Need a petite dress for you and your wedding party? Planning a cruise getaway and need a formal dress? What about that special petite prom dress? Whatever the occasion we have the petite dress in styles and selections you are looking for. Make sure and check out our accessories page for great compliments for your petite prom and wedding dresses – handbags, hair things and more!

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If you are 5'4" or less and quite petite as well you have a different set of challenges to deal with when selecting petite wedding dresses. Many people believe you can look stunning in just about anything, and you probably could.

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The challenge is to find the right dress to accentuate your assets. Look for an A-line skirt, scooped neckline, spaghetti straps, or off the shoulder necklines. Avoid a gown that is too straight or too full as you will disappear in it.

If you have tall girlfriends, you can send them to learn about what to look for in tall womens dresses. Just share this link with them and they will get fashion hints to match their body type.

Having bridesmaids coordinate, rather than match exactly, is one of today's most important wedding trends. As you've noted, letting the attendants choose their own dresses is an easy way to make sure that each woman has a dress that suits her body type and personal style-and that she truly can wear again.

Keeping the hem lengths and dress colors consistent is an excellent place to start. Now, imagine for a moment that you've specified "floor length, royal blue." Just looking at today's popular bridesmaid styles, you could have one bridesmaid show up in a shiny satin tank dress, a second bridesmaid appear in a blue velvet top with a bouffant taffeta skirt, and a third bridesmaid arrive wearing a flowing blue crepe dress with an empire waist. These women seem to be attending three very different weddings.

So how do you avoid bridesmaid fashion chaos without inflicting a bridal stranglehold on your attendants' personal style?

Start by defining the general mood of the wedding, so that your attendants understand the occasion they're dressing for. If your tone is night-time elegance, the appropriate look is long, slim dresses with short or no sleeves. Your attendants can still decide if a narrow skirt or a slim-cut A-line is the best way to achieve a slender, elegant, polished look; likewise, they can choose their own favorite necklines and sleeve variations.

The general mood of the wedding goes part way toward narrowing your attendants' choices of fabric. "To shine or not to shine" is an important question, as shiny and matte fabrics rarely look good together and seldom seem to be equally formal or informal. Worse yet, a shiny hunter green and a matte hunter green are seldom the same color. Do you want to see your attendants in velvet, crepe, shiny satin, matte satin, floaty gauze, or a matte fabric with a cotton or linen finish? Fabrics within the same family of weight and shine go a long way toward providing a coordinated look.

Next, narrow down the range of colors. Since there is no industry standard for "navy blue" or "hunter green," telling attendants to pick a single color can be risky. There are several ways to reduce this risk. First, you can choose a color and fabric combination that minimizes the likelihood, or at least the visual impact, of differences in shade. While black is not yet a universally accepted color for bridesmaid dresses, many brides have had success with asking their attendants to each wear a black velvet dress of the attendants' choice. Similarly, white and off-white daytime dresses in a cotton-type fabric tend to visually blend together regardless of differences in shade.

Second, you can specify a range of coordinating colors rather than a single color. Most dusty pastels go well together, as do most jewel tones, most autumn tones, and most bright pastels. A range of colors from white through ivory to beige also looks coordinated. This plan reduces the likelihood that two bridesmaids' different interpretations of "pink" will clash horribly-and if they do, you can always put a blue attendant between them. For inspiration on coordinating color schemes that are stylish right now, head for a major department store. You can look for a placemat set that expresses your wedding them-or that you just plain like-and use that as the basis for mixing colors, or you can look in the scarf section for inspiration on this year's fashionable looks.

Third, if having "the same" color is really important to you, consider going shopping with the bridesmaids or ordering all dresses from one manufacturer, so that they can choose different styles that come in roughly the same fabric. Major bridesmaid dress manufacturers often create several different dresses that can potentially coordinate.

Fourth, get a fabric sample, paint chip, crayon, or good look at the bridesmaids' dresses before you choose flowers for their bouquets. You can use your flower choices-and any ribbons dangling from the bouquets-to help unmatching dresses coordinate. The right flowers can make even a "difficult" combination like light pink, bright pink, and peach into a coordinated look.

Many a bride comments that her mother and her future mother-in-law put more time and energy into choosing their "perfect dresses" than she put into choosing her bridal gown. Perhaps for Mom, the stakes are higher: she wants to look youthful, but not as if she's trying to upstage the bride.

The basic rules of "Momwear" are simple:

• Both mothers wear dresses of the same level of formality. In days of fewer fashion choices, this meant dresses of the same length. Today, the mothers need merely look as if they're dressed for the same event.
• By custom, the mother of the bride chooses her dress first. However, this tradition dates from the time when she also determined how formal the wedding would be. If the bride is making the decisions, both mothers may have enough information to make their separate choices in any order.
• The mothers do not dress more formally than the bridesmaids.
• Both mothers should dress so that they do not clash with the wedding color scheme. If the wedding colors are royal blue and silver, the mother of the bride would not wear navy. However, it is up to her whether she wears royal blue, silver, or a coordinating color such as deep rose.
• Traditionally, the mothers do not wear white/ivory or black. This rule can be waived if the bride wishes.

Since you've chosen a black-and-white color scheme for your bridesmaids' dresses, it should be clear to your guests that your mother is wearing black in order to coordinate with your wedding colors, rather than to show disapproval of the marriage. The reason black indicated disapproval is that black was the color of mourning and therefore was taken to mean that the wearer was mourning the marriage. Bridesmaids also were once never clothed in black.

May your mother wear the same colors as your bridesmaids? There is no "rule" or custom forbidding it. From an aesthetic standpoint, it might look odd to match the mothers to a colored bridesmaids' dress-in ordinary life, we seldom see crowds of women all in hunter green at the same party. But black-and-white is a very common color scheme for dressy women's clothes. If your mother's dress is quite different in style from the bridesmaids' dresses, it is unlikely that anyone will think, "Gee, she's dressed to match the bridesmaids!"

One point never to forget is that it is ultimately your mother's decision what to wear. Some mothers, remembering their excitement over their own weddings, are eager for their daughters' advice. Others have strongly defined tastes and wish to choose their own dresses by themselves. Giving a mother orders is a far worse etiquette faux pas than allowing her to show up in a dress that clashes with the color scheme.

Space fancy dress costumes, which are worn at costume parties throughout the year, come in two main categories: those that are science based and those that are science fiction based.

By science based, I mean space fancy dress outfits that have been inspired by real life events, such as the space race and the moon landings. Meanwhile, science fiction based outfits are those space fancy dress costumes that have been inspired by books, films, television series or other works of fiction.

Below are three space costume ideas that are out of this world, two of which are science fiction based, followed by one that is based on real events.

Star Trek – Spock Outfit

Based on the outfit worn by Mr. Spock in the 2009 blockbuster film, Star Trek, this iconic blue science fiction top, with its embroidered chest badge and golden braid on the cuff, is an extremely authentic looking costume.

There are of course some great accessories to go with your Mr. Spock outfit, including an officially licensed Star Trek Spock wig and a pair of official Mr. Spock ears.

Star Wars – Stormtrooper Outfit

The official Stormtrooper costume is based around a black jumpsuit, which has been embellished with cream coloured EVA moulded pieces across the front. Also included with the Stormtrooper costume is a matching cream coloured EVA moulded belt, which can be fastened with adjustable white material ties around the waist.

The Stormtrooper outfit is completed by a two-piece black and white helmet, which has foam padding inside for extra comfort. The two pieces of the Stormtrooper helmet fasten together with Velcro, thus encasing the head. You are then able to see through the tinted black eye holes at the front.

Space Race – White NASA Astronaut Suit

The National Air and Space Museum (NASA) outfit is based around a deluxe one-piece white jumpsuit with a faux-leather padded collar, chest and waist harness buckles, and embroidered badges on the chest and sleeves, which include a 'NASA' logo and a United States flag.

Accessories that you can buy to go with this awesome space fancy dress costume include a sturdy PVC helmet, with a push button retractable visor, a communication receiver, a mock boom microphone and an oxygen vent.

You can also purchase a realistic looking NASA bag, for holding all your space gear in, and a pair of realistic looking space boot covers, with NASA logos and patches and a special zipped compartment.

But, to be able to interpret what one is trying to state with the specific selection of garment or accessories he or she has on, the other party has to be adequately trained to receive and translate the "hidden" messages. This is the reason why stereotypes and characterizations have found a fertile ground to grow, although most are falsely used by those who attempt to translate the message. Focusing on generalities an individual may comprehend only one part of the story the clothes another man or woman wears are conveying. Finding out which is the correct meaning of one's wardrobe has evolved into a study discipline over the years, helping researchers identify and consciously construct the underlying messages of another culture.

Then again, fashion is one of those industries that is constantly experiencing tremendous changes. Sticking with one type of message and filtering every clothing attempt using such a lucid base is totally wrong. Since the manner and the rate at which fashion changes varies among cultures and historic moments, the modern global citizens have to be able to exercise constant restructuring of their fashion principles and devote the necessary time and effort to translating the clothing patterns of different generations. If for example wearing a suit at work was the only acceptable type of dress-code in Western societies, migration and cultural exchange have introduced different types of acceptable fashion statements in the business environment. The same is applicable to the use of decoration items as symbols. While a wealthy social status may have been expressed via the use of heavy jewelry, today an expensive brand-name can illustrate much more than economic sovereignty. On the other hand, since no law prohibits lower-status people from wearing high-status garments, the displayed message one will receive just from examining the appearance denominator can lead to false conclusions. Thus, contemporary sociologists and anthropologists support that the social effect of clothing is limited to one's understanding and is subject to prior experiences and intercultural barriers. Careful examination and continuous intercultural exchange can be the only tools one has today in order to increase his or her chances of translating a garment's or decoration's message accurately.

It is common in today's professional environment for people to wear their "business" outfit during office hours and their casual clothes during leisure time. Whether you have realized it or not, you are probably a member of this fast-pace attire couture, as you open your closet in the morning to wear one of your business suits leaving your jeans hanging for the more "relaxed" atmosphere of the weekend or a barbeque party. But even if your office dress code does not explicitly direct you to wear formal business garments, when you are about to be interviewed for a new job it is important you will select to wear your professional-looking clothes.

As a matter of fact, my personal experience has led me to conclude that the outfit I will select to wear before having to give a small speech about my abilities and skills can direct the attention of my future employer to what I am saying instead to how I look. Contemporary business culture demands from the person that wishes to enter a business environment, of any kind, to look sharp and professional. Thus, it is crucial for candidates to choose carefully their apparel so as to reflect the generally accepted working dress-code, apart from their personal taste. Regardless if the position is that of a senior or a junior executive, HR agencies inform the individuals they manage to pay attention to their appearance as much as they should practice what they are going to elaborate on when explaining their professional experience and skills. There is not one recruiter out there that would overlook the way interested professionals look when they are invited for the first round of interviews. As the old saying goes, "An image says 1,000 words."

But, while one should be conscious of the impact a carefully chosen wardrobe has to the overall image he or she is about to give, going over the business dress-code line is not advisable by anyone. For instance, women that wear heavy makeup or men that select to wear an extremely expensive suit might give to the interviewer the wrong impression regarding their professional status and overall character. In fact, one might loose a perfectly good opportunity to get the position he or she is about to be interviewed due to a poor or over-the-top appearance. Dressing casually or over-dressing will never lead you to the desired result. Thus, before meeting with your potential employer, it is imperative to consult with friends, who have working experience in the business field you wish to enter, so as to learn as much as possible in relation to the working outfit recruiters and business executives consider as acceptable. Consequently, it is important for you to plan ahead and invest in purchasing the "right" type of clothes. Being proactive today will give you tomorrow the opportunity to buy that piece of clothing that your future boss would characterize as "extreme," but your partner or friends would adore.

Spring 2010 sees lots of leather and lace, sequins and metallics, fluid fabrics, and plenty of draping and ruffles. Corsets do double-duty as outerwear along with lingerie-inspired dresses.

There are sleeveless trench dresses and jackets, single color blocks in head-to-toe white, slightly more spohisticated body-con mini dresses, and textured webby knits. Hang on to those houndstooth checks, one-shoulder dresses, tie-dye prints and Parisienne-inspired pieces from the last two seasons, as these still find favor in 2010. However, harem pants are ditched in favor of slinky jodphurs and jumpsuits.
London Fashion Week Spring 2010

London continues to have a love affair with France as variations on the Breton stripe proliferated the runways. This season’s sequin trend continues to sparkle with even more glitz and glamour but in softer warmer tones from the sea and slashed of sunshine. Sleeveless jackets and coats gain popularity worn over body con dresses or eye-catching leggings. Billowy, rolled-up Berber-style pants and skinny slouch jeans provide a variation on a theme and the classic jumpsuit is here for yet another season.

Ankle boots without tights, over-the-top hair accessories and heavily jeweled ornamental neckpieces represent some of the key fashion accessories for spring. Enter an interesting variation on the cuff, elbow cages from Todd Lyn provide a fashionable twist on elbow pads.

Perhaps that’s the point, however, in an industry plagued deeply by the current global recession. Fashion has taken a turn for the more practical, and what could exemplify this notion of practicality better than a return to rugged utility.
Grey Wool Topcoats, Herringbone, Pinstriped, or Houndstooth

Topcoats are simply the warmest garment that a man can possibly wear throughout the winter months, particularly those gentlemen who live in cooler climates in North America. The topcoat also affords the ability to be worn with both jeans and a sweater as well as a full dress shirt / tie / slacks combination.

Grey is an excellent colour for topcoats in that it will not show stains very easily whatsoever, especially when struck by filth or slush from the street. Grey also co-ordinates very well with other monochromatic items such as white, black, stone, and gunmetal.

One thing to note about grey topcoats is that they are normally patterned – typically with a herringbone, houndstooth, or pinstripe design. Herringbone patterns match extremely well with windowpane check shirts, houndstooth doing very well with faintly striped or paisley patterned tops for more artistic men.
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Pinstriped topcoats are a bit more universal in their appeal and are more likely to be worn with jeans and a collared shirt.
Grey Sweaters, Argyle Patterns, and Dress Pants

Grey sweaters, particularly as a base colour for argyle prints, are exceedingly popular nowadays at almost all menswear outfitters and fashion boutiques. Grey makes an excellent background for a winter argyle as it allows for a great deal of colour variation within the print (typically greens, light blues, browns, and burgundy).

When matching sweaters or shirts a topcoat, it is important to ensure a difference in shade. Contrast can be maintained within a monochromatic ensemble with ease as long as there is enough visual seperation in the shades worn. Try to ensure that charcoal bases be worn with lighter smoke colours, rather than pairing coal or gunmetal shades (dark greys) with like dark colours.

Charcoal and smoke coloured dress pants are also widely popular, once again in a herringbone or pinstriped finish (houndstooth does not normally grace dress pants or slacks in general). When wearing these colours of pant, it is recommended that a top of a different colour entirely be worn (or, in keeping with the monochrome theme, a crisp white will look amazing).

Grey doesn’t have to be boring and staid, it can instead be sharp, urban, and modern – played up a bit with accessories such as a scarf or a colourful tie when worn with a topcoat.

Brenda Song has been a model and actress for many years now and because she is so young she will no doubt enjoy many more years in the business. Perhaps best known for her role in the Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Song’s look is a well sought after one. To dress like Song you have to remember to keep with the light colored theme and always dress in a cheery and happy fashion.

Here are some tips on how you too can pull off the Brenda Song look:

•    Dresses: When Song goes for dresses she chooses those that are typically made of a lighter material and are always a cheery color. She likes reds and yellows and she seems to have fun mixing and matching accessories with her dresses. When choosing your dresses, go for what is comfortable. If you like a full version dress, then go for that and if you want to wear a longer style skirt, topped with a nice t-shirt, then that’s in the realm of the Song look as well. Just be sure to stay with bright and happy colors.
•    Casual look: Song can get as laid back as anyone. She is often seen wearing a pair of form fitting cargo pants or even a pair of jeans. She will always top this off with a fun tank top or t-shirt that will have a fun or wild design. She will sometimes go dark with the t-shirts, but more often than not, she will stick with white and accessorize from there.
•    Shoes: Song likes heels. Her heels are never too high, but no matter what she is wearing it seems that heel accompany the fashion. When choosing your heels pick a color that will compliment the clothing that you are wearing and depending on the fashion you are wearing you can go either open toe or close toe.
•    Accessories: Song likes to accessorize. She will often accessorize a t-shirt with a jacket or vest and has also been known to wear leggings with her dresses. When it comes to jewelry you can go kind of freelance here because Song does. Sometimes she will be sporting hoop earrings and still other times she will be wearing a pair of less noticeable earrings. She also wears bracelets and gold necklaces quite often so feel free to do so as well.
•    Hair and make-up: Song’s hair is elegant yet simple. It is long and straight and she is very rarely seen with it up. Do your hair by either parting i: t in the middle or to one side and don’t get crazy with the hair products. To apply your make-up like Song go with lighter colors but be sure to accentuate your cheek bones as Song does. She also opts for a lighter colored lip stick over a darker or bright color and to pull off the look you should too.

Now just practice flashing a huge smile wherever you go and your transformation into Brenda Song will be all but complete.

Early to Mid ’90s Styles

Of course, it wasn’t a situation of waking up one day and throwing out the banana clips and tie-dyed t-shirts in favor of flannel shirts and Doc Martens. The process was obviously gradual, but the style preferences began to head in a more low-key direction very early in the decade. The industry witnessed a slow graduation from shoulder pads and off-the-shoulder sweatshirts to cleaner lines and sleeker silhouettes. Jackets became fitted, shoulder pads flattened out and eventually disappeared and accessories became exceedingly more casual and minimal as time passed.

Pop stars of the day who had once worn frilly mini skirts held up by suspenders, cutesy little fedoras and faces full of makeup were suddenly adopting newer, more simplistic looks. Celebrities were wearing trouser suits, and the always popular combination of jeans and smart blazers remained a mainstay (then, however, the blazers were much longer than they are today).

The early ’90s also witnessed the birth of grunge style. This is often spoken of in the same breath as alternative rock bands from Seattle and oversized flannel shirts. Both suggestions are fitting, because the music of the decade played quite a prominent role in the style’s popularity. Defined most notably by Doc Marten shoes, neutral colors that may have come across as completely nondescript at times, flannel shirts and baggy pants, the style was a favorite among young adults across the country for several years.

Late 1990’s Women’s Fashion

As the years progressed, fashions followed suit. While the moody styles and relatively somber color palette of the early decade had a strong following, it was slowly growing tired in favor of more color, more spirit and more focus on shape and influences from decades past. In fact, the years following 1995 saw the decade shift in more varied directions. There was no particular color that dominated the industry, nor did any one style seem to rule the roost. Instead, there was a newfound versatility that was expressed in a variety of ways.

Women, who early in the decade had embraced babydoll tops and stirrup pants with flat, pointed boots, now had chunkier footwear on their feet, bootcut denim on their legs and more fitted attire on their torsos. Then they began to wear their jeans larger, their shoes even chunkier and their tops shorter and even more fitted. The trend was largely influenced by young Hollywood.

Goth styles also enjoyed a period of great popularity, though its place in 1990’s women’s fashion was not as noteworthy as, say, that of the clothes influenced by the ’60s and ’70s. This style was defined by black – and lots of it. It wasn’t just the clothes that were black. It was the eye makeup, the nails and the hair, in shades as deep and as rich as midnight.