Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Banana Republic Celebrates 30 Years

With a runway show in an art gallery in New York on Tuesday, April 29, Banana Republic showcased a cohesive set of separates that wouldn't be out of place in the cubicles of an architecture firm worn by scrupulous associates: stand-up funnel collars on coats, military detailing on a cardigan sweater, trim pleated trousers and blousy white silk tuxedo shirt for the women - exemplifying a light feminine touch on the menswear-inspired looks featured throughout. Basic black coats featured dramatic architectural puffed sleeves, injecting this urban wardrobe staple with the kind of detail you'd expect from a more expensive designer label.

For men, the silhouette was slim for suits in the vein of mid-century Continental - picture 1950s ad men - and the palette du jour, flannel grey. Chunky knits rounded out casual offerings and crinkled white denim looked particularly fresh.

A halftone backdrop of the stark branches of trees emphasized the minimal color palette of the collections as a whole - all flannel grays, inky blacks, crisp whites, chalky charcoals punctuated by just two looks in fuschia, functioning in the collection like a smear of bright lipstick on a bare face.

Banana Republic launched its upscale version of the label this spring called Monogram, featuring more or less a similar BR style as their regular collection, but in more luxurious fabrics and more refined construction. Their first stand-alone boutique opened earlier this month in New York on Bleecker Street and is also available online.


Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Is flip-flop finally over?

I just read a press release that flip-flops are over? the press release says flip-flops are finished and we should all be wearing wedge sandals or gladiators with our swimsuit.I was never a huge fan of cheap rubber flip-flops paired with something dressy, but I love flip-flops for casual wear. What else is so inexpensive, comfortable and universal? I can't even imagine flailing around in the sand wearing wedges (heels and swimsuits sound sexy in theory, but don't make much sense for real women

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

60's Fashion

1960’s fashion was an extremely varied time that went through many different stylistic changes. Impressionable to popular culture of the time, 60’s fashion represented a startling number of subcultures. Although most people think of 60’s fashion as being hippie fashion, 60’s fashion was actually much more complicated and varied.

In the beginning of the decade, 60’s fashion was heavily influenced by the beach themed movies of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. This new focus on surf culture was reflected in the popularity of bikinis and surf t-shirts. This shift in popular fashion to a more risqué look led to the invention of the mini-skirt by Mary Quant that would become incredibly popular in the late 1960s and continues to have an enduring popularity.

While teenagers were enamored by the beach look in early 60s fashion, popular culture would change drastically when The Beatles emerged as a worldwide sensation. The spread of Beatlemania has been well documented and took its place in 60s fashion with the popularity of Nehru jackets. The early buttoned down look of The Beatles combined with their mop top hair changed the way that people dressed in the 1960s. However, much like The Beatles, 60s fashion would continue to evolve.


The 1960s were a time when rock and roll became extremely popular and 60s fashion would change to reflect the look of these new bands. Psychedelic rock bands from San Francisco would become extremely influential. Combined with their anti-war sentiment and their belief in creating a utopian society, the hippy look would develop and become a staple of 60s fashion. The popularity of bell-bottom jeans, tie-dyed shirts, and paisley printed clothing would become the norm in late 60s fashion. This look continues to be popular today and is a staple among the jam band fashion scene.

While hippie fashion would contribute to long hair among men and women, in the African American community, 60s fashion can be defined by the popularity of the Afro hair style. For women, 60s fashion doesn’t mean an end to sophistication as many women drew inspiration from the classy look of Jacqueline Kennedy. Particularly popular for women in 60s fashion was the emergence of the pillbox hat.

The 1960s are a time that continue to have a deep impact in today’s society. A time of protests against the Vietnam War and against the country’s segregation laws, the revolutionary spirit of the 1960s endures in the continued popularity of 60s fashion!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Valentino's Final Bow




Valentino is bringing the curtain down on his 45th year as one of the world's most famous fashion designers here at the Rodin Museum in Paris. The Italian famed for his lipstick red dresses has dressed generations of the world's most glamorous women and led a life as flamboyant as his creations. His retirement is being heralded as the ending of an era of great designers with the modern fashion business having little room for such larger than life personalities. Valentino in his turn has made clear his feelings about the modern industry. "Business is ruining fashion," he said. "There is little creativity and too much business."

Ralp Lauren

Here are some pictures of the latest Ralp Lauren spring 2008 collection.

The brand was launched in 1967 when Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifschitz, got a $50,000 loan. Prior to starting Ralph Lauren, he worked for Brooks Brothers. In 1968 he started a line of men's ties. By 1969 he had a boutique store within the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale's. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women's collection and his first standalone store in Beverly Hills, California. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on London's New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993.

The brand now produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, furniture, operates the restaurant RL in Chicago, and sponsors a Harlem cancer center in association with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The flagship store is located in the former Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City. Other flagship stores are located in Chicago, East Hampton, London, Miami, Milan, Palm Beach, and Tokyo Ralph Lauren is one of the largest fashion designer/retailers in the United States, with sales almost reaching four billion dollars per year.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Lavender Girl Launches New Headband Styles for Summer/Fall

A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consists of a loop of elastichorseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal. They come in assorted shapes and sizes and are used for both practical and fashion purposes. And that is were lavendergirl's is known for its fashion accessories. Eva Longoria, Jessica Alba, and Vanessa Hudgens. have been spot wearing this famous headband collection. Already a must-have for Hollywood actresses and sold at LA's trendiest upscale boutiques, Lavender Girl's headbands and accessories are a stylish compliment to any outfit. Ranging from $3.50 for an ultra-hip hair twist to $62 for a luxe Bejeweled headband.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

70's Fashion

Angel Flight Suits
Coordinated disco suit with jacket, vest, and flared pants. Your shirt had to be a shiny satin with the large collar.

Angel Sleaved Blouses
Loose cut, oversized blouses with "bell bottom" sleeves. All Cotton. I bought my sister one during the height of disco and she never took it off, except to tan.

Army Jackets
Actual olive-drab army jackets (which could be purchased at an Army/Navy store were very big at my high school, especially amongst the stoner males. They were frequently worn with ripped jeans or jeans that dragged on the ground.

Bamboo purses
The purse was in a square shape made out of vinyl with a drawstring top. Came in different colors, mostly tan, black, red. The outer base and side frames were huge brown bamboo rings. And the strap was made out of smaller brown bamboo rings interlinked together.

Banana Jeans
Instead of the buckle in the front, it was in the back, right below the small of the back & they were very high waisted, usually denim.

Bead Chokers
70's version was a bit cheapo looking compared to the chokers now, mostly because they were hand made. Small beads in a elastic cord and knotted so it became a tight necklace around the neck. Circa 1974-75

Bell Bottoms
Denim tight at the top and baggy at the bottom

Blue Jean Purses
Old blue jeans made into a purse. Cut off legs, sew up bottom use the extra leg material to make the strap, attach a button to close the purse embroider flower designs and add studs for decoration.

Blue Jean overalls
Popular - at least in California. Standard overall design but not meant for working.

Capris
Short cut off jeans about knee length

Cheese cloth
Shirts, dresses, skirts anything was made from cheese cloth, it was crinkly so you didn't need to iron it. It used to shrink sometimes just on the first wash sometimes with every wash. If it was cream coloured you had to soak it in cold tea after washing to keep its colour.

Corduroy!
Originally known as the "poor man's velvet" on its invention in the 18th century, this fabric is made with the warp higher than the weft, producing an eye-catching look similar to velvet, but much, much cheaper. Corduroy enjoyed enormous popularity in 1970's men's clothes and was made into suits, blazers, leisure suits, shirts, and jeans ("cords"). Popular colors were various shades of tan and brown, burgundy, and bottle-green. I recall that a green, three-piece corduroy suit with flared trousers was one of my favorite formal items when I was a child. The fabric also appeared made into women's skirts, but on the whole it was thought of by designers as a men's material. Corduroy suffered greatly from its association with the 1970's - items made in this fabric vanished after 1981 and have been impossible to find until right now - Fall 2000.

Denim Jeans Converted Into Skirts
Ripped out the inseam and stitched floral print material in the middle to make it a skirt

Dingo Boots
About 1977 these were the craze, usually worn with *Gaucho pants( these were just below the knee and usually corduroy) Most of the boots had rubber souls.

Dittos Jeans
These were the first must-have label jeans. They came in a large array of colors and styles with names like "Hi-rise". They were so popular (at least in southern California). After this, many other "label" jeans/clothing became popular. I would LOVE to get my hands on a pair of these. I keep trying e-bay and other sites.

Down jackets & Vests
Big, puffy jacket. Made you look huge! Colors I remember were bright green, orange and blue. Nerd city, but tres cool back then! Mine was a cheap version!

Fringed Suede Vest/Jacket
If you could afford one, a suede vest or jacket with long fringes around the middle and/or bottom made quite a fashion statement!

Frye boots
Hideously ugly and expensive "cowboy" style boots worn by girls when I was in high school (mid 70s) Often worn with the equally hideous gauchos!

Gabardine Pants
Tight, usually corderoy pants that had a belt buckle in the front. Think John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

Glitter socks
These were knee-high socks with glitter. I had a pair in the late 70s that were blue striped with silver glitter.

Goucho Pants
A coulotte type worn by high school girls that went below the knee, usually colorful, sort of a Mexican look. Usually worn with high leather boots that lace up. Early 70's look.

Granny Gowns
These were long dresses worn mostly by pre-teen girls and most of them had a floral print design.

Gypsy Tops (England)
A light cotton top, gathered at the neck line and bottom, bright colours. The string at the neck usually had little bells on the end. Worn with a matching midi-length skirt, elasticated waist with a tie cord and beels on to match the top, frilled at the bottom.

Halter Necks.
Bright halters or just plain black. Perfect worn with a wrap-around frilled jacket!

Halter top
Thes shirts were like normal tanktops BUT went around your neck..they came in an array of colors but the glittery disco ball effect was the most popular.

Hang Ten satin jackets
Pink, blue and maybe green. They were huge in the disco era ( late 70's). They had white and the jacket color stripes around the sleeves and the collar.

Hip Huggers
How quickly we forget. Those bell bottoms with the "waistline" striking just below the belly button. Double front zippers were pretty fashionable,one on each side.

Hotpants
Very short dressy shorts,usually plush velvet, with a wide,usually white ,belt,to match your white go-go boots.

Leather Purses with Beaded Fringes
Leather purses resembling a pouch with a drawstring with fringes around the edges decorated with multicolored beads.

Marshmellows
They were platform shoes, that had white laces and a thick (THICK) white "marshmellow" heel. They came in different colors (light blue, red, pick).

Maxi Dresses
Full length dresses for parties, etc, like a bridesmaid's dress, worn with choker and crochet shawl, usually a fitted bodice and A-line skirt

Mood Rings
A ring which was suppose to decribe what mood you were in by your body heat. Ex: Black= Bad Mood!

Moon Boots
Winter boots with platforms that looked like something Neil Armstrong would have worn - except for the colours.

Narue Jacket
Navy blue double breasted type Jacket/with the big buttons very large pointed collar.

Oxford Shoes
Oxford shoes made a comeback in the mid to late 70's. The style was to wear them with colored knee socks and jeans rolled up to slightly below the knee.

Painters Pants
They came in white or baby blue...maybe more colors...a lot of pockets and a loop for hanging (a hammer?) something on the side of one leg....

Patchwork
Patchwork jean, overalls, shirts, and skirts. sometimes denim, cotton or velvet.

Peasant Skirt
A trendy knee-length skirt with a swinging movement. The most popular colors were black, white, beige, tawny, tan, pink, blue, red, purple, gray, burgundy( definately bungundy) and pea green.

Petticoat
White cotton underskirt with broderie anglaise trimmed frill, worn under another skirt but longer and therefore visible. Also trend to trim hem of a skirt with similar decoration to simulate the sae effect. Lasted one season only in 1978

Pin Striped Pants
Flared material pants with a fine vertical, single or double dotted line running through the pant. Usually in navy bllue or dark brown.

Platform Shoes
Shoes with a sole of at least 6 or 7 inches high. Made you look taller than you really were.

Platform boots
Completely different to platform shoes - came up to the calf and were lined with fur. Very comfy - cosy!

Polyester Leisure Suit
That flashy gleam of synthetic, complete with wide lapels, top shirt-button undone to reveal just the right amount of of chest hair and gold chainage, accompanied by a strong whiff of Canoe. Think Warren Beatty in "Shampoo." This was the uniform of the 70s lothario.

Pom-Poms
Pom-poms on sweaters on furry hats, maybe even on ponchos were present in the 70s.

Poncho
A blanket like cloak with a hole in the middle for the head to go through. The patterns were based on American Indian styles, colourful or with alternating coloured stripes. Sometimes made with natural hand spun wool. Some came with tassles at the bottoms or pompons. They were long covering your thighs.

Prism Necklace, Ring
These were usually in the form of a sphere,sparkled, multi-colored and very, very cool. They hung from a silver ( cheap lol) chain or were worn as a ring, also silver.

Puka Shells
If you didn't have a set of Pukas (a choker) real or plastic you wern't from the 70s

Ragcity Blues
We called them zip around pants because it had one one zipper going from one end to another. Another style this company mad were the tie up pants. They had bother ones that tied up in front and ones that were both .

Rock Concert T-shirts
Ordinary t-shirts with a logo picture of a rock star or a rock band or trademark of rock band.

Rugby Shirts
They were long sleeve shirts with horizontal wide stripes. They came in a variety of colors . But the most popular seemed to be alternating blue and yellow stripes.

Safari Shirt
Womens taylored dress shirt with pointed collar,twin botton neck closure,patch pockets,2 botton sleeve all incorporating oversize bottons.Popular 1969 into the early 70's.

Satin Jackets
They were usually in blue, pink, red, or green, and had stripes or just plain. They were similar to baseball jackets, very sporty, and very cool.

Shellsuit
Like the racing car drivers suits. Shiny and lightweight in material usually pastel shades and very flattering. A zip had the full length at the front. More seductive if the zip came down to ceavage level.

Sizzle Dress
Short button down dress and underneath matching short pants (elastic around the legs)similar to hotpants. Style was in fashion 71-72.

Sizzler
Very short dress with matching panties. The dress was suppose to just short enough that you could see the bottom of the panties. I had a brown with with polka dot with a collar that was with with brown polka dots. The panty was the same color as the collar-white with brown polka dots.

Starsky Cardigan
As worn by Starsky on the TV cop show "Starsky and Hutch. A handknitted cardigan in a cream colour with a brown horizontal pattern banded around the middle.

Tank Top
A sleeveless, usually with a low round or v neck, tight fitting jumper worn over a tight fitting shirt with long pointed collar.

Tartan
the Scottish rock band the Bay City Rollers brought on a fashion for tartan garments that made high school look like the Highland Games for a seeason

Tiddies
Multi layered sandals....with tubing for staps....started in Pasadena Texas I think....they were originally called something else, I can't recall what...but you could purchase them in your size, with as many layers as you wished. The more the squishier !! Then you could custom fit them by taking the tube fittings apart and shortening them if you needed to. The original logo escapes me as well, but they eventually went to Tiddies....with two, well...obviously...bosoms as the logo ! I never figured out why that was...but I suppose because they were soft and squishy

Tie Dye
Any shirt or pants or any article of clothing that was put into a tub with colors and was streaked with multipule colors.

Toe Socks
Socks with pockets for each one of your toes - usually in rainbow colors.

Toes in Socks
These were a fashion disaster. The socks have toes in them like gloves, only each toe was a different color

Toughskins
A SEARS brand of jeans that were reinforced at the knees and came in assorted colors. The POORMAN'S Levi's

Track Shorts
Sports shorts that are really short, with double white stripes at the sides and tiny slits at the sides

Treds (shoes)
I dont know if every country had these but here in Australia we had 'Treds'. I think that is how you would spell it. They were sort of sandals I suppose but the bottom sole was made out of old car tyres.

Trench Coats
Coats that are 3/4 length with long sleeves, buttons at the front, two-front pockets, and a belt which ties around the coat.

Tube Socks!
Don't forget the knee socks with the double row of red/blue/black stripes! Very sporty!

Tube Top
Basiclly an elastic-like material worn as a top by women (particularly teen girls)it was worn without a bra and coverde the area from just above belly button to the top of the breast leavin midriff, top of back and shoulders bare and the breast prominantly displayed. I was a teenaged boy and during the summer we did nothing but admire the lovely females!

Waffle Stompers
These were boots (generally dark colored) with intricate waffle iron type soles on them

Wallabies
They were these shoes that were very popular. The soles were rubbery and would sometimes seem to melt. They were tan and had a lace and two lace holes. Tan suede shoes with crepe-rubber soles, a lace and two lace holes. A little like a desert boot crossed with a moccasin.

Window Pane Jeans/ Satin Pants
Window pane jeans were the jeans that had 3x3 raised squares all over them, they only came in bell bottoms no pockets. satin pants to go with your satin jacket, mine had draw strings at the bottom so you could "cench" them together or just wear them flared.

Wraparound Pants and Skirts
These were so popular in the mid 70's. The pants were made of cotton, in alot of different colors, and they were put on the back of your legs, then somehow wrapped around the front part, and then you tied them, the skirts just wrapped around from one side to the other.

Yo-Yo's
Platform shoes w/holes in the middle of the soles!

Bring back the fifties


Fashion in the 50's

2008 Fashion


If your a person that love's to style and fashion fanatic i think this article is for you. This article will help you to forecast what to wear in 2008. Do you like fashion of the fifties? Well i suggest you start embracing the old fashion style because it will come back in 2008 and that entire craze will be in style again. As a matter of fact, this trend of the 50s comeback has already started before 2008, so you are at least a bit familiar with the concept.

The colors that are dominant for the style for 2008's spring and summer are the gray, black, white plus yellow. This color is a problematic color that does not suit with everything, so it must be worn with great care. However, next year, dare to wear yellow and see how it looks. The prints on the dresses or blouses can be floral, but they will become more abstract and even geometric or will totally lack. So uni is back in style. The accessories will match the outfit. The over sized bags are still in style, while the super huge earrings and necklaces will compliment the overall clothing.

Spring summer fashion for 2008 will contain a lot of interesting models that clearly reminds us of the 50s. Baggy dresses below the knee for day wear or vaporous dresses for evening that will make the fashion in 2008. The trousers will be in fashion as well, and mini trousers may be worn as well. Capri trousers are still in style and may be worn with extra large sweaters. However, there is a trend that will mix styles, so sporty style will mix with the chic and there will be an ethno mix, which will result in some interesting combinations. The urban style will thus be a functional wardrobe with sporty details. This highly unlikely combination that comes as a surprise is like a breathe of fresh air.

The jewels may be made of plastic or more natural materials such as wood or even clay. These can be ethno influenced and create a great effect on the entire apparel, making the body look small and giving an interesting perspective. So, are you ready for spring and the summer of 2008? Get your wardrobe ready for this year's style and buy some great new trendy apparel online or in the stores that you usually visit. Now you know what to hunt for, just go and get them.