Classic Denim Styles

It seems that this spring will be flooded with all kinds of denim. Elle.com has put up a scrapbook of styles we wear today that were all the rage in other decades as well. Here are a few that they featured.

THE WIDE LEG Farrah Fawcett’s sex appeal ruled the '70s, and it didn’t hurt that she could also look every bit the tomboy. Kate Bosworth’s modern version of the wide-leg jean looks very now with a fedora and simple white tank. Wearing wide-leg jeans should be a play on volume—big on the bottom, teeny on top—to avoid looking lost in them.

Farrah Fawcett (top) and Kate Bosworth (bottom)

THE SKIINY JEAN You can thank Miss Moss for the skinny jean revival. Her signature stovepipes can make any woman look slim, especially when they're paired with an elongating heel.
Brooke Shields (top) and Brigitte Bardot (bottom)

THE DENIM DRESS The denim dress isn't just a schoolgirl staple. In fact, it can look incredibly sexy (Exhibit A: Brigitte Bardot, at left) when worn in the right context. Pair it with tights and statement-making boots for a go-anywhere casual look.

THE DENIM JACKET Nearly every bad boy in history has had a denim jacket to call their own, starting with cowboys and continuing through Madonna's '80s-punk phase. Roll up the sleeves, let your shirt hang out, and revel in your rebelliousness.
Madonna (top) and John Lennon (bottom)

Clear Converse Shoes

Yes it's clear sneakers! You can now show off your oh-so-stylish socks. Ok, this is weird. No offence, but it is so weird. I'm sorry but I don't like showing off my socks or feet. I love flip flops but these are sneakers. I just don't get the point. Maybe it's because many of my socks are black and boring. I prefer sneakers that aren't plastic and see through. To each their own i suppose.

The latest from L.A.M.B and Heatherette

Recently, there have been fashion weeks held in cities all over the world. I have picked 2 designers to show. L.A.M.B, and Heatherette.


http://l-a-m-b.com/ There seems to be a lot of black and white shown. The patterns on the items are very interesting.


The way the checks are on this outfit end up having the focal point right at the chest in the middle.


It’s the same with this outfit too with the almost like bulls eye effect. It also seems to be see through lace (or at least the black lace is). I’m not a big fan of either of these.


I personally love the first dress. The over-sized gingham is fun and the tulle underneath adds volume as well as girly-ness.


I don’t get this outfit. I’ve noticed those bottoms before, and they also appear in Michael Kors collection (but in lime green). I have no idea what they are and were anyone would wear them, but I guess that is runway fashion for you. Some outfits shown on runways have no place to wear them.


This last look I have chosen to show from L.A.M.B is gorgeous. It looks like it would have a lot of movement at the bottom.


http://www.heatherette.com/ The runway seems to be very playful in the background with the American flag and butterflies.


It’s a very interesting dress. It’s a great colour palate they used.


This dress is busy but not in an over the top kind of way. The colours are great but it’s very short (or the model has extremely long legs).


The dress in the first picture is very old style homemaker wife. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind is old advertisements with a perfect housewife with a perfect smile and the perfect dress. This is like the modern version.


I am slightly speechless with this outfit. Is that a one piece with pant? I just really do not like it. It seems one pieces with pants have been on the runway with other designers too like Stella McCartney.


This last one is very 4th of July. It’s a red, white and blue outfit. There are the high waist bottoms that seem to be in many lines.


I would definitely say L.A.M.B is my favourite out of the two. Heatherette does seem to be showcasing outfits that are more high fashion. Remember these are only two designers I chose to show and these are my comments on what I think.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2007

It was taped about a month ago but it is just airing now on T.V. I like to watch it because it's interesting to see how creative the designers get. There are themes and of course wings on some of the angels. Here are some pictures from the show.




Seal performed twice (the seond time with Heidi--awww) and also Will.i.am and the Spice Girls(Stop right now..thank you very much).

The Simpsons Couture

From Bazzar in August 2007 were these Simpsons ads with the characters dressed in couture clothing. The one character in the brown bob hair cut is Linda Evangelista (she's a famous model). I find these ads very cool.


Lanvin, Chanel, Versace

Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vitton, Viktor & Rolf

Designer Purses, Why so Much?

Alright, a question that I haven't found the answer to yet is 'why are designer purses so much money?' I know they use really great fabrics and have the best people/machines to put them together but why SOOO much money? I would love a Chanel bag but no way am I paying over $1000 for a purse!

Below is a Chanel bag that i love but definitely can not afford.



Luscious black lambskin leather defines the Chanel Ultimate Soft Medium Handbag. Silver hardware and quilted leather are the perfect combination for this mod bag that is nothing short of exquisite. The silver chain shoulder strap has a leather top and there are two side pockets. Contact your nearest Chanel boutique or Chanel retailer via department store to nab this beauty for $1475.

$1475?! You have to be kidding! Oh why, oh why are designer purses and clothing so much money...

Chocolate Fashion!?

Chocolate and fashion. Two of my favourite things have come together. Cadbury's annual Chocolate Couture Collection Fashion Show combines Canada's best design talents with the most delectable of treats. November 20th event displayed of ten one-of-a-kind fashions created entirely with Cadbury chocolate. The catwalk show presented everything from a Marie-Antoinette inspired chocolate gown from designer Pat McDonagh to a super sweet cropped swing coat with chocolate hand beading from new-comer designer Phoebe Gao. Sunny Choi's created a chocolate leopard print ensemble, complete with a caramel poodle, and Izzy Camilleri's designed a Vegas show girl outfit. How they manage to make the outfits? I don't know, but they look great.

We Need a Change

What is with the media today!? We make it so hard that everyone feels like they are never enough. There are girls starving themselves and guys trying to get abs to make girls like them..Its ridiculous! The fashion industry is coming very slowly around. I wish the fashion industry would change quicker. They think clothing looks better on skinny models but it really doesn't. Those girls have no curves. We need girls that aren't so skinny. What have we done? Why all of the sudden did we think they looked better than a real woman?

Vera Wang

Vera Wang (born June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer based in New York. She is known for her wedding gown collection, among other specialties.

As a girl, Wang trained as a figure skater, and competed at the 1968 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. When she failed to make the U.S. Olympic team, she entered the fashion industry. Wang was a senior fashion editor for Vogue for sixteen years but left in 1985 to join Ralph Lauren as a design director for two years. In 1990, she opened her own design salon in the Carlyle Hotel in New York which featured her trademark bridal gowns. She has designed costumes for figure skaters, including Nancy Kerrigan and Michelle Kwan.

Wang has expanded her brand name through her fragrance, jewelry, eye ware, shoe and house ware collections. On August 24, 2006, Kohl's announced that it would carry clothing, accessories, footwear, and linens designed by Wang.
(information from Wikipedia)

This is the reception dress that Vera Wang made for Avril Lavigne's wedding.

Fall / Winter 2007

It's now well into fall so I have decided to talk about what trends we are seeing.

~Dresses are still around (scroll down to see how they are worn this fall)
~denim jeans are MASSIVE (different cuts, colours and styles)
~There seems to be a lot of quilted shoes
~Ugg-like boots are back and many are quilted as well as in colours
~Flats are still huge
~With jackets there are different styles like petticoats, trenches, and bomber jackets
~The colour purple is suppose to be a hit
~To balance out dull colours like grey punches of bright and rich colours will be incorporated with outfits


Dresses
Dresses can be worn on their own, with tights or with leggings. There are also many different styles of dresses. Some even come with pockets.

Jackets
Bomber jacket are back in a fresh way, trench coat and petticoat are still going strong.

I personally love all of these (how adorable is the plaid bomber jacket) but I'm a puffy coat kind of girl.

Denim (pants)
There is a wide variety of cuts this time in denim. Skinny jeans are still in, but so are wide legged jeans. There are so many styles and colours available.

Shoes
The UGG like boots are back in. (for me they never went away) Some are the classics but others are new styles - like the quilted ones. Ballet flats are still huge, but obviously we can't wear them when it's freezing and snowy out.

The Foundation of Leggings

We’ve seen leggings worn as pants in the 80’s but this time around it’s a lot cuter. I personally don’t own legging and probably won’t wear them but in many cases I find them cool.

Leggings in the form of skin-tight pants made its way into fashion in the 1960s and were worn with a large belt and slip-on high heels or ballet flat-styled shoes. Of course the 80’s and early 90’s had leggings as pants or even under something like shorts (see Beverly Hills 90210’s first episodes). In 2005 leggings began to make a "comeback" into the world of high fashion by pairing capri-length leggings with mini skirts with this resurgence continuing into 2006. They are also now popular to wear with oversized, long sweaters. Also, tight leggings began to merge its style with denim, spawning the high fashion design called the "skinny jeans".

Leggings can be worn different ways:

1. Shirt, mini and leggings
2. Tunic and leggings
3. Leggings under dress
4. Extra long sweater and leggings
5. Dress and leggings

Now if you’re small like me, be careful because some ways can make you look very short. It’s due to the outfit being broken up with a long shirt, a mini and then capri length leggings that makes your body look shorter then it actually is.

We’ve all seen leggings in solid colours but they can be striped, plaid, animal print and even with graphics like skulls. There are so many to choose from and only seven days of the week to wear them.

Celebrities and runways have been showing leggings since early 2005. Right now they seem to be huge everywhere with regular teens. Is this fad going to last? I give it at most two more years but that’s just my opinion.

Crazy Laws

Well obviously it's not fashion but whatever...

In Massachusetts, it is illegal to go to bed without first having a bath. (However, another law prohibits bathing on Sunday)

In Switzerland, it is illegal for a man to relieve himself while standing up after 10pm.

In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered "simple assault," but biting someone with your dentures is "aggravated assault."

In France, it is against the law to sell an "E.T" doll. They have a law forbidding the sale of dolls that do not have human faces.

In Devon, Texas, it is against the law to make furniture while you are nude. - well that's no fun

In Salt Lake County, Utah, it's illegal to walk down the street carrying a violin in a paper bag. Umm, what about a plastic bag?

In Florida men seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown can be fined. - this one has to do with fashion

In Pennsylvania, it's against the law to tie a dollar bill on a string on the ground and pull it away when someone tries to pick it up.

Denim What?!

Denim is forever. The newly launched Di-Amanda collection by Toronto-based jewelry brand D&D Creations has denim in the pendants. How odd right? Above are pictures. Everything else is made of sterling silver and around the denim is diamonds. I must say this is very inventive. I honestly don't know if it will catch on... it looks rather cool.

Converse Shoes

Here's a breif history of how they came to be:
Converse is an American shoe company (now owned by Nike) which has been making shoes since 1908.
Chuck Taylor All-Stars are obviously made by Converse. They were introduced in 1917 as the "All-Star". Converse was trying to produce a shoe that the basketball teams would use. They didn’t hit it big until basketball player Chuck Taylor started wearing them all the time. He loved the All-Star shoes. Chuck gave some tips to the company about altering the shoe a little, and soon the name Chuck Taylor All Stars came about. After that the shoes were expended to other types of fabric (denim, suede for example), and many different colours.

This is who they were popular with through out the years (other than in basketball):
In the 1950s the shoes became popular with ‘greasers’ (Side note: I love the Outsiders book). Since the late 1970’s, fans of punk rock have worn them, as well as followers of the grunge culture in the 90’s. Chuck Taylor All-Stars are pretty much a cult classic these days.