Ready To Wear: Is it wise to dress merely with flattery in mind?

In the most elevated fashion circles it is not always deemed strictly stylish to wear a dress that is simply flattering. Witness the rise of Lady Gaga as a fashion plate par excellence. Here is a woman who famously thinks nothing of wearing a none-too-shapely dress crafted out of raw meat or, more recently, carrying a life-size headless twin on her slender shoulders thus giving the Hunchback of Notre Dame a run for his money. Then there's the Rihanna school of fashion where the body is so sensational that, really, wearing anything at all seems nothing short of churlish.
Back on planet earth and we mere mortals might be forgiven for requiring a helping hand where a grand entrance is concerned. Kate Winslet, below, certainly feels that way.2011 American Music Awards Best Dressed Pictures. At the Paris premiere of Carnage she wore a Stella McCartney dress that rendered her already impressive curves on a par with those of Jessica Rabbit. It's a simple but highly effective formula. The front of the dress is red and the back is black. Stand against a dark background, then, and the hourglass body of a 1950s fashion illustration is achieved.
The dress no doubt weighs in at a price but there are more than a few women out there who would argue it was worth it. Not since Roland Mouret's Galaxy, with its hi-tech underpinnings, and as worn by everyone from Victoria Beckham to Demi Moore, has a garment worked such magic on the female form. Anyone who loves fashion knows only too well that stepping out in head-to-toe Comme des Garcons will earn considerable brownie points with members of an impressively initiated tribe. They also understand, however, that if dressing to flaunt one's own considerable assets, a little black Azzedine Alaa knit is likely to trump that. And aren't we lucky to have the choice. Unsurprisingly, on the red carpet, the latter motivation tends to dominate and the likes of Mouret, McCartney and, the aforementioned King of Cling himself, Ala?a, will be only too happy to oblige.
It’s something that New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has been hip to for a while. Some of the exhibits staged there ― such as this year’s Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty show ― have helped turn a new generation on to the joys of museum-hopping.Harold Koda, the 61-year-old chief curator of the Met’s Costume Institute, has had a hand in staging some of the world’s best received costume exhibits, celebrating disparate arenas, from Jocks and Nerds to Superheroes, and designers, from Paul Poiret to Giorgio Armani.

Superdry is the superstar of casual clothing

Superdry is a newbie in the market. Couple of years ago it was struggling to find its niche in the market. Well, after some celebrity stunts it got its share of publicity and it has rejunevated the stale market of streetwears. What is streetwear? It is a tough question to be answered. Though, in broad terms it can be said that it belongs to the masses. It is the alternative to the designer clothes. The clothes that is available and affordable to everyone. This brand scores on all such points. Due to lack of innovation, new ideas and research, the streetwear industry of Europe was at its decline. But with the beginning of twenty first century, some creative minds came together to the rescue. Superdry came through the backdoor but was facing the lack of publicity and fan following. But after a few celebrities were seen sporting it, it became high in demand among the general public.
It has some authentic points as to why it is increasingly becoming one of the most popular brands. Design is one of the most scoring features. It reflects pure quality design. Unlike some cheap clothes which fall apart and very soon start looking out of date, it remains as good as new for a very long time. The design takes care of the fit, comfort and style. For example, its jackets are designed well keeping the warmth and comfort factor in mind. There are several layers which are quite capable of insulating the heat. The jeans look so damn good that sometimes they look worth more than some of the designer labels. You can wear them anywhere and everywhere. They will always be comfortable. They also remain durable for a long time.
Lower price range makes the brand the clothing to be seen in this season. Each one of us wants the best for the minimum price. This brand suits the pocket of the general public. If the same quality comes within the budget, why would anyone go for a higher range? This price concession has been warmly received by the market. There is a vast difference between the price of any outfit from this brand and one from those designer labels. Superdry is interestingly becoming the wear for all seasons. It offers a wide range of variety. Apart from different designs and multiple products, it also offers a wide variety in fabrics.

2011 American Music Awards Best Dressed Pictures

In these best dressed pictures from the 2011 American Music Awards, see photos of the most fashion forward stars who attended the event at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Nov. 20. Taylor Swift comes in first in our best dressed gallery for her beautiful bedazzled golden gown. Not only did she win Artist of the Year, but she is a top contender for Best Dressed Artist of the Year in our book.
Some other pop stars who were looking their absolute best at the 2011 AMAs are Selena Gomez, who looked all grown-up and quite sexy in her satin, champagne-colored gown, and Nicki Minaj, who delivered a burst of color to the stage at the 2011 AMAs with her black and green gown. Robin Thicke looked great in his black pants and checkered grey suit jacket, and British songstress Ellie Goulding was a show-stopper in her fitted black cocktail dress. Finally, Lady Antebellum singer Hillary Scott rocked her sparkly black gown, looking more like a pop diva than a country star.Check out these pictures of the best dressed stars at the 2011 American Music Awards. Who wins your vote for the best dressed person at the show?
Fashion magazines praise the Olsen twins but, being Italian and middle-aged, I don't understand why. It seems they are very rich, therefore they can afford everything.Fergie Sports High Bun & Georges Chakra Dress. They look always dwarfed by clothes too big for them. Am I the only one thinking that they just look weird and are not the fashion icons the magazines tell us they are?One of the many things I love about your missive, Carla, is how you answer your own questions within it. Being middle-aged and Italian is what gives you clear-eyed wisdom, dear woman, not ignorance.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are two young women who, as babies, appeared ("acted" somehow seems too strong a word in this context) in a terrible American sitcom (Full House – not a recommended boxset) but, as far as I know, haven't done a lick of work since they were about eight. As Carla says, they are much praised by fashion magazines because, as she continues to explain, albeit unwittingly, they buy lots of clothes and wear very large sizes making them look even smaller than they already are, and because they are a bit weird-looking. For the second time in one column, we have encountered a trifecta of factors that will turn a fashion editor on faster than a Chanel sample sale.

Fashion show to benefit Brattleboro Area Hospice

Lost amid the wonders of the delicate 19th century Chantilly silk lace vest and the black taffeta strapless dress belted by impossible-to-find silk velvet ribbon, with an orchid-colored square dance petticoat underneath it, is a simple fact -- the success of this design owes as much to sound engineering as it does to artistry."This is all about construction work. If you don’t know how to build it, a strapless dress won’t stay up," said designer Pamela Moore, explaining a principle of fashion that might be called, pun intended, "structure or bust."
That dress, and later a funky swallow-tail coat and tweed skirt, drew crowds, and appreciative "oohs" and "aahs," as Moore hung them on a mannequin Monday night in the Experienced Goods home furnishing store on Elliot Street.Designers, models, fashionistas and paparazzi gathered there Monday to mark another milestone in a very big deal. On Saturday, Putney turns into Milan-on-the-Connecticut for the Wild Night on the Catwalk fashion show. Local and regional designers have created one-of-a-kind, fun fashions for a runway show to benefit Brattleboro Area Hospice. Believed to be the first event of its kind in the area, the fundraiser, which also features a cash bar, fine food and a Not So Silent Auction, starts at 6:30 p.m., at the Michael S. Currier Center on the Putney School campus.
On Monday, designers fitted their dresses on their models, selected jewels and accessories and made adjustments. Onlookers were even treated to a brief runway walk by three of the models. The excitement, building toward Saturday’s main event, was palpable."We’re hoping that everybody realizes that they don’t want to miss this. A first-time event is one never to miss," said Karen Abel, a Hospice board member and part of Team Décor, a group of people with a passion and flair for design who spearheaded the planning of the event.
Team Decor helped assemble the group of 10 designers, who were then invited to come into the Experienced Goods store many months ago and select items which they would then deconstruct and repurpose into fashions.The designers range in age and encompass a similar range in experiences; there are longtime fashion experts alongside first-time designers. The work they produce is similarly diverse. If there is one common thread to the designs, it is that they all have a heart on their sleeves. The designers and models have thrown themselves energetically into the event, in large part because of their love of the Hospice.

Lavin showcases purple and green dresses

Rural Mexico began to change in the 1950s, however, and agricultural production dropped in the fields at the same time that highways were built to connect once isolated towns to main cities.Instead of producing the clothing for everyday use, artisans began to showcase their work at local fairs and sell them to tourists. Some stopped teaching their children how to make textiles, and many stopped wearing the traditional clothing to avoid being looked down upon after leaving their towns.
In many places, only one family or a person in a town remembers how to weave the huipil, Fuentes said."Many weavers never wanted to share this knowledge," she said. "They passed away taking it to the afterlife."Now, the craft behind the clothing has become a precious commodity as contemporary designers liberally use the garments in their creations, often cutting the original pieces or sewing in silk to make the thick indigenous clothes more wearable and form-fitting."We can't design before having the textile," Fosado said. "We are the ones who adapt to them."
Fuentes says some designers shun altering the Indian clothes and argue that some of the designs should remain intellectual property of the towns they come from.Ana Echeverri, popular culture expert at the National Council for Culture and Arts, said modern designs should still be woven with the backstrap technique.People: Kate Middleton wins Best-Dressed crown."What we don't want is for this to become a cultural betrayal in attempting to innovate the design," she said. "It shouldn't be merely aesthetics. Designers should put everything in context."
In the hip neighborhood of La Condesa, designer Carmen Rion showcases blouses, dresses and shawls that are completely woven and left nearly unaltered. Rion said she never cuts the woven cotton fabric out of respect for the shape of the original Indian designs, which are crafted by 40 artisans from the southern state of Chiapas."I see it as the most important work there is to rescue in Mexico," she said.Of contemporary designers, Rion said, "very few have a solid concept." Most are completely altering the textiles and cutting old pieces using imported fabrics, she said, and some are copying native designs from artisans and sending them to be produced in China.
In her latest collection, Lavin showcases purple and green dresses made mostly of silk but infused with pieces from traditional shawls and other textiles.Lavin said her immersion in indigenous fashion took off during the bicentennial celebrations, when she was commissioned to design dresses for about a dozen wives of diplomats and incorporated traditional elements. Even after the fiesta, she said, the fashion movement is gaining more strength.