Urban Code Magazine

Archive for November, 2009

Genuine handcrafted silver jewelry is as beautiful as it is unique. Whether you’re looking for pieces to add to your collection or are shopping for gifts, there are excellent online sources for handmade earrings, pendants, rings, barrettes, and necklaces. For a wonderful buying experience, follow these five tips.

1. Find a reputable source. This may go without saying, but don’t confuse commercially manufactured jewelry with handcrafted silver jewelry. The latter is made by artisans that take great pride in their work. It’s helpful to look for a company that has been in business for decades, and that has been selling online for at least five years.

2. Take advantage of customization. When jewelry is handmade, it can be customized in any number of ways, from the lengths of chains to the types of gemstones used in pendants and rings. You don’t need to settle for “almost good enough.” Instead, you can get the piece you’ve always dreamed of, in exactly the right size.

3. Measure carefully. Because customized pieces generally aren’t returnable, it’s important to make sure that the handcrafted silver jewelry you order will fit. It only takes a few minutes to get a good measurement, and doing so will ensure that the necklace or ring you order will be exactly what you want. For rings, ask a friend to take a piece of string, put it around the knuckle or largest part of your finger, and mark the string. To determine the size, hold the string against a tape measure and compare your measurement to the website’s sizing chart. If you’re in between sizes, it’s best to go with the larger size. You can also use string to measure for bracelet, necklace, or anklet lengths.

4. Do your gemstone research. The best online jewelry sites have a wealth of information on gemstones. Before you order, read up on the gemstones you are considering. It’s important to know, for example, that aquamarine can be cleaned with dishwashing detergent, but that ultrasonic and steam cleaning may damage the stone. Similarly, you may know that pearls are delicate and can easily absorb liquids, but you might not know that turquoise is also porous and can easily become stained.

If you’re going to order jewelry with gemstones, it’s also crucial to know whether the stones are natural or if their colors have been enhanced. Reputable artisans will freely share this information. Don’t be alarmed, however, if the stones have been heated or irradiated to intensify or change their colors. Naturally colored rubies, sapphires, and topaz, for example, are extraordinarily rare; it is an accepted practice within the jewelry industry to enhance gemstone colors.

5. Invest in the real thing. Silver jewelry is gorgeous, but only if it’s real silver. Make sure that the online source you select uses either sterling silver (.925 or 92.5 percent silver) or fine silver (99.9 percent pure silver). When you invest in handcrafted silver jewelry, you’re not only buying a piece you will treasure, but one that is likely to become an heirloom for future generations.

Do you regularly find yourself reading up on the latest fashion trends? What about fashion advice, do you like to give it to those that you know? If you do, did you know that you may be able to make a living as a fashion consultant? You can and if you would like more information on how you can go about doing so, you will want to continue reading on.

Before you automatically decide that you would like to become a fashion consultant, you may want to take the time to examine exactly what one is and what one does. In case you decide to further research making money as a fashion consultant, you may want to know that a fashion consultant is also commonly referred to as an image consultant and visa versa. While different fashion consultants operate their businesses in different ways, many focus only on clothing and clothing accessories. Those who are having a difficult time trying to pick out an outfit for a special event or a new job, often turn to a fashion consultant for professional advice.

One mistake that many individuals make when wondering if they can make money as a fashion consultant is by thinking that it is too difficult. Yes, you may not be able to predict what the next new fashion trend will be, but you can help those who are interested in improving their fashion sense now. You can easily do this because you should have a number of resources at your fingertips. For instance, you could regularly read popular and well-known fashion magazines, read online fashion magazines, watch fashion shows online, or you can even attend live fashion shows. There are actually a number of different ways that you can stay up-to-date with the latest in the fashion industry.

One of the most commonly asked questions by those who are looking to make money as a fashion consultant is how to get clients. When it comes to getting clients, fashion consultants use a number of different marketing approaches. There are many who choose to advertise their fashion consultation business in their local newspapers. You may also want to think about having your own online website. When having an online website, you will want to outline a few popular fashion tips or fashion trends, to show that you do have a little bit of fashion knowledge. You may also want to outline the types of fashions that you specialize in, if you wish to do so. For instance, if you wanted to focus on workplace fashions, you will want to outline that important fact.

Speaking of workplace fashions, if you want to focus mostly on workplace fashions, you have a certain group of individuals that you want to target. This group of individuals is what is known as your targeted market. All fashion groups, including gothic fashions, 80s fashions, and 90s fashions have a targeted market. In keeping with workplace fashions, you may want to think about buying advertising space on a career searching website or another career focused website. Those who are looking for jobs are likely to need or want assistance with picking out a new wardrobe. Specifically targeting those who are likely to be your customers, is a surefire way to make your business a success.

While many professional fashion consultants have success running a local business, you may also want to think about running an online fashion consulting business as well. While it may be a little bit difficult to do, it is more than possible. Expanding your business to cater to online customers is another one of the many ways that you can go about improving your customer count and your profits. By having a photograph emailed to you, as well as other important information, you can easily consult with a number of clients through email or over-the-phone.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of work that goes into being a successful fashion consultant, but the same can be said for any other career. If you truly have a love for fashion, you may want to think about starting your own fashion consulting business. With low startup costs, why not at least give it a try?

There are many different styles of wedding dresses, almost as many styles of wedding dresses as there are shapes of women. No two women are shaped the same and that is why it is so important to get wedding dresses tailored to fit the bride. This often costs more money but it is well worth it if you want to look your best as you walk down the aisle. This should be the goal of all wedding dresses, to highlight all of the brides best features and attributes.

The styles of wedding dresses change with the seasons but there are a few classic styles that will never get old or go out of style. The classic A line dress is one of the wedding dresses. Of all the wedding dresses on the market today A line wedding dresses are the best. These wedding dresses look good on any woman, no matter what she looks like and what she weighs. It is the A line wedding dresses that flatter every woman alike. This cannot be said for any other of the wedding dresses out there.

When you first go shopping for wedding dresses you will want to have a sit down with the bridal consultant at the bridal boutique. He or she will be able to give you some helpful advice about which of the wedding dresses will flatter you the most. These consultants are so useful when you are looking at wedding dresses.

You should also try on all kinds of different wedding dresses just to make sure that you choose the perfect one. You need to try all of these wedding dresses to find the one that is the most comfortable and the one that will make you feel the most like a queen. That is what wedding dresses need to do, make you feel like one of a kind because that is what you are and that is why your husband to be loves you so much.

The wedding dresses that you try on can be of any color. White is the most common color of wedding dresses but there is no reason that you have to stick with it. If you want a bright red wedding dress then you should have it that is your right as a bride. If the wedding dresses you are trying on are not what you are looking for you should let your bridal consultant know. This consultant will go through all of the wedding dresses in their boutique in order to try to find the one that you will like. They can also show you some wedding dresses from their catalogs. If you see some that you think you might like your boutique should be able to order in these wedding dresses.

Your bridal boutique should be able to deal with all of your concerns with wedding dresses. If they are not then you might want to think about looking for wedding dresses elsewhere.