Stylemap Articles

Technological innovations in synthetics include developing enhanced performance fibres; developing conductive yarns to enable wearable electronics and introducing sensors into fabrics to create interactive and functional materials for sport and health.

In the 1990s, minimalist and deconstructivist designers were inspired by linen's naturalness and simplicity, with avant-garde European designers such as Anne Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten, as well as Japanese designers, such as Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto using the fabric creatively in their designs.

In the 1930s, long bias-cut silk gowns with low draping backs were a popular evening dress, as worn by Hollywood stars such as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, on camera. Couture designers, such as Norman Hartnell, created show stopping evening gowns and bridal dresses from silk.

Clans pleaded loyalty to Scottish Estate owners and in Highland tradition, chiefs supplied their retainers with garments in the local clan tartan. By the nineteenth Century, many short-of-cash Highland landlords, sold or rented their country estates to English nobles, who organised hunting, shooting and fishing parties. Guests were provided with robust tweed suiting and coats for their outdoor pursuits.

By the late seventeenth Century, a sturdy fabric called 'Serge de Nimes' (twill from Nimes) was created by the weavers of Nimes, attempting to replicate the original Genoese fabric. 'De Nimes' became the shortened descriptor for what we now call denim.

Angora Wool: comes from the angora rabbit and is known for its softness, silky texture, light fluffiness and thin fibres. Although the angora rabbits moult their fur up to three times a year (when they are plucked or sheared) PETA investigations found abuse of the rabbits, especially on farms in China, which supplies 90% of the world's angora.

Today, the largest producer, importer and consumer of cotton is China, particularly the Xinjiang region, with nearly 300 million people involved in its production.

Psychological Style Analysis provides a chance to consider the more intangible aspects of how you style and present yourself.

Many body type enthusiasts recognise David Kibbe's body typing system from his initial book, 'Metamorphosis' (1987) and have attempted to identify their 'Kibbe type.'

This is an online service where I create your precise, personalised colour palette using advanced colour theory and analysis of your skin, hair and eye tones to determine your ideal depth, brightness, contrast and colour hues.

Being conscious of brands that utilise recycled materials, organic cotton or are local produced is a positive step...

By utilising plant-based or synthetic materials, vegan leather can achieve a comparable quality to traditional leather...

...our demand for cheap cotton is leading to soil degradation and preventing bio-diversity in the eco-systems where it is grown.

Currently, the world population stands at 8 billion and annually consumes approximately 62 million tonnes of clothing...

You may find your current wardrobe overwhelming and needs organising... Your current clothing may be unsuitable for your new phase of life.

Another strategy, when building your core wardrobe, is to pay attention to 'mega-trends' rather than fleeting 'micro-trends'...

Trends come and go in popularity in a cycle referred to as the 'fashion cycle'...

Research indicates that higher body confidence among plus-size individuals contributes to increased sales particularly when influenced by...

During the ancient Greek era (500-300 BC), ordinary people worshipped the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus...

In the 1920s, taupes and neutral brown tones were incorporated into Art Deco fashion to achieve an elegant, sophisticated and luxurious...

By the 1990s, the minimalist trend embraced grey in clothing and interiors, creating a somber and sophisticated, yet universal, fashion...

Violet symbolises the 'Sahasrara' crown chakra situated at the crown of the head, visually representing our spiritual essence...

In medieval Europe, green symbolised Springtime, when royal courts mandated the wearing of leafy crowns...

Saffron, a yellow-orange hue and the most expensive spice globally, was traditionally used to dye Buddhist robes their symbolic colour...