Your New Go-To Guide for Trendy, Affordable Winter Clothes

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

Even if you’re out of ideas on how to create a new look once the weather outside gets frightful, or if you’re wondering what to wear in winter to break out of your slump, read on for our top suggestions on what to do with your winter clothing!

Back to Basics: What to Wear in Winter

Cold-weather wardrobes aren’t always easy to build. With so many options, you could get lost under a mountain of ideas! Don’t get intimidated—just keep in mind a few basic, affordable winter clothing items that will help you through and make sure to layer up with the right materials.

Layering Up

Layers are the go-to style choice for fall and winter to help every girl stay chic and cozy at all levels of cold. It’s almost like you have three different looks in one day! Your indoor look is your base layer, your mid-way look adds a cardigan or blazer, and your outdoor look is fully covered with a coat, scarf, and hat!

Some of the best affordable winter clothing layering pieces include leggings, skirts, vests, ponchos, and tunics! Add all of these to your closet to ensure you have tons of ensemble options without busting out the dated basics!

The Right Materials

The right materials are crucial to ensuring you stay warm all winter long. When dealing with the chilly winter air, it’s best to avoid outer layers made of moisture-wicking, breathable, and aerated fabrics. Instead of keeping you cozy, these fabrics let in even the smallest of breezes. To stay toasty, go for options like:

Polypropylene
Wool
Silk
Suede (vegan)
Velvet
Fur (vegan)
Down (synthetic)
Cashmere

You may think some of these sound uncomfortable and scratchy (we’re looking at you, wool), but when you get merino wool or a wool blend, you’ll enjoy a softer touch than you’re used to. Knit wool is also an amazing option for cardigans and sweaters, while velvet, faux suede, and synthetic down allow you to play with texture while keeping your winter clothing affordable!

The Perfect Jacket

Jackets are the final piece that complete every ensemble. Stay inspired by including basic styles in your wardrobe, but adding a little twist to each one with unique colors, cuts, and patterns!

Moto Jacket

The moto jacket used to be for biker chicks only, but now its market has expanded to include anyone who wants to don something a little edgy and sharp. You can find plenty of vegan leather options in black, burgundy, and navy to add a sleeker silhouette and some rocker embellishments to your outfit. Moto jackets have definitely found their niche in the winter clothing market.

Military-Inspired

Military inspired jackets provide both casual and formal options. Choose an army-style jacket for utilitarian activities, like hiking, and go for a trench coat when you want a little more stylish protection from the elements. Both are the perfect affordable winter clothing for any outdoor occasion!

Pea Coat

While the pea coat is also a military-inspired outerwear piece, it deserves its own category simply because of all the varieties that are available today. From hundreds of prints, patterns, and colors to tons of cuts, embellishments, and lengths—the pea coat is the most versatile outerwear around!

Accessories Galore

No, we’re not talking about jewelry here—we mean scarves, gloves, hats, and socks! If you’re wondering what to wear in winter to really keep you cozy, boutique accessories are EVERYTHING. They also add the perfect finishing touch to your ensemble.

Scarves

There are so many styles, materials, and colors of scarves that you’d have to work extra hard not to find one that matches your look. For something a little lighter, choose an acrylic blanket scarf, and if the wind is REALLY blowing, always wear that large knit wool scarf!

Gloves

While not every winter needs gloves, if you’re living in a place where it dumps snow all the time, these are a closet essential. We recommend going with basic black, but if black is a staple in your wardrobe, it may be time to add a pop of color with green, blue, or burgundy in faux leather.

Hats

For affordable winter clothing that is really the MVP of cold weather accessories, you can’t go wrong with a beanie. Beanies no longer mean skater-boy chic—now they have pom poms, ears, flowers, and more to make them feminine and fashionable. You can also really step it up with a ski hat, bomber hat, or furry headband or Cossack.

Socks

You might not have considered socks as a cute winter accessory, but if you’re wearing a skirt or dress, how are you going to spice up a pair of boring leggings or tights? Patterned ankle high socks can really pump up your look, while a pair of modern thigh-highs keep you warm and chic.

What to have in mind if you are considering starting a fashion business

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

Photo by Arina Krasnikova from Pexels

If you’re a creative person and a fashion lover, you might be considering starting your fashion entrepreneurship. You will finally be your own boss and your hobby might become your real job. In Australia, it is not excessively difficult to start a business. There are some requirements to start a business in Australia, such as ABN, an 11-digit number that is unique only to your business. Other than that, you will have to register your business name, think about the taxes, and a couple of things more depending on the type of the business. Let’s check what would be the most important to have in mind when it comes to the fashion business.

Find a good name for your business

The name of your business should be catchy and not too long. If there is some funny word game involved, it might be even easier to remember. If you want to keep it more serious, then a classical name involving your first or last name might be an option. Whatever you choose, it should be something that will remind people of your profession, in this case, the fashion industry. Don´t make it too generic or it probably won’t stick around.

Build your business plan

A business plan is one of the conditions for starting any business. Even if you´re still thinking about the options you have and the funding of your future business, it is important to have a plan that will contain all the important steps for future development. For beginners, a professional can help you elaborate the plan, but generally, you can do it yourself as well. It should contain some details about your established goals, milestones, expectations for a certain period, etc. The plan must have a cover page, table of contents, summary about your company and your background, market analysis, and marketing plan. If you can add some personal stories in the description, it would be excellent because your potential customers would bond more easily with your business.

Find your target group

Your business might be a complete failure in case you don’t target the group of potential customers you want to sell your clothes to. This is where market analysis jumps in. It might be wiser to choose a niche that is not very represented in the market. This depends on every particular market and you should see what works the best for the state you live in. In case you are planning to design and sell worldwide, then there are no obstacles in this area. Whatever you do, be consistent and sell things that correspond to what you announce. If you have a trendy sportswear line, make sure your marketing campaign sticks to that.

Take care of funding

Starting a business implies many expenses and you have to be prepared to stand all that. Whether you have savings that will launch your business to the next level, or you are considering applying for a loan, you have to know in advance how much money you will have to spend before the business starts paying off. Many things enter into this calculation, you will have to pay not only the material for your designs but also retailers, carriers if you sell online, suppliers, etc. Don’t underestimate these expenses and get informed ahead of time. You can contact Australian clothing wholesalers to check how exactly this works.

Choose trustworthy partners

Photo by fauxels from Pexels

Like we mentioned above, there must be some partners who will help your business develop and your designs get to the customers. You alone can’t be a designer, carrier, supplier, etc. Choosing reliable partners who will do their job well for not an exaggerated price is very important. Check several carrier services and find out how much they would charge for the service and if there are discounts for partners. Wholesalers are very important as well because they can provide you with products and services. There are existing products that match the design you are promoting, so you can order them. Of course, the designs that are originally yours can be a part of the special line with your signature label.

Start manufacturing and selling your products

This implies collaboration with a manufacturer. Don’t forget to have a test batch of your clothing line to check how it would sell. The first batch shouldn’t have too many products. This is a good time to run the first tests of your products against the ones that belong to a competitor of yours. If all the previous steps were done well, you will be able to step up to the market and start your business.

To sum it up, starting a business is not difficult but it shouldn’t be taken for granted either. Make sure you think all of these important things through before starting. Once on the market, things might go slow at the beginning but be consistent, rely on good partners and wholesalers and we’re sure you will succeed.

How Would You Select The Best Outdoor Blinds For Your Home?

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

Today the home improvement market is flooded with many innovative items that make your life comfortable. Outdoor Blinds are one such innovation which helps you to create cozy outdoor living areas by offering you with the protection from the sunlight and privacy from the prying eyes of the neighbors. These are the blinds which are designed mainly for the outdoor and it enhances the aesthetic appeal of any property. In terms of its functionality, homeowners can enjoy the afternoon in better way at their balcony by blocking the heat with the external blinds.

Choose the best outdoor blinds for home improvement:

Outdoor blinds are available in various designs such as, café blinds, full block patio blinds, aluminum or wood privacy blinds, window awnings and more. Because of so many choices, it becomes difficult for homeowners to make the right choice in blinds which can suit the home style. So, check the follow helpful tips to make the right selection.

Modern Homes

It is undeniable fact that the modern or contemporary homes today have very minimalist design, with neutral or plain colors across the house. So, for such homes you can choose any of the fabric on these types of Outdoor Blinds:

Straight drop blinds placed over the windows, porches, pergolas
Automated awnings for direct installation over windows
Motorized wire guided blinds installed over the windows

Traditional Homes

It is now becoming a popular choice amongst the homeowners of conventional homes to add a modernized extension to their homes. They are opting for both traditional and latest styles of outdoor window treatment which they use with the old style house. Homeowners of traditional homes can consider choosing the striped canvas for the conventional style of Outdoor Blinds. Below are some of the helpful ideas for the front of your traditional house:

Automated guided blinds with black and white stripes
Automated guided blinds with two tone strips
Straight drop blinds with cream and beige strips
Straight drop blinds with single tone canvas

Retro Style Homes

Here the retro style homes means the homes that were build in late 50s and 80s. If you have any old home that are designed with retro style then you can remodel your home with some contemporary designs. You need to ensure that Outdoor Blinds you have selected for the retro style homes fit the fresh look of the interior. If the exterior and the interior of the retro style home has been remodeled or revamped, then it is always a good idea to go with the modern style blinds for outdoor windows. The house which were built in 60s or 70s have contemporary designs relatively and hence the Outdoor Blinds with minimalist design with neutral color schemes are always considered the best choice for such retro style homes.

Choose the best outdoor blinds online:

Now you can search some outdoor blinds online and choose the best one according to the style of your home. But make sure that you should check their quality of the blinds and they must durable enough to resist the heat and adverse weather conditions. Apart from that, you can also customize the outdoor blinds according to your needs and you can hire some experts to install the same in your house. So now you can search them online and choose the best shade and fabric of the outdoor blinds according to your budget.

No matter whatever style and color scheme you choose in Outdoor Blinds, you need to ensure that it helps you to achieve the exceptional blend between the aesthetic appeal and functionality. Compromising on any of these factors is not a good idea indeed for a homeowner.

Blending Timeless Victorian Fashion with Modern Trends

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

It’s hard to escape the considerable influence of the Victorian era in fashion. Its enduring popularity is visible at Steampunk Festivals around the country where people of all ages enjoy dressing up in full Victorian attire. Fashion has always been inviting to trends from the past and the Victorian age with its depth and range of styles is welcomed more than other eras, not just for elaborate dressing up costumes but as a classic everyday look. Victorian fashion is still popular today and with the basics woven into new modern designs, you can create a timeless look which can be adapted, updated and re-invented to suit any situation.

Updating Victorian Style

Re-invention is what fashion is all about and hints of Victorian style crop up in modern design time and again. If you are looking for dressy wear that makes you look classy and elegant, the combination of modern trends with classic styles is never out of fashion. Victorian fashion lends itself particularly well to the style of older women. Fitted blouses with long sleeves and high necks will flatter your figure while at the same time covering your neck and upper arms. The joy of blending fashion styles from different eras is that in this case you can drop the matching bustle. Instead, you can indulge in Victorian style but with a contemporary twist and wear an embroidered or lace trimmed shirt with a pair of classic straight leg trousers for an elegant and yet modern look..

Cut From the Same Cloth

Victorian clothes were limiting with tight corsets, bustles and cage crinolines. The voluminous skirts, although popular and striking, were uncomfortable, impractical and very restrictive. Thankfully, with the invention of lycra and less rigid ideas of the ideal figure, corsets are no longer necessary (unless you love the Steampunk look, of course!). However, there is no doubt that Victorian fashion still inspires our style today and some of if its most enduring elements, the luxurious materials and intricate decoration, are easily added to a modern wardrobe. A tailored velvet jacket in rich tones will give an ordinary outfit a dramatic Victorian look and even the simple addition of a black lace choker can add an element of Gothic 19th century style.

Inspired by Victorian Classics

At the recent Fashion Weeks in London and Paris, fitted blazers combined masculine and feminine aspects of Victorian fashion and John Galliano’s designs were inspired by the 1900s set novel Picnic at Hanging Rock. The white pinafore dresses decorated with pearl, similar in style to the recently revived prairie dress, are perfect for a hot summer but with the winter approaching, now might be a better time to invest in a long dress coat, soft leather gloves and lace up ankle boots, an enduring, classic Victorian style and perfect for a long country walk in the snow.

Combining Victorian influences with today’s fashion creates classic, timeless style for all ages. The echoes of the past are threaded throughout every era of fashion so by combining them with up to date style and practicality, you can pay tribute to the style of the Victorian era without compromise.