Dickies Are The Nerdy Fashion Trend That's Coming Back

                             

Dickies could be the answer to all your winter woes. For those of you unfamiliar with the dickie (also spelled dickey or dicky), it's a type of false shirt-front that was originally intended to be worn with a tuxedo. Since its inception it has transformed, and today many wear it underneath shirts, giving the appearance that you're layering a shirt overtop of a turtleneck.  

Not only will this trend keep your neck cozy during the cool months, but it will add extra warmth without creating extra bulk -- you won't get exceedingly hot because you won't have towear tons of layers to get the layering effect. Some of our favorite designers and stores have started carrying them, and we have a feeling that it's only a matter of time before they become a closet staple. 

Shop some of our favorites below:

Jil Sander Cashmere & Silk Dickie

              

Mock Turtleneck Dickey

                  

Akris punto Chain-Knit Turtleneck Collar Dickey

                                       

Cos Roll-Neck Cashmere Collar

                         

Mock Turtleneck Dickey

                       

Mock Turtleneck Dickey

                      

Veronica Beard Ottoman Moto Knit Dickey with Cuffs,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

HOW TO WEAR: MINI SKIRTS BY OCCASION

   

Cue: Legs for days. Whether worn with bare pins or tights, the mini skirt is having a major resurgence and is your go-to separate for the season ahead. To ensure that you're showing just the right amount of skin (or not), follow our how-to guide on wearing the item for all occasions. 

BRUNCH

                    
Mini skirt item: A leather skirt

Styling tip: Off-duty models do off-duty dressing best. Taking cue, juxtapose the texture of a sumptuous knit with a leather mini skirt for a perfect brunch look. Tuck the sweater in a little at the front for extra style points.

DANCING

                          

Mini skirt item: A micro, micro mini skirt

Styling tip: For a modern party look, play with clothing proportions. Think: wearing an oversized blazer that drops below the hemline of your mini skirt. 

DINNER

                               

Mini skirt item: A frayed-hem skirt

Styling tip: Give your evening-wear a downtown edge by styling a raw-edge mini skirt with polished accessories. And remember that an oversized turtleneck is a mini skirt's best friend—as it offsets the skin-showing on the legs. 

TRAVEL

                       

Mini skirt item: An A-line crêpe skirt

Styling tip: While at first glance wearing a mini skirt for travel is a no-no, a relaxed A-line style paired with a sweater, tights and brogues is a chic alternative to jeans and a T-shirt. BYO passport.

WORK

                     

 

Mini skirt item: A full circle skirt

Styling tip: To ensure that your mini skirt is water cooler-appropriate, opt for a 

voluminous full-circle silhouette and style with a demure high-neck ruffled blouse to 

play nice. Polished extras recommended.

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/

   

HOMEMADE SHEA BUTTER HAND CREAM

        

This homemade shea butter hand cream is amazing! It has the super-moisturizing power of pure raw shea butter. I also added coconut oil and infused it with ylang ylang and lavender essential oils. The scent is light and pleasant. I personally do not like heavily scented products – especially synthetic ones – instant headache from that over here. This is all-natural in every way and the perfect addition to your beauty regimen. I made this to go along with my Pink Himalayan Salt Scrub and it’s made my summer skin glow!

I am so happy to be experimenting with making my homemade beauty products. It’s something I always wanted to do, but I was a bit intimidated by it. I thought it would be too difficult – which it isn’t at all – and I thought it would be too expensive – which it also isn’t. I’m actually saving money! If you could see how big a smile I have on my face you would be smiling too! Once you start making your own homemade beauty products, I promise you will feel exactly the way I feel right now!

HOMEMADE SHEA BUTTER HAND CREAM

This luxurious hand cream combines the healing powers of pure raw shea butter and coconut oil. It is infused with ylang ylang and lavender essential oils to sooth, relax and uplift your spirit.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oz pure raw shea butter
• 1 tbsp fractionated coconut oil
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder
• 20 drops ylang ylang essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

• 
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gently melt the shea butter over the stove using a double boiler. If you don't have one, just fill a saucepan with a couple inches of water, then fit an oven-safe bowl over the top.
2. Remove from heat and stir the coconut oil into the shea butter.
3. Place the mixture in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes, or until half-way solidified again.
4. With a hand-mixer, beat the shea butter until light and fluffy. Mix in arrowroot powder and essential oils and blend until nice and creamy. Place in a 4 oz glass jar with lid. Use as often as needed.     

http://purethyme.com/

THE OFFICIAL JACKET OF FALL IS...THE BURBERRY CHECKED CAPE

Is it a blanket, a jacket, a cape? Whatever you choose to call it, there's no denying the Burberry Prorsum cape from the Fall 2014 show is the outwear piece to be seen in. The brand known best for its trench coats is officially in the poncho game and celebs, It girls and fashion lovers alike are all wrapped up in it. Burberry announced two weeks ago that the monogram option would be available to the masses as well—but the color-blocked blanket coat is already sold out  out almost everywhere. 
(Word is over a hundred were purchased directly after Olivia Palermo took to the streets in hers.) 

http://www.lamodeetnous1.blogspot.fr/

Straight Out of Nigeria, the Freshest Street Style Around—As Seen on the Boys

For proof that fashion is a truly global language, check out the refreshingly flamboyant peacocking that went down at Lagos’s fashion week

              

“Lagosian style is like a fingerprint,” says the designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal. “No one’s is the same.”

If ever you needed a point person in Nigeria for local fashion wisdom, Oke-Lawal is it. His gender-noncompliant, colorfully inventive line Orange Culture is among Lagos’s strongest collections, his most recent of which—shown this past weekend at Lagos Fashion and Design Week—offered blood red, cinched leather blousons and huggy pants with trailing handlebar ribbons.

               

As is the case with every Fashion Week these days, street style is still a to-do. And where the phenomenon of dressing up to the nines and prancing about in front of a thousand photographers can seem a bit tired in New York City, the way they go about things in Lagos—especially the men—feels fresh, like with the pairing of Gucci grosgrain flip-flops and a pomegranate red traditional men’s caftan. A unique fingerprint, indeed.

“It’s impossible to describe us as a collective,” Oke-Lawal adds, “but the common thread is a sense of adventure. The average Lagosian’s wardrobe is a party, and every trend, every style is invited.” Here, Nigeria’s most dapper gents show us how it’s done. 

                 
http://www.vogue.com/

Five exercises to keep your knees in good shape

Strong and supple knee joints are excelling in sport here is how to maintain them.

                           

Swimmers

They might seem a long way from your knees, but the gluteal muscles in your bottom play a role in stabilising your legs. “Weakness in the glutes is common if they’re not specifically worked on,” says senior physiotherapist Sophie Apps. “Usually, they’re weaker on one side and this will often be reflected in a knee problem on that side.”

Lie on your front, with elbows bent so that you can rest your chin on your fingers. Engage your core, point your toes out behind you and then raise both legs in the air as far as you can. Now start pulsing the legs up and down alternately, kicking from the hip as though you’re doing a front-crawl kick. Keep going for one minute or as long as you can with good form. If you want to make it easier, rest the legs on the floor and raise one leg at a time while the other is on the floor.

                                       

Calf raises

“The calf muscles extend behind the knee to cross over with the hamstrings,” says Sophie, “so they are also important players in keeping your knee moving as it should.”

This is a simple but effective exercise that repeatedly contracts and relaxes the calf muscles to build their strength. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding on to a chair or table for balance if you need to. Raise yourself on to the balls of your feet and then back down to the floor. Repeat this movement fairly rapidly for one minute or as long as you manage.

                              

Thigh boosters

Your quadriceps are the muscles that make up most of the front of the thigh and they’re vital for the stability and healthy movement of the knee joint. “We all tend to have a stronger, dominant leg and this can lead to problems in the knee of the weaker leg,” says Sophie. “It’s important to work on the strength of both legs, two to three times a week, especially if you do a lot of sport.”

To strengthen your quads, sit with your legs straight out in front of you, toes pointing to the ceiling, hands beside you on the floor to support you. Sit tall and engage the core muscles around your middle. Place a rolled-up towel or cushion beneath your right knee, so that it gives it a slight bend. Now press down firmly with your knee and squash the towel. Hold for one second and release. Repeat up to 15 times. Take the towel out, place it under your left leg and repeat. If you’re wearing shorts, you’ll see the quad muscles around the knee contract and relax.

                                                      

Hamstring curls

Your hamstrings are an important knee-stabilising muscle. “They run not only down the back of the thigh, but also down the back of the knee,” says Sophie. “For runners, they help to slow you down and speed you up, so if they’re weak, it’s going to lead to knee problems.”

This exercise boosts hamstring strength and control. Lie on your front with elbows bent and hands flat on the floor, so that you can rest your chin on your fingers. Bend your right knee up to a 90˚ angle, with the sole of your foot facing the ceiling – this is your start position.

Now bend your knee and tap your toe on the floor, then bend the knee and tap your bottom with your heel (or as close you can get it). Keep this movement going for one minute and then swap legs.

                                  

One-legged squat

This is another exercise for the quads and will give them a serious workout, as all of your bodyweight is going through one leg,” says Sophie. “Running is a single-leg activity – only one leg is on the ground at a time – so it’s an especially good one for runners.”

Stand with feet hip-width apart and rest a hand on a chair or table for balance. Lift your right leg off the floor and then bend the standing leg at the knee to go into a squat. Ensure that your knee does not extend out beyond your toes and keep your upper body upright (don’t bend from the waist).

Aim for a deep squat but just go as far as is comfortable. “Do 8-12 repetitions on each leg,” says Sophie. “If you can do fewer on a particular leg, it indicates that the leg is weaker and requires some extra work. Doing it without holding on to anything for balance will increase the benefits by forcing you to engage your core.”

http://www.theguardian.com/

                                   

3 Post-Workout Protein Shakes You'll Actually Want to Drink

 
                                 

Every Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST, WomensHealthMag.com hosts a live broadcast on Periscope called "Snack Sesh" with fun new ideas for health-conscious snackers. Make sure to tune in live—you'll be able to ask us questions and make comments in real time—and in the meantime, here's a recap of the recipes we cooked up this week!

You probably know by now that what you eat (or drink!) after a workoutcan be just as important as what you do at the gym. When we talked to top fitness instructors about their go-to post-workout snacks, we noticed a huge trend: Almost all of them rely on protein shakes.

If protein powders turn you off, we hear you. There are so many types out there that it can be hard to figure out which one is right for you.

Once you’ve hopped on the protein powder train and done a little trial and error to figure out which one you prefer, another question pops up: How the heck do you use this stuff? You could just mix your protein with water or milk and drink it plain, but since we've been there and done that, we can say with confidence: There are better ways.

Exhibit one: these three easy protein shakes that will transport you straight to flavor town and give your body the nutrients it needs after a good sweat.

                           

Strawberries and Cream Protein Shake

We started off with almond milk and a handful of ice, then added a serving of strawberries and cream protein powder (vanilla works, too!), frozen strawberries, some rolled oats, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

While you get that protein your muscles need from the protein powder and the Greek yogurt—which also makes the shake super creamy—the strawberries and oats provide a healthy dose of carbohydrates to restore the glycogen you lose during a workout.

Blend all the ingredients until smooth, and you’ve got a shake that’s light and fruity.

                          

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Protein Shake

Next, we whipped up a shake inspired by one of our favorite flavor combos: chocolate and peanut butter. We combined chocolate protein powder, two spoonfuls of all-natural peanut butter, almond milk,ice, and Greek yogurt. Then we added a frozen banana—hey, potassium and carbohydrates!

Remember: You can use whatever type of milk or yogurt works best with your lifestyle and/or dietary restrictions. We like Greek yogurt for the extra punch of protein and probiotics, but if you’re dairy-free, try using coconut yogurt. (Same goes for milk: cow’s milk, rice milk, soy milk—it all works.)

This shake was thick and creamy. Think: liquid Reese’s with actual nutritional value.

                                 

Tropical Protein Shake

Our last shake was all about island flavor...because who doesn’t love a pina colada? After our base of almond milk, ice, and Greek yogurt, we added banana cream protein powder (yep, that exists!), a frozenbanana, a few chunks of pineapple, and a spoonful of shredded coconut to the blender.

If you can’t find banana-flavored protein, we recommend using vanilla.

Drinking this shake was like teleporting to the beach. It was naturally sweet with just the right amount of coconut flavor.

The next time we’re having a make-or-break workout moment, you can bet we’ll be fantasizing about drinking these shakes to get us through thepain.

Do you have a protein shake recipe you just can’t get enough of? Let us know! Tweet at @WomensHealthMag to share your favorite flavors. And don’t forget to tune into Snack Sesh next Wednesday afternoon on Periscope to check out our latest snack obsession!

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/