Ladies Can Wear Country Clothing Too!

Unbelievable as it may seem, country clothing is actually versatile. Hoggs Country clothing can be worn by men, women and kids alike. Years ago, hoggs clothing used to consist only of cowboy vests, leather chaps and leather boots.

But fashion has come a long way ever since– high street brands have finally adapted and enhanced country fashion. Gone are the days when cowboy clothing can be seen as too western or outdated.

Brief History

During the gold rush in California, that was in 1848, people were all too hyped up with the Wild Wild West. Everyone wanted to be a westerner and that included adapting their clothing style.
Influence

Back in the day, country clothing fashion isn’t considered to be trendy. Clothes falling into that category were considered to be garments meant for harsh weather conditions like rain and dust storms. Soon enough, people from the east and Europeans started adapting the style which lasts up to this day. People had more reasons to be more open to their sense of fashion, all of a sudden people were more adventurous and creative with their clothes, sporadically using elements of country clothing.

Tips to Wear Country Clothing:

1. Invest in a classic plaid western button-down blouse. Western shirts can also be striped or embroidered usually with front pockets.
2. Purchase a leather belt with an oversized buckle. Another option would be the ones with rhinestones
3. If you want to be more adventurous, you may opt to buy a cowboy vest either in leather or denim material.
4. Slim cut jeans are more advisable and do not fuss in ironing it to give it a laidback look
5. To complete the look of your slim-fit jeans, get a pair of cowboy boots.
6. Some prefer buying themselves a cowboy hat to achieve a look of being a regular in the range.
7. Lastly, be adventurous and use your imagination to achieve the look of Tweed clothing.

Special Tips For The Ladies:

1. In the recent years, country clothing has gained popularity. Clothes can now be bought from high street brands, finally, outdoorsy clothing is being emulated by fashion designers.
2. Ladies can buy coats that have removable hoods or fur trims that can easily be used during winter or spring.
3. You might also want to buy a coat with several pockets which can come in handy.
4. Consider purchasing scarves, hats and shoes that can pass under the country clothing category. Some ladies are not comfortable wearing boots so dont put a pressure on yourself.
5. If you fail to find the perfect item for you, don’t lose hope! You can always resort to online sites which also offer a huge plethora of items.

Now that’s all settled, we can all rejoice now with how fashion has evolved. Who would have thought that country clothing, what used to be meant for the gentlemen can now be worn by women in the city. Country clothing fashion gives women more chance to explore their creativity.

By: Luke Wildman

Fashion Japan- Issey Miyake Fragrances And Clothing Deliver The Best From An Unlikely Source

Not all great fashion and fragrance trends come from Paris. Sure, there is a mental image of the Eiffel Tower, the glamor of the runway, and the romance of the landscape that seems to make for a natural fit, and it still is accurate to some degree. But there are many designers emerging in the most unlikely places that could change that trend for future generations. If you have ever heard of the Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, you already know this to be true. Miyake has been an active, respected, and successful designer for the last forty five years. His career began upon graduating from the Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan, with a degree in graphic design. He quickly put his knowledge to the test and in just six years after earning credentials in the aforementioned City of Lights as well as the Big Apple, New York City. By 1970, he was ready to carve out a place for his own name in the quickly growing fashion and fragrance industry.

Issey Miyake, the Man

Issey Miyake, born in 1938, came into this world at the wrong time and place. His family lived in Hiroshima when the fateful atomic bomb swept the city from the map. Amazingly enough, he survived the attack at just seven years of age and managed to bounce back from one of the world’s greatest major catastrophes. From early on, he exhibited creativity especially as far as fashion design was concerned. It was this fascination and talent for his area of expertise that led him to Tokyo, where his path would forever be changed into a new and glorious direction.

Miyake Design Studio: The Early Years

Any start-up, especially one in the fashion world, has an uphill battle ahead of it. Luckily, Miyake had learned from some of the best in the world and was more than equipped for the challenge. In the beginning, he played it safe and focused on what he knew — developing quality fashion materials that resonated with the status quo but did little in setting his name apart from the rest of the pack. When the 1980s came along, Miyake was ready to experiment further, taking his raw talent and combining it with years of experience to enhance pleating techniques. His improvements eventually led to the development of a revolutionary style called garment pleating where the garments are cut and sewn, then sandwiched between paper and fed into a heat press. This ready-to-wear approach makes for a much more distinctive and withstanding pattern.

Issey Miyake Fragrances: The Smell of Success

Miyake debuted his Issey Miyake fragrances with L’Eau d’Issey in 1992 (or “Issey water”), which was followed two years later with the Pour Homme product line for men. Since then, Issey Miyake fragrances have grown in quality and importance and caught the eye of a number of the industry’s best perfumers. From 2007 on, Miyake has even enlisted the aid of these greats for a series of “limited time only” perfumes that have garnered further respect within the industry.

Whether it is Issey Miyake fragrances or clothing, this is one designer that proves you don’t have to be from Paris to know fashion!

By:  Gen Wright

What is the History of Batik = What is Batik?

Most people have heard of Batik but many are not really aware of the process of batik or the history behind the origins of batik. Batik is an ancient craft dating back centuries and relates to hand drawing or hand painting involving wax. Wax-resist dyeing is the definition of the art of historical batik.

Wax is painted on to the fabric and the color is filled into the fabric between the wax. The instrument stated as used for this particular art form in Javanese cultures was called a canting. This is an item in design similar to a pen that was used to apply the design with the wax directly to the cloth. The wax is placed to stop the color running through to the next color of the design.

The wax is then later washed from the cloth leaving only the color hence the white lines you will always see on batik. There are then of course a variety of designs that are sold as batik but are actually made using more traditional methods and while the look may be similar they are not in fact original or true batik.

Batik is considered a traditional art in many Asian countries. In Javanese the definition of the word Batik is writing with wax. In Indonesia for example there are traditional batik colors mostly darker shades of indigo, dark brown, white and violet, which are used in representation of four main Hindu Gods. Other countries in Asia, as stated, are also traditionally using batik techniques, such as India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma etc. There are also some West African countries such as Ghana, Cameroon and Uganda among others which also use batik all of which will be in varying degrees of the same original historical form of batik.

1500 years ago you could also find the wax style batik cloth in Egypt and the Middle East. Today you will find that Batik is a more commercial form of artwork often on sale in tourism rich countries for purchase by travelers. Almost all Asian countries will be offering up modern and traditional designs of batik and you will be amazed at what there is available however whether they are creating original historical forms of batik or not can only be known by requesting to visit with the artist while they are in fact creating. Of course if they are carrying out the traditional form of batik you, having been made more aware of what the art actually is, will be able to immediately tell for yourself if they are original batik designs or just a very good impression of this ancient art form.

Many Javanese temples also have beautiful stone statues sculptured on their walls however confirmed historical proof of these designs being batik is as yet to be determined. They could in fact have been created using a weaving technique rather than the traditional batik. No doubt in the future there will be proof of these facts and it will be clear which traditional and historical art form was used in the creation of these amazing designs.

It is also said that there were specific Batik designs that were created for Javanese royalty and these particular patterns can only be worn by royalty whilst other regions in Indonesia offer their own patterns unique to their region. There are others however who deny that batik was meant for royalty alone and that it was a form of art created for all people.

Thanks to modernization you are easily able to purchase batik. Whether it is traditional or not you now have the tools to check for yourself. If the artist is not willing to show you how they are creating the designs then it is in all likelihood that they are using a modernized form of batik and therefore while still beautiful you will not be purchasing a traditional batik. Therefore just because the cost of a particular batik is perhaps more than another it does not also mean that it is original.

Ask the artist to show you their work space and see for yourself whether you are getting the real thing. If you find you are not do not despair you will come away with a wonderful piece of art work either way to add style and flair to your home just don’t go passing it off as an original batik!

Batik is considered a traditional art in many Asian countries. In Javanese the definition of the word Batik is writing with wax. In Indonesia for example there are traditional batik colors mostly darker shades of indigo, dark brown, white and violet, which are used in representation of four main Hindu Gods. Many Javanese temples also have beautiful stone statues sculptured on their walls however confirmed historical proof of these designs being batik is as yet to be determined.

By: Michiel Van Kets