Black Tie and White Tie for Men!

Salve pulchra populus!

If you have been following my blog then you will probably have ready my post on ties and you will know that I said I would talk about Black Tie and White Tie differences.  I will be dividing this post up into two parts.  Part one is the difference between men’s Black Tie and White Tie and part two will be about women’s dress.  That is what today’s post in going to be about.  So, put on your ties and tuxedos and let us get down to business!

First things first; what is Black Tie and White Tie and when are they worn?  White Tie is the most formal of evening dress in the States, the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Countries, and other European countries.  Other names for this are “Full Dress”, “Tails”,  and “Full Evening Dress”.  Black Tie is slightly less formal, but still considered formal wear.  However, it is occasionally called semi-formal wear.  It is also called the “suit and tie” that people talk about.  As for when they are to be worn, both are only worn after 6 in the evening.  They are evening wear after all.  It would not make sense to wear it in the middle of the day.  White Tie is usually worn at events such as  formal weddings, balls, state dinners, some graduation ceremonies, and when requested by the host or hostess of the event.  On the other hand, Black Tie is worn at some weddings, operas, some dinner parties, and some dances for school age children.  Now that you know the differences in when to wear them we can move on to more important things.

Both are similar in that they both consist of a Black or Midnight Blue suit made from wool with silk lapels.  The collar on the shirts both wing style and the shirts themselves are made from cotton. The waistcoats are not to be seen below the cutaway on the coat. When it comes to the trousers, both have the braids made from silk.  Footwear is also the same; either a black court shoe or plain black oxfords.  However, this is basically where the similarities end.

Since Black Tie events are more common, we will start with it and go from the top to the bottom.  Obviously, as the name suggests one wears a black bow tie.  You never, ever wear a necktie to a Black Tie event.  It just looks bad and very out of place.  You will look like you have no idea what is going.  That may in fact be the case, but at least try to look like you at least know how to dress yourself.  The dress shirt that is worn with this particular dress is usually called a "dress shirt", "formal shirt", or a "tuxedo shirt".  These come in several styles, but almost always have some form of pleating.  The waistcoat that is worn with Black Tie is called an evening waistcoat and it can be switched out for a cummerbund.  Yes, it is cummerbund NOT cumberbun.  You would not believe how many people I have come across asking if I know anything about "cumberbuns".  It is ridiculous.  Anyway, back to Black Tie.  The trouser will only have one silk braid on the side, NOT two.  I see a lot of people with two, Black Tie only has one silk braid.  Here is an example of Black Tie attire.

When it comes to the accessories worn for Black Tie, if you must have colour, then it is only a single colour and is muted.  No bright colours when you are wearing Black Tie!  Absolutely not!  DO NOT WEAR A TOP HAT WITH BLACK TIE ATTIRE!!!  Just don't.  If you are going to wear at hat then follow the guide.  For warm seasons you wear a boater hat made of star and during cold seasons you wear a Homburg that is the same colour as your suit.  A handkerchief is usually worn in the pocket on the breast.  This handkerchief is either made of silk or cotton today, but the traditional one is made of linen.  As the wearing of a handkerchief is slightly out of fashion, or if you are attending a less formal form of Black Tie, a Boutonnière is worn and will usually be a rose.  You do not wear it if you are wearing a handkerchief.  That is another big fashion no-no.  Pocket watches are the desired timepiece if you must have one.  However, time pieces that are out and visible are not desired.  This is because if you are going to a formal event it is considered rude to be constantly checking the time.  If you live in ridiculously cold places you may wear a matching overcoat, scarf, and white gloves.  If you do not live in a cold climate I am not sure why you would even need these, but if you insist on having it just in case, make sure it matches! 

Now on White Tie!  White Tie events require a white bow tie in case it was not obvious enough and is made from cotton.  Once again, no neckties.  That is just trashy looking and you will probably not be allowed into the event at all if you wear one.  The coat itself is made differently.  It is called a "bodycoat" by the people that make them and will have more detail.  Also, this is where you get the tails on the coat.  The coat does not button!  Do not even try to button it.  Those six buttons are there for decorations and nothing else.  The shirt that is to be worn will have no pleats on the front at all.  It is plain and made of cotton.  Also, the collar is detachable.  No cummerbunds are to be worn at White Tie events.  Instead there are special cotton waistcoats called a low-cut waistcoat that are made for White Tie dress.  Make sure that your waistcoat covers your belt!  That is very important. The trousers that are to be worn for White Tie have two silk braids going down the side.  You can get away with only having one, but if people notice they might look at you strangely.  So, to be on the safe side, make sure that your trousers have two braids.  This is what White Tie looks like.

Accessories for White Tie are few, but the details in them are very important to get correct!  Your buttons need to match.  It does not matter if they are gold, silver, or have semi-precious or precious stones set in them.  They need to match.  That means shirt studs, cufflinks (if worn), and the buttons on the waistcoat.  All of it.  No exceptions!  Another thing with no exceptions is that you must not wear a watch on your wrist.  It does not matter what brand or how expensive it is.  The standard time piece is a pocket watch.  Yes, it is proper to wear a pocket watch to White Tie.  Boutonnières are almost never worn and the standard is to wear a white handkerchief.  If you have state decorations, those go on your pocket instead.  Top hats are the standard hat for White Tie and white gloves are to be worn when dancing and at other times except for dining.  You do not want to get your gloves dirty.  Not only are they a pain to clean because they are so delicate, but it just looks bad.  If you must wear a coat it should be a Chesterfield coat.  If you want to go for a cloak instead, you wear a opera cloak or an Inverness cloak.  Yes, an Inverness cloak.  That's right.  In the old movies and drawings Sherlock Holmes is wearing a cloak that is worn with White Tie attire.  How classy!   Scarves that are worn sometimes are made of silk and if you want to have cane, you may.

That is it.  In terms of men's Black Tie and White Tie these are the basics.  Just remember to always wear what the dress code calls for!  If it says White Tie do not wear Black Tie and vice versa. Some hosts or hostesses might want certain accent colours and some will not want accent colours to be worn by guests at all.  If you have any doubts, check with the host or hostess.  They will always be able to clear things up for you.  They know what they want and since it is their event, they make the rules.  You may go your entire life and not go to either a Black Tie or White Tie affair.  You may go to several in a year.  It just depends.  However, many of my friends that are guys have at least the attire for a Black Tie event.  They have told me that it is always good to have it on hand and to make sure that it fits because you never know when you might need it.

I hope this has helped you guys out!  Until next time!

Fashion Trend!: Ties and How to Tie Them

Hej alle! 

This weekend has been super crazy for me which ended up with me being sick for about 3 days and me somehow or another being asked to help with a Sunday School class at my church.  After having my coffee I gladly said yes to helping out with Sunday School.  I hope to do well in that!  Wish me luck!

Well, today I will be talking about a fashion trend that comes and goes so lately that it seems to be caught up in a whirlwind.  Yes!  It is time for another fashion trend post!  I have not done one of these in a while and I apologize for that.  I have been busy with so many things it is hard to keep track of my post topics that I do.  Anyways, today I will be talking about ties.  Yes, ties.  Men wear them most of the time, but lately women have as well.  Cats and dogs have as well, but we will not go into that.  Not just as part of a work uniform mind you.  I mean they wear them out and about as part of their regular everyday attire.  I love ties.  I have a vast selection of ties.  I am not entirely sure where all of my ties came from and I am pretty sure that some of them were my grandfathers.  Why have I selected this topic?  It dawned on me while I was walking through the shopping center on my way to Teavana that a lot of women are wearing ties now.  There were so many of them wearing ties!  So many of them had them tied wrong.  Now when I say wrong I mean it looked as if they had just tied a knot in the tie and went about their merry way.  It looked awful.  Today I will be talking about the different types of ties there are and different ways to tie them.  As such, this is one of the few fashion posts that I have done that could be useful to both men and women.  So enjoy it!  Ladies, share it with your man if he need to learn how to tie a tie!  This is defiantly a skill that both men and women could use.

First things first.  Have I ever worn a tie?  Yep, I sure have.  I have been wearing ties since I was a little girl.  Why?  Because that is how my parents dressed me.  My mother has always dabbled in fashion and most of the women in her ancestry have at some point in time either been the owners of a dress and clothing boutique or they have been the ones setting the fashion.  In short, my love of fashion comes from my mother’s side of the family and they, for some reason or other, have always been a couple years ahead of anything that has become fashionable in the States.  As I stated above, I have a vast collection of ties.  Most of my ties are Neckties.  I do have a couple of Bow Ties though.  My father has several ties, but not many.  He works in construction and masonry.  He does not have a job that requires a tie or even recommends the wearing of a tie.  My job, however, I could if I wanted to.   

Now, when it comes to ties there are several different types.  For today’s post I will be covering the two that are most commonly worn today.  These are the Neckties and Bow Ties.  In the past Bolo Ties, Ascot Ties, Cravats, Stock Ties, and Neckerchiefs were also worn.  However, for the sake of not having a post a mile long on all the different types we will be sticking with Neckties and Bow Ties.  So, on with learning about ties!

 

We will start off with Bow Ties because they are the easiest to talk about.  Bow Ties have been around for quite a while and are commonly worn with tuxedos at Black Tie and White Tie events.  I will talk about the difference between the two at a later time.  Bow Ties are most commonly made from silk, cotton, or polyester.  The good thing about Bow Ties is that there is really only one way to tie them.  You really cannot get this wrong.  Well, I guess you could, but it would be really hard to get it wrong.  The shape of the Bow Tie when it is not tied may look a little intimidating, but once you know how to tie it you cannot really screw it up.  Most Bow Ties are sold in what is called the Thistle Style.  There really is not any need to know why it is called this, but there you go.  Random trivia for you.  Here is a fun little graphic that I found on Pinterest about how to tie a Bow Tie.

 

See, not that hard.  In fact, they are actually easier to tie than a Necktie.  You are about to find out why.

Ah the Necktie.  Style’s way of telling men that fashion and looking good is not easy.  When you look at all the different ways to tie a Necktie and all the different ways that it can go horribly, horribly wrong looking at a the different necklines a woman’s dress can have and picking one out looks like child’s play.  Here is an example of just some of the different types of ways that one can tie this lovely staple of the men’s fashion world.

 

 

Of these, the Half-Windsor, the Four-in-Hand, and the Full Windsor are the most common to see.  That is because these are the easiest to tie when it comes to getting these suckers on.  However, the Prince Albert is pretty easy to tie as well.  How exactly do you tie these monsters?  Well, here is an easy to follow diagram that I found on Pinterest to help you along the way with ten of the simpler knots for your Neckties.
 

 

Got a handle on that?  Good.  If not keep practicing!  No worries!  You will get it eventually.  I had to practice to get them right and some of them I still have to do several times before I get them right.  If you are good with those knots I have two diagrams here for two of the most complicated tie knots that you have probably ever seen.  Yep, those two on the bottom left of the comparison picture up there.  The Eldredge and the Trinity Knots.  These two are monsters.  I still to this day have more problems with these things and I have been tying Neckties since I was five.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Complicated right?  They do look really cool though.  I admire any person, man or woman, that can tie these things right on the first try.  It is hard.  The end result is really amazing and look really classy when guys wear them.  I wish more guys would learn to do these two knots so that they were seen more often.

Well, enough with how to tie the darn things.  What is so great about ties anyways?  Well, for one thing.  Ties add a bit more class to your button down shirts.  No, polo shirts do not count.  I am talking about cotton, silk, or satin button down dress shirts.  They also look amazing with weskits.  There are pros and cons to each type of tie.  They can be worn with most everything.  However, there are a few exceptions to this.  The most important thing to remember is that Neckties are not to be worn for Black Tie or White Tie events!  Ever!  Bow Ties are to be worn during those kind of events.  Some civic clubs or churches require a jacket and tie to be worn by men who are ushers or during meetings.  In these cases the usual tie worn is a Necktie.  That is not to say that Bow Ties cannot be worn.  You just might be the only one wearing one.  Other than that, wear whatever you want.  Some jobs you might want to wear a Bow Tie over a Necktie though.  For example, if you are working in a lab you may want to wear a Bow Tie so that your tie does not catch fire or get into any of your lab work.  Neckties may also get caught in paper shredders at work.  As much as it sounds like Bow Ties would be the better choice for being worn at work there is something to remember.  When one is not wearing Black Tie or White Tie apparel Bow Ties have the tendency to look like just a cute fashion accessory.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  However, it is something to note. 

 

What do I think of ties?  I think they are an amazing part of fashion for any man or woman!  They can be worn to work or just out and about.  Sure, they can be a pain to put on.  Once you get the hang of tying them it becomes easy as pie though.  If nothing else, it gives men a bit of a glimpse into what women go through with the pain that being fashion conscious can be.  Yes, I said it.  Being fashion conscious can be a pain.  I will not lie.  It takes work, but it is worth it.  Practice is really the key when it comes to this part of fashion.  Learning to tie a tie is something that you have to have practice to get it right.  I have been doing it since I was a little kid and you would not believe how many times I have had to tie a man’s tie for him.  Be it a Bow Tie or a Necktie.  It is a skill that everyone should have be they a man or a woman.

 

I hope you have found this post informative and helpful!  What do you think about ties?  Are they an awesome accessory for men and women or are they too much of a hassle to deal with? 

Until next time!  Stay lovely and trendy!

 

Links to Buy Ties

 

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson Ties from The Tie Bar (When you buy a tie from here part of the money goes to Tie the Knot which is a human civil rights foundation that you can read more about at their website by clicking on the link.)
• Tie Drake has a amazing selection of ties of all kinds.

 

Fashion Trend: Brightly Coloured and Patterned Tights!

Hello my lovelies!

Today I will be posting about a fashion trend that has come and gone and seems to be back once again: brightly coloured and patterned tights. Now, some people think that brightly coloured or patterned tights are only for children. Not so! In fact what better way to add a bit of colour to a basic neutral coloured outfit? Today to work I wore a black skirt with a white shirt and black weskit. A good way to add some colour is to either wear colourful shoes, or to wear colourful tights. My tights today are blue. Police box blue to be exact. It gives my outfit a bit of colour without being completely over the top.

Police Box Blue tights

So, what is so great about tights in general? They are on your legs. Why does it matter what you wear when you are wearing a skirt or dress? Why not just wear socks under your shoes? Good questions. Why does it matter? Well, for one thing it helps prevent those painful blisters one gets from wearing flats and heels. Most of the time blisters form when the skin rubs against a material that is not very giving in terms of how something slides against it. Leather and leather substitutes are the worst at this. However, if you wear tights with your shoes it gives a slick layer for the shoe to slide against and not your skin directly. This means the chance of getting a blister is reduced! Also, if you wear socks with your strappy heels it looks stupid. Do not wear socks with your strappy heels!

On to the coloured and patterned tights then. Why are coloured tights so popular? Well, you know those lovely candy coloured jeans and leggings that you think are super cute and you want to wear them every chance you get? Yeah, those do not look so good when you are wearing a dress or a skirt that hits at or just below the knee. It looks dreadful in fact. Do not do that either. Instead, they have candy coloured and patterned tights. You can find all sorts of them at Joy of Socks. I will link that at the bottom of the post so you can look around. Also, you can find them at Old Navy. Coloured tights help add a splash of colour and keep you warm as well. I know some people insist on being old fashioned and do not want their legs to look blue or green, but there are some tights that have patterns on them. I have some black tights that have lace print on them that is not overly noticeable. It can add a bit of something fun to an outfit that would otherwise be a single solid colour without any print whatsoever. You can also start out small. I have some tights that are flesh coloured with a little bit of gold glitter threads woven through them. They are pretty fun and go well with everything.

So, what do I think of this fashion trend? I think it is cute! I work at a jewellery store and that requires me to wear a dress or skirts to work. What better way to spice up a plain outfit than with colourful tights. Granted, some work places may not like it, but our jeweller does not particularly care as long as we get our work done. It can add colour without being overbearing or as bright and obnoxious as you want. I have all different colours of tights that I wear to work, to dance classes, to church, and sometimes when it is really cold in the house and I do not feel like lighting the pilot light for one random cold day. Just keep in mind that not every dress or skirt that you wear tights with can go with brightly coloured or patterned tights. If you are wearing a bright floral skirt you probably should not wear bright tights. That would just be too much colour. A good rule of thumb to follow for this trend is that if you are wearing a solid, neutral colour then go for it! As long as it does not clash with the other colours you are wearing. Do not wear a plain red dress with pink tights. That would look like a five year old dressed you. A red dress with charcoal lace tights would be okay. As long as you follow basic fashion rules then you should be okay with this trend.

Hope this is insightful for you all! Here are the links to some of my favorite places to purchase tights online! Enjoy and stay lovely everyone!

The Joy of Socks
Old Navy Socks and Tights
Silkies

Fashion Trend! Coloured Pearls and How to Buy Pearls

Hallo everyone!

My apologies! I was not expecting to get so busy at the store! Wow! It’s been crazy; especially because of the Black Friday/ Precious Gift Limited Edition Charm for Pandora.  However, I am back and hopefully I will be able to update this and my recipe blog more often.  I got a fancy new smart phone and have set a weekly alarm to update on here once a week. Let’s see if that will kick my butt in gear.

Today I will be talking about a newish fashion trend.  Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this was going to catch on or not, but apparently it did.  I am pretty happy it too. Today I will be talking about coloured pearls! They are really pretty and a good spin on an old classic. Also, I will be giving you some important information on buying pearls! This will help you when you go into your local jewelry store to buy.

First things first, as a person in the jewelry business will give you some helpful tips on buying pearls. The first thing you need to know is that there are different types of pearls. The four major groups are: Freshwater, Saltwater, Cultured, and Faux.

·         Freshwater pearls are quite a bit cheaper, but are genuine pearls. They are made inside of freshwater dwelling mollusks usually found in lakes and rivers. River pearls, for example, are a type of freshwater pearl.

·         Saltwater pearls are quite a bit rarer and are fairly expensive if you are buying a good quality set. They are usually found by pearl divers in what are called “pearl oysters” Sometimes, if you are lucky, you might find a pearl inside of your oyster at a restaurant or in the cans of oysters at the store that was missed.

·         The last of the genuine pearls is what is called a cultured pearl. These are the most common type of pearl sold in the United States. They are inexpensive when it comes to real pearls and can be dyed numerous colours, that isn’t to say that other natural pearls cannot be coloured or cannot be naturally coloured. I will discuss coloured pearls here in a moment I promise!  Cultured pearls are created by putting a piece of what is called “donor oyster” inside of the mollusk to grow. They look like other pearls, but are not fake!

·         Faux pearls are the cheapest pearl that you can buy. They are not real pearls and can be made of numerous materials. The most common ones are made of glass or plastic with an opaque “pearl” coating. Some can look incredibly real. That is where people often get taken advantage of at non-jewelry stores. They look real and if you do not know what you are looking at you may end up paying genuine pearl price for plastic beads.

Next you need to know about pearl shapes. Their seven basic pearl shapes. These are Round, Oval, Circlé, Button, Baroque, Biwa, and Mabé.

·         Round pearls are just what it says they are. They are round and are the most desirable shape. They can be fairly rare. However, they are not as rare as an internally flawless and completely colourless diamond. Typically the only place to buy round pearls is at a jewelry store. These pearls come with knots between each pearl.

·         Oval pearls are more oval shape than round. Most non-jewelry stores sell these. You can find them at jewelry departments at retail stores. These pearls will come with knots between the pearls.

·         Circlé come in several shapes, but they all share a common feature. All Circlé pearls have rings on their surface.  They are fairly uncommon and usually used for pendants and earrings. Circlé pearls will be knotted between each one.

·         Button pearls are similar to a round pearl when viewed from the front and this is how they are set. When you look at them from the side they are more oval. You can buy these at retail stores where they are sold as “round” pearls. These are usually used in earrings or rings. If used as a bracelet or necklace they will be knotted.

·         Baroque and Biwa pearls can both be classified irregular pearls. No two of these pearls are shaped the same.  The difference between these two shapes is that Baroque pearls are usually larger than Biwa pearls. Also, Biwa pearls are named so because they come from Lake Biwa in Japan.  These pearls may or may not be knotted between each pearl.

·         Mabé pearls are formed on the inside of the shell rather than inside the oyster “meat”.  They are basically half rounds. When they are removed from the oyster shell they affix a mother of pearl backing on them. These are used in rings and earrings. They are not suitable for stringing. The only time you find them in a bracelet or necklace they will be set in a Mabé mounting.

There are numerous other things that will have an effect on the price of the pearl. However, those are mostly used for jewelers when they are pricing them. These include the Complexion, Size, and Luster of the pearl. If you are curious about them you can ask your local jeweler in relation to the pearls you are interested in.

Now we come to the fun part! Coloured pearls! Pearls come in all colours and not just white. I had a friend that when she got married she wanted orange pearls and had a hell of a time finding them. Thankfully, the store I work at was able to find just the shade of orange she was looking for. Currently my store has cranberry, brown, black, peacock, lavender, white, and cream pearls in stock. My personal favorite is the cranberry which is a pinkish red. The coloured pearls are graded differently than the white and cream pearls. They come in all sizes and shapes. 

This is a picture of "loose pearls". This means that they have not been strung into a proper necklace or put in a propper setting. This picture shows the orange pearls that I was talking about earlier. There are also strands of pale pink, white, and cream.

If you are looking for something that will match most everything you wear then white, cream, or black would be the way to go. However, if you are looking for a fun fashion statement to match your favorite dress then coloured pearls would be the way to go. Also, if you are looking for something to add a bit of colour to your LBD or LWD then coloured pearls are perfect for this!

Something to keep in mind with coloured pearls, and all coloured gems really, is that certain colours do not look good with certain skin tones. It is the same way with make-up. I do not look good wearing brown pearls for example. However, I do look okay with the cranberry pearls. It all depends on skin tone.

Coloured pearls are fun and are in fashion right now! As are coloured diamonds! Just go into your local jewelry store and check out the different colours of pearls they have. They may not have them in stock that day, but more often than not they have the ability to order them in for you in whatever length you need.

When it comes to length there are some things you should know. Rather than saying you want a 16 inch pearl strand, each of the standard lengths has a special name that it goes by. They are as follows.

·         10 inch to 13 inch necklaces are called a collar length. These are commonly made up of several strands rather than one strand. They also do not hang down at all.

·         14 inch to 16 inch necklaces are called pearl chokers. They hang right at the base of the neck.

·         17 inch to 19 inch necklaces are called a princess length necklace. These are the most popular strands. They are not too long and they are not too short.  Also, they go with pretty much anything from scoop neck dresses and blouses to plunge neck dresses and blouses.

·         20 inches to 24 inches are called matinee length strands. These look good with a lower cut dress or blouse.  

·         28 inches to 35 inches are referred to as opera length necklaces. These were traditionally the length that one would where when going to the opera when doing so was considered a special occasion.  However, today they are worn with a variety of dresses and blouses. These look particularly cute with turtle neck dresses because they stand out and add depth to your dress.

·         45 inches and longer are called a pearl rope. These typically do not have a clasp of any kind, but rather go over the head and longer strands may be wrapped around several times.

Hope this helps you when you go out to buy your pearls! Pearls are classic and no girl should go without at least one strand of pearls!

Stay lovely and happy!

Fashion Trend! Bright Eye Liner!

Grüße Glorious Neue Preußen!

I have been so busy with work, school, and vacation to Vegas that my blogs have suffered a lack of attention on my part. I am very sorry!!! Anyways, I am back and have so many topics to write about! Vegas is a great place for fashion. If you have been there you know this is true. Today I will be writing about a fashion trend that will lead into my product review for next time; brightly coloured eye liner!

Most ladies at some point in their life will wear eye liner. Some wear it every day. I am not one of those people. I need a break from waking from waking up early every day for work and school. It is good to always have the standard black, black-brown, brown, and white in your make-up case.  However, some people do wear navy and eggplant to spice things up. Things have been getting really spicy in terms of eye liner colours lately. For example, I am wearing bright turquoise right now. It looks good with my eye and skin colour.

Bright eye liner was popular when I was a little kid and Mutter wouldn’t let me wear it except for dance recitals and on All Hallows Eve. Vater did when Mutter was at work though. Of course then about an hour before Mutter got home he had to scrub my face clean. I think the main problem was that I was a little kid and I didn’t know how to put it on. I actually didn’t learn to put on make-up properly until my first year of college when my friend Kevin taught me. Thanks to Kevin I have been hired to do make-up for weddings and what-have-you events, but back to bright eye liner.

The key to putting on bright eye liner, or any eye liner really, is knowing how to put it on right. Part of it is practicing on getting lines straight and the other part is getting it applied correctly for your eye shape. For example, I do not look good with winged eye liner. It makes me look funny. I also can’t pull off thick lines or ultra-thin lines. I just look odd beyond all reason. My friend Ayaka, for another example, can do winged eye liner and ultra-thin lines. She, like me, does not look good with thick eye liner. Eye shape and how the liner is applied is really important! It is also the first step in getting this look right.

Back to Kevin for a moment. Not only did Kevin teach me how to do hair and make-up, he taught me about colour when it comes to fashion. Make-up colour depend on skin colour. Eye make-up depends on that AND eye colour!!! My eyes are hazel so I can wear numerous colours well. However, my sister has blue eyes. She wears browns and pinks well. My friend Ayaka has brown eyes and wears pinks and blues well. People with green eyes wear browns and purples well. People like Kevin, whom I am incredibly jealous of, that have purple eyes wear greens and pinks well. Gray eyed people like my friend Brennivina can wear pretty much any colour they dang well please. Lucky girl. Bright colours need to follow this guide too. A helpful tool that I have found is my colour wheel. I actually bought it for my quilting, but it comes in handy for matching make-up colours as well! Rejoice fellow crafty nerds! Colour wheels may be purchased at almost any craft or fabric store. I purchased mine at a little quilting shop in Ponca City called Completely Quilted. You can click on that and visit their site and do some shopping. It is pretty awesome! I love that store!

Well, now that I have told you all about it and how to pull the look off properly, what do I think about it? I love this fashion trend! I love it to pieces and then some. Bold colours are really cute if you know how to pull it off. Lots of bright colour on one’s face is not appealing though. Keep that in mind. However, a little bit is super cute!

Until next time!

P.S. I got new charms for my Pandora Bracelet! Check it out! That dice came from Vegas! Also, that little Union Jack is actually a double decker bus. You just can't tell from the top. :P

Fashion Trend! Hatpins

Guten Morgen schöne neue Preußen!

I hope you all are doing well. I have been doing a lot of school work and work at the store lately. As such, I have not had a lot of time to blog. No worries though! I have not forgotten about you all. Today I will be talking to you all about a trend that I have seen coming back into style. In Brittan it never went out of style. I say Brittan, but it is really most of Europe that still has this trend. In American women do not wear a lot of hats. That is because we all want to be tan! I really do not have a desire to be tan as it brings out my awkward skin tone. I am Native American and Prussian. *Sigh* It is Baltic Prussian not Germanic Prussia so I have that almost faire, almost tan skin tone. When I tan I do not burn, but I get this interesting almost olivey tint to my skin and then I look Mediterranean. Oh well. 

Lately I have been seeing a lot of sun hats being stocked in stores. No, I am not referring to those hideous things that are made of straw that people wear when gardening. I am talking about the pretty white ones that you tie various bows around to match whatever sun dress you are wearing. When it is windy outside this becomes a bit of a problem. Thankfully there is help for this! It is a wonderful thing called a hatpin. Hatpins are kind of hard to find in America. The jewelry store that I work at carries them though! So, if you live in Kay County Oklahoma you can come in and see our selection of hatpins. Some people collect hatpins and the more expensive ones are made by hand. Handmade hatpins are amazingly intricate and look like a fancy flower or a bow usually. They are very pretty.

Hatpins were not originally used as an ornament for one’s hat though. Originally they were very plain and looked like a regular stick pin that was about three or twelve inches long. Hatpins keep your hat from flying off your head or keeping it in place. They are very useful when used right. There are some tricks to getting them to stay in though. I will post some instructions and tips for hatpins later and post a link here when I do. Hatpins will add something special to your hat if you buy a plain hat. Most of my hats are fairly boring except when I wear a hatpin or a ribbon with it. Sometimes I put both, particularly when it is windy out. When I do this I place the hatpin in the middle of the bow. That makes it look really cute.

If you decide to start using hatpins I must warn you that if you go online to buy them about 90% of all hatpins that claim to be antique are not in fact antique. If you must buy online make sure that what you are getting is the real deal if you are spending a lot of money on them. A good place to buy hatpins that are new and unique is on Etsy. If you want the whole experience of buying a hat pin buy them at a jewelry store or an antique store with a good reputation. If all else fails, buy a hatpin collectors book and take it with you. Remember that hatpins need to be taken care of and wiped off when you are finished using them. They are just like every other piece of jewelry that you own and if they are highly ornamented with various jewels you should take it into your local jeweler to have the prongs and settings check. Many jewelers will do this for free especially if you buy the pin from them. There are special cases you can purchase for your hatpins to keep them nice and undamaged.

Hope this is interesting to you and you find it helpful!

Until next time, stay wonderfully snazzy.

Fashion Trend! Pandora Bracelets

Guten Morgen neue Preußen!

Today I will be talking about a wonderful line of products that are super popular at the moment. I know a lot about these products because in the store where I work, I am the main sales lady for this brand. Most people already know what this line is all about. Today’s post will be about Pandora Jewelry.

That is my newest bracelet that I am working on. I have a bunch of discontinued charms on my other bracelet. This one has a few of them. So, for those of you who know nothing about Pandora Jewelry, I introduce you to it.

Pandora was started Danmark and has since grown into a international company. There is a wide variety of charms that you can buy to make your bracelet exactly the way you want it to look. Not only do they have charm bracelets in several different styles, they also carry earrings, necklaces, rings, and watches. The best thing about all of this is that each line is completely customizable. There are several different stores you can go in to. There is the full blown Pandora Store you can go to that carries all of the lines. The “gold stores” carry less than the full line, “silver stores” a minimum of 4 parts of the line, and the “white stores” carry between 1 and 3 parts of the Pandora line. I work in a white store. We carry the stackable rings, bracelets and pendants, and earrings.  Anything less than a full Pandora Store is called a “store-in-store” It is basically a part of the main jewelry store that is set aside for Pandora. Theoretically the fixtures and walls in these “store-in-stores” will be white with wooden floors. Sometimes, this is not possible because of the size of the store though.

Now these charms are actually called “moments”. You bracelet is supposed to tell a story. For example, on my bracelet I have the “Happy Fish” bead to represent my childhood. That fish looks exactly like the fish in my Norwegian fairy tale book that my mother used to read to me. My “Viking” bead represents my time in my college’s Medieval Society. My music note is because I play so many instruments that it is not even funny. My “Scarab” is to bring me luck. Scarabs are considered lucky in Egypt and that bead represents my mother because she loves Egypt studies. My orange bead represents Oklahoma State University because they do not make an OSU bead and they are my favorite college team in my state. The red bead is to represent my birth month. Carnelian is an alternate birthstone for July and I hate rubies so there you have that. Here is a link to the Pandora website so you can learn where your closest Pandora Store is:Pandora Site

The great thing about Pandora is that nobody will have a bracelet like yours. There are so many different charms and styles of bracelets that you can purchase that the chances of someone having one exactly like yours are slim to none. You have a greater chance of getting struck by lightning and then getting ran over by a train than having a person with the exact same Pandora bracelet as you. Also, the moments range in price from $20 at the cheapest all the way up to several hundred dollars. The most expensive moments are 14 karat gold. There are two-tone moments that are really pretty. I have one on my other bracelet. Having Pandora makes shopping for you really easy for others if you keep your wish list up to date because they can just buy you a new charm.

Hope this has been helpful to you all!

Bleiben Sie charmant!

Fashion Trend! Pendant Watches

Guten Tag schöne Neue Preußen! I hope you are all doing well today. Today I will be talking about a fashion trend that is coming back into style. The Victorian in me is very happy about this. I will be talking about pendant watches! How exciting!

For those of you who have no idea what a pendant watch is; think a tiny pocket watch to wear around your neck. This is a pendant watch.

Now, I do have pocket watches. I have lots of pocket watches actually and I know several of my friends that do as well. Pendant watches were at one point worn by women as part of a necklace. Over time they fell out of fashion.  However, with Victorian fashion coming back into style the pendant watch has returned. They can be rather pricy, or not so pricy. You can actually buy the stuff to make them at Hobby Lobby or other craft stores I imagine. You can also find antique ones on eBay. If you are looking for a pre-assembled pendant watch be ready to spend at least $20 for a really good one. You can buy one of the cheap ones and then revamp it with better parts, but if you are going to do that you are looking at making a $5 watch into a $50 watch if you want a really good one. It is worth it though if you want a good watch.

Pendant watches are super cute! I love the way they that they look good with almost everything you can wear them with. If you want a fun and new way to check the time without having to buy a new cell phone then this is defiantly a fashion trend you will want to invest in and follow.

Hör nicht auf, schön zu sein!