Category: Fashion

Learning to sew can have a great many benefits. Not only is sewing an old time craft with a rich heritage, but it also has many applications today. Developing a skill for sewing can be helpful in your life, and can provide many benefits. Learning to sew your own clothes can save you money, as well as help you develop a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Sewing is an ancient art. It was used thousands and thousands of years ago to stitch together blankets, and it was used to create coverings for the human body. With the advent of the sewing machine, sewing became much easier and efficient. Clothing could be mass produced in factories, keeping the costs down. But it was also easier for individual persons to make their own clothing with sewing machines. In the early days of our country, and among the frontier people of the mid 1800s through the Depression, it was not uncommon for most of the clothing worn to be sewn at home.

You can sew your own clothing as well. With a few lessons on a sewing machine, you will be proficient enough to make simple things like skirts, pants, and shirts. With a lot of practice, it is even possible to make more beautiful clothing like wedding dresses. Sewing your own clothes can be less expensive than buying them at the store, in many cases. Although this may not be true when you purchase at a discount or thrift store, it is almost always true when you decide to sew a fancy dress or gown.

Even if you do not save money by sewing your own clothes, there are still other benefits to sewing clothing. First of all, it does provide one with a sense of pride. It is nice to be able to take care of your own needs, and there is a sense of accomplishment that comes with being able to make something of your own. The feelings of self accomplishment are very nice. Additionally, it makes a good hobby. You can sew your own clothes to take up time and fill idle hours. Plus, if you sew your own clothes, you can get what you want in color, size, and style.

One of the biggest benefits to learning to sew your own clothes is the fact that it helps you become more self reliant. Rather than having to rely on the store, you can make your own coverings. If a catastrophe were to strike, and you were unable to get to a store, being able to make your own clothing would be a benefit. Even without electricity, you can still use many sewing machines. Most of them today have some sort of manual options that does not require electricity.

So, no matter why you do it, there are plenty of benefits associated with sewing your own clothes. Whether you do it to save money, for fun, for the self fulfillment, or to be prepared in case of an emergency, sewing your own clothes can be a good idea.

It is widely regarded that all women can be categorised into one of four different body shapes. Known as apple, banana, pear and hourglass, they all have their negative and positive aspects and to feel as confident as possible and look your best, it is important that you not only know what body shape you are, but what clothes work (and do not work) with your shape.

If you are an apple shape, for example, then as tempting as it can be to wear baggy clothes to hide your stomach, do not fall for this temptation. Instead, wear something like a tunic t-shirt or a top with a lower neckline than you might usually go for. Team this with an attractive necklace, wide legged trousers and chunky or strappy heels. Remember, you have got the legs, so make the most of them.

For those with a pear body shape, as the general shape is simply a reverse of the apple (this time being small on top and large from the waist down), you simply reverse the points that you would take note of if you were an apple shape. Therefore, aim to wear dark colours on your legs, as these can have a slimming effect and brighten up everything from your hips upward. In addition, try to refrain from blocking your body in two, such as with a tight belt that makes the divide between your smaller upper body and larger lower body more prominent.

Banana body shapes tend to be boyish in their looks and can be relatively unshapely. However, long, slim legs are a plus for most banana shaped women and therefore it is these that you need to focus on. Knee length skirts and trousers that fit under your waist are recommended, whilst almost anything that does not focus largely on your breasts will generally work on top.

Whilst the curvy shape of the hourglass figure can be appealing to many, it can be tempting to cover the curves up when looking for women’s clothes. You should refrain from doing this, as it will make you look a lot worse than you think. Choose items that show off your waist and chest and balance yourself out by having trousers that flare (in whichever way) at the bottom.

Now, whilst these four shapes may be the primary shapes, a lot of women feel that they do not fit comfortably into any of the four shapes and are more of a combination of two or even three.

Understanding this, the celebrity fashion and style gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine (of Channel 4s What Not To Wear program) put together a list for the Daily Mail in 2007 and came to the conclusion that there were in fact 12 different body shapes. Including additional body shapes such as lollipop, goblet and vase,

Whichever body shape you are, it is imperative that to look your best you fully understand the positive and negative points that your body has. Do not feel negative because you may have large thighs or upper arms that you simply cannot tone, but instead accentuate the positive areas of your body, detracting from those points that you are not as comfortable with.

Fashion and self confidence go hand in hand. Simply wearing the most fashionable clothes around is not often enough and you have to feel confident with them. This can be a difficult thing to achieve, but by understanding your body shape, you should be able to find the best women’s clothes for you, boosting your confidence immediately.