Fabulous faux diamonds - Glamour that is affordable

"Diamonds are a girl's best friends.. "

"Diamonds are for ever.. "

Popular sayings about ladies and diamonds are many. Women's love for diamonds has been talked about many a time. However, real diamonds may not always be affordable. Not everyone can celebrate an occasion with a pair of diamond earrings or a diamond ring. But don't we all love the look and feel of a diamond? Well, there is a solution for this dilemma faux diamonds.

Technology has enabled man to produce diamonds manually, known as faux diamonds, that look and feel exactly like real diamonds, but at much more cheaper costs. Consequently, faux diamonds are available at highly affordable rates. Faux diamonds are known by several names, such as lab-made diamonds, man-made diamonds and imitation diamonds. Faux diamonds look so much like real diamonds that it is very difficult to distinguish between the two. Only a highly trained person can differentiate the two, and even then, in certain cases, a microscope or other equipments might be required.

Initially, when faux diamonds were introduced, they were looked down upon. Later, as the prices of diamonds began shooting up, as did the prices of almost all commodities, out of reach of the middle- and low-income group, faux diamonds began to be accepted. Just as the invention of cultured pearls brought about a new trend in the pearl jewellery industry, faux diamonds have revolutionized the diamond jewellery industry.

There are different kinds of faux diamonds available in the market today, from Cubic Zirconia (CZ) to Moissanite. There are a number of ways in which faux diamonds can be produced. These stones are priced depending upon the type of manufacturing process used and their qualities. However, they are usually far less expensive than original diamonds.

Once one has decided on the budget for purchasing jewellery, there is a wide range of jewellery to choose from. Faux diamond set in metal offers the look and feel of diamond at highly affordable rates. If, however, one is looking for slightly better quality, faux diamonds set in gold and silver is available. A bit more expensive than jewellery set in ordinary metal, it is more durable, and the stones used in it are of better quality and cut. Such jewellery often looks more real and professionally made.

Quality tests carried out on faux diamonds have proved that they are as good as real diamonds. These tests include a test of brilliance, refractive index, fire, luster and hardness, among others. Here, the brilliance test refers to allowing light to enter into a stone and studying the amount of light that is reflected back, and the fire test refers to allowing light to enter the stone and studying the ability of the stone to break this light down into various colours. At times, faux diamonds have been found to outperform diamonds in these quality tests! Moissanite, a type of faux diamond, ranked higher than an original diamond when brilliance, fire and luster were tested. In case of hardness, it ranked only slightly lower than an original diamond. In fact, so many jewelers were unable to differentiate Moissanite from original diamonds that a specialized instrument had to be designed for this very purpose!

Why should one go for faux diamonds? First and foremost, they offer the gorgeous real-diamond look that very few can tell apart with the naked eye, that too within a limited budget. Apart from this, they offer several other benefits, such as:

• With imitation jewellery, one need not worry about theft or insuring your jewellery.

• One need not be worried about the fraudulent pricing mechanisms that are sometimes observed in the diamond jewellery market showing very high prices for the products and then declaring a huge rate of discount, so as to attract more buyers.

• The processes of diamond mining, cutting and polishing have been observed to involve inhuman working conditions and child labour in many parts of the world. Faux diamonds are laboratory-made, and hence, such situations can be avoided.

• Original diamonds vary in quality, while imitation diamonds have a uniform quality. The chances of frauds are thus minimized.

• In case of original diamonds, monopolization of the market through diamond cartels has been observed. Faux diamonds are very reasonably priced, and hence, monopolization is not encouraged.

• Last but not the least, the attention that one gets is worth a mention. One can flaunt a rock-sized diamond without burning a hole in ones pocket!

Diamonds might be a girl's best friends, but it is quite clear that faux diamonds are probably a girls best decision when it comes to buying diamonds! So, what are you waiting for? Just go ahead and buy all the jewellery you have always wanted to buy! Flaunt your faux diamonds with style!

References:

1) http://www.suite101.com

2) http://www.buzzle.com

Heels over the years

The high-heeled shoe - the ultimate piece of fashionable footwear - has come a long way. This shoe, which has often been a matter of discussion and debate, has not always been what we know it as today. With the passage of time, it has considerably evolved. And that is what this article seeks to study - the journey of the high-heeled shoe till date.

The formal version of the high-heeled shoe is believed to have come into existence during after the year 1533. However, rougher, more informal versions have been known to exist since long back.

Egyptian murals dating as far back as 3500 BC show men and women wearing shoes, some of them in heels. It is believed that these heels were mostly worn for special occasions. Butchers in Egypt were also known to wear heels, so as to avoid stepping on the carcasses of animals.

Evidence has also been found to indicate that people in Ancient Greece and Rome wore heeled shoes called 'Kothorni' or 'Buskins'. These shoes would have heels made of wood, and would be worn mainly by actors. Another evidence of the wearing of high heels in the olden times comes from Ancient Rome, during the times when prostitution was considered illegal. During this period, sex workers would wear high heeled shoes for the purpose of identification.

In the Middle Ages in Europe, a product called 'Pattens' was largely used by males and females. It referred to wooden soles that could be readily attached to shoes, so as to avoid stepping on dirt when walking outdoors. 'Pattens' were believed to be the forerunner for the invention of the 'Chopines'. 'Chopines' referred to a more primitive version of the platform heels of today, invented in Turkey in the 1400s. It was largely used all over Europe until the middle of 1600. Chopines would be up to 30 inches in height, and women would be required to use a cane or the help of a servant to enable them to walk comfortably without tripping over. Like pattens, chopines would also be strapped to shoes, and were worn mostly by ladies.

This practice of making heels as a separate component that could be easily attached to shoes continued till the 1500s. With the passage of time, this led to the production of heeled shoes as a single piece. The popularity of the heeled shoe went up considerably in the 1500s. Mostly, they were used by riders, as they prevented the feet from slipping out of the stirrups while riding. The heeled shoe that was originally designed for riders was about 1 to 1-1/2 inches high, and was similar in appearance to the cowboy boots or riding boots of today.

In the mid 1500s, the heel became thinner and more stylish. This change came about on account of the fashionable high-heeled shoes popularized by Catherine de Medici, who married Henry, the son of King Francis I of France, in the year 1533. Catherine, who wore high heels on account of her short stature, made them more popular as 'fashion accessories' rather than as 'functional accessories'. By the year 1580, fashionable high-heeled shoes were worn largely by the affluent class of the society, which led to the coining of the term 'well-heeled', meaning a person who was well-to-do.

In the beginning of the 1700s, King Louis XIV of France used to wear heels as high as 5 inches, which would have elaborate scenes of battle on them. These heels later became popular as 'Louis heels'. During the century, heels evolved to become more thin, arched and more fashionable. As they were believed to make feet look more attractive and desirable, laws were passed over time, banning women from wearing high heels to 'capture' a man. Women who violated this law would be declared witches and would have to face trial.

In the year 1791, high heeled shoes were completely banished by Napoleon. In spite of this, high heels made a comeback in the year 1790s, courtesy Marie Antoinette with her 2-inch heels. The heels worn during this period were relatively low, just about a wedge in size.

After a fall, the high-heel fad picked up again in the 1860s. Heels began to be available in different lengths. Some people highly advocating wearing high heels, stating that they were not harmful to health, but, in fact, were beneficial. According to them, wearing high heeled shoes prevented people from stooping excessively, thereby reducing the probability of backaches, and also helped in walking properly and in a less tiring manner. Some critics, however, believed that wearing high heels gives rise to a promiscuous gait, while some believed that the high heel was symbolic of the curved claw of a witch or a devil.

High heels gained full-fledged acceptance in the latter part of the 19^th century. This was replaced by the demand for comfortable flat shoes in the earlier 20^th century. In the mid 20^th century, fashions changed, and as hemlines grew higher, the demand for stylish high heeled shoes went up. Again, in the 1930s, heels became shorter in length, a trend that was soon replaced by the demand for elegant high heels in a variety of patterns, ranging from glittery to colourful ones. This trend was popularized by the new varieties of heels sported by Hollywood celebrities. In the 1940s, due to the Second World War, the availability of luxury items went down, and heels became thick, simple and unadorned.

The world of heels underwent a revolution with the invention of the stiletto in the 1950s by Christian Dior. The stiletto had a low vamp and a narrow heel. However, they were not very well accepted, and some public buildings banned the use of stilettos as they were believed to damage the floors.

With the rising popularity of the miniskirt in the beginning of the 1960s, shoes with stiletto heels also became popular. Again, with the upsurge of the feminist movement, stilettos began to be opposed by feminists because they were believed to restrict the movement of women and slow them down when escaping from male violence. As a result, low-heeled shoes with square toes were developed. Later, in the 1960s, the platform shoe was developed, which became hugely popular in the 1970s.

High heels came back in fashion in the 1980s, a trend that continued into the early 1990s as well. In the late 19^th century, factories producing high heeled shoes began to open in Italy and other parts of the world. This was followed by America, which opened its first heel factory in the year 1888. Manolo Blahnik's high heels began making a large-scale appearance in the fashion circuits, reviving the fad. With the passage of time, high heels began to be considered as signs of designer and fashion wear for special occasions, while flat shoes became the norm for the corporate world. Designers like Jimmy Choo and Emma Hope designed extra-tall heels in the 1990s. Again, in the later part of the 1990s, the fashion of the high heels started declining.

With the onset of the 21^st century, heels again got a lift, with the introduction of the 'heel-less' high heeled shoe by Manolo Blahnik, as well as several varieties of heels being developed by many other designers. Women began to have a wide choice of heels to wear for different occasions.

The fashion of high heels still continues to be evergreen. High heels are very commonly found at parties, special occasions as well as on the ramp. Heels, even after such a long period of time, remain symbolic of fashion, style, and class. It is now a must-have in the wardrobe for fashionistas.

That is the long story of the journey of the high heeled shoe. So, the next time you shop for a pair of shoes, don't forget to add a pair of heels to your shopping list!

References:

• http://www.allaboutshoes.ca
• http://www.lifeinitaly.com
• http://www.randomhistory.com

Picture Courtesy:

• http://www.myshoes.us
• http://www.olrikdenmark.com
• http://z.about.com
• http://culturegarage.com

Apparel Exports Create New Milestones in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh textile and garment industry has been plagued by a lot of problems in the last one year. But this has not affected the sector which is blazing new trails and setting new milestones in its apparel shipments in the last fiscal year, in the midst of rising energy and raw material costs and an ever growing labor unrest in its garment factories.

The fiscal year 2007-08 saw Bangladesh textile and garment sector earning US $14.11 billion in export revenues, registering a growth of 15.87 percent compared to the previous year. The largest contribution, as always, came from the readymade garment (RMG) sector.

Garment exports from this small Asian country grew from $9.21 billion in the corresponding period of last year to touch a nadir of US $10.71 billion in the Bangladesh fiscal year July07-June08, to post a growth of an astounding 16.18 percent.

The Bangladesh garment sector has none other than the Chinese textile and garment industry to thank partly for the robust growth achieved in the last 12 months, and mainly due to the down trend witnessed by the Chinese textile juggernaut in the last few months.

Chinese goods which at one time were the most price competitive in the global market, have lost their edge, because of ever increasing costs of raw materials, appreciation of the RMB and rising energy and labour costs.

This in turn has helped garment exporters from other Asian countries like Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. Bangladesh is one of the few countries to have taken the maximum advantage from this situation.

While exports of woven garments grew from $4.65 billion in the previous July06-June07 fiscal to $5.16 billion in July07-June08 fiscal to register a growth of 11.0 percent, shipments of knit apparels on the other hand rose by an awesome 21.48 percent to touch $5.53 billion from $4.55 billion in the corresponding periods.

There is no doubt that the key driver in growth of garment exports has been the contribution of shipments of knit garments.

During the fiscal under consideration, exports have consistently recorded growth in each month of the year, except for three months. Exports grew from $691.98 million in July07 to $1143.56 million in June08 to register a growth of a remarkable 65.41 percent.

In comparison, shipments for the corresponding months of July06 climbed from $904.89 million to just $961.24 million in June07 to clock a growth rate of a marginal 6.30 percent.

Bangladesh garment exports have no doubt been fueled by the Chinese slowdown, but other global factors have also contributed to this above average growth rates.

The continuous appreciation of the Indian rupee in 2007, due to which exports of apparels and textiles from India had witnessed a slow down, in turn also helped exporters from Bangladesh to deliver such incredible results

The scorching growth rates achieved in the last fiscal has emboldened the garment sector to set ambitious export targets for the next few years. It has set a target of $25 billion to be achieved by 2010.

The Bangladesh garment industry has achieved an appreciable level of self sufficiency, in its raw material requirements. Due to the rapid investments made in the downstream sectors, the knitwear sub-sector obtains 80 percent raw materials from the domestic market while woven sub-sector is able to source 40 percent of its requirements.

This has resulted in a massive savings in outgo of valuable foreign exchange which otherwise would have to be spent in importing of raw materials.

The growth of the garment industry in the economy has no doubt filled up the space left vacant by the once effervescent jute industry. But the continuous labor unrest and labor shortages could prove to be a dampener in its goal of reaching a target of $25 billion by 2010.

Infact at a recent meeting organized by the labor commissioner with members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers Association to bring out a solution to the ever-growing labor unrest, it was suggested that strong motivational role of the owners, creating a sense of belonging among workers, timely intervention of management in case of agitation, would surely bring about a positive change.

In the coming months the garment sector also may not have the same global competitive advantages it has enjoyed in the last few months. The Chinese government has recently raised the tax rebate availed by exporters from 11 to 13 percent.

The Indian rupee has also seen a downtrend against the US dollar in the last few months and is showing signs of stability. The exporters will have do a lot more to retain the edge that helped the sector post record figures.

Garment Exports from Bangladesh (July-June)

Fashion designing - the then and now

Fashion designing can be loosely defined as 'the art of creating fashionable apparel'. With the passage of time, however, the concept of 'fashion designing' has extended to other things such as fashion accessories such as jewellery, bags, footwear, etc. Keeping in mind the evolution of fashion designing, it would not be wrong to define it as 'the creation of fashion'.

Fashion designing has indeed come a long way from the mere designing of clothing. Fashion designing has evolved into a full-fledged industry today. It is well accepted as a career option all over the world. Apart from designing, there are a number of other career alternatives that have emerged in this industry with the passage of time. This article seeks to study the evolution of the industry of fashion designing the then and now.

The origin of fashion designing dates as far back as 1826. Charles Frederick Worth is believed to be the first fashion designer of the world, from 1826 to 1895. Charles, who was earlier a draper, set up a fashion house in Paris. It was he who started the tradition of fashion houses and telling his customers what kind of clothing would suit them.

During this period, a number of design houses began to hire the services of artists to develop patterns for garments. Patterns would be presented to the clients, who would then place an order if they liked them. It was during this timeframe that the tradition of presenting patterns to the customers and then stitching them began, instead of the earlier system wherein the finished garments would be presented to them.

In the beginning of the 20^th century, new developments in fashion would take place in Paris first, from where they would spread to the rest of the world. New designs of clothes would be born in Paris before they found their way to other parts of the world. In other words, Paris emerged as the 'fashion capital'. 'Fashion' during this period was mostly 'haute couture', exclusively designed for individuals.

Towards the mid-20^th century, fashion garments began to be mass-produced. The bulk of production increased, and people began to have more choices of garments. Towards the end of the 20^th century, fashion awareness among people increased, and they began choosing clothes for themselves based on comfort and their own style, instead of relying on the trends prevailing in the market.

Today, as stated above, fashion designing is well accepted as a career option. A number of institutes have come up the world over, offering courses in various arenas of fashion. The number of students who consider fashion as a serious career and who have gone in for courses in the same has gone on rising over the years.

Specializations in fashion designing have come into being. There is a wide range of options for a designer to choose from, such as lingerie, swimwear, women's wear, bridal wear, children's wear, men's wear, footwear, handbags, etc. Fashion designers used to be self-employed earlier now find a number of career opportunities open for them. They can work with garment firms and export houses. They may also be engaged in the job of remodeling haute couture and adapting them to the tastes of the mass market. They might also hold jobs in departmental stores or specialty stores.

Developments in the field of fashion designing have given rise to other related career paths such as hairstylist, make-up artist, fashion journalists, fashion advisors, fashion photographers, etc.

Another significant change that has come about in the fashion designing industry in recent times is the increased use of computers and technology. A number of software packages have come up to aid designers in the process of designing as well as other stages in the production of a garment, easily and speedily.

Fashion designing as a trade has also grown. Fashion designers have gone on to get repute not only in their own countries, but internationally as well. The number of fashion shows and participation in the same has gone up considerably in recent times.

Fashion designing is thus no longer only the designing and creation of a garment, but it is a world in itself involving fashion, design, creativity, technology as well as business.

References:

• http://www.ezilon.com
• http://en.wikipedia.org

Picture Courtesy:

• http://blogging-class.blogspot.com
• http://www.vintagetextile.com