Cosme

With a little help and preparation, you can learn how to avoid common holiday fashion mistakes and look your prettiest this year.

Common holiday fashion faux pas:

1. Wearing Too Much Glitz
   Beading, metallic and shimmer are all fine for the holidays. In fact, most women wait until a good party to break out all of the glitzy finery. But too much shine can overwhelm anyone, especially if you wear it in areas that you don't necessarily want to highlight (like a beaded chest sweater for a busty gal).
   Find out how to wear glitz right: How to Wear Embellishment.
2. Showing Too Much Skin
   Thigh-high miniskirts and cut-to-the-navel dresses may look great on the runway, but in reality they are almost impossible to carry off. Not only is it possible to dress sexy while leaving lots to the imagination, it's also the best way to look your prettiest for the holidays. The secret here is to accentuate your best features with a suggestion: a lace trimmed camisole under a blazer hints at great cleavage, a small slit on a skirt gives a glimpse at gorgeous legs, a halter dress shows off toned arms.
   More ideas: Dress Sexy, Not Sleazy
3. Getting Caught With Nothing to Wear
   Nothing is worse than being invited to a fabulous party and having nothing to wear. By keeping a few dressy basics in your closet you can always be prepared for last-minute invitations. You can even re-wear the items and make them look totally different just with accessories.
   Find your holiday basics: 10 Party Musts
4. Making It Too Complicated
   No wonder women approach the holidays with dread: trying to coordinate outfits, gifts, travel and parties can overload even the most organized woman.
   Instead of trying to match up dressy separates, try a little black dress this season. Not only is it universally flattering, it will take you to almost any event in style. Just add accessories and you're set.
   Shop now: Little Black Dresses
5. Being Under or Over Dressed
   You show up in jeans, everyone else wears velvet; you wear a long dress and others wear business clothes. You're not alone if you have trouble deciphering dress codes on a party invitation: most people get confused by designations as ambiguous as " Dressy Casual" or "Cocktail Attire." A few dressy items span several categories -- such as the little black dress for her or dark suit for him -- both of which can attend everything from semi-formal to cocktail parties.
   Brush up on dress codes: Party Definitions

It has the power to transform an image and make a social statement.

What is fashion anyway?

Dictionary.com's definitions:

1. The prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behavior: out of fashion.
2. Something, such as a garment, that is in the current mode: a swimsuit that is the latest fashion.
3. The style characteristic of the social elite: a man of fashion.

To some, fashion is an art form. To others, it is almost a religion.

But for most people it is a method of utilizing clothing, accessories and hair to show or hide something about yourself.

You can use fashion to express yourself, to serve as an extension of your personality: goth, skater, soccer mom, professional.

Or you can use fashion to disguise your true self:a conservative in vamp clothing, a vamp in conservative clothing.

Fashion statements can be made with clothes, accessories, shoes, hair, makeup, even your cellphone.

Who decides what's in?

Designers can greatly influence what direction fashion will go in.

Miuccia Prada of Prada and Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton are considered directional designers (Prada for remixing classics, Jacobs for vintage-inspired styles).

Working five or six months ahead of the season, the press attends fashion shows presenting designer collections; the media will then give editorial coverage to trends they think their readership is interested in.

Store buyers work many months in advance of the season to place orders with manufacturers for styles they think their customers will want to buy.

Celebrities and other opinion leaders (socialites and other glitterati) are usually the first to sport new looks, spurring the buying public into accepting emerging trends.

So everyone from big-name designers to celebrities may be behind influencing the direction fashion will go in.

But ultimately, it is you, the consumer, who will decide what is "in" when you choose whether or not to buy into a trend.

Where are the world's fashion centers?

New York, Paris and Milan are considered the major hubs for designers and manufacturers of fashion apparel and accessories.

London, Los Angeles, Toronto, Hong Kong, Sydney and Sao Paolo, in addition to hundreds of other smaller market areas are host to excellent designers and manufacturers.

How can I work in fashion?

Depending on what you want to do -- from designing to retailing -- there are many paths you can take to get to your destination.

Education is a vital ingredient: many universities offer excellent fashion merchandising courses.

Work experience is another necessary step to working as a professional in the fashion industry. Experience at the retail level (as a sales person in a store) is a great way to get a feel for how consumers buy, mix or reject clothing.

Many students are initially attracted to fashion because it seems like a glamorous business:to some degree it is.

But the majority of clothing and accessories that are designed, manufactured and sold have absolutely nothing to do with the glitzy shows associated with famous designers.The majority of people working in fashion have behind-the-scenes jobs at less-than-glamorous wages. Regardless, most who work in the industry are charged by its vibrancy and creativity and get rewards other than fame and fortune (a fun job, creative outlet, etc.).

Girls and guys, these days, are facing problem with excessive hair fall and damaging hair which can be a result of today’s stressful lifestyle or regular use of harmful hair products. If you are amongst such people, who are looking for a hairstyle that can hide their thin looking hair and make it look fashionable, your search ends here. In this article you will find some recommended hairstyles that are not only fashionable and trendy but will also make you hair look thicker than they really are.

These hairstyles are helpful for those who want to disguise their thin hair and want to make them thicker. However, you need to take proper care of your hair as more you care, longer they last. Be careful not to use too much curling iron or straightening techniques as these treatments will damage your hair.

Make It Unforgettable - When you know this is the right moment to express your feelings, make the occasion unforgettable. However, in some cases it might not be necessary to say as the both of them know it too well. But if you have to say it, do it without embarrassing yourself or her. There are many ways to say that, you just have to know what will be the winning bid for your girl.

• Lie on the floor on your back in a comfortable position, while your hands resting on either side of your head. Raise your legs up to a 45 degree angle and set them in a cycling motion alternating your left elbow to right knee and vice versa. Repeat it at least 10 times.
• Remain lying on the floor and bend your knees up in such a manner that your feet touch the floor. Put your hands across your chest. Squeeze your lower abdominal muscles from inside, until it begins to hurt. Remain in this position for 30 seconds and repeat it ten times. This exercise is meant to flatten and tighten the fat tummy.
• Come up to a kneeling position. Place your hands on your thighs. Now bring your hands behind your back and grip them together. Stretch your hands up and back as far as possible. Release and repeat 10 times.
• Lie down facing the floor. Keep your shoulder, back and legs in a straight position. Bring your right foot and left hand behind your back as far as possible and try to grab or at least touch the right foot with your left hand. To do this correctly and more comfortably, move your head slightly upward. Switch the sides and repeat 5 times.
• Lie down on your hands and knees, facing the floor. Keep your arms straight and do 10-15 modified push ups. It is better to do the original version of push ups instead, but this will also give you the desired results as you might find the original one strenuous and difficult to learn. Once you become comfortable with the modified version, move on to the real one.

• Paper bag
• Bananas
• Apple or Tomato

• While buying raw bananas, keep the desired ripeness and the time available with you, in mind. Remember, it takes at least one day to ripen a banana well.
• After buying the bananas, it is the time to purchase an apple or a tomato, either of the two. Both, apple and tomato emit ethylene gases, which help speed up the ripening process of bananas.
• Place the raw bananas in the paper bag and add an apple or tomato to it. A plastic bag will not work in this case, since it doesn't allow gases to circulate.
• Now, leave the paper bag in a dry place, where there are no chances of it being disturbed. The ripening process will take 24 to 36 hours, depending on the greenness of your bananas and the desired ripeness.
• After you have achieved the desires degree of ripeness, place the bananas in the refrigerator. It will slow down the ripening process and keep your bananas fresh for a long duration of time.

• The best way to stay awake would be to increase the intake of water. It is seen that dehydration makes a person sleepy. So, the best deal would be to have lots of water. Water is also very good for the health of your skin, so it would solve dual purpose.
• It is good to take a break every one hour. The brain gets saturated after an hour of concentrated work. Give it a rest of about 15 minutes, but make sure not to exceed that time limit. Set an alarm. During the break, you can do a number of things, like watch a TV show, talk to a friend, read a book, or listen to some music.
• Exercising has been found to be effective in driving away the sleepiness syndrome. Take a short walk or dance to some music. You can also head straight to the gym for a session of workout. Taking a shower after the workout is likely to wake you up the most.
• Drive away all the comfort materials. Remember, you are trying to stay awake and cozy surroundings are unlikely to help you achieve it. Things that are a strict no-no include soft bed or chair, pillows, soft music and everything that makes you relax.
• Nibbling on something is effective in fighting sleep. However, do not binge on any kind of junk food. It would be counteractive, making you sleep instantly. Instead, go for fruits like apples, as they are good for stabilizing the blood sugar levels. For some, they work even better than a cup of coffee.
• This may come as a surprise to you, but a smell - good or bad, is likely to wake you up instantaneously. Fragrance of some of the essential oils, like rosemary and eucalyptus blue gum, stimulates the nervous system and reduces drowsiness or the feeling of fatigue. Sniffing on some peppermint and coffee beans also increases alertness.
• Tapping on a few places in the body increases the level of alertness and helps in staying awake. With your finger tip, tap the top of your head, back of your neck, back of your hands between thumb and index finger and just below the knees and earlobes.
• If you have some spare time, like 15-20 minutes, take a power nap. It will prove to be very beneficial in reducing fatigue and energize you completely. You will feel refreshed and be able to work better thereafter.
• Listening to some good peppy numbers would revive your spirit. If possible, dance and sing, even if it means slightly nodding the head or humming the song. However, make sure that you are not disturbing other people in your vicinity.
• Do not have heavy meals. Rather than 3 large meals in a day, have 5 to 6 small ones. Munching throughout the day has also been found to be helpful in driving away the sleepiness.
• If your work demands you to sit throughout the day, make sure that you keep your back upright. Do not rest your head on anything, be it your hands, desk or wall.
• During winters, you are likely to feel drowsy. In such a situation, it is advisable to let yourself feel a little chill. Take off your jacket or sweat shirt. Making yourself warm and cozy is likely to let sleepiness take over.
• Other things that you can do to stay awake include splashing cold water on your face, drinking an ice cold glass of water, brushing your teeeth and having a cup of strong coffee.

Waiting for yet another Shahrukh flick? There is good news - you would not have to wait much to see The King Khan, as his latest flick - ‘Billu Barber’ is expected to hit the theaters in the first quarter of 2009. A remake of the Malayalam film ‘Kadha Parayumbol’, this comic movie has been produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment. It stars Shah Rukh Khan , Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani as its main characters. The news is abuzz that Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone will also be seen in the movie, in guest appearances.

All the villagers want to meet the Sahil Khan and believe Billu to be the perfect person, who can help arrange a rendezvous with him. Now, Billu tries to meet the actor, but is unsuccessful in the attempt. This makes everyone suspicious about his claim. Not only the villagers, but even his family members believe that he was lying about his friendship with Sahil. What will Billu do now? Will he be able to meet his friend? Will Sahil recognize Billu? Will Billu's family members and villagers believe him again? The answers are for the viewers to unveil as the movie hits the theaters in 2009.

Cheap, throwaway clothes are adding to the UK's landfill

The government has launched a campaign to tackle the environmental impact of a "fast fashion" culture.

Around two million tonnes of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill every year and Defra is using the start of London Fashion Week to announce its scheme.

More than 300 High Street retailers, textile manufacturers and designers have signed up to its "sustainable clothing action plan".

The plan incorporates ethical issues, such as child labour and fair trading.

The initiative outlines commitments to make fashion more sustainable throughout its lifecycle: from design and manufacture to retail and disposal.

It hopes to draw attention to the environmental impact of cheap, throwaway clothes, which have become hugely popular on the High Street but are adding to the UK's landfill.

Taking action

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says the clothing and textiles sector in the UK produces around 3.1m tonnes of carbon dioxide, 2m tonnes of waste and 70m tonnes of waste water per year.

Gases such as CO2, emitted by fossil fuel burning, and methane, released from landfill sites, are widely believed to be contributing to global warming.

As part of the action plan:

• Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury's have pledged to increase their ranges of Fairtrade and organic clothing, and support fabrics which can be recycled easier
• Tesco is banning cotton from countries known to use child labour
• Charities, such as Oxfam and the Salvation Army, will open more sustainable clothing boutiques featuring high quality second-hand clothing and new designs made from recycled garments
• The Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion will be resourced to provide practical support to the clothing sector
• The Fairtrade Foundation will aim for at least 10% of cotton clothing in the UK to be Fairtrade material by 2012.

The Minister for Sustainability Lord Philip Hunt, said the plan represented a "concerted effort to change the face of fashion".

"Retailers have a big role to play in ensuring fashion is sustainable," he said.

"We should all be able to walk into a shop and feel the clothes we buy have been produced without damaging the environment or using poor labour practices, and that we will be able to re-use and recycle them when we no longer want them."

Complex challenges

Jane Milne, business environment director of the British Retail Consortium, said retailers should be "applauded, not criticised, for providing customers with affordable clothing, particularly during these tough economic times".

"They're raising standards for overseas workers, offering clothes made from organic and Fairtrade cotton and encouraging the re-use and recycling of unwanted clothes," she added.

The ASBCI, the forum for clothing and textiles, said the industry was "very cognisant" of the environmental issues it faced and "highly motivated" to find solutions.

Chairman Malcolm Ball said the challenges facing the industry and the consumer were "complex".

Taking cotton as an example, he said organic cotton is highly desirable but is only a fraction of world production, and growing it "requires vast amounts of the most precious resource on earth - water".

"There are many voices who argue the current Western model of fast and cheap fashion is totally unsustainable in the medium to long term," he said.

"The challenge is to reduce the amount of damage we are doing now, while a revised, sustainable model of consumption is created."

London Fashion Week runs from Friday 20 February to Wednesday 25 February.