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Men seldom shop, we all know that. They spend less time looking around for clothes and they’re the type that settles for what they see first, unlike women who go around the stalls checking every style available. When it comes to dressing up though, men and women are in equal footing. Both exert more effort in looking good especially when attending important gatherings and events. While women’s fashion can change from season to season based on colors, cuts, and fabrics, men’s are somewhat more constant with just a little variation.

The most detail that details can go in men’s formal or corporate fashion is the tie and the cufflinks. Cufflinks are like earrings to women: small, but can make such a strong statement about one’s personality. Cufflinks are worn with French cuff shirts. These are shirts that have holes at the end of the sleeves where you put the cufflinks to hold the sleeves together. There are three kinds of cuffs: plain, angle cut, or round corner. Small as they may be, they grab attention and can give you a lot of class. They come in gold, silver, or there are even colored ones. There is also a rule when it comes to wearing them: technically it should match the color of your belt buckle or wristwatch. Other men’s fashion stylebook does not recommend wearing cufflinks when there is already a bracelet on. Different occasions also require proper cufflinks. There are those that are made for formal occasions (i.e. wedding, business meetings, funerals) but cufflinks also have a playful side. They have themes that can match a personality, like sports, music, and many more. Men who wear cufflinks all agree that it does make give them more confidence and attitude. Although just like in women’s accessories, the cufflinks should not be the center of the wardrobe. It should only add drama, accentuate or complement the entire wardrobe.

Even though the fashion world evolves even faster than the world does, classics certainly never go away. No matter what kind of fabric, style, or cut emerges, accessories such as cufflinks remain stylish. It is a hit or miss piece of fashion: when done correctly it gives you a lot of class; when done the wrong way, it will definitely ruin your wardrobe, not to mention your image.

But clueless men out there need not be intimidated with these little cufflinks. There are many online fashion tutorials for men who are clueless with what these are and its purposes. The rules are endless, so just find one that you think is right and follow it. Also don’t be afraid to ask maybe your father or grandfather, because now that fashion has become modernized the younger generations do not know classic fashion. It will also not hurt for women to learn men’s fashion. It’s never too late for anyone – male or female – to learn the dos and don’ts of fashion. After all, these are not just trends, dressing up properly is considered social etiquette.

Fashion need not be intimidating or confusing. Just let your individual style show and give it a lot of class.

Body piercing has become wildly popular as a bold fashion statement. However, there are numerous risks involved with these procedures and it is crucial that you take the proper precautions before engaging in any non-traditional piercing.

It’s one thing to have your ears pierced. Our earlobes are less sensitive to infection, and easier to clean and maintain than many other regions of the body.

But body piercing is a whole new ballgame, so to speak. To avoid severe infection, serious injury, and even Hepatitis C, it’s vital that you take this decision seriously and proceed with caution.

There have also been numerous reports of moderate to serious injury occurring during piercing procedures. Especially when jewelry is being inserted into the genitals, it only takes a slight inaccuracy to cause significant damage.

Even if the piercing procedure goes well and no infection occurs, there are still risks to consider. For instance, a 19-year-old man in the U.S. suffered a severely damaged urethra when a car accident ripped a small ring out of its resting place; the fellow’s doctor says he’ll have difficulty urinating for the rest of his life.

First of all, despite the proliferation of piercing studios all across North America, Europe, and Australia, very few service providers have actually undergone any formal training or licensing procedures. While certainly great skill can be achieved through informal practice, you are well within your rights to ask where and for how long any prospective piercing specialist learned his or her trade.

It’s also a great idea to obtain references for a service provider. Talk with a few previous customers to be sure the procedure was performed without complication, both during the piercing process and in the following weeks.

And take the time to do a few online searches about the different material used to make body jewelry. Some metals and materials are safer than others for a variety of reasons.

For example, some raw material is intended for use with existing piercings and should not be used for initial penetration. Also, certain materials are more conducive to the healing process, while others will tarnish and cause irritation when exposed to bodily fluids.

The individual performing your piercing may or may not know these things! It is ultimately your responsibility to take care of your own body, so you need to do the proper research and be sure the jewelry that will be used in your piercing is appropriate.

In addition to the basic health concerns above, you need to take some time to be sure you really want the added responsibility of carrying a foreign object in your body on a long-term basis. Let’s face it: having a metal bar inserted through your nipple is going to be a potential hazard if you are involved in a fall, auto accident, or even a crowded concert where people are brushing up against you!

Body piercing can enhance your natural beauty when done tastefully. But it can also cause unnecessary problems when approached irresponsibly.

Before going through with your new piercing, be mature enough to consider all possibilities and take the basic precautions in this article.

For more information and to discover the secrets to safe, clean body piercings check out Body Piercing Risks

There’s been a growing interest in tattoos lately,and Celtic tattoo designs are no exception. Celtic tattoos have become a favorite design choice. It is no secret why these are so popular. They are oftentimes done in blackened color with lots of shading and the symbols used are intricate and beautiful. It’s thought that Celtic tattoo designs trace their origins back to a clan that inhabited the British Isles called the Picts. Just about all historians think that the Picts tattooed themselves by puncturing their skin with red-hot tools to produce complex and permanent artwork on their body. Later on, they began to using a blue pigment derived from the leaves of a native plant.

The designs created by the Picts began to have a mysterious religious and symbolic significance. Celtic artwork and symbolism embodied a mix of Druid and Christian religions. The Celts didn’t have a printed language and alternatively communicated their customs and beliefs by word of mouth. Once the first Christian missionaries arrived to the British Isles they established written communication within the Celtic culture. At the same time the monks adopted many of the active Celtic beliefs, and symbols into the Christian religion. This was done in order to bridge the gap between the Druid beliefs and those of the Christians. A great deal of this work was saved by the Christian monks in the “Books Of Kells” which is today housed at Trinity College in Ireland. Therefore the early tattoo designs of the Picts evolved over time and blended with Christian beliefs to form what we know of as Celtic artwork today. The Celtic Cross and Shamrock are two such designs that have survived the test of time.

The Meaning Behind Celtic Symbols

The Celtic Knot

Most Celtic artwork starts with a common knot design. These are attractive knots of interlaced lines that cross over one another repeatedly to produce an exquisite design. These knots don’t have a start or an end they are simply a perpetual knot that goes on eternally. These interwoven lines are thought to symbolize the spiritual and the physical realms of life, which become entangled with each other.

Celtic Tree Of Life Tattoo

Among the favorite themes of Celtic tattoo designs is the Tree Of Life. This in all likelihood goes back as a symbol to the Druidic religion, which was a nature, based religion. Trees frequently symbolize life, growing from a seed into a tree much like a person grows from a child into an adult. Trees are often seen as a life giving plant and are venerated in many naturalistic faiths. There is also an association with Christianity in the Adam and Eve story in which Eve eats the fruit from a tree.

The Celtic Cross Tattoo

Among the most popular and most lasting Celtic designs is the Celtic Cross. The symbolism here is obviously Christian and comes from Jesus on the cross. These are beautiful crosses done with interlacing lines of Celtic knots.

Celtic Heart Tattoos

Another favorite Celtic design theme is a heart. Celtic heart tattoos are once again intertwined knot work in the shape of a heart. Generally done in black color only but can also be done in color. These are exquisite designs and make great tattoos. These are particularly popular among women.

More Symbols Include:

Anchor: Steadfastness

Bell: Weddings, Anniversaries.

Chain Links: Linking of Lives, # of children, Years together.

Cross: Faith, Marriage.

Diamond: Wealth, Good Fortune.

Dragon: Symbol of Wales, Protection.

Flowers: Affection or Courtship, Friendship.

Heart: Love.

Horseshoe: Good Luck and Happiness.

Key: Home

Knot: Everlasting, together forever.

Leaves: Love Grows.

Ship: Smooth passage through life.

Vine: Love Grows.

Wheel: Willingness to work for a loved one.

Double Spoons: The Couple Together Forever.

Triple Spoons: Family.

For more information and photos please visit my Squidoo Lens. There is also a Hubpage for more designs and articles

Making the beautiful, luxurious pashmina involves a painstaking process done completely by hand. The origins of the pashmina date back to ancient times. Then as now, the pashmina is made by hand. When, before, the pashmina was mostly made for the comfort and protection of the pashmina makers themselves, the pashmina products became gradually sought after by royal families, kings and emperors. The precious fabric then came to be known as the royal fibers. Today, pashmina is practically a household name, a definite staple in every fashionable woman’s closet.

The wool from which the pashmina is made is collected every spring from the mountain goat “chyangra,” which lives in the freezing mountain regions of the Himalayas. These Himalayan goats have warm winter coats which they shed during the summer, revealing two different types of wool: the fine, soft inner coat which is called the pashmina, and the thick, outer layer. The wool is then gathered by local woman, who must comb it thoroughly to separate the pashmina from the thicker outer wool. Each goat actually produces only about 80 grams of pashmina, so just one woven pashmina shawl would need about three to four goats.

Each shawl is carefully spun by hand, with yarn spun on a spinning wheel known as the “charkha”. After being spun, the pashmina yarn is ready for weaving. Pashmina yarn is too fragile for power looms, so the weaving of authentic pashmina shawls is done on hand-looms. Spinning by hand is more complicated than it sounds. Prior to spinning, the raw material is stretched and cleaned to remove residue print. Afterwards it is soaked for a few days in a fusion of rice and water to make it softer. Hand-spinning is an extremely painstaking task. It requires immense patience, dexterity and dedication and is amazing process to watch. It is a laborious and time-consuming task, requiring tremendous dexterity, dedication and patience even from expert weavers. The weaving process, therefore, can be considered an art and a science. It is also a tradition handed down and preserved from generation to generation. Before, in the days of the Mughal Empire, pashmina making was the territory of women. Today, pashmina making is a craft shared by men and women alike.

The fringe and design of the pashmina is one of the most intriguing parts of shawl. It takes no less than a few hours to fringe each pashmina shawl, stole, scarf or blanket. Dyeing or coloring the pashmina is also done by hand. Because this involves a more thorough and meticulous process, the job is assigned to more experienced pashmina makers. The smallest negligence or the slightest mistake can spell the difference between a quality pashmina and a poor pashmina. Dyeing is done at a temperature just below the boiling point for approximately an hour, in water found beneath the surface. The wool of the pashmina is especially absorbent, dyes deeply and easily. Only natural, organic dyes such as metal and azo-free dyes, are used, which gives the pashmina an eco-friendly characteristic, not to mention a more lasting hue. With this last process, another beautiful, artful and luxurious pashmina is made.

Brenda Reese love writing, often found lazily applying lipstick in a Kyoto bar. Beauty Catalog

Dreadlocks are “HOT”, in style, and everyone from teenagers to business professionals wants them. Look around and there they are on billboards, television commercials, sitcoms, in sports, cartoons, movies, and magazine advertisements.

With the popularity of dreadlocks on the rise, you may think it is easy to adorn your head with this wonderful fashion. The process or growing or converting your hair to dreadlocks can be a long difficult process. There are still many in society who do not understand this unique hairstyle. They can make your life difficult by denying your right to have them.

Here are 15 tips you can use to prepare yourself for a life of dreadlocks:

1. Take a good look at your hair and determine its natural texture. Is it coarse, curly, or straight? This is the first and most important step. The texture of your hair will determine what method to use, if you will require chemicals, and how long the process will take.

2. Determine if you are growing dreadlocks for just a hairstyle, spiritual awakening, or to make a dramatic change in your life. Different reasons give you different processes to use for dreadlocking.

3. Understand that dreadlocks are fast becoming a prosperous business for hairstylists. You will be exposed to many types of gimmicks, quick fix methods, and unhealthy hair products.

4. If you decide to use a loctician, plan to schedule many visits and paying a fee each visit. You must revisit the loctician or hairstylist to retwist and reapply chemicals such as beeswax.

5. Educate yourself about dreadlocks. Check out books from the library, read hair-fashion magazines, and find books at your local bookstore.

6. Google such terms as “dreadlocks”, “how to grow dreadlocks”, or “natural hair” on the internet. Hundreds of informative websites and newsgroups exist that deal with dreadlocks.

7. Go to different hair salons and compare their different techniques. Make sure their prices match their environment and services.

8. Talk to those who have them. Question them about their good and bad experiences with growing dreadlocks.

9. Make your plans to grow dreadlocks known to everyone at work, home, and school. Ask them how they feel about your decision and why they feel a certain way. This action step with help you find out who you can turn to or trust if society gives you a hard time with your dreadlocks.

10. Check out the dress code at your place of employment. If possible, talk to your Human Resource department and let them know your plans. You should find out exactly where they stand on the issue.

11. Are you prepared to upgrade your skills, start a new business, or find another job if your current job cannot accept your dreadlocks?.

12. Read more books, study new things, and step outside your comfort zone. This is a great opportunity to learn how to bring positive changes into your life.

13. Do a little soul-searching through the power of prayer, meditation, using affirmation, and practicing visualization. Any one of these techniques have helped many overcome adversities in their life.

14. Get a journal and start writing your daily thoughts and feelings.

15. Listen to positive motivational audio CDs and attend uplifting seminars. The more confident you become, the easier you will welcome you new life with dreadlocks.

What is most important reason you want to grow dreadlocks? Will they be enough to keep you on the path? Before you take the leap, understand that dreadlocks are a beautiful way to express yourself but they may come at a price. Prepare yourself.

For more information on growing dreadlocks and creating a prosperous life with them visit http://www.HowToGrowDreadlocks.com

Jeffery Bradley makes easy for you to grow dreadlocks and create a prosperous successful life with them. Learn the right way to grow dreadlocks. To receive your free ebook “5 Steps to Great Dreadlocks” visit HowToGrowDreadlocks.com