Men’s Fashion Finally!

After seeing many movies in which men adorn the the string vest, where it was pretty macho then, now seems to be on the decline. Like the bowler hat, braces and the waistcoat, a cornerstone of the male wardrobe is passing into obsolescence. At least, that's what the business brains at Retail majors believe, as they announced that the string vest will be withdrawn from sale, from last month.

On the Internet, after some research, the FN team found out a reporter’s diary(Damian Whitworth) describing a situation when the reporter used to go to the pub, he used to go with a veteran hack whose hard drinking and womanizing were part of Yorkshire legend. Such nights could end unpredictably. Once, when he had consumed too much Tetley ale, he suggested we repair to his house for more refreshment. It was early evening when we got there, and sultry (or as sultry as it ever gets in Yorkshire). With no further ado he proceeded to strip down to his boxer shorts and a hideous string vest, plonk himself in his favourite armchair and open a beer. Neither his wife nor his teenage son batted an eyelid. He wore that vest, or possibly others like it, year round, and it seemed in no way to deter women; on the contrary, they threw themselves at him. Damien ponders in his diary whether the magnetism of the macho man was so great that it rendered the vest irrelevant? Or could the vest itself have been a draw for unfathomable fetishes?

Talk about geographical barriers, Damian feels that the string vest is unlikely to go out of fashion in the steamy backwoods of America and will survive in impregnable bastions of bad taste in Britain. But while there is a school of thought says it will continue to cater for this niche market, other stores say that its demise is down to women no longer tolerating the sight of bulges in all the wrong places. But what’s actually confusing are the two schools of thought where some women find the string vests alluring, and on the other hand the demise of the string vests was largely brought about by women who couldn’t stand it.

You think you have figured this out better than us? We Invite FN readers comments on the string vests...waiting for your comments!

Summer Fashion Trends

This is the last in series of introductory articles on fashion. We shall focus on sime summer fashion trends across the world. We all know that summer is a time when women everywhere show more skin and take more chances when it comes to fashion. So to say summer induces women to take a fresh look at fashion and experiment with a variety of clothing. We scoured over the internet and this is our take on the guide to some of the guide to the hottest summer fashion trends that most anyone can wear when the weather is warm:

Summer is when you think about beaches and babes, and what better way to start summer with a trip to the beach for some sunbathing. The first summer trend we will see would be Flirty Sundresses.If you want a look that screams femininity, then definitely stock your closet with a few flouncy, flirty sundresses. The idea sundress should fall slightly above the knee and be made from a light, breathable fabric. Try a fitted bodice with thin straps and a fuller skirt. For a cute retro look, try a red or black sundress with white polka dots. It is also observed that solid colors and floral prints are other classic sundress options. Generally it is also recommended for your feet to try strappy sandals, kitten heels or cute clear pumps.

The next trend is a bit here and there in terms of being called a pant because of its length and is known as Capri Pants Capri pants aren't really pants, but they're not shorts, either. These versatile bottoms end around the mid-calf area and look fantastic when paired with platform sandals or sexy high heels. Try casual cargo capris for a laid back look, or go fitted with classic denim. Depending on your choice of footwear and top, capri pants can take you from day to night in a snap!

Another handy beachwear is Satin Camisoles which these days, you can find tops that look just like lacy, satiny lingerie. Try a well-lined satin camisole top with skinny jeans, a few strands of beads and your favorite high heels for a trendy, sexy summer look. To avoid too much exposure, always go for camisole tops that have a built in bra and fit well.


Next up, whenever you saw baseball on television and thought it was all for the guys, its time to change that school of thought.Baseball caps aren't just for the guys! For a no-fuss style, throw on a cute trucker cap and pair of hoop earrings and you're all set. Military style caps are also all the rage, as are newsboy caps.

The next headwear rage? Fedoras! Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Ashlee Simpson have all been photographed rocking the fedora with casual tops and jeans.So what are you waiting for?You can find more personalized info on dressing trends at Fashion Networks, the one stop place in the fashion value chain. Fashion Networks wishes all its readers a very happy new year and invites your feedback on the blog so far.

Fashion Trends: How are you doing this fall-part 2

Continuing our journey last week with the post on fall fashion trends, Fashion Networks team, thought about sharing some more tips. So here goes
We recommend clothes with a certain Victorian Flair: Coming to the specifics, It would be great to go with ivory lace accents and high necked blouses, paired with classic menswear inspired trousers. Or, add a Victorian touch to any outfit with an elegant cameo or multiple strings of pearls. If that amount of feminine is still not enough, you can tie the rest of your look in with your classic feminine accessories, try sweeping your hair into a sophisticated updo and wearing pearl stud earrings. That is one of the emerging trends in fashion wear associated with the fall season.
Ok time to get down with the next fashion trend for the fall. This time, we chose a trend that not only accentuates your contours but also makes you feel special and standing out amidst the crowd. Jersey Dresses: Jersey dresses are great for day or evening because the fabric is meant to drape. This forgiving fabric hugs curves yet slides over imperfections. We suggest you to pair your solid colored jersey dresses with long chain necklaces and trendy leather boots or classic pumps. So would that make for a vivacious you, that can call the shots. It remains to be seen, how you are going to dazzle as each of these is only a suggestion and it totally depends how the dress and you decide to play on that day.

Finally before we sign off, there is one trend that can keep the men glued on, and that’s Velvet Accents. Velvet is a sumptuous and beautiful fabric for this fall. Try tops and blazers made from this fabric in deep, rich jewel tones like eggplant, royal blue, emerald green and rich ruby. You can also try to don the causal look by , pairing your velvet with faded jeans and your cutest pair of high heels.

So keep glued on to Fashion Networks to catch the best news and views from the global fashion market place.

Fashion Trends in Fall

Fall is that part of the year, when everyone dresses around in style to welcome this part of the year. May it be kids or adults, we all go to school or work in style, with a peppy mood to beat.While fashion trends aren't always the best bet when it comes to getting dressed, there are some fall fashion trends that can serve you well regardless of your personal style. The Fashion Networks Team checks out some classic picks for fall fashion trends that can work anywhere, may it be in the classroom, office and beyond!

Courtesy: http://www.clubmonaco.com/082006/images/w1.jpg

The first pick is of course Pencil Skirts .The pencil skirt easily qualifies as the all place wear, as it fits a look for any classroom, as much as as it does for a boardroom or even a bar room!

So what really makes the pencil skirt so comfortable across different places? The key to this look is the right length. We recommend you to choose a pencil skirt that's knee-length or longer for the best look. Also another useful piece of advice from Fashion Network readers is to pair with medium height pumps or skinny stilettos for the sexy look. The “sexy” look is all the more amplified by the colours worn like basic black, rich cranberry, or royal blue. What would be an icing on the calke? Read ahead…. Its recommended by readers on the web to Top the pencil skirt look with a fitted white blouse and lots of gold jewelry, or try a tunic paired with a skinny belt.

The second Fall fashion trend tip would be one of the most versatile fashion trends of Blazers with Jeans, that I happened to spot on a few reality shows in Asia. As the saying goes, Ladies First, we start the tip for women, where for the gentle feminine look, try a pastel blazer with a lace camisole in a matching shade underneath, paired with skinny faded jeans, high heels, and lots of gold or silver jewelry. For a classic look, try a sleek button down white blouse, black blazer, dark wash jeans and black boots. Finish the look with large gold hoops and a cute brooch. Men… we shall get back later next week, till then stay hooked on to the Fashion Networks Blog. There are some more fashion trends for fall that we would cover in the next article. So Stay hooked on to this Fashion Blog, as its Christmas Time at Fashion Networks.

This Blog will see a lot more variety of articles from next month, so make sure you get your regular dose of the Fashion Network Blog.

Hip Hipper Hippest

Hip Hipper Hippest

What would you do when your friend compliments you on being trendy? Elated and and cloud 9 may be the most probable answers, to know how much it actually means, you may need to know the mathematical significance of trendy. Trendy fashion is actually Being trendy is a fine line between downright tacky and the height of fashion.So have we still arrived at a mathematical measure for being trendy? No quite. We often see fashion models on the ramp wearing clothes that no normal woman would ever wear. So can we classify that as trendy? Hmmm lets flesh this out in detail to arrive at a measure for being trendy.We see starlets walking around as though they shopped at the closest thrift store. We pour over magazines to find the perfect outfit or accessory to make us look modern, hip, or the ever popular trendy. Our definition of trendy is so much influenced by what the magazines write, what the stars pose for and we ultimately spend so much time trying to find the perfect look that we forget what is really important about fashion.

To me fashion is supposed to accentuate our looks, make us look our best, and to hide our figure flaws. Personally, I believe in the concept of fashion police. Who wouldn't enjoy giving a ticket to the girl with the baby T that accentuates the flabby stomach she should be trying to hide? Or the guy wearing pants that look sprayed on. Do your homework and then try on clothes and actually look at yourself in the mirror. Is that the image you want the world to see or are you simply trying to follow the latest fashion trends that the star on the magazine endorses. Is it about you or them?

Fashion trends come and go. We had stressed in the previous posts on he fashion networks blog that there are these cycles that fashion follows and the key to looking good and in vogue is to keep an eye out on the cycles that happen. There are trends that are here today, gone tomorrow. Then there are those that turn into classics and never go out of style. Interested in finding out more about fashion trends? Read on for some Fashion trends that the fashion networks team compiled this week. It comes as close as it can to the mathematical measure of trendy, even though the best measure lies in your hands in wearing what you feel is comfortable.

Best Fashion Trends

Empire Waists
Have a belly that refuses sit tight and pops out unseemingly, then you need to have a closer look at a situation when it comes to disguising those little bulges, empire waist tops and dresses are ideal. Any woman can look like a princess with a romantic and colourful empire waist top or dress. Also known as baby doll tops and dresses, the empire waist is gathered below the bust line and hangs in a flattering way over the waist. For a casual look, try a cute empire waist top in a classic color like white or black, paired with slim jeans and a pair of cute earrings. To take the empire waist into evening, choose a print dress in a fabric like satin and pair with strappy high heels.

Aviator Lenses
We must have gloated endlessly after watching Angelina Jolie sporting these lenses in a famous Holywood flick and its she who must be credited with making aviator lenses cool again. From what the Fashion Network team has observed, every face shape looks great in black aviator sunglasses. For a trendier take on this look, try glasses in a surprising shade like dark pink or smoky purple. The different colour of the lenses may definitely warrant attention, if you are one of those types who dares to be different.

Gypsy Skirts
Skirts! That’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of absolute feminity. Long, flowing skirts in a lightweight fabric are versatile and feminine. For a bohemian look, pair a patterned gypsy skirt in a crinkly fabric with a sleek solid tank and pair of open-toe sandals. Or, try pairing your solid gypsy skirt with tall brown boots and a classic white Oxford blouse. Finish the look with a few strands of beads and you're all set to rock..

That folks is some of the tips we have this week. We shall be back next week with a small peep into the worst fashion trends that seemed to follow the tumultuous part of the rather ubiquitous fashion cycle.
Till then Its Team Fashion Networks Signing off

Fast Fashion and How to Spot Trends?

One thing we may not consciously realize is that affordable trendy clothing (sometimes called "fast fashion") is a double-edged sword. Some of the staunch fashion folks may roll their eyeballs in disbelief and ask why? Well, here goes the answer- Fast Fashion makes fashionable looks accessible to those of us on real-life budgets, but when the market is totally saturated with it, the trend loses its appeal. It basically helps to kill the trend quicker.

So how do you know how long a trend will last? There may not be any sacrosanct rules, but from what one has observed in the fashion industry, here are some points to keep you in good stead.

• Generally speaking, most fashion trends stick around for 8-12 months. Some trends, usually the most understandable ones, last longer. For example, the personalization or initial craze started with Sarah Jessica Parker's "Carrie" necklace during season two of "Sex and the City" in 1998. The look saturated the mass market in the fall 2003 with initial handbags, sweaters -- you name it -- a full five years after it started. So as long as you have a clear differentiator in your times, you can dictate the trend, but otherwise saturation would hasten the natural killing of the trend.
• A well googled school of thought says that fashion cycles about every twenty years. Thus, the micro minis of the '80s have come back into favor now (as did the nameplate necklace mentioned above, which was hot then, too). So if you are betting on a trend, keep an eye on history to bail you out of trouble, whenever you are short of ideas.
• A huge part of deciding on how long a trend is viable depends on where in the fashion cycle you bought the trend. If you bought it as a knock-off or at a discount store, then you should count on it being in for just one or two seasons. Because the fashion industry often lumps together Spring and Summer, Fall and Winter, that gives you approximately six months of wear out of a look before it starts giving you an outdated look.
• Even though there is no hard-and-fast rule about how long a fashion trend will stick around, you can bet that the more-difficult-to-pull-off looks (Uggs, large cuff jeans, trucker hats) are just fads that will fade. Does that mean, you shouldn’t be buying them? No, don’t get too serious, as it doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun buying them, just know that they aren't looks that will be fresh next year, around this time. So get wiser and buy large cuffs jeans in that time of the year when the people love flaunting it.
• Apar from all the reasons listed there, have faith in economics, as sheer buying power can keep a trend on life support. Sometimes consumers love a look so much they just won't let it die. Capris, crops, tank tops and flip flops are all examples of former trends which actually became the staple diet of your wardrobe!

So after going through the above points what is it that you can take away from this piece on the Fashion Networks Blog? The best defense against quickly changing trends is to have a wardrobe stocked with mostly classic looks: jeans, T-shirts, blazers, little black dresses. Use trendy items as an addition to a core wardrobe to give it some kick.

For more advice on fashion trends and networking with people who matter in the fashion industry, I recommend that you join Fashion Networks(www.fashion-networks.com) . Keep plugged on to the blog, till the next article.


Kartik Kannan, Fashion Evangelist at Fashion Networks

Sometimes I wonder, what would happen one fine day, when a I wear a dress and go to a party to realise a fashion follower's worst nightmare – which would be worse than looking fat, more humiliating than wearing the same dress as another party guest -- it's the dread of looking anachronistic and totally out of sync with fashion।


Fashion trends, if you have noticed are referred to as fads, are disreputably fickle। The fashion industry is always on the hunt for what's new, what's hot. More than style and substance its what's new that seems to win. For every new, must-have handbag/sandals, there's another that gets tossed aside like, well, last year's trend॥and gets relegated to the attic.


The Fashion Cycle

1. First, there's the emerging trend of products that are going to strike it big.You know this as when you see that great hat/dress/shoe on the runway, red carpet or music video. It's hitting you in the eye for attention and you make no bones about your natural pleasure towards the product.
2. Next, comes what is called the emulation phase, where everyone wants a piece of the trend. You'll see it in fashion magazines, newspapers, internet and TV during this phase. This is basically a wave which every one wants to be a part of, to feel good. If the world is talking about Paris Hilton, then its just Hilton on page 3, thank god the stop press exists…. to jump into the wave at the right time.
3. Finally, the trend becomes saturated in the market, usually at very low prices. With trendy items like a must-have designer handbag, the item becomes widely available as a knock-off. But you will be surprised to know that sales sometime surge during this phase depending upon the country. For instance, Harry Porter mania came a year late to the subcontinent than it did in the other parts of the world.

Most of us will buy it somewhere between phases two and three। Only celebrities and fashion industry types have access to fashion fresh off the runway that hasn't appeared in stores yet, like in the first phase of a fashion trend. It takes some one with an innate sense of fashion consciousness to spot the emerging trend and boldy make a statement about it, which then makes news to come down to stage 2.

At the second phase a look is often available in high-priced designer collections. Only in the third phase, when a look makes it to the mass market, does it become affordable for most consumers.
Twenty or 30 years ago it might have taken a few years to make it from red carpet to mass market, but today's manufacturers have put the fashion cycle into hyperspeed। Sometimes a hot trend makes it into lower priced retail outlets in as little as a few months and as the argument starts, 20 or 30 years back, we relied on magazines to get us the trends, then the television media came along with fashion channels and changed the scenario. But an even bigger media wave is splashing a click away from where you are in the form of social media trends. The biggest advantage in such a networked web 2.0 world is for us to eaves drop on conversations that happen through out the web on fashion.

One such network were high quality fashion discussions happens is Fashion Networks, a global portal having diverse influential people come and pour out their views on the fashion industry. Stay hooked on to the Fashion Networks Blog to know more about this new business networking portal and for trends in the fashion place.