Rain or Shine?

Do most people dress according to the season or the climate? I have had this debate with many of my relatives ( I honestly don't know why). Ever since I was a little girl, all I could remember is my mother dressing me according to the season and not the weather. So if it was fall, lets say, my mom would dress me up in boots, long sleeve shirt and a jacket...sometimes a scarf so I wouldn't catch a cold! (god forbid). Ok I know she was only looking out for my best interest, but then I would find myself dying of heat and embarrassment, because it would get to be so warm all of a sudden at a random point in the day. I would come home so upset because I was the only one in the class with a wool hat on while it was like 75 degrees after the morning was like o 40 degrees. Had a rough childhood-you could tell....no I am kidding.
Well in any event, now that I am out of my mother's site I could do what I want...literally. Especially when it comes to clothes! unless she buys them. I think it is obviously smart to dress according to the climate..DAH! I mean take Ithaca for example, people do not know what to do with themselves when it comes to starting off their day by facing the freezing cold morning and then sweating profusely after the lunch hour rush.
I wanted to write about this topic for quite some time now since it is starting to get warmer out. However, the temperatures keep fluctuating not only a daily basis in Ithaca, but they change on an hourly basis. One minute its sunny and beautiful. You feel like you want to run around in shorts and a t-shirt. As a matter of fact you just want to run outside because its nice out. And then you go to the library or you actually choose to go to class, and through the windows you see that the sky is getting darker and darker. And then you say shit, the rain...and I don't have an umbrella. Note to self, ALWAYS carry an umbrella with you in Ithaca. Also, I never want to carry a closet with me around campus, cuz thats just a pain. So I figure the best way to approach this bit of a style vs. comfort issue, is dress in layers. Always check the weather before you go out (weather.com always good) and if you really want to, have a pair of flip flops thrown in your backpack. They are light...its fine. So get ready...tomorrow will be gross and rainy, but the weekend in Ithaca, NY should be sunny and warm. Dress wisely!

Boys: can't live with them, cant live without them!

Remember that time when your dads or uncles wore those hideous "in your face" fanny packs?I know that my dad totally rocked one back in the day along with his out of control stalin-esque mustache. I am definitely glad those days are over.
This thought brings me to discuss some male fashion "no no's" and the "yesses." Granted I am not trying to have guys worry about what I can find in that thing they call the closet. However, I would like to enlighten and direct their attention to actually care a little bit about their appearance and presentation in various environments. . In any event, I was skimming through the askmen.com website and a very witty author presented definite fashion NOS! for the male species. One of them is clippings of electronic gadgets. Those bulging electronics hanging off your belt looks ridiculous. If you MUST have it, then hide it, be all incognito about it. Thats where the visual attention shifts for a female when she sees that thing out there. Sounds kind of dirty, I know, but seriously...no blackberry clippings, or cell phones, looks lame.
Another thing, do not ever wear your button down shirts tucked in without a belt. Makes you look round, and unfinished. The belt is a necessary accessory to not only show off how much money you make, but to also execute and polish your outfit in the proper way.
Also, when it comes to slacks or jeans, guys please wear the appropriate length. It looks really funny if you don't. Short pant length makes you look a lot shorter than you are, so make sure that tailor doesn't cut off too much of the bottom. I think that I could go on for a lot longer talking about presentable male fashion vs. looking presentatable at various contexts. I will follow up on that next time. But in the mean time, please don't even think about a fanny pack! thanks!

Gucci or Shmuchi?

Gucci vs. Guess, H&M vs. Neiman Marcus, Rolex vs. Skagan. What is the difference between all three paired brand names? Well, all of these are brand names that are highly recognizable by the majority of consumers. However, the difference is that some of these stores and brand names carry products that are either very expensive or very cheap. Not cheap, but rather affordable. So why do people still pay outrageous amounts of money for accessories, clothing, gadgets? why is there a disparity in prices for clothing that looks so similar? it all comes down to people's personal preferences and what they can afford. Sometimes, consumers would still pay an incredibly high price for something that they can't even afford. Name recognition holds a lot of weight in this country and splatting a brand name on something could be an empowering indicator for some consumers. Shopping in Trader Joe's vs. shop rite is also a big difference in consumer preferences and tastes. Trader Joe's happens to be the more expensive supermarket that carries on a variety of healthy, organic and more expensive produce and costumers constantly flood the floors of Trader Joe's to buy and enjoy the "better quality" foods.
Anywho, back to clothing and accessories. I personally like to mix and match between buying things that are very expensive, good quality and that I plan on having for a long time. At the same time, I also enjoy buying items that are only trendy for a certain season or that I know won't last me a long time. Furthermore, the older I get, the more I realize my parents decrease the amount of money they give me. To them I am a young adult who is well on her way to afford her own way of life. Yup, thats my parents. But I think its an interesting dynamic between people who perfer splurging on an item because of the brand name and those who decide to make wiser investments that give them that bang for the buck.

a little bit of everything

So last night was the Cornell Design League Fashion Show and I thought it was well...GREAT! students on this campus are really talented and always seem to be inspired to design something that is unique. All of the pieces were unique in their own way that separated them from the conventional type of clothing we see every day. There were themes and stories told through the clothes that were presented. Designers ranged from freshman to seniors and seniors were the ones who had more than one piece for this show. I was very impressed by what I saw and the entire production was very professional. A round of applause to those who participated and took an active role in developing and executing this show.

Since this is a fashion blog, I am going to go back a little and do a bit of fashion instigation among our celebrity friends. Actually I don't even know whether they are our friends...whatever! they are fun to look at nontheless. Case and point, Paris Hilton. I don't know what this girl is thinking, but seriously wouldn't you try a bit harder if you knew the whole world is watching your every step. AND the best part is that she puts herself right in front of the camera to get some photos snapped of her.

On the other hand, a different blonde, actress Blake Lively is making segway in the fashion world. She is climbing up to the top with so many of her fashion hits as opposed to misses. She dressed very classy and not trashy. See Paris, you are trashy, Blake is classy. Its not that hard to distinguish and they equally get attention and media time. Ok maybe Paris gets more media time due to the controversies she dubs in from time to time, but that irrelevant to my blog. Blake Lively sets the tone for young females in their youthful years of how a lady should look like. Obviously, I am not saying we should all look like Blake Lively, but her clothing choices are on the dot. Check them out!

On the catwalk

One of my favorite shows is Bravo's Project Runway. And in light of things, this Saturday night is the Cornell Design League annual fashion show. Students from this campus get the opportunity to have their own "project runway" moment and show off their designer talent. I had always admired those who have an artistic touch to create something thats well...SO COOL! and different. Just a bit about fashion shows, the catwalk is a place for designers to display their art. They are artists and instead of stagnant art (i.e a picture hanging in a museum or a sculpture), they show moving art on a body of movement. Quite honestly, going to the CDL fashion show will be my first fashion show ever so I am really excited to see what its all about. I will be blogging about my experience during this event next time. But in the meantime you should check it out!
CDL Fashion Show
Barton Hall
Saturday Night 7pm!

See you there!

Prom time!

Ok I have to cover this topic...PROM! its prom season for those high school seniors. Its an exciting time of year for them where the anticipation of new chapter kicks in and the nostalgia of the previous high school years is in the air. And for one night, they get to have their last HOORAH! before the depart high school and enter a new phase of life.
This one night is filled with various dynamics that almost everyone since freshman year has been thinking about. Some include, prospective dates, getting some, after parties, and of course the dresses for he girls and tuxes for the boys. I remember at my prom, the boys definitely sported some unique choices that were definitely eye catching. Its kind of nice to know that people are letting loose and allowing all of their inhibitions out the door.
I still think that girls are definitely far more cognizant and attentive to their clothing options. After all, prom is a bit of a "red carpet" event for some high schools. I mean at mine it definitely was. Everyone looks and judges. Ok so you might not have Joan and Melissa Rivers critiquing your clothing options, but teachers and fellow students alike, are all weighing in with their opinions.
When i was shopping this passed week, I noticed all the tweens and teen magz were splattered with prom specials on their front pages. I even saw girls getting their hair and make up done as a trial before their proms (intense i know). Actually now that I think more about my prom days, I recall a dress that this girl made out of ducked tape. Yup, I said it. You want unique and different, there you've got it. But, honestly whatever floats their boat. But back to the prom specials, I saw a lot of the typical bright poofy ball gowns and also elegant pieces as well. I think that the recent black tie fashion that was presented on the red carpet from all of the award shows, definitely inspired many of the prom dresses. I also saw many elegant, slimming, straight dresses that were very figure fitting. Also, the shorter look is also becoming more popular. Instead of ballgowns, prom dresses are being cut shorter and shorter, which is more of the west coast look than the east coast. Also, prom styles are not universal, but it rather depends on the area that people live in. As I had mentioned before, in California, prom styles are a bit less black tie and more formal/casual (short summer looking dresses). But still guests look very festive and ready to party. And as for males, the tuxes are still great. There isn't much to add about them. The only thing I would recommend it to try and match with their dates. They make the couple look collectively put together. Not tacky, but cute.

Here are some links to prom styles for the ladies and the fellas!
http://www.faviana.com/faviana_prom.php
http://www.jessicamcclintock.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10002&langId=-1
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/SC.jhtml?itemId=cat9360734&parentId=cat000131&masterId=cat17740747&cmCat=
http://www.americantuxedo.com/
http://www.finetuxedos.com/

Shoes, bags, bracelets.. O MY!

I know how I always talk about clothes. After all this is an analytical fashion blog. But, fashion does not only encompass articles of clothing. It is the entire package that makes up the exterior look on a person, the clothes, hair, make-up (for females...ok sometimes males too), shoes, and accessories. I have never mentioned anything about jewelry, bags, shoes, hair styles, etc. and I think its about time that I review some of the accessorizing trends that will be popular this spring.

I was in the store the other day (Nordstrom to be exact) and I noticed a lot of HUGE bags. I have no idea why bags went from being miniscule to being gianormous but it seems as though this has become the fashion norm among most fashion trend setters but. I personally like medium sized bags, so that I can actually find my phone when it rings or my wallet when I am about to pay. Otherwise, you kind of look like a tool when you are looking for your wallet and there is a whole line of angry people waiting to pay. Anywho...guys..you are so lucky you don't need to carry bags with you. It is actually ridiculous if you think about it. Some women are bag CRAZY, they have to have a different kind of bag to match their shoes and their finished pedicures. I am becoming a little bit more obsessive about bags myself ( I can't help it they are SO cute...and pricey might I add). But back to the males for a second...remember when fanny packs used to be in...like your dad DEFINITELY used to have one back in the day, I know mine did. And I have nothing further to say about that.

Another thing hot this spring...are big bulky colorful jewelry for the ladies. Green, blue, red, even pink gems are a hit! they are fun, flirty and fashion fun. Just be careful...don't pick out the ones that look trashy on ya, that won't be good. Shoes are important. Gladiator sandles are coming back in all sorts of trends and styles that go SO nicely with a long flowy dress. Also, strappy sexy heels are just the right touch for a girls night out! Make-up is also another thing that is incredibly important for this spring and summer season. DO NOT FAKE AND BAKE!!!! I know everyone is coming back from spring break all tan (or burnt-that sucks!), but keep a nice healthy glow, don't work on the same tan from spring break you don't want to look tanorexic, please. Apply some jergens natural body glow and walla! you are good to go until the summer. By the time the summer comes, you can jump back into natural tanning action by catching some sun rays (by of course wearing protection-sun is very damaging for your skin). But overall, the most attractive look this spring and summer seasons will be a healthy, youthfully fresh look that will make you want to be young forever.