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Archive for the ‘Female Fashion’ Category

Hip hop clothes have become more and more popular, representing a fashion which is making a statement. As any other fashion trend, hip hop clothes have changed over the years and they have been adopted all over the world.

Hip hop clothes have been firstly worn by big hip hop stars like Run-DMC and LL Cool J in the 1980s. They were wearing big glasses, many rings, sneakers with ‘phat’ shoelaces. Big, gold necklaces and jewellery were also worn by other hip hop stars like Big Daddy Kane or Kurtis Blow. The haircut was another symbol of the hip hop trend: some singers were having Jheri curls; others had hi-top fade. But the Black Pride movement was the most powerful trend of the hip hop culture in the ’80s. It was symbolized by dreadlocks, Africa chains and black-green-and-red hip hop clothes.

In the 1990s the hip hop music changed, therefore the hip hop clothes suffered some changes too. Some singers (The Fresh Prince or Left Eye of TLC) were wearing bright coloured clothes and baseball caps. Other hip hop clothes were inspired from the dress code of street gangs and even prison uniforms. The prison inmates’ ‘fashion’ of not using a belt (the belt always being confiscated by the wardens whenever a new prisoner was brought in) has inspired the wearing of baggy pants with no belt. Some regions of the USA have contributed with some special symbols to the hip hop fashion. New York preferred hooded clothes and Timberland boots while the West Coast liked big flannel shirts and Converse sneakers. The South brought in gold teeth fashion.

The mid-90s brought in another trend, the mafioso fashion, represented by hats and alligator skin shoes worn mostly by hip hop stars like Jay-Z or the Notorious B.I.G.

The new rising stars at the end of the 1990s – Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs came with new symbols as shiny, flashy suits and platinum jewellery to replace the gold one. Combs saw the business opportunity of selling hip hop clothes; therefore he started his own clothing line. Other clothing companies as FUBU or Karl Kani earned millions of dollars from selling hip hop clothes.

But the hip hop fashion started to become distinctive for female singers. Lil Kim and Foxy Brown were famous for their shiny, couture appearances while other singers like Lauryn Hill or Eve were known for a more low-profile clothing style.

But jewellery remained the most distinctive symbol of the hip hop fashion. Hip hop singers wore platinum necklaces or rings with big embedded diamonds. Some of them even had platinum teeth.

Nowadays, hip hop clothes have turned into extremely famous clothing labels. Many hip hop singers have their own clothing lines like Jay-Z’s Roc-a-wear or Russell Simmons’ Phat Farm.

The hip hop clothes have changed from the street style to the more glamorous style of the stars.

Elle is a magazine that stays on the leading edge of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle trends. This women’s magazine is published in 32 countries by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines (a French Company). Elle Magazine has become the world’s leading fashion magazine for every woman in today’s society. This magazine features fashion and beauty trends, lifestyles and personalities. Elle addresses new styles and runway trends in today’s fashion and beauty world. Elle also includes controversial issues in contemporary society to inform their subscribers of emerging talent across all areas of popular culture.Elle magazine features runway shows and great articles for readers with sophistication. Covers cuisine and personalities and also gives you tips on travel plus guides to finding the best fashion and beauty styles to suit you. Elle brings the superstar look to the average lady and allows you to find your most beautiful self at any age. The first new fashion and style magazine.

Ablaze with bold color, fresh looks, new ideas. Its what style setting women prefer to read. For a fashion magazine Elle is definitely one of the ones that includes a few real articles here and there, vs. your typical mindless fashion mag. Also, the fashion shots are artistic and creative. I would recommend Elle over many other fashion magazines. It’s tasteful and doesn’t contain crude sexual insight, but is entertaining and semi-factual. Article subjects differ and are constantly of interest. Elle has a memorable article in every other issue including interesting fashion and beauty tips. Elle is for affluent successful young women desiring couture fashion, beauty and fitness advice. Editorials are well written and entertaining. Elle provides what you expect from a fashion magazine – and more – catering to the fashionable, smart, sophisticated, woman interested in more than just fashion.Elle unlike other magazines, does a great job at keeping things simple.

It boasts only four sections – On The Cover, Fashion, Features and Beauty and Fitness. A big thumbs up from me on this aspect. I hate it when a magazine creates 12 categories for things that can be lumped into a couple. If you’re a female between the ages of 16 and 40, then the advertisements might be of interest to you. Products include make-up (Clinique, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Maybelline); clothing (Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger); jewelry (Swatch, Piaget, Fendi); and perfume (Giorgio Armani, Dior). Nothing original – I’m sure the same ads are appearing in all of the other fashion magazines.Discover everything you need to find the look you love. From cutting-edge runway trends to stylish steals and must-have accessories, ELLE Magazine helps you create your kind of chic. Every issue is full of expert tips and secrets on hair, skin, make-up, health and fitness to keep you glowing. Elle sits somewhere between Vogue, Allure, and Marie Claire, without Vogue’s coldness or narcissistic qualities, and Allure’s sometimes vapid and repetitive articles about make-up trends, and with articles that are a bit more intelligent at times than Marie Claire’s.

I like the fact that Elle also features an “Eco” or “Green” issue that supports and gives recognition to organic cosmetics, etc.To conclude my article i would have to say, is this brain surgery? No. Is this the best magazine ever published? No. But if you like female, fashion magazines that are thick on advertisements and have an article or two that appeal to you, pick Elle up, you won’t be disappointed.

Fashion is really a big thing, as it was throughout history, but never more than it is today. Being fashionable applies to everything these days, from hair to feet nails and everything in between. And, handbags have not been left behind.

While in early days, carrying cases were exclusively reserved for men and travelers. Usually men tied that bag, termed a pouch close to a sword for their safekeeping and additional safety. Ladies really did not have the need to carry such pouches since they were often too poor to have anything to put in them. The 18th century first saw the use of what were called Reticules, as purses were termed at that time. These soon evolved into a complete fashion statement. The usefulness factor of the purse, though still was essential, began to turn into more of a fashion accessory, causing them to become more stylish and having women choose them to match their wardrobe.

Well things have certainly changed. Today, the handbag is an essential accessory, which not only provides functional uses and benefits, but is also an essential fashion accessory with modern designer handbags being sought after by many women.

Designer handbags of the day vary greatly, but all seem to share one characteristic, they are popular! And boy are we willing to pay for them! Today’s fine purses can cost upwards of thousands of dollars and they are far more than just a carrying object, but are hand created with unique designs, fine stitching and expensive labels.

Some of the most popular handbags designers of the day include, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Juicy Couture, Hermes, Prada, Dooney and Bourke, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and LAMB by Gwen Stefani. Designers like Coach, Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes and Prada are true fashion classics that have been enjoying popularity for some time. And the newer comers to the game like Juicy Couture, Kors, Jacobs and LAMB, entered the fashion world recently with their handbags making a big splash upon the fashion scene.

The phenomenon of handbags continues to grow, and is sure to enjoy endless popularity among female consumers. Most of us ladies would love to adorn our hands with that hot bag and make all on lookers and especially our girlfriends green with envy.

Paying retail for such handbags can really be an impossible feat for the average female consumer. Getting cheap handbags, that are authentic and not some cheap imitation is possible these days thanks to the Internet and the many discount shopping sites that are available. Doing research and finding great deals can go a long way to saving you precious dollars and still getting the bag you want and can enjoy for years to come.

Mannequins are usually designed as a subtle representation of the perfect body type. Because they do not speak or move, people do not realize the impact mannequins have on perceptions of body image. Many mannequins are as much as six inches taller than the average American and over six sizes smaller in the waist. Their image is a somewhat modified replication of runway models, though they are much more extreme in proportion. Though many mannequins throughout the last several decades are molded with this kind of “high fashion” appeal, there have always been adjustments depending on current trends. In the 70′s and 80′s the miniskirt trend caused mannequin legs to be extremely slender, while in the past decade mannequin legs are cast with quite a bit of tone and muscle, due to more recent fitness trends. The most recent development in the American population versus fashion is the fact that Americans are steadily growing bigger, both in height and width, while most “high fashion” remains extremely slender. This is not stopping the retail industry from accommodating these changes and diversifying its efforts in the modern market.

In the last forty years, the average weight of American citizens increased by twenty-five pounds, shifting from an average size 4 in females to an average size 6. Americans are steadily getting larger. As this increase in size filters into the celebrity scene, larger sizes are slowly becoming more acceptable. For example, celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Byonce have established a great appreciation for fuller figured women in the entertainment industry. Though this has not completely transferred to fashion runways, many stores are beginning to stock and display accordingly, and as a result, slightly thicker mannequins are being manufactured. There has even been a size 8 mannequin produced.

Breast implants are becoming extremely wide spread in the American female population, causing the rise of mannequins that resemble such figures. These mannequins keep the same slender proportions as before but are two or even three sizes larger in cup size.

Mannequins can be seen today with naval rings, tattoos, maternity shapes, breast implants, and even 20 or 30 extra pounds, making this a very diverse period for retail clothing and store fixtures. There are a variety of fashion trends that retailers must consider when deciding on mannequin forms. The world of high fashion is no longer the industry leader in body, style, and accessory trends. Instead, people are diversifying to the point that mannequins and clothing are becoming much more demographically specific, forcing mannequin providers to diversify their efforts in designing accurate clothing fixtures for a variety of clientele.

With so many designers and trends targeting the svelte body
of the twenty-something, is it possible to look fashionable
as the years pass and your body begins to tell the tale?

Absolutely!

In fact, with a little ingenuity and sleigh-of-hand, it’s
easy to be fashionable and stylish regardless of how many
candles are on your birthday cake.

Now let’s be frank: unless you work out religiously, you
probably don’t have the same body at 40, 50, or 60 that you
did at 25. Time, gravity, and pregnancy all take their toll
on the female body, as does menopause. And when you mix a
mature body with fashions obviously made for a younger
person, it can lead to self-doubt, frustration, and
confusion.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Getting older also
means getting wiser, and like a fine bottle of wine, you’re
improving with age. So you don’t have the same body as
those twenty-somethings you see in magazines or on TV. So
what? Would you REALLY trade everything you’ve learned
since your twenties for the body you had back then?
Probably no sooner than you’d like to re-live puberty,
thank you very much.

So how can you be fashionable without wearing all those
body-conscious clothes so en vogue these days? By
remembering the “3 C’s” when you dress: clean, classic, and
coverage.

CLEAN

Clean lines create a clean silhouette which makes the body
appear more youthful by skimming the trouble spots instead
of calling attention to them. Complicated cuts, seams, and
details usually call for a killer body to pull off, so if
you haven’t got it, steer clear of those styles.

CLASSIC

Classic styles are called classic because they remain in
style year after year. Why? Because they look good on so
many bodies! Sheathes, A-line skirts, flat front pants –
all tend to flatter a variety of shapes. What’s more,
because they remain in style year after year, classics are
easier on the budget than trends.

COVERAGE

Covering appropriately is the key to aging gracefully. If
your upper arms, thighs, and d

Riot Grrrl fashion shaped and influenced young women’s fashion from the 1990s to the present day. Although there was no “uniform” in this movement, certain tendencies and trends moved from the subculture into the mainstream. This appropriation failed to bleach the politics from the clothing, and its influence continues, unabated, today.

To understand this movement, you have to understand something of its predecessors. The punk movement had some female and feminist voices, including the Mo-Dettes, Blondie, Lydia Lunch and the Runaways. However, the movement was always male-centric, with most women being either groupies (like the much reviled Nancy Spungen) or impresarios (like Anya Phillips).

Female musicians in punk tended to be lead singers, like Debbie Harry and Poly Styrene. This led to the perception that girls couldn’t play music, and should act mostly as sex symbols. By the 1990s, young women were fed up with this, and wanted to create music of their own.

The movement arose from the Olympia, Washington, college music scene, as well as other areas of the Pacific Northwest. Antecedents to the movement appeared in San Francisco, Vancouver and other cities. Kat Bjelland, of Babes in Toyland, inspired much of the movement’s aesthetic, although she never directly participated.

The term was coined by Jen Smith, an early member of the band Bratmobile, when she wrote “This summer’s going to be a girl riot” to lead singer Allison Wolfe. Later, members of Bratmobile collaborated with Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail to create a zine called Riot Grrrl. The name stuck.

The Philosophy of Riot Grrrl

The Riot Grrrl Manifesto emphasized female solidarity, as well as networking with other women and girls to create a female-centric scene. Early zines like “Girl Germs” and “Bikini Kill” dealt with traditionally feminist issues, such as domestic violence, rape and male domination.
Girl Germs zine, 1990s.

Unsurprisingly, for a movement started by people in their early twenties, the philosophy of riot grrrl was enthusiastic and a bit jejune. In early zines, writers like Kathleen Hanna and Allison Wolfe spoke out against racism, sexism and other -isms, with great outrage, if not coherence. Many articles dealt with personal experiences of sexism, as well as explaining what feminism meant to the author.

Part of the movement was against the “anti-sell-out,” purer-and-cooler-than-thou atmosphere of punk, and a somewhat similar atmosphere in traditional academic feminism. Although members of the movement claim there was no set of rules, I can find no evidence of politically conservative or libertarian bands in this movement. Rather than rebelling against academic feminism, most members of the movement seemed to accept its dogma, even if individuals differed on details or in private.

This philosophy was later co-opted by the Spice Girls, and watered down into “Girl Power!”, a phrase which occasionally showed up (in some form or another) in Riot Grrrl zines.

Revolution Grrrl Style Now!

Many feminists, then as now, want to be judged by their personality, not their appearance. This doesn’t mean they walked around naked, or neglected expressing themselves. In point of fact, many third wave feminists rebelled against this aspect of second wave feminism, where looking sexy was seen as a crime. Instead, third wave feminists recognized that sartorial self-expression, like all other forms of self-expression, could be a powerful political weapon.

What did Revolution Grrrl Style Now! look like? Well, it looked like many things. Unlike punks or hippies, riot grrrls co-opted many elements from other subcultures to create their own unique look. As I said earlier, there was no real uniform. Elements of punk, no wave, post-punk heavy metal, grunge, kinderwhore and butch lesbian fashion went into these outfits.

Makeup, if worn, often drew attention to the lips, through bright red or pink lipstick. Heavy makeup was out of fashion throughout the early 90s; most alternative rockers, even goth rockers, went for a more natural, low-maintenance aesthetic.

Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of Bikini Kill, sometimes wore “slutty” clothes, such as Catholic schoolgirl skirts, while writing words on her body like “SLUT” and “INCEST.” According to Hanna, this was to drain the words of their negative connotations, as well as to preempt the thoughts of young men looking at the photos.

Grunge music emerged from the same or overlapping scenes in the Pacific Northwest. Some women wore the then-fashionable flannel shirts, and the standard uniform of nineties alternative musicians: large black band t-shirt, black pants and long hair.

Although the originators of kinderwhore fashion were not part of the movement (especially Courtney Love, who hated it), it influenced some members. Early videos of Bikini Kill show the bassist wearing a vintage babydoll dress, complete with a Peter Pan collar. The main difference, as far as I can tell, was that riot grrrl was political, while kinderwhore was more of an artistic and aesthetic movement.

Some young women wore deliberately immature outfits as a way of reclaiming their childhood from sexual abuse or dysfunctional family dynamics.

This article originally appeared in Enjoy Your Style’s subcultural section.