McHenry Fashion County

Archive for February, 2011

A quick look inside today’s fashion magazines reveals top designers showing off their animal instincts more and more. From runway to real life, wildlife prints are a fashion “must” and include everything from butterflies to zebra stripes.

In fact, most fashion experts say this season’s hot styles are a mixture of bohemian and wild safari. Tiger and zebra prints, jungle patterns, and tunics with detailed embellishments are a must-have fashion look that anyone can wear. Here are some tips that will help you pull it off:

• Stylists say that wearing safari animal prints, especially leopard, is a great way to add a bold, fashionable edge to your wardrobe.

• If it’s a transformation you’re looking for, the butterfly motif is also taking flight in the fashion industry and can be seen on everything from shoes to hair clips, bags, tops and even gowns. Celebrities are catching on to the craze, as can be seen in the pages of beauty and fashion magazines.

•Butterflies have begun to flutter from fashion into other industries as well. Because butterflies symbolize freedom and the confidence that follows, some brands have selected it as an icon. Most recently, Stayfree® has incorporated a pretty butterfly logo to its fun, aqua-colored Dry Max packaging. So if you’re looking for a way to energize your wardrobe, stylists say to incorporate a butterfly element-whether it’s a handbag, top, scarf or pin.

• The animal trend reaches beyond leopards and butterflies. Fashionistas can expect to see a lot more clothes and accessories featuring animal elements in the coming months.

Other hot trends to keep an eye out for include snakeskin accessories and sleek, African-inspired separates, as well as real and fake fur adorning jackets, sweaters and more. Luxe fabrics like croc and shearling and even fox fur collars were all the rage at recent fashion shows and are expected to hit the racks in the coming months.

When it comes to fashion, it’s a jungle out there. Remember, with these bold safari-style prints and accessories, be careful not to overdo it. Sometimes, less is more.

Season’s hot styles-Jungle patterns are a must-have fashion look that anyone can wear.

Hamsa
The Hamesh hand or Hamsa hand is a popular motif in Jewish jewelry. Arab cultures often refer to it as the Hand of Fatima, which represents the Hand of G-d. The Hamsa serves as an ancient talismanic way of averting the evil eye and providing a “protecting hand” or “Hand of God”. The Hamsa appears often in stylized form, as a hand with three fingers raised, and sometimes with two thumbs arranged symmetrically. The symbol is used in amulets, charms, jewelry, door entrances, cars, and other places to ward the evil eye.

The Hamsa origin is believed to predate Islam. The symbol was previously used in Punic religion, where it was associated with Tanit. In Israel and in Jewish culture it is most commonly known as “Hamsa”, without any Islamic heritage connotations. Some sources link the significance of the five fingers to the five books of the Torah or to the five pillars of Islam.

Star of David
The symbol was used in Israel in Roman times, but it seems to have become associated with Judaism in particular only in later centuries. In the 17th century it became a popular practice to put the Star of David on the outside of synagogues, to identify them as Jewish houses of worship; however, it is not clear why this symbol was selected for this.
Today, the Star of David is a universally recognized symbol of Jews. It appears on the flag of the state of Israel, and the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross is known as the Magen David Adom.

The name David in ancient Hebrew is made up of three letters “Dalet”, “Vav” and “Dalet”. The letter Dalet in ancient Hebrew is actually a triangle. King David used the six pointed star as his signature. The six-points symbolize that God rules over the universe and protects us from all six directions: North, South, East, West, Up and Down. King David used this symbol in the battlefield on his shield as an omen from God.

Chai
This Chai symbol is simply the Hebrew word Chai (literally meaning living), with the two Hebrew letters Chet and Yod attached to each other. The word refers to the Living G-d. Judaism is very focused on life, and the word Chai has great significance. There have been various mystical numerological speculations about the fact that according to the gematrian system, the letters of Chai add up to 18.

Mezuzah
Mezuzah is a small case affixed to the doorposts and gates of Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses. The case generally features the Hebrew letter shin inscribed on it, which protects a piece of parchment scroll, on which is inscribed two passages from the Hebrew Bible: the Shema Israel and V’havta.

Every time you pass through a door with a mezuzah on it, you touch the mezuzah and then kiss the fingers that touched it, expressing love and respect for G-d.

Menorah
The menorah, one of Judaism’s oldest symbols, is a seven-branched candelabrum or oil lamp. It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel. The design for the seven-candle menorah is given in the Torah. The menorah in the Temple had straight branches, not rounded as is often depicted. While the menorah is traditionally used to burn candles, the Temple menorah originally burned olive oil.

A Basic Guide to the Tanzanite Gemstone

The tanzanite gemstone was discovered in Tanzania by the Masaai people in 1967. Shortly thereafter, tanzanite was brought to the Western world by Tiffany and Co., who gave the stone its name and introduced it to the public.

Tanzanite is popular for its dazzling color. A rare stone with the ability to appear several colors at once, tanzanite is mainly purple with shades of blue, flashes of red, and even tinges of green. The darker the tanzanite gemstone, the more valuable it will be. Lighter, more translucent stones can still be beautiful, but they are less valuable.

Tanzanite gemstone jewelry is very popular, and can be found in a wide range of options to suit all needs and tastes. Pendants, bracelets, rings and earrings can all be crafted from tanzanite. Tanzanite can be cut into a variety of shapes, the most popular being cushion, oval, round and emerald-cut.

Considered a birthstone for December since 2002, tanzanite gemstone jewelry makes a great gift for anyone born in that month.

Care should be taken when wearing tanzanite jewelry because it is not the most durable. Tanzanite ranks a 6.5 on the Moh’s scale of gemstone hardness and is more easily damaged than stones like aquamarine, sapphire, and diamond.

When cleaning your tanzanite gemstone take special care to be gentle and never use harsh jewelry cleaners. Also, using ultrasonic jewelry cleaners can ruin tanzanite. Tanzanite should not be exposed to water if at all possible. Also, leaving your tanzanite out in the sun can cause the color to fade. You can wipe your tanzanite clean with a dry cloth, or better yet, take your tanzanite gemstone to a professional jeweler who is knowledgeable in cleaning gemstones.

A beautiful tanzanite necklace can also make a fantastic gift for anyone born in the month of December, as it was added to the list of December’s official gemstones in 2002.