All About Cameos-Style
All About Cameos
There is something about a cameo that it truly captivating. Be it the attention to fine detail, the elegance of the portraits, there is simply nothing quite as beautiful as a cameo, and they never go out of style.Cameos can be made from variety of materials, such as abalone, wood, bone, coral, ivory, agate, glass, plastic, various shell types, and layered hard stone which comes in a variety of colors.Molded cameos are usually made of glass. They usually consist of either one or two colors. Often the colors are swirled together. Glass cameos are usually quite shiny. Molded cameos are also molded from plastic. The wedgwood style cameos were made from plastic. Plastic makes a terrific imitation shell cameo.Older cameos were often made with celluloid using two colors. Occasionally, but not very often, natural materials are molded. One way to tell if a cameo is molded is to look for a roundness in the detail and a lack of sharp and precise lines. To identify glass cameos look for the presence of mold marks and ridges or dimples on the back.Shell cameos are carved from a single piece of shell. Shell is soft, so it is very easy to carve. Shell cameos are usually two colors. Shell cameos have a thin concave back, with the exception of abalone and mother of pearl which are usually flat on the back and somewhat thicker. Coral Cameos are usually a single color, and also have a flat back.Agate cameos are carved with the same technique that shell cameos are carved. Agate has one main advantage, because the carver is able to see the layers of color from the side and knows that these layers will basically be flat.Stone is much harder to carve. A good hard stone cameo is often under carved at the junction where the portrait meets the flat plaque. At a quick glance stone often looks like an applied cameo, however upon closer examination one can determine it to be stone.Amber Cameos are rather new to the market place. Amber cameos are carved from natural amber with the reverse intaglios being hand carved.Practice will make it easier to tell molded cameos from carved cameos: Usually natural materials are carved, while glass and plastic materials are normally molded but could be carved though not very likely. Molded cameos can be two colors by the simple device of pouring one color into the mold in a thin layer and then following with a thicker layer of another color.If you are buying for value distinguishing the type of cameo could be very important. However, if you are buying because you simply "love" the piece, then determining the type of cameo and the value are not nearly as important.We suggest if you are purchasing a cameo because you want to add it to your jewelry wardrobe then choose what your heart falls for, just be certain you are not overpaying for what you are getting.Cameos make a wonderful fashion statement! And they never go out of style.Sher from Estate Jewelry International has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing fashion, jewelry, and wedding help. Please visit us at http://www.estatejewelryinternational.com/
Handbag and Purse Trends 2005-Style
Handbag and Purse Trends 2005
Handbags are becoming the most popular fashion accessory on the market. The popularity of handbags (especially in the last year) has taken everyone by storm including handbag manufacturers. There are so many styles and trends available on the market right now and the average woman now owns at least 3 purses. You can make the same outfit look completely different just by changing your handbag. If you are interested in handbags and would like to know the latest styles and trends for this summer, fall and winter, keep reading and you will find out everything you need to know.These are the latest handbag trends and styles:
Big ? Handbags used to be fairly small and you could barely fit all the things you needed in them but the lately the style is the bigger the better. When I say big handbags I mean handbags that look like overnight bags. Big handbags are not only in style because of the way they look but also because they are very practical and you can fit a large amount of stuff in one bag. You can even fit your lunch it in when you go to work. Big handbags are also available with little handbags to go inside or on their own. The smaller versions are great for bars and parties.Colors ? Traditionally blacks, browns and beiges were practically the only color deemed suitable for handbags. Well, that has completely changed over the past few years and handbags are now all about colors. For spring, turquoises and greens are the most popular. For fall it's all about the oranges and reds and for winter it's whites and blues. Black is still classic and very much acceptable, but colors add more personality and flare to your outfit.Fruit Prints ? If you keep up on the latest trends and styles then you will not be surprised to hear that fruit prints are in high demand right now. Many celebrities like Janet Jackson, Hilary Duff and Christina Milian have been seen sporting these prints and the trend has only seen the first glimpse of what is expected to come. Cherries are the most popular fruit prints on the market however apples, strawberries, peaches and many other forms of fruit have also made their mark on many handbag designs.Multiple Prints ? Multiple prints were popular a couple decades ago and are coming back into style as we speak. Multiple prints means a mix of any two (or more) prints, like a zebra print mixed with a leopard print. Individuals who are confident in themselves and who like to be noticed will opt for these types of handbags over all others.Accessories ? A handbag is an accessory in itself, however there are many ways to accessorize handbags as well. Handbags with jewels, buckles, zippers and other added details are very popular right now. Diamonds and other metallic detailing are in high demand as well, possibly from the hype which celebrities create over these types of handbags. A handbag can be easily "spruced up" by adding a few cool accessories.
Now that you know the latest trends and styles, picking out a handbag will be easy. Just remember it's not all about what's on the inside of the handbag, it's how the handbag looks on the outside that counts.Cathy Feldman is an avid purse enthusiast who has more handbags than she can count. She has become complete addicted to name brand bags and enjoys sharing her knowledge as a contributing editor of http://www.designerhandbags101.com - a site that offers information about designer purses, leather purses, coach purses and more.
Fashion Marketing 101-Style
Fashion Marketing 101
In a nutshell, fashion marketing is a profession that takes the latest trends and designs in clothing and communicates them to a target market in such a way that the consumer is not only aware of the product, but wants to and ultimately does buy the product. A target market is a sector of the consumer market to which a company wishes to sell (i.e. market) its clothing. To fully know what fashion marketing is, it is important to understand that marketing does not stop at ads in magazines or commercials on TV. The world of marketing is just as dynamic as the world of fashion. Marketing clothing includes elements such as determining which stores the apparel should be sold in, what price the clothing should be sold for-all the way to how the in-store displays should look. Fashion marketers often are as savvy about business as they are about fashion and popular culture.Fashion marketers are creative. At the core, the profession is about connecting with the image-the lifestyle-the consumer wants. For example, in the fashion industry, comfort, style, material, color, symmetry, and usability are just the beginning of a list of elements designers must consider when developing a line of clothing. Fashion marketers take the task a step further by determining the best way to promote the characteristics of the clothing to the consumer and to which group of consumers to promote it to. What a 65 year-old female is looking for from a piece of formal eveningwear is completely different from what a 21 year-old male wants from casual everyday wear. Consequently, fashion marketers must stay abreast with the latest fashions as well as know what styles will be successful for a variety of occasions, age groups and demographics.Fashion marketers play an essential role within the fashion industry because they are the link between designers and the public. The success of a line of clothing does not rest solely on its design. Often, successful marketing is just as crucial, if not more so, to the line as the actual clothing itself. This is because marketing is the tool through which the designer identifies with the public, and the public identifies with the designer. Without this exchange, it would be difficult to establish the consumer base required to have a successful line of clothing.Ultimately, fashion marketing is a fun profession-changing and reinventing itself just as often as the clothes it promotes. It integrates the artistic nature of fashion with the creative aspects of business-making for a highly rewarding career to the ambitious and innovative.Amie Pronowski writes about style topics such as fashion marketing.