Looks and Attire

Keep it easy and simple. Your looks should be relaxed and not forced. Always be calm and composed about them. Don't try more than what you can take. Never try to overdo things for the sake of just impressing others.

2 Always give more importance to comfort. It should be placed before fashion. A good-lookingattire which keeps you physically agonized is no good. Comfort is important - both physically and emotionally.

3 Colour and jewelly look good only until they don't make a Christmas tree out of you. Going over the top with jeweler and colour is not very cool for men.

4 When they say honesty is the best policy, they're right. If what you're wearing is not emotionally compatible with you, you shouldn't wear it. What you wear should be like a second skin and not just a mere add-on.

5 Follow your instincts, especially when you are planning to overhaul your looks. Don't rely exclusively on others for advice, although there's no harm in seeking advice.

6 Accessories are indicators of your taste. Your shoes, belts, cufflinks etc. highlight your attire.

7 Your Experimentation is always good, called-for. But it should not steal your true identity from you. Don't become one of those characters from Star Wars under the garb of experimentation.

8 Try and go for eco-friendly products. We can at least spare some thought for our environment.

Image and Article Credit: www.mensxp.com/

Royal Wedding

Prince William finally made Catherine Middleton his princess with pomp, circumstance and great style. Here's a run-down of who wore what to the Royal Wedding.

Best Man: Prince Harry, who was best man at the wedding, wore the Blues and Royals officer’s uniform.

Part-Time Girlfriend: Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry's on-off opted for a modest emerald green dress byAlberta Ferreti and topped it off with a fascinator.

The Beckhams:  Victoria Beckham chose to wear a dark slash-neck dress from her own Autumn/Winter 2011 collection, teamed with a small circular hat perched on the front of her head.David picked a Ralph Lauren morning suit, slicked-back hairstyle and a pale grey tie and wing-collared white shirt. His CBE medal was pinned to his lapel.

Dipped in blue: Socialite and friend of the couple, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was spotted in an off-the-shoulder gown, with flowing sleeves, and an eye-catching electric blue hat, similar to the one Victoria Beckham had on.

Bespoke: Elton John wore a custom made Richards James morning suit.

Mother-of-the-bride: Carole Middleton chose an ice blue silk dress by Catherine Walker, one ofPrincess Diana's favourite designers. She wore a matching blue frock coat over the dress. A tourmaline and diamond pendant and matching earrings were designed for Mrs Middleton by Robinson Pelham.

Maid of Honour: Philipa Middleton’s dress was designed and created by Sarah Burton atAlexander McQueen.  It is of a heavy, ivory satin-based crepe, with a cowl front and with the same button detail and lace trims as Cathrine’s dress. The young bridesmaids’ dresses were designed by childrenswear designer Nicki Macfarlane and have been created using the same fabrics as the bride’s dress.

Beauty in Simplicity: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is wearing an Angela Kelly designed single crepe wool primrose dress with hand sown beading at the neck in the shape of sunrays. Matching double crepe wool tailored primrose coat. An Angela Kelly designed matching crepe hat with hand made silk roses and matching apricot coloured leaves. Jewellery included Queen Mary’s True Lovers Knot broach.

Elegance Galore: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall was dressed by Anna Valentine, the designer who created her wedding dress. She teamed her outfit with patent Jimmy Choo pumps.

British alright: Samantha Cameron picked a jade drape Burberry dress. The British prime minister’s wife complimented it with an orange scarf, statement necklace and nude shoes.

Hat's On: Philip Treacy designed the royal wedding headwear Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York.

Just Married: Prince William chose the uniform of Colonel in the Irish Guards.

Duchess of Cambridge: Cathrine, now a duchess, looked breathtaking in the Victorian-inspired Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen wedding gown. The veil is made of layers of ivory silk tulle and held in place by a Cartier ‘halo’ tiara. The earrings, by Robinson Pelham, are diamond-set stylised oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre. The wedding shoes by Alexander McQueen are made of ivory duchesse satin with lace.

Kate Middleton

The current favourite of tabloids and people all around the world, Kate Middleton has almost always been seen in high onfashion.

Her style never fails to impress and is always evolving into something better. Her dresses manage to create that keen flutter in the fashion scene and also makes a fresh statement each time. From her whimsical hats to her beautifully tailored coats, Kate brings out a signature element in all that she wears. We bring out 10 of Kate's style moments which grabbed a lot of attention not only from the fashion circuit but also from commoners alike.

1.Charity Fashion Show 2002

Kate Middleton wore this see-through dress at a charity fashion show in her university which, reportedly, attracted Prince William to her. The dress was sold for an astonishing £78,000 at an auction in Central London last month.

2. Game Fair: Bleinheim Palace 2004

Kate gave a different twist to traditional tweed at the Game Fair at Bleinheim Palace in 2004. Her socks peeping out of her boots created quite a style statement.

3. Hugh Van Cutsem Junior & Rose Astor Wedding 2005

Kate chose a pencil lace skirt with a neat blazer for the wedding. She topped the outfit with a black Fascinator which reflects her personal style.

4. Laura Parker-Bowles and Harry Lopes wedding 2006

Kate presented a very colour co-ordinated get up at the wedding of Laura Parker-Bowles and Harry Lopes. Her headpiece was the centre of attraction and Kate pulled it off beautifully.

5. Prince William's graduation at RMA, Sandhurst 2006

For the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy when her dear Prince's graduated as an officer, Kate donned a red and black ensemble. Her look was made complete with a hat and beautiful gloves.

6. Royal Air Force Cranwell 2008

When attending the RAF ceremony, where Prince William received his Royal Air Force wings from his father, Kate wore an off-white coat with her signature knee-high boots.

7. Charity Roller Disco, London 2008

Kate showed a different side of hers when she turned up in these snazzy yellow shorts and a sequinned top for the Charity Roller Disco in London.

8. Nicholas Van Cutsem and Alice Hadden-Paton Wedding

Kate wore an elaborately designed coat over a dress by her favourite designer Issa. Her flowery headpiece also showed her keen interest in detailing and colour co-ordination

9. Royal Engagement November 2010

At the announcement of her engagement to Prince William, Kate, once again chose an Issa dress. The royal blue coloured dress was befitting of the royal announcement that the pair made.

10. Royal Engagement Official Portrait

For her first official portrait with Prince William, Kate wore a Reiss dress. In this understated yet classy dress, attention is paid to the warmth and intimacy of the pair. Also what stands out in the picture taken by Mario Testino, is the engagement ring which was previously owned by the Late Princess Diana.

Imagen and Article Credit: www.mensxp.com

Royal Brides

The British Royal Wedding is just round the corner. And while we wait to see just who Kate Middleton has picked to design her wedding dress, here's a look at some of the most beautiful couture gowns worn by some of Europe's princesses

Princess Diana: When she married Prince Charles in 1981, Diana picked designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel to create her fairytale wedding gown. It was decorated with 10,000 pearls and had a record-breaking 25-foot train.

Princess Victoria: When she married Daniel Westling in 2010, Sweden's future queen Victoria chose a duchess silk satin gown by Swedish designer Par Engsheden. Her five-metre train, attached at the waist of her dress, trailed out from behind and perfectly matched the shape of the princess' veil, which was held in place by the same tiara Queen Silvia wore for her wedding in 1976. Image viaHello magazine.

Princess Letizia: For her marriage to Spanish Crown Prince Felipe in May 2004, Princess Letizia wore a gown with a 15 foot train by veteran Spanish designer Manuel Pertegaz. She also wore the same diamond and platinum tiara that her mother-in-law Queen Sofia wore at her wedding to King Juan Carlos.

Princess Mary: When Mary, an Australian, married Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik in May 2004, she chose a scoop-neck gown designed by Uffe Frank with a veil used by Sweden's Crown Princess Margaret in 1905.

Princess Mathilde: For her wedding to Belgium's Crown Prince Philippe in December 1999, Mathilde wore a gown by Belgian couturier Edouard Vermeulen. She also wore a two-metre-long veil made from Brussels lace.

Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall: When she married Britain's Prince Charles, Camilla chose a blue and gold Robinson Valentine outfit crowned with a stylish feather and straw hat overlaid with ivory French lace by milliner Philip Treacy.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex: The youngest daughter-in-law of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, Sophie married Prince Edward in June 1999 in a Samantha Shaw gown. The silk organza and silk crepe gown had a total of 325,000 cut-glass and pearl beads sewn on.

Princess Maxima: When she married Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Maxima picked a Valentino couture long-sleeved ivory gown. The base of her tiara was taken from one owned by Queen Emma, and the stars came from a tiara owned by Emma's daughter, Queen Wilhelmina, the currentQueen Beatrix's grandmother.

Princess Mette-Marit: For her August 2001 marriage to Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, Mette-Marit wore a gown inspired by her husband's great grandmother, Queen Maud. It was made by Ove Harder Finseth and Anna Bratland.

Princess Marie: When she married Denmark's Prince Joachim, Marie wore a wedding gown designed by Spanish-Italian fashion house Arasa Morelli. Designed by David Arasa and Claudio Morelli, the gown was lace from head to toe, specifically Calais lace made with a floral pattern in raised satin stitch.

Image and Article Credit: www.luxpresso.com

Hungry

Picture this: It's 6.30pm. Your day's finally drawing to a close. You have to pick up your kids, or maybe run some errands on your way home, when bam! it hits you like a wall - that overwhelming hunger! The next thing you know you're in a fast food joint, packing away the burgers while thinking - 'I'll watch my diet from tomorrow'. But it only takes a few minutes for incredible guilt to set in. Sounds familiar? That feeling of 'overwhelming hunger' is a huge blow to your resolve to be healthy. Doctors suggest that when and what you eat has a direct impact on how often the hunger pangs strike. And today we're looking at the reasons behind strong hunger pangs that make us cheat on our diets.

1. You eat the right food, but at the wong time. Sensible eating is all about tuning into your body’s hunger signals. Eating haphazardly can have adverse effects on your metabolism. It is observed that those who eat at routine/regular times tend to eat less, when compared to those who eat at different times each day.

The fix: Plan beforehand. Review your eating patterns for a week. Once you note current habits down in yourweight journal, create a schedule which focuses on meal timings. For ex: Breakfast could be two hours after waking up, lunch could be 3-4 hours from breakfast, with a mid-day snack in between. Try to eat every 3 to 4 hours for the rest of the day. The schedule doesn't have to be in a diary - use that smartphone, create an Excel sheet, or save it in a mail draft. Failing everything, rely on the good old sticky notes on your office desk or fridge door.

2. You always eat breakfast, but don't ensure that it's healthy and sufficient. Some people believe that any breakfast is better than none. They couldn't be more wrong. The right breakfast greatly impacts your weight loss plan and helps you feel satisfied for the rest of the day. Here are a few rules you must adopt when eating a healthy breakfast. 
The fix: Eat a simple yet healthy breakfast. An ideal breakfast should be a mixture of carbs and proteins. Here are a few sample breakfast ideas:

• A large bowl of skimmed milk and whole grain cereal. Add your favourite fruit to it.  
• A tiny size bran muffin along with raisins and a medium-sized glass of skimmed milk.
• One egg, whole wheat toast, and a glass of orange or apple juice.
• 1/2 bagel with peanut or almond butter and glass of fresh mixed fruit juice.

3. Your diet is healthy, yet something is missing. Most people forget to keep healthy food interesting. If you eat boiled and steamed food all the time, you will end up cheating on your diet because your feeling of hunger won't be satisfied by a carrot or boiled potato. Keep it simply and healthy – but do keep it flavourful. 

The fix: Flavour your plate! Try and break away from the monotony by trying new healthy recipes every time. Try and opt for these healthy cooking tricks which will add the much needed twist to your daily dose of healthy food. 
4. You tend to drink your meals. Researchers at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, conducted a study that compared people who drank juices and other beverages to stay healthy, with those who ate wholesome whole foods. They gave the first group (of juice-consumers) around 500 extra calories in the form of fluids, and continued a normal diet for the second (whole foods consumers) group. Result? People who ate a normal diet felt less hungry whereas those who consumed juice were too hungry too soon. This is because chewing helps in releasing hormones which indicate fullness and also because solid food is slower to digest than juices and liquids.  
The fix: Stop those juices, and introduce more whole foods in your diet. Sipping down a meal might be fast, easy and convenient, but eating solid foods is far better. Understand the right way to eat your fruits and focus on a combination of healthy foods which will take you to the next level of weight loss and healthy living.

Image and Article Credit: www.healthmeup.com