McHenry Fashion County

Archive for January, 2011

Vein Wear is Australia’s number one men’s footwear designer. Vein, by designer Christopher McCallum, has been recognised as the shoe of choice by Australia’s top clothing houses.  Vein opened its Winter season with the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival main parades Morrisey, Kenzo and Leopold.

Vein shoes were the natural footwear selection for Always Habit when they won the coveted Australian Design Awards in November 2005.  Always Habit designs are for savvy young professional men.  They are looking for a striking shoe to compliment their casual and suiting attire.  Vein provides that.

Vein shoes were the footwear of choice when high flying Aussie labels “Leopold” and “Tom, Dick and Harry” unveiled their Winter collections at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week.  The parades were stand-outs with both collections attracting critical acclaim.

When Vein launched its Winter 2006 collection at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival in March there was no question which shoes should be worn with the three pinnacle men’s collections of the season.  Main parades Morrisey, Kenzo and Leopold chose to accompany first class designs with Australian designer shoes by Vein.

“The fashion festival is definitely the highest point yet in our rise in Australian designer fashion.  Morrisey is an idol and an icon.  To be worn on the foot of his, Kenzo and Leopold’s collections is a great honour.  I know our shoes do their clothing justice”, says McCallum.

At the upcoming Mercedes Australian Fashion Week Vein will be working closely with hot men’s label Red Cordial.  Retailers, stylists and other fashion industry participants can also see a preview of Vein’s Summer 06/7 collection at MAFW’s Source Exhibition at the end of April.

“At Vein we are delighted to work with clothing designers.  Footwear does not steal the limelight at fashion parades, but a designer collection show is too important to leave footwear up to models, friends or God forbid resort to pluggers”, says McCallum.

It is not that hard to choose the proper wedding attire to wear when going to a wedding.  Most of us exert a lot of effort to look our best when going out, and going to a wedding is not any different from that.  As some people would say it, just look better than your best when attending someone’s wedding.

The Clues Are on the Invitation

A question that may come to mind when choosing what wedding attire to wear is exactly that: What should you wear to a wedding?  The answer to your question lies on the wedding invitation itself.  If the wedding invitation you have in your hand is embossed and engraved and talks in a very formal language, it only goes to show that the wedding is a formal event.  However, if the invitation is casually presented and written, it means that the wedding is a more casual and intimate affair.

Another clue that will help you decide what wedding attire to deck yourself in when you show up at a wedding is the venue of the wedding.  Church weddings with reception at a fancy restaurant always call for dressier wedding attire.  If it is a wedding at a beach or a destination wedding, it is perfectly acceptable to wear something more laid back.

Daytime or Evening?

Perhaps a more important clue that you should pay attention to in deciding what wedding attire to wear is the time of the wedding.  It spells a huge difference if the wedding is going to be held during the daytime or at night.

For daytime weddings, you do not need to show up in formal wedding attire.  It still depends on the degree of the formality of the wedding, but you can get away with wearing a suit in light colors or a stylish pastel dress.  You can also choose a skirt-and-blouse outfit as long as it looks sleek and smart.  Always go for light-colored clothes for daytime weddings and stay away from wearing black.

As for evening weddings, formal wedding attire is usually the required dress code, but that still depends on whether the wedding is black-tie optional or strictly black tie.  If the event is just black-tie optional, you can wear a dark suit or a cocktail dress.

With strictly black tie weddings, the appropriate wedding attire is a formal ball gown.  This is your chance to show off your style by wearing a floor-length evening dress, fancy evening wraps or shawls and formal jewelry.  Your makeup should be a little more heavy and dramatic than how you usually wear it.  Make sure, however that the wedding attire that you will get is something that fits well and feels comfortable for you.  You can only pull off a formal look if you are comfortable in it.  Besides, formal evening weddings call for a lot of dancing.

Inappropriate Wedding Attire

When it comes to choosing the proper wedding attire, there are literally thousands of dresses and suits that you can choose from when you shop.  But no matter how pretty a dress or suit is, you should not buy it if:

* It is white.  White is a color that only the bride should wear at a wedding.  Do not wear white to a wedding, whether it is daytime or evening.
* Denims are a huge no-no, even in casual weddings.
* Wear something modest and subdued.  The bride is the star of the wedding and it is in very bad form if you show up in wedding attire that is flashier than the bride’s wedding gown.  Also, if your dress is sleeveless or strapless, you should cover your shoulders with a jacket or a wrap.

Always look your best in the proper wedding attire when you come to a wedding.

Prom time is almost here and choosing from so many styles and shapes of prom dresses isn’t easy. It takes time and patience to try on all those prom dresses, hoping to find just the right dress for your special evening. You should first find a prom dress that flatters your body type, or silhouette. Use the guide below to find out what type of body shape you have and which prom dress will best complement your shape.

Determining Your Body Shape

It’s important to determine your body shape before you start shopping for prom gowns. Once you know which types of prom dresses will best suit you, you won’t waist time trying on those that won’t.

Are you Thin and Tall?

Here’s a way to tell: Your body is straight and slender, has few or no curves, and your bust is average in size. Your height is 5′ 6″ or taller. If you meet these criteria, you’ll want to buy a prom dress style that adds curves, shows off your long legs, flows gracefully to reveal your slim silhouette, and adds fullness to your chest.

Try on dresses with several different neckline styles including v-neck or an open neckline to see which looks best. Also, dare to try a dress with a cutout back. Some prom dress styles to consider are empire, sheath, ball gown, and a-line.

Are you Petite?

If you are 5′ 3″ or shorter with a small build and an average sized bust, you’ll want a dress to complement the petite such as an empire, sheath or a-line prom gown. With a slit, you can make your legs appear longer. Or, you can look much taller by wearing a dress with a short hemline. The hemline might be ruffled, handkerchief, hi/low, or asymmetrical – whichever best suits you. There are also a-line and empire styles to take emphasis off your waistline if you are short-waisted. Your neckline could be sweetheart, halter, or v-shape.

Do you have an Hourglass, Pear, or Apple Shape?

With an hourglass shape, you are curvy with a medium-to-large sized bust. Your bottom is rounded and you have curvy hips. You can show off the curves with a sheath dress or de-emphasize them somewhat with a ball gown or a-line dress. To place more emphasis on the upper portion of your body, choose a dress with an embellished neckline.

With a pear shape, you are probably bottom-heavy, meaning your hips, thighs, and bottom are larger than the upper portion of your body. Choose prom dresses that flatter the upper half of your body such as a-line, empire, or ball gown dresses with a circular halter neckline. Or, a strapless dress might do the trick.

If your body is apple-shaped, your mid-section is probably heavier or thicker than other parts of your body. Maybe your tummy is larger than you would like. Choose dresses that take the emphasis away from your mid-section. An empire gown might work best with this type of figure. An a-line dress can work well too if you have a bodice with boning to give it a slimming effect.

Are you Athletic? Do you have a Large Build?

If you are muscular, have broad shoulders, or a large bust, choose a prom dress that will give you a feminine shape such as a ball gown or empire style dress. The full skirt will immediately add shape at your waistline. With broad shoulders, you might find that trying to cover them with wide straps or sleeves will make them look even wider. Try on a few strapless prom gowns first. You might be pleasantly surprised!

If you have a large bust, be sure your prom dress offers proper support. Choose v-necks or halters and either an a-line or ball gown. To draw attention away from your chest, wear a prom dress that has eye-catching details at its hemline.

With a full figure, there are more styles today than ever in plus size prom dresses. Don’t feel uncomfortable on your prom night by trying to squeeze into a smaller gown. Find a dress that fits your body size and flatters your figure.

More “Accentuating” Prom Dress Ideas

There are even more ways you can accentuate certain areas of your body. Prom dresses can also come with stylish features such as beaded panels, a fully beaded bodice, accordion pleating, a jeweled beltline, embroidery designs, sheer overlays, trains, and removable skirts.

Use these tips to get an idea of what style will work best for your body type before you start shopping. Check online to look at various styles and colors. Most online stores carry a variety of dresses including prom dresses, evening dresses, and bridesmaid dresses, so you’ll have no problem finding just the right dress.