FashBlog.com

Well, I’ve done my homework this week and found a few tips to get us up to date:

1. There are new electric toothbrushes on the market that are supposed to help whiten teeth. One has a “cool sanitizing chamber that kills bacteria” for $180, and another claims to offer almost imperceptible sonic vibrations, for the price of $170. (I guess they beat a Colgate soft-bristle used with whitening toothpaste)

2. Supposedly, throwing one aspirin in with a wash load of discolored whites will remove stains, even stubborn under-arm patches. If word of its success gets out, it will put a lot of bleach makers out of business, don’t you think?

3. A new look is achieved by layering two blouses over each other, or over a dress. This is a bit different from my news a few weeks ago, when I reported that a new fad is to wear cotton t-shirts under silky, spaghetti-strap dresses, and another style is to wear two vests on top of each other. Apparently, designers (or whoever decides these things) do not like the idea of women wearing one simple layer. Then again, perhaps they just want to sell more clothes. In any event, the bottom blouse should be tight fitting and a lighter color than the top blouse, which should have a deep neckline to give the appearance of a jacket. If wearing a blouse over a dress, the trick is to have both loose-fitting and presenting a coordinated look through pattern and material. I can actually see both of these ideas offering practical applications, but the time and energy spent for looking for two pieces that can be worn together may not be feasible for many women. But, if they’re lucky enough to find such items in their closet, they may have success.

4. When browsing dresses with jewel necklines, the optimum look is when they hit the collarbone and boast skinny straps which show off bare shoulders. Soft, flowing fabrics add the right sensuality, while long necklaces add extra femininity.

5. Something that excites me, a gal who tries to avoid heels at all costs: a whole slew of ankle strap flats. Now, these are the best of all worlds. All but one (shown in a new fashion magazine) have an open-toe design, and the one that doesn’t offers a large cut-out area filled in with sexy black mesh. The styles come with buckles, bows, twists, straps and intricacies on the top the shoe, in materials including animal skin, patent leather, metallic and straw-appearing leather. What’s great about these is that they are definitely much prettier and dressier than most sandals, but appear to be just as user-friendly. They are meant to be worn with anything above the knee, probably because wearing a long skirt or capris would cut the line of the leg from above the ankle strap, ruining the lean look that something short offers with this type of shoe. Plus, appearing so fragile, too much material right above them would probably sabotage their delicacy.

6. For those who have always wished to try tribal motifs in their wardrobe, but worry that the size of prints may overwhelm a small frame, thee are options to include this artistry in other clothing choices. Diabless offers a shortened cotton vest that would hit most women right under their bust. With only a small amount of material in a constrained print, and evenly decorated trim up to the shoulders, it has character without demanding attention. On the other hand, a leather, silk and crystal necklace by Renata Mann (in red, orange and black) deserves to be the center of attention. And, for someone who wants to extend the exotic look to their toes, sandals by Devotte evoke an African feeling-even though the slender 2 inch heels would not be conducive to treks through the wilderness. However, the designs on the crossed instep/ankle straps and matching center motif differentiate them from the norm. Finally, plain tunics with embroidered and beaded necklines have never appeared as detailed as they seem to be this year.

I’d like to acknowledge and thank Lucky magazine for providing me with the news in today’s article.