Iranian men and women win the most rhinoplasty in the world! That is right Iran is the nose-job capital of the world. Over 30,000 Tehranians receive rhinoplasties in 2011 alone.

Spray tans and tanning beds are very popular in USA. In Southeast Asia, pale is considered the ideal! Being pale is associated with wealth, beauty and social class. In Thailand, most skin cosmetics contain a whitening agent. Even though some of these “cosmetics” cause permanent skin damage. Marketing rarely attempts to have the black market as their target. One market research survey estimates that 4 out of every 10 women in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan use a whitening cream.

Western Africa still holds onto traditional beauty ideals where women are considered most attractive when they are overweight and contain stretch marks on their bodies. In Mauritania, daughters are often married at a young age and are also sent to camps where they are fed up to 16,000 calories a day.

Eyelid surgery is booming in Korea. Women believe the surgery will make their eyes wider and rounder, such as eyes in America. 1 in 10 women have been nipped and tucked. Children are even getting their eyelids done!

In France, makeup is not worn a lot actually having a natural look is encouraged.

In New Zealand the Maori culture enjoy swirling face tattoos called moko. Moko is a sacred beauty ritual for men and women.

In China, men and women are having painful leg-lengthening procedures. These procedures stretch their bones to make them taller. Height is a sign of status in China. How this procedure works is doctors insert metal bars into their patients legs. These metal bars break their bones and stretch their legs apart.

The Kayan women, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Burma also known as the “long necks”. These women wrap brass coils around their necks when young and add more as they age. The women’s shoulders are weighed down by the weight of the rings giving the illusion that their necks are growing. These rings can weigh up to 22 pounds.

Japanese women believe the key to true beauty is nice skin. Japanese women believe in eating collagen-infused foods. Another century-old treatment relies on an unusual ingredient, nightingale droppings. Nightingale droppings are made into a powder known as Uguisu. Uguisu is mixed with soap and used as a face wash.
Another trend popular in Japan right now is hair straightening, hair correcting or thermal reconditioning. The trend uses chemical creams and flat irons in a way a perm curls hair for awhile.

The women, of the Karo tribe in southern Ethiopia, allow their elders to cut scars onto their stomachs. The reason for the scars is to attract a male. Once a Karo girl has received the last of her scars she is has permission to marry and have children.

In India, women use homemade remedies. On her wedding day, an Indian bride may use a mixture of turmeric, lemon and honey on her skin to achieve a glowing complexion. Brides wear a dot of red powder on the face, known as a kumkum.

In Indonesia, women get their shape back after birth by wrapping a fabric called a stagen around their bellies. A stagen is 65 feet long. It is quite a painful process.

I hope you enjoyed!

I am very excited for this year. I feel a bunch of new things will be happening with me and fashion.
: D 

We are in the beginning of a new decade once again. So exciting!!!!! 

I will keep this post simple; with “looks” I am looking forward to wearing in the spring. 

Every fashionista has those “days.” You wake up 30 minutes late. Your hair is on a mission to do everything opposite you want it to do. Your makeup bag hides itself from you. Your shoes are uncomfortable. Your slacks are wrinkled. Your outfit looked better at home than at work/class. Yeah…

However when I get home from my fashion blunder of a day, I am thankful for those days. They are important. They make us grateful for the days where we look in the mirror and say “hot”! I truly believe women have to look bad sometimes to be beautiful. A girl who looks good every day is not to be trusted; she’s a cyborg!

I am grateful for every bad outfit I ever wore because it taught me fast what looks good and what doesn’t. Fashion is always about risk taking. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.

A time I LOST!

I am 4’11. I have a toned body. My legs, specifically my calves, are bigger than a lot of guys’. Not only do I have those obstacles, but I am curvy. It seems all petite stores assume if you are short you must be flat and have little hips. That is so not my case. The two evils in my life are shorts and capris. I can never find any that fit me right and make me look cute. Well, in highschool I thought I found gauchos that fit me. They were “in” at the time.

My mother told me not to get them, but as a teen I thought I knew “everything”, so I didn’t listen to her. I was excited to show off my new purchase. I wore these light-colored gauchos with my black knee high boots UNDER the pants. Not a good look for short people. (Wearing boots over pants? Great for short people!) Anyways, on top I wore a white tank with a black shirt over. Now this black shirt was not school appropriate because it didn’t have a “back” but I wanted to wear it so badly. So I wore this tank under it, which fit me really weird because it shrank. But I was on a missions to wear this outfit. So at school, not only did I have my legs look like they were cut in two, but it looked like I was wearing not one, but two shirts that did not fit me. I wish I had taken a pic of this outfit because it was the worst outfit I had ever worn!

“No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.” – Oscar Wilde

1. Carrie Bradshaw – I was 8 when this show first came out on HBO. My mother didn’t let her little one watch it, for obvious reasons. I actually did not discover my love for Sex and the City until college. With all the all-nighters, one has entertain themselves somehow. I turned on my tv and there were re-runs of Sex and the City. I was instantly hooked. Carrie wore these bold, sexy outfits. She’d pair things together I never imagined pairing,  AND all those cute shoes had me drooling. Another subtle thing I noticed about Carrie were her necklaces, specifically one, her Carrie necklace. The fact that my name is Jade means there are not a lot of necklaces that have my name. When I was little, even before Carrie, I use to look for necklaces with MY name on them all the time. I would get so frustrated. FINALLY I got one.

2. Vogue – I have been buying the magazine Vogue since I was 13 years old. Its pages are always full of magic and inspiration. Honestly half of what I know about fashion can be contributed to reading Vogue. This is just one of those words that you utter and a strong semantic comes with it.

3. Barbie – One of the greatest fashionistas of all time. Barbie has had the blessing of being able to be whoever she wants. She takes whatever path desired. Barbie has had 53 years to know what works and what doesn’t. Barbie tries everything at least once, as all fashion lovers should. Barbie gets a lot of crap and negativity when it comes to young girls’ body image. Well au contraire  Barbie helped me with my body image. I started developing early. I was 9 years old. I was so embarassed to get boobs. However Barbie had big boobs so it was okay if I did too.

4. Lady Gaga – I had Lady Gaga on my MP3 before she became popular. I am so proud. (It is the little things in life.) Her first song I ever listened to was “Just Dance”. I thought it was a great pop song. I love to dance so that song fit me perfectly. Who knew that this singer would turn into one of the biggest stars and fashion icons ever? Lady Gaga’s fearlessness and obscure outfits inspire me. I do not like all of what she wears but the fact she wears it without letting others get her down, is what truly inspires me. I have noticed in myself that I am more brave in what I wear and much more confident.

5. Christian Dior – I first heard of him when I was 7 or 8 years old. I found an ad for the Dior perfume Hypnotic that I absolutely loved. I loved it so much I kept it in my treasure box. Over the years I always liked to look up Dior. Eventually in high school I took a fashion class in which we had to write a research paper about one designer and mimic one of his designs for your own. I obviously picked Christian Dior. He created the “New Look”. It was introduced in 1945 but defined the 50′s. Since then Dior has been a powerhouse name in fashion.

6. Chanel – Some people believe you can’t love both Chanel and Dior. I laugh at them because I can and I do. Chanel has changed its face over the decades but that’s why I love it so much. One minute Chanel is a classy, modest feminine suit, next it is a rock anthem with punk elements! And at supper, it turns into a romantic gown with luxurious accessories; all while maintaining its respective reputation. Chanel is a chameleon. Being a chameleon is very fashionable in my opinion. I believe one’s style should be able to embrace more than one stereotype or manner. No one should ever be able to pin your interests in books and music, etc by what you wear. Keep them guessing.

7. Rihanna – She has the cool, sexy Cali style down to a patent. Every time I see her she is wearing the newest trend effortlessly. She understands the concept of “if you got it, flaunt it”. She is also a risk taker not only with her clothes but with her hair. I appreciate this because I have had corn rows, a faux hawk, an extremely short pixie cut, 80′s BIG style and a spiral perm. I like experimenting with my hair. Most women keep the same style over the years because they are too afraid something won’t work. My advice? It grows back!

8. A Clockwork Orange – One of my favorite books and movies. Tres violent, but fashion-wise? Delicious! Milena Canonero was the costume designer for ACO, her work can also be seen in Marie Antoinette (which she won an Oscar for!), the Shining, Godfather part III, etc. Who would have thought an all white outfit with suspenders and a bowler hat would be so memorable and copied? I wanted my first bowler since I was 17. I finally got one when I was 21. They are hard to find in the area I live; and I wanted an authentic one made out of wool.

P.S. Every other costume is beautiful and equally desired but this one is THE one that is the most coveted.

9. My hometown – I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It has the possibility of snowing 8 months here. Thank God I love autumn/winter fashion more than spring/summer. This hurts me to admit but sometimes one has to wear clothes that aren’t the most fashionable but comfortable. When there is that much snow and you are freezing you have to protect your body from the cold and wetness. Usually I bring a change of clothes, which can be irritating. I’d rather be cold than hot so I won’t complain too much.

10. My Grandma – My grandma, whom we called Mams, introduced me to fashion. She died when I was 9 years old of brain cancer, but her impact on me was profound. I remember looking at L.S. Ayres and Sears catalogs with her and picking out our favorite outfits. She also had these paperdolls  from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. We would play with them for hours. She introduced me to big rings before they were in, 1950′s clothes, Barbie, fashion magazines and dress up clothes. Of course now looking back she probably got me those play clothes so I would stop wearing hers. I used to try on all of her clothes and shoes, every time I went to her house, which was every Sunday. She was and is my greatest fashion icon.

I was cleaning my room (and I’m still in the process of cleaning it) I have slowly come to the realization that one small girl does not need 16 pairs of sunglasses. (It was 17 but one broke.)

Yea… at first I rationalized that I need each of them to go with all sorts of outfits I might create. Then I realized I had 7 black sunglasses. There are only so many blacks. : /

I then discovered more purses within my magically never ending drawers. Some I haven’t used in years. I haven’t counted them yet.

THEN, I found 5 boxes of jewelry.

CRAP!

More clues pointing towards my fashion obsession:

1. My Vogue Magazines overtook my bookshelves, where I am suppose to have text books.

2.  I have 3 dressers and 2 closets full of clothes.

3. I still have 3 BIG loads of laundry to put away on top of all that ^.

4. I have clothing items with tags still on them.

5. I may even call my clean-house-let’s-throw-everything-away-type-mother to help.

SO I have decided that if I wanted to purchase something I must get rid of 5 items of clothing/accessories before I can buy OR pay $10 to a charity.

One charity is about to get rich from my bank account.

Top Ten Business Casual Attire Mess Ups

1. Wearing the wrong shoes with a great outfit. Shoes matter. People notice them. I have seen so many people with great outfits then at the end are hideous shoes or gym shoes.

This woman’s outfit is beautiful. Her shoes are cute BUT they do not go together. All I can focus on are her pants tucked into her shoes. And yes tank tops can be worn as business wear; just make them appropriate.

2. Wearing too big of sweaters. I understand sweaters are a great go to for business wear but for the love of God make sure it fits and makes you assets look good! This woman’s sweater is too big making her look bigger than she is.

3. Too tight of clothing. We have all seen the man or woman who has worn too tight of pants. It is a train wreck. You don’t want to look but… wear pants that fit your bod, please!
4. Thinking you can’t be girly or trendy while working. You can be feminine and appropriate. You do not have to wear menswear to be a business woman. You can be trendy and formal.
5. Hair is usually the first thing we see on people. Make sure it is brushed, washed, kept maintained. No one wants to be known as the associate with bad hair.
6. White socks never should be worn! There is not an outfit or shoe that is appropriate for business that requires you to wear white socks.
7. Do not show mid-riff or cleavage! That’s it, just don’t do it!
8. Skirts, pants, hem that are too short! High-waters are ugly, watch your hem. And if your short (like me) make sure you’re not dragging 4 inches of pants on the ground. It looks sloppy. Also, if you can wear that skirt and it makes your lover happy… don’t wear it to work!
9. Nails and hands. In the business world you will shake thousands of people’s hands. You don’t want your hands dry, cracked or clammy and you certainly don’t want you nails dirty or miles long.
10. Hygiene! Brush your teeth, wear deodorant, bathe and shave! These are the basics, do them.

Here are some examples of great clothes to wear at work.

1. high-waisted shorts are in!
2. tummy shirts – made an appearance last spring but this will be the year every girl will be wearing them. The year they’ll become main stream, if you will.
2.5 We’ll be seeing these together a lot. Just look at Rihanna’s new video “We Found Love”. Trust this look will be big.
3. color blocking – Putting solid colors together. This is easier to show than explain. See below. Now when color blocking choose colors that compliment each other. No patterns! Only solids please.

4. flower patterns – self-explanatory I feel.
5. abstract theory – All those beautiful paintings from Pollock, De Kooning, Albers, Gorky, etc. Apply these abstract paintings/patterns to your clothes. Look below…beautiful.

6. 1920s influence, especially dropped waists.

Those 6 in my opinion will be the biggest trends in Spring 2012 Fashion, Clothes-wise. Those are the 6 trends I think will flawlessly evolve into women’s closets.

These websites are God-sends for fashionistas. They will help you with tutorials and inspiration.

www.polyvore.com
www.abeautifulmessblog.com
www.DIYNetwork.com
pictureshaykyloves.wordpress.com

A cheap way to get new clothes is to create new ones out of old ones. Turn old jeans into mini skirts or patched jean jackets. Take old shirts and make them into scarves. You can make larger shirts into small tee’s that fit your body. You can turn almost anything, any material into a purse. Take your old jackets or shirts and turn them into wickedly, cool vests.

Eyeliner – get brown or black. Some girls look “hard” when wearing black eyeliner so go for the softer color brown. 
Eye shadow – black and white go with everything! Plus have those colors the pop your eyes!  
Lipstick – every woman should have her signature color. Mine is red. 
moisturizer – Keeps your skin healthy! 
cleanser – Prevents zits and clogged pores. 
concealer – If you are like me, you need this! I have some dark circles under my eyes. 
foundation – Some girls needs this because they are blotchy or have uneven skin tones. 

I think mascara is gross! Do not wear it. It is so unhealthy and mascara lice exists.

The perfect smokey eye! 

One should invest in:
black bloomers
tan bloomers
nude pantyhose
tan character shoes
black character shoes
a nude one piece (leotard)
a supportive bra that you can dance in; mind you sports bras not allowed.

Those are the basics that I feel are needed. Some girls include spanks, corsets and body pieces. But I do not wear those items.

Other clothing I feel dancers and actors should have include leggings, tights, pairs upon pairs of shorts, jumpers, more leotards, head bands, required shoes and lots of tight dance shirts.