Teens WANT Braces?

Yeah, I think I am over braces.

From March 2012's issue of Reader's Digest:

"Today's teens are opting for braces even if their grins are good to go. Dr. Paul Siu, a Manhattan dentist, is fitting straight-toothed teens with non-movable braces just for the look. 'When I've done it for one kid, all his classmates get it,' he says. 'There's a demand because of peer pressure to look like everyone else.'
source: New York Post

Part of me understands - I definitely wanted braces as a kid, but my teeth were a mess - but this also seems really sad to me. If kids that young are going through all of that pain just to fit in (although the non-movable braces are likely to be unarguably less painful), I can only imagine what they'll do when they are older if they stick with that mindset.

Let's just hope this just stays a pre-teen fad!

How To De-Pill Your Clothes

Oftentimes, after you wear a shirt or sweater a couple of times, it begins to "pill" or get annoying fuzzies on it.

Lifehacker offers this trick that just uses a disposable razor:

To clean pilling off your clothes just spread the fabric across a flat surface (something firm like a table is best) pull the fabric taut and carefully shave the pilling away from the fabric. Be careful with the razor, especially around seams, buttons and stitching because you can easily cut the fabric.

This simple solution works - I tried it out personally! It made some of my t-shirts look like new, in seconds.

What Is Couture?

Anyone who has watched "Project Runway" has heard the word "couture" thrown around a lot. But what does it mean?

Some definitions of "couture" (noun) are:

1. The business of designing, making, and selling highly fashionable, usually custom-made clothing for women.

2. The high-fashion clothing created by designers.

Generally, it seems like if a garment is high-fashion (and maybe somewhat over-the-top), then it's couture. But being "high fashion" isn't the only main point of "couture", it's also the fact that it's "designed" and "made".

Actually, the origin of the word comes from Old French/Latin words meaning "sewn together" or "to sew". When people say "couture", they probably mean "Haute Couture" which means "elegant sewing". In the fashion industry, Haute Couture is a big deal - you can't call yourself a couture designer without being approved by the French Department of Industry.

So it seems that the true definition of couture is more equal parts:

1. Highly fashionable

2. Hand sewn and well made

3. Custom-designed for a specific customer (thus likely one-of-a-kind)

And it typically is:

4. Made of expensive material

5. Involves many hours of detailed hand-sewing (instead of machine-sewing)

Examples:

Couture:

1. High fashion - check!

2. Hand sewn - check!

3. Custom-made for a customer - check!

Not Couture:

1. High fashion - check!

2. Hand sewn - maybe check?

3. Custom-made for a customer - NOPE!

How To Stretch Out Tight Shoes

Our friends over at Lifehacker have shared these tips for getting your shoes to fit better:

1. To stretch out tight shoes, throw on a couple pairs of socks and squeeze your feet into the shoes. Then blast the tight places with the hot air of a hairdryer. It works even better if you stretch out your feet and toes while you do it. Keep wearing the shoes while they cool, then test them without the socks. If they are still tight, you can keep repeating the process until they fit better.

2. To prevent shoes from shrinking, avoid getting them wet (they shrink as they dry, much like clothes). If your shoes do get wet, don't place them in a hot area, like near a heater vent, to dry, or they will shrink faster.

With leather shoes, you can also help them keep their shape when you're not using them by stuffing them with crumpled newspaper.

Yes! A perfect fit!

For those of you who have trouble with sore feet or blisters from wearing new shoes, I have personally found something that works. :) Before wearing them for the first time, I will take some time to twist and bend every part of the shoes and straps. For me, taking a bit of the stiffness out of a new pair of shoes really helps.

Hope all this stuff helps you too!