Why, Beauty?

We are never really prepared for heavy snow in the UK, are we? Not in terms of transport or even on a personal level by having heavy duty outdoor clothing, as I found to my cost in our recent wintry weather.

I live out in the sticks and the heavy snow made getting to work virtually impossible. Unfortunately, my children’s school didn’t close, so I found myself venturing out to take them to school. I got them there okay but on the way home, semi-disaster struck! My car got stuck in some heavy snow on one of the little roads leading onto the main A road. I got out and scraped as much as I could away from the tyres. I pretty quickly discovered that my pretty woolly gloves were as helpful as a chocolate teapot for all practical purposes in the snow! My hands soon became wet and frozen and I realised that only heavy duty, warm lined leather or thinsulate gloves are any good in those sorts of conditions - oh the glory of hindsight!

Even worse though, as I made my way round all four tyres, was the gradual and extremely uncomfortable realisation that most fashionable boots may look appropriate to wear in the snow but actually aren’t. My feet were soaked and pretty soon I couldn’t feel them. I’ve always resisted, since we moved to the country, getting a decent pair of wellies (you know, all the ‘green wellie brigade’ comments). Really wished I’d invested in some then though. I’ve since found that wellies come in all manner of designs - I’m now the proud owner of a smart black pair, covered in fluorescent paw prints - which probably have the added advantage of being visible for miles around, should you get buried from the knees up in a snow drift any time! The other big advantage to wellies is the grip, something else which most ordinary winter boots are significantly lacking in. I was very relieved to be wearing my woolly hat and puffa jacket though - at least my top and middle bits were warm.

I think I’ve learnt my lesson finally and have now invested in decent outdoor clothing for the whole family. It seems an unnecessary expense most of the time but the discomfort and misery, not to mention wrecked footwear, we incurred in this cold snap has convinced me that it’s well worth the investment, even it if truly comes into its own only once every couple of years.

Hiking and outdoor gear has become stylish and fashionable, particularly designs from manufacturers such as the North Face and Berghaus.  The range of brightly coloured, Berghaus fleeces and hiking gear is not only being worn by intrepid hikers and fell-walkers, but also in the high street.

To ensure maximum warmth while hiking it’s best to wear clothes with thermal or fleecy linings.  This type of fabric enables the skin to breath and traps heat within the layers.  Fleecy woollen hats, gloves, trousers and boots also help to keep you warm on the fells, and the range of designs is becoming increasingly stylish.

When deciding on a hiking trip in the winter months it’s necessary to be dressed suitably for whatever the weather brings.  Thermal underwear is a must, topped with North Face Polartec Salathe pullover, priced at £50.  This design comes in dark colours, such as black, grey/black and deepwater blue.  Complete with the North Face logo prominently displayed on top pocket, this top not only looks great but feels comfortable to wear.

Berghaus, Regatta and Sprayway also do great ranges of fleece hiking gear, it’s hard to go wrong with any of their styles, they vary in price from £36 for a Berghaus women’s Spectrum jacket in a fabulous range of colours.  Craghoppers, Kiwi, along with other manufacturers offer large ranges of hiking trousers.  All are hardwearing, practical and weatherproof.  Most ranges aren’t considered stylish but jeans or cords which are always fashionable, would be suitable for hiking anywhere.

A hat is necessary for colder winter walking and there are many stylish designs on the High Street.  Fleecy berets bobble hats, or even a snood would keep out the icy cold, and look great wherever you are walking.  The colours are great, from burnt orange, red, icy blue or cool greens.  Pulled well down over your ears, they look stylish, while keeping you warm and comfortable.

For hiking over rough terrain a strong, sturdy pair of boots is essential.  Timberland leads the way with some stunning designs.  Men’s Shackleton range boots are stylish wear anywhere, but are extremely expensive with designs starting at £130 upwards.  Timberland Earthkeepers boots look fantastic with a tartan inset in the leather. They are very hard-wearing, and with the correct care, will last many years.  They’re definitely a good investment.

Hiking and walking are becoming increasingly popular past-times, and designers such as Sprayway, North Face and others are designing up-market, stylish clothing and equipment suitable for wear.

It really does depend what type of clothing you are looking for and the climate you are operating in. The US made clothing will cover a broader spectrum of extreme weather types for instance; you have the extreme cold of the Alaskan winter to the extreme heat of the Californian summer and desert, and in the middle, there is a large area of America that gets the same weather we do.
Here in the UK we have a very temperate climate, where the weather fluctuates with the seasons instead of the geographical area.

If I were looking for a winter coat for use here in the UK, knowing that the US clothes cater for more severe weather, I would be tempted to buy the US make just in case we have a very severe winter if it were at the correct price. However, if the price difference was to extreme I would stick with a normal Berghaus jacket that caters for our season’s weather.

I think the bottom line with all clothing here in the UK is price, we do not always have a need for the ‘extra’s’ that US made clothes offer, simply because of our weather structure. Also let us not forget the price comparison between UK and US can be extreme. In the US clothing is much less expensive in fact the same item here in the UK you could pay double or even triple.

My conclusion is, unless I was on holiday in the US and brought some US clothing cheaper than I would find it here in the UK, then I would not buy US made clothing to wear in the UK unless I was buying a very good deal because there is simply no need.

A lot of summer outdoor wear is pretty basic – therefore feel it doesn’t really matter which make you choose UK or US, because of our weather structure being based on seasons rather than area’s it only really matters with winter wear a small amount and is not really worth the extra expense.

Like most reasonable members of society I make some charity donations. I do not contribute to every charity and I also try to contribute to local less well known charities. One of the main charities I donate to is involved with research into heart disease, it is a local charity specialising in research into chest and heart disease. I donate to this charity because it is actively involved in trying to find cures to various heart and chest diseases, it also provides care and assistance for people afflicted with heart and chest disease.

I totally hate being accosted on the street by those people trying to sign me up to donate to various charities, all it does is completely put me off contributing to the particular charity. I like to be in control of my choices and some student trying to get my details off me in the street to set up a direct debit to give to a charity just makes me angry. Another bugbear for me is getting tickets for prize draws through the post, the charity expects you to sell the tickets and send on the donations, I just return the tickets in the envelope provided to the respective organisation.

For my family money is tight, we are not extravagant and we try to live within our means, however we know that there are people worse off than us and we do make charity donations when we can. We are all aware of major charity campaigns that appear after a major natural disaster, but there are loads of less well known charities trying to survive that are not able to afford major advertising campaigns to encourage donations.

Heart disease is still Britain’s biggest killer and it is a major concern for me and my family, there are very few families that have not experienced a death from heart or chest disease, and therefore I do like to make a regular contribution to a local heart disease charity. I don’t give by direct debit but I do make regular donations, I also buy the charity’s Christmas Cards and support their other fundraising events. Clothing made by companies like Damart also appeal to me because a portion of the proceeds from their sale goes to the charity.

There have been many major advances in the treatment and prevention of heart disease and most of these have been funded through heart disease charities, research is ongoing into new treatments and also there are many campaigns to encourage all of us to change our lifestyles.

Donations to charities usually decrease in times of economic hardship, therefore it is essential to make some sort of contribution, however small to the likes of heart disease charities. I may have to reduce the frequency of my donating but I am fully aware of the absolute necessity for care and research to continue, therefore I will still try to make some donations.

Diesel Jeans offer a great choice of fits (slim, superslim, casual, etc..) and the best styles and washes! They never go out of style and the quality is great. You will not be able to get rid of them once you own a pair. Other jeans would be threadbare in 2 years or even sooner, however not Diesel jeans. They are excellent quality. They are however, a bit expensive, however definitely worth the money.

Mankind jeans I feel do not offer such a large variety of styles, however they do offer a good variety of different fits (slim, superslim, casual, etc). While Mankind jeans are of good quality, I do not feel they meet the standard of Diesel Jeans, however Diesel Jeans are more usually more expensive then Mankind jeans and you know what they say, you get what you pay for.

I think both Diesel and Mankind both make very good quality jeans, however, if you’re looking for that extra bit more when purchasing jeans, I would choose Diesel Jeans over Mankind jeans. If you would like a quality pair of jeans at a lower price, I’d choose the Mankind Jeans.

I work in the fashion industry and it is definitely true that more and more women are buying clothes over the Internet. This is made even easier when shops allow customers to return items bought over the Internet, to their High Street shops. Thus avoiding costly charges and timely Post Office trips if items need to be returned.

Shops are even encouraging shoppers to buy over the Internet by creating ranges that are largely only available from their websites such as the Wallis Limited collection that is only available in a few selected stores and online.

It is important to remember that many shoppers don’t like or don’t have the time to try things on in store fitting rooms and so buy with the intention of trying it on at home and returning the item if it doesn’t fit properly or they decide they don’t like it which is essentially what the Internet does.

With the increasing cost of parking in city centres, it isn’t surprising that many people are turning to the Internet for their fashion needs and it is becoming increasingly easy, convenient and safe to do so.

I think that nowadays people are more likely to buy clothes online than ever before.
Although you cannot try the items on, if it is from a shop which you are familiar with then the majority of the time you can tell what size you would need and have a good idea about what will suit you body type.
The internet can give you alot more choice than you would have in the shop. Online there are often more colours to choose from or slightly different styles and in this case you can try similar items in the shop then order the slightly different make online.
Many websites also offer a good return policy, for example you can take them back to the shop, so you still get the benefit of trying the items on before you have to keep them but you can try them on in your own home so you can take longer deciding exactly whether you really want the items and trying them on with the clothes you have already to see if you have things to go with them.

With the boom of online shopping and the many cashback sites available, many women are turning to online malls to purchase their new clothes. The benefits of shopping online are numerous. Firstly, shoppers don’t have to leave the comfort of their homes to ‘hit the stores’, therefore avoiding potential traffic jams, bad weather and the general stresses and strains of the bustling high street. Then there is the issue of the price, this often tends to be lower due to the smaller overheads of online stores. Finally, by shopping online women have access to a wider range of clothing, for example they could order a top from Japan and have it in their hands within just a week!

The one downside of choosing to buy clothes online, rather than from a high street store, is the inability to try them on before making a purchase. Unfortuantely, women’s clothing sizes now seem to be less standardised and can vary considerably from shop to shop, this poses a particular problem when ordering clothes online. Of course, there’s always the option of sending them back, but a bargain purchase can quickly become a small fortune once delivery costs are calculated.

Essentially, the internet revolution is enabling women to become more savvy-spenders. They are able to utilise both online and high-street stores to their advantage, a quick trip to the shop enables them to find out what looks right before heading home to purchase the same item at a discount price online.