In an attempt to become more “hip” and “edgy”, following a series of “critically-acclaimed fashion blogs” seems like a good idea. They keep you up to date on what’s what in the fashion world, and updated on many of its important and stylish events. For instance, New York Fashion Week. But, when it comes to the content of said critically acclaimed fashion blogs, many of the featured fashion trends can merit a reaction of terror and shock. But fear not dear reader, designers do have a story to tell. And beneath all of that crinoline, mesh, and Nicki Minaj hair dye, mainstream trends still rise up. Follow this guide to understand the styles that fashion is cryptically putting forward.
Joanna Mastroianni Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Should I start watching “Orange is the New Black”?
What fashion is trying to tell you: This means orange is in. No, you do not need to find yourself a prison suit or become a SOCS rep; small details will do just fine. A cardigan, a belt, maybe even a statement necklace - minimal amounts of citrus are all you need. And start watching the series if you feel like it, but regardless, orange really is the new black.
Alexander Wang Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Toilet paper!
What fashion is trying to tell you: Sculptural pieces will be popular, and white is not only meant for pre-labour day. Designers have a weird way of getting their messages across, and sometimes toiletries seem like the best way to create a visual.
Victoria Beckham Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Victoria Beckham is still doing productive things with her life?
What fashion is trying to tell you: Maxis and midis will be long gone after this winter, so bust out the mini skirts and dresses of your skimpy past for the upcoming season.
The Blonds Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: What the actual fuck?
What fashion is trying to tell you: The 90’s are back in! Tweety bird bodysuits will not necessarily be the norm, but look to the trends of our great past for your future inspiration. Gwen Stefani, Aqua, Beyoncé pre-Jay-Z are all icons you can pull clothing creations from.
Betsey Johnson Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Is Betsey Johnson on hard-core drugs?
What fashion is trying to tell you: Yes, she is on hard-core drugs. I wish I could explain this to you, but words are currently failing me. And let’s be real here, only cotton candy can pull of that texture.
Jennifer Bacher / Silhouette Staff
Bags
Forever21 = Studded Clear Tote $23.80
This lightweight clear tote is ideal for those lazy days at the beach.
Dresses
H&M = Patterned Dress $24.95
Go wild for this bold patterned dress. Not only is the price great, but you can feel great by doing the environment right: this dress is made from 100% recycled material.
Shorts
Target = Frayed Dip Dye Shorts $19.99
Get in the summer spirit with these brightly dyed shorts. Target has an array of colours to go with any summer style.
Hats
Aritzia = Talula Pelham Hat $28
Stay sun-safe with this stylish straw fedora.
Shoes
Old Navy = Colour-Blocked T-Strap Sandals $20.94
These sandals come in many bright colours and styles, all under $30!
Scarf
Zara = Rustic Cotton Scarf $39.90
This bold print is perfect for any summer occasion. The cotton blend will keep you cool during the day and warm on cold summer nights.
Moisturizer
Sephora = Korres Yoghurt Cooling Gel $23.50
The ultra-soothing gel provides lasting hydration and comfort for those long days in the sun. Use this when you stayed out a bit too long and need some scorch relief.
Sunglasses
American Eagle = AEO Square Sunglasses $15.50
What’s a sunny day without sunglasses? AE has many colours to choose from.
Jennifer Bacher / Silhouette Staff
Spring is on its way. How do I know this? It’s not because the birds have started chirping at 6 a.m. or that the days seem longer. It’s not even because the snow is beginning to melt. What marks spring for me, is when the stores debut spring fashion. This year it is going to be pastels, lace, florals and stripes.
Pastels are always popular with the coming of Easter and are even easy to wear right now. Look for tints of jade green and lilac in cardigans and skinny jeans, which are easy to transition and versatile throughout spring. Knitted tops and blazers are perfect for layering during the colder months.
Lace is the perfect feminine fabric to add an elegant sophisticated touch to any colour palate. Look for lace in dresses, accessories and tops in any colour. This year, cream, sky and rose are all favourites for lace. This trend is another piece that can be winter ready. Why not try a lace tank peeking out from under a blazer?
Stripes, a classic, can be used year-round. Stripes can be used to offset an otherwise monochromatic outfit, or to have fun by mixing with other prints. Whether it be horizontal, vertical, wide or thin, anyone can pull off stripes. Try a thick striped skirt with a solid top for a simple look or a navy striped top with red jeans for a nautical look.
As the perennials come out so do the floral prints. Wear the colorful prints with dark pieces now and plan on pairing with other pink and orange hues in a few months. This year’s trend for floral is pairing a bold sweater or cardigan with a crisp collard blouse and chic oxfords.
By: Miranda Babbitt
If you have ever organized a night dedicated to girlish giggles and (not-so) scandalous secrets, otherwise known as a sleepover, you already know that the pajamas you’ll throw on are no longer a matter of comfort. As much as we would like our friends to believe that we wake up with bouncing curls in our hair, perfected eyebrows, and shimmering eyelids, that illusion will shatter when you emerge from the bathroom in a three year old summer camp t-shirt and a pair of sweats that look more like shrunken bell-bottoms everyday. So what realistic options do you have? Are you doomed to a broken social life after a single sleepover? No, no, no. Don’t think like that. Consider your options:
Oh, you vixen, you! There are two perks to this choice. One, you’re a real-life dream come true to all the men who still believe that sleepovers consist of pillow fights in nighties, rather than three sobbing girls reciting lines from The Notebook. Two, you may be able to convince your friends that the reason you’re nonchalantly wearing lingerie to a sleepover is quite simply because of the endless number of occasions in your life that call for such attire. I mean, look outside: your suitors are lined up around the block.
Any other print will do, really. The beauty of onesies is that they don’t sacrifice comfort at all. In fact, they kind of define comfort. You’re covered head to toe in a blanket and can technically call it clothes. Praise the onesie.
I should warn you though. Onesies do not bode well in the heat. What, it’s still hilarious? No. Resist. Nothing is more painful than facing the sweaty reality that the stench intruding the room is thanks to your piggy onesie.
Ah, the matching pajama sets. It’s what your mother forced you to wear until you got your first concert t-shirt, and subsequently rebelled against her fascist wardrobe demands to sleep in the much preferred Avril Lavigne shirt instead. I just hope you didn’t make the mistake of wearing a tie over your t-shirt too (Avril-swag failed me miserably).
Despite the bad rep matching sets had when you were younger, let’s get over our angst and admit it – that shit was comfortable. It’s usually some ridiculously soft material, while covered in a rather cheerful or humorous print. My personal favourite is covered in cupcakes and as nauseating as I may look to the average sleepover attendee, nothing can penetrate my bubble of happiness.
If all else fails, you can go nude. Minimalist, understated, elegant. Also you will really freak out your guests and might get your spot on the couch back.
By: Miranda Babbitt
In dark, forgotten corners of the city, often teeming with crime and deceit, lay hidden avenues bustling with long-lost surprises. Thrift stores.
Now if you have ever considered venturing into this dangerous pocket of society, be prepared. The trip there will likely test your ingenuity, courage and possibly your agility as you overcome the winding bus routes and horrors of public transit. Ideally, you will have at least five different weapons on you, including, ideally, a bow and arrow. The bow and arrow will catch your opponents by surprise and your “street cred” will inevitably skyrocket.
Once you enter your thrift store of choice, do not make eye contact with the employees. You will only be met with judgment. Who cares about your shallow desire to have a “distressed flannel shirt” or “unintentionally but intentionally ripped 90’s mom jeans?”
Not them. You are stealing clothes from the needy and all you care about is replicating the latest tumblr selfie you saw. You also must haggle for everything. The more you haggle, the more respect you’ll receive. Oh, its only $2? Even better. Maybe you can get it for free and hit up that Starbucks on the way home.
After making it through the first three paragraphs, have you managed to weed out the lies about the so-called “reality” of thrift store shopping? Please say yes. I’m depending on you here. I need to restore some of my faith in humanity. My buddy ol’ pal, Google, has enlightened me on the popular misconceptions people have about thrift stores. There appear to be two kinds of people: those who appreciate a good thrifting find, and those who will greet you with a look of pained pity. To them, finding out my sweater was thrifted is akin to saying, “I am wearing the sweater of the homeless alcoholic who roams the local McDonalds.”
Dollars and Sense
Now just in case some of these hilariously awful myths have become a reality for you, I am here to set you straight on the path of thrifty goodness. For those who have been dipping their head in and out of the current fashion trends as of late, thrift store pieces can often be on par with the designer goodies we’re all lusting after anyway. Some people find a lot of pride in saying “Oh this? It’s thrifted,” maybe accompanied by a casual toss of the hair, or an oh-so-humble laugh. Thrifting is not considered an embarrassment. In a way, it’s a considerably noble triumph if you managed to snag an Isabel Marant cardigan for the price of a pair of socks.
Charity Begins At Home(town Thriftstores)
Secondly, the idea that you’re stealing the clothes of someone in more need than you is ludicrous. Thrift stores do not operate in the same way as soup kitchens. Unlike soup kitchens that can only afford to offer so much, thrift stores channel their profits to various charities. The more money these stores bring in, the better off these charities will be. Though this is not to say you should bear ignorance to those who are more in need than you. If a young woman is eying the almost illegally cheap jacket in your hands, while balancing two babies in her arms with a sparse bag of groceries behind her, then back away from the article immediately. You’re a thrifty person, not a piglet stealing every good deal in the city.
Poppin’ Tags
Thirdly, (and oh-my-goodness-who-came-up-with-this): haggling is not necessarily encouraged. Sometimes in order to get the best bang for your buck, haggling can be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience, but not to the point where you’re arguing over a $5 sweater with a line of pissed-off hipsters behind you. Trust me, they will ironically mock you until you cry. Preserve your dignity, and haggle very sparingly.
Tips to make the most of your second-hand sojourn
By: Bahar Orang
The Peplum Trend:
What does it look like? A peplum is a small strip of gathered or pleated fabric attached to the waistline of a garment (skirts, tops, blouses, and jackets) to create a frill effect. The word “peplum” comes from the Greek word for tunic – “peplos.” A peplum can be sewn horizontally or diagonally, and can be sleek and architectural or loose and flowy.
Where will you see it? On the catwalk (styled with an above-the-knee skirt and ankle boots), bright red or black formal H&M dresses, loose florals, velvet skirts, cream-coloured tops paired with pencil skirts or skinnies in pastel shades or chunky gold necklaces, Emma Watson, Blake Lively, bloggers opting for feminine-edgy wearing peplum tops in leather with stilettos and acid-wash jeans.
Where does it come from? The history of the peplum dates back to Ancient Greek clothing. Usually made from wool, both Greek men and women wore loosely-fitted “peplos.” During the Renaissance, the peplum took on a more structured form and extended outward like a short skirt. Peplums have since been cyclical, coming back in the ‘50s (following the war, when women went back to staying at home and more feminine designs re-entered the fashion industry), the ‘80s (big shoulders, big hips) and the ‘90s.
Yay? Mitigates the size of a food baby, creates the illusion of a more idealized hip-to-waist ratio, very feminine, adds a retro flavour to any outfit
Or Nay? Some peplums can look like frilly valances.
When will it end? The peplum is so terribly in right now, that there must eventually be some kind of a backlash – there’s a little bit of peplum on just about each article of clothing in every Zara store and a quick “peplum” search on the Forever 21 website produced sixty-two items. However, the peplum is always coming back – the flattering silhouette it creates is appealing to women of all body types.
By: Bahar Orang
I recently bought a pair of a high-wasted jean shorts from H&M that looked as though they had been worn by a car mechanic every day for at least a month. They were wrinkled, frayed, and faded. I picked them up and thought to myself, “these are perfect!” and proceeded towards the cash register. Later that week I accompanied a very stylish friend of mine to a local Goodwill, where he purchased a gigantic jean jacket of the same quality and took it home to hack off the sleeves. The store was filled with young, hip, student-types – with girls looking through the guy’s stuff and guys dressed in fairly expensive items, looking through racks and racks of used clothing. A couple of Google searches later, I discovered that the number of North American resale stores was increasing by about 7% every two years.
The Great Recession era is one obvious reason for why people (especially debt-heavy students!) are turning to cheaper alternatives. But I was especially intrigued by the phenomenon because not only are people buying more used clothing, but new clothes are also being designed to appear used! It seems that 90’s grunge fashion is back – with faded denim jackets, boyfriend T-shirts, flannels, beanies, and chunky lace-up shoes. And today’s thrift stores are filled with donated clothing from the 90’s. It’s hard to tell however, what exactly inspired this recent trend - it feels far too simplistic to owe it all to a struggling economy.
The 90’s fashion was “anti-fashion.” It was about an “I can’t be bothered attitude” that allowed each individual to have their own unique style, with effortless glam and sexuality. The movement was born under Kurt Cobain’s “smells like teen spirit” anthem, with Kate Moss and Jonny Depp as its poster girl and boy. It was a way to detach from an uptight society and resist the status quo.
The style has been re-developing in downtown London for several years, and fashion designers are looking to street style for inspiration now more than ever. Thus, the difference between the 90’s and 2012 is that “grunge” can be seen in high fashion on the catwalks. Fortunately, it’s a style that’s about spending less and using personal creativity and individuality instead of money – which is why we’re turning to thrift stores. There’s often a twenty-year cycle that happens in fashion, and it appears that we’re in the midst of it – ripped panty hose, combat boots, maxi-floral dresses and all.
TYLER HAYWARD / SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
Katherine George
Silhouette
The concept of fashion is all about mixing and matching to create an artistic appearance that effectively reflects an individual’s personality. This concept often emits a superficial perspective which revolves solely around an individual’s external appearance
However, is it possible for fashion to fulfill a meaning beyond exterior appearances? Do-Won Chang and his wife Jin-Sook Chang, co-founders of the highly successful Forever 21, attempt to match their interest in fashion with their spiritual Christian beliefs.
The inspiration for creating Forever 21 was to provide consumers with attainable fashion pieces that are convenient, trendy and most importantly inexpensive. Forever 21 has made impressive progress since it was first founded in the United States during 1984. Today, Forever 21 has more than 480 stores worldwide and is planning on furthering their expansion into Europe within the upcoming years. Surprisingly, Do-Won Chang has built this incredible empire on two completely separate or seemingly separate ideals: fashion and religion.
Do-Won Chang successfully accomplishes the impossible task of harnessing his internal beliefs and values and promoting them in a highly fashionable way. The founder and co-founder expose their Christian beliefs by inscribing the biblical verse John 3:16 on the bottom of every merchandise bag.
Each customer walks away with not only their most recent wardrobe addition, but also a piece of Christian religion, whether they realize it or not.
This particular biblical reference is taken from the Christian Bible, more specifically chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John. It is one of the most frequently quoted verses from the Christian Bible and has even been referred to as the most famous Bible verse. More importantly, the message behind this popular biblical verse states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Do-Won Chang and Jin-Sook Chang state their intentions for emblazing this inscription on each and every merchandise bag is to show how their Christian belief has been highly influential while building their trendy fashion empire.
An interpretation into how this specific biblical reference pertains to the concept of fashion may perhaps imply that the clothing supplied by Forever 21 carries the strong spiritual belief of both Do-Won Chang and Jin-Sook Chang, and therefore is everlasting and sustains eternal life.
For some individuals Do-Won Chang’s proud and showy approach to expressing his religious beliefs is admirable. The fashion world is an incredibly cut-throat business world and it can be hard to sustain and maintain what is important.
However, there has been plenty of expected controversy over the use of a religious biblical reference for such a materialistic concept. It is incredible how something so small carries such enormous weight.
It may simply be a small accessory for Do-Won Chang and Jin-Sook Chang in comparison to their overall fashion outlook, but fashion is all about defining personality through appearance which Do-Won Chang and Jin-Sook Chang seem to accomplish quite fashionably.
RENEE VIEIRA / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Katherine George
Silhouette Staff
Tribal fashion is an emerging trend within the fashion industry, consisting of an exotic mix of elements taken from different cultures around the globe. Cultures providing the inspiration for tribal fashion initially designed their clothing according to their environment, culture, belief and tradition. This particular style of fashion can vary from the standard articles of clothing worn on an everyday basis to the decorative ornaments covering their bodies.
Today, the practicality of tribal wear has changed, but the attractive appeal towards this exotic trend has continuously increased within Western society. As a result, tribal fashion has made the tremendous leap from being unique hand-made personal creations to becoming a trendy fashion statement intriguing not only public consumers, but also high-fashion designers.
The attention of many fashion designers is focused on women’s tribal wear and the intricate designs which it entails. Popular designs for tribal fashion include geometric shapes, along with bright colours and sometimes even vibrant dyes. These geometric designs are often stimulated from the personalized tattoos used by tribal people in order to differentiate their individuality.
Today, they have become the inspiration for design patterns to create mass-produced consumer culture. For example, Tahiti is a region from which the first tattoo of tribal people originated. Samoa tribal people used to wear traditional clothes and costumes to show their belief in good qualities. So these clothes represent the environment, culture, and style of a particular tribal group. In addition, stacking bracelets, big hoops, and feather necklaces are among some of the popular trends within tribal fashion jewellery.
One of the most commonly observed forms of tribal wear within the fashion industry, as well as everyday consumerism, is ethnically inspired elements of Native American culture. This is among one of the many controversial forms of tribal fashion within Western culture. It furthers the stereotype that Native peoples are a singular monolithic culture, when in reality there are 500+ uniquely separate tribes within the broad Native American culture.
The wearing of feathers and war bonnets in Native communities is not a fashion choice, but rather symbols of honour and respect which are earned.
On October 2011, Urban Outfitters introduced several new items which resembled this particular style of tribal fashion. For example, the “Navajo Flask” and the “Navajo Hipster Panty” are among Urban Outfitter’s tribal inspired fashion trends.
The dilemma with advertising these products as an object of Native American fashion stems from the fact that the Navajo tribe owns a variety of trademarks under the term “Navajo,” including one covering clothing.
As a result, the Navajo Nation pursued legal action against Urban Outfitters for advertising these products. The liability within this situation was not the fact that the items were influenced by a Native American tribe, but more the unauthorized use of a registered trademark. However, it still raises the question surrounding culturally inspired tribal fashion. What are the moral ethics against consumerizing the culture of a minority group within North America for the profit of Western culture?
