Knitted garments have been around for a long time. Knitting is such an ancient craft that no one knows who first invented it, and how it spread. Some scholars believe it was invented in the Middle East, perhaps in Persia. Others believe it originated in North Africa. Because knitted garments were made of organic fibers, which disintegrate with time, and because they were used until they wore out, few samples of ancient knitting remain for us to study, but knitted stockings were found in Egyptian tombs.

The first knitted garments tended to be leg and foot coverings. The flexibility and stretchiness of knitting was particularly useful for leggings and stockings. But as time passed, some clever person realized that what worked for the legs could work for the arms, and even the body, and the sweater was born.

No doubt some sweaters were always longer than others, but the knitted sweater coat did not become a fashion garment until fairly recently. By the early 20th Century women were wearing a wide range of knitted wear, as under and over garments, but fashion garments were still formal and were made of woven fabric.

Then came Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Everybody knows Chanel’s name now, but when she first began to design, she was a working class French girl with a disreputable past. One of her lovers bankrolled a shop for her in Paris so she could sell the hats she designed. Her rental contract stated that she could not sell fashion clothing because there was already a couture shop in the building. She discovered that the knit fabric such as that used in the sweaters worn by French sailors was not considered fashion fabric. She could use it to make clothing without violating her contract. This knit fabric, called jersey, became the backbone of the fashions she created from World War I through the Twenties. Because of her designs, knitwear moved from the working classes to haute couture, and has remained there ever since.

Sweaters became more and more popular as outerwear as the Twentieth Century rolled on. As houses and cars were better heated there was less need for a heavy winter coat and a variety of sweater coats, ponchos and shawls emerged as fashion garments. In the Fifties, styles were formal and ultra feminine. Angora sweaters with detachable lace or fur colors, beaded embroidery or rhinestone buttons might occasionally serve as jackets, but they were rarely longer than waist length. During the first years of the Sixties, Jacquelyn Kennedy was fashion’s formal icon. Throughout the late Fifties and early Sixties, Italian designers like Sebastian used wool knit to make lined, highly constructed sweater coats that were often accented with contrast binding in a style reminiscent of Chanel. Then came the hippies, and everything changed. Throughout the late Sixties, ethnic garments were the rage, and long belted Mexican sweaters made of heavy wool were the rage for both young men and women.

By the Seventies, fashion was active and informal, and sweater coats were everywhere. Designers like Pierre Cardin loved it, and soon his designs were being knocked off by less famous designers in every color and fabric from cashmere to acrylic. Cable knit, chunk and bulky styles good old classic stockingette knit in all kinds of varieties and combinations were popular. Styles varied in length from mid-thigh to ankle, and orange, beige and brown irregular earth-tone stripes were particularly trendy. A long, long belted sweater coat over a tiny skirt and a pair of platform shoes was a classic Seventies look.

The Eighties brought a renewed emphasis on glamour and elegance, and the sweater coat slipped into the background again. It’s true that nothing is more dead than last year’s fashion, and the sweater coat went to the thrift store, where it lingered until the retro youth of the nineties brought it out again. The Seventies have drifted in and out of fashion over the last decade. Those too young to live through them the first time enjoy a disco fantasy now and then, and the internet makes it possible to shop for retro looks as never before. Although prices are higher than in the thrift shop, the multitude of choices on E-Bay probably makes up for the expense.

These first years of the new millennium don’t have a nickname yet but they are certainly a time in which anything goes. Now more than ever, young people like to make their own fashions and fashion combinations. The more outrageous the combination the better, and those wacky sweater coats of three decades ago are still popular with those who can find them.

Meanwhile independent home knitters and sewers continue to develop their own ideas about sweater coats. Those who knit for themselves aren’t slaves to fashion and can do whatever they like. Google “knit coats” and you’ll find a multitude of versatile fashion ideas that you can knit for yourself if you so desire. Or if you prefer you can buy knit fabric and design and sew a coat to suit yourself.

In two studies comparing treatments for adults with leukemia, scientists find that a transplant of umbilical cord blood offers a viable option for people who don’t have a well-matched bone marrow donor.

Leukemia occurs when marrow cells–the stem cells for blood–become cancerous. Using drugs and radiation, doctors can wipe out nearly all the malignant marrow cells, clearing the way for an infusion of donated marrow that can make new, healthy blood cells. Marrow transplants precisely matched to a patient’s blood characteristics can be remarkably successful. Only about 20 percent of leukemia patients have a sibling donor who’s a good match, says hematologist Mary J. Laughlin of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Of the other patients, fewer than a third find an acceptable match, she says.

Moreover, even a slightly mismatched marrow transplant is fraught with risks. That’s because marrow delivers more than just nascent blood cells; it carries mature immune cells that can make trouble by attacking a recipient’s tissues, causing graft-versus-host disease.

On the other hand, umbilical cord blood contains predominantly naive cells, which aren’t yet programmed to attack foreign tissue, says hematologist Juliet N. Barker of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
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That’s part of the reason why, since the first cord-blood transplant took place in 1988, many scientists have eagerly awaited hard evidence of the technique’s benefits. Cord-blood transplants in which the donor and recipient aren’t related or fully matched have shown success in children, who are small and resilient. But their potential in adults has been less clear, because a single umbilical cord contains only about one-tenth as many blood stem cells as the typical bone marrow transplant does.

In a new study from Europe, Eliane Gluckman of Hospital St. Louis in Paris and her colleagues compared the outcomes for 98 leukemia patients who received cord-blood transplants from donors who were unrelated and nearly all mismatched and for 584 similar patients who received marrow transplants from unrelated-but-matching donors. After 2 years, 36 percent of the cord-blood recipients and 42 percent of the marrow recipients were alive and free of disease. Statistical analysis indicates that these survival rates aren’t significantly different, the authors note.

In a U.S. study, Laughlin, Barker, and their colleagues assessed 367 matched-marrow transplants, 150 mismatched cord-blood transplants, and 83 mismatched marrow transplants. After 3 years, 35 percent of patients getting matching marrow were alive. Statistics indicate that no significant difference between the 26 percent of the mismatched cord blood recipients and the 20 percent of the mismatched marrow recipients who survived. The two studies appear in the Nov. 25 New England Journal of Medicine.

Both research groups found that cord blood, with its small number of stem cells, was slower than marrow to develop into a full complement of blood cells. That makes cord-blood recipients more vulnerable to infection after the transplant, says Claudio Anasetti of the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.

On the other hand, both studies show that mismatched cord-blood transplants are less apt to spawn acute attacks of graft-versus-host disease than mismatched marrow is.

The pros and cons of mismatched marrow and cord blood seem to balance out, says Ted A. Gooley of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Laughlin says the findings open the way for cord-blood treatments in some adult leukemia patients. “We’re recommending, at this point, that if a patient doesn’t have a matched marrow [transplant available] in a timely fashion, then proceed with cord blood,” she says.

WHEN IMAN–THE MODEL WHO SMASHED TRADITIONAL NOTIONS of beauty–started out, all sloe eyes and elongated neck, the notion of an African model was so exotic that photographer Peter Beard concocted a story designed to feed right into Western stereotypes of the Dark Continent: He told the press in 1976 that he’d discovered the Somali beauty herding goats. Never mind that she was actually a university student, a middle-class Muslim girl fluent in five languages.For Ethiopian-born model Liya Kebede, also long of neck and limb, there was no need to hide behind a made-for-Hollywood tale. Instead, hers is a story of slow, hard work. She has the exquisite face that launched a reported $3 million cosmetics ad campaign last year, making her the first woman of African descent to be awarded a highly coveted and lucrative contract with Estee Lauder, one of the world’s biggest cosmetics companies. She was picked for her international beauty and, in fashion parlance, “edge”–in other words, to appeal to a larger and younger base of customers who increasingly come in skin tones other than vanilla. Iman agrees: “I think for Liya, things are just beginning, I really do. She is the next Black model to pick up the baton.”

Kebede was raised comfortably middle-class in Addis Ababa, the only girl in a family of boys, a tomboy with little interest in the vagaries of fashion–except for that Naomi Campbell poster in her room. She didn’t have the attributes that turned heads in Ethiopia: big eyes, curvy figure. But she was tall and thin, and so she figured, why not try modeling? She endured years of no and maybe as she worked in Paris, Chicago and New York. Along the way, she married her husband, Ethiopian hedge-fund manager Kassy Kebede, a man with whom she was instantly smitten. “We had one and a half dates,” Liya says, “and then he had to go away. We were on the phone talking for two months. After that, we were never apart.” Finally, in 2000, the fashion world took note of her cool elegance: Designer Tom Ford hired her to walk the runway for his fall 2000 Gucci collection. The door was finally open. And the offers started flying in.

Never mind that she was pregnant with her son, Suhul, now 4. Many thought that the pregnancy would interrupt her success. Kebede wasn’t worried. Having a son, she says in her soft-spoken way, keeps her focused on what matters. Fashion is a career. Her family is her life.

Liya Kebede sat down with Iman, now founder and president of IMAN Cosmetics and I-IMAN Makeup, to talk about fashion, family and concepts of beauty. Washington Post reporter Teresa Wiltz facilitated their conversation.

Iman: Tell me the story behind the rise and rise of Liya.

Liya: It started back in Ethiopia with the fashion shows and events like that at school. And then I got passionate about it. Before that I had never really thought about modeling professionally. I thought I could model part-time to pay for school. I worked in Chicago doing catalogs, and there everybody scares you about modeling in New York. They say, “Oh, they’re going to eat you “alive.” It was very discouraging. But eventually I moved to New York with my husband. Once I got there, it was still a slow process. I mean, it’s been about four and a half years now. But I’m working.

Iman: And today you’re the new Estee Lauder gift. Big change. You’re now a role model. How do you feel about that?

Liya: It’s like a dream for me as a model to have a contract. So I’m happy; at the same time, I understand, yes, it’s a change for the company, so everybody’s looking at me to see how I do. But if I can bring anything positive to the situation, I’m happy to do it. Being part of the image of a major cosmetics company shows others that they can do it, too.

Iman: What about growing up in Ethiopia? What did your girlfriends consider beautiful when you were a teenager?

Liya: First of all, what is seen as beautiful in Ethiopia is totally the opposite of what is beautiful here.

Iman: Were you considered beautiful there? Because now you’re known as one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Liya: No. I was the skinny girl and people were saying, “My God, feed

her. Do something.” And I was like, “I am eating; leave me alone.” The funny thing is that now when I go back, I see all the women, and they’re all like, “I want to be skinny.” Life changes so quickly.

Iman: I don’t look much like the average Somali girls, and they are very beautiful women. They are round girls. And when I go home, I’m celebrated for a day, but they still don’t think of me as beautiful, ever. In Somalia they think, If Iman can become a model, any Somali girl can. And they’re right. There are many beautiful people there. Truly. What do you miss most about Ethiopia?

Liya: I miss the simplicity of life, the fun. The air I miss. My parents. Everything. The first thing I do when I go back to visit, as soon as I get off the plane, is take a whiff of the air. It’s not polluted; it’s clean. The grass, the trees, the flowers. And it’s like, “Ohhhhh, okay, I’m home

Before you go shopping, though, first take time to assess your skin-care routine to make sure you are doing all that you can to be all that you can be. Winter’s harsh, frigid weather can take a toll on your delicate skin, so revive your complexion for the season of sun and fun. Take a few hours, or an entire day, to pamper yourself with a warm, soothing bath that can be enhanced with bubbles or bath salts. Use a loofah sponge to slough off dead cells that can leave your skin dull and lifeless. For the feet, especially, use a pumice stone or other pedicure implement to remove the dry, hard skin that has built up over the winter. You may also wish to try an exfoliating foot cream. After patting dry, moisturize your entire body with a light body oil or a rich lotion. Pay special attention to the problem areas, such as the hands, feet, elbows and knees. If necessary, use a special lotion or cream to soften these overworked body parts.
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This is also a good time to give yourself a facial and to take care of any hair-removal that may be necessary. Extraneous facial and body hair detracts from your overall appearance, especially if you plan to don a swimsuit or sundress or otherwise go without hosiery. So either take the time to learn to remove the hair yourself (by plucking, shaving, waxing, etc.) or make an appointment to have a professional do it. Pamper day also is a great time to give yourself a manicure and pedicure to get your hard-working foot soldiers ready for sexy, strappy sandals. Pretty hands and feet definitely are great summer assets.

While still feeling good from your pampering session, sip on a tall glass of iced water, lemonade or tea while assessing your wardrobe needs. What do you have left from last year that still fits–your body and today’s style trends–this season?

During the spring and summer runway shows, designers offered some of the season’s hottest looks, and you can easily incorporate them into your wardrobe without spending a lot of money.

Among the must-have clothing items is a simple chemise in cotton, silk or linen. It may or may not have sleeves, and you can choose the length that works best for your legs and body, whether the hemline is thigh-high or falls just at the knee. If you have the right chemise, you can dress it up (with classy jewelry, heels and perhaps a scarf) or you can dress it down (with flat sandals and casual jewelry). Regardless, the just-right, little chemise, along with a variety of accessories, can take you to and through many summer occasions, from fancy luncheon to work to Sunday strolls with your sweetheart.

Blouses are making a colorful statement this summer, and whether they are ruffled, print or chiffon (or a combination of all an three) they will add a romantic touch to your wardrobe. Halters–in dresses, tops and after-five wear–are popular this summer. Halter tops work for casual wear, can be worn under a suit for work and make great skin-baring attire for warm evenings out on the town. Other tops that are making statements this summer are bandeau, handkerchief and bra tops as well as simple tee-shirts in fabrics that range from sheer to spandex to cotton to silk and any combination of these.

These summer tops are worn over simple, sometimes dropped-waist, flat-front pants with a touch of Lycra spandex for ease of movement. Then there are skirts, which range in length from short-short “band-aid” skirts to mid-thigh to knee-length. Yes, it is still fashionable to wear your long, full skirt of light-weight fabric.

The seasonless appeal of denim also is evident this season, and this comfortable, versatile fabric can be found in supercasual clothing as well as dressy, upscale attire. At awards shows and other Hollywood and New York events, you can see celebrities bedecked in denim ensembles of various styles and colors and embellished with studs, jewels and sequins. This summer’s offerings also include denim jeans, cropped pants and skirts of all lengths trimmed in colorful, patterned fabric.

Along with denim, many fashionable women love to wear leather in the summer, but, as with denim, this favorite fabric is adorned with jewels, designed as hot pants and short skirts, and available in summery pastels and whites.

If you live in a hot climate and prefer a more breezy fabric, there are plenty of summer designs made of chiffon and other sheer fabrics. There are chiffon overblouses, T-shirts, dresses and skirts, and chiffon increasingly is used as a fanciful trim on tops, skirts and garments as well.

When it comes to accessories, the biggest hit of the summer is the choker necklace, which offers a sexy accent to a graceful neckline. Chokers can be made of pearls, beads, feathers, leather, cloth, metal or precious stones. Sometimes they are multistrand and multitier, and often they have beaded tassels or fringe accenting the cleavage

Back to school clothing is a big deal, and kids this year are going for more sophisticated, more dressed-up clothes. The layered look is big for both sexes and leggings under short skirts and dresses are what girls want. And the older kids especially are clamoring for skinny jeans.

washingtonpost.com Fashion and Beauty Editor Janet Bennett Kelly a nswered your questions about what’s big this year and what’s reasonable.

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washingtonpost.com:

Hi, everyone and thanks for joining us on this lovely late-summer day to talk about back-to-school fashions. What will the kids be wearing? Have you started shopping? What are you finding out there? Let’s talk!
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Maryland:

This chat is probably for school-age children. I’ll be entering grad school this fall; can I wear the same thing I wore for undergrad? Can I continue to live in jeans?

Janet: Jeans are a great standby. You can dress them up for the evening or dress them down for the library.

Darker washes are more in style this year and so are skinny jeans. Get a pair if they’re flattering to your body shape; otherwise, stay away. Good luck in grad school.

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Anonymous:

Hi, Janet, I have a question for you. I would like to know what is the style for people over forty and older? I am tall, with beautiful olive skin, brown eyes, great legs, nice bust line and I would like to compliment all of my good qualities with really nice clothing that fit well. I did some modeling in the ’60s. But, times have changed and I am older. Times have changed and so have I. Please help.
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Janet: It sounds like you have a great figure, and you can wear almost anything you like. And I think this fall there’s going to be a lot for you to like. Tailored suits, for example, are a good look for day, and with a change of blouse, also work for the evening. Low-rise jeans and bare midriffs are pretty much a thing of the past, if that’s what you’re concerned about having to deal with when you visit the stores.

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Tallahassee, Florida:

What are some of the primary reasons why kids are wearing clothing that is so sexually revealing these past ten years or so? Is it a loosening of attitudes about the body? Or is it the cultural industry of explicit videos, music, and TV? Have parents talked about this in any public forum? Where could one find more practical information?

Janet Bennett Kelly: I’m not a sociologist but kids have been and are influenced by celebrities, football players and the like. So, yes, low-rise jeans and bare midriffs have been very popular in the past, but this fall, the new byword is layering, which means bodies will be much more covered up.

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Washington, D.C.:

For the eco-conscious mother, there is a great organic children’s clothing store in Georgetown called Yiro (it’s at Wisconsin and P). They have buttery soft, colorful clothing. I heard the owner is launching her own label this fall and all items will be Swiss-made.

Janet Bennett Kelly: I’ve heard about Yiro and am looking forward to going. Thanks for the info

I know the chat is about back-to-school clothes but I’m hoping you’ll take a minute to solve one of the biggest fashion mysteries of the modern world. Why is it so hard to find petite clothes, particularly business suits? There’s only a handful of places (Talbots, Banana, Ann Taylor) and then they have limited selection at $300 or more. For a 5-foot woman who wears suits everyday, it’s incredibly frustrating not to easily find petite clothes. Thoughts?

Janet Bennett Kelly: I think one reason for the dearth of store sections devoted to petites is that people in general are just getting larger. When was the last time you could find a size-5 shoe?

That said, I thought I heard that Saks Fifth Avenue was bringing back its petite department. Hope that’s true. I do agree with you that it’s frustrating not to be able to find clothes for your proportions. At least Banana, A Taylor and Talbot’s still have your size. Know a good tailor?

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Skinny jeans:

I’m horrified by the new tight, skinny jeans with the layered, unflattering tops. I’m in decent shape, but I have thick thighs and prefer to wear skinny tops or cropped jackets with looser “boyfriend” jeans. I’m also short, and the long tops make me look dumpy. What can I do besides wear skirts for the next few years?

Janet Bennett Kelly: Given the unforgiving nature of skinny jeans, I suspect that a lot of people will balk at wearing them. So, go ahead and wear the jeans that look good on you!

Fashion tenants in the Fashion Center are back in style.

The commercial real estate market in the neighborhood has been very active for the first half of 2004, due to newcomers to the area, expansions, and numerous renewals. Of this new business, the percentage of office tenants to fashion tenants is leveling out for the first time since 9/11.

Post-9/11, the fashion industry saw a period of downsizing that affected the Fashion Center commercial real estate market. Small companies either went out of business or were acquired by larger companies. Many tenants would double (or triple) up, and in some instances, six leases were condensed to one. But this trend is reversing. For example, in the Children’s Wear Building, 112 West 34th Street, many big-player tenants who had moved out to save money are now moving back in.

The Fashion Center will always attract fashion tenants for a number of reasons. First, fashion companies like to “stick together.” They see the neighborhood as the epicenter of not only fashion in the city, but also of fashion in the country–or even the world. Rents in the neighborhood remain fair. Space in the area is often ideal for the tenants–commercial loft space with high ceilings, open plans, natural light and versatility.

The final reason is economic in nature; competition is good for business. Being in one area makes things easier for buyers and keeps the customer base together for tenants.
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In this market, it is important to position buildings properly. If one considers what is good for tenants’ business when doing this, the tenants will often follow.

Helmsley-Spear Inc., for instance, has recently renamed 1400 Broadway from the Better Dress Building to the Contemporary Apparel Building.

As modern women veered away from dresses towards trousers and skirts, the older name was no longer appropriate.

The Contemporary Apparel Building gives a more modern message to both prospective tenants and their clients.

Although the area has recently seen more office tenants, these “fashion-related offices,” such as accountants or lawyers, are businesses that typically specialize in the industry.

The advantage of the area for these tenants again has to do with geography. It is simply more convenient to be in the same neighborhood as the clients you are servicing. Having these companies in the neighborhood is also beneficial to the fashion industry as a whole, as fashion tenants do hot have to look elsewhere for these services.

Helmsley-Spear Inc. is maintaining the renewed strength of the Fashion Center through several initiatives. First, we are custom-building showrooms and offices with substantial work-letters.

With 2.8 million square feet of rental space currently, we are also looking to acquire management of more properties. We continue to develop new programs to effectively position buildings that may have, in the past, had lower occupancies.

To generate these fresh ideas, we have added to our sales and leasing team by hiring and promoting people with years of experience at various buildings who tan bring their own creative approaches to the table.

Helmsley-Spear Inc. is looking forward to the second half of 2004 and plans on remaining a key force in the Fashion Center.

As fashion tenants flourish in the area, we look forward to providing them, and the service industries that are following them, with top-class space. After all, great commercial real estate never goes out of fashion.

Yes, there was a time when hip-hop stars Eve Jihan Jeffers and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs were thought of as ghetto-fabulous. Both had taken trends to the edge of over-the-top, fearlessly blending high style with an urban sensibility, influencing music fans and fashion designers in the process. But things done changed. According to Eve, who’s preparing to launch Fetish, a womenswear line, and Sean, whose Sean John menswear line has garnered international acclaim, the hip-hop generation is maturing; its sense of style is evolving. Could it be that the call for a simpler life within the past year actually influenced hip-hop style, which seemed to thrive on excess? We brought together the versatile entertainers–Eve, 23 (who releases her third album, Evolution, and stars in the film Barbershop this month), and Sean, 32 (who appeared in this year’s Monster’s Ball and is touring to support his current album, We Invented the Remix)–to discuss the evolution of urban style. The result: a conversation about the death of ghetto fabulousness and the return to tradition and a look at how Black folks have always been fashion pioneers. Eve: The way I dress reflects how I feel. Some days I want to feel very feminine, so I’ll think, Okay, let me put on a pretty little dress. On other days I may want to be rugged, so I’ll wear shoe boots with jeans and a T-shirt. A woman should dress from the inside out and always wear what she feels most comfortable in. Black women are creative dressers, so we know how to take the traditional and the trendy and give it our own flavor.

Sean: Yeah, like your hair. It’s one of your creative trademarks. The wrong style can mess up the look a woman’s going for, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you having a bad hair day. Black women take a lot of pride in their hairstyles, and other cultures are starting to catch on. Black women have always worn cornrows, and now you see people like Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez with ‘em. As a man, I’ve always wondered how y’all come up with those styles and how you know what works.

Eve: My emotions dictate my hairstyles, too. If I feel happy, my hair’s light and flowing; if I feel seductive, I have sexy curls; if I feel the need for a fresh start, I’ll go short and chop it off, ’cause it’ll grow back. I go through a lot of transitions in my life, and my hair reflects that. Right now, I love where I am. I feel free, and I’m moving into other areas like film and clothing design. So my hair is bright because it reflects my happiness.

Sean: There’s something else that I, and I’m pretty sure most men, want to know. Does the time and care you put into achieving the beauty of your outer layer match the care you take with the bottom layer, which we don’t get to see–unless we’re lucky? I’m talking about undergarments, body piercings, tattoos. Are women as focused on those things as they are with getting, say, the newest Gucci shoes with bamboo heels?

Eve: You have to start with your bottom layer to really accentuate the outer. I’m addicted to lingerie. I love La Perla. I also love tattoos; I have seven. I think they add to the beauty of a woman if they’re done in the right places in the right way. And women should always smell nice. When a woman walks by, her scent should be unforgettable.

Sean: I’m attracted to a woman who’s fashion-conscious. If I see a woman from across the room, I go from the feet, to the eyes, to the gear. Do you took for a sense of style in your partner?

Eve: If we’re going out together, we gotta look good together. You know what I’m saying? So if a brother isn’t as stylish as I’d like him to be, he would have to be able to take suggestions, at least.

Sean: Yeah, I would give a crash course on style for about a week: Take a girl to Milan, hook her up. But if she’s fighting the feeling, we may be better off as friends. Now I’m not knocking women who aren’t into clothes, but for me, personally, it’s like, “Baby, I just want to see your toes in some Manolos.” But it’s harder to change a man’s style ’cause we’re used to what we’re used to. It’s gonna take longer than a week. Brothers need help. That’s part of the reason I started my own clothing line. How’s yours coming along?

Eve: It will be available this fall. It’s a fun line–kinda like urban couture. The line is definitely feminine and sophisticated, but I want women to feel empowered, sexy and independent when they wear Fetish.

Sean: What made you want to start your own fashion line?

Eve: I figured, Why not? I got tired of asking designers for clothes; it was time to start wearing my own stuff. I would love for Fetish to be as successful as Sean John. I admire the fact that your clothes are respected in every area of the fashion industry, from the higher end to the urban world. You were one of the first people I called to get some pointers

When you dream as a child about what you want to be when you grow up, fashion designer ranks high on the list for many who envision a glamorous lifestyle and a chance to influence the way society dresses. Being a fashion designer certainly does come with its benefits; but it is also a career that requires a balance between creativity and skill.

We need only to turn on the television or flip the pages of a magazine to see how fashion influences our culture. The way we dress on a daily basis, the clothing we run to the stores to purchase, all depend on what’s popular on the runways. And what’s popular on the runways is created by fashion designers. A fashion designer creates a look and makes it happen. But what people don’t see, as models strut the runway wearing the latest designs, is the enormous amount of work and skill that it takes to get to that bright shining moment.

A fashion designer must not only be skilled in the manufacturing of clothing – including knowledge of textiles and expertise in sewing – but also in sketching and drawing their designs. The savvy fashion designer understands color and how to use it to capture the essence of their design.

Becoming a fashion designer means attending a reputable school that teaches design, sewing, textiles, and the like. It is imperative that you learn the fundamentals of design before you add your own creativity and flair. Even more important, however, is the working knowledge that you can gain working as an intern or apprentice in an established shop. Working alongside a fashion designer who can give you firsthand experiences and help you build your portfolio is incredibly important to becoming a fashion designer. It’s all about experience. So take all that you can from school but put your skills to use – everywhere and anywhere that you can. A strong portfolio that demonstrates your talent and desire to work in the industry will go a long way to helping you realize your dream of becoming a fashion designer.

Now that summer is almost here people will soon be running to the beach stripping off their clothing and letting everything hang out. Now is the time to choose a sexy bikini that will flatter your body.

But before shedding any clothing you may want to think about shedding a few pounds. Especially if you plan on wearing a string bikini. There is nothing worse than seeing a flabby girl with a big beer belly in a tiny string bikini. That is just ugly and gross. So shed a few pounds first before you shed that clothing.

Now once you have lost the needed weight lets choose you a sexy bikini that will show off your best attributes.

Is a slingshot bikini the right bikini for you? I find that slingshot bikinis look best on girls that are not very top heavy but have long legs and tiny bums. Is your bum tiny enough to fit in a single hand of a lumberjack? If so then a slingshot bikini could be the right bikini for you.

Are you a top heavy girl with double d’s? I suggest you wear an underwire top bikini for that extra support and comfort. There is nothing more embarrassing than a double d popping out and bouncing around all over the beach.

Are you a girl that is bit shy but you still want to show off your best attributes? Then maybe a one piece ultra high cut bathing suit will do the trick. They show off your legs making them look longer and they’ll make your hips look slimmer. Guys will be clamoring after you to put them in a scissor hold.

Now if you are a girl like me that is a bit top heavy but not overly with thin hips and a juicy bum then we can pretty much get away with anything. My favorite string bikini to wear is a beautiful leopard print mesh micro bikini that is so sexy it is sinful.

As you can see there are a lot of different types of string bikinis and swim suits you can choose from. It all depends on the attributes you wish to accentuate and show off. But remember one thing - the bikini does not make the girl, the girl makes the bikini.

When you dream as a child about what you want to be when you grow up, fashion designer ranks high on the list for many who envision a glamorous lifestyle and a chance to influence the way society dresses. Being a fashion designer certainly does come with its benefits; but it is also a career that requires a balance between creativity and skill.

We need only to turn on the television or flip the pages of a magazine to see how fashion influences our culture. The way we dress on a daily basis, the clothing we run to the stores to purchase, all depend on what’s popular on the runways. And what’s popular on the runways is created by fashion designers. A fashion designer creates a look and makes it happen. But what people don’t see, as models strut the runway wearing the latest designs, is the enormous amount of work and skill that it takes to get to that bright shining moment.

A fashion designer must not only be skilled in the manufacturing of clothing – including knowledge of textiles and expertise in sewing – but also in sketching and drawing their designs. The savvy fashion designer understands color and how to use it to capture the essence of their design.

Becoming a fashion designer means attending a reputable school that teaches design, sewing, textiles, and the like. It is imperative that you learn the fundamentals of design before you add your own creativity and flair. Even more important, however, is the working knowledge that you can gain working as an intern or apprentice in an established shop. Working alongside a fashion designer who can give you firsthand experiences and help you build your portfolio is incredibly important to becoming a fashion designer. It’s all about experience. So take all that you can from school but put your skills to use – everywhere and anywhere that you can. A strong portfolio that demonstrates your talent and desire to work in the industry will go a long way to helping you realize your dream of becoming a fashion designer.