Donna Ellen Fashion

Have you ever noticed that weddings seem to be all about the bride? There’s information available for the wedding dress, shoes, makeup and accessories. But…what about the groom and his
ushers? After all, they need to wear something to the wedding too!

So, what should the groom (and his attendants) be wearing to a wedding? In most cases, it depends on the time of day that the wedding is to take place. If the wedding is to be a very formal evening affair, a tuxedo is required. For a morning or afternoon wedding, the attire of the men will depend more upon a combination of preferance and the type of wedding theme you’ve chosen.

For example, the groom should not be showing up in a formal black tuxedo for a wedding on the beach. A lightweight and lighter color suit would be more appropriate. If you’re planning a very casual wedding, then lightweight dress pants, shirt, tie (optional) and blazer would be appropriate as well.

The groom, father-of-the-bride, and groomsmen should all visit a professional formalwear shop for guidance and information on the type of attire that is available. Most men don’t realize just how many decisions go into choosing a wedding suit or tuxedo. You’ll need to choose from single-breasted and double-breasted jackets; collars that are peaked, notched or shawl; cummerbund or vest; bow tie, ascot (these are double-knot ties with ends folded over) or a casual tie.

Also, it’s very important that everything coordinates with the attire of the bride and bridesmaids, so make sure you know exactly what they will be wearing and the colors chosen. (Take a fabric sample or a picture of the dresses).

Unless you plan on attending a lot of formal occassions after the marriage, most men are better off renting their formalwear as opposed to buying it. There are a lot of men’s stores that carry large selections of wedding attire and they will do alterations on rented suits. However, before you rent anything, make sure you know what comes with the package. Do you need to buy the cummerbund and/or vest? Are the shoes included? What about the tie and shirt? Make sure you get a written receipt that states what is and is not included in the rental.

The groom and other gentlemen should be measured for their suits approximately three months before the wedding. For any groomsmen who live out of town, they can go to a local shop for measurements, then send the information to the groom so he can set up the rental. Please make sure your ushers understand that they are not to make their own rental arrangements in another city. You will have no way of knowing if they actually picked the correct suit, color, or accessories until they show up for the wedding, at which point you will have one very unhappy bride – not a good thing!

The groom should look after all the rental arrangements at one store only. Any groomsmen coming from out of town should arrive at least 2 to 3 days before the wedding for final measurements in case there needs to be last minute alterations done.

Most rentals can be picked up a day or two in advance. Check the suits/tuxedos over carefully before leaving the store with them. Look for any stains, rips, snags or possible cigarette burns. Everyone should try their suit on to be sure it fits properly and the length of the pants and jacket sleeves are correct. Be sure to wear the shoes you will be wearing at the wedding for this. Check the cuffs and collar for frayed material, and make the jackets don’t have any buttons missing.

After the wedding, the bestman usually returns his own and the groom’s suit to the formalwear shop by the next business day. The groomsmen are responsible for returning their own suits, also within the next business day to avoid late charges. Small food or beverage stains can usually be removed easily enough, however if a suit is heavily damaged, be prepared to pay for it. So fellows, be careful during the wedding!

By: Rose Smith

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Flip flops have been favorites for different civilizations for years and years, and they still are the most popularized sandals used by every person in the world.

They are practical and comfortable, this type of shoe has approximately six thousand years of existence, it can still be seen today in different murals, images and even tombstones from ancient Egyptian civilization.

The most ancient example of a flip-flop exists in the Britain Museum, made of papyrus and was created around 1500 AC. In the beginning, it is believed that they were made of papyrus and palm fibers. Some had straps that covered the ankle and the leg, while others had the classic design we see today.

In certain African regions they were created with leather, in India they used wood and in Asia rice plans were the material of choice. Some historians confirm that in Mexico the Cassava plant was used for this creation.

They were nicknamed flip flops because of the sound they appear to make slapping on the wearer’s feet. History reveals that their arrival to America was a result of World War II, when soldiers brought them from Japan as souvenirs for their loved ones and themselves.

The first ones seen, had a fine sole and could easily break. In the 50’s, North American culture developed new designs with different materials like rubber, making them especially famous around the surfer community in California. They were first seen in Hawaii, with the arrival of surfers and marine soldiers who preferred this type of shoe on their free time.

They were easy to make, simple and best of all, economic, the demand for this knew fad was so big that the Japanese were suddenly the principal distributors for flip-flops.

Today, they are similar to “the little black dress”, everyone owns a pair, and some people have them in every color. This sandal can be found in bamboo, leather, metallic, rubber, and even cork. They are also being called as thongs, for their peculiar “Y” shape, their designs vary from classic colors to colorful prints and solids.

Some have are embellished with jewelry, beading, buckles, fringes and medallions. If at the beginning they only had a flat sole, today you can find platform and other type of support on this kind of shoe sole, but maybe one of its best aspects is that in warm climates, flips flops are never out of style and can be worn throughout the whole year. Some brides are ordering their white pair to walk comfortably down the aisle on their big day.

You don’t have to wait for summer to enjoy the comfort of your new flip flops, be adventurous and wear them for a day out shopping with girlfriends, or even for a date at the movies because they have been adapted for your needs, there are flip flop heels and wedges for a dressy occasion and flat flip flops for a more casual day.

By: Priyanka Arora

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summer fashion

Well we’re well in to Spring and headed for Summer despite the thermometer lately where I live. So it’s time to get serious about what we’re going to wear. Are hemlines going to point the way to the economy this year? Things are looking bleaker by the minute on the economic front but the hemlines are really giving little indication as to where we are headed.

Minis are still very much in evidence which is fine by me. Some of the clothes I’ve looked at are interesting like the boho stuff around and then some are absolutely stunning like some of the Helmut Langs Sunner’s, Rachel Roy’s and Jenni Kayne’s I’ve spotted.

Summer means beach to me and pool parties and racy swim gear and great pants and shorts. Speaking of which, the move by the denim labels to white is a relief for summer weather.There are Summer weddings galore and graduations and then there are vacations and travel. Of course the dollar and gas prices limit the latter pretty severely but it’s not going to stop me enjoying the summer, finding some great clothes and getting a heavenly tan to go with some very sexy party numbers.

The beach and pool arena seem a little static. I’ve seen little to excite me in the swimwear lines but then maybe I’ve not looked in the right places and I’ll have to try to rectify that. Cover-ups and wraps and skirts to pop on over the bikini or monokini are a little better than the suits themselves. My suits from last year are all trash anyway so I’ll have to do something about that anyway.

My nephew’s graduation from Annapolis is close by so I’ll need something scrumptious for that lovely event. Think we’ll go down and spend a week in Maryland just prior.

I probably am going to the Preakness and up to Saratoga too so need more good looking stuff for those. Then there’s a couple of Garden Parties that are very dressy and several that are informal and fun too. I’ll need an array for them.

I know we’ll spend time at the beach house and must get lots of casual stuff for down there. Swimsuits, pants, shorts, summer frocks.

Heavens, I’m forgetting shoes as well. And there are some really exciting high heeled evening sandals to acquire for the parties and weddings. I feel that shoes are really exciting right now, don’t you?

So I guess I’m going to be busy! Want to start this week? Let’s begin with Nordstrom’s in Providence Place. I’ll call you later in the week to set it up. Ciao!

By: Fiona McAlister

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