Fashion and Hair Style Category

While wearing your hair as long or as short as you want is a decision that’s totally up to you, sometimes your hair has other ideas.

And when your hair is fine, those ideas mean lank, volumeless locks stopping you from styling your hair how you want to, and causing lots

of frustration.

Rather than forcing your hair to be something it’s not, however, why not try working with your fine hair characteristics to find a hair length that will suit you and give you a great look, every time!

The Best Length for Fine Hair

The best length for fine hair is short to medium.

Fine hair is very prone

to knots and fly-away strands and naturally lacks volume so anything longer than your shoulders is going to r

eally hit you hard when it comes to styling.

We recommend taking

your hair to a length that is as short as you are comfortable and confident with, and to opt for hairstyles that add vol

ume and promote the illusion of thickness.

Short Hair Length Ideas

A short look for fine hair should have plenty of volume and promote a thicker look. Add curls or waves

(right) with a curling iron or hot hair rollers, or go for a straight look with plenty of piecey texture thanks to som

e hair gel (left).

Medium H

air Length Ideas

As for a medium length look, add thickness with heavy blunt cut bangs (left) or volume filled waves (right), and keep your length hovering around your shoulders so you get just the right amount of weight and balance.

If you’d like to see more short and medium length hairstyles to suit fine hair, try our Find Your Perfect Hairstyle Consultation. It will allow you

to choose your fine hair texture (as well as other personal attributes) and then recommend hairstyles from our range that will suit you. You can then try the hairstyles on in our virtual hairstyler with your own photo!

Fashion is full of trends. From platforms to ponchos, most of us can admit to falling into the pitfalls of a mindless trend now and again. In the past, looking fashionable meant following a set of rules and definitions. In order to fit in, one was required to dress within the parameters of a certain style, or abide by the rules of fashion set forth by the media. However, I believe that the styles and designs of the future will not hold to these rigid standards. In the past, these standards have set aside something that today’s style hungry can no longer live without: Personality. I believe that contemporary design is headed into a period of unpredictable originality.

Contemporary designs are beginning to reflect the public’s desire to look original. Rather than have clones upon clones of a handful of well known styles, the clothing and accessory options available in stores has grown dramatically over the years. In the past, the most popular styles were limited to a few ‘personalities’ as far as schools of dress. Emo, preppy and skater are different terms that come to mind when I think of old designs. While the stores that cater to these various tastes still exist, they have grown and no longer cater to the very specific crowds they used to. Consumers that would limit themselves to one store or another are breaking out of their shells and trying something new. The kids with closets full of polo shirts are trying on a pair of skate shoes or a studded black tank top. As the rainbow streaks of last season fade, wardrobes look less like single store catalogues and more like a fantastic hodgepodge of fashion.

Personally, I see this change in contemporary design as a reflection of the inner working of society. In the past, people felt required to live by certain labels or fit into certain categories. If they were not defined by the label in their sweater, who were they? With style icons like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry leading the pack with their ‘be who you are’ anthems like ‘Born This Way’ and ‘Firework’, how could you not internalize their messages? With explicit permission from the biggest celebrities on the scene today, it is cool to not want to look cool. In short, it is fashionable to not listen to fashion and be yourself. By listening to your heart and going for designs that look good to the individual’s eye, design has been thrown for a loop.

In terms of clothing itself, the demand for unique pieces can be seen in the success of stores like Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. With designs like no other, consumers save their hard earned cash to look like no one else, owning that one-of-a-kind piece they covet. Online shopping, away from the crowds of style following shoppers, has also changed contemporary fashion. From the comfort of your own home, there is no salesperson telling you to go for one style or another. Shoppers are no longer required to bring along a friend for moral support as they navigate shelves and racks of clothing. No approval is necessary as one browses online. Browsing turns into buying and, after a few weeks shipping time, there is a new design piece waiting on the doorstep. By taking the judgmental looks of others out of the equation, modern design with a unique twist has been able to flourish.

Design of other things, such as house wares and home décor, has also taken a turn for the more unique. More than that, consumers are worried about the conditions under which their house wares and appliances have been made. Gone are the days when one could purchase goods made with devotion to domestic labor. We have gotten over the shock of a ‘Made in China’ sticker, but what chemicals could that label harbor? With lead paint being found in things like children’s toys and food, among other alleged toxins, more and more people are opting for products made in natural environments. The green movement sparked by modern day hippie Al Gore’s documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is going strong some years later. Somewhat branched off from the initial worries of global conservation, consumers are clamoring for products bearing labels like ‘organic’. Fabric is made from recycled materials, as well as design pieces like cell phone cases and mixing bowls. If it can be reused, it is being reused by today’s generation.

Image via Wikipedia 

Another issue influencing contemporary design is the economy. The effects of the recent economic turmoil are far reaching, with a hand in the pocket of every nation. Not a single household is unaffected by the harsh economic times. Due to the fact that more and more people are losing their expendable income, once used to buy the latest, greatest design pieces, companies have to be smart with their marketing and products. Luxury has no place in this new world of frugality. Anything more than necessary is viewed as wasteful rather than special. Instead of creating a new line of luxury items, designers are rethinking their collections and making them more affordable for Jane Doe. Gone are the days of bling and Hummers. The gas conserving Prius is king of the road, for as many miles as it can squeeze out of that gallon of expensive gas. Those expensive diamonds and other gems are being swapped, or tragically sold, for inexpensive costume pieces. Business is booming for low-end stores like Forever 21. Initially trying to bring expensive contemporary design to the masses, commercially available designs in these stores are the new dictators of fashion in the best possible way. Culture is no longer fixated on the exclusive but the original.

Contemporary design has gone through many transformations over the years. From finding its appeal to more sensual tastes, shortening skirts in the 20s to preparing for years of economic difficulty, contemporary design reflects the personalities of the times. In a world of unique individuals, style is more one-of-a-kind than ever

When one thinks of Asian style fashion, one thinks of Geisha Girls and kimonos. But it is much more than that!  When I did some research into this subject, I noticed that there was a very eclectic and diverse variety. Most of the photos I have seen included from Japan and Korea.

When I googled images of ‘Asian style fashion’, I came up with a plethora of different styles. The most notable is the bobbed ‘pixie’ style haircut.  Unnatural dye jobs for hair are also quite prevalent in Asian fashion. The colors can range from pink, to purple, to green and combinations of these.  These beautiful ladies much resemble characters from Japanese animated programming. The use of hair spray and sculpturing is also quite noticeable. Not to be outdone by the hairstyles, the dress itself has quite a western appeal. Many of the young ladies pictured have on form fitting t-shirts, with either pedal pusher type jeans, short Capri-style French cut jeans, or shirt flouncy skirts with leggings underneath. These will usually have stripes or plaid.  A variation is the thigh-high sock, usually white, with chunky platform shoes to give height.

Nail art is also a characteristic of Asian style fashion.  Many of the models pictured in my Google search had manicures that varied from anything to decals to fancy paint jobs.

I think many of the Asian models like to emulate Lady GaGa with her unique looks. I am seeing images galore of bathing suits (bikini tops and bottoms mostly) being used as street wear, topped with thigh socks, high heels, and a shrug-type jacket, a neck tie, scarf, and of course the wild hair. Asian women also like to incorporate menswear into their wardrobes, since you will often see what looks like a private school uniform with a man’s button down shirt and a tie.

My favorite of all the Asian style fashion trends is the prevalence of bold prints and Paisleys.  These look the best, in my opinion, on maxi dresses. They are a toned down version of the classic kimono, and often have flouncy princess skirts. Short dresses have too much deserved attention, since many of these are strapless numbers with oversized bows on them. These come in classic colors and are usually made of silk, satin or similar shiny material.  Floral prints, paisley prints and plaids seem to be very popular.

Of course Asian fashion should not be limited to The Pacific Rim and countries like Korea, Laos, and Japan.  India should be included in the mix too. Indian women wear the traditional sari in both short and long styles.  The hair is much different than the Japanese/Korean counterparts.  The hairstyle most frequently seen is a knee length braid.  These are either natural or extensions.

Since tattoos are popular, henna tattoos that usually last about two weeks are also pretty apparent and prevalent.  Henna tattoos look like the real deal, and cost just as much sometimes, but they have the added benefit of being semi-permanent. If the wearer decides at a later date not to sport a tattoo, or wants a change in design, they can easily make the switch to a different one or go without one entirely.

As far as makeup, the current trend is to make the eyes look as large as possible. This is achieved either by contact lenses that give that effect, or techniques with mascara, shadow, and a combination of eyebrow shaping and eyeliner to complete the effect.

The only thing about Asian style fashion that one must consider is that it will not work for everyone.  It will work best on a woman with a small, angular frame, and who weighs less than one hundred and fifty pounds.  Since this fashion trend is varied, one can always experiment with the looks depending upon body type, and colors that flatter the skin tone.