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Throughout human history people have always found ways to express their ideas to others. Handbills and flyers have covered city walls since the advent of the printing press. Graffiti has been around since Roman times.

In the 20th century, a new form of self expression emerged: the t-shirt. Originally introduced by the Navy in 1913, it took widespread use by soldiers in World War II to introduce the crew neck t-shirt to the public. The 1950’s were also important in the history of the t-shirt, being worn as outerwear by such stars as Marlin Brando and James Dean. In the 1960’s the t-shirt began to be used as a palette for expression. The first corporate advertising on a t-shirt was a can of Budwiser beer. There’s even a phrase for the ubiquitous nature of t-shirts as expression: “Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt”

T-shirts can be used to express political views or show musical tastes, or lack thereof. Someone wearing a John Deere t-shirt is sending a very different message from the person in the t-shirt with a character from Japanese animation. And what business doesn’t have their logo available on a shirt? People use shirts to tell others about which sports teams they like, a favorite movie or book, who their favorite NASCAR driver is, or to stop looking at their breasts. T-shirts are seen that commemorate any possible event; birthdays, weddings, (and divorces), vacations, summer camps, family reunions, the possibilities are endless.

The technology for custom t-shirt expression has never been more abundant. Kiosks in malls with full-color photo transfers, airbrush artists, online designers for custom screen printed work, they are all easily accessible and affordably priced. Whatever you want to say, there are multitudes of ways to say it on a t-shirt for everyone to see.

Mandar is a graphic artist and man-about-town with ExpertShirt.com. Design your own custom t-shirt online at www.expertshirt.com.

Have you been searching for that certain piece of jewelry for that one special occasion? Or that certain necklace to top off your outfit for a day out? Pearl Jewelry is not only known for its timeless qualities but also for its versatility. Pearl jewelry can be worn with any style and comes in many various colors and sizes. A stunning freshwater pearl necklace can set a great foundation for the elegant look that pearl jewelry can offer.

Freshwater Cultured Pearls come in many colors, which you can even coordinate with your clothing! Traditional colors include whites, yellows, golden, and pinks which have been seen on no less than queens such as Princess Diana, but other colors like various shades of blues, purples, and black pearls can really make a statement as well.

Although most precious metals tarnish with use, a pearl necklace should be worn often, as the absorption of skin oils adds to its luster and life! To clean a freshwater pearl necklace, it only takes warm water and a soft cloth. If you are one of those that adore the gold look, you can try a pearl necklace with gold plated beads separating your pearls for the best of both worlds.

While a necklace alone can not capture the complete essence you are hoping to convey, it can be a powerful focal point that speaks elegance to those around you. I hope you enjoy pearl jewelry as much as we do and encourage you to learn all you can about this natural wonder and shop around.

If you would like your own
Pearls Necklace, have a look at selectraders.com for a wide variety of
Pearl Jewelry made from the finest
grade Pearls.

Women’s bathing suits can be categorized into one-piece and two-piece suits. There are numerous styles, designs and variants for each type. For example, the bikini, a typical two-piece bathing suit for women, can be further classified into the thong, G-string or tankini. One-piece bathing suits, on the other hand, have variants such as the monokini, stringbody, sling bikini, and halter-neck.

Of the two-piece bathing suits, the bikini is the most popular for women, and is worn in most countries in the West. When the bikini came out in 1946, it was considered too revealing and shunned by many cultures including the United States. However, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the bikini bathing suit suddenly grew in popularity when movies like And God Created Woman and Bikini Beach were released.

The tankini is also a two-piece bathing suit for women, similar to a regular bikini bathing suit, but the top, often referred to as a tank top, extends downward to somewhere between just above the navel and the top of the hips, and is therefore less revealing than a regular bikini top.

The G-string is one of the fastest-selling swimsuit styles among women today. It has its origins in 1970s Brazil and now has many other variants such as the thong, T-back and V-string.

One-piece bathing suits include the monokini, designed by an Austrian named Rudi Gernreich in 1967. It is a one-piece, topless bathing suit for women consisting of only the lower piece of the bikini. Monokini is a variant of the original two-piece bikini bathing suit, and may also be used to refer to other one piece swimsuits such as a sling bikini.

The sling bikini is another very popular swimsuit choice among women. It has side straps that extend upwards to cover the breasts. The straps then go over the shoulders and reach down the back to form a thong. The entire sides of the torso are revealed this way. So the advantage of a sling bikini lies in its convenience, by combining two elements (the top and the bottom pieces) into one.

Other forms of one-piece bathing suits for women include stringbodys, halter-necks, maillots, tanksuits, plunge fronts and pretzel suits.

Bathing Suits provides detailed information about bathing suits, bikini bathing suits, kids’ bathing suits, men’s bathing suits and more. Bathing Suits is the sister site of Kids’ Swimsuits.

Do you love the look of a time gone by? If you love the sixties and the seventies, you will find that the gypsy skirt is a big part of this fashion time frame. The gypsy skirt is one that is still found in many closets around the world, worn to school, worn to work, and worn out to the club. If you want to make a splash, now is the time when you should consider wearing a gypsy skirt. A gypsy skirt is one that is going to allow your inner most pleasures to be realized, as you feel complete, dressed to shine and dressed to show off while you are dancing.

What is a gypsy skirt?

A gypsy skirt is one that is free flowing, wide in the bottom, but hugging on the hips. The skirts are below the knee in length and can be made from just about any material at all. The gypsy skirt is one that will be worn with layers, with a tank top, and a sweater that doesn’t button in the front. The gypsy skirt can also be combined with the look of the modern times, with a skirt that hangs down on the hips, that goes down below the knees, but with a shirt that goes up from the waist to show off that belly ring or tattoo on the back. The gypsy skirt could be put out on the floor or on the bed, to make almost a complete circle at the skirt is pulled out to show off the design or the material used in making the skirt.

What happened to the fashion industry?

Many who are in the older generation who have worn the gypsy skirts for years when they were growing up feel the fashion industry shouldn’t take a turn back in time, but the truth is that the gypsy skirts were so much fun to wear, that they complimented the way a woman looks and feels when she is walking, talking and dancing, that the fashion industry brought back the gypsy skirts to boost the image of a woman who is truly enjoying herself and what she is wearing.

The gypsy skirt can be created from a solid color, or it can be combined of a mixture of colors. The gypsy skirt is one that will have layers, or at least it will look as if it has layers. There are generally three tiers to the gypsy skirt that will create a fuller and fuller look as the skirt moves towards the bottom of the knee. There is a very full look around the thighs and knee areas of the woman, while the fabric can cling to the waist and the hip areas of the woman giving an over all sexy appearance for the wearer.

Copyright 2006 - Agust Hauksson. Agust is a regular contributor of articles to many online publications. Find more great information at: http://www.gypsyskirt.org/ and http://www.peasantskirt.info/

The colors you wear can make you instantly look slimmer, leaner, healthier and more appealing. Why because:

We react to color before ANYTHING else, and that’s why it’s so important - We react to color on instinct.

Let’s look at how to use color in your dress to project a better image of yourself to all those you meet.

A response on instinct

We act on instinct to color , and through out history our responses to color have helped us survive.

For example, one of our ancient ancestors is hunting in the
Jungle and sees a shape with black stripes prowling around – He doesn’t wait to see the teeth! He immediately sense danger - This is purely the color of the animal that triggers danger
Colors what we associate with them

As society has developed it has reinforced our association with certain colors to trigger a response.

Go into a Hospital or dentists, and you will often see pale green or pale yellow because of their soothing, relaxing impact.

Take a road sign, traffic light or warning notice, see red and you know you probably need to be cautious. All the time we everyday of our lives we react to color.

Color and your image

We can of course use the influence of color to our advantage, to create a positive impression.

Understanding what different colors mean to other people, means you can dress to project different images with the correct choice of color.

Consider this:

Around 60% of clothes sold in western countries are black.
The reason for this is - Black can be used both formally and informally to great effect.

Wearing black formally suggests elegance, strength, authority, power and control – Think what colors the police use for uniforms and what you already associate it with and you get the picture.

If you have to attend a business meeting or any formal event, black is always a safe color. In Western cultures it gets peoples attention and respect.

When worn properly, you can’t go wrong in black. Dark colors are always more effective in formal situations. Dark grey and navy blue also conjure up a similar image

While red is used many people associate it with confrontation, so it’s not a safe choice for business meeting.

Why does red trigger a negative response? Think of signs that warn you of things i.e. a final demand for a bill or a no smoking or any other sign warning you not to do something! – Many people resent red and don’t like it.

There are of course differences between societies in colors they like and don’t like. A good example is red, which is seen as a very positive color by the Chinese.

Colors to make you look slimmer

Generally the darker the color the slimmer you will appear, no wonder black is so popular

The other trick of using color to look slimmer is to make sure that you dress in one color only.

Why? Because you are not bisecting your figure and you are not drawing attention to any of the problem areas of your body.
Colors to enhance your look

For example let’s take someone with a pale complexion. They should not wear many light colors such as yellow and lime green, as this will simply make them look washed out.

Think of hair color as well, or any other feature.

If you are careful in your color selection you can draw attention to your good points and deflect from your bad points.

Other colors

If you want to project a fun image you can use vibrant light colors. In western cultures we present these with fun ( what color are children’s nurseries and colors travel companies use a lot? ) yellow’s orange, blues, greens – All these in our psyche represent having a good time.

Color consultations

Are big business now, as more people than ever are looking to use color to project a better image – Be it they want to look slimmer, emphasize their best features or command respect.

Light the essence of life itself and is reflected in the colors we see - This is why its effect is so dramatic on all of us and why using color is so effective in our dress.

For over 4000 years silk has held the position as the Queen of Textiles. It is the ultimate luxurious cloth for the individual with discriminating taste.

To quote Oscar de la Renta, “Silk does for the body what diamonds do for the hand.”
Once upon a time…… there lived a Chinese empress, Si Ling Chi, who watched a silkworm spinning its cocoon while on her morning walk through the royal gardens. She dreamt of clothing herself entirely with fabric made only from these fine, shimmering
threads…

Such was the beginning of the breeding of silkworms 5000 years ago, and even today the principles remain the same.

So what exactly is silk and how is it made?

Silk is the fine thread with which a silkworm spins its cocoon. The silkworm pupates in its cocoon and emerges 20 days later as a moth. The thread which is produced by the spinning glands of the silkworm is the finest and strongest natural fiber in the world.

Silk is a protein fiber, meaning that is chemically quite similar to human skin. Because of this, silk is an ideal “second skin”.

So what is it that makes silk so special and sought after for clothing?

* Silk Shines — Because of silk’s unique sheen, colors radiate and assume a luminescent character. This gleaming however is not the only quality of silk.

* Silk Caresses — Thanks to its extremely fine and smooth fiber structure, silk flows in a supple and soft way.

* Silk Insulates — Silk cools and warms simultaneously. Silk garments are perfect for summer and winter. Silk can be worn as a second layer underneath to warm without being bulky. It can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. Silk will absorb perspiration while letting your skin breathe. Silk contributes to your well-
being.

* Silk Wears well — In spite of its delicate appearance, silk is relatively robust. Its smooth surface resists soil and odors well. Silk is wrinkle and tear resistant, and dries quickly.

* Silk is safe and Non-Allergenic — Because of its protein structure, silk is the most hypoallergenic of all fabrics. That means it’s less likely to cause allergic reactions to the wearer. For people with skin allergies silk can be a God send.

* Silk Flatters — Silk has been celebrated throughout history: Princesses are clad in silken robes and noblemen in silken capes. 2000 years ago, Chinese poets wrote of the harmonizing virtues of silk clothing. Silk is naturally wrinkle-resistant, glossy, hypoallergenic, and easy to care for. Other fabrics can only claim these qualities after being treated with additives.

Get yourself some silk and see the difference.

Gregg Hall is a consultant to small businesses and has experience in a variety of fields. For more information on where to find fine silk lingerie go to: http://www.finelingeriestore.com

Have you noticed that on some websites you can purchase your own tuxedo for just about the price you would pay for two tuxedo rentals? So the next time you are in need of a tuxedo you might want to think about purchasing rather than renting. Go ahead and do your research so you’ll know what you want and be ready to take the plunge.

A complete tuxedo ensemble includes a jacket, trousers, shirt, bow tie, cuff links, studs, and a cummerbund or vest. If you wear a vest, you do not wear a cummerbund. I would suggest purchasing extra ties and cummerbunds in colors and patterns for a more festive look for any occasion.

Your classic tuxedo, of course, is black but you have several collar options from which to choose. You have the notch lapel tuxedo jacket, the peak lapel tuxedo jacket, the shawl lapel tuxedo jacket, and the mandarin color tuxedo jacket. Personally I prefer the classic notch lapel tuxedo jacket but it really is a matter of choice. The shawl lapel gives the body an elongated look so it has a slenderizing affect.

You then have the trousers in pleated and non-pleated with an adjustable or non-adjustable waist band, all with a satin stripe down the legs.

There is a great selection of tuxedo shirts available. You have the classic wing collar tuxedo shirt, regular collar tuxedo shirt, mandarin collar tuxedo shirt, banded mandarin collar tuxedo shirt, piped mandarin collar tuxedo shirt and the list goes on and on.

The accessories are endless. You have the band bow tie or one of the newer contemporary style ties, the cummerbund or button cover jewelry if you choose one of the mandarin collar shirts. And, of course, the studs and cuff links. Don’t forget to take a look at the tuxedo vests. All accessories will be available in an array of colors, patterns and styles. You’re sure to find what you need to complete your ensemble.

Go on, be selective and individualize your look. You have a lot of styles, colors and patterns from which to choose.

Have fun and enjoy your special occasion.

Sue Gray
http://www.formalwear-outlet.com

I have worked in formalwear for 20 years. I am now with http://www.formalwear-outlet.com where I am involved with all aspects of formalwear for ladies and gentlemen.

Image Development is the science and art of creating a Powerful First Impression. In the first thirty seconds people make judgments about you on a subconscious level, based on what they see, hear and sense. To create a Powerful First Impression, you must create a positive visual impact.

Here are 7 Keys to Creating Powerful First Impressions

1. Smile! A genuine smile, one that reaches your eyes and shines through your face and body language, is one that will encourage people to smile back. It makes strangers more comfortable with you, makes you seem more approachable, and gives a sense of comfort to those around you.

2. Use direct eye contact – You can convey power, authority and presence by using direct eye contact and direct eye contact also conveys trustworthiness and confidence. Be careful not to stare hard at another person, or you could convey a more confrontational attitude.

3. Wear colors compatible with your basic coloring – Human beings are one of two colorations: warm or cool. People with warm coloring look best in yellow-based colors like gold, warm reds, golden browns, and rich ivory. People with cool coloring look best in blue-based colors like true reds, blues, greens and winter white. Your eye, hair and skin tone help determine whether you are cool or warm, and that helps determine what colors look best on you!

4. Have great Hair Days! – Don’t fight your natural hair texture. If you have extremely curly hair, find a hairdresser that has the skill and patience to cut naturally curly hair and celebrate it. You can develop a unique presence by your hairstyle, so if it’s straight, wavy, kinky, curly or nappy, enjoy it, and get a hairstyle that works with your natural texture. It’ll save you time and aggravation over fighting to straighten extra-curly hair, or trying to get kinky hair to lie flat like newspaper.

5. Watch those lines! – Every day that you get dressed, you are sending a message. If you purchase clothing based on it’s effect on your body frame and choose items that celebrate your best features, getting dressed will no longer become an occasion for anxiety, but one of joy and happiness! The right proportions of clothing can make you look younger and thinner (or fuller, if you want that!) or they can make you look dowdy, matronly or unfinished. Choose to look your best in clothing that flatters your silhouette, body frame and size.

6. Avoid trendiness at all costs – The trend of the moment may not be right for you! Some of the fashion trends that have come and gone include micro-minis, hot pants, the ‘grunge’ look, psychedelic eye makeup and others. Though these trends may be fun to look at, they are often impractical for everyday wear, or simply not affordable. Choose items for your wardrobe that can serve multiple purposes and won’t look dated as soon as they are purchased.

7. Spend well, not often – Use the principle of Capsule Wardrobing to choose several colors that look great on you, then mix and match pieces within those colors to create a workable, professional and easy-to-wear wardrobe that won’t cost an arm and a leg as you try to keep up with the “trend of the moment”. You can purchase just 12 garments in 3 basic colors, plus 1 or 2 accent colors, and create 35 – 40 different outfits!

What message are you sending with your Image? Are you displaying a current look without being a slave to the trend of the moment; is your look finished, complete and together, or is your Image in need of an update?

About the Author: Dianne M. Daniels is an Image & Color Coach, Consultant and Professional Speaker, and the author/publisher of “Polish & Presence: 31 Days to a New Image”. She has helped individuals refine and define their personal and professional image, along with corporations and organizations. Learn how to create your Personal Climate for Personal and Professional Success at http://www.imageandcolor.com