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Archive for the ‘Female Fashion’ Category

Funk Art – The Concept & the History
Inspired by the contemporary trends, fashion, and lifestyle, Funk Art became one of the most unconventional forms of the Modern Art in the late 1950s through 1970s. Originated in California, this art style remained active mainly in the United States. Funk Art represented an eclectic mix of elements, including discarded & junk matter, torn pieces of fabric, old furniture, and photographs. US Funk artist Edward Kienholz described these elements as ‘the leftovers of human experience.’ Similarly, Funk had varying manifestations in the form of paintings, sculptures, and assemblages. It derived its name from the musical genre, ‘funky.’ The term ‘funky’ means earthy, sensuous, and passionate in the musical parlance, but it has another meaning literally, ‘smelly.’ The Funk artists made the second connotation, fundamental to their work.

The Details
Funk Art was a reaction against the idealistic seriousness of Abstract Expressionism, which the Funk artists rejected as disconnected from reality and artistic social responsibility. It was consciously executed in a distasteful manner to such an extent that it was considered ‘tatty’ or ‘sick.’ These artists often blended humor with vulgarity and explicit representations. However, bawdiness was not the ultimate aim of Funk Art movement. The artists strived to confront the art scene in New York through their satirically shocking pieces. Sometimes, these works were also autobiographical in nature that had a flow of a narrative. Sculptures and assemblages formed a great part of the body of works by Funk artists. Three-dimensional static pieces made of ceramic were a prominent style of this genre.

The Artists & the Artworks
Among the most prominent names associated with the Funk Art Movement were Edward Kienholz, Bruce Conner, Roy de Forest, Gladys Nilsson, George Herms, Lucas Samaras, James Nutt, Paul Thek, and Colin Self. Other alumni from the University of California, who propagated this art further, included David Gilhooly, Peter Vandenberge, Margaret Dodd, and Chris Unterseher. Artworks, like ‘I’m All a Twit’ by Jim Nutt, became the signature pieces of Funk Art. It is a work in varying media, consisting of acrylic paint on vinyl window and enamel paint on wood frame. Similarly, Gladys Nilsson’s paintings capture a curious mix of domesticity with the fantastical and deranged imagery. David Gilhooly, on the other hand, had mastery in ceramic works and etching. His classic piece ‘The Windshield Sam Francis,’ is composed of aquatint and colored etching.

Conclusion
With its diverse forms, penetrating subjects, unusual treatment of media, and links with leading artists, Funk Art became a powerful form of expression in the domain of Modern Art.

There was a time when it was a religious and spiritual protocol that cross pendant necklaces be worn or carried to symbolize the crucifix and the execution of Jesus Christ. The cross was, and still is, a representation of the faith in Christianity, and is sometimes believed to be able to ward off evil spirits and repel bad influences. But the use of the cross necklace today has reached far beyond such ideals.

In the modern world of experimental fashion trends, the divine cross necklace is being worn by many as a piece of jewelry, with or without any association with religion. The cross is liked by many because of its simple asymmetrical structure that is versatile and ‘classic’. Religious people, non-religious people, atheists and even believers of other religions have accepted the cross as a beautiful charm when worn on a chain around the neck, rather than as an emblem of Christianity.

Many different kinds of cross necklaces can be found today. There are the crucifixes, the Celtic crosses, the classic (also known as the Orthodox) crosses, and the plain cross pendant necklaces. Some pendants are meticulously handcrafted by designers, while others are manufactured on a commercial scale. The pendants can vary in size from very small and delicate to big and robust. Sometimes the structure is altered as well, to add variation to the traditional shape. The gold and sterling silver cross pendants are amongst the most popular ones. Diamonds are sometimes encrusted in the pendants to add an exclusive touch to suit the tastes of the more privileged ones. The necklaces can vary in design as well. Some necklaces can take the form of, or rather, resemble, rosary beads, while others can be in the form of plain gold or silver chains.

The prices of such different cross pendant necklaces vary greatly based on the kind of material used, the size or the personification of the charms, and many other factors. The easiest way to get a cross necklace is perhaps to buy from online stores, where buyers can browse through thousands of pendant designs before coming across a suitable one.

The cross necklace is an epitome of religious and spiritual beliefs while also serving as a fashion accessory. Whether a believer or not, it is simply undeniable that the cross necklace is an elegant piece of jewelry that has crossed boundaries of time and religion, and is here to stay.

Belly Button Rings are the latest trend and style among fashion loving boys and girls. The actual style started during the 90′s, when models started using these pieces while walking on the ramps or cat walks during fashion shows. The onlookers were so amazed and hooked with the beauty of such navel adornments, that they also started using these body part jewelries to attract the attention of other people. Even manufacturer cashed with the craze of these people by offering hundreds of different varieties, designs, types and styles of belly ornamenting jewelries made from different world class materials, such as acrylic, surgical steels, titanium, titanium oxide and much more. Beautifully crafted gem stones and crystals were also being used for the decoration of these pieces. Numerous body piercing parlors also opened up to cater the needs of the people, who wanted to pierce their navels.

The trend of wearing shorter length shirts and blouses and hip lines coming down, are also another reason for the popularity of belly button rings, because people wanted to make the exposed mid portion more attractive and beautiful by decorating that exposed portion with belly button rings.

There are numerous online sites offering different style types and designs of quality navel adornment pieces to the buyers. The price offered also varies from piece to piece and can be afforded by the general users. These belly rings also shows the expertise of the famous designers, who are expert in their arts and bring forth the irresistible eye catching rings for the fashion loving young crowds. For example, the gold plated Navel Rings have its own charm due to their trendy and traditional looks. They have mirror polished styles, rich qualities and sparkles, which offers unlimited satisfaction to the wearer. The money spent on such beautiful lustrous designs is nothing when compared to what buyer is getting.

Though online sites have numerous varieties and designs for the buyers, it is necessary to search around for the right site, which can offer the buyer best piece value, for the money spent. The quick delivery and efficient customer services is another field, which should be explored carefully. There are sites, which have expertise in these fields and offering customer satisfaction continuously. By buying your choice pieces from such sites, you can always get the best deal for the money spent by you.

In 2008, what styles are going to lead the hair trends for fashion conscious women? The Bob cut for long and short hair has made a comeback on the catwalks of Paris and Milan. It won’t take long for the rest to follow up. Few women realise, that, a great haircut will give a fillip to their aging personality. Not all fashionable haircuts suit every face structure.

Hair styling has become an art form and famous salons have coveted stylists with dedicated clients. They are able to change the look by making deft cuts. Fashionable clothes can be copied and worn. The same does not hold true for hair styles. Only an expert stylist can help. So depending on the catcalls or whistles, one can understand what might look good on the pate. Understanding suitable and trendy haircuts for women is worth before embarking to the most expensive salon and heading for the snip.

Most trendy haircuts today require minimal maintenance. Naturally who would want a trendy haircut and spend time on styling it daily. Some of the women with the most luscious curls know how to blend with the trends. There is a choice of dimensional shag, versatile cut, Heather Locklear or Hillary cut (they have survived many fashion seasons), and styles that suit on a specific age group. The popular serial ‘Friends’ had been an audio-visual hair styling program for girls.

As years go by, career women are opting for slicker and neater looks. The experiments are left to the teenagers and younger girls. The trendiest of styles i.e dimensional shag and versatile cut both can be enhanced with streaks or right hair colour. Both these styles can be moulded from time to time if the hair is long. They can also be gelled and combed neatly on the head. Both these trends defy all age groups. While teenage girls experiment with colours and curls, braids and beads, the older women tend to prefer snipping the scissors with some layered cuts, straight stresses or a bit of streak for fun.

Remember as the trends keep changing, have a style that will be adaptable to changes if you are fashion conscious. No one wants to be caught dead on the social calendar with the wrong haircut at least. Even trendy haircuts need to be looked after. Hair after all needs daily grooming. Constant shampooing and conditioning is necessary and a visit to the salon to keep the shape in tact is vital. As the year’s trends are revealed on the catwalks and television serials, pay close attention to what will suit the age, height and face. Try the online references to various suitable hair cuts that are in trend. Today the trends are more towards customised stylising even if a reference celebrity style is picked up. Create your own trendy hairstyles by modifying the existing one and seen the difference. The challenge lies in transforming your beautiful crowning glory. Heads up -you win, heads down- you still win.

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.