Engagement Ring Tips for Guys

So you’ve found the woman of your dreams and are thinking of popping the all important question? First of all – congratulations! Second of all let’s get down to the next and probably most important stage of your proposal – picking the ring.

You don’t have to provide a rock the size of a tennis ball to prove your love to her – if you do, then the chances are that maybe she’s not the one for you. You do however need to take certain steps to ensure that you’re both happy with the chosen ring. 

Whether you have £300, £3,000 or £30,000 to spend – choosing the right ring can be stressful, so here are your steps for picking the perfect ring that will guarantee she says yes.

Budget

Know how much you are spending and try to stick to it. There will always be a sales assistant in a jewellery store telling you that the next size up diamond has the real ‘wow’ factor etc. Try to find an amount you are both comfortable with and can afford, but don’t be a skin flint!

Her Tastes

You know her well enough to know if she wants a princess cut diamond ring in a platinum setting or a sapphire cluster ring on a gold band? Nope – too specific? Okay, so what do you know about her tastes? Pay attention to what jewellery she does wear – this ring isn’t about your tastes – it’s about her. Does she prefer platinum or yellow gold? Is she quite traditional or is she quirky? The chances are that if you have reached the stage of proposing she has already hinted at what she likes at some point. Remember these and take note. Don’t ask her – no matter how casual you think you are being, she will know and it will spoil the surprise when you do propose. Also a ring can always be re-sized but the closer you get to her ring size the better – you may need help from a close friend of hers or family member for this.

The 4 C’s – Cut, Carat, Colour and Clarity

These four factors are used to assess the quality of diamonds. Cut is the style and shape of the diamond such as – pear, round, princess etc. This is key – try to find out what her favourite cut of diamond is – once you know that the rest should be easy. Carat is the weight and size of the diamond and both colour and clarity are about the subtle ‘marks’ or ‘blemishes’ that affect the value of the diamond. Women tend to have varying attitudes to diamonds where some will value quality over size and others will prefer a larger diamond and be willing to compromise on colour and clarity. 

Choose the right Jeweller

A decision as big and expensive as this requires a jeweller you feel comfortable with. Do your research and pick out specific places to visit, rather than randomly trawling the high street and falling into any one that is convenient. A large chain shop may seem reliable but you may find you get more for your money at a one off jeweller.

Check your Paperwork

So you’ve made your decision – chosen the perfect ring and are about to hand over the money. Don’t forget in your excitement of finally choosing a ring that you need to ask for diamond certificates - which authenticate its attributes. You also need a written valuation and keep your receipt as proof of purchase and value. Also - make sure you read all the small print of your insurance policy. It might be helpful to get this added or itemised on your home insurance – just in case!

So now you have the perfect ring, it’s time to plan the perfect proposal!

Fall Fashion: Purple

A colour that was debuted last season and has since lasted well into this winter, it’s been a while since purple was as popular as it is at the moment. Executed to perfection by designers like Christopher Kane, Ann Demeulemesterand  RoskandaIIincic, we saw regal hues from deep, inky indigo to opulent aubergine colours, amethyst and the palest of purple rinses. This trend shows no signs of slowing down so here’s a list of fall essential key pieces that truly embrace the power of purple. 

Purple is the colour perfection, it’s luxurious, feminine and regal, it is a colour that suits almost any hair colour and skin tone making it a girl’s best friend; match lilacs with blonde hair, aubergine tones with auburn and deep indigo with brunette locks and you can’t go wrong!

Start off your look boldly by grabbing yourself a brilliant purple coat; find amazing cuts including boxy, boyfriend blazers, long strait styles and cool cocoon coats in the season’s hottest colours. Look to high end brands like Acne and Marc Jacobs for the finest purple coats but don’t forget the high street with some stores nailing the trend too. 

 

A perfect addition to your fall wardrobe is some stunning purple knitwear, warm and opulent try layering purple knitwear with blacks, whites or even if you’re feeling daring layer your whole outfit in different shades of purple! 

 

The start of fall gives a girl a perfect excuse to invest in a new pair of winter shoes; a new pair of chunky heels is the perfect remedy to the winter blues! This year why not put your best foot forward in a pair of aubergine toned boots, check out Acne’s wine red leather ‘Cypress’ boots, perfect with a pair of skinny jeans and chunky socks; an easy way to pay tribute to our favourite trend.

For a quick, easy and slightly cheaper way to give a nod to purple why not try out a cool lilac shade lipstick or eye shadow? Brands like Manic Panic and Stargazer have different tones of purple lipstick and look really chic with minimal eye make-up and a soft pink cheek – swoon! So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and get your purple on!

This blog post was written for free by Lucinda Bounsall from farfetch.com, the online fashion retailer that delivers boutique fashion worldwide.

Check out the different types of winter coats before buying one

In recent times, the fashion world has brought remarkable changes in winter wear for women. The designs are no more confined to long coats or heavy weighted woollen clothes. In fact, women are even looking for a change when the question arises about winter wear. However, this doesn’t mean that the long coats are out of fashion. The style is very much in fashion but with little alteration to make it look in a new way.

What are the different types of winter coats available? 

Are you planning to buy a winter coat in this season? Being a woman, make sure you choose the perfect fitted coat that can help you flaunt your look in a new way and help to cover up the flaws. Hence, knowing about the various designable coats is quite essential:-

Cape coats – If you are looking for a coat that won’t be too long to wear yet cover up your body and provide a cosy feeling, cape coats are the best one for you. These types of coats usually have front buttons with a hood attached to it. The fabric used to make such coat is wool. As far as the neckline is considered, different styles are available giving you the perfect womanly look.

Hooded poncho – Well knitted woollen wear with cross collar design and a hood attached to it is what poncho looks like. Poncho is not well fitted woollen wear. Rather it looks like a drape.  

Collarless jackets – If you are bored with the usual formal look of your coat, it’s time to change your style. Opt for collarless short length jackets. Such type of coats provides you semi formal look.

Knowing about these styles can actually help you in buying a perfect winter wear for yourself. However, if you are looking for branded woollen wear, take a look into Sessun coat collection. This brand some of the rarest designable winter wear for women.

Some Formal Dresses Are Always In Fashion

It’s the basic ideal of every woman that formal dresses would not bring out their charm and sexy looks and that only a casual or cute outfit could bring it out. But over the years, it has been seen that certain formal wears shine at certain occasions. After reading through the following formal women dress types, this ideal can be well taken away:

·         Halter Dress:

One of the sexiest formal dresses one could put on. With its several variants that include a knot- front halter and a tie behind the neck halter, halters have been the highlight for many celebrities at the red carpet. The halter gives extra attention to the upper half of the body. To accessorize the halter it is best to go for long earrings and pulled up hair to give it a finish touch.

·         Cocktail dress:

This short formal dress is the most versatile of all occasion looks. It makes one look sexy, cute and charming. The universally accepted little black cocktail dress is the best look you could choose but jewel tones, bright tones also look well for a cocktail. Remember to always adjust the silhouette of the cocktail dress to compliment your figure.

·         Stand up collar dress:

The stand up collar dress is the best way to frame up your face and bring the spotlight to it. It would be the best look for an evening party or dinner. Remember to always choose a moderate neckline to compliment the high collar. Accessorize with simplicity and pull your hair up or away from the face to finish your look.

·        Sheath Dress:

What other formal could bring glamour and simplicity to your look. A sheath dress is a simple wear you could put on for any occasion. But remember that a sheath looks best on well proportioned bodies; be aware of your figure when you choose to put a sheath on.

·         Jacket Dress:

A wonderful formal dress for all those who want more coverage and who do not like to fuss with a wrap, the jacket dress makes your look royal. It is an ideal choice for all our older women for parties and weddings.

·         Embellished dress:

An embellished dress would always give you a spectacular look. It makes our evening filled with style and glamour. Remember to keep the embroidery or bead work on the part of the body you want to highlight. As the dress itself is much heavy it is best to accessorize to the minimum.

·         Off the shoulder dress:

If you have pretty shoulders to show off that are really wide then an off the shoulder dress would be a wonderful choice for your party look. It does show off a lot of skin but unlike other formal wears this does not show off uncomfortable areas like the lower back or cleavage. Accessorize this formal wear with a great necklace, a brooch and dangling earrings.

·         Corset Dress:

For an instant upper body lift especially of your breasts and your waist, a corset is the best choice. This look adds curves to slender figures and structure to fuller figures. The corset can either be built into the dress or can be a separate top with a skirt. Both would make one look great as it brings out ones figure.

Authors Bio: Suzy Walsh is one of the most prominent fashion bloggers of the globe with ‘The House Of Elegance Fashion’ and has contributed to some of the biggest fashion blogs of the world. She is known to have a keen eye on trends in women’s dresses and apparels and often offers the best style picks for her readers.

Starting an Urban Clothing Store

Urban clothing style has retained its popularity for a long time and it has still occupied a remarkable space in the world of fashion. Truly speaking urban clothing has managed to stay in demand for a huge period of time. Since urban clothing style is the best choice of the economically affluent people, you can surely expect to earn huge amount of money by setting up such a garment store.

Some of the points that you need to keep in mind while establishing an urban store are listed below:

You need to find out a good supplier. You can begin your work by searching for independent labels in your area. Small, independent labels are not only less expensive but they also provide the opportunity to become the initiator of the next big project. Now, if you see that no independent suppliers or designers are operating their activities in your area, you can find out one such designer online. When purchasing in huge quantity, try not to forget to negotiate the additional discounts.

Give importance to the location of your store. This is because; it truly influences the sale of your product. So, if possible try to take lease in a shopping mall or try to find a separate location. Most of the urban clothing stores not only keep shirt and pants, but you can also buy accessories including belts shoes and hats. So, first determine which types of items you are going to keep and thereafter on the basis of it you should choose your selling space. However, beside this, you should also try to have extra space for storing the additional stock.

This is true that you can start up this whole business by taking loan from financial organizations but always remember that the responsibility to return back this loan amount cannot be ignored. 

How to pick a good trail running spot

Trail running can be one of the most enjoyable sports around, but how do you pick a spot when you are just getting started?

Once you have hit the trails a few times the whole process become fairly easy; just like anything, your first attempts are likely to be full of schoolboy errors that you can laugh about later. When you start to feel comfortable you may have the confidence to create your own routes and this is where the fun really begins for more adventurous types.

However let's start at the start; as a beginner you want to focus on staying safe and not over-exerting your body, since your knowledge of what you are capable of doing will develop as you go on.

On a basic level, you should be sure to have all the essential gear for your run, including a water bottle, phone and additional lightweight garments in case of rain or heavy sunshine - even though the latter is not a particularly common British threat. Be sure to wear a pair of sturdy trainers that will give you the grip to stay on your feet in muddy terrain - something like North Face Hedgehog trainers will be appropriate.

Where do you go though? Try to think about which nearby countryside areas may have fun places to go for a run - the reason for choosing somewhere close to home is so that you do not want to have a long trip home after exhausting yourself on a trail.

When you have a shortlist of options, use a map to consider how flat the terrain will be - as a beginner you will not want too many ascents and descents - how long you will need to run and whether heavy rainfall will make the route too much of a challenge. It is usually best to start out on the most recognised paths, since these will probably be well kept; try checking online forums for personal experiences of an area, or ask a trail-running acquaintance.

Until you are a more confident trail runner, it is highly recommended to head out with a friend, since it is very easy to twist your ankle and be stuck. At the very least, tell someone where you are going and carry a phone in case you need to call for help.