What Do You Need to Know About Men’s Minnetonka Moccasins?

The thought of men bothering about the color of their shirt, chafing over chapped skins, or pondering the designs of shoes, would have been disconcerting to a lot of old school descendants. But that was before the entry of ‘the metro sexual man’ into the fashion lexicon.

This is a man who ‘dresses up’---------quite literally. He religiously visits the beauty salon to accentuate the arch of his eyebrow, wears branded shirts with Armani suits and dons men’s Minnetonka moccasins to throw a powerful challenge to the ‘fairer’ stalwarts guarding the fashion fortresses.

Therefore, given the gaining popularity of accessories in the male wardrobe it’s not hard to explain the rage surrounding men’s Minnetonka moccasins. Remember, ----- ‘a man is known by the shoes he wears’----and what are men’s Minnetonka moccasins if not svelte ‘shoes with a furrowed u- shaped arch’. That’s a direct quote from the dictionary.

Worn by Native Americans, these foot gears were originally designed to suit specific requirements. The hunting tribes in the pebbly deserts wore the hard soled ones, while those inhabiting the marshy eastern forest stretch wore the soft soled ones.

But who needs to learn history? All one needs to know is how to maintain a pair of these beauties, so that they turn the wearer into the cynosure of all eyes in the most happening circles. Here are some tips to help you preserve your invaluable pair…

• Leather, being porous, is highly susceptible to adsorbing dirt and loosing its shine. So clean your moccasins, regularly. Administer the lotion in circular motions that builds up the foam and as the warm leather imbibes in the moisture, wipe away the dirt instantaneously.

• Washing with a cleaner also works. Any high quality soap suffices for cleaning the dirt that cakes the exposed surface. If the leather is parched dry, use a mixture of 25% water to the cleaner for wiping them.

• Its time for moisturizing the moccasins. A good quality leather conditioner softens the leather beautifully. Follow this up with a polish paste but do not smear it over the beads and the decoration.

• Make your moccasins resilient to rough weather by coating their soles with a mink oil-beeswax mix; heat the mixture before application-----to melt the wax------ and use a brush for rubbing it along.

• If you possess the nu buck or suede leather pair, be extremely vigilant. Monitor closely if the water is collecting in the beads on the leather and take notice if it is. Brush off the dirt, frequently and use a rubber tipped brush to prevent the flattening of the nap.

• If you own a sheep skin pair, hand wash them with woolite. Put them out in the open and let the sun do its job.

Although these are some handy ways in which you can take care of your moccasins, it is recommended that you consult the company you bought them from, about other specific methods of maintenance.

Author : Penelope Morgan
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=337929&ca=Culture

Halloween and Its Foundation

The origination of Halloween dates back to the origination of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts were the people who lived about 2000 years ago in Ireland, United Kingdom and north of France. The Celts celebrated their new year on the 1st of November. The 1st of November was the day which was considered to mark the end of summer and the beginning of the winter season or in other words the dark season, it was considered as the season wherein most of the deaths occurred. The Celts assumed and were under the belief that the night preceding the New Year was a night wherein the borders of the living and the ghost world became very light. Hence on that night they celebrated Samhain, it was celebrated under the belief that the ghosts of the dead people would return back on the earth. The spirits of the other world would not only pose some kind of trouble to the people but they would also damage the crops. There was also a belief among the Celts that the spirits which belonged to the other world made it easier for the priests to make the future prediction. Predictions play an important role in the life of the people who are completely dependant on the changing natural world, as these predictions act as an important source of comfort and they provide a sense of direction for the dark winter season.

To celebrate this event, the Celts built large bonfires where they gathered and sacrificed the animals and crops to their deities. In the course of the celebrations Celts dressed in clothes which consisted of animal heads and skins. During this event the people belonging to the Celts community attempted to make the future predictions for each other. In the evening the bonfire is extinguished and as the celebration gets over the bonfire is relit from the holy bonfire which in turn would protect them from all the evils which the winter would bring.

The Romans had acquired the majority of the territory of Celts, during the course of the four hundred years which they ruled over the Celts two of the most exciting festivals of the Romans were included in the traditional celebration of Samhain. The first festival was Feralia, which is celebrated on a day in the late October where in the Romans remembered the dead people. The second event which was combined with the earlier festival was the day wherein they honored the Roman goddess of Fruits and trees, Pomona. The apple fruit symbolizes the Roman goddess Pomona and the inclusion of this celebration into the festival of Samhain, has contributed to the tradition of “bobbing” for apples which is practiced and followed in the Halloween celebration.

In the 800’s the land of the Celts were almost under the influence of Christianity. Pope Boniface was the person who declared the 1st of November as All Saints' Day. On this day the saints and the martyrs would be honored. The Celtic festival of commemorating the dead was being replaced by an event that remembered the Pope; this was the belief that prevailed. It was a holiday declared on the grounds of a church related event. Thus the celebration was referred to as All-hallows which means All Saints Day and the preceding night began to be celebrated as All-hallows Eve which is now referred to as Halloween.

Author : Usharani Vairam
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=298691&ca=Culture

Leatherwear-Some Essential Facts and Lambskin

It is the job of an advertisement to make its product sell. If this is the case, it is only natural that they are going to present their products in an admirable light. Same is the case with leather. But how does the customer differentiate between genuine products and fake, cheap ones tried to be sold off at the same prices. Well, here are a few tips that might come to use big time!

First ask yourself, what do we mean exactly by the term ‘leather’? If you’re not sure, know that the skin of any animal can be defined as leather. So if any leather product is made out of the skin of any animal, it is always right to label your product as ‘Genuine Leather’.

But there is a frequent misconception that ‘Genuine’ things are of the best quality, and it is high time that you remove this misconception out of your head when you proceed to buy a leather product. While the skin of any animal can be stated as ‘leather’, ‘Quality Leather’ is only material that has been properly processed before garments have been made out of it. Probably, this article will be successful to help you out in identifying a quality leatherwear from an inferior one.

Some of the most prominent features of good leatherwear are its ability to stretch well and fit according to your body shape, a fine grained smooth texture and shapes up conveniently as you move different parts of your body. And last, though not the least is that all-too-important fashionable look that you were after in the first place!!

• Lambskin Leather Jackets

The most interesting thing about a lambskin leather blazer is its high durability and its capacity to provide you with warmth, both against the winter’s cold and the rough winds (err… you might take it metaphorically too, right?). An important thing that needs to be told here is that you must treat your jacket immediately after your buy it. And also, do not forget to add that leather protector before you start using. On an average, you’ll need to treat your lambskin leather blazer twice a year to keep it perfect condition and long-lasting.

• Using the Right Jacket Conditioner

Now what conditioner should you use for your jacket? It is safer to stay away from things like mineral oil or petroleum. Also stay away from any type of oil or grease as these may damage your lambskin leather blazer or make hard instead of keeping it supple and soft. Use conditioners that can penetrate the pores of the leather. Conditioners like lexol.com can moisturize your jacket effectively. While conditioning your jacket, also keep in mind that you do not use any coloring agent that could either discolor or tincture your jacket. Avoid conditioners such as wax or silicon-based products to prevent clogging and those like Mink Oil that makes your jacket lose its natural shade and become darker day by day.

• Lambskin and Moisture

The best thing about lambskin is that it keeps you really warm in cold climates. However, over-exposure to moisture such as rain or snow could potentially damage your lambskin leather blazer. Hang it apart from everything else in such cases and let it dry all by itself. You will also have to remove the stains since both rain and snow can stain your jacket. Remove stains only by rubbing by suede erasers and emery boards. Do not rub your jacket with towels. To avoid all these drying hazards, probably you should always use a jacket protector, preferably a good brand like ITA.

• Leather’s Not All Cowhide

If you’re one of those who think that cowhide is the best leather available, it is time to think again. Unlike tough cowhide, lambskin is much softer, smoother than and as durable as cowhide. So why would you choose cowhide when you have a chic and urbane alternative lambskin leather blazer at hand?

Author : Penelope Morgan

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=342617&ca=Culture

Getting in the Know About Leather Cowboy Hats

If you have leather cow boy hats you would agree with me that it is extremely difficult when it comes to cleaning them. An air compressor or a vacuum cleaner can take care of the dirt by blowing it away, but what about stains?

Stains can be taken care of by stain repellents or hat cleaning sponge. And even for the dirt it is recommended that you use a soft hat brush. Makes the job a lot easier!

John B.Stretson, designer and marketer of the first leather cow boy hats in USA, had christened his first creation, “Boss of the plains”. In old days they could tell where a cowboy heralded from by simply observing the crease of his hat.

Leather cow boy hats are put to a variety of uses. Some of them are:

• The spacious and outstretched brim. It plays a critical part in shading the cowboy’s head from scorching heat.

• Used as a signaling tool. Waving it from a distance in all types of manner can convey a lot many messages especially in cases where verbal communication fails due to long distances.

• Leather cow boy hats were also great at fanning a fire. Now who needs a fire extinguisher when there is such a stylish way of putting out fire?

• They also served as buckets to pull out water to quench their thirst.

Mainly worn for their aesthetic value today, these headgears come in a variety of colors, more so if we include the women’s range of cow boy hats. Available in hues of black, brown and grey they are also given funny names on the basis of their color. For example a certain light grey known as The Silver Belly has been attracting a lot of popularity lately.

The phrase Ten Gallon generally refers to a particular measurement of the quantity of water; but I assure you it is nothing of the sort. And it is certainly not a hat container. Actually it is kind of a linguistic confusion. ‘Tan galan’ is a Spanish phrase. The closest to a literal translation is ‘so gallant’ and it was used as a sobriquet for the young aristocratic brood of ‘leading’ upper class men who wore such hats. Its strange how they were simply not called sombrero.

The Stretson leather cowboy hats probably had some very simple designs. That is why the brand has survived through the ages and come down the lines of fashion evolution. As a result today all simple cowboy hats are known as a Stretson irrespective of their designs.

The first of the Stretson hat was sold in Central City of the Colorado County. That was in the year 1865.

Today a flat brimmed Stretson hat has even been incorporated in the dress uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Red Serge as a mark of respecting the man who revolutionized American styling. So much for designing leather cow boy hats! And they say fashion designing is a waste of time!

Author : Penelope Morgan

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=344699&ca=Culture