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Shopping online has been fraught with perils ever since cave people bought things on the first stone computer running Windows .00000001. With all the scammers around, a lot of people are so concerned that they choose to avoid shopping online altogether. But when you want to wear something other than just the skins of animals you stalked with a spear, you have online shopping options that are quite safe.

For one thing, you can use Paypal to handle your payments. Since it’s an escrow company, it protects you from a lot of common consumer complaints like not receiving your merchandise or being ripped off. While no company’s perfect online or off, they’re pretty good. Of course, giving your credit card information to a website is okay, because all credit cards offer protections if someone steals your information. What you never want to do is hand over your debit card information.

No matter how great an outfit looks, you have to protect yourself. You should also make sure you only deal with reputable sites like Offers.com. When you buy through a site you don’t know, you automatically make things more difficult and less certain. On the other hand, when you deal with a site you can trust and that carries a lot of repute, it’s just easier. You don’t have to worry about not being able to send back an outfit if you accidentally bought the wrong size, or about receiving defective goods and then undergoing torment as you try to get a refund.

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As the weather heats up, so do summer swimsuit fashion trends. Here’s a list of the hottest trends you need to know about this summer swimming season.

Swimsuits

1. Grab a vintage-inspired suit. High waisted vintage suits are sublime this summer. Best of all, they suit a curvy girl’s body better than a standard string bikini– but skinny-as-a-stick girls will find suitable vintage suits for their bodies, too. Go for a vintage cut with a modern design– you want to play off of a decade, not recreate it.
2. Not your granny’s crochet: look for crochet suits. Crochet balances two aesthetics: sheer and sexy alongside natural and earthy. Go classic and choose a white crochet suit– just be sure it’s thick enough to avoid unsightly exposure in the water.
3. Add some straps to that suit. The string bikini isn’t just about a few strings to keep some strategically placed fabric in place anymore. Modern designers are embracing the strings, not just the bikini– artfully placed straps abound. Straps are now used as statement pieces instead of as placeholders.
4. When in doubt, go with ruffles. There’s no easier way to feminize an outfit than by adding some pretty ruffles. This season’s designers have graduated little-girl ruffles into full-out sexy statements. For a double fashion statement, look for a vintage-inspired suit with plenty of frilly ruffles.
5. Stand out with a bold swimsuit pattern. Forget polka-dots, stripes, or solid colors; this season is all about putting standout patterns on standard swimsuits.

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Nowadays, every girl wants to look straight out of either Mad Men or Studio 54. There’s no need to fear the onset of retro fashion! Here are some easy retro trends you can wear today.

Red Lipstick and Other Makeup Stylings

Without a doubt, the easiest way to give yourself a retro look is to slap on a coat of matte red lipstick. This style was particularly popular in the 50′s. For a sixties look, go for a peachy shade of pink and draw your emphasis to your eyes– particularly your eyelashes. Two aesthetics ruled the seventies: the earthy natural look or the glittery disco look. Forgo the makeup for the former, choose shimmering metallics for the second.

For another fun retro look, play around with false eyelashes or liquid eyeliner. Try drawing your black eyeliner slightly out past your eyelid to give your eyes a fun “cat’s eye” effect.

Wiggle Dresses and Circle Skirts

Wiggle dresses are the iconic curve-hugging dresses of the sixties– think Joan from Mad Men. You’ll have the best luck finding them in specialty pin-up or vintage online retailers. Circle skirts are wide skirts designed to “circle” when you spin. They were popular in the 50′s and early 60′s. For a more pronounced look, wear it with a flouncy petticoat.

If you’re more interested in echoing the 70′s, try wearing a dress with metallics or a low neckline instead. For a true disco look, glam it up with larger-than-life accessories like huge pendants or big hats.

Image by Carissa Marie via Flickr

Did you know you can make your own clothing pieces without knowing how to sew? It’s true! All you’ll need is a ball of yarn and a pair of knitting needles or a crochet hook. If you’re new to the craft, you may need the helpful guidance of a relative, a how-to book, or video tutorials found on the Internet.

Here are some examples of clothing you can make by knit or crochet.

• Bikinis. Yes, it’s true: you can make a swimsuit out of yarn! You’ll need to line your suit to go swimming in it. If you’re scared of lining your suit, you can always just use it for laying out.
• Socks. The best needlework socks are knitted socks, though you can also crochet socks (they just won’t be as stretchy). Nothing is as warm as a pair of knitted socks. For extra warmth, choose a wool or wool-based yarn.
• Jackets or shrugs. For a fitted, structured jacket, you’ll want to knit. For a pretty sheer shrug or cardigan, you’ll want to choose crochet.
• Dresses. People have knitted or crocheted entire dresses out of yarn! You can make anything from a lacy overlay for a slip to go underneath to a mini-dress to a long maxi skirt. Some woman even crochet their wedding dress!
• Sweaters. This may be the most obvious craft on the list! Crochet tends to be better for lacy, airy work rather than fitted knits, so you’ll want to pick up your knitting needles to make a sweater.