MELANCHOLY404 TECHNOLOGY

Glasses can be worn for fashion or for function, either way you have to make an effort to look your best. Perfect eyewear mirrors your style, enhances your appearance and even has a power to minimize your imperfections while drawing the attention to your best features. In an ideal world, you would own dozens of pairs in various colors, shapes and styles to correspond to your mood and outfits, but in reality glasses can be way too expensive and you are limited to have just one or two pairs. In this case you have to make sure the ones you choose are as flattering as possible. Especially now, that the ‘geek-chick’ look has conquered the fashion world. Whenever the time comes to buy your next pair, keep in mind these 4 general tips:

Contrast – the shape of the frame should contrast the shape of your face, so if you have rounder features, better opt for more angular glasses, and angular features require more curvy shapes.

Color - the right color will never fail to compliment your features. If you want to highlight your eyes, black is a good option. For those who want to make a statement with the glasses, choose the ones which contrast the tone of your face and hair.

Proportion - look for frames which will be in proportion with the rest of your face. Don’t confuse it with choosing sunglasses, which have to be larger for the greater coverage. Remember, frames that look classy as a pair of sunglasses won’t necessarily look nice when being used for optical lenses.

Face shape – there are four general types of face shapes: round, heart, square and oval. You can simply trace the contour of your face with the help of pencil and a piece of paper placed on top of an image of your face, or go to the bathroom and trace your face outline on the bathroom mirror with an eyeliner or anything you have at hand. Once you determined which contour Is ours, you are ready to get your new frames with some degree of confidence they will complement your appearance.

Round face shape
It’s all about curves when it comes to round faces, width and length of the face are almost proportional. You can easily define the soft circular shape by the wide forehead, fuller cheeks and a rounded chin.

Opt for angular shapes, frames should be wider than they are deep. Rectangular frame styles will give the illusion of slimmer and longer face. Wearing narrow styles of rectangular frames will create a balance with rounder features. Frames with a slight up-sweep at the corners will flash those fabulous cheeks and pull the eye upward.

Remember that small, round or oversized frames won’t play well with your face shape, moreover they will make your face appear even more round, and we don’t want that to happen, right?

Oval face shape
Oval faces are defined by well-balanced features, jaw is slightly narrower than the forehead. People with oval shaped faces are so lucky, there are a wide range of options in the field of eyewear. Seriously, there is no limit to the shapes or kinds of glasses you can buy.
Square, rectangle, round and cat-eye frames are the best bet for you. If you want stay in vogue there are plenty of vibrant and fashion-forward styles. But take care to avoid too small or too large frames not to overwhelm your features.

Can you imagine that 80% of women fail in choosing the right bra?
From buying a bra to matching it with your outfit – this seems a very big problem for most of women. Admit it, it’s almost impossible to find the one that fits, supports and perfectly separates.
If your bra fits incorrectly, it makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. Wearing the wrong size bra will limit what you can wear while a good fitting bra will make your outfit look better.

These essential tips will help you make your bra shopping easier. Also, learn here how to take care of this important piece in your wardrobe.

1. Check the band. This picture will help you to understand if everything is OK with your bra. The band should not ride up your back. It shouldn’t be higher than the underwire and lay horizontal across your back. If it is, try a smaller bra size.
The band should be snug around your rib cage but not too tight. You must realize that it can stretch a bit later, about three inches in its lifetime. So buying a bra with a bigger band size makes no sense.

2. The bra bulge may happen, no matter what you weigh. It often happens on the back or under the arms and it most likely because you’re wearing too tight bra. But switching bra sizes doesn’t always work. What else you can do to avoid that back-fat bulge? Try a wider back and under the arms band, power-net wings and firmer fabric. It will help you distribute your bra’s weight and pull and prevent those “back boobs”.

3. Check the cup size. Be sure that an underwire is not poking into your breasts and a bra center doesn’t sit away from the chest. Check if your breasts don’t spill out from the top or side of your bra. If this all happens – you’re definitely wearing the wrong bra cup size. Size it up.
Wearing a bra that is too big is also a problem. Check if the cups don’t pucker. They should fit smoothly without creating an extra space between your breasts and the fabric.

 4. Remember: you shouldn’t see the outline of your bra through your clothing. This may look unattractive or even embarrassing. You bra can be too big or the other reason is that you didn’t match it with your outfit. If you’re sure about sizing, try a seamless, non-embroidered bra. It won’t show through and you’ll feel more confident about your look.

5. Don’t forget about matching the correct bra with your outfit! Always make sure it works with a certain neckline. If you decided to wear a backless evening gown, you don’t need to show unsightly bra straps to everyone. Fortunately, nowadays there are bra types that suit plunging necklines or a backless dresses. So you don’t have to go out braless. Use a strapless or silicone adhesive bra beneath a strapless or spaghetti string dresses. For tight fitting tops use a good lifting push up bra. Or buy a convertible bra with adjustable straps. You can wear it with a variety of outfits!

I was recently sitting at a conference table with two men and two women. Both guys were wearing suits. One of the ladies asks, “Can you tell what kind of suits these guys are wearing? How much do you think they cost?”

Hmm. Field test.

Well, the one guy was wearing a Suit Supply suit. I could tell immediately by the on-trend light navy fabric and the shape of the lapels – oversized but in a high-fashion way, not an old-fashioned way. He was in his mid-20s and was hip to the blog game, but he wasn’t spending big money on Italian suits. The other guy was slightly older and wearing a slightly more conservative suit. The dark pinstripe fabric was a little too rich and sheen-y for Brooks Brothers, and it looked more Italian than British. My guess was Canali. It was Brioni — which kind of surprised me. Pretty close though, all things considered.

So that conversation got me thinking. What are the quality hallmarks of a fine suit? Are they noticeable to the average person? Do they matter? To whom?

Before proceeding — this piece is not meant to talk down on cheap suits. In fact, I own a couple of very cheap suits (one from Uniqlo and one from Macy’s Inc.). I think a cheap suit is perfect for a trendier piece that you won’t get much use out of. For example, I scored this white linen suit for less than $100 on clearance. With the proper alterations, it looks like a much finer suit. As we’ve said a million times, it’s not so much about what you’re wearing, but about how you’re wearing it.

With all that said, this is a quick piece on about easy ways to spot a cheap suit.

Do the buttons look cheap, flimsy, and painted? They probably are. They’re also very breakable. Good news — it’s easy to upgrade them to genuine horn.

Classic cheap Hong Kong tailor move.

Cheap linings are usually made of polyester, which traps heat and doesn’t breathe at all. It’s especially bad if it makes a “scrunchy” or “swishy” sound when you move it around. 

Just avoid shiny, stiff, sweaty synthetic fibers. Go all natural.

And a suit should be cut slightly more precisely than “Small,” “Medium,” or “Large.” It’s not a T-shirt, so don’t buy it like one.

The roughly 3 1/2 yards of cloth it takes to make a suit is the majority of its cost. A cheap manufacturer will cut all the excess — including the fabric under the hem needed to lengthen the trousers and the fabric inside the seat needed to let out the waist. 

On top of providing durability and shapeliness to the garment, a chest canvas can also physically determine the angle and placement of the lapel roll line (all the way to the button stance). Crappy fused-front jackets can lose their proper roll and begin to close up, especially if not pressed properly.

This is the sign of a “fused front” (ie. glued together) chest piece. The chemicals used in dry-cleaning can affect the adhesion of this fusing, causing it to bubble up like a do-it-yourself window tint.

TSBmen

A low armhole is just bad design. It’s a carry-over from old-school patterns that weren’t adjusted for the more active lifestyle of today’s modern man. Not only do they look boxy and unshapely, they also restrict a man’s range of motion, causing a wing-like shape that pulls the jacket up when lifting an arm. 

The lapel is a focal point of the suit. It should have a soft, gradual, three-dimension roll that gives dimension and life to the jacket. A cheap one has a stiff crease caused by ironing a glued-back fabric.

The shoulders are a critical point of a suit. They should have a clean smooth line. Not a bumpy mess like Towni’s suit from H&M that has been to the cleaners one too many times.

For more on the differences between low-end and high-end suits, see our article "$200 suit vs $2,000 suit."