Body art

is one of the earliest forms of artistic expression know to humankind. It has been used to indicate status, religious devotion, desired protection against evil and disease, and much more.

Today, people express many different reasons for getting various forms of body art. Some of them are a means of personal expression, while others continue to decorate their bodies as a means of commemorating an important event/time in their live.

fashion's new trends

MARC Jacobs concluded Women's Wear Daily's recent CEO summit with a jolt of glamor, candor and unabashed enthusiasm for fashion. The artistic force behind Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs stressed the power of tenacity and conviction.

But he also acknowledged the randomness of inspiration, especially in the beginnings of the seasonal design process.

"It's the same in both places, at Marc Jacobs and Vuitton," he said. "I'm usually so exhausted after a show that I leave (the teams) alone for a little while. They get a bunch of stuff together, I start to look at it, something sticks, and then it just develops and evolves. It's funny when I read how people analyze a collection because I know for us, for me, it starts in this really arbitrary fashion. 'We just did this, so let's do something completely different.'

"For fall, we had just shown this very 1980s, very tough (collection) with black and bright colors, a very graphic look; so for spring, we found ourselves looking at very feminine ruffles. And we said, 'well, it's probably not right, but it's different'."

Keeping the Marc Jacobs and Vuitton collections distinct is a natural result of channeling ideas through a six-month process of experimenting, adding and editing by the respective teams.

"If I love the color red, I'll love it Monday in New York and still love it Friday in Paris, but that red could become burgundy in Paris or pink in New York. It manifests itself differently," he said.

"I'm most at home in New York. I have so many friends and such a large creative community that I feel I'm a part of here."

But partly because of his bicontinental life, Jacobs doesn't identify strongly with the American fashion community.

"Sometimes I get really adamant when I hear designers make blanket statements like? 'American fashion should be ...' This whole idea of American fashion or Seventh Avenue fashion is nonsense. It's archaic and old. We work out of a loft in Soho and we show wherever we want. So if we want to show a dress made of 50 yards of taffeta, who says that has to be couture?"

Asked to name the next Ralph Lauren or Donna Karan, he declined, saying many young people have talent and passion, then mentioned Alexander Wang. When a question about celebrity designers came up, Jacobs noted Lindsay Lohan's failure at Ungaro, but complimented Victoria Beckham.

"She is someone who has always wanted to design clothes. She knows the body, she loves it and she's working her ass off," he said.

Scottish brand Hunter has been around since the 19th century, and if there is one thing they’ve mastered, it’s the Welly. Tried, tested and true, Hunter's rain boots are executed with traditional craftsmanship while fusing modern materials to create the must-have boots for wet weather. Made of vulcanized rubber, the Festival Boots feature a natural rubber sole, a rounded toe and a quick-drying nylon lining. You’ll appreciate the cushioned insole, which will help you move with ease. With a medium width, these boots provide a stylish and shapely defense for rainy days.

Fashion

Arguably the world’s most famous twins, and without doubt the most stylish, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have recently made their latest foray into the fashion world by launching their own label, The Row. Named after tailoring mecca Saville Row, the collection is a condensed version of the twin’s signature style, featuring body con bandage skirts and chic tuxedo jackets alongside wardrobe staples such as t-shirts and skinny trousers. The girls may have made their fortune as child stars and conquered the teen market with everything from cutesy T-shirts to perfume, but their latest line is decidedly grown-up, with prices to match – T-shirt prices start at £140. The pair are hoping to market the brand as a serious fashion label rather than yet another celebrity marketing tool, but there’s no escaping the fact that the Olsen name adds a certain sparkle to proceedings. The Row launched in the UK with a gala dinner hosted by Harvey Nichols (who are exclusively stocking the brand), attended by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Peaches Geldof and Alexa Chung – clearly this is going to be the label for hip young movers and shakers to be seen in.

The quest for curvalicious clothing is never an easy one.

Okay, so I realize many folks have sounded off on this topic already, but I can't resist the chance to - - get ready for a shameless pun - - weigh in. Plus-size clothing is definitely a hot topic in the blogsphere as well as in the real-life sphere and the discussion often comes back to the lament that there might be some awesome styles out there for the large and lovely, but ya gotta dig.

Fashionable Cloths

All you girls 5’ 4" and under, fight for your right for high quality fashionable clothes! Many petite women find it difficult to find properly fitting quality clothes. It’s only recently that designers target petite women with fashionable clothing. This year, fashion is all about you and your style. Fashion is about confidence. If you feel great in an outfit, others can’t help but feel your vibes. In the past petite women had to settle for ill fitting regular clothes in run-of-the-mill sizes.

But that’s long in the past. Today’s petite women find more and more stores devoted to meeting the needs of the short statured. Petite framed women can wear just about any style and look slimmer and most importantly taller, by following a few simple rules. Avoid bold, large patterns with heavy fabrics. Keep print in proportion to your figure. Smaller frames deserve smaller prints. Avoid styles that draw the eye to the waist or hip area. These tend to make you look more round. Avoid too much jewelry. Jewelry can overpower a small frame. Wear light weight material when layering. Too much bulk bulks up the petite woman.

Avoid wearing contrasting colors such as black skirt and white top when wearing separates. Wear the same color from head to tow to create a continuous flow. Blend similar colored shoes and hose to appear taller. If wearing boots, make sure the hem of your skirt is long enough to cover the boots. This will create an unbroken line to help give a slenderizing affect. Skirts should be slightly above the knee and always worn with heels.

Below the knee skirts tend to make the short statured woman look stubby. Heels are a must for the vertically impaired. High-heeled shoes guarantees that your legs will look longer and leaner. So if you are yearning for pants that don’t drag the floor or shirts with sleeves the correct length, look in the petite section of your favorite store. You’ll have everyone turning their heads whispering "Who’s that fab girl?" Bridget Allen has worked for many years in the fashion industry, at a senior level, and she has written an amazing totally free fashionista minicourse that will thrill, entertain, and most importantly educate you about what you absolutely need to know about fashion.

You Are Fashion Forward

You are a total Glamour Girl. Trends are important to you. It is critical that what you do and what you wear be up-to-the-minute and just ahead of the rest. What you do and wear is what everyone else will be doing and wearing six months from now. This means that your hair, makeup and clothes are constantly changing. Your wardrobe consists of items that other people could not pull of in zillion years. Fashion is a large part of your identity, and it will always hold a distinct place in your life. Your style is about status and showing you're in the know. You are very intuitive, and your career is often related to something creative.