Fashion Week – Business Women’s Guide to Fashion
Fashion concious professional women share a common bond that literally transends age, race, religion and careers. Professional women can use their image to promote confidence, professionalism, strength, authority, power and prestige in the business and academic worlds. Being properly dressed at meetings, work, networking events and other business related activities is very essential to growth, development and respect. It is very important that women pay attention to the clothes and accessories they buy and how they wear their clothes in the business arena. There truly is a thin line between what is acceptable and what is un-acceptable.
Listed below are helpful tips on how professional women can build their wardrobe and wear the proper clothes to project a confident, consistent and chic image!
Foot Works
Women should pay close attention to the type of shoes they wear when conducting business in a professional or formal atmospheres. Shoes should always be well made and fit the feet properly. Too tight shoes can be uncomfortable and easily noticed by others. Women wearing too big shoes, can project a sloppy image that does not represent confidence or the proper style. A woman’s shoes should also be properly polished and not have scuff marks or tears in the leather. We recommend that women polish their shoes at least twice a week and alternate shoes so that they do not wear out quickly. Another good way to preserve shoes is to keep them in a shoe box and use shoe trees to keep and maintain their shape.
Top Management
Women should also have nice, well made tops and blouses for wearing under suit jackets or with a business casual ensemble. Tops should be professional looking and fit properly. Tops that are too big look sloppy and do not flatter the silhouette. Tops that are too tight or clingly are inappropriate for business. The best way to mainain tops is to hang them on hangers or fold them. You can even place dryer sheet in between the tops to prevent static cling, resist wrinkles and keep a fresh smell. Tops which are made of delicate materials such as silk should be dry cleaned or hand washed.
Wearing the Pants
Women should also pay attention to the their body type and how they select their pants or trousers. Women who are petite should select straight cut pants that will flatter their figure and give them an appearance of being tall. The straight cut will keep their shape and will not overwhelm their figure like other styles. Women who are tall should select pants that are extra long and loose, boot-cut or wide leg styles. These styles balance the figure and give the tall woman a nice shape. Capri pants may not be the most flattering style for a tall woman. Curvy women should select pants that are tailored to their figure and are not baggy or too tight.
Some Tips for a School Fashion Show
School fashion shows can be quite fun if done properly. If done the wrong way, however, it could end up being one boring affair which is only occasionally enlivened by the people laughing at a humiliated model. What you need are some tips to help you.
1) Think of a theme – When putting up a school fashion show, it is always helpful if you use a theme. A theme gives a fashion show a sense of organization and people would be able to relate the fashion to the theme. There are various types of themes to choose from:
a) Season – Basing your school fashion show on the season is always popular. You could design and model various outfits that correspond with the time of year. This would also give you an idea of how to decorate the venue. Basing your school fashion show on a season can help you unleash your creativity and make your brain cells work. How can you balance the freedom of creativity with the confinement of the theme? This will definitely help you improve your skills.
b) Literature – Another great idea for a theme is literature. You should think about basing your school fashion show on a great piece of literature. How about basing it on the book The Great Gatsby? Ever tried creating fashion pieces for Frodo? This can be fun as you will be bringing the visions of authors to life. Basing your school fashion show on a piece of literature can also be a bit easier than other themes since most authors actually have pretty detailed descriptions of the clothes their character wear. This is especially true for fantasy novels. Cloaks, anyone?
2) Music – The music sets the mood for the whole fashion show. It strikes the subconscious of the watchers and thus, determines how much attention they will be paying your school fashion show. This means, of course, that you need to choose the correct sounds to accompany your school fashion show.
You need to choose music that grabs the attention of the spectators enough to mesmerize them. However, you do not want the music to distract the spectators from the school fashion show. The best type of music to use would be instrumental. This is because instrumental music can set the mood for the show without distracting the viewers with familiar lyrics.
3) Lighting – Proper lighting effects are always essential if you want to have a great school fashion show. Together with the background music, the lighting effects give the audience a general emotion to feel. How do you want them to react when they see a certain ensemble? You can make them react as you want them by simply combining light and sound.
4) Spontaneity – Students hate predictability. Because of this, the best thing that your school fashion show could have is a surprise. You need to show your students something unexpected and completely new. In doing so, you will be able to grab their attentions and keep it. By being spontaneous, you will keep spectators guessing as to what will come next. This will keep their eyes on the school fashion show and off their watches and mobile phones. If you can make the audience forget about the gadgets on their pockets, then you would know that your school fashion show rocks!
Fashion Designer – Ritu Kumar
Ritu Kumar is one of India’s foremost designers, who have developed a unique style of their own, reflecting the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary fashion. With a background of art history and musicology, which has enriched her horizons, Ritu Kumar’s understanding of ancient designs and the innovative use of traditional crafts has created a new classicism. Ritu holds the status of a revivalist in the Indian fashion industry, which has successfully bridged the gap between traditionalism and modernity.
Ritu, who began her work with four hand-block printers and two tables, in a small village near Calcutta thirty years ago, was the first woman to introduce the ’boutique’ culture in India under the brand name ‘Ritu’. Today she has twelve outlets in all major cities in India. Ritu Kumar’s boutiques feature a multifaceted showcase encompassing the very best of Indian design, with specially produced range of high fashion garments and accessories using silk, leather and cotton.
Ritu Kumar’s range of western and Indian apparel is all about traditions and individual talent, and women across the continents can easily identify with her vision of design.
Ritu has gone a long way to redefining the term ‘fashion’ in the Indian context. Most importantly, she has demonstrated that handmade products can be as profitable as and even more glamorous than that of machine, and that Indian fashion is more than capable of holding on it’s own in the international arena of haute couture. Her couture is readily recognizable by its classicism, beauty and finesse. Her design philosophy is based on the premise that everything founded on good aesthetic, cuts across all borders-be they geographical, cultural or otherwise. This very aesthetic is the factor central to the Indian handwriting which underlies her creations. As the world truly becomes a global village, more and more of the elements that make up modern culture are taking on rich hues and ethnic tones. Pluralism is the mantra, while tastes are fast becoming eclectic, be it in music, arts, food or fashion. Within fashion, Indian techniques have increasingly commanded a premium for their creativity, style and finish. The Indian influence on contemporary wear is unmistakable.
In sync with these evolving trends, in April 2002, Ritu Kumar launched her new sub brand, ‘LABEL’. This is a reflection of modern and global trends that shape our lives today. ‘LABEL’ cater today’s woman, who is increasingly independent, discerning and global. It is a modern offering, focusing on the cut, color, drape and feel of the garment. This brand has a universal appeal aimed at today’s mobile lifestyle. It is fashionable, affordable and like all Ritu Kumar products, it is of the highest quality.