Entries Tagged 'Clothing' ↓

New Ladies Yellow Black Womens Plus Size Top Blouse 3X. This is a gorgeous blouse design in a funky black and yellow pattern. The blouse has a v-shaped neck, is cinched at the waste and the length extends to the hips. The cut has a 70s feel with a contemporary twist, and would look great worn over jeans as everyday wear, as part of a smart but casual work outfit or accessorised with pretty jewellery or a bag for an evening out. This blouse comes in plus sizes so that it comfortably fits any shape and build, and the style is very flattering to wear as it will emphasize your waistline. New Ladies Yellow Black Womens Plus Size Top Blouse 3X

NWT Ladies Brown Leather Like Bomber Jacket sz Med. You (or the woman in your life if you’re a man!) will look fabulous in the lovely vintage style ladies brown leather-style bomber jacket. This jacket is perfect for a boho Kate Moss look, very cool and funky. It is a rich chocolate brown and has a distressed finish, so will look good as soon as it is worn. No need to wear this in, it looks great already! The jacket has seven buttons, breast pockets and a ribbed collar. The jacket has an elasticised waist. This would make a great present for a girlfriend, wife or daughter, very fashionable right now!

Let me ask you a question; How many Scotish Tartans do you think there are? You are either going to say ‘well theres a red one and a green one and probably a yellow one’ or maybe that there is an almost infinite number what with the potential variations of thread colours and patterns. Actually the Scottish Tartans Authority (the body who keep a public record of all known tartans) keep around 5,500 designs on their database, each one registered with a unique name, thread count and in many cases a woven sample. From this massive list around 600-700 are ‘commercially woven’ in other words Scottish weavers produce cloth in these tartans. Still thats a pretty long list, no wonder anyone gets confused when they are trying to decide what tartan to wear.

First of all tartans are generally divided into different types: There are the ‘Clan and Family’ tartans which make up the majority of registered designs, next come the ‘District’ Tartans, then Universal, Regimental & Corporate Tartans and finally some odd categories such as ‘Royal, Clan Chief’s and Mourning’ Tartans. This at least begins to make things a little more manageable.

Most people when they are selecting a tartan to wear will begin with the Clan and Family Tartans.

Choosing a Tartan

Clan & Family Tartans:
A Clan Tartan is one that is directly associated with a specific Scottish Clan such as Clan MacGregor or Clan Campbell – Family tartans are ones associated to large Scottish Family names such as Galbraith or Watson. Since both Clan and Family tartans have the same purpose (to identify by surname) its easier to view these as one. If you have a fairly common Scottish Surname then you are pretty much home and dry – there will almost certainly be a tartan for you. Tartans have been directly associated with Scottish surnames since the early 19th century and new ones appear all the time. If your surname is not Scottish that’s still ok – just check along the line of decent on your Mothers side, if you can trace a Scottish name along that line then that will be ok too. (can we dispel a myth at this point; it is not ‘illegal’ to wear a tartan of another clan or family. My mother has always worn Lindsay tartan despite being a Robertson by birth – she wears it because she likes the colour so please don’t get to hung up on the legality)

If your ancestral search does not throw up any tartans then there are other routes you can take – probably the next thing to try are the ‘District’ tartans

District Tartans:
A district tartan as the name suggests is a tartan that represents a geographical region. This can be a town, county, state or even a country as they are not restricted to Scotland. As well as Scottish counties there are tartans from other parts of the UK such as Cornwall, Irish Counties and overseas districts in Canada and many US States – the choice here is huge. One of the most popular district tartans is the New York City tartan for example. Armed with this information if the area you live in or where your family came from has district tartan that could be your choice. As many district tartans are recent designs there are some lovely patterns out there.

Regimental Tartans
Most Scottish Regiments adopted one or more clan tartans – if you have a connection with a Scottish Regiment (or just want to show your support for one) then you could wear one of the many Regimantal Tartans – there are also specific Regimental tartans such as ‘Black Watch’ This is also what is known as a Universal Tartan and we can cover these next. There are also tartans relating to other regiments and armed forces such as the US Marines or US Navy.

Universal Tartans
A Universal Tartan is one that anyone can wear. The demand for tartan that can be worn by anyone has grown over the last few decades, The popularity of Scottish culture has fuelled this greatly and many new universal tartans are targetted towards the wedding market. Examples of Universal tartans are: Hunting Stewart, Black Watch, Caledonian, and Jacobite and more recent ones such Scottish National, Brave Heart Warrior, Flower of Scotland and Pride of Scotland.

Kilt Ranges

Having finally chosen a tartan you can now look at the various options. In some cases there are a number of variants, for example ‘Hunting’ which are earthy colours or ‘Dress’ which normally have a White background. You will also see the phrases ‘Ancient (anc), Modern (mod) ‘Weathered’ etc. This refers to the colour reproduction. Synthetic dyes were introduced to weaving in the 19th Century, these colours were stronger and darker that the older vegetable dyes used by weavers, hence Modern is normally a stronger variant and Ancient colours are reproductions of the vegetable dye colours so are normally lighter and less saturated. Other variants such as ‘Weathered’ reproduce the effects of sun bleaching on cloth – weathered tartans have a wonderful organic feel to them, they are also attractive as they do look remarkably like some very old tartan fabric samples that have been discovered going back to the 1700s.

With luck you have now managed to narrow down your choice to a few tartans – the next step, order some swatches and you are well on the way to being properly kilted!

More Kilt Informationm

At KiltsDirect.com we see lots of pictures of happy customers proud to show us how handsome they look in their new kilt . And of course we would never say that they looked anything less than fabulous! However now and again we do see a picture that gives us cause for concern. Just once in a wee while we have to quickly email back and explain to our poor customer just exactly how he should be wearing his kilt, one recent example was a proud Texan posing with his rifle and brace of Grouse. All looked well until we realised the kilt was back to front!

So for the benefit of those highland dress ‘virgins’ here are some handy tips on wearing the kilt. We will assume for the purposes of this guide that you have chosen your kilt and its just arrived all nicely packed – you open it up and go ‘ok so how do i get this damned thing on?’

Affordable Kilts

1. Preparing a new kilt: First of all a kilt that’s come a long way will need to recuperate after it’s journey. Chances are it has picked up the odd crease in transit. Your good lady will be able to tell you how to get those creases out without fiddling with an iron – simply run a shower or hot bath then with your bathroom full of steam let your kilt hang there for a small while. Don’t let it fall in the bath and try to keep it dry, the steam should take out the creases.

2. Tacking stitches: Once your kilt has been straightened out and you get the chance to examine it for the first time you will see some loose white stitching along the pleats. There are normally 2-3 lines of white thread holding the pleats together. These are the tacking stitches and are there to hold the pleats in place on as new kilt while it is made. Most kiltmakers leave these in to keep the kilt perfect in transit. These HAVE to come out. I have lost count of the number of weddings I’ve been to and spotted a new kilt wearer still with his tacking stitches in. Just unpick them and pull the threads out – this wont damage the kilt.

3. Putting it on: Firstly unbuckle all the fastenings so that the kilt opens up completely. You will see that the centre part of the kilt has all the deep pleats. This will be at your back so it’s best to bring the kilt behind you with the canvas lining to the inside. Now take the leather strap that is on your right at the top and bring this round to your left side. You will locate a small slot in the kilt that the strap fits through and this strap can now be buckled. The kilt should be above your tummy button – just beneath the rib cage (this is higher than you would normally wear trousers). Now take the left strap and buckle this to the right. Both straps should be fairly tight but not too much. In some kilts there will be a second side buckle, just fasten this to the same number of ‘holes in’ as the top strap

4. Adjusting: By now you will probably be in front of the nearest mirror. firstly check the length of the kilt . If your measurements were right you should see about half of each knee at least popping out from the bottom. If not then simply slide the kilt up or down slightly to get the desired effect. Now look at the sett (pattern) of the kilt. There should be a fairly obvious centre line (normally one of the thinner lines but not always as it depends on the tartan) in the pattern. Just make sure this is correctly in the centre of your body. The apron (that’s the front flap) opening should be at your side.

5. Kilt pin: Many people make a mistake here, attach the pin through the front apron only; it is decorative and does not hold the flaps together. The pin should be vertical and pinned around 2-3 inches up and 1-2 inches in from the bottom corner of the apron opening.

Other Kilt Accessories

So what do I wear under it?
Well that’s a matter of taste. There is an old joke where a curious lady asks a Scotsman ‘excuse me is anything worn under the kilt?’ to which the canny old Scotsman replies ‘No madam it’s all in perfect working order!!’ What is sometimes called ‘Military style’ is to wear nothing at all; It was common among Scottish regiments for a sergeant major to carry a mirror on a long stick while inspecting the troops on parade. He would pop this under the poor ‘sqaddies’ kilt to make sure he wasn’t sporting anything unregimental! (we have no idea if this is where the term ‘go commando’ comes from!). Whatever your choice don’t feel pressurised either way – it’s a matter of what is comfortable for you.

So there you are. All kilted up so time to get out in your kilt ‘Let the wind blow high, let the wind blow low’ as Andy Stewart sang.

KiltsDirect.com

A girdle buckle is specifically intended for fastening a belt around the waist. It might be simultaneously applied as an ornament, however, it does not present any extra work. Buckles made of plastic, metal or wood are the most familiar kinds of buckles.

Cowboy belt buckles are the ornamental centerpieces that are attached to the girdle, even as the bolo tie is worn much equivalent to a tie. They let the wearer to express himself, and it is thought that a genuine Texan under no circumstances buys a leather belt that comes stock with a buckle.

Western belt buckles could be worn by any person these days. Stuff Magazine ranks them as one of 2001’s most modern mode accessories. Girdle buckles have always been trendy amongst cowboys and more absolutely those in the rodeo industry. Bull riders and guys that ride bucking broncos are incessantly discovered with great girdle buckles.

Girdle Buckles have evolved through the numerous centuries, seizing design factors from around the planet to build the myriad of design templates utilized by ACE Buckles at the moment. Diverse remarkable buckle wearers of the times of yore contains both men and women from the Asian Bronze period around 2000 BC, with modifications made and flaunted through the Middle Ages.

Girdle buckles have become famous fashion accessories in recent years, and the exhibit and sale of buckles has change into an progressively critical line for many retailers. Most buckles incorporates a decorative front face. Girdle buckles have revolutionized the full fashion industry with belts being worn in assorted ways. Nowadays, removable decorative girdle buckles which could be fixed to the original buckle are especially celebrated.

Belt buckles or buckle lines are further discerned as tipsets or ranger types and are comprised of three or four pieces: The girdle buckle, keeper or keepers and the tip. The size scheduled with the belt buckle is not the width of the buckle itself, although relatively, the inside facet of the buckle where the strap runs through it.

Strap buckles that are on fancier belts for evenings wear are studded with stones or embroidered, the most popular and costly being the rhinestone ones. These belts are for show instead of for any authentic function. Girdle buckles that we identify today are growing as mode revival.

A bathing ape (bape) is it just Hype or is it truly a cultural phenomenon? Is the founder of A Bathing Ape, Nigo, an artistic genious or a shrewd businessman with a propensity for marketing and tapping into the vast expendable income of the world’s youth? Perhaps a question still in the balance! Regardless, no one can deny the impact of Nigo and the Bape Brand in the 21st century.

Nigo, a 33 year old man born in Japan, has a youthful, almost child-like air. This youthful characteristic is clearly reflected in his A Bathing Ape brand. Some argue it is this very edge that makes him stand out!! The whole brand is anti-establishment, in-your-face, uncompromising BLING! Nigo himself is adorned in extreme Hip-hop paraphernalia: his teeth covered in diamonds, massive neckchains, a garish watch and of course is signature apparel.

Apart from Bape apparel, there are the Bapesta, or Bape Sta, sneakers that have a wide cult following. There’s also the Ice Cream Sneakers connection and endless gadget and marketing spin-offs. Many believe Nigo’s genious likes not so much in his design but in his method, which is far from mad, and is based on limited supply – if you can’t have it you want it even more. Bape clothes are just so difficult to obtain. The official Bape stores carry a limited amount of stock sold on a first come first serve basis. On the plus side the stock is constantly rotated so if you don’t find what you want straight away maybe you’ll be lucky in the future.

A new brand showing signs of the “Bape” effect is Jhung Yuro. Many fashionistas will tell you Jhung Yuro shoes are far superior to Bape Sta and Ice Cream. It seems Nigo has spawn a whole new breed of Japanese entrepreneur. Whether you hate him or rate him, one thing’s for sure Nigo is a genuine 21st century phenomenon!

Bathing Ape or Bapes is a popular brand of clothing that has developed a cult following due to the excess in their style and design. The Bathing Ape / BAPE sensation began in 1993 when Japanese DJ, producer and designer Nigo created his first set of clothes that would later go on to become a worldwide phenomenon. Nigo, in a small shop in the trendy Harajuku section of Japan, created limited editions

The name “A Bathing Ape” is short for a Japanese saying “a bathing ape in lukewarm water.” It’s a reference to the young generation being spoiled, pampered and too complacent. The Bathing Ape / BAPE prides itself in exclusivity. The brand was built on this exclusive idea, resulting in a greater demand for their products. According to Nigo “For each design we have, we are probably able to sell between one and two thousand T-shirts. But I still don’t want too many people wearing the same thing, so we’re not interested in increasing the number of sales per design.” That statement adheres to the notion and sense of feeling that Bathing Apes / BAPE provides.

The Bathing Ape / BAPE brand consists of a wide variety of different clothes. There are Bathing Ape / BAPE hoodies, jackets, jeans, shoes, t-shirts shirts, polos, sweatshirts, denim. Many of these are limited edition with the price ranging anywhere from $100 to $1500. The popular and trendy Bapesta sneaker is one of the more popular products in the BAPE clothing line. The brightly colored shoes look exactly the popular Nike Air Force One’s. Nigo drew inspiration for these shoes from the Nike Air Force One’s hence the similar look. The Bathing Ape / BAPE hoodies are another popular aspect of the Bathing Ape line. The hoody differs from many that are on the market, with its own flair and different design style.

The demand for Bathing Ape / BAPE clothing has resulted in the market being flooded by fake

knock offs from Hong Kong and Taiwan hitting the consumer market. The imitation clothing usually sells for a fraction of the cost of the original Bathing Ape / BAPE and their quality is far from superior. These fakes are usually called Fapes, a mixture of fake and BAPE

Bathing Ape / BAPE has become symbolic in the Japanese street culture and the demand for the release of new limited edition clothing has become overwhelming. The Bathing Ape / BAPE has also been endorsed by the hip hop culture in North America. The Bapestas and hoodies were a major hit worn by many of the popular rappers on the hip hop scene.

There are currently over 16 retail stores worldwide. With stores in Japan, New York, London, Taipei and Hong Kong, and one planned for Los Angeles, Bathing Ape / BAPE is a worldwide phenomenon. There is also a BAPE café, BAPE hair salon, BAPE record label, BAPE TV and in the future plans for a BAPE hotel.

Bathing Ape / BAPE has moved from being just a clothing line, to more like a way of life for many of the people who have embraced the movement. Many say it is a fad, and others say it is here to stay.

Ask any avid sneaker collector or Hip Hop junkie about the bapes brand and you will have them virtually frothing from the mouth. Bape products attract enthusiasts from all walks of life because each Bape item provides the owner with individuality and a sense of pride in wearing the gear.
A bathing ape or BAPE is a brand that was founded in Japan by its owner and chief Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) in 1993. Nigo began to design unique styles of t-shirts and other clothing which after some hard work and perseverance became the trend in Japan.
Nigo cites his mother and father, who were a nurse and a bill board maker respectively, as major influences in the development of his character. Nigo spent a lot of time alone with toys because his parents were hard workers and he was left to his own device at times. He also credits DJ/Head Porter designer Hiroshi Fujiwara (one of Japan’s earliest hip-hop DJs) as his business model. Nigo cites his early influences as Elvis, The Beatles and Hip Hop acts such as Run DMC and Woobens.
After studying fashion editing Nigo worked as an editor for POPEYE magazine. He borrowed Four Million Yen from a friend, who also let him use his shop, to open his first store on April 1, 1993 in Harajuku, Tokyo. This shop was called “Nowhere”. Hence the name Nowhere Co.
Nigo named the BAPE brand after one of his favourite movies. The 1968 film “Planet Of The Apes”. According to Nigo the name “A Bathing Ape” is short for a Japanese saying “bathing in lukewarm water” which is supposed to be a spirtual practice. This is a reference to Japanese young generation being spoiled, pampered and too complacent.
To expose the brand in the early days he gave T-shirts to the lead singer of Cornelius (a Japanese recording artist) who wore them whilst performing. For two years he produced 30 to 50 shirts a week, selling half, giving half to friends and making little money in the process.
In January 2005, Nigo and Pharrell Williams (N.E.R.D), an American producer/singer/rapper/songwriter, launched the first “Bathing Ape” store in New York. Bapes are now worn by many Hip Hop artists, R&B Singers & Rappers. Such as Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dog, Soulja Boy just to name a few….
Nigo is also co-owner and head designer of Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear lines.
Bape produces T-Shirts, polos, sweatshirts, bape hoodies, parkers, underwear, jackets, denim, and most notably, the “Bapesta” shoe. A shoe resembling the Nike Air Force One.
Nigo also founded the womens clothing lines “APEE” which is the female version of BAPE, and “BAPY” which is the female “couture” clothing line.
At present Bape has stores at the following locations;
Japan (20 Stores), New York , LA ( Not open yet), London, Taipei, Hong Kong (2 Stores)
The Bape brand has now branched into various different fields. Bape Cuts hair salon, Bape Café and gallery and Bape Sounds record label.In 2006 Nigo and N-Kei Enzaki started a record company named “Ape Sounds”, with help from James Lavelle(a DJ from the United Kingdom), and the Mo Wax label. He serves as a producer/director for his CDs, blending Western hip-hop with Asian sounds.
So the question now is. What next for the Bape brand?

By buying Wholesale bape shoes at as low as thirty-five dollars a pair, offered through as many as sixteen different suppliers, anyone can stay in fashion without sacrificing the grocery bill just to look good. The best part of all is, the site offers a complete and full money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with your Wholesale bapes suppliers. There’s no way to go wrong. Wholesale prices are usually only available to large retailers, but with this website you don’t have to be in the shoe industry to get the best deal for your fashion. Buying your Wholesale bapes, instead of paying high prices at the trendy shoe stores, lets you stay in fashion with the shoes you want without causing you to cut back on everything else. What good are new shoes, for example, if you can hardly afford to buy new socks afterwards?

Buying brand-name, a popular shoe on a budget isn’t just hard – it’s almost impossible. Fashionable, popular shoes today are so expensive it almost makes you afraid to wear them, but no longer does this have to be the case. Now you can have what you want without missing a payment on a bill, and still be fashionable while keeping your finances steady. Wholesale bapes at www.bathingapestore.net are the same brand-new, name-brand shoes you’ll find in trendy, expensive stores – and no one will know the difference in the price you paid but you. Wholesale bapes have previously only been offered to big shoe retailers, but now there is no reason to pay a higher price when you can purchase what you want so cheaply.

bathing ape which is short for Bathing Ape is a Japan clothing company born on 1993. Bathing Ape was created by Nigo first as a T-shirt brand. It originated in Shibuya in the Harajuku area in Tokyo. Bapes clothing is one of the first Japanese brands of streetwear. The brand name Bathing Ape when based on the common saying of the Japanese language is ‘bathing in lukewarm water” that describes the youth of Japan for following the latest and most popular trends.

This clothing company has an appealing style especially when it comes to the Hip Hop fashion. Fans of Hip Hop clothing in the United States and other countries all over the world are taken by Bapes fashion by storm. Bapes is the slickest brand name of today’s clothing fashion that fans of Hip Hop clothing fashion will stay in line and wait up for hours for the newest release.

Just recently, Bape on the account of some of the popular entertainers and celebrities of Hollywood has reached the mainstream culture. Celebrities such as Def Jam Recordings’ President, hip hop productions duo’s Pharell Williams and the Neptunes, Fall Out Boy and rap-artist Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy & the Clipse, R&B singer J. Hall, Kenny Tran and Jay-Z to name a few.

Nigo the creator of Bapes has featured Hollywood artists from America in Bathing Ape’s catalogue features and advertisements. With the success which was quite inevitable, of the creative live, Pharell Williams has collaborated with Bapes clothing company. The collaboration happened amongst the designers of Billionaires Boys Club which is a clothing line, Ice Cream a line of shoes and of course Bathing Apes clothing line. The shoe line of Ice Cream is produced by Reebok with Bathing Ape’s creator Nigo’s inputs.

Staying up-to-date with the latest trends in fashion can be very harmful to your wallet. The more expensive something is, the more it seems that it’s something you ought to have. And right now, everyone seems to be wearing Bapes
bapes, or bathing ape shoes. But at as much as one hundred dollars a pair, who can afford them? It seems like an awful lot of money to part with just to have something to put on your feet! By buying Wholesale bapes at as low as thirty-five dollars a pair, offered through as many as sixteen different suppliers, anyone can stay in fashion without sacrificing the grocery bill just to look good. There’s no way to go wrong.
Bapes

Wholesale prices are usually only available to large retailers, but with this website you don’t have to be in the shoe industry to get the best deal for your fashion. Buying your Wholesale bapes, instead of paying high prices at the trendy shoe stores, lets you stay in fashion with the shoes you want without causing you to cut back on everything else. What good are new shoes, for example, if you can hardly afford to buy new socks afterwards? Buying brand-name, a popular shoe on a budget isn’t just hard – it’s almost impossible. Fashionable, popular shoes today are so expensive it almost makes you afraid to wear them, but no longer does this have to be the case. Now you can have what you want without missing a payment on a bill, and still be fashionable while keeping your finances steady. Wholesale bapes are the same brand-new, name-brand shoes you’ll find in trendy, expensive stores – and no one will know the difference in the price you paid but you. Wholesale bapes have previously only been offered to big shoe retailers, but now there is no reason to pay a higher price when you can purchase what you want so cheaply. Using the net anyone can have the bathing ape shoes they want at a price that’s just right.