STYLE WITH NO MEANING

Whether or not a person has killer style is truly up to debate. We can’t remember how many arguments we’ve had over whether Rachel Zoe always looks amazing or just 70’s.

But whether or not someone actually has style- as in, a manner of dressing which is so recognizable it can be copied or even repackaged and sold on TopShop- is not really up to debate at all.

The newest US Weekly has chosen a curious pair to headline its “20 Best Makeovers” issue. It heralds Katie Holmes as “Most Improved” and Carrie Underwood as rocking the “Sexiest New Style.”

Now, we’re not saying that we expect US Weekly to cover anything other than celebrities looking either stunning or like train wrecks, but this line up of celebrities with enviable “style” just doesn’t make sense.

We can’t imagine anyone ever saying, “God, that dress is so Katie!” We’re not even going to bother retyping that with Carrie’s name, too.

At least US Weekly has given us a whole new style debate to dive right into: does it really count as style if you have a professional laying your outfits out for you?

Football-Inspired Fashion

One of the most refreshingly-creative collections seen at New York Fashion Week this September comes to us from young American designer Alexander Wang with his football-inspired fashion collection.

He has taken sports and effortlessly transitioned them into flattering streetwear for the average woman. Blazing line-backer shoulders in hard blacks and whites make for a confident, no-nonsense silhouette, complimented by athletic inspired shorts, underwear and skirts.

Alexander Wang’s football-inspired fashion is further seen through fun details such as soccer-striker shin pads and the hardcore stripes usually attributed to rugby uniforms.

Find Your Dream Dress

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Usually the event invitation will clue you into the formality of the event, whether it's casual or black tie. But sometimes even that will cause confusion (short dress or long?)

In general, the later in the day the event (after 6 p.m.), the dressier. Long dresses are usually reserved only for formal (black tie) occasions.

While some fabrics are year-round -- silk, brocade, organza, jersey -- fabrics like velvet and gold spangles are best reserved for winter holidays.

Dress Code Definitions: Black Tie, etc.

2. Flatter Your Figure:

The most important feature of your new dress is how well it flatters you.

Remember that darker colors and simple cuts (a sheath, an A-line) are the most flattering.

Show off your best feature. If you have gorgeous eyes, then play them up with beautiful makeup, off-the-face hair and jeweled earrings in a complimentary shade.

Not sure what your best asset is? Ask a friend or significant other. Or go to a store that sells special occasion dresses and enlist the salesperson's help.

Dresses for Every Body Type

3. Choose a Color:

You could just wear a little black dress (classy, flattering and slenderizing), but why not explore some of the other dressy options?

Red, bold prints, even gold are dramatic enough for evening wear. Pastels, mid-range brights and soft prints look great for dressy day occasions.

Blue (from navy to royal), pink (from cotton candy to fuchsia) and white (from candlelight to cream) look great on almost everyone. Remember that the "Don't wear white to a wedding" wisdom is still considered a fashion don't by most women.

 

7 Style Secrets from the Red Carpet

4. Pick a Style:

Catalogs, the internet and magazines are a great places to seek special occasion dress inspiration.

Instead of going with something trendy, try to find a dress that reflects classic, timeless elegance. Remember that you'll have to look at photos of you in the dress for years to come.

Classic special occasion dresses are often deceptively simple, but they usually let the beauty of the wearer shine through. A few examples: the little black dress (a.k.a the cocktail dress), a goddess gown (draped and rouched), a ballgown, a slip dress.

Dress Glossary

5. Shop:

Set a budget before shopping. Special occasion dresses usually cost more than $100, but if you comparison shop you can find one that works in your price range.

Shop secondhand stores and sales to save even more money on a dress.

If you shop in a store, dress for the day by bringing along heels, any special accessories you know you want to use and a strapless bra.

When shopping online, make sure you understand both the sizing (know your measurements and check against a size chart on the site) and the return policy (some stores don't take returns on dresses.)

Prom and Occasion Dresses

6. Accessorize:

The trimmings will take their cue from the dress, but for special occasions your jewelery usually gets bigger and your bag and shoes get smaller (as in strappy sandals).

Although you may want to add tons of glitz, remember that you can kill a look with too much matchy-matchy accessorizing. Find earrings, necklace and bracelet that compliment each other without being a matching set.

If your legs aren't perfect enough to go bare need camouflage and you don't like to wear leg makeup, then opt for super-sheer hose or fishnets.

Get the ‘80s look

Metallic leather and acid washed jeans, electrifying neons and brights...

Metallic leather and acid washed jeans, electrifying neons and brights, shrunken leather jackets, shoulder pads…the eighties was a decade that fashion will never forget. No wonder then, that trends from the disco years are making it to the latest Marc Jacobs, Antonio Berardi and Gucci collections. So why should you be left behind? Here’s how to get with the ‘80s programme.

Go neon

Now this is not a trend for the fainthearted. There is no way to wear neon and not attract stares and a lot of attention. Neons work best when paired with soft prints or juxtaposed with a solid black. Under the harsh Indian summer sun, it is best if you restrict your neons to accessories like bangles and beads, in footwear, or the binding, piping, buckles and buttons of your clothes. Another way to wear fluorescents is to overlay them with one another. For example, wear a fluorescent blue tank under a white, a black or another fluorescent top. Of course, nothing will help unless you carry off your look with confidence.

Acid factory

Acid washed denims that were a rage in the ‘80s are all the rage again, and for good reason. But be careful not to overdo it. For an uber chic look, complement your acid washed denims in grey with a neutral top with little or no detail. Coupled with leather pants and cropped jackets, you cannot look like anything but a fashionista in these combinations.

Wayfarer way

Ray ban’s Wayfarer shades have been a hit with generations and you’ve got to sport them with aplomb to be called truly ‘80s chic. Paired them with just about anything and you’re ready to step out in style. Straight hair works well. But if you want to get a bit quirky, get a pair which has brightly-coloured frames.

Get drain-piped

Get leggy with drain pipes, the ultra slim pants in leather. The classic drain pipe pants glam you up instantly. To be comfortable in this trend, it is best to choose a fabric with some percentage of lycra.

Cocktail numbers

Short black dresses studded with monochromatic sequins are a must-have evening outfit, Asymmetric off-shoulders with clinched waists are evocative of the 80’s feel. Shine and gloss are key factors to consider while shopping for that perfect 80’s inspired number.

Tip: Always remember that you should wear only one ‘80s inspired piece at a time to stay stylish without overdoing the retro.

Designs On Society: Fashion & Politics

'Fashion & Politics', the current exhibition at the Museum at FIT, explores the relationship between fashion and the ever-changing political and social climates since the nineteenth century. The more than one hundred costumes, textiles, and accessories on display reflect not only overt political themes, like the white cotton “Ike” print dress, circa 1956, but also purely cultural movements, exemplified by the liberating “Aesthetic” dress silhouettes of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Since the exhibition is arranged chronologically, it provides a visual timeline of the social and political development of the first half of the twentieth-century. Rising hemlines and increasingly functional women’s garments culminate in two sharply contrasting WWII looks: a denim “Rosie the Riveter” factory jumpsuit and a sleek W.A.V.E.S. uniform designed by American couturier, Mainbocher, for the U.S. Navy.

Silk faille cocktail dress

The postwar 50’s saw a return to more conservative women’s fashions due to the rise of suburbia and the popular belief that women should abandon their wartime independence in favor of more domestic roles. The silk faille Saks Fifth Avenue Cocktail Dress, circa 1953, was perfect for chic at-home entertaining.

Of course, the 1950’s also witnessed the rise of the teenager as a cultural force and as the second half of the twentieth century unfolds, fashion becomes increasingly explicit, addressing such issues as communism and environmentalism. The most recent pieces in the exhibit reflect the current obsession with politics and social change, including Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s sequin mini-dress, which pays homage to the designer’s fascination with Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign.

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF FASHION????????

Advantages: Wearing stylish, yet clean-cut tailored clothes can cause others to take you more seriously in the office. Dressing consevatively in a court of law shows respect. Men tent to be liked more by women when they are well groomed. Having a personal style that is unique, yet fashionable can give a person more confidence. Trendily dressed people tend to attract more positive attention. Dressing age appropriately causes people to respect you more. People who are not dressed age appropriately tend to attract scorn and ridicule. Dressing in certain ways can give a woman a more flattering (usually slim hourglass) sillouhette. She can call attention to the parts of herself that she likes (like chiseled abs) and away from those she doesn't (like curvy or flabby thighs). That way, she does not have to feel self conscious. Those who enjoy fashion consider it a form of art.

Disadvantages: Among girls and young women, ridiculing each other's outfits and appearances can be a form of bullying. The appearances of the homeless can keep people from offering them jobs. Fashion models tend to be skinny to the extent that it is extremely unhealthy. People may feel uncomfortable physically becayse of peer pressure not to wear a "dorky" coat or to wear uncomortable shoes. Fashion can consume money and resources that could be put to uses that help society more. Older children can feel pressured to grow up too fast. 10-year-old girls may want to shave their legs . People may support stores that use sweatshop labor because their priority is finding clothes that are "cute &cheap" or they think that the clothes from fair-trade stores are "hippie clothes." This is not true. Thegreenloop.com and fairiesdance.com ave some really cute clothes that are coop-america (and fashionista) approved. Macy's and H&M have pretty good (although not perfect) track records as to how they treat workers.

Noyon Spring/Summer 2010 Collection

Colors

Powdery pastels in flesh and blusher shades: ivory, beige, pink, lavender, turquoise.

 

Brights come in plain, tone-on-tone or multicolored versions: violet, fuchsia, yellow and orange through to red.

 

Tutti Flowers

Flowers grab the power for a very feminine theme in which colors run riot. Inspired by the hippie era, the mystery of oriental gardens, tropical luxuriance and naive meadow flowers, they bloom over lace in a thousand and one motifs. Lace is their natural habitat, where they open up cheerfully, in turn shy and dainty, even fragile, or bright and powerful!

 

Shot pink and proud poppy are the emblems of this peaceful revolution in lace!

Souvenirs

Working with the sheer wealth of Noyon heritage: lace for Summer 2010 travels back in time, delving into the archives for designs that are then reworked and brought bang up to date. Rediscovering granny's petticoats and the sheath dresses of femmes fatales from 1900 to 1940. Bygone days, yet not forgotten, when lace was the height of elegance!

 

Graffiti

Influenced by architecture, contemporary art and design for lace combining graphic effects: geometrical motifs, mosaics, random stripes punctuated with arabesques and friezes. Lace with a decidedly modern flavor embraces the spirit of the times.