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Forigner idea to Angkor wat
I'd been looking forward to checking out the Angkor temples for quite some time. The temples are known as the 8th wonder of the world for good reason. The whole area is massive. On my first day in Siem Reap myself and Niels rented mountain bikes and made our way to Angkor. We had no idea how huge an area the temples covered. It took us 45 minutes to cycle between some of the temples. The heat and humidity didn't help either. We still managed to check out 5 temples over the course of a long day that lasted from 10 in the morning until sunset. The most famous temple is Angkor Wat. It took us quite a while to walk around the biggest religous building in the world. Incredible to think some of these buildings are one thousand years old. After Angkor Wat we cycled out to Ta Prohm, made famous by Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider. This temple has a number of huge tress growing inside and around it. The roots wrap themselves around the buildings like snakes. This temple was made all the more authentic by the fact that it was literally falling apart. There are huge stones piled in certain areas, just left where they have fallen. We checked out some smaller temples along the way which were equally as impressive. The sun setting on Angkor Wat as we cycled home is something I will never forget.
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
The next day Chris from Boston arrived in Siem Reap. I wanted to give Angkor another visit so we rented a tuk tuk to take us around the temples. We got to see a few temples that were a little further away this way.
1-Angkor Wat
1-Angkor Wat
From Siem Reap I had planned on going straight into Laos. This is a particularly difficult route to take however so I decided to go through Thailand instead. I'm going to make my way to Bangkok before getting a train up north to Chiang Mai.
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Australian dress style
While Australia has no single uniform national costume, an Australian national dress style, based on specific local dress styles, has emerged in response to climate, lifestyle and identity. This is reflected in the modern design of dress by emerging and established designers which incorporate particular defining elements.
An Australian style can be seen clearly in the main types of local dress: bushwear and swimwear, along with Australiana and Indigenous designs. These have been formed by a larrikin attitude, the qualities of mateship and the dictates of an outdoors lifestyle. Dress is also characterised by the migrant experience and the process of cultural borrowing, which is part of the unique history of Australia.
Presenting Australian national dress on the international stage depends upon what localised style is being represented. It is a question of authenticity about Australian culture and identity.
Local dress styles
Sally Smith Designs.
Sally Smith Designs. Image courtesy of Vogue Australia.
Australian local dress styles are different from Australia's fashions. Dress has been influenced by the experience of living in rugged country as well as modern leisure activities such as swimming, surfing and beach culture. This is reflected in different fabrics, such as moleskin and drill cotton, developed for more practical wear.
The cut, cloth and style of beachwear and bushwear have been adapted to localised street dress, as have the colours of the Australian landscapes, flora and fauna to the extent that there is a recognisable national dress style. The creation of a national dress style reflecting on the outdoor beach experience and the native flora in the Sydney Botanic Gardens are used, for example, by dress designer Sally Smith, as inspiration for her dress designs as recognisably authentic modern Australian dress.
Surf board shorts have been adopted successfully as dress across Australia. If you move from the beach to the bush, then clothing is usually adapted to follow suit. A test of how far inland you could travel from the beach wearing only brief racing bathers, though, is only a bus ride from Bondi to the central business district in Sydney. (The Chaser, ABC 2007). The closer you get to the bush, the more likely you are to be wearing tough clothes, a felt hat and elastic-sided boots, as well as adopting a language of mateship and equality.
Stockmen, diggers and aviatrices - bushwear and its influence
In the 1930s, the image of the squatter's daughter and the aviatrix model helped construct the female bush figure. Trousers were adopted by the squatters' daughters and the aviatrix, and this contributed to trousers becoming a popular icon of modern Australian women. In the 1940s, women's experience in war time, including their contribution to the Women's Land Army, cemented the popularity of trousers for Australian women.
Freda Thompson (1906-1980), Pictured here in 1934 just before take off at Lympne Airport when she became the first Australian woman to fly solo from England to Australia
Unknown photographer, Freda Thompson (1906-1980), Pictured here in 1934 just before take off at Lympne Airport when she became the first Australian woman to fly solo from England to Australia, 1934. Courtesy of National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame.
Fletcher Jones cemented the popularity of well-made smart trousers for men based on rigorous Italian tailoring and staff-owned factories and outlets.
In response to the colonial bush experience, Australian dress developed by stockmen and diggers was a preference for tough cotton drill or khaki pants or shorts, worsted wool coats or vests, oilskin coats, rabbit-fur felt hats and elastic-sided work or riding boots.
Today, these items are sold not only by bush outfitters like R.M. Williams, Baxter Boots and Akubra (hats), but also by dress companies such as Rivers, Colorado and Jeanswest. An advertisement by R.M. Williams promotes a national dress costume as: grazier shirt, solid-hide work belt, oilskin coat, Akubra hat, moleskin jeans and elastic-sided boots (R.M. Williams 2000).
This localised dress based on bushwear was adopted by the Australian Prime Minister as a form of Australia's national dress to be worn by world leaders attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 2007.
Goddess swimmers and surfers - swimwear and surf culture
Annette Kellerman
Unknown photographer, Annette Kellerman. Courtesy of National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame and National Film and Sound Archive: 558337-5.
Since Federation, champion swimmers have been icons for the Australian body. A modern-day Venus worshipped around the world for her beautiful body and boldness, Annette Kellerman (1886 - 1975) was a distance swimmer, diver, and theatrical performer known as the 'Australian Mermaid'. Annette Kellerman shocked the world in 1907 by wearing a man's bathing costume that clung tightly to her torso and left her legs, arms and neck bare. In arguing her case in a Boston USA court, Kellerman stated that she was being practical rather than provocative and said that otherwise she 'may as well be swimming in chains'.
Subsequently, Kellerman designed and marketed the first modern one-piece swimsuit for women. Annette Kellerman greatly influenced public attitudes toward the female body. Kellerman published books instructing women on beauty and physical fitness, and lectured on health and exercise throughout Europe and America. Kellerman's own 'ideal' physique personified a new aesthetic of natural female beauty, one that valued athleticism and unadorned bodily display. In this way she was a trailblazer for the 'new woman' (Powerhouse Museum 2000/66/34).
Paula Stafford (right) with her creations, Surfers Paradise.
Unknown photographer, Paula Stafford (right) with her creations, Surfers Paradise, c. 1950. Courtesy of The Courier-Mail.
It was not until after the Second World War, however, that the image of the bronzed swimmer became popular with large-scale migration of people with Mediterranean, Eurasian and Melanesian skins.
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Canadian dress style
The Canadian Dress
Theories on how it came into being and how to make one for yourself.
We'll start with the wonderful John Dawson picture on pages 10 and 11 of Fort Vancouver: Official National Park Handbook. aka Handbook 113, which is produced by the Division of Publications, Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
It's where I started.
The woman just to the left of centre, in the red top and the light blue skirt, is wearing a Canadian Dress. She is surrounded with a fair representation of the people who one might find at a Hudson's Bay Company fur fort of the mid 1800s, from the Hawaiian man on the far left to the Aboriginal man on the far right, and the sailors, Scots, Orkneymen, French-Canadian, Canadian French, Irish, and English, in between. The fellow in the top hat, frockcoat, and tan trousers is Dr, John McLoughlin, chief trader at Fort Vancouver in 1845.
The first time I saw the Canadian Dress, I knew I had to make one for myself. As my main persona is Métisse --Métisse being a woman of both Aboriginal and European ancestry-- and the Canadian Dress at that half way mark between Aboriginal and European, I felt it would be the perfect match.
I drew a rough pattern for the skirt and bodice -- I already had the leggings.
Then a friend popped up with a pattern for it, taken from a book called Feminine Fur Trade Fashions by Kathryn J Wilson and James Austin Hanson, showing it to be a one piece garment. (Thank you, Midori).
The text that goes with the Feminine Fur Trade Fashions pattern, says and I quote,
"The Canadians under the direction of the Hudson's Bay Company's noted leader Peter Skene Ogden, invaded American trapper's domain several times, once trapping as far south as Mexico. One reason for the Canadians' success was that the HBC men took their wives with them. The trappers were more responsible to their commitments to the Company and to the brigade, and the women made camp life and travel more pleasant.
"This dress was a popular style among the Indians and mixed bloods on the Canadian frontier. Sew the the bodice pieces together as indicated by letters. The underarms should be slit and gussets added to facilitate movement. The neckline, wrists, bodice back and hemline are bound with contrasting bias fabric or braid.
"One width of the skirt should make the front and two widths, the back (back is twice as full as front). Sew front skirt to bodice and back skirt to skirt band. Bodice back is gathered in on the outside of the skirt band.
"These dresses were always made of wool, and favorite colors were dark blue, light blue, and scarlet. A scarf of contrasting fabric covers the bosom at the neckline."
The pattern pieces are bodice front, bodice back, two gussets, and a waist band. On reading the bit about wool, I balked a bit. I have the kind of metabolism that makes wool garments of ANY kind superfluous in all but the coldest weather. Since most of the events I attend are in the summer months, wool was Right Out, and I started wondering if a heavy cotton might work.
Something to keep in mind as you create your Historic Wardrobe is the vintage of the items in your contemporary wardrobe. Just today I had to send away a pair of shoes that I bought some 26 years ago -- not because they were not longer in fashion (quite the opposite they are now BACK in fashion) but because my feet are just that much too wide to wear them anymore. I still have clothing that I wear from 70s, 80s, and 90s; my personal style preference is a mélange of 70s and 80s. It's now 2004.
Historically, as today, there are people who keep up with the latest fashions. Every year, these folks clean their closets and drawers out and refill them with the latest up to date fashions. Then, as now, one needed to be of a certain social standing and income level to do this more than once.
Some folks keep the clothes they like and feel comfortable in, and the Devil with The Latest Fashions.
And very many more folks fit somewhere in between these two extremes.
So.
One thing to decide for your Historic self is where that self fits in. For me it was easy. My Métisse, Mary Isabelle Huston, wears what's comfortable and what she can afford. Until I saw the Canadian Dress, I was content to let Mary have a maroon gingham 1850 work dress, and a un-bleached linen T-tunic and skirt made from the scrap from the work dress. There's two pair of leggings, one made from scraps of a vintage HBC blanket with pale green trim, another pair made from emerald green wide-wale corduroy with bright yellow trim, and a couple loudly stripped apron with huge pockets.
Both outfits work, for Mary, for a time span between 1850 and 1870.
Then came Brigade at Fort Vancouver. The year is 1845. I felt a bit odd wearing the 1850 work dress, but, I felt it was better than the top and skirt.
About this same time another friend was weeding out her kit and gifted me with a couple 18th century heavy cotton petticoats, one in red and one on navy blue, with pre-cut ruffles for the red one and un-cut blue fabric for the other. (Thank you, Barbara) I put the red petticoat on as a skirt over the work dress. The next day, I wore the blue one.
An idea sparked.
As Feminine Fur Trade Fashions pointed out, dark blue was one of the favourite colours the Canadian Dress. I had the skirt, all I needed was a top.
A trip to the local Value Village yielded enough scarlet duck (heavy, square weave cotton) to make a top. I spent an evening with butcher paper, measuring tape, pencil, and a thrift-store sheet, to create the actual pattern pieces needed (I used to laugh at those who made things out of an old sheet first --often referred to as "making a muslin"-- but not anymore).
But when I got to the part about joining the top to the bottom, I came up against a rather substantial wall: to get the fit shown in both the above picture as well as the drawing that comes with the Feminine Fur Trade Fashions pattern, there needed to be an opening of some sort somewhere.
One friend suggested that if it had been made of wool it would stretch enough to get it on and off. Maybe, but Me and Wool and Summer Weather was not going to happen, so, instead, I made it a two piece outfit.
The first thing I noticed right away is that this is a really comfortable outfit. The underarm gussets give one a full range of motion, and the top doesn't creep up. The second thing I noticed was that I cut the sleeves a bit too long, and because they are what's called a Coat Sleeve, they were just a bit too tight at the cuff to push up out of the way while working -- as the women who worn them historically would have had to do. Not a lot of leisure time for the average Métisse, nor servants to do the work for her.
A Métis woman --unless she were a Mrs. John McLoughlin or Mrs. James Douglas-- needed durable clothing that she could work in.Download Here
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French dress style
"French Style - How to Think, Shop and Dress Like a French Woman" was published by Express (the clothing store) in 1993. The book design is unusual. It is a an oversized 10" by 9" soft cover book with a stiff book jacket cover making it a cross between a hard cover and soft cover book.
The text is illustrated with line drawings and a number of photographs (mostly black and white). It helps you learn to THINK like a French woman. It will help you learn to make the decisions a French woman would when shopping, dressing, playing and more.
French woman are known for their chic appearance and attitude. Within these pages Vienne who was born and raised in France conveys what it is that makes the French woman so stylish. She begins by looking to the past. A look at how the French fashion evolved. Then she shares the purebred classics that make the French look - items such as the supreme black turtleneck, hermes scarf, red gloves etc.
Vienne encourages you to "epater les bourgeois" that is shock say a French matron. Here is where you wear things that will raise the eyebrow such as a sweater turned inside out, sunglasses in the rain etc. As Vienne says "you cannot have style without breaking the rules". Take what you have and add little twists to make it special and give it style.
In the States we dress "appropriately" in France a French woman will push buttons - be surprising and fresh.
Vienne gives a list of "do's" and "don'ts" and she gets into "Le Shopping". Armed with more attitude than cash the French woman will use her wits and savvy to find the very best.
Like the design itself this book is very unusual. Not your usual dress like this fare. This is a book that goes beyond the obvious of what is style and helps explain the mystery of how to make style yours.
French style is not a trend, it's a way of life. A way of thinking and feeling. Veronique captures that in this book!Download Here
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American dress style
No suit of the early 60s is more famous or better remembered than that worn by Jacqueline Kennedy on November 22, 1963. She had been given bad weather reports. The Chanel pink suit was wool and thus uncomfortably warm on a hot Dallas day. She wore her signature pillbox hat which had become all the rage. By the way, it was Mrs. Kennedy's hats which gave Halston his first serious public exposure as back then, he was a milliner.
Jackie was only 33 years old when she became First Lady, the youngest ever. During her brief tenure in the White House, she brought an elegance to dressing, a style to American life. Unlike her predecessors, she wore European couture dresses, but this presented political problems. She needed to dress in American designs more often. Eventually she found her way to Oleg Cassini, a French-born Russian turned naturalized American. Cassini gave her Americanized versions of French designs, clean lined, in the bright, solid colors she preferred, but with oversize buttons and coat pockets that his Hollywood experience told him would stand out in photographs.
Jackie's trademarks were the boxy jackets and pillbox hats, the three-quarter-length sleeves, the lace mantillas, the overblouse dresses and the sleeveless A-lines.Download Here
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Chinese Dresses style
Welcome to Chinese Dresses, Home to Beautiful and Authentic Chinese Dresses from China!
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Japanes and Korea style
High quality, competitive price, latest design and excellent service are our advantages.
Welcome clients to cooperate with us. We will try our best to meet your requirements in order to build the long standing relationship with you.
Also, we can produce them as your specification.
Your samples are welcomed.
(OEM and ODM orders are acceptable.)
Furthermore, we can offer a variety of clothes, such as childrens wear, ladies wear, suit, coat, dress, jacket, jean, blouse, sweater, shirt & T-shirt, sportswear, waistcoat, vest & top, underwear, leather garment and all kinds of clothing accessories.
We have been a leading manufacturer and exporter of clothes in China.
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how to create desire of sex
"Loose-fitted track pants are not flattering for the feminine form. Adding a glamour quotient to your gym wear has its own utility, as it adds to the whole experience of a well earned work out. Looking good is feeling good. Sport jackets and slim track pants looks trendy. Being sexy doesn't only mean showing skin, so make sure you dress in accordance to your vital statistics to avoid being a sight for sore eyes in office," recommends designer Falguni Peacock.
Designer Nisha Jamvwal asserts, "Glamour with fitness is very essential and you actually perform better because you feel good and look sexy. A sense of adventure in your workout clothes makes all the difference. Tuxedo styled sleeveless tops with hot pants look amazing while working out."
Rina Dhaka adds, "When you wear fitted, fashion-driven and modern outfits to the gym, it motivates you to get into shape so that you can flaunt the sexy side of yourself with panache. Shorts that are a bit loose on the body or 3-quarter track pants teamed with tank tops and a hooded jacket make a sexy mixture. Make sure your hair is pulled back.
Cashing in on the fitness revolution, several fitness brands like Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Nautica, Gant etc are designing workout outfits that allow women to continue their rigorous exercise sessions while looking super stylish. Bollywood style icon Bipasha Basu has in fact also worked in close association with a team of designers for a leading fitness brand to create a fitness line especially for women, making sure the collection combines style and comfort in the right ingredients.
Designer Manav Gangwani opines, "Right from your outfit, shoes to your tresses, everything decides how hot you're looking during a workout session. Only wearing tight stuff won't make you look good. Even longer T-shirts and stretch outfits can bring in a level of comfort, which I think is the main key for any kind of workout."
Making a point for over sized women, Nisha adds, "Do not wear tight-fitted clothes, if you are over weight; it will make you look even more obese. Make sure that whatever you wear goes well with your body shape. Even longer tees that cover your butt area would make you look apt for the gym."Download Here
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Lessons From Indian
"Loose-fitted track pants are not flattering for the feminine form. Adding a glamour quotient to your gym wear has its own utility, as it adds to the whole experience of a well earned work out. Looking good is feeling good. Sport jackets and slim track pants looks trendy. Being sexy doesn't only mean showing skin, so make sure you dress in accordance to your vital statistics to avoid being a sight for sore eyes in office," recommends designer Falguni Peacock.Designer Nisha Jamvwal asserts, "Glamour with fitness is very essential and you actually perform better because you feel good and look sexy. A sense of adventure in your workout clothes makes all the difference. Tuxedo styled sleeveless tops with hot pants look amazing while working out."
Rina Dhaka adds, "When you wear fitted, fashion-driven and modern outfits to the gym, it motivates you to get into shape so that you can flaunt the sexy side of yourself with panache. Shorts that are a bit loose on the body or 3-quarter track pants teamed with tank tops and a hooded jacket make a sexy mixture. Make sure your hair is pulled back."
Cashing in on the fitness revolution, several fitness brands like Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Nautica, Gant etc are designing workout outfits that allow women to continue their rigorous exercise sessions while looking super stylish. Bollywood style icon Bipasha Basu has in fact also worked in close association with a team of designers for a leading fitness brand to create a fitness line especially for women, making sure the collection combines style and comfort in the right ingredients.
Designer Manav Gangwani opines, "Right from your outfit, shoes to your tresses, everything decides how hot you're looking during a workout session. Only wearing tight stuff won't make you look good. Even longer T-shirts and stretch outfits can bring in a level of comfort, which I think is the main key for any kind of workout."
Making a point for over sized women, Nisha adds, "Do not wear tight-fitted clothes, if you are over weight; it will make you look even more obese. Make sure that whatever you wear goes well with your body shape. Even longer tees that cover your butt area would make you look apt for the gym."
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How to wear clothes for each day of week
For special occasions, men wear a light coloured shirt and coloured trousers. Women wear a silk sampot with matching hol (a type of shirt). In the evenings they often wear a phamuong or hol which is a silk dress with intricate patterns at the hem. They choose their sampot to match the traditional colour for the day of the week when the event is held.
1- Sunday: Red
2- Monday: Orange
3- Tuesday: Violet
4- Wednesday: Greenish yellow
5- Thursday: Green
6-Friday: Dark blue
7- Saturday: Dark purple
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