Supplies:
Metal zipper
Fabric scrap
Scissors
Hot glue
White glue

You might have been saving zippers to sew into other garments, if those zippers go bad, but sewing zippers into clothing isn’t the only way to reuse them. Cut zippers up and use them in an unusual way to make embellishments for fashions and home decorating projects, rosettes for crafting, and other fanciful items. If you already have zippers, you won’t pay a penny for the rosettes, which can be used in many different ways.

Unzip a zipper and cut it, straight across, to remove the zipper pull, and to separate the two sides of the zipper. Since each piece has fabric stitched to it, it’s necessary to remove the cloth. Cut the stitches to remove the biggest part of it; use a lighter to burn off the rest. Remember to hold the zipper with a potholder because the zipper will get hot as you burn the fabric off.

When all of the cloth is off of the zipper it’s the easiest thing to turn it into a rosette. Simply lay it flat on a table and begin winding it around itself. Hold one end down, and wrap the other end around and around the stationary end. You’ll make a flat circle of zipper teeth, which is metallic and lovely. If you want the rosette to be larger than it is when you finish wrapping, use a dot of hot glue to hold the end in place, and start wrapping another zipper-half around it.

The rosette you make is a flat one but you can give it dimension by making another one on top of it. The top rosette should be a bit smaller than the bottom one. Add another rosette, and another, to create the depth that you want; make each rosette smaller than the previous one.

The zipper rosette will be easiest to attach if you glue a piece of cloth or felt to the bottom of it. Glue the finished flower to a purse, a garment, a lampshade, a mirror or picture frame corner, or even a hat. Attach it to a piece of fabric to make a curtain tie-back, or make a large zipper rosette, and turn it into a coaster.

Don’t like the metallic color of the rosette? Paint it! You can easily spray paint the zipper before you start, or paint the rosette when you’re finished. That gives you many options for coordinating colors on your fashions, or for your home decorating.
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Did you make a New Year's resolution to lose a few extra pounds? Have you already fallen off the diet bandwagon? Most people that vow to lose the weight have trouble getting those last few pounds off. If this sounds like you, there are ways that you can dress and accessorize your look so that you look pounds slimmer. Here are some easy fashion tips for women to slim your figure.

Find the right bra: This may sound silly, but many women do not know how to find the right fitting bra. No matter what your cup size is, if you have a good fitting bra, you can do a lot for your look. A good fitting bra will lift you up, hold you in the right places and make your clothes fit better. If your current bra has straps that constantly fall off your shoulders, or rides up in the back, then is too big. If your breasts spill out of the cup, then it is too small. There are bras made for every figure and cup size. If you are unsure how to go about finding the right bra, go to a nice department store and ask a sales person to help fit you. These sales people are trained to help women find just the right sized lingerie.

Do not wear baggy clothing: When you weigh more than you want, you may feel tempted to wear loose fitting and baggy clothing. You may think you are covering up your bumps and rolls, but instead what you are doing is adding pounds to your look. Baggy clothes immediately add about ten pounds to your appearance. Instead, find clothes that fit you better. Clothes that are more streamlined and fit closer to your body will give you a slimmer appearance. On the other hand, make sure that your clothes do not fit too tight. Clothes that fit too tight (think jeans that fit like leggings) will show everything you don't want people to see. When you shop for clothes, try them on at the store and look carefully in the three-way mirror before you make a purchase.

Go for dark clothing: In general, clothes that are darker in color will make you look slimmer. Look for clothes that are brown, black, navy and gray. You do not have to dress all in black everyday, though. Consider wearing the darker color on your problem area and brighter colors where you want to show off. For example, if you are carrying extra weight around your hips, go for a dark skirt or pants and accentuate your neckline with a brighter color.

Use accessories to your advantage: The right accessories can slim your look and draw a person's attention to your face. If you are trying to hide your middle, then do not wear a bright, chunky belt. Instead, opt for a really nice beaded necklace that draws people's eyes to your face instead of your middle. Show off what you have with nice accessories for a slimmer look.

Wear short skirts: You could get lost in long skirts. The trend is shorter skirts, so why not give them a try? Try a skirt that hits around your knee. You are showing off your legs. Pair that shorter skirt with a great pair of shoes and you have an instant slimmed effect.

Look at what is popular: Go to your local department store and look at is popular. When you are trying to lose the weight, you might feel like you do not want to try new fashions, but that might be the way to go. When you have a few great pieces that are in style, you can be sure that people are looking at your clothes, not your extra inches.…

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If you go to Google and search "Canadian models", you will discover a quite long list of names. Canada may not be on the first place among countries with a leading fashion industry like France, Italy, England or USA, but there are many talented fashion models from Canada, who brought a major contribution to Canadian and international fashion. Here are three of them.

Heather Marks

Heather Marks is one of the most prominent fashion models in Canada today. She was born in 1988 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and she started her modeling career at age 12. As a teenager, she already was 178 cm tall, and she was discovered by the owner of Mode Models agency.

At age 15 Heather Marks came to Toronto and began booking jobs in New York, including her first editorial for Vogue Italy. Also, she modeled for the Givenchy Spring 2003 Spring 2003 couture show. In the Spring/Summer 2004 fashion season, she modeled for designers and fashion houses like Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Mark Jacobs, MaxMara, Rochas, Versace, and others.

Since then, she has modeled in shows and advertisement campaigns for a long list of reputed designers including Calvin Klein, Emporio Armani, Moschino, Kenzo, Jimmy Choo, Lacoste, Christian Lacroix, Roberto Cavalli, Badgley Mischka, H&M, Converse, Victoria's Secret, American Eagle, Benneton, Cacharel, GAP, Holt Renfrew, Lee Jeans, Levi's, Mango, Swarovski, Revlon, MAC, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and other designers and fashion brands.

Heather Marks is a frequent appearance on fashion magazine covers – she could be seen on Vogue cover (editions from Germany, Korea, Mexico, Spain), on Elle cover (editions from Canada and Croatia), Harper's Bazaar. As to Canadian fashion magazines, I saw her on the cover of Flare magazine.

Irina Lazareanu

Irina Lazareanu was born in 1982 in Romania and moved to Canada with her parents at age 5. Her family settled in Montreal area. She started her modeling career at age 17, and since then she became a very popular fashion model.

Some of her modeling assignments included jobs for top designers like Chanel, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui, Lanvin, Versace, and many more. I subscribe to Canadian fashion magazine Flare, and I saw her featured not only in the magazine, but also on its cover.

Linda Evangelista

Linda Evangelista was born in 1965 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Even though she is not from today's generation of models, she is still actively present in the fashion industry. Until recently, I didn't even know that she is from Canada, as I always thought she was American. But there she is, born in Canada.

She knew she wanted to be a model since she was 12. One of those international supermodels who would be placed on the same page as Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer or Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista has been featured on over 600 fashion magazine covers throughout her modeling years, and had countless modeling assignments. The biggest influence she brought upon fashion was during the eighties and early nineties, at the peak of her modeling career. In 2007 she signed a multi-year exclusive contract with L'Oréal Paris.

Source: Wikipedia…

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My Top 5 Favorite Fashion Magazines.

Cosmopolitan- I love reading this monthly excerpt into what guys think and love. Sometimes they do get it wrong, but most of the time it is spot on. Cosmo does tend to have the same articles over and over again but with different titles but I tend not to care much. I love the columns that appear on a monthly basis like confessions, guys talking sex, bedside astrologer, and of course the quizzes.
• I like confessions because laughter is good for the soul and reading other people's often times hilarious high jinks have me busting out. And there is scientific research showing that laughter makes you look younger.
• Guys talking sex because hey if you're a heterosexual girl reading the mag than you would get a lot of useful tips on what to do and not do in between the sheets. And who the hell does not need advice about that from the source!
• Bedside Astrologer because I'm into that. If you're not your not, for me personally I chart my life according to the stars but that' doesn't mean I take whatever they say to heart.
• The quiz's waste time and are a lot of fun. There are some you can take with your man and others you can do by yourself. Either way, you might get a different perspective on things.
Self-What woman between the ages of 30 and up are not trying to lose any significant amount of weight or just wants to revamp her eating habits? That's why I love mag's like self and shape. But I think Self is a lot better personally because it's more…well…personalized. Or should I say it is not generalized like I think Shape is. The columns I most especially like?
• The nutrition section. Because no matter what your diet is or isn't, you can always find helpful tidbits here.
• The health section. They always have the latest update information about everything affecting us today from the HPV virus to the common cold.
• The happiness section. No matter what area in your life, you will always find something you can improve on to make you happier. Because no one person is always happy throughout their life. Someone always has one of the seven deadly sins they can improve upon and this section is here to help.
Glamour-For the young adults who are upwardly mobile in life, who need much more stimulation than Cosmopolitan can give them. They even have political articles for the young woman who is into the campaigns.
• How to do anything better guide. Whether it's tuning up a car or just playing up the best feature of your face. This section is here every month for us.
• Dos and Don't. I can't leave this out! It is always on the back inside cover, on the very last page. And it showcases fashion's flops and fashion styles.
• Hair. There is ALWAYS something interesting in here about a new way to style your hair, a new color, a new cut. It doesn't matter. If it's in Glamour, you need to try it. But just make sure it's the best style for your face shape.
Real simple. Fine. It's not really a fashion magazine for the body, it is more a fashion magazine for your life and who doesn't need that! If you're unorganized like Iand countless other Americans, this magazine will attempt to help you regain sense of your clutter.
• Recipes. Yes, all magazines have recipes but Real Simple has really good recipes. Try steak with arugula and balsamic mushrooms or even different ways to cook basic chicken.
• New tricks on old treats. Okay okay, so I made the title up, it being close to Halloween and all. But you know what I mean you ever peruse the magazine at all. I think it's called new uses for old things or something like that. Anyway, it's amazing what you can do with an old soap dish or even an old handkerchief.
• Cutting cost. The grocery store is a major place where you can cut cost and Real Simple shows you exactly how and where to do it.
Essence. Even though I am a woman of color, I really do not read this magazine. I don't know why, maybe because I grew up in a white environment and I basically like white guys. I really don't read the all too frequent articles how to score with a black man. But I do like the articles on how to lower your debt. And I really like the down home southern recipes even if I don't cook big meals like that; I can still appreciate can't I?

These are the five magazines I read most although I have been seen reading allure a lot lately. Good shopping tips, steals, and deals.…

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Sash Belts

A hot trend for Fall fashion is the sash belt. It is less structured than the more tailored styles of belts which have been popular recently. Sash belts are made of fabric and casually tied at the side or front. This trend is very easy to achieve. Try using a wide silk scarf or vintage fabric to create your own sash belt.

Opt for a rich sumptuous color of sash belt which compliments your whole outfit. For instance, a chocolate velvet sash belt is a perfect match for a simple cream silk dress.

The great thing about the sash belt trend is that it only requires a simple bow or knot to finish the look. Alternatively, accent the fabric with a large buckle in gold or copper.

Cinch Belts

Still popular this year is the 1940s style cinch belt. It is an easy way to make a dress look instantly more sharp and tailored. It also accentuates the waist. Choose a cinch belt in a simple classic color such as black with a large, bold buckle.

Bohemian Belts

Another big trend this year is a colorful, bohemian look. 'Artsy' bright floral dresses look great with a loose fitting belt in a complimentary color. A colorful bohemian belt may be made of woven leather or beads.

A similar style is the low-slung lace or crocheted belt which is a great accessory for a peasant style blouse or tunic.

Ribbon Belts

Very delicate ribbon belts are another popular trend this year. Ribbon belts are the perfect accessory for the trend of delicately detailed blouses and dresses in sheer fabrics.

Ribbon belts are easy to make from a length of pretty ribbon which you can find at fabric store. Sew a snap fitting into the ribbon to make it easy to wear. Another clever idea is to sew the ribbon into a blouse or dress. Leave the ends of the ribbon free so that you can tie it into a bow.

Finally, here are some tips for finding the best belt for you. Sash belts are very forgiving because you can tie them in tightly or more loosely on the waist. They are a great all round style for many women. Ribbon belts can sometimes look too small when tied around the waist. However, they look great as part of a high waisted dress or blouse, tied just under the bustline.…

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There were more than a few stars that did Oscar proud on the red carpet in 2010. While I still think the Golden Globes eclipsed all the award shows when it comes to fashion, Oscar didn’t do bad either.

Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner, Mo’Nique, looked elegant in a royal blue satin gown that was cut to accent her considerable curves. While I might have dispensed with the gardenias in her updo, it was easy to see that this star can pull anything off. She is just gracious and beautiful all the way around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sq00bA357I

Queen Latifah almost never fails to awe with her red carpet choices and she didn’t this year either. Her pale orchid satin gown set off her lovely skin and the bling added to its one-shoulder and around the front bodice was sheer perfection. She polished off the look with flawless makeup and an elegant updo. All hail the Queen!

Oprah Winfrey completed the African-American trifecta. The talk shown queen never looked more regal in a midnight blue satin gown that was cut to accent her curves. Soft flowing hair and makeup completed her stunning look.

Anna Kendrick’s pale pink goddess inspired off the shoulder gown was a vision to behold. Perfectly draped and swept, it looked like Venus had descended to earth once again. Even her hair and makeup seemed to scream “Greek work of art.”

Had anyone by Demi Moore picked that flesh colored ruffled gown for the red carpet, it might not have worked. But on her tiny, well toned figure all that ruching and ruffling didn’t distract. I wasn’t a fan of the hair but thought the makeup did her justice too.

Rachel McAdams went out on a limb with a floral inspired multi-pastel colored strapless chiffon gown. On her; however, it worked in spades. She never looked lovelier. Her perfectly coifed updo and makeup polished it perfectly.

Some people loved and others hated Sandra Bullock’s silver vintage beaded gown. I thought she looked lovely and every bit the movie star she has become. With her dark hair pulled of to one side and this season’s hot red lip, she shined in more ways than one.

Helen Mirren continued her long line of classic Hollywood looks with a delicate pale lavender that was, well fit for a queen. This woman gets more breathtaking with every year and her sweet spirit and kind soul shines right through her eyes. She is so unassuming and humble that one can’t help but think she deserves to rule over Hollywood for many years to come.

TV Guide fashion hostess, Carrie Ann Inaba, managed to look demure in her pale pink ruffled gown, long wavy hair and perfect makeup. I personally think she never looked lovelier.

Her ABC counterpart, Sheri Shepard was also looking good in a one-should black gown that hugged her curves and screamed “I am woman and proud of it!” Her lovely soft hair and makeup polished off the look with perfection.

Cameron Diaz made a comeback in a beautiful gold trapless gown that set off the color of her soft wavy blonde hair. She looked absolutely magnificent.

The guys weren’t looking too shabby either. I didn’t note any major fashion faux pas on behalf of Oscar’s men. In fact there were few worth mentioning.

If there was one male I would loved to have changed it would be Quentin Tarantino. I found the super thin tie distracting and too casual for the Academy Awards. I know skinny ties are in but his was practically non-existant. On the other hand, he is Hollywood’s bad boy and he looked the part.

Jake Gyllenhaal easily outshined his sister in a perfectly cut tuxedo. On him, even the scruff looked darn good.

Tim McGraw showed up in support of his “Blind Side” costar, Sandra Bullock. He left his cowboy hat at home and actually looked reasonably comfortable in his well-cut tux and bow tie. Of course he had one of the best accessories of the night – – his beautiful wife Faith Hill.

Matt Damon looked unusually hunkalicious this year. I’m not sure if it was the tux, his clean cut grooming, or just the big smile on his face. Whatever it was, he surely made hearts swoon. I’m not a big fan of his but I have to say that even I did a double take.

Avatar’s star, Sam Worthington, had on a nice fitting tux and he looked okay overall. I’m just not a big fan of the scruffy looking beard or the spiked hair; not for formal occasions anyway.

George Clooney was, as usual, handsome and debonair. Who would have expected less from this Hollywood heartthrob?

Jeff Bridges wasn’t looking too bad either. I have to say that I’m digging the gray in his hair. However, the Buffalo Bill look was a bit odd.

Robert Downey Jr. broke from tradition and wore a blue blow tie with his impeccably cut tuxedo. I thought it worked. I found it refreshing and a bit kookie – – like the actor himself.

Gerard Butler. Need I say more? This is one man who can look scruffy any time he wants. It just suits him. It is who he is and he owns it. It isn’t a tough sell.

Keanu Reeves was a sight for sore eyes in spite of his unusual beard. It was a bit too Wolverine for me bit at least it was polished and groomed.

Young Hollywood was looking good in the well-suited hands of Zac Effron and Taylor Lautner. They did their group proud.

There you have it; my picks for Oscar fashion hits. If you haven’t already done so, you might want to check out my Oscar fashion misses.…

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Clothes make the man. You've no doubt heard it before. Actually clothes don't make the man – but they do express the man. So who are you? When dealing with people you don't know very well, your wardrobe is the best chance you have to let them know. Especially the opposite sex.

What to wear for a casual date: Something – uh, casual? OK, that much is painfully obvious. But there are no formulas. Who are you going out with? The idea is to find some common ground with your date without sacrificing your own individuality – either ignoring her style or copying it will set a bad precedent for anything to come. There are too many choices to give many specific recommendations. Some specific ground rules do apply, though.

• Unless it's part of a carefully-crafted "grunge" look, wrinkled clothing is a gigantic no-no. In case of emergency, dampen the offending garment and give it a 20-minute run-through in the dryer.
• Unless she is a goddess of the fashion industry, you don't have to show up looking like you just got done shaking your little tush on the catwalk. "Oh, that look is so 2008!" is not a comment you're likely to hear – and if you do hear it, you can always plead nostalgia.
• If you're looking to project a little bit of the "bad boy" look (rarely a bad idea, by the way!), leather and denim go great together. Just avoid the classic "biker jacket" dripping with chains and studs – unless she's got an earring sticking though her nose, in which case anything goes.

What to wear for a for a romantic dinner date: Let's see now…a T-shirt featuring a Smiley Face is definitely out, unless she's got one heck of a good sense of humor.

• Make sure you tailor your personal dress code to the level of formality of the restaurant you're taking her to. A five-star restaurant will require a five-star outfit, and so on down the line. If you're not sure, scout out the restaurant in advance.
• No matter how formal the restaurant is, wearing a full suit will reveal you to be an eager-to-please dweeb who has never had a second date in his life. A tuxedo is an even worse choice – if you're caught with one, your only way out will be to tell her you just got back from a wedding. By the way – bring her a bouquet of flowers on the first date and you might as well kiss her good-bye before the date even begins.
• Dress jeans are a good choice for all but the most formal establishments. A well-fitting sports shirt and a blazer (required in some establishments) could complete a tasteful ensemble. Pay attention to color coordination – you don't want to look like a popsicle.
• Remember – a gentleman is a gentle man – as long as you can avoid grossing her out with your bad taste, your behavior will make a much stronger impression on her than your clothing. You can even make a bad outfit look good, depending on how you play it off. The man makes the clothes far more than the clothes make the man.

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I'm giving up … on Fashion.

That's right. I want no part of an industry that was created to delude the minds of millions.

According to Merriam-Webster.com, the very definition of Fashion is the prevailing style of dress during a particular time.

You see Fashion, by definition, is nothing more than popular opinion.

It is up to the so-called Fashionista to see something more. I learned this the hard way during Los Angeles Fashion Week.

I saw fashion clones pretending to be different as they posed for inexperienced cameras. I watched as they eyed competing 'models' and gossiped about who was wearing last season's shoes. I could not believe it.

Being a witness to the nonsense made me loathe the occasion.

While I admit to collecting Vogue every month and eyeing Prada's latest editorials, I do not believe in such boundaries.

Everyone should wear what they want, when they want, even if it dates back to 1992.

Just be you.

In the words of the late Coco Chanel, "Fashion fades; only style remains the same."

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It’s not the clothes that make a good fashion photo, it’s the lighting. Fashion photography has a very distinct look as a result of the lighting techniques used by fashion photographers. Fashion photos are typically shot outdoors in sunny weather, or in a photo studio. This article is going to focus on the techniques for light a fashion photo outdoors.

Step 1. Choose the right time of day

First things first, you want to pick a good time of day to take the picture. The time of day you choose is really at your discretion. It’s just a matter of preference. If you have a particular mood in mind that you’re going for, you probably already know the time of day you want to shoot. Bear in mind, though, there is a big difference between 11AM and 1PM, etc… I actually advise against shooting right at noon when the sun is directly overhead. It can be too bright, and you’re subject will be washed out.

Step 2. Shooting with a flash

If you’re shooting with a flash, you will want to shoot in either the morning hours from about 9 – 11 or the afternoon hours from around 2 – 4, so you can position your subject with the sun behind them. This of course, will silhouette your subject, but that’s okay because you are going to use your flash to fill the shadow. This will produce an effect that makes your subject really pop.

Step 3. Shooting without a flash

You could also option to not use a flash and use a light reflector instead. The same basic principle applies here; however, the light reflector probably won’t throw off as much light as your flash, so you may not want to position your subject directly behind the sun, but rather at an offset angle. Then simply use the reflector to fill the shadows. The light reflector will produce more of a glistening effect and less of a pop.

Step 4. Always practice good lighting techniques

You don’t necessarily have to use these techniques, the real important thing is just good lighting, period. And that really applies to all styles of photography. There are lots of great lighting techniques out there, and you should try experimenting with all them. When you find a few that you really like, just keep practicing them and improving upon them.

I hope you found this guide helpful. Have fun taking great fashion photos.…

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