September 1st, 2008 — Best Articles Guide
Its easy to tell when someones feet are killing them. Its pretty fair to say weve all seen and experienced it. Ive put together some tricks of the trade to make sure that experience is something from the past.
Quality Shoes
Quality shoes are an investment. However, paying more isnt a guarantee of a good fit. A quality shoe will often be sewn instead of glued. Shoes should be lined in leather or suede, including the straps. Leather soles, and good padding are other indicators of a good shoe.
Comfortable Fit
This has been said many times, but we often conveniently forget it when faced with a shoe we love. Remember this; no one notices how pretty your shoes are when you cant walk because your feet are obviously hurting.
Know Your Size
You must know yourself in order to find what works for you. Measure your foot. I dont just mean in the store but also with measuring tape. Its good to know the exact length of your foot when shopping online, especially with auctions where the insole measurement is provided.
Its also a good idea to know the international measurements. A US 8 is also a 38, but may be a 39 in true European shoes. The link below provides a good international chart.
http://www.sunncity.com/Export/shoesize.html
Toe Room
The majority of shoes arent in the exact shape of your feet. You need some extra space for toe comfort. The ideal room is half an inch to one inch depending on the shape of the shoe. Pointy-toe shoes usually require up to 1-1/2 inches of extra space to fit comfortably. Aside from the immediate pain, squished toes can lead to corns and bunions.
Side Support
Flimsy side support is a pet peeve of mine (I have flat feet). My situation makes me sensitive, but Ive come across so many shoes with no support at all. One test I learned is to gently try to bend the shoe in half (youre testing the shoe, not damaging it). It should bend just before where the arch would start, but resist bending in the middle.
Heel Height
The ideal heel height for moving around comfortably is a half-inch to 2-1/2 inches. Many of the fashionable styles are at least three inches. Carrie of Sex & the City made this a trend. Just remember Sarah was in them for a limited amount of time. Let that be your guide; the higher the heel, the less time you should spend in the shoes.
Heel Width
The popular trend of skinny heels is a style that can be harmful if youre not careful. Teetering in high heels is not good for your ankles not to mention how it looks. Skinny, especially those combined with high heels can cause ankle sprains and strains.
Heel Placement
If you cant stand or walk solidly, skip the shoes. Theyre not for you. This includes making sure the heel fits solidly under your heel. You want to avoid the heels that feel like they could break or move slightly out under your heel. They wont last long.
Padding
This is important so you dont feel every pebble and grain when walking. Padding also helps the knees and back by absorbing shock. Avoid paper insoles. Go for leather insoles and padding thats at least a quarter of an inch thick.
The padding should at least extend from the heel to the ball of the foot. Ideally, shoes should have heel-to-toe padding. Ive found two rare, special brands; Coach (most affordable and you can catch sales in the stores sometimes) and Christian Louboutin (very expensive, but I have seen them discounted on ebay)
Pinching
If a shoe pinches immediately when you try it on, it will most likely continue to pinch. Shoe stretch solutions and gadgets can only do so much. Save yourself the pain and money keep looking.
Extras
Pretty touches are always a bonus. Mesh rivets, bows, ribbons and cords are nice, unless they hurt. Try the hand test; rub the inside of your hand over the area that will lie against our feet. If the extra touch doesnt feel soft, almost soothing to your hand, it will hurt your feet.
Make Sure Those Great Buys Are Something You’ll Really Wear … A bargain is no bargain if it’s in the back of your closet.
Yolanda Keil is a certified image consultant and a confessed shopaholic. She produces two free style newsletters; Style Shopper and Voluptuous Femme. Sign up for email updates at: http://www.polished-images.com/stylenews.html.
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August 28th, 2008 — Best Articles Guide
I love the holiday season. Its a great time filled with enticing smells, store displays, good food, sales and, of course, holiday events.
Shopping and dressing for events are often contributors to holiday stress and debt. Its not necessary to purchase a complete outfit. Here are some affordable options.
Wear a glittery illusion, multi-strand or y-shaped necklace. There are many options; rhinestones, beads, cubic zirconia, swarovski crystals.
Pull out those dressy shoes you bought but never wore yet. You can always change into practical flats later if theyre a little high.
Brighten a conservative, dark suit with a brightly-colored, dressy top or camisole to stand out. Just make sure it complements your coloring.
Not ready for bright colors? Try a lacey top with long bell-shaped sleeves instead.
Carry a beautiful, embroidered and/or beaded clutch.
Buy a faux (or real if you prefer) fur collar to dress up your coat. Have your local cleaners or tailor add the buttons and loops to make it detachable if youre not comfortable doing it yourself.
Pile on the bangles or charms. This is a nice party look - where the noise would not be an issue.
If youre not comfortable with the noise, wrap a long strand of beads around your wrist instead. It still is a dramatic look without the noise.
Heap on beaded necklaces or sport a multi-strand belt for an exotic look.
Pair tuxedo pants with a silky tie belt and a tucked-in camisole, worn alone or under a nice top.
Top off your outfit with a dressy shawl in velvet, silk or lace.
Have a nice, defined waistline? Try punching up a simple, full-skirted dress with a corset-style belt or tuxedo sash.
Dress up a tweed bag with a cluster of brooches.
Make Sure Those Great Buys Are Something You’ll Really Wear … A bargain isn’t a bargain if it’s in the back of your closet.
Yolanda Keil is a certified image consultant and a confessed shopaholic. She produces two free style newsletters; Style Shopper and Voluptuous Femme. Sign up for email updates at: http://www.polished-images.com/stylenews.html.
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August 25th, 2008 — Best Articles Guide
Do you feel like youre stuck in a rut of wearing the same thing all of the time? Feel like you have nothing to wear? Here are secrets to building a wardrobe you love. You will need to dedicate a little time, but the rewards are worth the investment.
Imagine, a closet of outfits:
That you like
You can wear in various combinations
Are comfortable
Wouldnt you like to never again feel like you have nothing to wear? The first step is to shop at home. Go through your closet to determine what you already have. Try on everything you havent worn in over a month. Your job is to evaluate:
Fit Does it fit well? Im not talking about just fitting into it. Does it flatter you? There should be no binding, tight-looking pulls on thread or material. Pockets should lie flat.
Appeal Do you love how the item looks? More importantly, do you love how it looks on you? Does it flatter your figure and coloring? A beautiful item is only truly appreciated if it looks great on. Otherwise its a design and fabric waisted. Remember, the goal is to build a wardrobe of things you love, look/feel great in, and cant wait to wear.
Comfort Can you move comfortably? Does it itch or caress the skin? I wont wear anything that itches or sheds (shedding is a major pain with contacts or any kind of lipstick).
Repair/Alterations You need to decide whether to keep pieces that need repairs/alterations. If yes, make a pile and plans to do it. We all have a tendency to conveniently forget the repair pile. Rework It article for alteration ideas coming soon.
Below are some additional guidelines for filtering out the clothes that are just taking up valuable closet space:
When I Lose Weight Pieces Forget it. Just let this item go if its more than one size smaller than your current size. Why is okay to keep things that are a size smaller? We tend to fluctuate by 5-10 pounds, especially in the warmer months. Focus on replacing that piece with something fabulous that you can wear now.
Hold Time Now is the time to purge if youve been holding onto something forever. The rule is one year for casual/professional pieces and two years for special occasion items.
Next, outline what youve kept. You can simply write it on paper or do it electronically (a table in Word or in an Excel spreadsheet). List your basic clothing, grouped by colors in the first column. An example is a list of skirts, dresses and pants grouped by browns, blacks, bold colors and prints.
The next column would include all of the items you wear with each piece of the basic clothing. Then the third column outlines the pieces you think might work, but havent yet worn with the basic clothing. You should also include things youd like to create additional looks.
An example; I have a pair of chocolate brown cotton twill pants listed in the first column. Additional pieces are white, cream, turquoise, pink and leopard print blouses. I also have sweaters/tops in brown, cream, pink and sky blue, plus blazers in leopard print, brown plaid, tan, turquoise and blue plaid. Id like an apricot blouse and a butter-soft, brown leather blazer.
The ultimate goal of developing this clothing capsule is to create a list of looks of your existing clothing, plus determine the pieces youd like to buy to enhance what you have.
Make Sure Those Great Buys Are Something You’ll Really Wear … A bargain is no bargain if it’s in the back of your closet.
Yolanda Keil is a certified image consultant and a confessed shopaholic. She produces two free style newsletters; Style Shopper and Voluptuous Femme. Sign up for email updates at: http://www.polished-images.com/stylenews.html
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