Numerous investors believe in and use the principles of technical analysis. In fact, large brokerage houses provide extensive support for technical analysis and a large part of the discussion related to capital markets in the media is based on a technical view of the market.
Technical analysis observes historical price movements of the stock market and individual securities and develops a variety of models and technical trading rules such as moving averages, regression analysis and relative strength index to predict future market behavior. By taking into account price and volume changes, technical analysis comes in sharp contrast with fundamental analysis, which suggests that past performance has no influence on future performance or market values. Technical analysis involves the observation of past market data to estimate future market trends and therefore an investment decision using the market itself to predict its future performance.
To predict future behavior, technical analysts use several underlying assumptions that lead to this view of price movements. First of all, technical analysis assumes that the market value of any good or service is determined solely by the interaction of supply and demand. This assumption is universally accepted by both technical and fundamental analyst as it constitutes a basic theory in economics. The price of any security is determined by the interaction of supply and demand.
The second assumption of technical analysis is that supply and demand are driven by a variety of rational and irrational factors. In these factors are also included economic variables that fundamental analysts recognize as determinants of market corrections, but also factors such as opinions, moods and guesses that actually shape trends which are fundamental in technical analysis. In regards to this second assumption, most observers acknowledge that supply and demand are driven by numerous variables that cannot be separated and the market has to continually and automatically weigh all these factors and reflect them in the stock price.
The third assumption of technical analysis is that the prices of individual securities and the value of the market as a whole have the tendency to move in trends, which persist for considerable lengths of time. These prevailing trends tend to adjust to changes in supply and demand. Technical analysts assume that stock prices move in trends that persist for long periods because they consider that new information enters the market over a period of time and not at once. This gradual pattern of information occurs as various groups of securities professional to the average investor receive gradually the information and or sell the stocks accordingly, moving the price accordingly and gradually reaching a new equilibrium. Therefore, technical analysis is based on a gradual price adjustment that reflects the gradual flow of information into the market.
There are numerous technical trading rules and a range of interpretations for each of them. Technical analysts, in majority, watch many alternative rules and decide on a or sell decision based on a consensus of the signals because it is rare to achieve complete agreement of all the rules. Many technical analysts assume that investors are wrong as the market approaches peaks and lows and they try to determine when the majority of investors are either bearish or bullish and trade in the opposite direction. In technical analysis, this is known as contrary-opinion rules. Another set of rules such as the Confidence Index, and the T-Bill Eurodollar Yield Spread follows the behavior of sophisticated investors and are widely known as the follow-the-smart-money tactics. Finally, there are momentum indicators such as the 200-day moving average, and the breadth of market, as well as stock price and moving techniques such as relative strength, moving-average lines, bar charting, resistance levels, and point-and-figure charts that are used to make aggregate market decisions based on rising and declining trend channels.
Overall, technical analysis is applied to both domestic and global capital markets and can also be used to analyze currency exchange rates and determine the prevailing sentiment in the bond market.
A freelance writer, top MBA graduate with Finance major, passionate about business, finance, history and music; this is pretty much me in a nutshell.
I provide high quality writing services since 2005 in the field of Business & Finance, Movie Reviews, Book Reviews, Health & Fitness, Internet and Relationships. I also have a very good knowledge of Politics and History.
My advanced familiarity with financial modeling, financial statement analysis, capital budgeting and market research has helped me a lot, not only to be a successful professional, but mostly to see life under a more creative and innovative perspective. Besides, having lived for two years in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL and for quite some time in Paris, France has provided me with an international aspect and has enlarged the way I see and understand life.
I currently work as a financial and investment advisor at an international financial institution. Yet, my dream is to be able to make a living as a writer.
It happens to the biggest premium cigar aficionados out there: things start to get a little stale.
Not “stale” in the sense of dried-out. That can happen, of course, but it’s not likely to, if your humidor is set at the standard sixty-seven to seventy-four percent relative humidity range, and as long as the air temperature inside the box is between sixty-nine and seventy-four degrees. (It is, isn’t it?) No, this kind of stale has more to do with you than it does with the cigar. You feel like your premium cigar habit is in a bit of a rut, and you think it’s time to try something new.
Luckily, cigars come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and tastes, so if you’ve had enough of sweetish, almost-chocolaty oscuros you can move to the other end of the taste/color scale and try the pale-khaki-colored, dry, delightfully astringent tastes you’ll find there. If you’ve gotten into the habit of smoking long cigars that usually take around the same amount of time, every time, switch it up with some panatelas or cigarillos. If you’re in bad enough rut, it might even be time to make your own premium cigar sampler, going out of your way to pick cigars that don’t fit your usual taste profile.
But as above, so below: the premium cigar industry itself occasionally finds itself in the same sort of predicament. The standard shapes, sizes and tastes are already hitting their popularity plateau, and no one’s sure what the next breakthrough possibility is. At these times, makers of premium cigars often turn to one of the most reliable sources of business and cultural innovation: the past.
In the 1990s, when the premium cigar industry rebounded from a case of terminal stagnancy and even became, for the moment, somewhat trendy (while inspiring something of a late-1990s backlash as well), such a turn to the past for new ideas happened with the chocolaty, oily oscuro cigar mentioned above. These dark cigars occupy one extreme of the taste-color continuum–the informal rule by which light-colored, tan cigars are the driest and bitterest (features for which cigar aficionados prize them, as bitter hops make certain beers a once-in-a-lifetime experience), while, as cigar wrappers darken, the taste contained inside tends to get sweeter. The oscuro is like the bottom key on a piano, the lowest bass note on a guitar. It denotes how sweet and how dark a cigar can get.
But by the time of the so-called early 1990s “cigar boom,” oscuros were unpopular and very hard to find. This probably has more to do with an overall contraction in the market than with the oscuro itself, a kind of cigar that can be delightfully well-made as any other. With fewer people overall smoking cigars, flavors that had always been acquired tastes even among cigar fans were less likely to sell, and premium cigar makers stopped rolling them.
By the mid-1990s, though, you could find oscuros again–just as you can today, with the premium cigar industry continuing to function at a level far exceeding that of its 1991 state.
More recently, another nearly-extinct species of cigar has been recreated and is in the midst of repopulating cigar shops and online stores near you. The Salomon–a big cigar that comes in between perfectos and diademas in terms of its size–is tapered at both ends, and has always been popular in Cuba. Its unusual shape means that premium cigar makers have a difficult time finding rollers with the requisite talent and experience to make Salomons. But that hasn’t stopped La Flor Dominicana and Rocky Patel from adding new Salomon-sized models to their premium cigar lines–or from making quite an impression on taste-panelists and Cigar Aficionado (and other industry) reviewers alike.
provides you the opportunity to build your own sampler of the finest that include cigar brands like Montecristo, Romeo & Julieta, H Upmann, Macanudo, Cohiba, Partagas, Gurkha and many more. Choose from more than 1200 different cigars! Other cigar products include cigar humidors, cigar boxes, and cigar accessories like Zippo Lighters.
Smoking has become the affliction of a large magnitude of people and others seem to be joining the smoke bandwagon at an alarming rate. Smoking has become a very common sight with one out of every fifth person being a smoker. The trend of smoking has become very common among teenagers also. The problems one gets due to smoking are many, but they do not seem to encourage people to stop smoking or deter people for starting to smoke. The hazardous effects of smoking are many, but people do not seem to be paying heed; the tobacco companies seem to be the only one is reaping the rewards out of smoking.
Since tobacco was born, it has been a few companies dominate the tobacco industry. These companies control most of the production and distribution around the world. They are quick to adapt to their policies and tactics to conform to the regulations set by the government and cater to the needs of the ever-increasing number of smokers around the world.
Tobacco companies of the world
A few companies hold the tobacco production and control of tobacco; the three largest companies sell close to two thirds of the entire supply. The stagnation in demand has prompted them to explore new markets.
The government is in a predicament since the tobacco industry accounts for a vast amount of jobs, but it also has to protect the health of its citizens. The government has tried to cut down on smokers by increasing the taxes imposed on them. By increasing the taxes on tobacco products and leveling higher duties on the companies, the companies are forced to raise the prices, which indirectly reduce use; since higher priced goods will be used less often. There is not much the government can do since tobacco is not a banned product.
The large companies also diversify their business to keep abreast in the market. They use various ways the companies diversify.
By market segments: Products are usually divided into categories, from high priced premium cigarettes to low and middle class of cigarettes. Companies with big brand names sell premium high priced cigarettes but also expand in to lower class to protect them from susceptibility. A decline in of premium cigarettes will be ploughed back by the in the lower or middle brands of cigarettes.
By target group: Every cigarette has its target group. By creating a new target group, the company can raise its overall market share. Thus the need to branch out into women cigarettes and target young people.
This targeting of women and youngsters has been seen in bad light. The tobacco industry has long targeted young people with its advertising and promotional campaigns. One of the most memorable, “Joe Camel” campaign initiated by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, helped generate public outrage against tobacco company efforts to reach young audiences and it is no longer used. The reason is obvious, most people start smoking at an early age. Getting a hold on a new segment will increase its share in the market.
Women are also a segment that the industries try to win over. Cigarettes for women are put forward as a symbol of liberation and some even shown in the light of slimming products. Manufacturers produce (long, slim) cigarettes especially for women. Perfumed or scented cigarettes with exotic flavors are targeted at women. Cigarettes usually have the word “slim” or “lights” to attract women consumers. Minorities are also a target for the tobacco industry.
Diversification by tobacco products: cigarettes companies also try to branch out into other tobacco products. For example, Imperial tobacco has decided to branch out into the roll your own segment; it dominates both the tobacco and the paper for this segment.
Diversification by non-tobacco products: food seems to be the favorite for companies seeking to diversify. R.J. Reynolds bought Nabisco (which, in turn, was later acquired by Kraft) owned by Philip Morris. Japan Tobacco derives a (small) part of its from food. Logistics and wholesaling are another favorite
Austria Tabak, wholesaling of tobacco and other products (and the operation of vending machines) makes up a large share of turnover. Over 20 per cent of Altadis’ earnings originate in its logistics division. Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni owns the largest wholesaler of consumer goods in Denmark. BAT tried financial services (but, since 1998, is a pure tobacco company).
Diversification into food and other activities makes the tobacco companies less dependent on (slow-growing) of tobacco products. However, the profit margins in these industry are usually well below those attained in tobacco processing. Producing and marketing cigarettes remain the more lucrative activity.
Incase of diversification by geographical market, OECD-based tobacco companies are keen to reduce their dependence on their stagnant home markets and establish a presence in markets where growth is above average. After having started business in many markets in Latin
America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Central Asian republics in the 1990s, their center of attention is shifting to the Far East. All the major tobacco companies now have a presence in Poland, Russia and the Central Asian republics. Austria Tabak, which gained a presence in
Estonia when it acquired the cigarette activities of Swedish Match also has a 67 per cent market share in Guinea. The company was considering entering Asian markets when it was taken over by Gallaher in June 2001. Through this take-over and the acquisition in 2000 of Liggett-Ducat, the Moscow cigarette maker, Gallaher greatly reduced its dependence on the UK market. Similarly, Japan Tobacco became a world player when it acquired the international activities of R.J. Reynolds. Thanks to a relentless internationalization drive, Germany’s Reemtsma now sells less than one-third of its total in its home market (compared to over 60 per cent in 1991) (see also figure 6). It is now on the go in several Central and Eastern European countries and, in 1999, it acquired Cambodia’s Paradise Tobacco Company.
The government.
A predicament is generally faced by the Governments all across the world. On the one hand, tobacco-growing and processing can makes a large contribution to employment, tax revenue and foreign exchange receipts. In many developing and formerly centrally planned economies, the tobacco companies have made sizeable and most welcome investments when other investors were disinclined to do so. On the other hand, governments have the responsibility to protect the population’s health. Smoking is harmful to health and treating people for smoking-related illnesses is expensive. This can lead to heated debates within the same government as each sector defends the interests it believes it should represent.
The economic importance of tobacco growing and processing differs from country to country. At the national level, cigarette ( and import) tax can be a main source of government revenue. In Russia, cigarette tax revenue contributes around 8 per cent to the financing of the state budget.
When the government owns the industry, it receives profits in addition to tax. That is why, in so many countries, State monopolies continue to control cigarette trade and production. In China, proceeds from state-owned CNTC amounted to the equivalent of US$11,000 million in 1999. CNTC has been the Chinese State’s top revenue generator for years. Japan Tobacco earned more than US$400 million for the Japanese State in the fiscal year ending March 2000. The monopolies can also play a social function. In Italy, several of the state monopoly’s factories are to be found in areas of high unemployment.
Then there are balance of payments issues to mull over, many low-income countries rely on the export of cash crops such as tobacco to pay for the service of their foreign debt.
Tobacco exports made up close to 10 per cent of Cuba’s exports in 1997-98. In the case of
Tanzania it was 15 per cent, In Zimbabwe over 25 per cent and in Malawi tobacco exports made up two-thirds of commodity exports.
Citizens smoke. But, if they smoke domestically produced cigarettes, using homegrown tobacco or use imported cigarettes and tobaccos can make a large difference when foreign exchange is scarce. That explains why so many countries try to restrict the imports of cigarettes and encourage domestic producers to use local tobaccos, for example, by providing a favorable tax treatment to companies that use a minimum percentage of homegrown tobaccos. The cigarette companies have also been a key source of investment in the formerly centrally planned countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. When others were disinclined to invest, those companies saw the possibilities offered by a blend of pent-up consumer demand, outdated production facilities and the association with independence and “western style” living that so appealed to the people in these countries after many years of central planning and little consumer choice. After having lobbied successfully for the reduction of restrictions of Asian markets such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, the large tobacco companies are eagerly waiting for the opening up of the other economies (notably China) that continue to restrict imports from and/or investments by foreign tobacco companies.
Tobacco growing, processing and exports can thus make a significant involvement to national employment and national income. Yet, however important tobacco growing and processing may be at the national level, its full economic and social significance is best grasped at the micro or regional level. In some regions, tobacco is grown side by side with the crop, which is the main source of income; its contribution to overall income is modest. However, in many others, tobacco is a main source of income and employment.
Tobacco growing and tobacco processing may bring substantial economic and social benefits, but the treatment of smoking-related illness is costly. Cigarette smoking causes cancer. It is addictive. The WHO estimates that tobacco products cause around 3 million deaths per year. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of preventable mortality in developed countries. In the mid-1990s, about 25 per cent of all male deaths in developed countries were due to smoking. Among men aged 35-69 years, more than one-third of all deaths were caused by smoking. The costs of treating all these people are clearly enormous (WHO, 1997).
So far, smoking has not had the same impact on mortality among women and among people from developing countries. There is an approximate 30-40 year time lag between the onset of persistent smoking and deaths from smoking. The effects of the greater incidence of smoking between these two groups will thus be felt with a lag, but it seems reasonable to believe that its impact on them will not differ fundamentally from that on developed country males.
It may be argued that smokers willingly take a certain health risk when enjoying their smoke. They like the taste and all the other things that they associate with smoking. Nevertheless, this does not apply to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or “second-hand smoke”.
Smoke gets in your eyes your clothes. Moreover, it gets in your lungs. Non-smokers cannot escape from smoke in badly ventilated areas. To be exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke can be a nuisance in addition to being a health risk for non-smokers.
Governments and conflicting pressures: How do they get by?
In practice, governments have opted for several strategies (which are often followed simultaneously). A recent strategy consists of seeking compensation for the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. It has been followed with success in the United States, as we saw in section 3.4. Governments also set rules regarding the maximum content of hazardous substances in cigarettes. Most of all, however, governments try to discourage demand for what is, as the industry does not tire of telling us, essentially a legal product.
This is done in a variety of ways, with some governments applying particular vigor and others taking a more relaxed approach. Overall, however, the trend is clear: governments’ rules on smoking are becoming ever more restrictive. The use of tobacco products is being discouraged in several ways.
Limitation of the space where smoking is allowed.
This is done above all to protect non-smokers from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. Smoking is being prohibited in public places (particularly health care and educational facilities) and in mass transport. Legislation requires restaurants to reserve space for non-smokers.
Limitation by age group
It is prohibited to sell tobacco products to people under a certain age.
Limitations on points of .
The use of vending machines is being restricted because these cannot discriminate against to young people.
Health warnings stating that tobacco is harmful to health have become obligatory.
The warnings must be placed on packets and in ads, with the authorities prescribing the text and the minimum space allotted to the warning in the ad or on the pack. Governments sponsor education and public information programs on smoking and health.
Advertising bans. Restrictions concern the location of ads, the media used (no billboards, no ads in the printed media or in cinemas), the images presented (no young people, no cigarette packets), and the time when broadcasting is allowed (not during hours when children watch television).
The manufacturers are unhappy with these restrictions, and in particular with the ban on advertising. In their view, it is not proved that such a ban discourages demand for cigarettes (as its proponents claim). They are concerned about its effect on the value of their prime asset, the brand name.
Worldwide, the tobacco-processing industry employs hundreds of thousands of people. However, due to a combination of slow demand growth, consolidation, and higher productivity, this number is unlikely to increase by much in the near future. Fewer people are needed per unit of production. The industry is becoming less intensive in the use of labor. Tobacco growing, in contrast, gives work to millions of people. It continues to be a highly labour-intensive activity. The scope for productivity increases in tobacco growing would appear to be more limited than those in tobacco processing.
Over a million people are employed in the world tobacco industry
However, of this number a high percentage is employed in just three countries: China, India and Indonesia. The large number employed in China comes as no surprise in view of the large number of cigarettes (one-third of the world total) produced there. Still, the productivity gap with the United States is striking. China produces roughly three times as many cigarettes as the US, but it needs over nine times as many people to produce them. In the other two countries, the scope for productivity improvements would appear to be even higher.
THE SCENARIO TODAY.
The situation concerning smoking are scary, if global trends continue as they are doing today by 2030 more than 8 million people will die each year from tobacco related causes-80% in the developing regions of the World. In India per example where 120 million smoke 1 in 5 men will die for smoking. Smoking is on the decline in developed nations but is on a large-scale rise in developing or underdeveloped nations. The statistics are frightening, every eight seconds someone dies from smoking; about 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily. There are 1.1 billion smokers in the world today, and if things continue as they have, that number is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2025.
Smoking and use of tobacco products is on a decline in most developed countries. However, it is on a rampant increase in other developing countries.
In the US, there has been a decrease in the number of smokers. This can be attributed to the growing awareness of the damage smoking causes to the health of the individual. There is however a sad side to the story, smoking has increased to a drastic level in other countries and the figures are staggering.
China is home to 300 million smokers who consume upwards of 1.7 trillion cigarettes a year, or 3 million cigarettes a minute. As many as 100 million Chinese men presently under the age of 30 will die from tobacco use. There are approximately 120 million smokers in India today, and it is estimated that in the year 2010 alone, there will be close to one million tobacco-related deaths among men and women age 30 to 69 in India. Worldwide, tobacco use will kill more than 175 million people between now and the year 2030. Current tobacco-related health care costs in the United States total US $81 billion annually. Germany spends an average of US $7 billion, and Australia, US $1 billion each year on health care directly related to tobacco use. Health care costs associated with secondhand smoke total US $5 billion a year in the U.S. It is estimated that as many as 500 million people alive today will be killed by tobacco use. The statistics are chilling.
One reason for the sudden spurt in the numbers in these countries may be due to the arrival of tobacco companies. The lax stand of the governments in these countries makes it a good bet to start business. The anti smoking lobbies in these countries have not been able to combat the increase. Increased awareness has made it hard for tobacco companies to work in many countries and so the tobacco companies have shifted their sights to greener pastures.
These countries have a very small anti smoking lobby and the government restrictions o them are not so tough and the government is dependent on the revenues it earns from them. Setting up business in these countries has resulted in increased used of tobacco products.
The anti smoking lobby has been very effective in curtailing the spread and increase of smoking around the world.
Advertising related to tobacco has is banned in most countries. Warnings of the harmful effects of the product have to be printed on the packet. This statutory warning is mandatory in most countries. The WHO in its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which came into effect on 27 February 2005 has specified that all 168 countries should ban advertisements unless their constitutions forbade them to do so.
Today, we are aware of the hazards of smoking. Even though the people are aware of the harmful effects of smoking they rarely seem to pay heed. Everyone knows that smoking causes cancer, heart diseases and can shorten the life span of an individual. It is a highly addictive habit and smokers are at a risk of losing ten years of their life.
With so many smokers around the world, tobacco companies are the only ones gaining form the increase.
Smoking Joey-Heavy Smoker –
If you are smoking-try to quit- but in the meantime-smoke for less.
Gluten-Free Food and Beverage Market: Trends and Developments Worldwide, 2nd Edition, The
The retail market for gluten-free foods and beverages is exploding as a result of multiple triggers. On the marketer side, giant General Mills has converted its venerable Rice Chex Brand to gluten-free status, thus beginning what promises to be a battle of giants as other mega-marketers look to enter the fray. The first giant marketer to create a gluten-free product was Anheuser-Busch, which debuted a gluten-free beer, Redbridge in 2006. Also that year the international spice giant McCormick and Co. acquired Simply Asia Foods. Undeterred, numerous specialty marketers have sprung up, using web 2.0 networking to sell directly in what has long been a consumer driven market. ( )
On the consumer side, demand has been growing exponentially as sufferers of a wide variety of maladies (including celiac disease, autism, attention deficit disorder, irritated bowel syndrome, and MS) have come to believe a gluten-free diet will provide relief. The consumer core of celiac disease, and gluten allergy, sufferers is also growing steadily as diagnosis and treatment of these conditions has improved and increased.
Retailers are holding up their side too. Supermarkets’ gluten-free marketing ranges from gluten-free product lists on their websites, to gluten-free private-label reformulations, to new gluten-free store sections. Even the Federal Government is lending a hand as it finalizes regulatory criteria for gluten-free labeling. This new regulatory clarity should prove a boon to marketers currently struggling through a hodge-podge of self-help organizations for certification. Even the current economic slowdown cannot be seen as a negative factor for the overall gluten-free foods and beverages market, as hard-pressed consumers are motivated to try dietary self-help when mainstream medical assistance grows out of reach.
The Gluten-Free Food and Beverage Market: Trends and Developments Worldwide, 2nd Edition. contains comprehensive data on the U.S. market for Gluten-Free Foods And Beverages, including historical (2004-2008) and forecast (2008-2012) retail data. The report discusses key trends affecting marketers, retailers and consumer demographics. It also contains two special sections: 1) Global Spotlight, a look at international activity; and 2) Medical Conditions Relating To Gluten, which deals with the broad spectrum of complaints that define consumer segments. In addition, the report profiles a broad spectrum of marketers.
To know more and to a copy of your report feel free to visit :
Or
Contact us at :
Bharat Book Bureau Tel: +91 22 27578668 Fax: +91 22 27579131 Email: info@bharatbook.com Website: www.bharatbook.com Blog: Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/3bbharatbook
We are the leading information aggregator, facilitates and supports the business information needs. With over 115,000 reports, you can get instant access and insights on the studies in yo for market research , corporate / strategic planning by providing the latest information in the form of reports, journals, magazines and databases on varied industries like automotive, oil and gas, shipping, textiles, pharmaceuticals, energy, banking, finance, insurance, risk management, country intelligence, consumer & durable goods, chemical and more ur areas of interest. Contact us at +91 22 27578668 / 27579438 or email info@bharatbook.com or our website www.bharatbook.com
The food service industry is resilient and innovative. It has to be. Maybe more so than any other industry it is affected by economic ups and downs. As a result, the industry has learned to respond quickly to consumer demand–sometimes with success; sometimes not. This year is no exception. A great Florida culinary program can help you be ahead of the curve in adapting to the trends of the cooking industry.
The National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Restaurant Industry Forecast shows that consumers are looking for restaurants to provide value and healthy choices. The industry is responding.
Let’s take a look at some of the most in-demand trends and how the food service industry is meeting them:
Greener Restaurants
Restaurant owners are moving to make their establishments more environmentally friendly by reducing energy and water usage. Restaurants are also moving to recycling and composting of waste material. The overall trend is to look for efficient and cost-effective ways to make the industry greener. This includes a turn to our next trend for 2009 …
Locally-Sourced Food
Many environmentally-focused diners understand the impact of importing food from every corner of the globe. The farther away produce is grown the more effort and fuel it takes to get it to market and to a restaurant table. Locally sourced food is helps restaurant become greener by reducing the carbon foot print of its menu items. Additionally, recent outbreaks of tainted foods have shown some of the inherent dangers of our global food supply. Locally sourced food creates a much smaller problem if there is an issue with tainted food supplies.
Bite-Sized Desserts
For years the trend was big, bigger, biggest. Serving sizes for everything from fast food French fries to desserts at fine dining establishments kept getting bigger to meet consumer demand and to differentiate restaurants from the competition. With a much higher focus on health issues, diners are no longer seeking the biggest portions the way they once did. The industry has responded with smaller desserts, many no bigger than a few spoonfuls.
Value
It’s no secret that in bad economic times that budgets for dining out are one of the first things cut. In today’s difficult economic times consumers are looking get the most out of their dining experiences. They want to feel that they are getting high quality meals for the price they are paying. Restaurants are responding by initiating efficiency programs that seek to keep the ceiling on operational costs even as food prices continue to increase.
Healthful Kids’ Meals
Even fast food chains are getting in on this trend. As parents are eating better themselves, they want to see their children better as well. The industry has responded by providing healthier menu options for kids, including juice choices instead of sodas and fruit and vegetable choices instead of French fries.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando offers Le Cordon Bleu culinary education classes and culinary training programs in Orlando, Florida. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit for more information. The jobs mentioned are examples of certain potential jobs, not a representation that these outcomes are more probable than others. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando does not guarantee employment or salary.
Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America provides quality culinary training with professional chefs. Le Cordon Bleu offers programs in Culinary Arts, Pâtisserie and Baking, Hospitality and Restaurant Management, and Online programs. Visit for more information. Le Cordon Bleu does not guarantee employment or salary.
With a new fashion season fast approaching, we look back at the runway trends that easily transitioned into everyday, high street fashion.
Spring/Summer 2009 was a happy mishmash of style contradictions: comfortable but tasteful dressing, structured and architectural pieces, fluid and draping dresses, bohemian dressing, and an undeniable ’80s flashback that saw fashion reviving some of the trends from this “decade of excess”, which we never thought will ever see the light of day again.
There are so many interpretations of the different looks that designers sent down the runways, and this list doesn’t even capture half of all of these looks.
However, these are the looks that were deemed most wearable—meaning they suited even us mere mortals who don’t have the gams and sizes of those ladies who walked the runways. Here, in no particular , are the top ten looks from spring/summer 2009.
1. Fringe
The fringe is most always associated with the wild, wild West, but this season, designers showed the versatility—and glamour—of fringe.
There were still allusions to the Western world and the cowgirl, as seen in Hermes, but other designers, like Alberta Ferretti and Aquilano e Rimondi, resurrected the swinging 1920s with flapper dresses. The “glamour fringe” in jewel-tone and metallic frocks gave us the perfect look for a night out on the town.
2. Goddess dresses
Another look that’s great for a night out is the goddess dress. These Grecian-inspired frocks never really go out of style. Season after season, they come back; thanks in big part to designers who have made this look their “own”.
Marchesa is one brand that constantly gives us to-die-for, gorgeous goddess dresses. Monique Lhuillier glammed them up with jewel embellishments in her trademark light and airy creations. The ethereal, lovely and always elegant appeal of goddess dresses will survive any season.
3. Statement shoes
Pair your party frocks with statement-making shoes. (Or better yet, wear these with your most basic outfit and see the magic these shoes can weave.) The season’s most provocative footwear showed cut-outs and peekaboo details, usually in platform booties or towering gladiator sandals.
Yves Saint Laurent’s collection was the jump-off point for this shoe design trend, when his collection showed his now famous Caged Heel bootie. Also scoring high were Balmain’s jewel-encrusted gladiator-style stilettos by Giuseppe Zanotti. Other designers, like Nicholas Kirkwood, showed off sculptural, covetable pieces, too.
4. Trashed jeans
Classic denims were a no-show this season as the runway showed us the many ways we can “trash” our jeans. Another ’80s staple, acid wash and faded (bleached) jeans were seen in the high-end brands and most especially in the high-street labels, like Topshop Unique.
This London it brand took this denim treatment everywhere: on denim jackets, vests, and miniskirts, and even made wearing denim over denim acceptable, even cool.
5. Power shoulders
Who knew that shoulder pads—those made famous by Dynasty TV royals—would be back in fine form? Balmain made the most impact with his padded shoulders that jutted out prominently on his one-shoulder dresses and his now so-famous band jackets.
This flashback to the eighties was also seen in the shows of Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs (for his own label and for Louis Vuitton). This trend is not for everyone; those who hated shoulder pads in the ’80s shuddered at the thought of having to wear them again. But there were also those who more than happily—and fiercely—wore these architectural pieces.
6. Cover-ups
It was not really expected for summer, but people covered up this season. Their cover-ups of choice? Band jackets and boyfriend blazers. Band jackets, reminiscent of those worn by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, were on the spotlight once again, most notably in Balmain.
Fashion’s latest it boy, the wunderkind Alexander Wang, meanwhile, made us grab our boyfriend’s jackets and blazers and pair them with the loosest cotton shirts and the shortest shorts—with sky-high platforms, of course.
7. Prints
This year is the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, and it was only timely that fashion also paid homage to this decade of freewheeling love, fun and fashion. Diane Von Furstenberg gave us boho luxe, with her models going down the runway in dresses in bold colors and vibrant prints.
Prints were not restricted to hippie florals (also seen in Fendi, Oscar dela Renta, and Dolce & Gabbana); there were also exotic tribal prints, as seen in Matthew Williamson and Anna Sui, watercolour splashes on pieces by Marni and Rodarte, and of course, fierce and fabulous animal prints (zebra, leopards, tigers, etc.) in the Christian Dior, Gucci, and Prada catwalks.
8. Sportswear
It really is the season for practicality as even the usually frivolous fashion world made an attempt to look comfortable via sports-inspired pieces. Erin Fetherston continued with her laid-back yet ultra-chic pieces; this time, the young designer looked to seventies sportswear for inspiration.
Lacoste, of course, was the frontrunner for this look, but even other designers not really inclined to doing sportswear, like BCBG, showed us their athleticism when it came to fashion.
9. Muted tones
Maybe the big recession has really caught up with fashion, because even in the summer, colors were primarily muted. Gray was ubiquitous, and so were really soft pastels.
But there are always rebels in fashion (which make it fun), and at the other end of the spectrum were day-glo, neon, and punchy colors—like the orange crush in Etro, Luella and Pucci. This really just goes to show that, in fashion, you always have an option.
10. Pants
Marrakesh was closely alluded to by designers like Paul Smith and Dries Van Noten, who had glorious turbans to show off. But it is more important to note that this Moroccan fantasy brought forth Ralph Lauren’s Ali Baba harem pants that literally stole the spotlight (they were very shiny, to say the least).
Yes, pants were strong this season, with everything from dhoti, harem and the simple act of rolling up your jeans dominating catwalks and high streets.
Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for TheFashionables.com. The Fashionables blog helps you learn everything you need to know about fashion. Know more about Fashion accessories, men’s fashion, women’s fashion, fashion tips, celebrity fashion, hairstyles, trends, makeup and beauty etc. Visit