There is no other trend I am more excited about than the return of overalls for this season. They've gone from a farmer's uniform to a wardrobe essential for every 90s toddler to now an item of clothing reserved for only the chicest of the chic.
Today a woman rocking overalls says something like, "I'm so chic, I can wear the a jean onesie and still look better than you." However nobody can rock the overalls like fashion blogger The Man Repeller herself, Leandra Medine. I think I'd like to credit her with leading the revolutionary return to overalls with her book Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls. As per her "man repeller" character Leandra is bringing back the "anti-sexy" look and what better way to do that than with the farmer's uniform? You win Leandra, you are officially way cooler than the rest of us.
Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage." I'd like to comment on Mr. Roosevelt's statement adding, the way a man dresses is also as much a mark of a gentleman as courage. Does that make me shallow? Maybe. But you can't blame me when I don't take a guy seriously when he's wearing cargo shorts, flip flops, and a tank top.
I rest my case.
However I do still have hope for the future of menswear with styles reminiscent of the days of the Rat Pack coming back into everyday America with celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Usher, and Scott Disick.
The bottom line is that if us women are going to spend the time to get ready and look presentable, then you men should reciprocate. I mean you guys don't even have to put makeup on, how hard could it be?
Is heroin still chic? Or was heroin never chic to begin with? The movement seems so interesting to me; that the effects of such a destructive substance can be seen as a look to strive for. Is the strung out "morning after" hair, dark eyes, and worn out clothing something to be sought after? Should we be aspiring to look so disheveled?
Personally I find that there is great beauty in the art of "heroin chic." The human eye is naturally drawn to those that seem so effortlessly stylish so its no wonder society can't seem to shake this addiction. It's the type of glamour that accompanies the "live fast, die young" lifestyle that people can't get enough of. We crave this edgy looks that gives off a "no apologies, no consequences" vibe.
Kylie Jenner and her crew of "MSFTS" seem to have perfected and modernized this grunge, heroin chic look without the actual use of toxic drugs.
The other day I asked my mom what fashion items she absolutely had to have when she was 18 years old and entering college. Her answer:
1. Madonna's punk inspired jewelry
2. Bomber jacket
3. Daisy Duke stonewashed cut off jeans
4. High top sneakers
I was shocked by her answers. Almost everything she had mentioned were things that I had been coveting for months now. Even though I have been researching fashion "déjà vu" for months, it still surprises me every time I find a new connection to the past.
Is there really anything more scandalous than a mesh belly shirt? The 1980s sure didn't think so. Madonna created a public stir when she released the video for "Lucky Star" in 1983, which highlighted her in a black mesh crop top. Her young teenage fans flocked stores in search of this hip midriff, while mothers and fathers alike banned this body bearing clothing item.
After the initial shock of young girls running around showing their bellybuttons, the crop top became a huge hit in the 90s. Starlets like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilara donned the crop top on almost every stage they performed on, and their teeny bopper fans were soon to follow.
Nowadays people have figured out how to make baring your belly a little less sleazy. Lose the low-rise pants and the sparkly leather and you've got yourself a fresh, classy, and fun look.
As the mother of the miniskirt, Mary Quant revolutionized not only the fashion industry, but the feminist movement of the 1960s. She was a revolutionist. She turned future homemakers into "rebellious," independent women just by a raise of the hemline.
While tradition tried to keep the mini skirt away, women fought for what they wanted; and what they wanted was Mary Quant's risque new design.
"Risk it, go for it. Life always gives you another chance, another go at it. It is very important to take enormous risks." -Mary Quant
This is exactly what Mary Quant embodied. Her "enormous risk" revolutionized fashions and feminism of the future. She's the legend who led the Swinging London fashion movement of the 1960s. The one who, against tradition, took a risk. The icon that drove a feminist revolution with just a single item of clothing. And for that, we thank you, Mary Quant.
Last summer I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya and Tanzania on a "teen service and adventure" trip. As we were traveling to our first campsite, in the middle of the bleak, brown desert you could spot a group of red, blue, and purple far off in the distance. I soon learned that these spots of red, blue, and purple were the native Maasai people. The Maasai people are a traditional semi-nomadic, pastoral, polygamist, group native to East Africa. They are the cowboys of East Africa, some may say. These people live in small communities made up of a couple of tiny round mud huts. There is usually one chief who splits his time between his many wives and 30+ children. However worldwide, the Maasai are most known for their handcrafted, colorful beaded jewelry. I was sure to bring home tons of souvenirs to prove just how talented these people are.
Once I got back from my trip, I began noticing Maasai inspired clothing. The first magazine I bought while back in the States (Vogue, October 2012) featured an article chronicling Elisabeth von Thurn and Taxis' safari adventure to Kenya's Maasai Mara. I was astonished. This wasn't National Geographic this was Vogue! I immediately remembered all of the jewelry that I had bought while in Africa. We were so ahead of the times, so fashion forward, so chic.
So anyways ever since my first run in with Maasai culture in modern high fashion, I am beginning to see it EVERYWHERE! From Olivia Palermo's work as an ambassador for the Maasai project, which, with Spanish shoe company Pikolinos and the NGO Adcam, empowers otherwise suppressed Maasai women by allowing them to earn a living off of their bead work...
...To Marc Jacobs' Spring 2013 Ready to Wear collection, in which Jacobs used the bright red and blue fabrics of the native Maasai women for inspiration.
These beautiful African women have been wearing their traditional cloths of red and blue for hundreds of years, looks as though the fashion world is just beginning to catch on to their beauty.
