Women's Hats: The complete buying guide

Author of this post - Sanskriti Kapoor

Winter is here! You must surely notice a sudden nip in the air, along with falling leaves and the beautiful colors of nature. Although the sun’s rays have begun to weaken, they are not completely absent. So, you must save your skin from the sun’s rays, and a fall hat does the job beautifully! Even though these are not as big and floppy as summer hats, the Winter hats add a touch of classy elegance to any outfit while being functional. Hats are a fashion girl's best friend! If you've been on Instagram lately, or watched a music video, you know that fashion influencers and celebrities have decided that hats are a super important accessory. Plus, sometimes you just need to wear one, whether it's to protect your head from cold weather, to shade your face from the sun, wind, or rain, or just to hide a bad hair day. If you're not sure which types of hats for women you should try with your outfits, we've got you covered with our handy guide to every stylish option.

Heads, like fingerprints, are unique to each person. When you buy a hat, it should be suited to your face, personality, and body type. Unfortunately, when you go into a hat store, the employees don’t always remind you about these key considerations.

Classic Fedora
It used to be only men who wore fedoras, but stylish women have definitely claimed this accessory as their own. When a woman wears a fedora, regardless of the fabric or color, she's making a confident style statement. You can spot this elegant style by its folded top, short rim, and distinctive ribbon around the base. We're big fans of this hat worn with pants outfits, such as jumpsuits, trousers, or jeans as pictured, to add a cool edge to your look.


Wide Brim Fedora
The wide brim fedora, sometimes called a safari hat, is one of the trendiest accessories for fashion girls right now. You'll spot it easily by its medium to high crown, center dent, and wider brim that slopes gently downward all around. It makes a great winter hat in a heavier fabric, such as wool or felt, as pictured here. Wear it whenever you want to jazz up your outfit, or hide unwashed hair.


Schoolboy Hat
The schoolboy hat, also called a newsboy, can be dressy, or more casual, depending on its color, fabric, and style. Here, one of our favorite fashion influencers wears a schoolboy cap in wool, with a Chanel-inspired tweed dress, and layered gold chains, for a look that's very French girl goes shopping.


Floppy Hat
If you think wide brim hats are just for summer, or on beach vacations, here's some new fashion inspiration. A soft, wide-brimmed hat has a bohemian vibe that makes it perfect for wearing with all your outfits in natural fabrics, such as the furry vest pictured on this fashion blogger. You could also wear a floppy hat in the winter with a dark floral dress and cute ankle boots, for an effortlessly feminine look.

Fur Pill Box Hat
When the temperature takes a dive, keep your noggin warm and cozy with the most stylish and high fashion of winter hats for women, the fur pill box hat. Also known as a Zhivago hat, after the 1965 movie starring Julie Christie, its soft furry shape is flattering to every face. Wear a fur pill box with casual outfits to instantly upgrade them, or with your fanciest going out outfits this winter.


Trapper Hat
The trapper hat is one of those happy winter fashion trends that is both super cute, and practical for women living in a cold climate. Modeled after a traditional hunter's hat, this stylish outdoor hat for women is usually made of shearling (as pictured), suede, or leather. You can wear a trapper everywhere in winter, from forest hikes to the skating rink.

Cowboy Hat
The trick to wearing a Western-inspired cowboy hat fashionably is to dress against expectations. Sure, you could wear this style with a flannel shirt and jeans for a home on the range outfit, but it's so much more stylish and modern to pair this type of hat with dressier looks, such as the fur vest and cashmere sweater combo pictured here.

Snug Beanie
A head-hugging knit beanie is a super useful hat to own. You can pull one on when you're having a bad hair day, and need to run to the store. Or, wear one over long hair, especially if it's wavy or curly, to create a winter look that is youthful, and fun. Beanies are available in a variety of colors and patterns to suit everyone's style. They look cute with just about any fall or winter outfit, and are especially great for accessorizing casual weekend looks.

Pom Pom Hat
The pom pom hat, known as a "toque" in Canada, is probably the most popular winter style for women across the board. It is a close-fitting knitted cap, just like a beanie, but with a fuzzy bobble at the top of the crown. Ideal for jazzing up any winter outfit, these hats are widely available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. If you're only going to buy one, make it a neutral-colored knit such as the one pictured here.

Beanies: These hats are specifically worn to keep your head warm, especially during winter, and to keep your hair out of your face. There are various types of beanies, including skullcaps as well as slouch, roll up, and pom pom beanies.

Fashion Hats: Fashion hats are worn to match your clothes. There are various types of fashion hats, including bucket hat, bowler hat, fedora, ascot, beret, and more.

Choosing the Right Hat

When selecting the right hat, you have to consider the shape of your face. There are specific hat styles that fit every shape of the face.

Square: If your face is square, you’ve most likely got a wide forehead, cheeks, and a strong jawline. Look for hats that soften all of your angles such as floppy hats or hats that have a curvy profile.

Diamond-shaped: A diamond-shaped face’s most prominent feature is its angles. It comes with a narrow forehead, wide cheekbones, and a pointed chin. If you have a diamond-shaped face, look for something with a medium to wide brim.

Round: A round face has almost the same dimensions from side to side as top to bottom, so you want to shop for something that will break up the symmetry. Look for hats that can be tilted forward or to the side or that have a slanted or peaked brim.

Oblong: If you have an oblong face, your face is significantly less wide than it is long. Your face is all about the long, parallel lines between your forehead and chin and the left side to the right side of your face. Look for hats that even out these lines and draw attention away from the long lines. Wide brim or newsboy hats should do the trick.

It is also important to consider the size of your head. Your hat needs to fit the circumference of your head because an overly large hat will look sloppy and won’t stay in place, while a too-small hat will feel tight and may appear disproportionate to the rest of your body.

Here, I am mentioning some of the Hats that fits almost all the above parameters. In my experience as a fashion designer, I have come to find the designs mentioned below to be in trend these days. You may take a look -

Hats - https://amzn.to/3E93J5i, https://amzn.to/3yEnwZi, https://amzn.to/3FmaQss, https://amzn.to/3p9pZb4, https://amzn.to/3se0LdD, https://amzn.to/3paNkJD, https://amzn.to/30FcmXP, https://amzn.to/3EapOkb, https://amzn.to/3miWIc5, https://amzn.to/3e2FhYO

Women's Blazers: The complete buying guide

Author of this post - Sanskriti Kapoor

Blazers. We know them, we love them. But what's the best way to buy them?

What is a Blazer?

Let us start by first addressing the most vexing question – what exactly is a blazer? One might be tempted to think it is any jacket that happens to be worn without matching pants. The Oxford American Dictionary describes it as a “sports jacket not worn with matching trousers.”

Meanwhile, the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as “a coloured jacket worn by schoolchildren or sports players as part of a uniform” or “a plain jacket not forming part of a suit but considered appropriate for formal wear.” The Free Dictionary describes it as “A lightweight, often striped or brightly coloured sports jacket having pockets and notched lapels.” And the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as “a jacket that is worn over a shirt and that looks like a suit jacket but is not part of a suit.” Clear as mud, eh?

What kind of women's blazers are in style?

Both Vice and Erlanger touched on how this year is all about comfort. "There's going to continue to be an ease to dressing, but that's why a blazer is perfect: it's season-less and transitional truly all year round," Erlanger said. She also mentioned that softer, relaxed silhouettes are going to be popular for that exact reason.

Vice mentioned that he's seeing a lot of oversized blazers, ones you can roll up to your elbows and even cropped blazers on his radar. "The houndstooth pattern is in [and] the jacquard pattern is in, [along with] a lot of that '80s funk appeal," is a classic pattern comprised of pointed shapes, typically black and white in color. Jacquard, on the other hand, is a detailed, raised pattern that is typically woven into a material.

How to style a women's blazer

Vice said it's typical to keep the clothing underneath your blazer simple, especially if you're sporting an oversized blazer. "It's been minimal underneath, like a crop top or a bodysuit," Vice specified. "The underpinnings are a lot slimmer, but the blazer itself is big."

Speaking of comfort, Vice mentioned he loves pairing blazers with sweatpants and a pair of pumps. You could also wear your favorite blazer with some dad or boyfriend jeans, a T-shirt, loafers and a fun belt to bring it all together. "It's chic but comfortable," Vice said.

How to shop for a women's blazer

There are a few things to look out for when you're shopping for a blazer. "People should be conscious of how the blazer is hitting their body," Vice said. "It should be a comfortable moment for them, and [the fit] will be subjective for each person."

To get the most use of your purchase, Erlanger also advised looking at the inside of blazers. Ones that have an inner lining are typically better because they will hold up better, wear longer and are easier to slip on and off.

Types of Blazers

Blazers, like many other types of coats or jackets, come in a variety of styles, silhouettes and fabrics. Depending on your personal style and lifestyle here are some of the most popular types of blazers to consider adding to your wardrobe.

• Single breasted blazer
• Double breasted blazer
• Leather blazer
• Printed blazer
• Cropped blazer
• Oversized blazer

Single-Breasted Blazer

The most classic type of blazer, single-breasted, is one you have likely seen. This type of blazer can be designed in a variety of different fabrics, colors and prints. Furthermore, it’s a type of blazer that can be easily dressed up or down. Because this is such a classic type of blazer it’s not uncommon to have a couple of different single breasted blazers in your wardrobe.

Double-Breasted Blazer

Somewhat similar to the classic aesthetic of a single-breasted blazer, the double-breasted blazer has two very distinct rows of buttons on each side. Because of the double breasted element this type of blazer tends to act as more of a statement piece. Recently, double-breasted blazers have become a huge trend with styles including gold buttons for added style.

Cropped Blazer

Cropped blazers are a trendy statement style. If you want something that looks fashion forward and shows of your shape, cropped blazers are for you.

Even though cropped length are shorter than regular, full size blazer, they can still come in different lengths ranging from at the hip to just at your belly button.

Generally, it’s best to select a cropped blazer that rests right around your natural waist. This will help you to benefit from the fit and enhance your shape.

Leather Blazer

Leather isn’t just for moto jackets. Blazers are a great garment to use to embrace your unique sense of style, opting for blazers in different fabrics like leather is a great way to do that.

Leather jackets as a whole tend to be synonymous with edgy style. To add a bit of edge to your wardrobe, with a garment that’s versatile and classic, leather blazers are a must have.

Printed Blazer

Printed blazers are favored among fashionistas everywhere. Much like blouses and dresses, blazers come in a wide variety of different prints to give you a chance to get creative with your blazer collection. Whether you resonate with feminine, edgy, classic or something in between, there’s a printed blazer that you can have fun styling.

When adding a printed blazer to your wardrobe just keep the color scheme in mind. It’s best to choose a print that has colors that are easy to mix-and-match with everything else in your wardrobe. For example, if you have a lot of black and white pieces you won’t want to add a chocolate brown printed blazer into your wardrobe as it can be harder to wear.

Oversized Blazer

Also known as a boyfriend fit blazer, the oversized look has grown to become a huge trend this year in fashion. With so much 90’s influence in fashion, the oversized look is really fun and fresh. The key when choosing an oversized blazer wearing it with pieces that are more form fitting to create a balanced look and ensure you’re not lost in a lot of oversized fabric.

Blazers are a tailored garment, which is why it’s essential they fit properly. There are a few key areas to pay attention to when determine whether or not it fits you.

How Should a Woman’s Blazer Fit

Shoulders

• Shoulders are one of the most important areas when determining fit of a blazer.
• The shoulders of the blazer should rest where your own shoulder ends.
• If the shoulder seam is above or below your natural shoulder bend the fit isn’t right.

Bust and waist

• The fit of the bust and waist areas of a blazer will vary depending upon the type and style of blazer you wear. Regardless of the blazer style, the key thing to keep in mind in regards to fit is ensuring that it’s not too big or too small.
• If the fit is too big in the bust and/or waist it will often slouch and fold around that area of the body.
• On the flip side, if the bust and/or waist is too small you will notice pulling.

Sleeves

• Now sleeve lengths and styles are going to be different by nature depending upon the overall style of the blazer.
• When you have a full length sleeve blazer it should rest right at the joint of your thumb.
• To properly check the sleeve length, stand straight with your arms down at your sides.
• It’s not uncommon to need some sleeve length tailor and is often an easy fix.

Length

• Length is another element that’s going to differ based on the type of blazer. A good rule of thumb when checking the length of a blazer is that it doesn’t rest in an unflattering place.
• More often than not, the most flattering placement of a blazer will be just above or just below the widest part of your body where the blazer lays.
• If you have an oversized blazer that’s on the longer side and rests around the hip area, make sure it’s just above or just below the widest part of your hips.

Here, I am mentioning some of the Blazers that fits almost all the above parameters. In my experience as a fashion designer, I have come to find the designs mentioned below to be in trend these days. You may take a look -

Blazers - https://amzn.to/30D2MVc, https://amzn.to/33Ibov5, https://amzn.to/3mgFzz, https://amzn.to/3qbG0wi, https://amzn.to/3yEvYry, https://amzn.to/3siqDF2

Women's T-shirt: The complete buying guide

Author of this post - Sanskriti Kapoor

I think most everyone I know has a T-shirt story to tell –  a favorite t-shirt and a story to go with it. Even your t-shirt can tell you one – a very fascinating story of an underdog starting out as an underwear and then going on to superstardom as a coveted outer garment – the stuff blockbuster movies are made of.

A T-shirt can adapt itself to any situation, be it a political rally or disco party or as a corporate uniform – the versatility of a t-shirt needs not much validation. An affordable good quality t-shirt is a go-to clothing for a lot of people around the world.

But not all T-shirts are made alike. Some are more equal than the others – How to know these differences – What do you look for when you buy a T-shirt? This post aims to look at these simple but effective factors.

1. Fabric type

Choosing the T-shirt according to the fabric and the fiber content is number one on my considerations list.

T-shirt fabrics are usually 100% cotton or a blend of cotton and synthetic fibers or 100% Polyester or a mix of synthetic fiber, cotton and rayon; For thinner cheaper t-shirts a jersey material is used, for thicker t-shirts a sweatshirt jersey is used; for more drapey and costly t-shirts an interlock fabric is used; Cotton spandex is also used for stretchy t-shirts.

Interlock knit (double-knit fabric) is densely made, durable and will not curl like a jersey knit t-shirt would. Jersey fabric is thinner and not as durable.

So, How do you know if you have interlock fabric or jersey fabric – Interlock will have Two series of knitted loops per course whereas Knit fabric would have only one series of loops. Interlock fabric will look more or less the same on the face and back of the fabric whereas jersey fabric will look different on face and back if you look carefully.

Your comfort level, if it is important to you, will depend on the fabric your t-shirt is made of – and this depends on the place where you spend your time when wearing the t-shirt.

A 100 % cotton fabric is a must-have fabric configuration for a T-shirt worn in hot climates. But if you are going to be in an A/C room, even if you live in a tropical climate it does not matter if your t-shirt has Polyester fibers or other synthetic fibers mixed to the cotton fibers.  And you may even welcome the synthetic fibers because of the additional benefits they provide – like colorfastness, less shrinkage after wash, stability, wrinkle resistance and easy maintenance.

The cotton fibers give the t-shirt comfort and water-absorbing properties. A Ring spun cotton t-shirt is the softest and most durable as well as lightweight- so if you find these types of t-shirts look no further. Combed cotton is another superior cotton type.

A blend of cotton and polyester fibers make t-shirt fabric easier to care for and durable than cotton ones. A blend of rayon-polyester-cotton makes the t- shirt fabric the softest and very comfortable to wear. This type of t-shirts (50% polyester, 25% ring-spun cotton and 25% rayon) are called tri-blend t-shirts are considered very good as they have the good qualities of all these fibers – the durability of polyester, the absorbency and comfort of cotton, and the softness and drape of rayon.

100% polyester fabric t-shirts may not be very comfortable to wear for day to day wear, but they are great for sports activities as they are lightweight, stretchy ( maybe with lycra) and wicks away the sweat from the body and takes it to the surface where it evaporates. This does not happen with cotton. Cotton, even as it absorbs sweat, stays wet for longer. Polyester t-shirts dry quickly. And when you are sweating it out on the field you want nothing to do with that wet feeling on your body.

Another criteria is transparency – can you see through the material?. 

2. Printed Designs

The designs printed on the t-shirt can sometimes take precedence over even the fabric type or anything else. The artworks, cool texts, quotes etc on the t-shirt fronts are usually what attracts you to one in the first place and all other considerations can pale and fade away if you have fallen in love with one. The above t-shirt is worth its weight in gold for my husband.   

3. Size & Fit

I once read of a trend among women to go and shop in the young teen section – apparently, those impossibly small clothes made them look fitter or whatever. Size and fit are important to some more than the others. If you belong to the latter category, just select one in the same size as the one that you wear all year around.

Otherwise you can go to the shop and try them one by one. But this becomes a problem when you are buying online. The size will vary between brands. The best thing is to take a measuring tape and measure your shoulder width and chest size and then double check the measuring chart given for each brand. 

Another thing to note is that cotton shrinks so a t-shirt with more of cotton fibers will need a larger size to account for future shrinkage.

When measuring the chest, measure around the fullest part of the chest under armpits keeping the tape flat across the back.

General T-shirt sizes for men.

Chest 76/79 cms ( 30 -31 inch)  – XS

Chest 80/88 cms ( 32 -34 inch)  – S ( same as a 36″ shirt)

Chest 89/97 cms ( 35-38 inch)  – M ( same as a 38″ shirt)

Chest 98/106 cms ( 39- 42 inch)  – L ( same as a 40″ shirt)

Chest 107/115 cms ( 42- 45 inch)  – XL ( same as a 42″ shirt)

Chest 116/124 cms ( 46-49 inch)  – XXL ( same as a 44″ shirt)

Chest 125/133 cms ( 49 – 52inch)  – XXXL ( same as a 46″ shirt)

Women’s T-shirt sizes

Chest 30 -32 inch  – XS

Chest 34 -36 inch  – S

Chest 38 -40 inch  – M

Chest 42 -44 inch  – L

Chest 46 -48 inch  – XL

Chest 50 -52 inch  – XXL

Chest 54 -56 inch  – XXXL

4. Occasion

I am talking about the purpose of you wearing a particular t-shirt – though even before this, occasion is a consideration. You will not usually be wearing t-shirts to formal events. But where you are wearing one, the type of occasion matters. A trip to the gym or playing a game of football or a night out with your friends – all need different considerations.

For sports, you need t-shirts that will disperse perspiration and dry quickly. A 100% Polyester with these properties is used for Football Jersey t-shirts. For relaxing in your home this may be uncomfortable – you will be more comfortable in a t-shirt made of natural fibers. For winter outings you need a long sleeved t-shirt or even one with a hoodie or even may layer more than one t-shirt. 

5. Cut of the T-shirt & Styles

The most common style of t-shirts involves a crew-neck and short sleeves. But it does not end there. There are so many different types of t-shirts and many styles of wearing them including layering many t-shirts one over the other – these are dependent on the trend of the moment and individual fashion style.

6. Color of the t-shirt

This again depends on your personal preference – and a lot of other factors like the best color combinations according to the color wheel and some others as mentioned in this post on choosing the best color for your clothes.

7. Fabric Quality – construction, Shrinkage, Pilling & Color fading

A t-shirt that becomes an impossibly wide, crop top after one wash – the nightmare and reality of some of the t-shirts you buy. 

This is a very common thing seen when you wash a new t-shirt – it starts to become wider and shorter- this is usually due to a fault in the knit fabric construction – the already overstretched fibers when washed return to their un-stretched position and make the garment shorter and wider.

So take a look at the fabric structure when buying t-shirts – The knitting should be relaxed, round in shape and not overstretched. Also if it is unevenly knit this maybe a sign of poor fabric construction. Holes may develop after some time. 

Know beforehand that cotton fibers are prone to some shrinkage So your 100% cotton will shrink a lot more than a polyester cotton blended one . If the cotton one is not marked preshrunk, choose a larger size. 

Another problem is over stretching on particular areas like the neckline armscye etc. Quality t-shirts will have a stay tape around the neckline that will prevent the overstretching.

Shrinkage and overstretching depends on the fabric construction in the first place but can be prevented to an extent if you take some precautions when you care for the clothes.

If you buy t-shirts made of cotton choose one made with long staple cotton fibers – they will pill less than any other.

Regarding colorfastness, my advice is to buy from reputed brands.

This one did not bleed in the wash at all despite me being almost sure it will because of the vivid colors ( As it usually does with inexpensive t-shirts).

As for fabric quality, 180 gsm is the minimum you can look for in a good quality t-shirt.

8. Care Label

Though the spelling of sequins is quite wrong this care label of a t-shirt does tell you how to take care of it properly. There are other things the clothing label may tell you.

Fabric fiber proportion – If you see 50/50 written it means it is a blend of 50 % cotton and 50% polyester or a synthetic fabric.

If there is a mention of Gsm it refers to the fabric weight.

Fabric weight – Fabric weight is usually considered as an indication of durability. A 180-200 Gsm is preferred for a heavy t-shirt fabric and 130-160 Gsm is alright for a medium weight good quality t-shirt. Usually, this is indicated on the care label. The heavyweight t-shirts will shrink less than lightweight t-shirts.

Fabric maintenance – Shrinkage, colorfastness etc will be indicated in the care label clearly. If you live a very busy life and you would want to spend the least amount of time in care and pressing of your countless t-shirts you will be better off with blended t-shirts rather than 100% cotton t-shirts which wrinkle a lot after a wash.

Another sore point in maintenance of t-shirts is the prints which need real good care which can cost you the most precious commodity of all – time. They ought to be hand washed to prevent color fading and ironed from the backside, especially vinyl prints. This will be indicated in the care label. Are you up to it ?  If yes, buy it.

Spend time finding a T-shirt brand that works for your body type. Use the following guidelines as a checklist when trying out any new tee:

• Does the t-shirt fit you closely without tightness around your chest and waist?
• Do the shoulder seams line up with the ends of your shoulders? The shirt may be too loose if the shoulder seams are low, or too tight if the seams are closer to your neck.
• Do the sleeves cover about 1/3 of your biceps? If the sleeves cover more than half of your biceps or touch your elbows, they're too long.
• Do the sleeves lightly hug your biceps? Loose sleeves flap around and sleeves that are too tight can cut off circulation.
• Does the T-shirt subtly drape over your chest and follow the curve of your torso? It shouldn't reveal the outline of your stomach too much.
• Does the T-shirt go a couple of inches below your belt line, slightly covering your waistband? Ideally, it should be long enough for you to raise your arms without exposing your midsection. Do not wear one that goes all the way to your crotch area.

Here, I am mentioning some of the T-shirts that fits almost all the above parameters. In my experience as a fashion designer, I have come to find the designs mentioned below to be in trend these days. You may take a look -

T-shirts - https://amzn.to/32lzN9a, https://amzn.to/3F9YzYh, https://amzn.to/3E3139q, https://amzn.to/30CXGZ4, https://amzn.to/3e5Gz5o, https://amzn.to/32jhiCd, https://amzn.to/3p7R3rd, https://amzn.to/32fK06O, https://amzn.to/30FrTGZ