CHANGING WEATHER: 4 TIPS TO STAY WARM

New Post at FAST

The weather up at school is getting chillier, so I pulled a couple of friends and my own clothes to do a shoot that discusses a few ways to keep warm.

NEW POSITION AT NEW BLOG

I just wanted to give everyone a heads-up. My couple previous posts were written during summer, when I had a lot of free time. Now that autumn has come around, I'm back at school, where I currently hold a position as the Blog Editor for FAST (Fashion and Student Trends) at UCLA. At this point, I think it's counter-productive to juggle two blogs, and so I'll post links to the FAST blog, from here on out, or at least until the school year ends.

Hopefully, this will work smoothly, & thanks for bearing with me if it's an inconvenience.

TRADEMARK SPRING 2015 RTW

Look 9 on the left

The Trademark Spring 2015 RTW collection looks as if it were designed for a rich 1940's American housewife who plans to take a glamorous vacation in India. Trademark is a relatively young brand, having only a few collections to its name. Developed by Alexander (Pookie) and Louisa (Weezie), stepdaughters to Tory Burch, the brand is known best for its knit sweaters and unique take on basic silhouettes and shapes.

Look 9 stood out to me the most. Not only were the pieces quite attractive, but the styling was absolutely impeccable with a few gold bangles. The colored-medley graced the wide neckband on what would otherwise be a plain, white top. This was tucked into a camel wrap skirt that seemed to be made of a thick cotton-knit.  

all images via style.com

The latest spring collection is crisp and neat, which is just how I like my womenswear. With cropped pant legs and long-for-a-short-sleeve tops, the proportions of the collection was delightfully skewed. The color palette seemed autumnal, but there were still shots of color dispersed throughout the collection. Many looks featured large, utilitarian-styled pockets that seemed not only practical for carrying a wallet and the latest iPhone 6, but it offered aesthetic value by adding a sense of weight, helping to offset the heavy collars on many of the coats. Though young, this spring collection is still, nonetheless, a reason to watch out for the sisters as they continue to develop their brand and consumer-base.

DELPOZO SPRING 2015 RTW

Solid, clean, and appealing. While its lovely sculptural and feminine designs are an asset, Delpozo's strength lies in its continuity and consistency. From season to season, it's image, the Delpozo girl, remains consistent without being necessarily repetitious. Leaf shaped appliques, voluminous silhouettes, and strong quirky color palettes are seen in essentially all of Josep Font's collections since his inauguration as Delpozo's creative director in 2012.

For the RTW Spring 2015 collection, skirts are replaced with wide-legged pants of exaggerated dimension. The seemingly mid-century inspired color palette consisted of mainly coral, emerald, lemon, and various shades of nude. Out of all of the previous collections, it seems most similar to the Fall 2013 collection which featured the strong ruffles that put Delpozo on the list of labels to look out for. These ruffles were re-interpreted on a smaller scale, and adorned the mid-section of tops and dresses as little bows.

 At the end of the show, Font showcased a handful of light, chiffon gowns that appeared to drift above the models bodies and down the runway. The spotlight piece, however, was none of these. For me, it was the fourth look which was a pair of emerald parachute pants paired with the flamingo knit sweater. The nude color blended in with the model's skin so well, that the curve of the flamingos' necks was what appeared to be the hemline. There was also a bustier-style dress that was layered over a short-sleeve button up shirt. The glaringly obvious contrast between femininity and masculinity was captivating and definitely a takeaway piece. Both were absolutely wonderful.

Delpozo is definitely one of my favorite labels for womenswear. While very commercial and wearable, the brand's designs still retains an element of luxury. Pret-a-couture, so they say.

P.S. I never followed up on the Cheap Monday post 'cause 1. The pants weren't high-waisted at all, despite the name & 2. My hips look really big if I were to tuck in a top into my pants.

Ruffles from Fall 2013 and Spring 2015

All images via Style.com

ASIAN LOGOGRAM TREND

Human Collective// The Dope Lyfe// City Approval// Bucket Hat via Tumblr

Yo. What's with the Asian logograms/characters/letters lately? Whether it's Kanji or Traditional Chinese, it's poppin' up everywhere. The streetwear companies seem to be its main endorsements, I haven't see any designers use it on the runway, though that could just be my ignorance. Paired with all the black monochrome and sportswear influences, it's presence is hard to ignore. To be quite honest though, I love it. (Even it's a gimmicky sort of fad!)

DIY MALEFICENT CAP

I was finally able to create something myself. It's definitely been a while, but it's substantial, so that counts for something, right? In any case, I took some inspiration when I saw photos from a Bobby Abley runway show. His Disney motifs definitely caught my eye, and my favorite part were the hats. They were made in collaboration with Piers Atkinson, a pretty rad milliner. I had just seen Maleficent only a few weeks ago, too, so my enthusiasm was still pretty fresh. (Can we just talk about Angelina Jolie's amazing performance? Ugh. So good.) 

Bobby Abley 2014 x Piers Atkinson // Maleficent (2014)

1//  A black cap. Pleather or Leather (You'll want something fairly stiff to hold an upright shape). Stuffing. Needles. Thread. OPTIONAL: Hot Glue (Which I did end up using.)

2// Using cardstock as a template, trace and cut 2 sets of horns out of your material of choice. Because there is a difference between the inside and outside, make sure you have the right sides cut out in the right shapes. The white side of the horn in the picture is the inside. I used an interfacing, but it was really weak, and isn't necessary at all.

3// Sew inside out, leaving the base open. I used a basic whip stitch. I doubt it matters as long as its secure! Turn it right-side out, and stuff. Use a pen or something to really shove the stuffing into the corners. It helps if you use little pieces rather than large clumps. Repeat for the second!

4// I'm sure there's a more accurate way, but for the next part, gauge how large the base is now that it's stuffed. Cut out a circle from your material a smidge larger than the base of the horns. It's better having it a little bigger than too small.

5// Sew the circle to the base. I used a blanket stitch. It'll probably look gross as hell, but don't fret my pet.

6// This is my favorite part. Using a long piece of thread, secure one end to the base of the horn. Now, spiral around the horn all the way up to the tip, shaping it as you go to make sure it's smooth. This is a make it or break it detail, folks. Doesn't it look like a totally rad croissant?

7// This is where I got lazy and used hot glue. Hot glue or sew the horns to the cap! Make sure to put them higher up than you would usually to make them look like Maleficent's. Otherwise, it'll look like a bull's horns or something. I hate how stringy and messy the glue gets.

8// Now to cover up that hot mess express, cut out 2 strips shaped like circles. Make them a little larger than the circles you used for the base. It's important that it's not a straight cut, otherwise it would pucker and pleat in the next step.

9// Lay the circular strips around the seam where the base of the horns meet the hat. Make sure it can go all the way around. Hot glue or sew into place.

10// Done!

IMPROPER PROPORTIONS

Proportionality, I find, is an aspect of attire that people often forget or dismiss. Although not as initially perceivable as color, shape or texture, it's an essential element to fashion just as balance is to art. What I love most though, are the ones that are unexpected, clever, or even downright silly. It's these improper proportions that bring interest for me. Not everything has to be hip-length, or end at the shoe. Things shouldn't always have to have a slim, modern taper. We've seen the girls do it already with the resurgence of high-waisted denim and trousers, as well as the boys with their cuffed t-shirts and jeans. But beyond those, how do we, average consumers, translate the strange art forms of couture towards an everyday approach?

Images via tumblr (model: KIM WONJUNG)

I've really been gravitating towards longer sleeved t-shirts. Most guys probably wanna show off their arms, but for me, it's a refreshing change from that 50's greaser look of rolled-up sleeves. Although it visually shortens the arm, I like how it reminds me of young kids dressed in clothes that aren't quite their size. Or perhaps middle-school boys wearing their dad's clothes to a dance. It looks young to me. Very boyish.

Images via Zara & tumblr

Pulling it back up to the waist. The 90's were a fantastic year for bubblegum pop, but it left behind a legacy, a term youths like to call: "sagging". But all kidding aside, I think the waist is a very aesthetic length at which to block the top and bottom off. [Unless you're me, and have an odd sort of diamond shape figure with large hips.] Either with a jacket that sits at the waist, or tucking in a top, it looks both sleek and crisp. Going off on a tangent here, I like how denim jackets are so versatile in that they can be worn fitted and at the waist as is "proper", or go oversized for the whole street-baby look. 

 

Images via Fashionisto & tumblr

And just to wrap up this post: Volume. English designer Gareth Pugh is noted for his works incorporating volume, morphing the human silhouette into an inflatable doll, both horrifying yet fascinating. But I digress. Neoprene has definitely been on trend as many bloggers have probably discussed. Boxy sweaters and outerwear made from stiff, unconventional materials have been on the rise. And while wide-legged pants have also had a resurgence among high-fashion designers, I don't see it being an interest to the masses. Nor do I find it very attractive. I, personally, love a voluminous top half, off-set with a narrow cigarette pant and chunky boot. For both guys and girls.

Love it.