Style and Clothing

This is an expensive time of year for parents of young children, especially when it comes to buying shoes. Besides school shoes and plimsolls, children need winter boots to help keep their feet warm in the cold weather.  These days there is a wide choice of boots and the difficulty is picking a pair that will not just last but will please the fussiest child. Even very young children are fashion conscious and harder to please than they were years ago.

The most practical type of winter boot for a child should be made of leather with hard-wearing soles and heels. Children do not care very much about how they treat their shoes and boots and will be quite happy to use them as brakes when riding their bikes; they don’t seem to suffer in the cold and will play outside for hours in the worst weather. Their shoes and boots must be able to withstand the rough and tumble they will be subjected to yet be easy to keep clean and smart when required.

The general advice is to buy boots in a size larger than the shoe size; this makes them easier to put on, especially for those children who refuse adult help, and they can also be worn with socks when the weather is really cold. The best type of boot for an active child would be one that can simply be pulled on and off quickly. There are several styles of boots these days that don’t have zips or laces. Leather will keep the feet a lot warmer than synthetic materials and the boot will last a lot longer. The hope is that it will last until the child goes up to a larger shoe size.  Suede is also very warm but not practical in the wet weather; it is also harder to keep clean and will look worn long before leather even begins to show signs of wear.

The ideal colours for winter boots for children would be black or brown but there are different colours available now. One maker sells beautiful pink suede boots for girls, complete with little multi-coloured flower tags; they look gorgeous but would not keep their looks for very long if worn for rough play.

Many families enjoy outside activities in their spare time, even in the depths of winter and, at such times, the recommendation is to buy the very best hiking boots that can be afforded for children. A proper hiking boot will have specially constructed soles and heels for safety and will be made of the best materials to protect the foot from harsh weather. Good construction is just as important as the quality of the materials used.

Children’s feet are constantly growing and the cost of keeping them equipped with the best footwear can be alarming, but it’s worth remembering that spending money on the best shoes and boots available will ensure that their feet remain healthy and problem-free for life.

Winter in the UK must be why thermal clothing was invented. It´s not that it´s particularly cold, not when compared to Scandinavia or Eastern Europe, but that damp chill just gets into your bones, doesn´t it? Sometimes it seems as though the only way to get through it is to wear so many layers that you look like the Michelin man, and anyone who hasn´t seen you for a while could be forgiven for assuming that you´ve put on quite a bit of weight since the last time they saw you.

Probably the worst thing about the UK winter – and one of the main reasons why I left – is the relentless greyness. It´s easy enough to cope with the cold, what with central heating and Damart winter clothing, but we all need a good dose of sunshine to maintain a positive mood. Sadly, this seems to be in short supply for at least six months of the year (I believe there was a sighting of the sun somewhere this summer but, like the existence of the Loch Ness Monster, this is a rumour that has yet to be confirmed).

As someone who remembers the days before central heating was standard in every home, I can only express sympathy with those who still lack it in their houses. Bills may be horrendously high these days, but who wants to be cold? It really is an absolute essential these days, and old people who tell you you´re too soft and they remember having to use the outside loo in the middle of winter should be treated with the same contempt as when they try to tell you war stories, and ignored.

Emigration is something I heartily recommend. It´s one way of discovering that the sun is not just a myth, and there are plenty of countries to choose from. If you are truly smart, you will pick a country with an even climate all year round, to avoid the extremes. You could even avoid winter altogether, by spending summer in a country such as Spain, and then heading off to Australia or New Zealand to enjoy another summer. Repeat this, and enjoy summer all year round.

If leaving and never, ever coming back is not an option, then the only solution to surviving the British winter is to stock up on suitable Damart clothing, and be sure to wrap up warm when you go out. Alternatively, scientists could study something useful for once, and discover why it is that young people out on a Friday or Saturday night are able to withstand the freezing temperatures while wearing clothing entirely unsuited to the weather. No thermals for them, fashion is what matters …

I spent the last weekend sorting my children’s wardrobes to clear space for new purchases for the new cooler season ahead. When I am buying winter clothing I always ensure that I have bought good quality boots and coats, I like the coats to be warm and waterproof but they have to be fashionable or my children will not wear them. At the start of the new school term I also invest in new underwear for the children I generally try to buy thermal vests and socks, and thermal tights for my daughter, to ensure they will be warm from the skin out.

As I have a family of three children it can be very expensive trying to kit them out for the winter. Essential buys include hats, gloves and scarves my children also like to wear fleecy tops and jackets, also I buy trousers made from heavier and warmer materials. For myself and my husband we usually buy a good quality Damart coat and scarf and gloves, generally I wear boots and therefore wear thermal socks in the winter. For my family I like to ensure that everyone has a good quality, if expensive, coat that is warm and waterproof so that I can be sure everyone will be warm and cosy in the cold weather.

Our winters are usually very wet and they are cold but we do not usually have much snow or ice therefore when I buy coats and outerwear I look for garments that are waterproof. I tend to put layers of clothing on myself and my children, this enables us to remove a layer or two when we go from the cold to the warmth, and I usually find that children do not like to wear clothes that are too bulky. I tend to buy long sleeved brushed tops or Damart fleece tops and would even buy gillets or bodywarmers for the children. A small but essential item for everyone in our household is a hat, I buy hats for everyone. This year because the increases in fuel costs it is going to be very difficult to heat the home so I have invested in thermal nightwear for the children, beautiful soft, fleecy and comfortable pyjamas and sleep suits so hopefully everyone will be warm in bed and out.

ebay is the world’s biggest auction site and is a place where an individual can get their hands on anything they want, whether it be a particularly rare pencil sharpener or the latest Mercedes. As a place that enables people from all over the world to trade directly with one-another through somewhat anonymous transactions, buyers are constantly at risk of being exploited by rogue traders who sell fake items whilst passing them off as the real thing. Generally these rogue traders target popular and fashionable items that are in high demand, such as North Face jackets, as they know that this will give them a captive audience. Although it can be very difficult to spot fake items from their description and photographs alone, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that you don’t fall prey to these rogue traders.

The first thing you need to do is look at the price of the item. If you see  Helly Hansen or Lowe Alpine gear you like being offered for only £20.00 then you should be suspicious and delve a little further. It may be that the clothes are listed as being used, in which case it makes the low price slightly more believable as it’s plausible that the seller really is just cleaning out their closet and want to get rid of it quickly, after all £20.00 is better than throwing it away and getting nothing for it. However, if the clothes are being offered for the same price but being sold as new then it is quite likely that it is a fake, so it would be best to either stay away from the purchase or do a little bit of research before you commence with the purchase.

One of the things that many people don’t consider doing, or perhaps don’t even realise they can do, when looking at items on ebay is emailing the seller with any questions they have about the item they are considering buying. If, as mentioned above, you have seen a Helly Hansen jacket being sold as new for a very low price, the next step is to try and gain some more information about it. It may be that the seller hasn’t provided a very good photograph so you may wish to email them requesting further photos including close ups of the labels so you can try to establish for yourself whether it is a real or fake item. You may even wish to ask them why they are selling it for such a low price – it may be that they have a viable answer.

Alternatively, if they haven’t included it in the listing, you may want to ask what the particular model of jacket is. Once equipped with this information you can use it to look up the item on the internet and see what features the jacket has. Researching the item in this manner is possibly one of the best methods you can use to establish whether the Helly Hansen jacket you are looking at is a real or fake item. Firstly, it enables you to get an idea of the true retail price, after all Helly Hansen jacket prices range from £50 - £200. Secondly, it will give you valuable information regarding the features of the jacket such as the number of external and internal pockets, what fabric it is made from etc. All of these details are invaluable in helping you to spot a fake jacket as you can email the seller and ask them these questions, if they don’t provide the correct answers or even fail to respond then you know that the item is probably fake. However, if they give the correct responses and are forthcoming in providing you with the information that you require then it’s more likely that the item is genuine.

Essentially, although it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between a real and a fake Helly Hansen jacket on ebay, there are a few things you can do to help you cut down the risk of buying a fake. By taking advantage of the technology available to you, you can research the item online and then ask the seller various questions about the item they are selling. If the responses don’t correspond with the information you have then stay away from the item and put your money away for another day.

I think the offices that require shirt and cufflinks are ones that are stuffy and out of date. What is the point of cufflinks anyway, especially those stupid novelty ones that look like aeroplanes or golf clubs? For people who want to look professtional in front of customers and a company that wants to be taken seriously, then the shirt and suit would seem the way to go but more often than not it can give off the impression of a dodgy car sales man.
Why should a person be pigeon holed into only wearing the classic suited and booted look with the crisp white shirt and cuff links? A crisp Lyle and Scott polo shirt can look just as smart but give the impression of a funkier company up to date with it’s times. A company where the worker matters. A company that realises most people are not suckered in by the suit and short back and sides any longer.
The modern day office paints a picture  where workers can go into work later, finish earlier and spend most of their time facebooking. The days when  shirts and cuff links are a must in an office are long gone or are they?
Do men actually want to go into the office in their ’street’ clothes. There are some men out there who are actually happy when they get cuff links for christmas, they like to collect their freshly laundered crisp white shirts from the dry cleaners, hell some of them even like to iron those shirts! Putting on a suit can make a person feel important and give them a confidence boost.
It is easy to look stuffy but if a man take time when shopping for work attire he can look cool as well as professtional just remeber, you will not be taken seriously if your shirt is two toned, you wear a novelty tie or your cuff links are shaped like aeroplanes and you are not a pilot. Be careful lads, it’s a mad world out there.

Should one wear a shirt and cufflinks in an office? It depends on the environment. If the office is constantly in contact with the general public then professional attire is what people expect.
When speaking to someone over the telephone it is expected that the office worker will be wearing a shirt. Would the business at hand be dealt with in a less professional way if jeans and a t-shirt was been worn? Maybe not, but the perception is that a shirt and a pair of cufflinks offers some weight. It is interesting that the tie is not mentioned in the question. Is it assumed that a shirt and cufflinks automatically go with a tie? That is a different question.
It must be said that not all shirts have cuffs that are designed to go with links. Cufflinks can add to the overall affect but they can obstruct some office duties, filing for example. Also, there are so many styles available that the wearer could choose a pair that would not be appropriate for an office environment.
In conclusion, should a shirt and cufflinks be worn in an office? If company policy requires a shirt to be worn, then clearly a shirt should be worn. But cufflinks? Only if you wish.

After dragging oneself into work every day, I enjoy the feel of putting in my nice shirt and adding my shiny cufflinks. Although wearing your smart shoes, trousers and shirts for work everyday can become very tedious, I feel that it is important that these are worn in the office.
Why? Simple. An office of is a professional  area where professionals come to ply their trade, and they need to look professional at the same time. It is a complete package. Furthermore, the way employees look is a huge reflection on a business itself and a business must do whatever it can to maintain the best working environment that it can. I for one know that when I am wearing my shirt with my shiny cufflinks, I feel more professional and I arrive at work with a better  mind frame for excelling in my job.
Everyone working in an office, put on your shirts and attach your cufflinks. You will work through the day not only looking good but feeling good and by doing so, having that feeling of changing in to some casual clothes will be heightened by the end of the day.

A man in an immaculate suit with perfectly pressed shirt, pristine cuffs peeping out with a glint of gold cufflinks looks fantastic. No woman could resist him.

However, given the amount of men that turn up in creased and shabby jacket and trousers that last saw a dry cleaner several aeons ago, shirts and cufflinks are no longer a must in the office. The odour of slightly stale suiting teamed with a tie with egg stains imperfectly sponged out is a real turn-off. So is a crumpled shirt with fraying collar straining over a belly bulging over its waistband.

Given the general appearance of many men who still stick to their old faithful suit, give me dress down Friday every day. What could look better than a pair of knife crease chinos teamed with a freshly ironed open neck shirt fresh from the wash? Even a pair of designer jeans with Chambray shirt looks better than the ensembles worn in offices all over the country at present. So unless the man in question could appear confidently in a Hugo Boss advert, suits along with shirts and cufflinks should be consigned to the nearest Charity shop without fail.

Office wear has changed in recent years. Gone are the days when men had to wear a smart suit, fully buttoned up shirt and tie. Women have always had it easier - smart need not have been a suit, but a nice top with a smart pair or trousers or skirt. Finally men’s office wear is fighting back!

Smartness is still the requirement of many offices, however it can normally be slightly more casual. A smart pair of trousers will always be required. However, the rest of the outfit may be more relaxed. Shirts are still the standard office wear. With the range of quality and affordable shirts available on the high street cufflinks are no longer a necessity - and are often confined to special occasions or days when a particularly smart office outfit is required. Shirts have also moved on from the range of block colours - now in offices up and down the country you will see men modelling all different styles of shirts - from patterned to stripy.

It is also possible to get away without a tie in the office nowadays. Providing the shirt is smart enough, there are no important meetings to go to, the shirt/ trouser combination will often be enough. Even for those who still have to wear a tie daily, it is no longer the arena of only dull monocolour ties or crazy character ties. Nowadays a wide range of smart, fashionable ties are available, with even different shapes allowing the fashionable male to carefully tailor his tie choice to match the rest of the outfit.

Suits are still required for some - but even these can be made more interesting using the different shirt and tie combinations available above.