Fashion Hookup

Keeping You Up On The Latest Fashions

Go High Tech with Your Winter Fashion

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Many things that people use today are going high tech. Fashion is also not to be outdone.

For technies and the fashion conscious out there looking for some unique clothing this winter that can keep up with their passion for technology, I’ve done a little research and found some items worth
considering. You may buy them for your own personal use or they can also make for great Christmas gifts to your friends and loved ones.

Hoodies or ponchos with built-in headphones. This will keep you warm while letting you enjoy your music wherever you go. Some headphones used are even washable. You can choose from varied designs and colors to go with your favorite winter outfit.

Go thermal all the way. Manufacturers of thermals have been developing new products to meet the needs of consumers during the cold winter months. Damart, a leading manufacturer, is using a special fiber called Thermolactyl in creating its thermals and has been creating winter clothing from shirts and cardigans to jeans and even boots.

Thermal underwear is also popular as it keeps the legs warm during cold weather. Uniqlo and Icebreaker are leaders in creating this product that not only helps retain the heat but helps the wearer cool down as well.

Clever winter jacket. Kathmandu has created its Breccia jacket that can be worn comfortably even when engaged in extreme sports such as snowboarding and skiing. It features the c_change membrane that retains the body’s heat when a person is not moving or inactive and allows the heat to escape to the outside air when the wearer is in action.

Beanie with audio. A beanie helps keep the head part warm but did you know that it is also now multi-functional? You can get a padded beanie with an audio. It comes with earphones which means you can stay outdoors while enjoying your favorite music.

Cool USB fur gloves. Cold weather often makes the hands and fingers numb and unable to move properly. But you can get a pair of these USB gloves that you can plug to a USB port and keep your hands warm while using your laptop outdoors.

Heated socks. Keep your feet happy and warm even in winter by using these heated socks. They are battery operated and can keep your toes warm for six or more hours. Most of them are made from acrylic, polyester and nylon.

Photo via squidoo.com

Can Hiking Jackets Be Fashionable?

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Would you ever wear North Face jackets or any other hiking jacket as a fashion statement?

Outdoor jackets have been popular with hikers and people who enjoy walks outside for many years. Why? They are of course perfect at protecting you in any conditions, making them great for the British climate. However, outdoor jackets have also now become a fashion statement to the British public who do not actually intend on wearing the outdoor jackets for hiking in, oh no, they intend on wearing them as a fashion statement. I do not know how this came about but I do think that it is a very strange concept but if it is something that will evolve in to a much bigger trend remains to be seen. I sincerely hope not though!

This trend in wearing an outdoor jacket as a fashion jacket seems to be most popular within the teenage groups. I have seen an increasing amount of school children wearing their North Face, and Berghaus jackets. I have also witnessed children who appear to have worn the same outdoor jacket every day for about a year. Why, oh why is this popular at the moment?

You would never catch me dead wearing one of these jackets as a fashion statement? The biggest reason why I would not wear one of these jackets as a fashion statement is because they really are not fashionable at all!  I am a big fan of fashion and looking good in the clothing that I wear and it is beyond me how anyone thinks this looks good in a fashionable way. The majority are made up of horrible patterns and are usually only marginally better with the range of colours.

In addition to this, there is a certain group of youths who tend to wear outdoor hiking jackets as a fashionable item; some people may call them ‘chavs’. These particular groups of youths can use the design of these outdoor jackets to their advantage, as they usually have hign knecked collars which can be tightened so it can conceal every part of your face except for your eyes. Certain youths use this technique in a way to intimidate people and look threatening. A group of twenty youths stood on a corner with their hoods up, completely concealing their faces is not good for society as it can mean that they can commit felonies and avoid any punishment as they have no way of being identified.

So, if I did happen to think that these jackets looked attractive and would look good if I were to wear one as a fashion statement then I would still chose not to where one as I would not like to be associated with such a culture. I want to see these sorts of problems being removed from our streets and I would not be happy with myself if I were to encourage the popularity of this kind of fashion, and the kind of culture that sometimes goes along with it.

I really do not see how anybody in their right minds could wear these outdoor jackets a fashion statement. I am not denying that they are excellent jackets for hiking in and they look good when you go hiking but when you are in social town centres, it is just not the same. They do not look nice in any way and I really do hope that thi fashion trend ends, leaving these jackets to be worn as intended, hiking!

North Face Jackets on Ebay- Spot The Fakes!

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The eBay market place is home to many different items, real and fake. North Face jackets are extremely popular items on eBay because they can be sold at high prices because they are high quality jackets. However, there are a large number of North Face jackets which are being sold on eBay which are fakes. It is widely reported that you will find at least 300 fake North Face jackets at any one given time on eBay.

Like with many fake items on eBay, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake items until you get them in your hands. However, one thing you can check is the location of the seller. I do not intend to be prejudice in any way, but you have to be very wary of the sellers of the North Face jackets if they are located in Asia. It is widely reported that you can only very rarely find a real North Face jacket from an eBay seller located in Asia, the majority are fake.

Even when you have received your North Face jacket, it is still difficult to indentify if the jacket is real or fake. In many cases, the fake North face jackets will have the authentic tags and the exact same quality patterns as on the real jackets. They are the exact same looking jackets but with a major difference, the material! The fake North Face jackets will not be made from the Gore-Tex material. It will be manufactured from a cheap substitute material.

You will soon realise this when you go out in the rain or snow later on and you find that you are soaked through within minutes and you are sweating like mad! If the material is real Gore-Tex then this shouldn’t happen. You should be kept dry! It may be easier to identify bad materials if you are already an owner of a known to be real North Face or other similar quality jacket. You could pour an amount of water on an area on both jackets and observe how wet the underside of the jacket feels and also time how long the wet patch takes to dry. If there is a major difference in the time taken by the two jackets then you will have probably identified that the jacket is fake!

The best advice that you can give to anybody when buying a North face jacket is to be suspicious right from the beginning. I know that doesn’t seem appropriate but it must be done. If you take some time to research about the jackets and use your own common sense if you see a really cheaply priced jacket, you will soon be able to identify if the North Face jacket is fake. It is not easy, but you will soon be able to differentiate between the real and the fake.

Fashionable Gymwear

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Why is fashionable gymwear so hard to look for? Urgh! Its bad enough that we are dripping in sweat while working out with our straightened hair almost frazzled out, let alone wearing unflattering and unfashionable clothing. When working out, I feel good about myself…I get a good sense of relief when I realise I may have just lost the calories I put one while indulging myself into a large pizza and fat, yes may I add FAT slice of cheesecake I had for lunch. As well as feeling that sense of achievement, I want to feel good about my appearance too…as vein as it may sound!

Clearly gym wear needs to be comfortable and that is by far the most important function gym wear should have. However, rather than having designer gym wear (like most women do) I would prefer to have stylish clothing.

I found some gym wear, here and there, that I think are good fashionable and functional pieces and thought I’d share these with you guys:

I found an ordinary black vest top that has a grey strip around the waist, topped of with a small center bow that gives the illusion of a waist belt as well as looking slimmer, even when working out (Clever? I think so!).

Another top, that I recently bought (and I must say, a good find!!), is gathered at the bottom and the two ends tie up to create a bow! Perfect 🙂

I’ve got a similar pair of gym shorts that have gathered look at the top as well and they go so perfectly with a yellow crop top that is also gathered at the bottom! (Ingenious :-)!)

I just need one more thing to complete my fashionable gym wear- the right gym bag! As a girl I love my handbags..God knows how many I have lying around under my bed! But guess what? I HATE GYM BAGS! Often I only find big Duffer bags or big Rucksacks that don’t look half decent! I wish there were just simple small (but big enough) and stylish gym bags out there.

If you know where I can find any half decent stylish gym bags please leave me a message!

Lace Corsets: The Latest in Tennis Fashion?

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Venus Williams sure made a lot of eyebrows raise with the tennis outfit she already wore two times (last Sunday and Wednesday) during the French Open. The black lace corset with red trimmings did not look at all like it belonged on the court. Seriously, I’m all for fashion and looking sexy when you want to but I have to agree that her outfit just looks inappropriate. When I watch her tennis matches I want to see her play and not have to wonder what in the world she was thinking!

Apparently though what she was thinking is that lace should be a staple in tennis fashion. According to Venus, “Lace has never been done before in tennis, and I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time.” Ok. I have nothing against lace but don’t she shouldn’t be surprised if they rip as she dives for the ball. Furthermore it wasn’t just that it was lace but it was a corset and looking at her picture it is no wonder she won the match because Arantxa Parra Santonja would have been totally distracted by what looked like her butt. As for that all Venus actually did decide to go for that effect. In her press conference she also said, “”It’s really all about the illusion. What’s the point of wearing lace when there’s just black under? The illusion of just having bare skin is definitely, for me, a lot more beautiful.”

Oh Venus. You are indeed beautiful like the goddess that shares your name and I can only wish my muscles were as toned as yours, but please you can be beautiful, fashionable and appropriate at the same time. Let’s just hope for her competitions’ sake that she dresses better next time. At least we know that as a strategy, it works!