Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Tiedtogreatness.org » Restoring the Male Image

Restoring the Male Image
A man’s image is one of his most alluring characteristics. In his book, Restoring the Male Image: A Look From the Inside Out, Alex Ellis aims to restore a man’s pride in his internal and external image. He encourages men to embrace the inherent style and sophistication of The Harlem Renaissance Era — a time period when men dressed with a sense of class and dignity. 

Ellis takes his readers through a series of factors to help men identify with their image and introduces a powerful acronym for the word: I=Integrity; M=Manhood; A=Authority; G=Generosity; E= Excellence. This book challenges the reader to revisit his overall image and determine whether his outward appearance reflects the greatness that lies within.

Restoring the Male Image, is also a practical resource, giving men instructions on the basics of a gentlemen’s wardrobe as well as how to appropriately dress for any occasion.  It is a must have for any man who takes his image seriously and wants to dress with the authority needed to reach his destiny.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

ALL ABOUT Shirts

How to keep your shirts looking “like new”
 
Why manufacturers' shortcuts result in defects
 
Commercial laundering is one of the best ways to give shirts that "professional crisp look."  However, a wide variety of elements influence a shirt's behavior in cleaning and use.  Some elements can be controlled by proper care procedures.  Others are actually inherent properties of the shirt that may influence cleaning success, as seen here.
 
"Disappearing" Pinstripes
 It looks lie color loss from bleach, yet a close examination of the shirt reveals that the colored yarns are missing, leaving a skeletal framework of the white yarns.  The dyes used in many brightly colored striped shirts are primarily fiber-reactive dyes.  Some sulfur dyes may also be used.  Yarns dyed with these dyes do not withstand repeated commercial laundering.  Tests have indicated that acidity affects the dyed yarns and decomposition occurs.  Research shows laundering in a commercial wash formula where the ending pH is 6.5 - 7.0 prevents the damage from occurring.
 
Discoloration of Armhole Seams
 Some manufacturers may use adhesives or other materials in the armhole seams on men's wrinkle-free dress shirts.  This material is used to prevent puckering of the armhole seams.  When this material is commercially pressed, the heat softens the material, which results in local staining and stiffness in the seams.  On white shirts, the staining will often have a yellow cast, while colored shirts may appear darker or shaded in the area.  This damage may occur after the first cleaning or may not show up until after later cleaning and pressing.

In most cases, prevention of this damage is not possible since it cannot be identified prior to cleaning.  The damage has usually been seen on wrinkle-free shirts made with a cotton/polyester blend.  Some of these shirts are labeled wrinkle-free, while many others advertised as wrinkle-free even though they don't have a permanent label identifying them as such.
 
Perspiration & Antiperspirant Damage
 Perspiration, if allowed to stay in a shirt, will eventually stain and weaken the fabric, allowing the weakened area to be damaged during washing.  Aluminum chlorides found in antiperspirants also will weaken the fibers under the arm.  Controlled use of antiperspirants and frequent washing immediately after wear may minimize this type of damage.
 
Interfacing Defects
 Puckering and excess fabric in the shirt collar after laundering can be due to shrinkage of the interfacing in the collar.  The manufacturer must select an interfacing that is compatible with the shirt fabric.
 A mottled gray or shiny look on the collar and cuffs occurs when excess adhesive is used to fuse the interfacing.  The excess adhesive softens in pressing and penetrates the outer fabric of the collar and cuffs.  This can be prevented by the correct selection of an adhesive that is compatible with commercial laundering.
 Some interfacings on shirts react adversely to chlorine bleach.  Laundries often use other oxygen-type bleaches that do not react with chlorine-retentive resins.  If chlorine bleach is used on this type of fabric, yellowing could occur.
 
Buttons
 Buttons may crack during pressing even though the press padding is in excellent condition and correct procedures are followed.  The reason is an inherent problem in the button or the way the button was applied to the shirt.  The majority of shirt buttons are made from a polyester resin.  The strength of the button depends on the amount of polyester in the resin.
 Color, visual inclusion, chips or cracks, and uniformity of size determine the quality of a button.  Some manufacturers use less expensive, lower quality buttons to save money, but this sometimes results in higher than average breakage.
 
Fugitive Dyes
 The Care Labeling Rule states that all components in a garment must withstand the recommended care procedure.  If the dyes in a multi-colored shirt are not colorfast to water, bleeding will occur.  The dye will migrate into adjacent areas during the washing process.  This migration of the dye into surrounding areas is not acceptable unless the fabric is madras (plaid or stripe that is guaranteed to bleed).
 Some dyes dissolve in water and are partially removed during laundering.  After the first laundering, the lightening of color may be apparent, or it may be progressive and only noticeable after several care procedures.
 
Holes and Tears in Oxfords
 Tiny holes can appear at random throughout an oxford shirt.  Oxford consists of two thin warp yarns and a thicker filling yarn.  The unbalanced construction causes the thin yarns to break, leaving tiny holes.  Manufacturers can use a heavier or higher twist in the warp yarn that may prolong the life of the shirt.
 In addition, tears in oxfords can occur in the direction of the colored yarns.  This can be more evident on oxford shirts dyed with fiber-reactive dyes that have not been properly laundered or as they exceed their life expectancy.
 
Shrinkage
 Most dress shirts are difficult to shrink.  The manufacturer has already allowed for the normal 2% and progressive shrinkage requirements.  This shrinkage is usually not enough to cause a complaint.  Shrinkage beyond this is usually due to poorly stabilized materials.
 Shrinkage complaints can easily be resolved by measuring the collar and sleeve length.  Measure the collar from the end of the buttonhole to the center of the button.  Measure the sleeve length in a straight line from the center of the back of the collar at the seam to the end of the cuff.  If these measurements correspond to the shirt size, it has not shrunk.
 
Wear Life Expectancy
 Determining how long a shirt should last is difficult due to the variances in frequency of wear.  However, industry experience shows that, on average, shirts have a two-year wear life expectancy.  The number of launderings is a better measurement method.  The average shirt should have a wear life of 35 to 50 washings.  This will fluctuate depending on the amount of abrasion and strain placed on the shirt during wear, the fiber content, the type of fabric, and the laundering procedure.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Dressing with Confidence – How Dressing Affects Your Attitude and Confidence

Dressing with confidence is more than wearing the latest fashion trend, it’s about feeling good about what you’re wearing, looking poised and feeling self-assured in all situations.
Would you believe that something as simple as how you dress could affect your attitude and self-confidence? The truth is, how people dress is related in some way to how they feel. They feel first and dress later. Just think of a time when you didn’t feel well, did you want to pull out all the stops and dress smart? Not likely. You probably pulled on whatever was closest to you and dressed the way you felt – not that well.
If we change the way we dress the way we feel will change. When we are dressed well and look good we automatically feel better. When we feel good we are more likely to feel good inside, have more energy and treat others better.
You can boost your attitude, self-confidence and feel good about what you’re wearing if you:
1. Knowing the occasion
2. Know your audience
3. Know your personal style
4. Know the effects of colour
Know the Occasion
While you are standing in front of your closet give some consideration to the occasion. What you wear will depend on the event. Whether you are going to a business meeting, shopping, to church or to a gala event, what you wear should be tailored to the occasion.
A business setting can be traditional (banking, law etc.) or softly tailored (advertising, public relations, etc). The dress code for traditional business is structured, tailored clothes with straight lines and firm fabrics (suits). For softy tailored business setting, use softer lines, structured blazers and jackets, matched or unmatched tailored pants
Social occasions can include anything from a lunch with a friend to a formal event. To feel comfortable at an informal social event opt for unmatched suits, denim skirts, khaki pants and turtlenecks. Black tie means formal and white tie means ultra formal. At a black tie event men wear tuxedos and women wear cocktail or long dresses.
Know Your Audience
Your audience is the people with whom you come in contact. They can be your clients, boss and colleagues (in business) or your peers (social situations). Dress to fit the image of a person in your role. We don’t expect to see bankers dressed in jeans and a t-shirt; farmers dressed in suits; clean mechanics; or cleaners wearing delicate fabrics. When you are dressed out of your role your competence comes into question.
When you dress to suit your role you feel more confident. For example, if you work in an environment where you create artistic products your audience will expect you to dress a little artistic. If you are dressed conservatively not only will you feel uncomfortable your audience will feel something is astray.
People want to interact with people with whom they feel comfortable or who they feel are like them. That means knowing what is expected in particular roles and dressing to fit that role.
Know Your Personal Style
Your personal style is expressed in everything you do. When it comes to fashion your style is evident in the patterns and texture of fabrics you like to wear as well as your accent pieces such as jewelry, handbags and shoes. When you are aware of your style and feel comfortable with it then you can express yourself with confidence.
Take a moment to decide which one of the four style preferences best suits you - classic, romantic, sporty or dramatic? The classic style has an elegant traditional look and wears timeless garments. The romantic style has a soft feminine look and prefers to wear dresses and skirts rather than pants. The sporty style likes casual comfortable clothes and prefers natural fabrics. The dramatic style is sophisticated, turns heads and likes to wear the latest trends.
You may be thinking, what if my personal style is sporty and I am attending a gala event or my style is dramatic and I am attending a ball game? How can I feel confident, express my style and still fit the occasion? All occasions will not fit our personal style but if we know our style well enough we can make accommodations. The sporty style would feel comfortable at a gala event wearing long, flowing pants, and simple top and low (but elegant) shoes. The dramatic style can feel comfortable at a ball game wearing a leather jacket, a bold print top and angular jewelry.
Know The Effect of Colours
Colour is the magic that brings interest to our world. We are instinctively drawn to certain colours and respond to them with feeling. When used in garments and laid against our skin they produce either positive or negative results. The right colours will make your eyes sparkle and your skin glow; while the wrong colours will make you look tired and your skin drab. This is why it is important to know the colours that look best on you. You can do this yourself by sitting in front of a mirror, placing different colours next to your face and notice which colours make your skin come alive and which ones wash it out.
Colours are divided into two categories –warm and cool. When you discover which colours look best on you and wear them consistently you will notice that you look better, feel better and have more confidence.
Colours produce specific emotions and it affects how you feel and how others respond to you. For example, blue is a soothing, calming colour and red is an exciting, energetic, attention-grabbing colour. Knowing the affects of these colours which would you wear in a potentially argumentative situation?
Knowing the emotional effect of colours and their symbolic links allows us to choose colours that will give us our desired effects.
When you dress with confidence you know you have made the best choices for you and you feel comfortable in any situation. It means feeling attractive and completely you. Our confidence is enhanced when we know that we are dressed appropriately for the situation and our style, we are wearing colours that brighten us on the inside as well as outside and we feel attractive and authentic.
©Copyright 2006 Sheila Dicks
Sheila Dicks is an Image and Wardrobe consultant and Style Coach who helps men and women reach their full potential and gain greater self-confidence by learning how to be better dressers. Go to sheilasfashionsense.com to sign up for weekly fashion tips and beauty secrets.