Cecilia Kumpukwe Banda Ideas of Kids Fashion

The world of fashion is taking a new generation by storm. And this generation is young, small and tender. Kids fashion is becoming big, getting all the attention from designers, companies and well yes the parents. And expectedly the trend first started in Hollywood.

Every six-year girl would like to be like Suri Cruise, daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Travelling in private jet to meet her famous father, she personifies luxury, glamour, and girly style. Her extra trendy, branded dresses are as famous as the accessories she carries around. It's rightly quoted by her father Actor Tom Cruise that "Suri dresses herself and she was born that way," This is so true.

Zahara Jolie-Pitt is another on the list. She is as much a style icon as her celebrity parents Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt with her Ralph Lauren Boots and Gucci, Juicy couture tops. Carefree look of Violet Affleck, daughter of celebrity parents- Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, is a craze in so called kids fashion world for her UGG Australia boots to Ray Ban glasses to Bonpoint dress. Ditto, for the celebrity stylist Rachel Zoes son Skyler who is an epitome of fashion, with his signature style hats.

Raking in the moolah:

They all are splurging millions of dollars on their kids' fashion turning this into one of the fastest growing segments in the fashion industry. From Jessica Simpson to Beyonce Knowles have paid millions to doll up their children and create a unique signature style of dress, accessories, tree houses or toys. Godfather Tom Cruise spent $200,000 on Jennifer Lopezs twins Max & Emme Muniz on buying designer christening outfits for the two. Todays mums are happy to splurge extortionate amount of money keeping their kids stylish, chic to the detriment of their own style .This weakness has been well realized by the fashion retailers .They are well aware of this metamorphosis of children; their progressive nature. Today's kids are promising consumers, independent buyers. With nuclear family with both the parents working there is enough of disposable income, to spend on fashionable stuff which might be exorbitantly priced.

A flourishing industry:

Realising the potential, designers, fashion brands and retailers are looking at this segment closely. Recently, Global Kids Fashion Week as held in London. This catwalk was first of its kind where celebrity kids walked the ramp. Designers Paul Smith Junior, Junior Gautier, Chloe Little Marc Jacobs, I Pinco Pallino, Suzanne Ermann, Anne Kurris, Supertrash showcased their collection. Realising the potential, established brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel jumped into the fray becoming active partners. Eyeing this segment, other designer labels like Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry and other high-end designers are planning fashions shows in the different parts of the world.

Cecilia Kumpukwe Banda Describes History of Women's Fashion

HistoricalBackground

The cage crinoline, the major fashion innovation for women in the1850s. During Romantic period, women used to wear Layers of petticoat, sometimes they are use up to six Layers of petticoat. The increasing width of womens skirts had led to the use of more and more stiffened petticoat.

When the hoop skirts of the 18th century were revived to hold out these voluminous skirts, the editor of Petersons Magazine hailed its revival in September, 1859.This skirts look like a farthingale. But at this time women started wearing farthingale again. The farthingale had changed, its name was called crinoline. This was made out of still. A crinoline is a light still frame work covered with fabric to distend a skirt.

Cecilia Kumpukwe Banda Tips of Fashion with animal prints

Animal print has always garnered attention and has been in fashion for a long time. It displays sophistication, style and versatility. Noticeably, this trend does not seem to fade and is still ruling the fashion world and other sectors. Animal prints are the rage of this season and finds its way in party wears, coats, skirts, handbags, lingerie, watches, accessories and even in home furnishing textiles.

Animal prints have remained popular since ancient times and there are many reasons for it. Firstly, it was expensive and considered extraordinary. If one goes back to the history, kings and higher class people have used rugs made from animal skin. They have displayed animal skin or animal head as medals, which is a symbol of royalty and high status. Coats made from unusual African fur were worn by members of royal families and elite class of people during olden times.

Cecilia Kumpukwe Banda Ideas about Corporate Wear

Based on the corporate wear trend forecast for India this season, here are items you should buy, wear and flaunt:

For Him

Short-collared shirts

Formal shirts with short collars for a sharp office look. They are a lot more functional than other collar lengths and will stay popular over the next few seasons. Go for a short collar on a dressy white shirt (which you wear either with a tux or without) or a smart pastel (blue, grey, mauve) shirt under your favourite business suit.

Three-piece suits

Old-world three-piece suits in classic cuts for the boardroom and business trips are by far one of the strongest trends for men this winter. The waistcoat must be made with the same fabric as the jacket and trouser and should give you a structured and snug fit. Ensure its 'dressy enough' to be worn with a full-sleeve shirt, even without a jacket on top.

Slim ties

Broad ties are vintage. Update your tie rack with a collection of slim ties. While a black one is a must, keep a brown, blue, purple and red tie handy to mix and match with all your suits.

Textured & mattfabrics

No shinier, metallic and glossy fabrics for business and work wear. Trends favour a matt, dull look especially for jackets, trousers and three-piece suits. Soft fabrics and luxury wool blends will be the flavour this season. Texture is strong and so are small prints of tartan or multicolored checks.

Double breastedjackets

Six and eight (brass or silver) button jackets from the early '80s have been reinvented to look shapelier. Since a double-breasted jacket can make one look broad and boxy, wear them only if you are tall or lean.

Short overcoats

The era of large 'detective style' overcoats is over. Invest in a good quality, short (knee-length or higher) one for peak winter or if you are traveling to cold places. Choose solids (in camel, grey, black or brown) over prints, as they are a lot more neutral and are less likely to be remembered, even when worn over and over again.

Cecilia Kumpukwe Banda Commercial Trends Of 2013

Following part one of our year recap, which looked at the biggest apparel stories of 2013, we're back with the best selling trends of the last twelve months. Drawn from our apparel database, we've determined which were the global fashion hits.

1. Crop tops

There was a global intake of breath as SS13 trends dictated abs would be on show this year. Retailers who reacted to the catwalk's warning signs did well, with products selling fast in jersey, knit and shirts. There were more than 56,000 new cropped products arriving online this year, with the mass market accounting for 56% of products. Our data indicated that this would be a hit, and it's likely going to stay amongst the bestsellers as we head into SS14.

2. Leopard print

25,169 new leopard print items arrived online at global retailers during 2013 and were repeatedly featured in our Top Mover reports, which detail the fastest selling garments each month. The trend was boosted by numerous influential street style bloggers and celebrity sightings. Working across both men's and women's wear, this trend flew because it received both designer and mass market support simultaneously - Farfetch have been the number one stockist of the trend this year, followed by ASOS. Across markets, leopard print footwear sold the best, seeing the most full-priced replenishments.

3. Checks & Plaids

This was the largest commercial menswear trend this year, and retailers are still gaining big wins with plaid print on classic shirting items; styles sold out swiftly last month from Givenchy, Forever 21 and ASOS. With more than 520,000 influential online mentions and 22,765 new products arriving online this year, plaid has been a hit in women's wear too (with a split of 51% to 49% of products being for men and women respectively). Women's wear was also spread across a broader product range, with plaid prints on trousers, skirts and dresses selling well for mass and premium markets.

4. Sweaters

We wrote about these guys recently (here) and 2013 really has been a killer year for the sweater. Statement branded luxury sweaters, mass market slogans or the classic plain variety, this commercial winner has serious stamina across men's, women's and children's wear.

Cecilia Kumpukwe Banda Tips for Sewer Inspections for Older Homes

Very few first-time home buyers ask for a sewer inspection before buying a home. Sewer inspections are not something most buyers think about. They know to get a home inspection, but sewer lines are almost an after thought, if it crosses a buyer's mind at all. Yet it's one of the most important inspections a buyer of older homes should conduct.

The time to find out if a sewer is faulty or needs replacement is before buying a home, not after the fact. I recommend to all my buyers that they obtain a sewer inspection if the home is older than 20 years. Although the sewer line may be fairly new as compared to homes built before 1950, for example, tree roots can still clog up a 20-year-old sewer line.

Reasons to Inspect the Sewer Line

Tree roots growing into sewer lines is a common problem. Roots crawl into tiny openings and expand in the sewer line, latching on to other debris that typically cause backups such as grease or eggshell waste. Sometimes chemicals can kill the trees roots but if the roots reappear, the pipe may be damaged and require excavation to fix the problem.

Homes that were constructed prior to city sewers often relied on cesspools. After cities installed public septic systems, sometimes the cesspools were left intact and connected to the sewer line. You won't know unless you inspect the sewer.

Many homes built in the 1950s have sewer lines made from tar paper called Orangeburg pipes. These disintegrate and collapse over time. If a home has Orangeburg, the sewer line definitely needs to be replaced.

How to Inspect a Sewer Line

Simply call a plumbing company and ask if the contractor can use a camera to inspect the sewer. Your real estate agent might be able to refer several companies to you. The plumbing company inserts a snake attached to a small video camera into the clean-out and snakes the camera through the sewer. You can watch the image on a monitor.

Not only will the plumbing company find out if the sewer line is clean or clogged, but the inspection will disclose the condition of the sewer. Ask the contractor to tell you what kind of material was used to construct the sewer line and whether that type of material is considered good construction today.

It might cost anywhere from $85 to $300 to have the sewer line inspected, but considering the cost to replace a sewer line, it's money well spent.
Results From Sewer Inspections

Three homes recently inspected produced three separate results. The first home, built in 1930, was located in the Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento. The buyers, expecting the worst, were pleasantly surprised to learn the sewer line was brand new. This was a desirable selling point that the listing agent and the seller neglected to disclose.

The second home was located near the railroad tracks in Curtis Park. The plumbing company discovered the sewer line had almost completely collapsed and was beyond repair. The company recommended a new sewer line. The seller chose a plumbing company that used the trenchless method, which involved pulling a new sewer line through the existing sewer. Trenchless sewers cost almost one-third less than digging up the entire yard and replacing the sewer.

The third home was in Midtown, a hip urban area near downtown Sacramento. During the final walk-through inspection, the buyer's agent turned on all the water faucets and flushed the toilet. A geyser erupted in the back yard and the smell was unmistakably sewer waste. The seller of that home ended up crediting the buyer many thousands of dollars to pay for a sewer replacement to be installed after closing.

This Midtown buyer was simply lucky. Although advised to get a sewer inspection beforehand, the buyer declined. If it wasn't for the geyser during the final walk-through, the sewer problem might not have been discovered until months after the transaction closed.

Cecilia Kumpukwe Banda Tips to Call a Professional Plumber

No one is an expert at everything, and if you were, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. You wouldn’t diagnose a family member’s ailment and prescribe a remedy, and it’s the same with some plumbing situations. If it were easy then everyone would do it and the “P” section in the phone book would be much thinner.

Gas Lines

Work on gas lines is one of the biggest jobs that should be left to licensed plumbers. A lot of cities require a licensed person to work on gas lines by code. This is due mostly to the danger inherent in working with gas. Small leaks may not be detected by odor alone. A licensed plumber should always have the proper pressure-testing equipment to ensure that there are no leaks in the line.

Another concern with gas lines is the threading of the pipe and fitting of joints. The equipment to do this is expensive to own (and impractical for the average home owner). Improperly threaded pipe could leave connections with leaks small enough to be over looked by the average home owner. The same holds true for tightening on fittings. Believe it or not, over-tightening a fitting can cause as much trouble and an under-tightened fitting. Again, any plumber worth his weight will always pressure test the lines before leaving the job.
Mainlines (Water and Sewer)
Work with any of your mainlines (water and sewer) is also best left to the pros. Just the process of turning the water off at the street ( “curb box” in plumbing lingo) -requires special equipment. A long rod with a special tip, called a street key, is used to shut off service to the line.

As for the main sewer lines, snaking can be done by a confident home owner. For around $50 you can rent a sewer snake for four hours, which should be enough time to clean tree roots from the line, but it doesn’t guarantee that everything will be fine in the line. If the line continues to back up calling a plumber is the only choice, as it means that there is something else wrong with the line. It could be broken or back pitched and a licensed plumber should be able to detect the problem and suggest a solution.

Generally Speaking

As with anything, whenever you feel uncomfortable using equipment or unsure of the proper way to complete the project a professional should be called. They can usually quickly assess the situation and resolve it. They will also notice any foreseeable problems and suggest resolutions.