Retro For Men

There are certain men's fashions that we cannot help but associate with a specific period in time. For example, what do we always equate with a white wide-legged polyester suit? John Travolta in the seventies, and Saturday Night Fever, of course. And how about the gangster-like pinstriped Al Capone suit? This is reminiscent of the roaring twenties. Some retro fashions are endearing, while others may strike us as being ridiculous. But each decade has trademark fashions that can be applied to your wardrobe to give it a retro flair today.

• 1920s and 1930s- Along with pinstripe suits, fedoras became an essential for the well dressed man. Today they are still very popular. To add a little bit of 20s style to your wardrobe, try a brown suit with a cream colored vertical pinstripe. Or, add a wide brimmed fedora to your favorite outfit. You can also wear these elements together, but if you do, anchor the look with a modern shirt, tie and shoe. This is a key to appearing like you are wearing a vintage style, not like you are wearing a costume. For a more subtle dash of 1920s style, try a tie with an art deco print on it.

• 1940s- The 40s were divided into two distinct eras of pre-war and post-war. Perhaps the most memorable men's style of this decade is the zoot suit of the swing era, which became popular after the war's end. You can duplicate this look today by selecting a suit jacket with broad shoulders, and high waisted pants that taper at the bottom. Jackets at this time were almost always double breasted which has increased in popularity lately. For a more subtle nod to the 40s, add a pocket square, a pair of wing tipped shoes and a pair of suspenders to your favorite suit. Ties at this time were generally flamboyant, in bright colors and bold patterns. This is a great trend to copy today. But if you wear a bright tie, make sure to also wear the appropriate necktie accessories,because with everyone looking at it, you will want to make sure it stays in place all day.

• 1950s- The 1950s were known as the "Boom Times" and leisure wear began to make an appearance in men's wardrobes. For a 1950s leisure look, try a Hawaiian print shirt, or a polo shirt, both of which first became popular during this decade. For a more youthful look, try wearing black Converse One Star shoes with your denim, or go for the Ivy League look by layering a slim cardigan sweater or a letterman's jacket over your polo shirt. The 1950s also brought about the Beatnik look, with black as the dominant color. Look for a slim fit black chenille or wool sweater and wear it untucked over your trousers for a retro Beatnik vibe.

• 1960s- When we think 60s, we often first think "hippie." But early in the decade, before the hippie movement, we saw the Beatles make their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in their classic gray slim cut suit, black square toe shoes and black skinny ties. This slim cut look is making a huge comeback now in 2011. The skinny tie (which also became popular again in the 80s) is in style again today. It can inject just the right amount of 60s retro feel into an outfit.

• 1970s- The white polyester suit and bell bottom pants are trends that I would recommend skipping from the 70s! But this decade has other great fashion to offer us today. For 70s retro style hints, look at Roger Moore as James Bond for inspiration. Try a simple brown chenille turtleneck sweater layered underneath a dark blue velvet blazer. Thick fabrics like velvet and creased wool really evoke the era of the 70s (without being too disco). If you still like the white suit look, do it in a natural fabric, such as linen, rather than polyester.

Best Women’s Plus Size Cocktail Dresses

The unsurpassed way to not benefit from a banquet is constantly being tense by how you appear. Particularly for the large sized people, it is quite difficult to look your best when you recognize for a fact that your belly has been welcoming others in advance before you rub elbows with them. Thank the fashion business, there are now plus size cocktail dresses.

Making do without too much covers

Coats are the easiest solutions to unsightly bulges. Nevertheless, you cannot go to a get-together and wear your coat all through the night. Unless you are attending a costume party where you can go in as a detective or something, you do not have the license to wear your trench coat beyond the door.

To discard your covers, be dressed in something that would slackly flow around your body. There are plus size outfits that will not only make you look fine but will also make you feel more calm and comfortable.

However, it does not imply you cannot layer. In truth, layering is wise to veil that surplus baggage. But be definite you layer at the right places else you might finish up looking larger. Add more to your vertical leverage

Plus size cocktail dresses go best with heels. Shorter persons have a tendency to look tubby. Balance your horizontal problems with vertical boost.

This is also the explanation why when you would want to sport stripes, you are enjoined to go for the vertical ones. The lines would make you appear taller. Vertically striped garments are not as plentiful as the horizontal patterns.

Huge prints make you look shorter and fatter. These large flowers, shapes and whatevers tend to address the eyesight of the watcher to all directions, making the wearer look shorter but expansive.

Pointless to say, it would be greatest for you to go for short dresses plus sizes as these would lengthen the legs, make you appear more elevated and leaner. If you have troubles with cellulites clinging to your legs, go for stockings with dark dye. Again, do not wear printed stockings.

Save the pizzazz for accessorizing

It is prudent to wear a trouble-free, yet elegant outfit. Nevertheless, you can improve it further with dazzling accessories. A gray shift can be festooned by a red belt for example. You would as well look striking in the timeless little black dress with a sole diamond necklace to embellish your neck.

As trappings are best left out in a dress, you could add them back in stylish ways. If you have a low-cut dress, you can glamorize your neck with satin laces. Be definite you have enough neck space to have room for this otherwise your accessories might completely cover it.

Plus size robe de soirée can be incredibly simple. Just learn to accessorize with flair. Conversation pieces hung around your neck or your wrists could very well capture the awareness of the viewer off your mislaid curves. Finally, carry yourself acceptably and look like a winner.

There are many ways of choosing plus size robe de cocktail but you can look out of place if you don’t know how to choose the right one for you.

Being informed with the latest trends and tips is the proven way to look your best. When you are well informed, you are confident.

Essential Men's Scarves

It seems apt at this moment to take some time to ponder over the rarely discussed issue of men’s scarves. Men have so little opportunity to accessorise and enhance any outfit, and here we have a perfect opportunity to show off our style; yet it is very strange that this obvious form of neckwear is often overlooked or not properly considered.

I personally believe that every wardrobe should have at least three men’s scarves as essential accessories to cover all possibilities and events. Personally, I champion natural fibres over synthetic – while they may need more looking after they are softer, breathable and with a look and feel that is inherently far more luxurious than any possible acrylic or polyester blend.

To begin with there is the thick winter staple. This item is bought for use in the depths of winter when it really starts to get cold and practicality should be at the forefront of any decision. As it is really for keeping the cold out it should be large enough to fold over in half and still be able to wrap round your neck twice, covering it completely (If you are looking for exact measurements, somewhere above 150x25 cm is a good start). It will be worn with your thick winter coat, and therefore the colour should complement it. Moreover this item should be plain or muted so it can be used in as many situations as possible. One way to easily prevent these men’s scarves from being too boring, however, is to consider texture instead of colour – if your winter overcoat is smooth then look at materials with a lot of texture to them and vice versa.
Naturally, these men’s scarves are going to be made out of thick, insulating materials such as wool or cashmere and I would personally choose the latter over the former. While there is a considerable price difference between the two materials, the benefits of cashmere in this situation should make you consider the extra expense. From a style point of view, this item will see a lot of use; so it will be noticed by many people where the aspirational luxury will speak for itself. From a practical perspective, cashmere has far better insulating properties than wool - a wool scarf at the size necessary would be quite bulky and heavy.

Wool scarves are more suited to the second essential item – the winter fashion item. This is for when you are socialising and want to use the full potential of the neckwear to enhance your outfit. Again, these men’s scarves need to deal with the cold, but they will have a bit more colour and pattern to them which will match with whatever you are wearing. Unless you are a particularly savvy man this item will fall out of use as you either get bored or as sympathies move on - so the extra price for cashmere may not make sense. Nevertheless, I would recommend looking at merino wool or a cashmere blend so that you still have the lightness, softness and luxury to hand. The final essential item is the thinner Spring / Autumn scarf. When there is a relatively cold snap, or it is particularly gusty, the winter scarf choices may be a little overkill. Here a thin and light choice is ideal for just providing a helping hand, and gives you an excuse to wear a scarf as an accessory beyond winter. Really, the fashion scarf or winter scarf leaning is a matter of personal taste, but lighter colours and shades are more fitting to the season whether you chose to go for patterned or not. Cotton and linen are ideal materials, but you should also consider fine weave cashmere to really stand out.

As an aside, depending on your needs it may also be necessary to consider a dress scarf. This is for formal occasions where there is a considerable chance you may be outside, or you just want to be noticed. These men’s scarves primarily need to look smart, sophisticated, and more often than not, classic so as to increase their longevity. Here a plain, sombre coloured cashmere scarf will excel if you wish to offset your smooth outfit with texture – in most cases the thick winter staple scarf choice can double up. However for those who want something a little more impressive, a silk scarf would be idea. For the same versatility you are looking at the same size (anything above 150x25cm), but this will exceptionally light and thin. Silk is very flexible as it regulates body temperature – it is cooling if you are hot and warming if you are cold. It also provides a soft sheen finish that looks striking when paired with almost any other material.