Let’s assume you have already tried the shopping-together scenario, where you and your teen visit their favorite store—only for you to have a heart attack over both the cost and appearance of the clothes they pick out.

“You cannot wear THAT to school,” you say.

“But Mom, EVERYONE is wearing these!”

“Well, I am NOT going to pay that much money for a pair of jeans with holes in them!”

This is followed, of course, by the dramatic eye rolls, crossed arms, and a tear-streaked, red face that highlights just how uncool you are. The next step? Considering whether to give your teenager a clothing allowance. Should you do it?

There are several benefits to giving your teen a clothing allowance. For one, giving them $200 and expecting them to find a week’s worth of school outfits will definitely teach them the value of money. They’ll quickly realize that $200 doesn’t go far—especially when shopping at Abercrombie for tattered jeans. If they blow their entire allowance on just two or three items, you’ll have to be the bad guy and let them learn from their mistakes. It’s amazing how appealing Walmart might start to look after that experience. And no teen wants to show up at school wearing the same outfit twice in a week.

Another advantage of handing over control of their clothing purchases is that it can eliminate the awkwardness that often comes with shopping together. As a parent, it stings to know your child is embarrassed by you, but this is a normal part of their development. Try to overlook it for now. Giving them this freedom also allows them to develop their own sense of style (even if it frustrates you) and learn how to dress themselves appropriately. Will you always like what you see? Probably not, but as long as their clothing choices fit within the school dress code, you should remain open-minded. Think back to your own teenage years—remember those awkward ensembles and wrinkled outfits that made your mother cringe? Your best hope is that, with time, they’ll develop better taste.

A final benefit is that your teen may learn how to shop smart. They might start bargain hunting, using coupons, or even saving up for the items they really want. If you provide an allowance that only covers the bare essentials and tell them they must work or do chores for extras, chances are they’ll start looking for sales, trading clothes with friends, or shopping at high-end thrift stores to stretch their money. These are valuable financial skills that will serve them well throughout life.

The Cons of a Clothing Allowance

Of course, there are downsides. You’ll likely still end up buying essentials like underwear, shoes, and bras because they won’t want to spend their money on those everyday items. There’s also the possibility of unexpected purchases that go against your moral standards, which could lead to arguments and forced returns. Stick to your guns—don’t let your child dress inappropriately, even if it means a battle.

Another challenge is accepting that they’re growing up and making their own decisions. But if you never allow them to make choices, take risks, or learn from their mistakes, they won’t develop good decision-making skills—something far worse in the long run. Try to be proud of them, even when they spend money in ways you don’t approve of. Most importantly, if you set a clothing allowance, stick to it. If you constantly give them more money when they run out, you’re not teaching them anything valuable about budgeting.

Should You Let Your Teen Shop Alone?

This brings up another question: should you allow your teen to shop alone? Many states in the U.S. have laws prohibiting minors under 18 from being unescorted in malls and shopping centers. The days of dropping your teen off for a solo shopping trip, lunch, and a movie with friends are largely over. Before you leave them at the mall, check with the mall authority regarding their policies. These laws exist for a reason—to protect both you and your teen.

That said, you don’t have to embarrass your teen by hovering over them in the store. Instead, stay a few feet away, allowing them some independence while being close enough to supervise. This way, they won’t have to endure the horror of a classmate reporting that they were caught shopping with their mom or dad.

One final tip: the more you dislike an item your teen chooses, the more determined they’ll be to buy or wear it. If they make a poor purchase with their allowance, resist the urge to intervene. Instead, smile, shrug, and let them learn from their mistake. As long as their outfit is appropriate and doesn’t cross major boundaries, let them experience the consequences of their own fashion choices. These real-life lessons about money, shopping, and keeping up appearances will stick with them far longer than any lecture.

So, go ahead—be brave! Giving your teen a clothing allowance may be frustrating at first, but it’s a worthwhile experience in the long run.

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So, how many shoes does a woman really need?

Many decades ago, women (and men) pretty much had one pair of shoes that were designed to not only support the foot but also to last the course of a year. If you were doing well financially, you had maybe two to three pairs of shoes. Shoes back then were made of leather (and by hand) and were not designed with fashion in mind. If you go back to your parent’s generation, the average pairs of shoes owned by women were 3 pairs. 20 years ago, women owned around 3-5 pairs of shoes. Of course when women officially hit the professional workforce, the shoe industry experienced one of the highest growths every recorded and shoes started becoming more of a fashion statement than a necessity. Even in recent years with the recession, show purchases among women alone equaled an estimated 42 BILLION dollars per year.

Today, a Reuter’s poll shows that most typical middle class women proudly own at least 19 pairs of shoes. 19, doesn’t sound so bad does it – especially when you consider having a pair of shoes in every color to match your outfits. Plus, you need shoes to work out in and enough pairs of flip-flops to make those pedicures worth the money. Yet the same poll also indicated that around 60% of the average female population owned around 30 pairs of shoes and many own hundreds of not several hundreds of pairs of shoes. The worst part is that on average most women admitted to only actually wearing 4 different pairs of shoes per year. Still those stilettos, sling backs, boots, and flats sit happily in the closet and are admittedly a result of impulse shopping.

Around 7 out of 10 women polled admitted to hiding the shoe purchases from their mate, because they knew at the gut level that they already had too many pairs of shoes. Yet, this guilt doesn’t stop them from buying more. Why? Psychoanalysts say the reason is pretty straightforward. Shoes, unlike clothes, fit well. A woman can go into a store and try on a pair of shoes without feeling guilty about gaining a few pounds or experiencing the stunted self-confidence that results from realizing that they cannot button up a pair of Size 10 jeans. On the contrary, the shoes always fit. And, for many women conditioned to doing for others, a shoe purchase is something they can justify as ‘just for them.’

Plus, with shows like Sex and the City, and even makeover programs like What Not to Wear women are becoming increasingly aware of the power of shoes. Let’s be honest, the sex appeal of a woman wearing black stiletto heels is undeniable for both sexes.

The medical term for people addicted to shoe shopping (and buying) is omnio-mania. The Greek word translates literally to shopping insanity and afflicts an estimated 31% of the female population. Sadly, if the woman in your life has too many shoes it could signify an emotional or psychological problem, especially if this shopping habit stresses the budget or takes precedence over more important financial responsibilities. Psychologists also link excessive shoe buying back to childhood feelings of not feeling supported or taken care of by their parents. The larger issue of excessive shoe compulsions also is evident in theories of consumerism, where having more is often seen as a measurable way to move up the social ladder.

Additionally, considering the fact that women are willing to jeopardize their health and endure bunions and blisters (and are the number one suffers of health problems related to ill fitting footwear) in order to wear stunning shoes – it seems relevant to surmise that women and shoes often go together as happily as peanut butter and jelly.

And then of course, there is another reason. Perhaps some women just love shoes and just love being able to style up their wardrobe by having the abundant option of pairing their favorite jeans with red cowboy boots, heels or a pair of humble ballet flats depending upon their mood.

How many shoes does a woman really NEED? If you are bartering the subject of needs versus wants, the answer would be dependant upon lifestyle and climate. Seemingly, any person could get away with wearing one pair of tennis shoes all year long with every outfit. Add a pair of flip-flops and some black flats and seemingly, she would have adequate footwear to pertain to any occasion. Yet, try to explain this to your wife or girlfriend (or daughter) and chances are she would be hard pressed to believe it. After all, life is definitely better with gold cowboy boots!

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Twins come born in with the characteristic of constantly trying to prove their individuality; and are often stymied in their attempts to be their own person by parents who think that since they were born together, they are the same. Lets be frank, there is nothing more disgusting than a mother of twin girls who sends them out in public in the same outfits all the time. Yet, in every elementary school across the United States – there is likely one set of twins whose mom is capitalizing on the attention that being a twin draws. This not only makes it hard for your girls to blossom, but makes it hard for peers to see the sisters as something besides a package deal. Since this article is about buying clothes for twin girls – we will divide the tips into sections based on age with the purpose of supporting both individuality and being economical.

The First Year of Life

During this year, it is okay to dress them the same. Sure, it’s cute and fun and looks good in pictures. However, in order to get the most for your money – you should buy clothes that are practical. Instead of shopping for each girl – go out and buy 4 sleepers, 10 long sleeve onesies with different designs, 12 pairs of socks and enough gowns or pajamas to get you through several days. You should definitely spend the bulk of your clothing allowance on clothes that are both durable and that wash well, because you will be doing a lot of laundry. Resist clothes like jeans, lacey dresses, and ruffled frocks that will cause them to be irritable. Instead, find just a few outfits for special occasions. Whether you want them just alike or not is up to you. But remember that the general public will not be able to tell your twins apart, regardless of what they wear and despite the fact that they are fraternal twins. The nature of the beast when it comes to twins is that even with different color eyes and hair; people assume they are mirrors of one another.

The majority of twins are born small. Yet like any other advice when it comes to buying clothes for infant, you will do a lot better buying clothes big. Savvy moms know that newborn outfits are simply a wasted expense because few babies fit into them for more than a week or two. Some never do. Instead, choose outfits in the 3-6 month range which will give them some longevity in the closet. If one twin is bigger than the other is – that the smaller twin will be fine receiving the hand me downs. Just make sure to filter the pictures you put in the album so that they don’t give you a hard time when they are teenagers.

Pre-School

By this point, your twin girls have an opinion. Even a two year old knows what color they like and will try and pick out clothes for themselves. Yet, many twins in the pre-school age group are still dressed alike like dolls. If this is what your girls want, than go ahead and indulge it. However – if they seem to be developing different tastes and want different things, you owe it to yourself to let them be different. Another tip is to find clothes that aren’t too expensive. Toddlers and pre-school children are notorious for ruining clothes! Mix and match outfits made out of cotton knits are perfect on the pocket book, adorable and can double your twin wardrobe. By this point, if you haven’t already – you should give your twin girls a space all their own. Even if they share a room or closet, start dividing it to give each of the girls some ownership and individuality. Some clothes, especially if they picked them out themselves, should be worn exclusively by the twin who chose it. If you forget, certainly your girls will remind you.

When buying clothes for twin girls, instead of buying two of everything, which is common in the twin world, buy clothes in different colors. Having enough pairs of colored pants, jeans, jumpers and dressers can help you build a twin wardrobe without a lot of money. And of course, every set of twin girls needs some adorable shirt that they can wear with a cliché twin saying on it. You might as well do that type of stuff now, because when they get a little older – they may not allow you to do it.

No matter if you dress your children alike or let them pick out their own clothes, you should make sure each twin has their own pairs of shoes that they don’t share. Pediatricians recommend children don’t share shoes because it can be bad for their feet, especially if your twins are different sizes or weights.

Elementary and Beyond

Buying clothes for twin girls, as they get older is easier, but nonetheless expensive. When they are old enough to shop with you, let them have some say so in their clothes. At some point, they may appreciate the fact that since there is two of them; they can double their wardrobe options by sharing. Please, for your girls sake – get out of the routine of dressings your twins like twins. Many twin girls grow up this way and don’t realize that the rest of the school is laughing at them. There comes a time, when it is important to realize their individuality through clothing and let go of the clone wars that twin moms often have with themselves. You had two children at once, not one child who divided into two.

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The Reality Behind These “Miracles”

What you might not know is that, according to the Federal Trade Commission, several companies marketing weight-loss and toning shoes have been found guilty of false advertising and must now pay the price. Yes, a crime. Interestingly, the companies behind the lawsuits—Skechers and Reebok, to name a few—settled a $40 million lawsuit rather than appear in court to fight the charges. This alone says a lot about the marketing tactics these companies use to convince consumers to buy their products. Skechers will reportedly be paying back consumers between $25 and $40 to those who purchased their toning shoes under false pretenses.

Incidentally, the manufacturers of these shoes advertised that their product would provide fitness results without offering any proof. Outside testing revealed that the shoes from Skechers and other companies did not improve the muscles in the calves, thighs, and buttocks, nor did they burn more calories than regular shoes. Similarly, L’Oréal was sued after it was discovered that actress Kate Moss was wearing fake eyelashes while promoting a lash-lengthening mascara. L’Oréal marketed the product claiming it would improve lash length by as much as 60%. Yet, it’s just mascara—with absolutely no hair growth-enhancing chemicals.

And how legitimate is it for Oil of Olay to sell their products while posting magazine pictures of models using so-called products that have been completely photoshopped by professionals? Certainly, there is some consumer responsibility here. If you are overweight or want to enhance your appearance in any way, it’s important to recognize that advertisers are pushing their products in the best light possible. The results you get will not be the same as what you saw on TV or in magazines. This is common sense, people! In fact, it is completely expected in the cosmetic industry for companies to use models in their ads. The truth is, no makeup in the world is going to make you look like Demi Moore.

The Widespread Impact of False Advertising
False advertising is now commonplace for nearly everything that is sold. If you watch infomercials for exercise equipment or programs, see ads for weight-loss herbs and remedies, or even watch those “As Seen on TV” commercials, you are being duped if you think you’ll experience the same results at home. Most of these advertisements flash disclaimers at the bottom of the screen, shifting responsibility back onto the consumer. Even more interesting is that many of these products are marketed with disclaimers admitting that the people in the ads are paid actors.

When it comes to fashion accessories and personal appearance, marketers are capitalizing on the deep desire of most people to improve how they look. Each of us has something about our bodies or appearance that we would love to change. Exploiting this weakness is not a new form of false advertising; it’s something consumers should recognize immediately.

Remember the old saying, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” This is a great rule of thumb to follow as a consumer. It will help ensure you’re not wasting your money on products just because a multimillion-dollar corporation tells you that you need it. Once you buy the product, they don’t really care if it works for you or not because they’ve already got your money. And according to industry experts, even products sold with a money-back guarantee still turn a profit because less than 1% of people will return an item if they didn’t get the promised results.

Be smart with your money! Be a frugal consumer. Do your research before you buy. If you’re tempted by a product based on its advertising, ask yourself how realistic the claims are before you become another revenue notch in a big corporation’s belt.

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Family Clothing
For the budget-minded family, a great online shopping resource is www.sierratradingpost.com. It offers great discounts on name-brand clothing for men, women, and kids, and even has sections for outdoor gear, home décor, and footwear. Their products often have multiple reviews, which allow you to see what others thought of the item before you buy it for yourself. Their return policy is also very customer-friendly; this is an absolute necessity for online shopping, since you do not have the opportunity to try things on as you would in a bricks-and-mortar establishment. Another fabulous site that keeps the whole family in mind is www.overstock.com. Like Sierra Trading Post, it offers discounted name-brand clothing for everyone, as well as great deals on every day items and low shipping costs. Certain items also have the added bonus of a guaranteed delivery date – a definite perk for those who have growing kids and need to stock up on items quickly.

Baby Clothing
While few things are as fun as shopping for the perfect baby outfit, it is vital that the clothing items be both high quality and affordable. www.babyuniverse.com is a wonderful resource for all things baby – not only does it offer a great selection of baby clothing, it also offers baby essentials and furniture. The site does a good job of rewarding shoppers, whether with great shipping promotions or holiday coupons and discounts. The website is also very easy to navigate, which is a definite plus for busy parents.  They are committed to providing pesticide and chemical-free clothing to help keep baby comfortable and healthy. The site also offers the added bonus of an online community forum where parents can communicate about great deals, tips, and tricks.

Kid’s Clothing
Sometimes the top clothing websites are hidden, off-brand gems that offer quality products at great prices. One of these websites is www.kidswearhouse.net, a boutique clothing retailer that (in addition to providing baby clothing) offers incredible values for both boys’ and girls’ apparel. The website has a sizing chart to help parents accurately purchase clothes for their children, and they also offer a flat-rate shipping fee. They also sell clothing both as complete outfits and as separates, which gives tremendous flexibility to each family and their unique needs. An added bonus to this site is that they are also able to provide school uniform pieces – all at affordable prices and one-click buying ease. The site is also willing to consider adding products and brands that appeal to their customer base; this is facilitated by a suggestion area that lets parents submit ideas for the site to consider.

Junior’s Clothing
Trying to find clothes to match your teenager’s varied tastes can be difficult. Luckily, there are a few websites that cater to this age group and still leave mom and dad’s pocketbook with cash to spare. At https://teen.clothing-discount.us, you can search by brand, price point, or clothing category – this makes tracking down specific items fairly easy. While the site is busy and confusing in areas, the clothing and prices are truly worth looking for. The site offers many name-brand items at discounted prices, and even has a search feature that lets you narrow down clothing options by how much they are discounted. Since the site is affiliated with www.amazon.com, they are able to offer their customers access to some of the shipping deals that Amazon Prime members enjoy, as well as access to many of the individual specials and deals that apply to Amazon shoppers.

Formal Wear
With so much riding on a special event, the last thing you and your family want to do is worry about what to wear – or about how much it will cost to find the perfect outfit. At www.discountformalwear.com, men’s special occasion attire is made available at extremely fair prices, all the while providing quality, lasting products. The site offers free shipping on all orders over $100, and also has a detailed sizing chart to help ensure that you find a perfect fit no matter what. Likewise, www.alldresses.com offers formal dresses at a fraction of the prices you would find in a retail store or on a designer’s website. The site lets you search by dress size, and offers a zoom feature that allows you to see dress details up close. While this website does charge a restocking fee on all returns, they do offer set shipping fees which helps alleviate the overall purchase price of the dress.

With so many options available for online shopping, these top clothing websites are a great place to start looking for clothes that are guaranteed to be high-quality, affordable, lasting, and fashionable. When it comes to busy families, online shopping can be a great alternative to long hours spent in shopping malls and in busy retail centers, all at a fraction of the cost.

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Blood Diamond

The movie Blood Diamond was one in a series of mass awareness-raisers in modern times, drawing attention to the cost exacted against human life and human rights so westerners can have diamonds and unscrupulous diamond companies can maximize profits.

The movie title created an effective emblem that has remained with me and made me now wonder where everything comes from, and at what cost.

Without even venturing into political or social activism or extremism we can yet decide to patronize clean and ethical suppliers of clean and ethically garnered goods and services. We can, in a sense, vote with our dollars, and at the same time be aware, as the saying goes, if you feed a shark it gets bigger.

Clean Money

There are investment funds that claim to be clean and clear of fossil fuels, psychotropic drugs, or whatever you happen to be opposed to supporting, in their portfolios. There are Sharia funds if you are Muslim. We have yet to see, however, such ethical bragging in the field of clothing and home goods or the broad appearance of clothing outlets based, for example, on the premise of “Ethically Produced in the U.S.A.”

Walmart

Yes, there have been fleeting moments of public outrage: witness Kathy Lee Gifford’s ordeal after her own line of clothing at Walmart. In 1996 a human rights group exposed sweatshop labor was being used to produce clothes for the Kathie Lee brand sold at Wal-Mart. Sweatshops employee people for long hours, low pay, and provide an unsafe work environment. They’re just a few notches above slavery and a few below the worst jobs in minimum-wage countries.

Gifford publicly campaigned against international sweatshop conditions with a little help from then President Bill Clinton.

Instant Gratification

The apparent and immediate benefit of cheap clothes may be hard to overcome in North America barring some kind of wake-up call. Something similar occurred with Chinese drywall towards the end of the real estate bubble in the U.S. With shortages in building materials thanks to the homebuilding boom, U.S. developers started importing cheap (and available) drywall from China to find only a short time later that once installed, the material made homes smell like rotten eggs and was toxic. Homes with Chinese drywall need all the interior walls removed and rebuilt.

You Get What You Pay For when Buying Clothing

But it’s much worse than it sounds when you consider the ill-effects of supporting inhumane working conditions in the name of savings:

• Poor working and living conditions for the people who labor cheaply,
  • Child labor,
  • Forced overtime,
  • Verbal and physical abuse,
• Possible advancing of human trafficking and human slavery,
• Accidents resulting in injury and death in such facilities with unsafe working conditions, (1)
• Negative environmental impact from such facilities that go relatively or wholly unregulated,
• Loss of jobs in North America,
• Export of money from the local economy

If you do “shop your conscience” consider this: birth defects in China have risen almost 71% in 15 years thanks to rampant industrialization and lack of environmental controls .

“The U.S. Government Accountability Office defines a sweatshop as an employer that violates more than one federal or state labor law governing

• Minimum wage and overtime,
• Child labor,
• Industrial homework,
• Occupational safety and health,
• Worker’s compensation or
• Industry regulation.”

In the above sense, products made under such conditions would be in violation of U.S. law if they were made here. “Because they’re not” is a sort of loophole only because our governments have not taken fair measures to see that imported goods comply.

As such, our own governments have been treating North American manufacturers unfairly.

Threats

An analogy can perhaps be drawn with cheap, processed foods. While the lowest available price has an apparent and immediate benefit, it is outweighed by the long-term potential perils to ourselves and others. With cheap food we feel good right now but suffer individually and as a group in terms of degraded health and lost production accompanied by a shorter life expectancy, a health crisis, escalating health care costs and all the disputes that come with them.

The essence of the argument and the omen to be drawn from the analogy is that life is symbiotic. Even though we may not realize it or think all our decisions effect us immediately, they eventually do. The more our consumer spending supports inhumane conditions elsewhere the quicker it will catch up to us at home.

It is yet an additional threat to become dependent on such cheap sources of goods. In the United States, how many of us would love to turn back the clock and either produce our own fossil fuels or find alternatives instead of such a ridiculous dependence on the middle east? What has been the cost of convenience when it comes to oil, in terms of exported wealth and war?

Culprits

So who are the culprits? It is estimated that over 250 million children are forced to work in sweatshops, many kept by confinement or physical abuse. Some are actually abducted and sold while others are forced to live in factories.

While we have an unfortunate presence of forced labor in North America, according to the International Labor Organization, the worst culprits and the percent of their labor that is forced follows:

• Asia, 61%
• Africa, 32%
• Latin America, 32%

And the result is not always cheaper clothes – sometimes it’s simply larger profit margins. Sweatshop-made products have been found in such places as:

• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Adidas
• American Eagle
• Ann Taylor
• Bugle Boy
• Calvin Klein
• Hanes
• J.C. Penney
• K-Mart
• Nike
• Pier 1 Imports
• Polo Ralph Lauren
• Sears
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Wal-Mart
• Phillips-Van Heusen
• Disney
• Guess?
• The Gap
• Banana Republic
• Old Navy
• Reebok
• Levi Straus
• Liz Claiborne
• Mattel
• Roohsing (Hong Kong clothing company)
• Kohl’s (3)

What to Do

The solution is to include the origin and conditions of production in our purchase decisions and be willing to pay a little more if necessary to live a clean life as a consumer.

The prevalence of sweatshop goods makes it seem ubiquitous and like processed foods, very hard to in fact avoid. While you can seek out sellers devoted exclusively to ethically made products it may be more practical while such an industry emerges to simply read tags, and stick to products made in the U.S.A. or Canada, and let the manager you do so.

A grassroots demand is impactful once it starts to get recognized by big companies. Perhaps small shops will appear that cater to this need, but in the meantime ethical clothes are beginning to be available online (5).

• Buy ethically-made clothing and other products online and in specialty shops
• Buy products that are made in the U.S.A. or Canada
• Ask store salespeople if they carry clothing made in the U.S.A. or Canada
• Ask store salespeople if they are aware of carrying products made in sweatshops
• Tell store managers you would like to see more locally and ethically made products available
• Spread the word via conversation and social media

We have a chance to prevent further tragedy through these simple steps. We have a chance to imbue our spending not only with thrift, function, and aesthetics, but conscientiousness.

Let’s take it.

(1) https://money.cnn.com/
(2) https://wiki.answers.com/q/what_effects_do_sweatshops_have_on_people
(3) https://www.greenamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/whatyoucando/9coolways.cfm

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Designer and Business-Class Watches

Tag Heuer is well known for designing high quality, luxury sports watches that stand at the top of the watch spectrum in terms of look, materials, and craftsmanship. They offer a wide variety of watch options, including a vast selection of metal chronograph watches in multiple classy and elegant styles. This makes Tag Heuer watches the perfect choice for any man wanting to invest in a watch that will compliment his fashion sense, as well as his station in life.

Cartier watches, much like their Tag Heuer counterparts, are known far and wide for their excellence and craftsmanship. Known especially for their leather bands that are available in many different styles and textures, timeless Cartier watches come with their signature roman numerals to indicate each number on the watch face. With their sleek yet sophisticated style, Cartier watcher are an excellent option for men looking for simple elegance in a wristwatch.

Citizen watches are known for their aesthetics as well as their commitment to pushing the boundaries and testing new heights with their mechanics. Their Echo Drive line of watches are partially solar powered – this unique aspect makes Citizen watches a fun and sophisticated choice for men who are trendy yet conscious of the environment. Citizen also offers large watch faces and many beautiful watch designs to fit with any style preference or need.

Casual and Everyday Watches

Fossil watches are the standard in design aesthetic and craftsmanship among everyday watch brands. From their flawless branding and design to the design of the boxes and tins they are packaged in, Fossil watches offer both style and personality to what is often a man’s only day to day accessory. A fossil watch is a statement piece, both in overall look as well as in name.

Casio provides men with many affordable watch options, many of which come with alarms and other features – such as a calculator. They offer dual face options, as well as metal bands; this allows men to customize their watch to fit their unique needs and wants. Alternatively, Casio watched are known for their durability and quality, which makes them the perfect go-to, everyday watch no matter what they will be subjected to or where they will be worn.

Timex, much like Casio, is known everywhere for the durability and quality of its watches. Times offers men a wonderful line of sports watches that are not only beautiful to look at but that are also fairly affordable. Many of their watches have unique features built in, such as the ability to measure distance and heart rate. They also offer relatively inexpensive digital or analog watches for those who enjoy being outdoors and need a watch that can stand up to the pressure and wear-and-tear of the outside elements.

Dress and Jewelry Watches

Bulova watches are the epitome of dressy watches. Their simple, elegant, and streamlined designs come in multiple shapes and sizes. Also, Bulova is well known for more than just wristwatches; they are also recognized for their wall and desk clocks. Their commitment to excellence and the quality that they infuse into each watch sets them apart from the rest. For men wanting a durable yet sophisticated watch that is both dressy and simple, a Bulove watch is the way to go.

Most jewelry store chains – such as Zales – sell watches; many of these are very dressy and ca be inlaid with gems or even made of precious metals. As such, they can be very costly but their value and beauty may just be worth it. Watches like this are typically of heirloom stature, meaning that they are the perfect things to pass down from generation to generation. One perk of purchasing a watch from a reputable jeweler is that they often will have a warranty available for purchase, which can definitely come in handy.

In the end, when it comes to searching out a popular men’s watch brand, be sure to consider all the factors and spend time thinking about what category of watch you are looking for.

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It is important to think about your reasons for buying children’s jewelry, especially if they are very young. Although the crystal-adorned, 14K gold nugget necklace may be just as precious as your child, it might not be worth the money. Remember, jewelers and marketers know that at this stage in your parenting journey, you are under the spell that money doesn’t matter. In fact, you may find that keepsake pieces commemorating birth or the first years of life are more costly than items that many adult women would wear. Also, realize before you buy that many young babies are extremely allergic to metals, even precious ones, and are unable to wear jewelry around their wrists or necks without breaking out.

With a toddler, it is nice to purchase them something or give them a gift; however, it is not so smart to allow them to wear it. Think about how they destroy clothes in the course of a day, and you’ll see how silly it is to expect them to keep a precious necklace or pair of earrings intact. Your child won’t know the difference between something glittering from the toy aisle and something that was their great-grandmother’s. Act accordingly so you don’t risk losing something that is truly priceless. If they’ve been given something meaningful and beautiful by a relative, allow them to wear it for special occasions and keep it in a shadow box when they aren’t wearing it. This will teach them to appreciate it.

As your child gets older, they may naturally gravitate toward all that sparkles and glitters. They may covet birthstone earrings, or you may have a son who wants a nice watch. Children also enjoy having personalized jewelry ranging from earrings and necklaces to chokers and key chains. You can find a large array of stylish, personalized jewelry for tweens and teens in any mall. If your child has an unusual name, search online for companies that personalize jewelry. Today, birthstones aren’t as in fashion as they once were, but a hip piece with a birthstone can be something they appreciate for a long time. You can also find these pieces for young boys that are personalized as well.

If you are buying jewelry for children, be sure to look for pieces that are made solidly. Check the clasps carefully and make sure that all the soldered pieces are of high quality. Children will likely play with any jewelry that they wear. Even though thin necklaces designed for little girls are dainty and beautiful, you should opt for better-made chains that won’t break easily. If you want the jewelry to withstand the test of time and be something they still have when they have children of their own, you should definitely make sure that it is made well.

Earrings are easier to buy. However, remember that any hoops or dangling earrings can easily become entrapped in clothing or pulled out if worn when they are active. Each year, thousands of children rip their earlobes because of earrings. This is not an easy thing to repair and often means that they cannot wear earrings for the rest of their lives. Also, any jewelry with stones should be checked by a jeweler periodically to ensure that the settings are still secure. On another note, if you have given your daughter a special diamond, you may want to secretly pull out the diamond and replace it with a zirconia until they get older!

Buying jewelry for children is definitely a great gift idea. There’s a good chance that your children won’t appreciate the expense of the gift at the time they receive it. If you have a special piece of jewelry that you don’t want to see lost or damaged, your best bet is to save it until your child is older. The idea of giving your child jewelry strongly outweighs how well they will actually take care of it. Purchase smartly, shop around, and look for pieces that are specifically made to withstand the abuse of children. There are ample places online that offer exquisite, one-of-a-kind pieces, and your local malls or department stores are also great places to find inexpensive pieces that will fulfill your child’s dreams of jewelry, but not leave you heartbroken if and when something happens to it.

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Clothes are a necessity, but many families miss opportunities to save money when shopping. A “sale” label doesn’t guarantee the best price, so being informed about brands, stores, coupons, and other options is crucial. Here are practical tips to help you become a savvy shopper and stretch your clothing budget.

Evaluate Special Deals and Offers

Beware of enticing special offers like free shipping or “buy now, save later” promotions. These are often designed to lure you into spending more on items you wouldn’t typically buy, undermining your goal of saving money. Before making a purchase, ask yourself:

• Could this item go on a better sale soon?
• Is this something you’ve needed for a while, or are you buying it just because it’s on sale?
• How disappointed would you be if you returned later and the item was gone?

If you think a better deal is coming, wait. If you’ve needed the item for some time, consider buying it. If you’d be very disappointed to miss out, take it home. However, if you don’t need it, expect a better sale, or wouldn’t mind it being gone later, walk away and save your money.

Smart Shopping Strategies

When shopping for clothes on a budget, using cash is ideal. Cash is finite, making it easier to stay disciplined at checkout, especially when you know it must last until your next paycheck. Credit cards, including store credit lines, can lead to overspending and buyer’s remorse. However, if you consistently pay off your card balance or use credit cards for rewards, they can be a viable option. Always understand your card’s interest rates and any hidden fees, including store charges added to purchases.

Shop Online for Better Deals

Stores often provide exclusive online promotions to boost traffic and customer loyalty. Take advantage of these, even if just to price-match from home. Bookmark sites like www.sierratradingpost.com or www.overstock.com, known for clearance prices and great shipping offers. Researching online can lead to significant savings over time.

Explore Thrift and Second-Hand Stores

Not all thrift or consignment shops are equal, but many offer quality clothes at a fraction of their original cost. Stores like Plato’s Closet, available both in-store and online, maintain strict standards for consigned clothing. Some even offer store credit for items you bring in, adding extra value to your shopping experience.

Budget clothes shopping requires time and discipline, but the effort pays off. By shopping online, comparing prices, and resisting impulse buys, you can maximize your savings. With these strategies, you’ll stretch your dollars further while building a wardrobe that meets your needs. Shop smart and make every purchase count.

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AND….What is so bad about dressing your age?

Dressing with Elegance and Confidence

First of all, women who try to mimic their teenage daughters while carrying their 30- or 40-something body (a body they should be proud of) will immediately take issue with this article. They’ll say things like, “I can dress how I want. I work hard for this body. I look good in those clothes. This is what makes ME feel good. I am not trying to be something I am not.” And even more telling—”YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS!” Yes, they will think that anyone who gives them a sideward glance because their muffin top is hanging over their jeans (along with their breasts) is just jealous and wishes, deep down, that they had the body (or the wife) along with the guts it must take to leave the house in clothes meant for the stick-figure body of a blossoming teen. Let’s be real. Just because something comes in your size doesn’t mean you’re meant to wear it.

The hard, cold facts of getting older seem to throw many women for a loop. They feel somehow that they are destined for embroidered tops with fleece pants to match, mom jeans, and the bowl haircut that seems to reside on the heads of most women over 40. But that is absolutely not true. In fact, there are some really cute, adorable, refined, and sexy clothes that women can find outside of stores meant for teenagers. These clothes could truly flaunt what these women have to offer, while remaining tasteful and appropriate. Come on, ladies—what was so great about being a teen, or even a twenty-something?

Okay, so who’s going to tell her? Are you going to stop a lady in the grocery store, or tell your mom, wife, sister, or friend that she dresses too young for her age? If you don’t, you’re just as much to blame for the blasphemy as she is. Chances are, you sit idly by and watch her get dressed, without so much as a “Are you really going to wear that?” This makes you partly to blame. After all, we cannot let the people we love or are friends with become one of those women—you know, the kind that everyone is talking about behind her back but no one has the guts to confront. It becomes obvious over time when she continues to wear clothes meant for youth—that she isn’t getting the message, and she feels everyone in the world is just jealous of her.

Certainly, there is a medical term coined just for this phenomenon. The sad part is that no woman should feel either confined or judged by the clothes that they wear. And even sadder is that this poor woman is waving a red flag, showing just how distressed she is emotionally with the status of her age. Why? It isn’t just her to blame. In society, women are often given the subliminal and outward message that we have to be beautiful. And very few times does aging and beauty combine. In fact, we toss away most stars and celebrities as soon as their age begins to catch up with their face. We replace them with younger and more attractive women, forgetting that the beauty of a woman is not just her youth but her experience as well.

Given the choice of getting to know two women—one young and flamboyant, the other older and sophisticated—90% of us would choose the latter. So, what’s wrong with dressing our age? Few women would go back to those uncertain, helter-skelter years of youthful existence, given the chance. So why do we try to look like that again? And even fewer women would want their daughters to suffer in silence in a world that seems to identify women as EITHER pretty or ugly. Age does not make a woman ugly.

No, you shouldn’t be told what to wear. You should be able to make decisions for yourself based on what makes you feel good. You have the right to wear the clothes you find sexy. The thing is, if you are one of those women afraid to dress your age, you don’t look your best. Those looks you get? They’re in awe, not admiration or jealousy. Your daughter doesn’t want you to raid her closet, and the juniors section is meant for juniors. This doesn’t mean you can’t be fashionable, hot as a firecracker, and sexy as hell—you can. Just not in those clothes!

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