To Wear or Not to Wear Designer Shoes?

We all know that designer shoes can be pretty expensive. They are available in a wide range of designs, colours and cater for men and women. Sometimes, it seems an awful lot of waste of precious money to buy such stuff when you could get pretty shoes for the half the price on the streets. You may, however, need to consider a lot of factors while making the decision of whether to buy or not to buy them.

Normally, we think that these exotic shoes are only for celebrities, fashion models and for the ultra rich and famous. However, things are changing in the market today. This is no longer true, as there are many fashion designers mushrooming by the day producing wares that are reasonably priced. Many people also opt for fakes, as these are less expensive. However, they may not offer the best quality and workmanship and may not last as long as the real thing. The original brands can offer the best quality, comfort and sophistication.

Many men and women have the requirement for such designer shoes, as they might be working in high class companies and will have to look sophisticated enough to match the surroundings. However, you must be a little practical while selecting the style of this footwear. If your job entails a lot of walking, it would not be advisable to select high heels, but rather opt for other styles. You will need to consider whether you really have occasions for wearing such shoes. Select a neutral colour so that you can match it with many of your outfits. It would be a good idea to select black or neutral footwear, for instance, as it would complement any outfit.

Designer shoes are very appropriate for important occasions, such as your first date or meeting some important business clients and so on. You can go in for boots or mid heels or even flats. Mid heels can be very comfortable and are available in different sandal type such as flip flops or the platform style. You can also select the strapped ones or the wedge type as they are both trendy and comfortable. For instance, there are the wedge ankle boots that are made of high quality leather. The design is available in different colours and has a zip on the side. You can team these with skinny jeans and sport the perfect casual look for a fun weekend. Alternatively, there are mid heel sandals that can become an essential part of your wardrobe and are made of the best patent leather.

Definitive Denim

In a world where denim has grown into a multi-million pound industry, the choices can sometimes be mind boggling for the consumer. Browsing a catalogue or taking a walk around a menswear store can be a daunting task on the hunt for the perfect pair of jeans, when you don't necessarily know what jeans are going to fit well or why one pair is so much more expensive than others. You see words such as 'selvage', 'raw denim', 'pre washed' hanging from the swing tags and the tendency can be to walk away bemused rather than to ask a member of staff about the difference. All this before you then throw whether you want a slim fit, boot cut, regular fit or loose fit into the mix.

After a quick scout around the Internet there doesn't seem to be one particular site that has tackled this issue head on leading me to write this article in an attempt to take away the stigma that designer denim has surrounding it.

Raw Denim

Dry / raw / unwashed denim are some of the terms that you might see associated with this particular style. As you might have gathered from the last sentence it is denim that is unwashed after being dyed in the production phase. The result is a very strong colouration which through time will naturally wear away in certain areas of stress and general wear and tear. Although stiffer when first worn, raw denim is a must for some denim connoisseurs who love the breaking in process and the results that it brings with it. Areas such as the knees and thighs as the months go on will begin to fade and wear away, giving it a very personal 'lived in' effect.

It is said that you shouldn't wash raw denim for at least 6 months. Through this time your unwashed jeans will have time to develop their own stress areas and the dye will naturally fade. Washing them before this time will result in the dye pouring out of the jeans and the jeans shrinking slightly. It's a personal choice as to when to wash raw denim. Some people will go to lengths of putting their jeans in the freezer to kill off bacteria and give them another few weeks' worth of wear.

Selvage Denim

Selvage or selvedge denim is usually at the top end of the price range of a certain brand of jeans. Although they might not initially look like they are worth the extra expense, they harbour a fantastic piece of craftsmanship which is the selvage edge. Through the passage of time, denim of inferior quality will naturally fray and has to be stitched on the edge to prevent this happening. A selvage edge prevents this from happening and is created from one continual cross thread which is passed all the way down the edge of the fabric.

A selvage edge is identifiable by the two colour stitch which is still applied decades on. A popular way to wear selvage jeans is to upturn the hem of the trousers so the stitched panel is visible. Longevity and durability are the key features of selvage denim.

Washed Denim

Just as raw denim is popular amongst some denim connoisseurs, washed denim also has a large following for reasons exactly the opposite to that of raw. Pre-washed denim has already gone through a washing process to give it an aged look. This saves the consumer the hassle of having to 'break in' the jeans. The washing process gives it a much softer feel and the jeans won't bleed as much dye when washed again once purchased. Artificial abrasions and faded areas are sometimes added to enhance the worn in effect that washed denim offers. Denim enthusiasts are in general against wearing washed denim as it goes against their love of creating their own individual jeans

Japanese Denim

Usually you will find that Japanese denim will be at the top end of the price point on jeans for men. This is usually down to Japanese denim being seen as the best. Large brands such as Stone Island and Evisu use Japanese denim for this reason. Old style Japanese looms produce softer, darker, richer and higher quality denim.

The Best Way to Wear Leggings This Season

As always, leggings are back in fashion and have been adapted to suit this season's hottest trends. Currently, there are so many different outfits that can be created from this leg wear that is bang on trend this season.

Firstly, one of the biggest trends to make waves this season is animal print and of course leopard print is back! Yet again, this wilderness inspired look has caught on and been worn by many famous faces as well as causing a frenzy on the high street. On the catwalks, designer Betsy Johnson led the way with head to toe leopard print outfits, which sparked the trend. Celebrities such as Pixie Lott and Paloma Faith have been spotted wearing animal print leg wear and most recently Fearne Cotton was seen wearing turquoise leopard print leggings, as well as Little Mix member Jesy Nelson following the leg wear trend. This is one of the best ways to wear leggings this season; invest in some with an animal print and then create the rest of the outfit around them, choosing basic neutral colours such as black. These are great for dressing up an outfit and wearing for a night out with heels as well as casually during the day time with your favourite high tops.

Aztec prints are also on trend this season so why not invest in some printed leggings to make the most of this look? Leg wear has been a key piece in this trend and no Aztec-style outfit is complete without yours. For those who may be conscious of their legs, this print may not be the best one for you as they are often horizontal stripes which don't flatter larger legs. Something that does flatter legs however is vertical stripe leggings which have come to the forefront of fashion recently. This trend started with black and white striped jeans and now the high street have turned to leggings for a more flexible inexpensive garment in the same pattern; these will elongate the legs and can again be worn day or night for an on-trend look!

Basic coloured leggings are always easy to wear and can be adapted for each season. For the fall months, wear key colours such as burgundy, jade green, burnt orange and neutral grey and brown hues on your legs. Whereas in the spring months, it's worth investing in some bright colours such as purples and pinks, as well as pastel tones and tie dye prints for a laid back summer look. If you're looking towards spring/summer then of course a key trend will be floral and fruit inspired prints, and there are lots of leggings with these prints. If floral prints for spring bore you and you want something more ahead of the fashion pack then look for some paisley print leggings as this is a big trend this season.

Check out the catwalk shows to get inspiration for looks that will keep you well ahead of the fashion packs! Ripped and lace leggings are a great alternative fashion look especially in darker colours for the fall months, and the glamour goth look is coming back. Another great way to get outfit inspiration is to keep an eye on what the celebrities are wearing, and take tips on how not to wear your leggings in some cases.

Greek Sweatshirts

There's a lot to be said about the impact of Greek life on campus. Whether you are a member of a fraternity or a sorority you'll want to announce your pride in having secured a place and escaped dorm life and an increasing number of suppliers are happy to help you with a range of clothing ranging from Greek sweatshirts to accessories and custom screen prints of all shapes and sizes.

With the end of the semester here, many places are seeing runs on productions of customized Greek clothes such as graduation stoles or clothing suitable for celebrating summer and the seasons to come. The end of the year is bringing all sorts of opportunities to let your hair down and enjoy the lighter side of life, but that's no reason to start disregarding some of the basic rules of how you present yourself.

We're all proud of our affiliations - and why not? As many people will testify, joining the Greek system is one of the best things you can do in terms of giving yourself the opportunities to develop and take advantage of the help of your fellow Greeks. But there's one rule that you'd be advised to bear in mind at all times - when you're wearing Greek clothes, don't double letter.

What on earth is double lettering? It's one of those superstitions that almost have the force of an unwritten law, and it's basically one of not wearing more than one item with Greek lettering on at a time. That means, for example, that under the Greek sweatshirts worn for the evening, you shouldn't also be wearing a Greek polo shirt. In some circles it's why the 'no tattoo' rule doesn't even get broken for Greek lettering - otherwise whatever you wear you're in danger of breaking the rule.

And yet there's something almost magnetic about Greek clothes - quite aside from the pride and sense of shared identity - that can make it hard to resist it. In truth I think it's frowned on because it's a form of laziness. We take pride in our appearance and in our membership, and that comes with standards of dress and turn out that shouldn't be flouted. It's like the thin line between individuality and becoming a hipster, except in the other direction. In this case though it's the fine line between celebrating Greek style and becoming a Greek lettered clotheshorse, no better than anyone slavishly coating themselves in corporate logos.

So think about that while you're browsing the web for jackets or accessories. There's some great custom wear out there, don't get me wrong, but be prepared at the very least for some ribbing if you unzip those Greek sweatshirts to reveal vests over long sleeve t-shirts before grabbing your laptops from your lettered backpacks. If you've gone that far you need to stop, take a step or two back, and reconsider the message you're sending out. That said, it's the end of semester, so get out there and have some fun.

This article discuss about Greek sweatshirts and the options available for celebrating your membership of the Greek system with clothing and accessories. It also takes a slightly wry look at the pitfalls of double-lettering and why pride in your fraternity or sorority can be a fine line to walk sometimes.