A glimpse into our jewelry expedition at Dallas market. The following pics are just a few of the necklaces that made the ranks for staff picks.

Belts have been documented for male clothing since the Bronze Age. Both sexes used them off and on, depending on the current fashion, but it was a rarity in female fashion with the exception of the early Middle Ages, late 17th century Mantua, and skirt/blouse combinations between 1900 and 1910. Art Nouveau belt buckles are now collector’s items.

In the militarain periods, particularly the later half of the 19th century and up until the first World War, the belt was strictly a decorative part of the uniform, particularly among officers. In the armed forces of Prussia, Crimea, and other Eastern European nations, it was common for officers to wear extremely tight, wide belts around the waist, on the outside of the uniform. These tightly cinched belts served to draw in the waist and give the wearer a trim physique, emphasizing wide shoulders and a pouting chest. Often the belt served only to emphasize a waist made small by a corset worn under the uniform, a practice which was common especially during the Crimean Wars and was often noted by soldiers from the Western front. Political cartoonists of the day often portrayed the tight waist-cinching of soldiers to comedic effect, and some cartoons survive showing officers being corseted by their inferiors, a practice which surely was uncomfortable but deemed to be necessary and imposing.

In modern times, men started wearing belts in the 1920s, as trouser waists fell to a lower line. Before the 1920s, belts served mostly a decorative purpose, and were associated with the military. Today it is common for men to wear a belt with their trousers; women tend to wear them for more decorative functions.

Since the mid 1990s, the practice of sagging has been popular at times among young men and boys. This fashion trend consists of wearing the trousers very low on the hips, often exposing the underwear and buttocks of the wearer. This urban style, which has roots tracing to prison gangs^[1] and the prohibition of belts in prison (due to their use as weapons and devices for suicide) has remained popular into the 21st century, particularly among pubescent boys. A belt may or may not be worn with this style – if a belt is used, it is cinched tightly at the mid-buttock region, with the effect that the trousers of the wearer are being held up by genitalia underneath. Many public schools now enforce belt-wearing, often only for the male population, and requiring the belts to be worn tightly at waist level with a tucked-in shirt.

(reference: Wikipedia)

Pink Saloon’s Fall to Spring fashion shoot was set at Gramdma’s house. The array of fabrics, patterns and carpets proved to be the perfect back drop for spring styles. Featured was Free People, Mink Pink, Miss Me, Wild Fox Couture and more. The Frye boots were a particular favorite of our stylist. Like most Frye boots these Billy cowboy boots in dark brown worked with a variety of outfits. From the regal white chiffon dress by Miss Me to studded boyfriend Free People shorts.

Hair and make up stylist Brie Wallace has a way with a wand too. Big eyelashes and porcelain skin seem to never go out of style and looked fab with the chic up-do’s and curly long locks. Photographer, Kerry Burrow, managed to capture a regal look while maintaining an at-home, attainable style we can all relate to. To see more images and designer descriptions from this shoot go to:

http://www.pinksaloon.com/fashion/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=1007&mscssid=7XL5JL2WPR0V8L815T2AQ9A8JL7PF83E

As fashion trends go, there is always a place for embellishments, animal prints and interesting details. Why not give your basic blazer or cardigan a twist of style? Fashion girls everywhere embrace the word “unique” as have many designers when blazing this trail of studs. We’ve pulled some of Pink Saloon’s favorite studly finds in a variety of forms.  From handbags, blazers, t shirts, cardigans, bracelets, watches and more.

1) What silhouette will you want to dance the night away in? Something constricting, strapless, short, backless..?
2) Maybe there won’t be dancing all night yet arm candy to Mr. Wonderful or just Mr. Right Now? (because he seems better than spending New Years Eve with Ben & Jerry) What message will you be sending?
3) Do you want to be a wall flower or a walk of art? Should you go for the classic L.B.D. vs a jewel toned dress with Summer jewels draping off your neck?
4) The ever important question of doe-re-me-doe! How much are you willing to spend? Should you spend a little more for a dress with lots of wear to come or less because it is in fact simple and doesn’t really stand out? Do you want to splurge on the ultra special dress that party goers will remember for years to come…?
5) What dress makes you look the skinniest…? That one question can be the ultimate deciding factor for the vast majority of women everywhere.

Not that we ladies need any more questions to wrestle around with in our complex minds, it may not hurt to lightly ponder the above. You never know, Mr. Right Now may turn into Mr. Right? Cheers & Happy Hunting!

PINK TIPS TO HELP YOU CARE FOR YOUR JEANS

1. Get a little dirty—If you’ve bought a pair of stiff, dark raw-denim jeans, wear them for as long as possible between washes. The way you walk, sit, and the shape of your body will break them in, and the longer you go without laundering them, the more comfortable they will become. True denim connoisseurs will go for months—though they’re mostly men.

2. Keep them snug—Stretch jeans need to be washed more often. Most women’s jeans have two to four percent stretch and loosen up after a few hours of wear. If you like your jeans tight and wear them a lot, then you’ll need to wash them at least once a week to get them back to that original snug fit.

3. Be Protective—Always turn your jeans inside out when you wash them to protect the color. Use a regular liquid detergent and set the water temperature to no higher than warm. Allow raw denim or any jeans that you wear loose to air-dry. For stretch denim that needs to shrink back to size, tumble dry at high heat for about 40 minutes. Keep in mind that this drying cycle will eventually reduce the elasticity in the fabric, so if you’ve had them for a while, air-dry them most of the way and then give them a quick blast in a high-heat dryer for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Hang Out—Once they’re dry, you can hang your jeans, which helps mimic they’re natural shape when worn. You can use a belt loop at the back of the waist-band to hang them. Also, you can fold them—and lots of people do—but that causes creases.

5. Patch things up—If you find a tiny hole in your favorite pair of jeans, don’t wait until it turns into a visible tear (unless that’s your look). Buy a heat transfer patch from a fabric store and iron it onto the underside of the tear to prevent further damage. I’d also suggest hand-washing the garment from there on out; a machine cycle may exacerbate the problem.

We hope this helps any denim debacles you may have. We look forward to serving your denim desires!