This is the decade for the individual for clothes that flatter your personality as well as shape.
Contemporary glamour spells confidence. 

Nowadays you really can be whatever you want to be. 
So have some fun discovering your own sense of style !

You can tell so much by the way someone dresses,
like how they feel about themselves and how much confidence they have.

Be Unique rather than following the latest trends.
Show your personality through your clothing, instead of just putting on any old thing.
Remember your high standards for the food you eat, the guys you date, and the things you do, 
so try to have standards for the way you dress ?
" If it makes you feel and look good, wear it ! "
For example : I have a pair of Boots I call my " Happy Boots " 
Red Patent Doc Martins .... they really do make me smile on the drizzliest days !
You see they are so comfy I forget about them. Then suddenly I look down  &  they tickle me.
Then I smile.
I feel the same about much of what I design and what I wear.

Don't follow every trend religiously and don’t just wear one designer or style. 
Be a little adventurous Mix and match your own way.
Mix looks to like Vintage and prep or Athletic and trendy : whatever you fancy.
Experiment and try new things. 
Don’t ever settle for plain or ordinary!   Remember your Special and unique.
Celebrate your own spirit !  
Dress with lots of personality to show your individual style. 
At school try to keep it mellow and do wear the uniform if you have to.
In convent school my sense of style would often get me into trouble.
Usually for wearing my regulation cardi back to front or flaunting school rules with blue streaks in my hair ! 
So experiment on weekends  ok.
Why not have a party swapping clothes with your mates so you can all try new looks out & swap again a month later.
I would get my clothes from the same places as my mates when I was growing up ... 
but I would always make them different by altering them slightly. 
Using simple techniques like changing buttons or popping them in the washing machine with a machine dye.
I also fondly remember several adventurous attempts with fabric paints and sequins.
Decorate jumpers with ribbons, Cut up your old t-shirts and sew beads onto your jeans.
Little touches show your creative side.  It's exciting being able to express yourself this way.
Everyone should have a go, who knows what talents you may unleash.
Visit charity shops and jumble sales in the village , you never know what you may find. It may only be once every half a dozen visits or so but eventually you will pick up a real gem. Be open minded and always buy gear that's washable. 
The beauty here is .... if its old enough and your young enough : it's highly unlikely you'll bump into anyone else wearing it.
It's also a good place to find sets of buttons or swatches of fabric which can be used to revamp something you already own.
Many stores have changing rooms so use them and always take something in with you which would never normally choose.
You just never know till you try.

I bet you have a favorite outfit .... You know the one that you always wear when nothing else feels good or looks right?
So what's so special about it ?
Fill your wardrobe with clothes that make you feel good for the same reasons.
With a little experience you will soon instinctively know what's right for you ... it really is whatever makes you feel good.
You will probably recognize instantly what's not right. 
If in doubt ....  move on and try something else.
After all if there's any doubt .... then maybe its not quite right.

Learn how to dress your own body. After all you’re the only one who knows what you’re comfortable in so be the judge.
If you love your legs, stock up on minis and shorts. 
If you have great arms, invest in a couple cool tube tops or perhaps you have amazing abs, in which case don't be afraid to wear a crop top!  
Even if you aren’t model perfect, the way you dress can really improve your look.
Please don't worry if your not a size 8 !    Be proud of your size! 

Wear a size ten ?.... Excellent!     Wear a size twenty ? ....  Awesome!

Here's a little exercise that can help build your confidence.
Every time you look in the mirror, think of one positive thing about your appearance.  Anything as long as it’s positive. 
Then for any negative thoughts about yourself, you must think of two great things !
Fashion can be really Fun so Enjoy it !

Have you ever thought about being a Fashion Designer  ?

Are you crazy about Fashion  ........ well just imagine getting paid to dress people and make them feel good.

Becoming a fashion designer is a lifelong dream for many teenagers. 
Fashion is an important part of today's teenage culture.
It's the clothes you see in music videos , Cover shots and top end advertising.
The ones you know you cant afford but you just adore !  Those funky couture images we aspire to.
After all we all love to wear beautiful clothes and make ourselves feel good from the inside out.
Imagine what it feels like to actually make money doing something this great.
It's a good feeling dressing people up and making them wonderful.
Being a fashion designer has rapidly become one of the most sought after careers, recently surpassing the age-old staple of being a rock star. 
Fashion is a competitive business, and a lot of people don't realize how much goes into being successful. 
Designers are people with a desire to create. 
Combining  practical knowledge with artistic ability to turn abstract ideas into wearable pieces.

I guess for me my interest in fashion began as a young child. 
When I collected dolls from different countries wearing their national costumes.
I fondly remember very early one morning when I was about 6. Creeping down stairs whilst everyone was asleep 
and heading directly for that magical corner of the utility room, where my mother kept her sewing machine and box of mysterious goodies. 
Come morning I had transformed my entire doll collection!
I had cut up all the costumes and recreated them by sewing on other bits of fabric, lace, buttons and trimmings.
Some  Then to finish the dolls off nicely they all got a cool new haircut too!  
Carefully I put them back in their plastic tubes and continued to proudly display them !

Despite the misconception that designer clothes are very highly priced, every piece of clothing, in fact, is designed by a designer.
More than 95 percent of fashion designers work outside the small circle of haute couturiers and international fashion houses.  
( There are only 18 haute couturiers worldwide acknowledged by the Chamber of Haute Couture in Paris )

A fashion designer is a creative and technical professional who designs clothing within a specific theme for a specific purpose and a specific market.
Some high-fashion designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. 
Other designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. 
These designers create original items, as well as clothing that follows established fashion trends.
Most fashion designers work for clothing manufacturers, creating designs for the mass market.

The first step in creating a new design is to determine the needs of the client and the function for which the design is intended. 
Designers often begin by researching the design characteristics, such as size, shape, weight, color, materials used, cost and safety.
Designers then prepare sketches by hand or with the aid of a computer , to illustrate the vision for the design.
Have a look at a few of our sketch book pages
After consulting with the client, a creative director, or a product development team, designers create detailed designs.
There are several career paths in this field that you can choose based on your strengths and interests. 
You’re certainly not restricted to becoming a haute couturier or indeed to work with one.

·Creative Designer
·Technical Designer
·Sketcher
·Cutter
·Pattern Maker
·Textile Designer

·Textile Manufacturer
·Clothing Manufacturer
·Fashion Studio Owner
·Haute Couturier
·Men’s Tailor
·Retailer

A few tips for this often-misunderstood field.

First remember a fashion designer is an artist and an entrepreneur in one.
Why ?   Because if you design in the name of art without considering the marketability, it's very unlikely to succeed. 
Many designers fail because of this.

Don't worry if you find sketching and drawing difficult ... most people do in the beginning.
 ( check out some pages from our sketch book ) 
Strong motivation and perseverance are more important than how well you can draw or sew. 
If your prepared to study, have inspiration and ideas,  then the other skills can be learned.

If your hearts really into it qualifications aren't always necessary 
( so don't be put of if your Dyslexic or suffer from any kind of learning difficulty ).  
Unlike the medical professions, which require extensive classroom and hands-on training, you can learn how to design anywhere. 
No special education is needed. 
It may surprise you to know that many established designers don't have any training.
Persevere. 
Perseverance is most important because without it, nothing can be completed. 
" Go for it ! "

Have you read our article ?   " Day in the life of a Fashion Designer " 

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