Beauty Tips

In Britain today it is typical to associate jewellery with special occasions such as weddings, gifts given to a person of importance, or as a symbol of belonging such as a cross worn around the neck. In other cultures however jewellery can be used in different ways and types of gems and stones can be regarded quite differently.


Historically, the first culture to make jewellery were the Chinese around 5000 years ago. Silver was more popular than gold and Jade was their favourite stone. The Chinese initially wore jewellery in order to display their wealth but later early tiara type pieces were worn by women to add to their beauty.

At the same time in Central and South America gold was much easier to find. Jewellery from this area was incredibly ornate however and included the combined use of gold with mother of pearl and amethyst inlayed. The Mayan civilization also used precious gems as a form of currency, whilst the Aztecs used jewellery and jewel-covered tools such as daggers during sacrifices.

Similar to the cross as worn by Christians, other religions have their popular symbols that are widely seen on necklaces and as pendants. Many Muslims wear the symbol of Allah and designs sometimes feature a ritual sword. Additionally, Judaism also has its typical designs such as the Star of David and the Hamesh Hand, a symbol that is traditionally believed to offer protection.

Body modification in some cultures uses jewellery. Inhabitants of Myanmar wear rings from an early age that stretch the neck over a long period of time. Whereas in the African tribes of the Mursi Lip plates are worn to stretch the bottom lip which is traditional before marriage.

Jewellery of the modern era takes on many forms. In the 20th Century artists and designers have used the medium in order to convey their ideas, whilst even pop culture movements such as Hip-Hop have adopted ‘Bling’ as a symbol of success and musical prowess.

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If you haven’t noticed, the jewelry market has been on the warpath over the last few years. It’s not just rock stars, athletes or severely image conscious men who have been sporting jewelry, it’s your every day men who are looking for a little style to spice up their attire. It’s men like the Tuttles. Yes, you see them on television but no; they are not your average television stars. They have their own successful titanium-jewlery.com exclusive OCC line of titanium rings, bracelets and necklaces that look as stylish and futuristic as their motorcycles do. This is hands down proof that the average man is looking to enhance their style with this new wave of men’s jewelry.


Gone are the days of being restricted to simple, gold or white goal rings with little adventure in shape and excitement. We’ve reached a new era where you can get exciting designs with brilliant colors in time tested titanium or tungsten metal alloys that will withstand the abuse an active man will put it through.

With new designers like J.R Yates and his unique style of inlaying sterling silver ropes into a tungsten carbide ring is cutting edge in design and style. Edward Mirrell has achieved notoriety in GQ and Esquire for his remarkable work with his black titanium sports ring. These are just a few of the examples that are currently available that push the envelope on men’s rings.

It doesn’t just stop with rings either. Men have been buying bracelets and necklaces in record numbers to help complement their investment in style. For example, Triton has released a black diamond bracelet called the Halcyon which is very affordable considering it had a total of fifty diamonds surrounding it’s titanium base. It’s rugged yet attractive and will surely grab the eyes of everyone in the room.

Fashion statements are no longer reserved for the most beautiful of women but can now be had by the average man who has been looking to develop their own style without going too deep into the world of vanity. mens rings are a rugged style that meshes sophistication with the blue color roots of almost every man and it is taking the world by storm. Whether you are looking for your own ring or you are looking to buy that special person a gift they might not have thought of for themselves a stylish men’s ring will be an excellent choice.


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Choosing the right jewelry is very important because, if your jewelry is wrong, you're going to regret the purchase. That is definitely not something you want to have to contend with. As a matter of fact, no one wants to have to look at a piece of jewelry they absolutely hate. They don't want to have to live with that regret. Sure, they can always replace that wrong piece of jewelry, but the truth is that replacing a certain piece of jewelry is not always possible. Sometimes it has some sort of meaning behind it. If it does have a certain meaning behind it, then having the wrong piece of jewelry means that meaning behind it is somewhat tainted.

So how do you choose the right jewelry? Well first, you have to choose the right company. In this case we're talking about an online company because the Internet is going to present you with more jewelry options than walking into a jewelry store. You're going to be able to pick out whatever you want on the Internet. What's even greater is the fact that the Internet provides you the opportunity to get a lower price. This is due to the fact that a lot of overhead is eliminated by selling online.

Choosing the right company

The right company is going to have a professional-looking website. They should have a simple checkout system, a site that is easy to navigate, and they will more than likely have some sort of guarantee. They should also have a nice return policy. This is something that is very important in an online jewelry store. They have to provide you with a solid return policy. This is mainly due to the fact that you're not able to see the jewelry in person. You are more or less looking at it on a computer screen and relying on a description.

Although the description of the jewelry is most likely going to be accurate and you're going to love it, it is still a good idea to make sure the return policy is one that you can live with. If you can't live with it, it is probably in your best interest for you to move on. If you find that the return policies of other companies are still not favorable, but not as good as the first one, then you may want to go back to the first one. This is called research, and that is something that is great to do when you're making a purchase online, especially when it is jewelry.

Furthermore, the company needs to provide you with an accurate description. They should also provide you with honest reviews on the items that they're offering. Now the reviews are not by the website owners, but the reviews are by the individuals who bought the jewelry items themselves. You definitely don't want to purchase from a site that expects you to take the opinions of the site owners. Why should you take their opinion when their goal is to sell you as much as they possibly can? Of course they're not going to say something negative about an item in their inventory. They're going to inflate it into something that it may not be, so make sure the site is offering up reviews and ratings to help you make an informed decision about your purchase.

Choosing the right jewelry

So now you know the importance of finding the right company. You also know that it is a good idea to ensure the website has a return policy you can live with and that reviews and ratings play a huge role in making that decision. Since you have all of this under your belt now, it is time to choose the right jewelry.

First of all, think about what it is you like in jewelry. If you have to, sit down and write it all down. If you're buying a ring, what style of stone do you like? Let's say it's a diamond ring. Now think about the shape of diamond that you like. Do you like a traditional cut or a marquis cut? Do you like white gold or yellow gold? Take a look at some of the diamond rings being offered by the online jeweler and make note of what you like in some of the rings. Even if you don't like a ring in its entirety, write down what you like about it. This is going to help you keep in mind what it is you like. That way, you can immediately identify the perfect ring.

The same goes for necklaces. Look at the pendants and how they make you feel. You also need to look at chain length. A 16 inch chain may work for one person, but not for another. There may also be cases in which you can actually pick out the length of chain that you need. It really depends on the necklace, but some give you that option.

You also want to make sure that what you pick matches other jewelry. If you are a yellow gold person, then yellow gold is something that you may want to purchase. However, there are some individuals who enjoy two-tone jewelry. For example, their wedding ring is two tone. Because of this, they may be able to get by with having silver earrings. However, if their wedding ring is solid yellow gold, then they want to make sure those earrings are solid yellow gold. This is something that depends solely on personal preference, but is definitely something to keep in mind.

No regrets

Most importantly, ask yourself, "Is this a purchase that I'm going to regret?" Hopefully, by this point you have found the jewelry that makes your heart melt. If you're really "feeling" it, then you have more than likely found what you're looking for. In this case, your only regret is going to be not purchasing the jewelry item. Fortunately, that is a regret that is very easy to avoid.

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It is sometimes tempting to think of the history of fashion in terms of distinct units of decades, with a new era being ushered in with the drop of the ball in Times Square on New Years day of the first year of a new decade. However, this thinking tends to cloud the broad sweep of history, which takes shape as it unfolds from the trends and events of the past.


No discussion of the world of fashion in the 1950’s would be complete without examining the profound impact World War II had on the industry. Europe and North America had traditionally looked to Paris, the international capitol of fashion, for stylistic inspiration and guidance in this realm but with the German invasion of Paris, this link was severed and designers and manufacturers in the rest of the world were forced to rely on domestic talent.

There was also a shortage of fabrics and trimmings used in clothing during the war, and rationing systems that regulated the quantity of clothing, which could be purchased, were introduced in countries like Britain. This climate caused wartime fashion to become very functional, almost militaristic in appearance. The typical wartime outfit in Britain, for example, was the tailored suit with squared off shoulders, tapered waist and just-below-the-knee length skirt. Shoes and bags, and accessories were also functional, with the exception of hats. The materials for making hats were not rationed so large, bold designs in hats were characteristic. But generally speaking, the range of garments being produced was extremely limited. Little elegant evening wear was being produced, for example, because textiles like silk were needed to make parachutes. There was also a ban on the production of hosiery for the same reason. Hosiery was still being made from silk, as nylon was not yet widely available.

As British and American designers were not eclipsed by Parisian designers during the war, they emerged in the post war era with a much sharper profile in the fashion world. Both countries had made significant progress in mass-market clothing production, also known as “ready-to-wear” clothing, in part because of having to produce massive amounts of uniforms during the war.

After the war, women returned to the home and to a less active role in society. Femininity returned to the fashion styles of the day. No longer curtailed by the rationing of textiles and restrictions in buying, they wanted clothing with reams of fabric. Even make-up was heavy – many women went through their day with a full painted face compete with dark eye liner, colored eye shadow, mascara, rouge, to dark red lipstick. The cosmetics and fragrance industries boomed. Women reveled in their access to products that had been of short supply during the war, and perfect grooming was essential.

The silhouette of the day in the early to mid 1950’s leaned toward the formal, and the tailored. Women wanted to present themselves as mature, elegant, and sophisticated. It was important to look "every inch the lady" from head to toe, and this was the female cultural norm that was conditioned in every girl from a very young age from her authority figures in addition to the movies she saw at the theater on Saturday night. Even the adventurous world of high fashion popularized on the runways and catwalks of the Paris fashion shows remained formal.

Watching the popular Hollywood “pictures” of the day can provide a fun study in 1950’s fashion styles. My favorite film from the era is “How to Marry a Millionaire” featuring sex siren, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable. It is a visual feast of 1950’s fashion not to be missed! And the image of female beauty of the day was a curvy one with shapely hips and a prominent bust, although it was important that a women’s waist be small. Many women wore girdles, waist cinchers and shapers underneath their clothing to achieve this desired image. Women that collect vintage clothing today will attest to the fact that the waist dimensions of vintage dresses and skirts feel abnormally small when compared to that of the hips and bust.

Tailored suits, dresses with bolero jackets, twin sets, and shirt waisted dresses with full pleated swing skirts were worn during the day, and full-length cocktail gowns with elbow length opera gloves and bold statement jewelry were worn for evening wear. The 1950’s were a time of practiced etiquette – a time when every occasion demanded a studied attention to clothes and accessories. For example, the way you dressed when you went to have lunch with the ladies was different than the way you dressed when you went grocery shopping or attended your children’s school functions. A popular style for the 1950’s woman who wanted to appear provocative was the wiggle dress or tight-fitting, high-waisted pencil skirt.

The 50’s were time of prosperity. Families had more disposable income and, let’s not forget, lots of children! They don’t call it the baby boom era for nothing. As a result, a brand new market emerged catering to young people. Many teenagers wanted more relaxed clothing styles than those of their parents. Teenage girls favored tight sweaters and cardigans worn over pointy “bullet bras”, paired with full circle skirts with stiff nylon petticoats underneath for fullness. Teenagers across the world were dancing to the new American rock-n-roll music and the full skirt and petticoat combination made for quite a show as you spun around on the dance floor. Poodle skirts were worn with black and white saddle shoes at sock hops where teenagers danced to Elvis Presley. Many experts agree that it was in the 1950’s that the fashion and music industries became forever linked.

Tight jeans and pants were a popular fifties clothing style with both teenage boys and girls. Pedal pushers became e a very trendy style of pants for girls. “Good girls”, Annette Funicello and Doris Day popularized this fashion look for young girls in the 50’s. The “greaser look” for young men, also unique to the 1950’s, was distinguished by the white tee shirt and black motorcycle jacket, greased back hair and sideburns, popularized by James Dean and Marlon Brando.

From the mid 1950’s, tailored suits from Italian designers, in particular, began to represent “the ultimate in modernity” for the modern 50’s gent. Italian clothing was being imported to the United States and Britain in greater quantities than ever before. Even domestic menswear manufacturers and tailors were advertising their single-breasted suits with tapered trouser pants as being made “in the Italian” style. Striped ties were popular for men, and the love affair with Italian menswear didn’t end there, Italian leather shoes with pointed toes were extremely in vogue in the world of 50’s men’s fashion.

Toward the end of the decade, designers began to present less structured clothing. They began rebelling against the tight-waisted, tight-fitting, full-skirted styles of the post-war years. Chanel’s relaxed sweater suit designs for women were gaining in popularity. Fashion was trending toward more comfort and wear ability. The sack dress from the late 1950’s was the precursor to some of the shift dresses that became popular in the 60’s when hemlines went shockingly up! That, however, is another story. I, for one, will always be a fan of 1950’s clothing. It was a decade of vibrant fashion activity that celebrated some of the best qualities of the traditional gender roles, including all things feminine for women and a strong masculine archetype for men.


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