (Pin basting is where you weave pins in and out at the seam line to fake stitch lines.) Pin down from underarms and up from the waist... basically away from any curves.

Try on the garment. Pin baste it closed.

OK, now... you start making your muslin looking like what you want. If you're adding seams, pinch in the fabric where you need it. And start letting out your big original seams. Work the bust and waist areas first and work up and down from there. Make adjusted about the same on each side.

If you need to cut sections open to give yourself more ease, go ahead. You can pin other bits of fabric scraps in there to fill in.

Look at the neckline. Do you need to pinch in bits, bring it up, change the shape, cut it down??? Mark your new neck line.

Look at the shoulders and arm. Mark where the seam line should be. Do you need to re-pin the shoulders? Do you need to add more room under the arm? Tighten it? Mark where your arm seam should be.

Are the changes your making symmetrical??? Are you symmetrical? Important for later.

Fix the hips last. Don't pin them too tight... try sitting down. You need more ease in the hips than you do in the waist or bust.

Check and see if your center front, is still center front. Check the waist is still where you want it. If the shoulders moved, like slid back or forward, mark where you want the new shoulders.

Mark anything else you want. Take it off.

Create First Pattern

OK, you're now holding something with many marking that looks very messy... don't be afraid of it.

Use your red pen to mark where your pinned seams are on each side of EVERY piece. This includes darts.

Take the pins out of ONLY the seam pieces. If you've drawn new seam lines, cut those apart too.

You should now have the correct number of pieces for your garment.

Do these pieces lay flat??? OK, almost flat. IF you have darts, you may have to split them open, or move them slightly to get it flatter.

Don't be afraid to make a mistake here. You can tape or pin things back together if it doesn't work... and when all else fails make another muslin off whatever version worked best.

Take each of your matching pieces, (ex, left front side and right front side), and lay them together. You need to "true" up the pieces. That means that you balance out the pieces. Even them out, compromising the amount on one you take away and the other you give. Mark this.

Do the same for each of the other pieces.

If you are not symmetrical, make a decision about how much you want to hide it... compromise as you're truing up the pattern. Sometimes a pad will even thing out. Sometimes just moving a dart will help.

Second Pattern

If your are symmetrical, cut out a new pattern based on these pieces just like you did with the first pattern. If you are going to have non-symmetrical pattern pieces, cut each one individually and don't double up anything.

If you are comfortable with the sleeve and neck... cut this pattern out cutting on the sewing line for the sleeves and neck... if not.. leave the allowances in.

Mark all your pattern pieces again, with the name of the piece, left or right, put in the grain line, call it version 2.

Pin baste and put it on. This one should fit better and the seams and neckline should at least be near where they should be.

If the pattern looks like it still needs a lot of work... go ahead. Pin, cut, mark and repeat cutting a new pattern as often as you need.

If the pattern looks really close, just mark up the few extra adjustments you need to make.

Take it off, mark your seam lines.

If you did not make many adjustments on the shoulder and arm, you make the decision if you need to fit the sleeve as well. If you're not sure... do the next step.

Making your Test Garment

You need to do this step if... you've made lots of modification in the upper body or the fit needs to be really tight.

Lay your muslin down, whether it's version 2, 3, 4 or whatever. Mark your seams and darts like before. Take it apart.

If you're symmetrical, true it up one last time.

Cut out a new muslin with ALL the seam allowances at their regular size. Put in all markings, notches and grain line.

Cut out your sleeves this time. First cutting, guess if you're going to have to add or take away some.

If you really need to check your neckline, you can do a facing, but you can skip it. Cut the collar pieces if you have any.

Label all your pieces (including version number) and take them all to the sewing machine.

Sew the pieces together w/ contrasting thread on a basting stitch. (Basting stitch - big loose stitch)

Pin the closure together. Check your fit. wrinkles gone? Collar laying right?

Can you sit down properly with out splitting a seam? Can you walk?

Check those sleeves? Do you have enough movement? If you were doing a historical gown, you might not, but that's part of the fit. If you are doing a gown for a wedding or dance... do the hug test. Can you put your arms all the way around someone tall... for dancing or a hug???

If the sleeves and shoulder area do no work, have your fitter pick out the seam in the area where you have a problem. Sometimes just letting out a half inch is enough. Pin baste and check again. Add fabric to the sleeve, or maybe the arm.

(There is a whole art to tailoring the sleeve. Get a book and learn the right way... else just fake it for now.) Most sleeves that are too tight can be fixed by widening the sleeve just a tad, not drawing a bigger sleeve cap.

If the changes are radical enough... take the sleeves though version of the muslin patterns and make new copies and them sew them back in again, labeling your version.

Final Pattern

Regardless of how many steps you skip... stop here and do this. The voice of experience speaks.

Once again, mark your stitch lines. Take it apart.

Get your seam gauge and set up for your seam allowance. Mark your final cutting line around each pattern piece. If you're doing non-symmetrical, do it for both, else you just need to do one side.

Add you hem at the bottom.

If you made a lot of changes, or you like neat neatness, cut one more muslin and transfer the markings for your "final" pattern. (This is not required.)

Stop and take time to look at the pieces. Are these what you want for your pattern. If yes, take and label each piece with the name of the costume and write FINAL on each and every piece. On the main piece, write the date and your measurements on that day... as well as anything else you might want to know when you find these fabric scraps later.

If you did non-symmetrical, remember to keep all the lefts and rights marked. Your only differences is going to be that when you make the final, the seams will now be on the inside.

Making your Facings

If you're doing advanced slash and burn, you can skip this step... and just cut your facings as you go.

If you are lining, the lining is going to be the same as the main pieces.

To make your neck facing, pin the pattern pieces together down the front about 3". Lay another piece of fabric down and trace the cutting line. Measure down about 4" all around. Mark things like center front and any notches. Label the piece. If you're not sure how to label it, look at the original pattern pieces and match those markings and notches but with your new pattern.

If you have a placard that opens in front, you will need to do the same thing and make a facing there.

Now, you are ready to cut into your good fabric with no fear!

When you're all done with your pattern, fold up the pieces and put them in a large baggy with a printout of sketch of what the outfit will be. Yes, just like a real pattern... because it is!