Shapewear: Bra or no Bra?

Technorati Tags: Shapewear,Bra Size,Fashion Trends,Lingerie

One problem area that I noticed when wearing shapewear in the past was the brassiere region. Some of the products I had used to target certain problem areas, had built in bras that just did not provide solid support upstairs. Not to mention, wearing a bra with these items just added bulk or discomfort to my overall ensemble.

That problem has recently been addressed with newer braless designs that have an open brassiere region and longer straps. You can give your girls all the support you want by wearing any bra you choose and add your favorite shaper to target other body regions.

Elegant Underbust Shaper Lipo Slimming Shaper

Another great new shaper innovation is the completely strapless style. Many of these offer great support upstairs while allowing you to enhance your figure when wearing sleeveless/shoulderless dresses and tops.

Strapless Dress Shaper

Shapewear has come a long way in terms of not only being flattering, but comfortable and convenient all in one.

Sizing at Milana Fashion Gallery XS-3X

Milana Fashion Gallery carries apparel and outerwear in a wide range of sizes from XS-3X. (We are also excited be adding a new line of apparel and outerwear items which will include all sizes from XS-6X. These items will be added in the shop over the course of the next several weeks.)

We have received a few questions about the sizing of our products and how shoppers can locate their sized garments in the Milana Fashion Gallery online shop.

We have all had the experience of trying on ‘our size’ from different designers and found it fit just right, was too large or too small. Remember, we feature items from many different manufacturers so it is the best idea to check the measurements against your own curves to find the best fit for you.

To make your sizing experience easier we include a size chart for each and every garment. However, over the next few weeks we will be revamping our shopping menu to reflect the differences in sizes for our products. For example, some of our shapewear items are sized for women with smaller and petite frames, while others are sized for more voluptuous women. We will create two categories for shapewear, one for sizes XS-L or XL, and one for sizes XL-3X.

We are sure this will make your shopping experience smoother and more enjoyable :)

Please drop us a line about your shopping experience at Milana Fashion Gallery. We are happy to hear your comments and suggestions, and answer any questions you have!

Fall 2010: Handbag Trends

Trends for 2010 can be found in both the high end designer bags and trendy yet dollar conscious set. Let's talk about some of the definite trends that have popped up this year and that we'll see heading into the fall and winter.

Colour

OUT: Tattoo prints, florescent colors.

IN: Earthy tones; ethnic prints; gem tones: Amythest, Peridot, Emerald, Ruby; pastels; muted metallics; golds and yellows; animal prints.

Structures

OUT: Patent and high shine leathers; we will still see some of these but they seem to be a bit more conservative than previous seasons with softer or no embellishments and a little less shine.

IN: Multi pockets inside, discreet pockets outside, multi style Bags, oversized, artistic, drawstrings.

Design Elements

OUT: Heavy Chains, heavy zippers, heavy hardware, lol

IN: Soft embellishments, fringe, embroidery, ruching, pleats, braiding, combinations of leather and fur, leather woven chain (small), fur, feathers.

Textures

OUT: Logo prints are not as prevalent as they have been

IN: Woven fabrics, you can never go wrong with suedes in fall, exotic styles, fringe and embroidery, animal textures, exotic designs

Individualism

IN: Of course your handbag choice showcases your own taste and unique flair. Stylishly going against trends is always in season. What better way to inspire and express yourself?

Benefits of the Cross Body Bag

For those of us who love cross body bags, they are definitely back ‘in’ this year. You should have no trouble finding a stylish body hugging bag.

Tylie Malibu
Fringed Messenger Bag
398.00 Only 278.00!

The great thing about the cross body style is that it really frees up your hands. Voila! More freedom of movement. For those of us who don’t know the benefits of this great design here are just a few eye openers!

Security: It would be impossible for anyone to snatch your purse :)

Hands free: Do things like shop, text, talk on the phone, brush your hair, apply makeup FINALLY without having to hold a purse strap in your hand, weigh down your wrist with your heavy bag, or hold your purse between your knees, lol.

No Worries: Never again put your handbag in the grocery store cart and mistakenly walk away or turn your back on it!

Minimize: These bags are usually large enough to hold everything. You won’t have to carry your book bag and planner separately from your purse.

Perfect Carry-on: Just think about when you are traveling with two rolling suitcases, the last thing you want is your purse sliding down your arm and dragging along, or worse yet getting tangled in your legs. The cross body bag once again comes to the rescue by staying put and annoyance free.

Featured Product of the Week: Deportiva Waist Cincher

Deportiva Waist Cincher
$55.95 45.95
Sizes: XS-XXL

You may have noticed shapewear has a made a fierce comeback in the form of new and contemporary styles such as this cupless waist cincher

Unlike throwback versions, you won't have to break a rib to wear the 'new' shapewear and receive its flattering benefits.

For those of us who may have a more shapely abdomen the Deportiva Waist cincher provides immediate gratification in the form of a slimmer, firmer abdomen under our favourite clothing.

This shaper provides a smoother silhouette and comfortably shapes the body; no worries, it allows you to breathe and move with ease!

Another added benefit of this cincher is that it helps accelerate weight loss. Between the compression effect and the sauna effect of the latex design, you can reduce your waist line and abdomen size. Wear it while exercising or during a day at the office not only for weight loss but added support for correcting your posture!

Don't forget we have other elegant and practical shapewear designs you can't dress without at Milana Fashion Gallery!

Big Shoulders: A Dead Revival?

If you were born early enough you definitely remember women’s distinctive styles in the 80s.

Big shoulders from the 80s, one of the hallmark trends of the time, were quite distinctive and are etched into the collective cultural memory. For some it was quite shocking when designers decided to resurrect this style in 2009.

SPRING REVIVAL
From the perspective of couture, revival of the big shoulder may be sooooo 2009, however mass fashion begs to differ. Due to the trickle down effect, Spring and Summer of 2010 hit the mass consumer of fashion hard contemporary and wearable ‘big shoulder’ styles.

Most were not the huge shoulders from the 80s but simply tamer more contemporary cousins. We have seen trends including rounded shoulders, squared shoulders, ruched shoulders, and military-inspired styles.

For the Spring most of the ‘new shoulders’ were paired with blazers and dresses.


FALL STYLES
Heading into the Fall, look for fall and winter coats that have military styled detailing including shoulder straps, epaulets and ruched detailing.

'Sofia' Wool Military Jacket
$84.95
Milana Fashion Gallery

Ladies' Big Shoulder Bomber Jacket
$89.95
Milana Fashion Gallery

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS
Alicia Keys featured the ruched shoulder look in her video for "Un-Thinkable". This style is a softer more feminine take on the ‘big shoulder ‘. The ruching creates a softer puffy shoulder in contrast to more defined rounded or a squared shoulders.



In fact ruching is everywhere and flattering for most so this is a great fashion choice.

Ruched Bomber Jacket
$105.00 On Sale $95.50!
Milana Fashion Gallery

We also see a definite homage to the 80s shoulder in Monica’s video “Love Over Me”. This is a pointed style is a definite contrast to the softer ruched shoulder, but it has been played down by adding a feminine bow near the shoulder.

WHAT NOT TO WEAR
Remember, it can be easy to overdo the big shouldered look. When wearing big shoulders DON’T pair them with big hair or big jewelry – this would definitely be a fashion faux pas. To keep this look modern think of the ‘big shoulders’ as your emphasis accessory – they are the center of attention so pair them with simple hair, light jewelry, and natural makeup. Keeping it simple, you can’t go wrong.

FINAL WORD
For those of you interested in rocking this look, now is your chance! Based on ‘fashion week’ for Fall 2010, 80s revivalism is over. Goodbye skinny jeans, double denim, .and big shoulders. Next year’s trickle down will take you in a completely new direction.

TIPS
If you already have broad/big shoulders, you may not necessarily go want to increase them with more padding. Instead you can opt for a simple shoulder strap or shoulder detailing.

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