In a fashion face-off of epic proportions, Kim Kardashian and Rita Ora showed up at the same London party last Thursday sheathed in nearly identical flesh-toned latex dresses by Japanese designer Atsuko Kudo.

Kardashian restrained her roller-coaster curves in a high-necked number while Ora slapped on a pencil dress with a bondage collar.

They’re just the latest stars to don once-taboo latex clothing, which is moving out of the dungeon as “Fifty Shades of Grey” gets closer to tying up $500 million in global ticket sales.

“I’d like to think that latex has become a mainstream fashion fetish in part due to the popularity of ‘Fifty Shades,’ ” says Joe Zee, editor in chief of Yahoo Style. “In the world of fashion, latex has always been that subtrend that comes and goes, but in this case, now, it’s reached a new PG-rated bondage level.”

“It’s a zeitgeist kind of thing,” agrees Robin Archer, owner and creative director ofHouse of Harlot, a London latex label that just finished production of its biggest single order ever for Marc by Marc Jacobs.

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Sales of the sexy curve-hugging clothes are also booming.

The Baroness, a New York dominatrix and latex designer with a namesake boutique in the East Village, says sales of her provocative pieces have swelled an impressive 25 to 30 percent in the past month.

Shoppers include “people who aren’t really into latex at all, but who’ve seen the movie, read the books or are looking to spice up their lives,” she explains.

London’s William Wilde has also seen his business heat up. “Sales of my latex lingerie and black body-con dresses have massively soared since the release [of ‘Fifty Shades’],” says the designer, who outfitted Kylie Minogue last year in a series of saucy rubber dresses.

When cut into form-fitting designs, the ultrathin latex — a rubber not to be confused with PVC or vinyl, which are thicker plastics — clings to every contour. “It hugs the body in such a beautiful, sensuous way, regardless of body type,” says LA-based latex designer Abigail Greydanus, who has outfitted Rihanna and Katy Perry.

Another draw is latex’s sexy wet look, created by polishing the surface with silicon-based sprays. The famed Pirelli Calendar — the Italian tire company’s corporate gift featuring hot models in pinup poses — explored the lustrous finish in its latex-themed 2015 edition.

“Latex was a way to ‘undress’ sexy girls from all over the world with a dash of humor,” Carine Roitfeld, the French editor of CR Fashion Book, who styled the shoot for photographer Steven Meisel, tells The Post.

Pop stars are also fond of it.

Bjork encased herself in Syren Couture’s black latex hooded catsuit for the cover of her new album, “Vulnicura.” And Charli XCX performed onstage in it at last year’s American Music Awards.

Novices, however, might start with simpler pieces, such as leggings or a pencil skirt.

As O’Shay Nunn, the LA-based designer behind Syren Couture, puts it: “There are ways you can work latex into your wardrobe without feeling like a dominatrix — unless you want to.”

Before you squeeze in…

Modal Trigger

Charli XCX trots out the latex at the AMAs in Los Angeles in November.

Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagicGarments made of latex — a delicate rubber — require special care and handling. Here’s a primer:

A sprinkling of baby powder inside the latex garment is necessary to reduce friction and tearing.

England-based latex manufacturer Four D Rubberrecommends wearing light cotton gloves when slithering in to avoid dreaded nail damage and marking.

Avoid skin care products, including oil, lotion and self-tanner.

Latex should be stored in a cool, dark place, separate from darker colors and metal that can stain it. That means no sunlight, heat, moisture or wire hangers.

If a glossy finish is desired, the garments must be polished with a silicon-based product. East Village-based latex designer the Baroness recommendsPjur Cult Dressing Aid and Conditioner.

After a night out, latex should be rinsed in warm, clean water with no soap or detergents, wiped with a soft towel and left flat to dry. It’s best to reapply talcum powder after each wear.

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Benedict Cumberbatch slipped off recently to quietly marry Sophie Hunter on the Isle of Wight, while Stephen Fry headed for Norfolk to tie the knot with Elliott Spencer. George Clooney certainly didn't do it quietly, but chose Venice rather than the USA or his bride's hometown of London. Meanwhile, Michelle Dockery, 'Lady Mary' in Downton Abbey, has announced her engagement to one of our own - John Dineen - so perhaps they might choose a castle in Ireland for their big day. Certainly, getting married 'out of the parish' is a solution for some.

The wedding industry is huge, from hotels to bridal shops, photographers to vintage cars, wedding cakes, singers and florists - the list goes on. However, for the happy couple, as well as the joy, there is a huge amount of planning and pressure. Family tensions, rivalries and anxieties come to the fore - and by the time the big day arrives everyone is a nervous wreck and many are up to their eyeballs in debt.

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This got me thinking back to my own very simple, if somewhat hilarious, wedding in a little country village, but it also had me recalling the acrimonious happenings I have seen at weddings over the years. There were only 12 people at our wedding, including himself and myself. I was an only child and neither of us had parents alive, but I reckon we had as memorable a day, on a shoestring, as one could have wished for. We were married in St Mullins in south Carlow, where my uncle was parish priest at the time. In fact, he was a one-man band for the occasion. A wonderful musician, Father Joe played the organ as I walked up the aisle on the arm of Brendan's older brother. The reverend uncle then galloped around the back of the church, to appear, immaculately robed, at the altar for the ceremony, before another quick change to play the organ as we walked down the aisle. Needless to say, he was also official photographer; we had to exit the church twice to allow him take the pictures. It was then back to the parochial house, where the uncle's housekeeper, who was very much in the Mrs Doyle tradition, had made a great, horseshoe-shaped wedding cake. Brendan had been an hour late to the church as they got lost trying to find St Mullins. The final hilarious fact was that, even though Champagne had been placed in our hotel room in Wexford, we had been allotted a twin room, while the bridesmaid and best man had double beds for single occupancy.

There are delicate areas when it comes to weddings - and speeches are high on the list. A girl I knew years ago in the UK fell in love with a guy who had been transferred over from Ireland on a business assignment. He, however, had been going out with a girl back home for 10 years and an engagement had been expected. Nonetheless, this was love at first sight on both sides, and nothing was going to get in the way so, with disapproval from the groom's family, the wedding went ahead. It was all a bit awkward on the day, but all civility fell apart when the best man stood up, stuttering through his speech, to - horror of horrors - accidentally 'welcome' the jilted former girlfriend into the family.

At another very fractious wedding, the bride walked up the aisle as the musical group at the back of the church belted out the old Julie Rogers number, The Wedding. "You by my side, that's how I see us/Your folks and mine, happy and smiling." It might have been their dream, but the animosity was so bad that the priest spoke from the altar reminding the families that the way they behaved that day would have a lasting effect on relationships for a long time. He might as well have been talking to himself, as the groom's parents later refused to sit at the top table.

The guest list is always a nightmare. It is so easy to offend and to lose family and friends for life. I sat with a mother and daughter as they argued about the seating arrangement of the guests. "It's my wedding," bleated the daughter. "It's not your wedding, it's mine," said mother firmly. "Well, when's my wedding?" retorted the daughter. "When your daughter gets married," replied the mother.

For some, maybe the solution is to get married abroad. Apart from the sunshine, you are more likely to keep the guest numbers under control without causing offence.

After 25 years as a banker, Catherine Sherry started her own business as a wedding planner, concentrating on Italy. "I decided to build a business that incorporated my love affair with Lake Garda, setting up 'Marry Me in Lake Garda' in 2007, and never looking back. It attracts couples that want something different. I understand they want the best of both cultures; the craic of an Irish wedding and the style of an Italian wedding. Lake Garda offers amazing scenery, beautiful food and is in the heart of the Bardolino and Valpolicella wine regions, with so much for the wedding party to do while visiting the area. We work in partnership with the couple; it remains their wedding dream and we put our arms around it. We tailor-make a bespoke wedding to suit their budget and needs - once it's realistic. We are not commission-based, therefore we can offer a wide variety of venues and top suppliers. It is our vision that the bride and groom have a wonderful experience and choose venues, menus, wine, flowers and music. People say: 'It was like relaxing on holiday and getting married in the middle of it'. Our secret is the personal touch. We work with each couple, usually 12 months in advance, and on the day of the wedding I am the last woman to manhandle the groom by pinning on his buttonhole flower in Lake Garda."

Catherine says that she never leaves the party and is there until the early hours to see everyone home safely. See marrymeinlakegarda.com

Another destination to consider is Andalucia. Spain has always been a popular destination for the Irish, and La Cala Golf Hotel & Spa in Mijas, which is a glorious spot nestled in the mountains between Malaga and Marbella, is very anxious to cater for Irish weddings, as its sales and marketing director, Noemi Roman, told me at the recent Bride of the Year Show at the RDS. See lacala.com

However your big day turns out, you'll end up laughing at the foibles and treasuring them too.

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Brides and grooms who tied the knot at Coventry’s Coombe Abbey during the past two decades are being asked to help the venue celebrate a milestone anniversary.

This year marks the 20th birthday of the luxury hotel, which during its lifetime has proved a popular wedding location for thousands of couples - including some well-known sports stars and actors.

In 1999, Australian footballer and former Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bosnich married his girlfriend Sarah Jarrett at Coombe Abbey.

The hotel also staged weddings for Emmerdale and Casualty actor Ian Kelsey and the daughters of comedian Jasper Carrott and Coronation Street actor Johnny Briggs.

The Coombe Abbey Hotel team are now putting out a clarion call to other couples to come forward with their photos, memories and experiences.

Event organisers are looking to create a ‘montage of marital memories’ which will be turned into online gallery available on the hotel’s website and social media channels.

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They may also use the photos and testimonials to form a static display exhibition at the hotel with participating couples invited to attend a reception event on the day of the exhibition. The team is particularly keen to hear from those married in the hotel’s first year.

Joanne Evans, Coombe Abbey Hotel’s weddings manager, said: “We have held a huge number of weddings here at the hotel during the past 20 years and it would be great to celebrate all those happy days with the people involved.

“We would like people to contact us through either the weddings page contact e-mail, our social media channels or if they prefer more traditional channels they can bring photos or testimonials and physically hand them in at the hotel. It would be great to hear from those who were married here in the hotel’s first year of opening in 1995, perhaps even the first couple to be married at the hotel after it all began on February 17.

“We will then look at the possibility of creating a final ’20 Years of Wedding Day Wonder’ exhibition at the hotel sometime in the near future at the hotel.”

Coombe Abbey has recently joined forces with the Coventry Telegraph for our incredible 'Win Your Dream Wedding' competition, which will see one lucky couple claim a prize package worth over £13,000.

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The mullet—you may know it as the ‘80s hairstyle turned divisive fashion trend.

The high-low hem, or waterfall skirt, is identified by one side ending at a higher point than the other. Many oppose it because of its unproportional nature, but its appearance both on red carpets and in mass retail stores validates it as a true trend.

Given Taylor Swift 's high-low Elie Saab stunner at the 2015 Grammys, we were wondering if the look will see a resurgence—or if it ever went away. Surprisingly, the evolution of the mullet is real.

1970s-1980s

The trend purportedly began in the Victorian era with formal dresses and gowns with "fishtail" hems. Many dresses would typically feature some kind of ruching or pleating, which would bunch up fabric and leave the top layer of the dress a tad higher than the lining or secondary layer. Fabric would also be added to the back to create more voluminous trains. The design created an allusion of curves—whether you had them or not.

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Late 1920s-early 1930s

The Roaring ‘20s and early ‘30s were marked by glitz, glam and much shorter hemlines. It was the age of prohibition and rebellious sentiment, after all. Despite all the embellishments, silhouettes were more streamlined with clean lines; everything was blunt—bobs and hemlines included. Still, the high-low hem was still prevalent on formal, albeit shorter, gowns—making it easier to get your Charleston on.

1940s-1950s

Post-World War II, clothing was much more functional, but it wasn't without its standout trends. Peplum detailing, which starts with a ruffled hem and jutes slightly out, was favored by both housewives and starlets. This trend birthed its modern-day iteration—asymmetrical peplum—which also features the same low-to-high design.

1992

Oh, Billy Ray Cyrus, you and your mullet gave "business in the front; party in the back" a whole new meaning. Little did you know that your asymmetrical haircut would be a full-fledged fashion trend come the new millennium. You also probably didn't know that Geena Davis would make Worst Dressed List history with her white Oscars dress.

2010

Sometime in the last five years, nostalgia became a thing, and we wanted to relive all the trends of our childhood memories. Betty Draper, err, January Jones was the ultimate throwback in a metallic-blue Versace dress. Unfortunately, fashion critics were not impressed.

2012

The fashion set's aversion to the high-low look did not stop fast-fashion brands from producing a slew of mullet dresses. Retailers like Forever21 and H&M made a fortune off the maxi-dress' easier-to-wear cousin.

2013

With both lovers and haters on each side of the fence, the high-low hem was pretty much ubiquitous by this point. However, fashion designers modernized the look, pairing layers with cleaner lines, like the color-blocked Michael Kors dress Kerry Washington wore to the MTV Movie Awards.

2014

High fashion designers also modernized the look by playing with proportions and subtlety.Michelle Dockery's 2014 Golden Globes dress featured an ever-so-slight high-low hem, which brought the sophistication of a tea-length dress. Not to mention, we got a better view of her shoes. Designers also incorporated a slight high-low hem on more casual, shorter pieces, like the Giambattista Valli Couture mini dress Amal Clooney wore right after wedding the Ocean's 11 star.

2015

Tay-Tay in 2015 Elie Saab pretty much killed the Grammys red carpet. Swifty was on everyone's Best Dressed list—probably because her dress incorporated all the elevated elements of a high-low gown: clean lines, bold color and cutouts. It was basically a cape for her waist—and you know much fashion people love their capes.

So, will this trend ever be fully accepted? Only time will tell.

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Inhorgenta Munich has set out a number of trends in men’s jewellery design that it believes will shape the market in 2015, including hippies, the Baroque era and steam punk.

Men’s jewellery is a growing market for the trade show and the exhibition claims that tastes are no longer being driven by function, but by personality.

Inhorgenta Munich product manager Renate Wittgenstein said: “Some of our exhibitors have specifically specialised themselves in men’s jewellery, while others reserve more space for this segment in their latest collections. This market has continuously grown in the last few years and is becoming more and more respectable.”

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Mix of Materials

With an increasingly wide choice, a man must decide on the look that suits him best. Following the autumn and winter trends in the watch and jewellery sector, two fashion trends can distinguished for 2015, in addition to the classic line: modern, clean design supported by materials like titanium, steel, carbon and ceramics, and the vintage look which is close to nature and underlines the wearer’s personality by the use of wood, leather or stones.

“Besides the steel and leather models in the collections, different rock styles, pieces inspired by steam punk and symbolic jewellery creations made of materials like silver and bronze are booming," explains Irmie Schüch-Schamburek, trend expert and owner of the Trendvision trend consulting agency.

Golden Hippy Times

The latest jewellery and watch collections are also influenced by the era of the 1960s and 1970s, and gold is currently experiencing a revival. It is considered to be a clear must have: whether as a bracelet, chain or ring – all that glitters is gold. Likewise, the interplay between silver and black continues to be a popular combination that men prefer.

Baroque Influence

Eccentric and extravagant styles have reached men’s jewellery. They do not strike up quiet sounds: the more visible the jewellery, the better. Evoking the Baroque era, rings cannot be large enough and amulets never too flamboyant.

Classic Lovers

In contrast to the opulent pieces, many men continue to rely on jewellery that is sober in style and keeps a low profile as timeless classics.

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Junya Watanabe

“Joyful” is not usually a word used to describe a men’s runway show, but this season, Junya Watanabe’s collection was exactly that. Inspired by the elegance of thesapeurs, Congolese dandies who show off their extreme style, the show focused on formal wear, but with such a lively twist that it felt both retro and modern at the same time. Traditional elements were everywhere — satin lapels, bow ties and cummerbunds — as these modern-day peacocks posed and danced down the red-carpet runway to the smooth sounds of ’70s vocal groups such as the Floaters and Delegation. Dinner jackets in rich bouclés, heavy tweeds and bold tartan plaids looked less stuffy when paired with trousers worn out at the knees and baggy jeans with deep cuffs. Classic formal wear took on a sportier feel with the surprise of a double-breasted puffer jacket over a fitted jean jacket. Even the designer’s signature patchwork — used everywhere from tuxedos to topcoats — managed to look fresh, reimagined in classicle smoking style.

Sacai

The Sacai designer Chitose Abe has been gaining momentum with a younger, edgier audience over the past few seasons. But by honing her skills as a master of mixing custom-developed textured fabrics in unusual combinations, she produced a collection that felt more mature but still fashion-forward. Outerwear was the focus here, and her attention to detail was laser-sharp. A deconstructed shearling jacket was totally on-trend and about as far away from the Marlboro Man as possible when paired with a crisp olive-green cotton suit with cropped pants and an oversize textured scarf. Abe also offered an alternative to traditional men’s suiting in the form of a rugged gray wool workwear jacket with large chest pockets and matching creased trousers.

Raf SimonsCredit Firstview

By now, Raf Simons has become a point of reference for so many young street-wear brands’ entire aesthetic that it’s surprising to remember that his signature look was originally created more than 10 years ago, around the time he published the seminal fashion tome “The Fourth Sex.” This season, Simons’s show, which took place on a raised runway in a warehouse outside of Paris proper, revealed a richer and more elevated take on what he’s known for doing. While still figured through his youth-obsessed lens, there were real clothes that could actually be worn, like beautiful, substantial coats, fluid trousers and good knits. Then there were the clothes that appeared to have endured years of wear and tear, from ragged hems to ripped sweaters, that displayed the designer’s artistry in the study of deterioration.

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Lanvin

First looks are often deceiving, as was the case with Lucas Ossendrijver’s fall collection for Lanvin. The show was in fact divided into three distinct sections, starting with a series of subdued looks in various shades of gray featuring oversize, double-breasted suiting and military coats in traditional men’s wear fabrics. Then, there was the surprise of a fur vest under a classic overcoat; dress codes were thrown out the window and the fun began. Topcoats in exotic skins were worn one over the other; a cropped red python baseball jacket was placed on top of a boxy glen plaid suit. A strong ’70s silhouette was everywhere: high-waisted pants with deep pleats paired with vintage-inspired leather trenches, fur coats worn over slouchy sport coats. The third section seemed to shut the door on nostalgia as a series of unadorned all-black looks took over. Strong, modern separates replaced the bohemian styles with the urban sensibility of today.

Maison Martin MargielaCredit Firstview

Although fashion editors had been eagerly anticipating John Galliano’s couture show for Maison Margiela, it was the brand’s studio-designed men’s ready-to-wear collection that really stood out this season. The French house is mainly known for its minimalism, and its customers tend to value the sense of anonymity its clothes provide, but this season the collection could not have been further from either descriptor. In what could have been a sartorial retrospective of David Bowie’s glam-rock career, the show was flashy and ostentatious in the best of ways. Fitting in with the ’70s trend that has infiltrated all of fashion, the collection featured lurex, colored leathers and sheer and printed tops that would count as faux pas on any other occasion, but on the runway felt quite right.

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Susan Rice, the former US Ambassador to the United Nations who is today a National Security Advisor, tweeted yesterday: https://twitter.com/AmbassadorRice/status/replies, it was a harsh 140-character toke for many to swallow. Liberal journalists have strongly criticiSed the American government for its gushing response to the death on Friday of King Abdullah. Glenn Greenwald at The Intercept deemed it “nauseating.”

This is a country, CFR fellow Elliott Abrams wrote for the conservative National Review, where the female officials included the delegation, women of prestige and national stature—Lisa Monaco, Obama’s counterterrorism adviser; Frances Fragos Townsend, a former counterterrorism adviser to President George W. Bush,Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice—”would be jailed for the crime of driving a car.” Adam Coogle of Human Rights Watch, noting Abdullah’s reputation as a reformer, nodded to the momentum the King drummed up for women’s rights, but wrote that the agenda was hardly fulfilled:

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These reforms, however, did not address the key underlying issues entrenching discrimination against women, such as the male guardianship system, under which ministerial policies and practices forbid women from obtaining a passport, marrying, travelling, or accessing higher education without the approval of a male guardian, usually a husband, father, brother, or son. Despite Abdullah’s rhetorical support in 2005 for the idea of women driving, at his death they remain forbidden from getting behind the wheel, and authorities arrested women who dared challenge the driving ban.

That Obama, knowing this, not only sent a considerable delegation, but cut short his own trip to India to pay respects in person yesterday in Riyadh, highlights the value placed on the US relationship with Saudi Arabia. Of course Michelle Obama, who was traveling with her husband, saw her itinerary changed, too.

According to The Daily Mail, when the President and Mrs. Obama left India yesterday, he was wearing a black suit and polka-dotted tie, and she was in a form-fitting floral dress that cut off just below the knees. When they landed, the president was in the same suit and tie, but Michelle Obama had changed into long slacks, a loose bright blouse, and a long-sleeved coat. Under the kingdom’s strict dress code (now ruled by King Salman) and enforcement of Wahhabist law, Saudi women are required to wear a headscarf in public. The majority of women cover their hair and face, although foreign women do not have the same restrictions.

As a visible woman and public figure, Michelle Obama’s appearance is a frequent topic of conversation and commentary, all the more because of her race, her height, and her singular, superlative stature. According to The Washington Post, over 1,500 tweets were sent yesterday using a hashtag that translates approximately to “Michelle_Obama_immodesty.” The Daily Mail noted that she “pulls faces,” that she “is not impressed,” that she “does not look happy to be meeting Saudi king as members of his entourage refuse to shake her hand.”

A number of media outlets reported that Saudi TV blurred out Michelle Obama’s face at her meeting with the new king. According to Mother Jones, it was the person who uploaded the video to YouTube who obscured her face. (King Salman neither shook the First Lady’s hand, nor acknowledged her at all.)

Whatever the case, Michelle Obama has long used fashion to showcase fresh, diverse, often American designers: that’s economic. But she has leveraged style not as a way of making the self a decoration, but making decoration expression, a means of self-respect, glamour, and fun. The mother of two girls, the First Lady has quietly but forcefully made clothing—and of nutritious living, not to mention toned arms—a political flash point.

Which is something to bear in mind yesterday, admiring her blue blouse of an almost Yves-Klein brilliance. The First Lady has worn a headscarf before, for instance on a trip in 2010 to Indonesia. But she did not wear one in Saudi Arabia.

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When it comes to your relationship with your bridal party, chances are you are expecting sunshine and rainbows. After all, these are your closest and most trusted friends that you asked to be a part of your wedding day.

Truth be told, however, I’ve found wedding planning can cause tension not only with your soon-to-be-spouse and immediate family, but the pressure can start to put pressure on your friendships as well.

Such was the case with a friend I met for lunch last week.

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The bride was at her wits end, frustrated by the bickering between herself and her bridesmaids. The bridesmaids felt she was turning into a “bridezilla,” while the bride felt like her bridesmaids had let her down and neglected their “responsibilities.” After hearing her out, I gathered that both parties were slightly at fault for the disagreements. To help you avoid the same headaches, here is some advice for both the happy couple and their attendants.

For the bride and groom: Be appreciative of the support your bridal party gives you. Although you expect your closest friends, whom you’ve asked to be in your wedding, to be supportive and help you with planning your big day, bottom line is they don’t have to do any such thing. You shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Thank your bridal party, and thank them often. After all, they are your right hand men (and women) who are helping to host your dream wedding. A heart-felt thank you (or 10) will go a long way as your bridal party shells out cash and suffers hot glue gun burns in the name of your nuptials.

Remember they have lives outside of your wedding. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be considerate of the lives of your bridal party members. While your wedding may be priority number one on your list, chances are your bridal party is sacrificing other “top priorities” to make room in their schedules to accommodate you. Try to give as much notice as possible for meetings or if and when you need their help. And don’t forget to keep your bridal party’s budget in mind. You may be unknowingly asking them to make the difficult decision of paying their rent or buying the $300 bridesmaid dress you chose.

Don’t ask too much of them. I had a rule for myself when planning my wedding: if the activity didn’t create quality time and I could easily do it myself, I didn’t burden my bridal party. While it’s great to have help, and chances are your bridal party would love to be involved, asking them to participate in every menial task associated with your wedding planning may become tedious and annoying to you bridal party. And chances are your friends won’t have the heart to ask you to back off before they reach their breaking point. To help avoid unnecessary stress, be aware of just how much you are asking your bridal party to do.

Stop micromanaging. Tell your bridal party what you need done, not how to do it. That’s the best way to avoid micromanaging. Don’t stand over their shoulders critiquing how they positioned rhinestones, curled their hair or tied their bow ties. Give a little slack and realize that just because it isn’t how you would do it, doesn’t mean it’s not a good (or even better) way. If it’s truly imperative that a task be done just right, do it yourself, hire someone else, or at least let your bridal party know in advance. And don’t be upset if they turn down your request for help on something that is outside their skill/talent level.

For the bridal party: If you offer to help, mean it. “Let me know if you need any help!” We’ve all said those words countless times. In fact, we’re all guilty of having said it without really meaning it, “knowing” that the person we were talking to would probably never ask for our help. I know I’ve done it. We’re human. It’s the polite thing to do. Except if you’re in a bridal party.

If you offer help to the bride and groom, expect they’ll take you up on it at any moment. Of course, the bride and groom should take your busy schedule into account, but you should also be ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work. If you aren’t, you should reconsider saying “yes” to being in the bridal party.

Listen when he or she needs to vent. I get it: listening to someone talk about their wedding day in and day out is tedious and annoying. Believe me, I love weddings and help plan many of them, and I still get to the point where I just want to press the mute button. But having been on the other side of that dilemma, sometimes you (the bride or groom) just needs to talk. There is a lot going on in their lives right now (not that there isn’t in yours, too) and they really need a friend to hear them out. Presumably, you agreed to be in the bridal party because you love and care about your friend, even if they are complaining about the color of roses for the 16th time.

Play mediator, not devil’s advocate. There is a time and a place for devil’s advocate. When your friend goes on a long rant about how unfair it is that they can’t take home that second un-touched bowl of unlimited soup from your favorite lunch spot is a great time to add fuel to the fire to spark a lively debate. When your friend is on the verge of uninviting his or her mother to the wedding because she wants to wear white to the reception is not one of those times. When the bride or groom is having a bad day or frustrated with someone, the best way you can help is to talk them through the situation and try to mediate and diffuse the anger.

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The wedding has come and gone, and now it's time to pack up and travel far away for a few days of pure fun and marital bliss.

While the honeymoon is a time for newlyweds to bond and bask in their new status as husband and wife, it can turn into a brief season of sheer boredom if you don't have any special or exciting activities lined up.

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So how do you make your first few days as a married couple a memorable one? Follow these 10 tips to get it right:

Pick a room with exciting amenities: Wouldn't it be very romantic if your accommodations feature interesting extras like a Jacuzzi, plunge foot or clawfoot bathtub? If you do get a room with any of these amenities, draw a bath, add some rose petals and pop open a bottle of your favourite champagne. It would be a whole new level of romance for you and your spouse.

Call room service: And while you're at it, treat yourselves to a wide variety of gourmet food selections while in the comfort of your luxurious guest room. Many hotels now team up with celebrity chefs to bring guests five-star menu options. So indulge in some assorted foods on display while lounging in a pair of comfy slippers and soft bath robes.

Pack some sexy lingerie: Be sure to take along sensual outfits that your significant other hasn't seen before. These surprise wardrobe additions will surely spice things up throughout the trip and keep the sparks flying.

Surprise each other: Add a touch of romance to your getaway with unexpected gifts and gestures. It could be a hand-written letter, wedding picture, poem, or jewelry. The extra thought and effort says a lot about your mutual affection. You can also bring along a mini camcorder and record secret messages for each other, only to reveal once you're back at home.

Add custom touches: You can also set the mood by adding little personal details throughout your honeymoon. Ideas include scented candles, chocolates, bath salts, fresh flowers, music, and bubbly. Just a few extra touches in your hotel room can take great ambiance and make it extraordinary.

Plan a private picnic: Choose a secluded beach, rolling hillside, or anything in between. You can also head to a local market to pick out a few of your favourite food items. Be sure to bring a bottle of wine or champagne and make a toast to your new life together. If you're lucky enough, some hotels around the world offer ultimate picnic experiences.

Go exploring together: Pick one day to skip the usual routine and tour groups. Instead, seek out adventure by going for a scenic hike, or discovering a local waterfall together. It can be whatever activity that appeals to you most, just look for unique whoneymoonays to discover a new destination together -- and don't forget to share a kiss or two along the way!

Dinner with a view: There may be nothing as romantic as an amazing meal featuring a mind-blowing vantage point. Enjoy speciality cocktails or share a bottle of wine over appetizers, entrees, and dessert. Bonus points if you can arrange a special meal for two.

Watch the sunset: Some unique settings can often make for unforgettable sunsets, especially if they feature a dazzling array of colours. When deciding on your honeymoon spot, be sure to choose a location with beautiful views where you can have the opportunity to watch the sunset every evening.

Couples massage: Crown your romantic experience with a rejuvenating spa session for you and your spouse. These days, it's quite common for top spas around the country to offer incredible amenities like romantic suites for two, food and wine tastings, whirlpools and hot springs, and thatched-roof beachside accommodations. It's sure to be a memorable time for you two.

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They say you can have good and cheap, cheap and fast, or good and fast but you can never have all three together. For the fashion industry, and for ethical campaigner Carry Somers, this statement rings true. Just under three years ago in Bangladesh nearly 1,200 workers lost their lives when the Rana Plaza garment factory in which they were working collapsed. The fashion industry had been concentrating so hard on producing cheap clothes and turning around new trends quickly, that ‘good’ never had a look in. Conditions were found to be far below a safe standard, and as eyes turned to other factories around the world, similar problems emerged.

For Somers, founder of Fashion Revolution, the Rana Plaza disaster was a wakeup call. A conversation began in the media and fashion industry around clothes manufacturing and Somers took the opportunity to try and ensure the conversation continued by founding Fashion Revolution Day.

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The concept behind the day is simple:

1) Turn an item of clothing you are wearing inside-out, label showing.

2) Take a picture

3) Upload it to social media and ask the brand the question ‘Who made my clothes?’

This year the day takes place on April 24th, the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster and 2015 marks its second year. Last year over 60 countries participated and #insideout trended worldwide on twitter with 6.6 million hits on google on the day.

At present, most consumers don’t know how or where their garments are made. This lack of accountability breeds the conditions in which disasters like Rana Plaza can happen. As stated on Fashion Revolutions’ website “It takes a lot to make a garment. Not just the bits we hear about but also the farmers who grow cotton, the dyers, sewers and other factory workers without whom the industry would not exist. These people, the people who make our clothes are hidden from us, often at their own expense.”

Somers believes that by making the fashion industry more transparent, companies will have to become more accountable and moves can then be made towards legislating a fairer, more sustainable future. “On Fashion Revolution Day,” she states “people come together to challenge the current system”.

Somers's great motivation to change the fashion industry came about as many of these things do, by accident. She explains “I had completed a Masters in Native American studies and was waiting to start a PhD. I spent time with producer groups in Ecuador and had seen how much they had suffered at the hands of middle men, a few of the people I talked to had even had arson attacks. I wanted to help them and make a little money for my holidays”. She soon realised that this was a more worthy way to spend her time then a PhD, and she started her fashion brand Pachacuti which still runs to this day.

Somers certainly practices what she preaches. “Pachacuti is a brand that meets the highest social and environmental standards, our Panama hats can be GPS tracked down to the makers house in which they were made. But we also compete in terms of fashion with some of the top stores around the world. We’re setting an example to the others to show that you can be sustainable and profitable at the same time.” Pachacuti was in fact announced in the first round of companies worldwide who had been approved by the World Fair Trade Organisation.

Other brands that are also setting a sustainable example according to Somers are G-Star, Eileen Fisher, and H&M, although she does admit that “H&M talk very loudly about the bits that they are doing, but there is certainly a lot more that they can do.”

She explains that “You are unlikely to come across anyone earning a living wage in the entire garment industry. In terms of conditions, they are seen to be improving since Bangladesh, however audits are still announced in advance so they have time to send home underage workers and to unblock the fire exits.” Somers says that all it would take to ensure safe working environments and a living wage for all workers would be for everyone in the UK to pay an extra 25p per garment.

Until this happens should we be avoiding cheaper high street brands altogether? According to Somers, that is not the answer. “A lot of the cheap clothes are made in factories alongside the luxury brands. So really the price you pay is not an indication of the garment being made in more ethical conditions. The best thing to do is research, be curious, and then do something about it with the answers you find.”

The fact of the matter is that we can no longer pretend we don’t know about cheap labour. An industry insider recently told Somers that “for every one person that contacted their brand last year and asked “who made my clothes?” was taken as representing 10,000 people who felt the same but couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it.” “The consumer has power,” Somers explains,” we can influence policies, we can influence brands, we can make a difference.”

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