Fashion Style You

What do Lily Cole, Sienna Miller and Cameron Diaz have in common?

The answer is they are all doing their bit to save the planet, by indulging in ethical fashion they are reducing their carbon footprints, and you can too.

It’s all too easy these days to pop into the supermarket and pick up a couple of tops for a fiver without giving a thought to how it was made, and when you are bored with them you can throw them in the bin, fast fashion is disposable fashion.

Thankfully things do not have to be this way. Many pioneering brands these days make clothes the ethical way, tackling environmental and social issues and using fairtrade materials and organic cotton.

Best of all these clothes look superb, they are stylish pieces that make you look good and feel great … and that is just what fashion should be about!

Clothes Shopping has a good selection of ethical fashion.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Born in Hamburg in 1938, Karl Lagerfeld emigrated to Paris at the age of 14. He was to go on to become one of the most celebrated designers this century has seen.

In 1955, at the age of just 17, Lagerfeld was awarded a position at Pierre Balmain, after winning a competition sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat (the coat he had designed for the contest was later put into production by Balmain).

In 1958, he left to take up a job with Jean Patou, which gave him an invaluable knowledge of couture but apparently very little pleasure. After just one year, he quit to work as a freelance designer for such fashion houses as Krizia, Charles Jourdan and Valentino.

By 1964, he had grown so disillusioned with the world of haute couture that he left Paris altogether to study art in Italy.

In 1967, Lagerfeld returned to fashion, joining Fendi as a design consultant. In the 1970’s, however, his name was more closely associated with the house of Chloe, where he was given carte blanche to produce exquisite floaty and feminine ready-to-wear
collections which claimed to rival contemporary couture. His 1972 Deco collection, which consisted of black and white prints and cleverbias-cutting, brought him worldwide acclaim. He produced his last collection for Chloe - now designed by Phoebe Philo - in 1983 to move to Chanel (though he did return briefly in 1993, to replace outgoing designer Martine Sitbon).

At the same time as taking on the title of director of collections and ready-to-wear at Chanel, Lagerfeld launched his own-name label, now synonymous with strong tailoring, combining easy-to-wear cardigan jackets in his favourite bright colours and softly shaped knitwear to create what he describes as “intellectual sexiness”.

Meanwhile his designs for the super-chic French fashion house, a fusion of pre-war Chanel and contemporary trends, carried the label to the pinnacle of high fashion in the Eighties and Nineties. Notable moments of his career at Chanel include teaming the traditional box jacket with denim mini skirts in 1991, combining club-influenced black fishnet body-stockings with the traditional Chanel camellia placed cheekily over the breasts and matching hefty lace-up boots with flowing georgette skirts and leather
jackets.

By 1997, Vogue had crowned him the “unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment”. - vogue.com

Popularity: 17% [?]

The Bauhaus is one of the most important Design Movements in the twentieth century. It took place in Germany of the 1920s and early 1930s, the period of the Wiemar Republic, an area considered one of the birthplaces of the Modern Movement in architecture and design.

The impact of the horrible experiences in the First World War, poverty and inflation created a new consciousness, which influenced strongly Design, Architecture and Art. This was the age of the Bauhaus, a movement which was a reaction to social change and which aspired an aesthetic relevance.

The “New Man” became the ideal, a concept that also expressed itself in living. The Bauhaus Design showed purism with emphasis on straight edges and smooth, slim forms. The rooms were sparsely furnished, but filled with hygienic freshness. Superfluous features were taboo. Shining steel was discovered as a material for furniture.

One of the main objectives of the Bauhaus movement was to unify art, craft, and technology. The machine was considered a positive element, and therefore industrial and product design were important components.

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Which diet is right for you? Consider these things when choosing a diet:

• What foods do you like to eat? If you dislike vegetables, chances are that a diet that is vegetable based will not be attractive enough to endure to for any length of time.
• How much weight would you like lose? If you only have 5 - 10 kilograms to lose, you probably will not be dieting for more than a month or two. But, if you have 40 or more kilograms to lose, you need to select a diet you really can live with because you are going to be on it for at least six months or more. Be realistic you cannot live on juice and puréed carrots for the next year. Keep in mind, too, that choosing a diet program you can live with forever is always preferable. Let’s face it. There’s no point in dieting, losing the weight, and then returning to your old habits and stuffing the weight back on. Break the cycle and find a program that you can actually live with.
• Are you preparing meals for a family? If you are, then a highly restrictive diet becomes more difficult as you prepare other foods. Either choose a diet that has pre-packaged meals for you or choose a varied diet that includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Even though you will eat smaller portions or substitute for some of the family’s food, you can still eat some or all of what they eat, just less. Don’t put yourself in a position to torture yourself at every meal watching your family eat things you feel you are depriving yourself of. A healthy, lower calorie diet might not hurt the rest of the family. If they have developed poor eating habits, your diet is the ideal way to change their eating habits along with yours.Take your time in choosing a diet program that will work best for you, your goals, and your lifestyle. Be realistic and reasonable. While you can’t gorge yourself on chocolate every day, there is no reason you can’t still enjoy your meals while dieting.

Information regarding some popular diets can be found in this article at UK High Street >> Popular Diets.

Popularity: 10% [?]

A L’Oreal commercial featuring Penelope Cruz broke industry rules because the actress was wearing false eyelashes, the advertising watchdog has decreed.

The advert for the firm’s ‘Telescopic’ mascara claimed the product could make eyelashes “up to 60 per cent longer”.

According to the Advertising Standards Authority, however, the advert misled because it did not make clear Cruz was wearing some individual false lashes.

Click here for the full story.

Popularity: 10% [?]

With the July 1st smoking ban looming large on the horizon no doubt many of you are thinking about stopping smoking.

Start by making your own decision to kick the habit, if you try to stop just to please someone else the chances are you will fail.

Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the centre, on one side list the reasons to give up, health implications, and think of other people affected such as your family and possibly even future children. Now on the other side of your paper make a realistic list of reasons for continuing to smoke.

Preparing to quit smoking

When you decide to stop smoking chose a date in the near future, if possible pick a time when a change in your normal routine occurs such as a holiday. Do not try to give up smoking in times of stress or anxiety.

Tell your friends and family of your decision they will help to strengthen your resolve, if possible team up with someone else who is determined to stop smoking too, sharing the experience often is a great help.

Make a note or diary of the times that you most want to smoke, this will help you to prepare for them when you finally stop.

Stopping Smoking

When the day to quit arrives, stop carrying cigarettes, matches or a lighter. Hide all ashtrays.

During the first few weeks you may experience moments of anxiety and a deep craving for a cigarette, endure them they will pass. To help keep yourself busy and take more exercise.

When you feel a deep seated urge to smoke, take some deep breaths, eat some nuts or other nutritious snacks (avoid sweets), drink water or fruit juice.

Don’t start worrying about never smoking again, simply take things one day at a time, it makes it easier to conquer the habit.

Remember you do not have to tackle your addiction alone, speak to your Doctor about local support groups, visit the websites ASH and QUIT for more help and advice.

Popularity: 10% [?]