What to Wear to the Races - A Quick Guide to Spring Carnival Attire

Whether you are heading to the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington, Victoria, the Australian Jockey Club at Randwick, Sydney, going to a country racing club or just to a ladies lunch Spring Carnival and the Melbourne Cup Carnival is a great excuse to get dressed up and have fun.

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One of the questions on every discerning ladies lips is what to wear. Below is a quick guide to appropriate Spring Carnival attire.

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The races are a sophisticated event and getting dressed up is an opportunity to express your individuality. We believe that everyone has their own individual style and when going to the races they should keep their own sense of fashion and wear what makes them feel fabulous when stepping out the front door of the house.

If you haven't been to the races before it might be daunting preparing an outfit. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Your outfit should reflect your individual style, don't be swayed with what's 'in fashion'. Remember that fashion is passing and style is eternal;
Dress for the season; if you are competing in Fashions on the Field you will be marked down for wearing the wrong materials in the wrong season;
Try not to reveal too much skin, remember that the races are meant to be a sophisticated social event, not a night club;
Wear shoes that you can walk in all day long. Try to wear a wide heel so you don't sink into the grass and use 'party feet' to help alleviate any foot pain. Take a pair of flip flops or ballet slippers with you for any after events;
Take a small clutch that has a shoulder or wrist strap, so you can have champagne in one hand and a guide book in the other;
Don't drink too much alcohol;
Wear a hat, headpiece or fascinator. Look for pieces that tie into the colours of your dress or match with your shoes or nails. For example if you have a red hat paint your toe and finger nails the same read and wear a red bangle for added effect.

If you are headed for Flemington, Melbourne and want to compete in Fashions on the Field, here are a few specific pointers about what to wear.

Derby Day, on Saturday 30th October 2011, is all about classic 'black and white' attire so this means putting your best foot forward in an all black, all white or black and white outfit. A touch of colour, adds extra pizzazz.
Melbourne Cup, on Tuesday 1st November 2011, is all about colour. Bright pinks, yellow and red. At the moment there is a lot of talk about colour blocking. It does look fabulous, if you can pull it off, but if it doesn't make your heart-throb, then dress in one colour and accessorise with another to break up the outfit.
Ladies Day, on Thursday 3rd November 2011,is the last day of Fashions on the Field and is all about soft, feminine and pretty attire.

Being Spring all three days call for straw, sinamay, crinoline, feathers and silk flowers. Never felt as this is a winter material.

What to Wear to the Races - A Quick Guide to Spring Carnival Attire

SHOE CARNIVAL

Choosing Suitable Attire For a Cruise

Cruises are always associated with luxury, glamour and fun. They are the greatest kind of holidays one can go on and come back totally refreshed, relaxed and happy. It helps break away from the monotony of your daily life and enables us to imbibe new and exotic cultural experiences depending on the route of the ship's course. As cruises usually have top of the line ambience and service, they attract an upmarket crowd. It thus becomes very important for you to put forward your best, always be on time and wear place specific attires on the cruise.

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A lot of luxury liners tend to have a strict policy on the kind of clothes you can wear in various parts of the ship. They are usually divided into formal clothes, informal ones and casual clothes. Sometimes, it is difficult to determine what part of your wardrobe fits into which category. One need not become anxious and undertake expensive shopping expeditions to buy suitable clothes for each category. It is simply a matter of rummaging through what you already have and mixing and matching to achieve that perfect look suitable for each category.

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Formal Wear

Formal wear for men: It generally includes coats and single or double-breasted suits in basic colours like black, brown, beige, white etc. It is very hard to go wrong when one is putting together this look unless one chooses coats in bright colours that may end up looking tacky. Here, it is best to play safe and go with tried and tested designs and fashions. Interesting ties with contrasting colours that complement the look of your suit can be worn to give an extra zing to the attire. This look can be completed with good quality leather shoes and cuff links.

Formal wear for women: It includes long, full-length gowns that flatter the figure and make you look elegant and sophisticated. High heels complement the look and raise your height while also making you look like a model. An important factor here is accessories, which should not be ignored. If you are going in for long, chandelier earrings that brace your neck, you can do without a necklace. Excess jewellery can make you look like a Christmas tree. A slender, feminine design of a matching bracelet or a watch should be worn so as not to leave your arm completely bare. Dark makeup can be applied around the eyes to give a dramatic look at night when most formal events take place. However, during daytime, makeup should be kept at a minimum with use of a concealer and nude shades of a gloss being bare essentials.

Informal Wear

Informal wear for men: This look can be achieved simply by wearing a jacket over your jeans and a formal shirt underneath. The tie can be left out in this case. For this look it is also suitable to wear a formal shirt and dark coloured jeans. But, even in this case, it is still important to wear a pair of leather or formal shoes because if casual shoes are worn, your look will be reduced to casual wear. There is a thin line between formal and informal wear and a few minute changes here and there can transform your look from formal to informal.

Informal wear for women: For women, informal wear includes dresses which are usually of knee length or above. The material of your dress defines your look. Cotton or sporty material will give you a completely casual look while fabrics like chiffon, georgette or other flowing materials will give you an informal look. This look can be completed by wearing strappy sandals or heels. If the event is during daytime, wide hats with feminine designs consisting of flowers, beads, lace etc. can be worn along with a great pair of sunglasses in order to ward off the glare from the sun.

Casual Wear

Casual Wear for men: One does not need to think much while choosing casual wear as this look can be achieved with the minimum thought and effort and with anything and everything thrown in. Men can wear shorts and casual, cotton t-shirts along with casual shoes and flip-flops as footwear. If one intends to go for a swim, trunks can be worn.

Casual wear for women: This look can be achieved by wearing skirts, shorts or jeans with flip-flops in a multitude of colours as footwear. The point here is to have fun with your clothes with stress on your comfort. Swimsuits can be worn around swimming pools. Cotton dresses with beaded artificial jewellery are also suitable for casual wear.

Choosing Suitable Attire For a Cruise

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Saree - The Awesome Indian Traditional Attire

The sareeis the most ancient of all Indian attires. The magnificence of the saree stems from the fact that it looks good on women of any shape, age or race. The saree is loved by all Indian women. In recent times, even women outside India have taken to wearing sarees. The heritage of the is very old and it has a long and rich history. To know more about sarees, read on:

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Description:

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A typical saree is 6-9 yards long. It has a border and is sometimes heavily decorated. The long fabric is worn with a blouse and tucked into a petticoat. It is draped around the body to fall in graceful folds. One end of the saree always stays loose and is held at the shoulder. This is known as the pallu. A pallu can be worn in many ways. The most convenient way is to pleat the pallu and pin it to the blouse at the shoulder. For parties and fancy occasions, women often give the pallu one fold only and pin it up so that the fabric flows over the hand. The Indian saree complements the figure of any woman and the versatility with which it can be worn makes it a favorite of the ladies.

Types of sarees:

Each region of India is known for its distinctive weave when it comes to sarees. Different parts of the country have come up with their own specialized version of the Bridal saree. Each weave is different. Some of the well known and extraordinary sarees are mentioned below:

Kanjeevaram sarees:

The kanjeevaram is a kind of silk saree made in south India. It is heavy silk and the thread is woven into colorful patterns to enhance its looks. A kanjeevaram is characterized by its broad borders and bright texture. The patterns woven into a kanjeevaram are usually of temples, palaces or paintings preveant in southern India.

Benarasi saree:

Benarasi sarees are the most expensive of all sarees. This lightweight silk saree is a must for brides in many parts of eastern and north eastern India. Benarasi sarees are hand-woven in benaras/varanasi. Traditional benarasis have flower or temple like designs woven into them. However, nowadays benarasis have contemporary designs too. The patterns in benarasi sarees are made with fine gold or silver thread which attributes to the cost factor.

Others:

Other parts of India have their own specialities too, like the bandhani or bandheja sarees of Rajasthan and Gujrat, gadhwal silks from Andhra Pradesh and paithanis of Maharashtra. Each saree is identified by the distinctive quality of the silk used and the patterns woven into the sarees.

Buying a saree:

Nowadays sarees can be bought at stores or online too. There are numerous special saree stores which cater exclusively to the wearing crowd. Any of these stores will provide you with plenty of variety in colors, designs and patterns. Online stores are recent innovations and are quickly catching up on popularity. They have sarees for all occasions at very reasonable prices. An advantage of online shopping is that it can be done within the comforts of your home and your saree will be delivered right at your doorstep.

Saree - The Awesome Indian Traditional Attire

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