Recession Style

In past recession cycles fashion changed to more simple forms. Instead of the bold colors and prints one would wear during a time when the economy was on an upside, trends faded into more muted and subtle colors and prints. As we were moving into our current recession I expected the same process to repeat for fashion. Boy was I wrong. More than ever before there are wide selections of prints and bold colored garments to choose from. The recessionista is no longer turning to plain basics during harsh economic times, but she is still looking to get a bang for her buck. Designers and manufactures have made this possible by creating pieces that can be worn numerous ways. This enables women to re-invent new looks on a daily bases while wear the same garment repeatedly going unnoticed as a repeat offender.

This Wednesday, Soho and other surrounding borough residence will have the pleasure of purchasing interchangeable jewelry collections from Swarovski’s Crystallized store. Like clothing that can be worn in multiple forms, Swarovski offers personalized pieces as well as gems that can be switched with one snap.

Image source - Kariza Designs

In malls around the country you can find Kariza Design kiosk. This particular line sales one of kind vintage print wraps that can be worn 100 way and probably more than that if you're creative.

I love how innovative brands have become when it comes to capture a target market of smart shoppers. More and more RTW brands are using the bang for your buck concept each season. However, it is truly the consumer who holds the power and creativity behind a multiple wear garment.

Men, Take Your Girlfriend's Jeans Off!

Last summer it was a huge trend in women's fashion to wear loose fitted jeans that resembled that of what men usually wear. As it is usual that now of days everything that was old and now new again, this boyfriend silhouette jean is not a new invention. Hip-hop artist such as the ladies of TLC and Aaliyah made fashion and political statements by wearing men's pants, proving that women are just as capable as their male counterparts. When the boyfriend jean was all the rage last summer I truely turned my nose up at it. I so much more of a tight fitted skinny jean kind of girl. Strangly this morning something happened, not quite sure what it was, but I had a craving to throw on a pair of....dah dah dahhhhh....YES!...a pair of boyfriend-cut jeans!!!. I couldn't believe and just had to share this personal fashion breakthru with my friends on twitter.

Since I do not on a pair of boyfriend-cut denim and I don't have an at home supply of my boyfriends clothes, I was unable to quench my fashion thirst. Throughout the day I kept thinking about my need for boyfriend-cut jeans. In my many thoughts, one stood out to me...that women are now wearing their boyfriend's jeans, and men are now wearing their girlfriend's jeans!!! LOL. Unlike how I changed my mind on the ladies' boyfriend's jeans, I vow to never give acceptance to the men's girlfriend's jeans. Call it a double standard, because that's just what it is and I don't care. Seeing those bony men legs in too fitted of denim is not appealing. At the other extreme I do not like over sized jeans that are falling off a man's behind and looks like two more additions could fit in them. When it comes to men's denim wear, I think a healthy medium is best; a pair that fits the waist properly and has enough leg room to allow a man to move comfortably.

And to become more technical, could it be that the skinny jeans that women wear could soon be referred to as the boyfriend jean being that so many men are wearing the same skin tight styles as women. Sound's really confusing, but I get...with the transference of gender roles, fashion now truly has no boundaries.

Image sources - YMI Obsessed& Denim Therapy

Buying Chapter 11-ed Brands

Image source - Style.com, Christian Lacroix Fall RTW

This morning the New York Times reported that legendary couturier Christian Lacroix filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Soon after the news broke I read someone's twitter which stated their excitement and how they wanted to go shopping. I'm assuming that this particular person finds this unfortunate bankruptcy to be good news as for prices will/may drop. My questions to all of you are...Do luxury brands that plummer due to the economy lack luster? Doesn't a high end piece of clothing lose it's worth when it can be purchased for a lot less and become more available to the masses? I not sure how and if this will change the way we observer Christian Lacroix, but I do know that I won't be running out to buy a ton of anything that has lost it's market value.

PURE PR Sample Sale

Judge A Car By Its Engine, Not Its Size

Fashion is everywhere around us, not just in our closets, store, and on our bodies. For me fashion extends out onto the road by my preferred choice of travel.

As of late I've been getting a lot of flack for the type of vehicle that I drive, an SUV. Everyone keeps saying how that my truck is effecting global emissions and how they're so disappointed in me. I figured it's time for me to inform those who shoot me down for the type of car I choose to drive and educate them on their biases.

Image source - HUMMER

Now there are two larger versions of my truck which are way less fuel efficient. Surprisingly, my truck is able to maneuver with the help of a Vortec 3.7L five-cylinder engine. Most SUV trucks rely on engines that are V8 or V12. I'd love to have a truck with a larger engine, which would allow for me to go a lot faster quicker, but that was an aesthetic that I was willing to go without. Don't trust my facts that I'm giving you on this special engine, then click the link below the image above.

Most sedan type cars run on an engine larger than my truck's engine (i.e., a V6 engine is standard). So often do people let size fool them. People see a big SUV and think it's more harmful than a normal size car. I can't tell you how many petite size cars that I have driven behind in traffic and literally had to hold my breath, not wanting to breath in the excessive amount of exhaust fuems that are being ejected. Clearly, those cars haven't passed a proper smog check and have a bigger effect on global warming than my truck or even a truck with a V12 engine!

Image source - LuxuryImports and AutomotiveBlogger

Now if I drove a BMW 750Li or a Mercedez Benz S550 I'm sure I would get more props for driving such a fly car than grief for driving a vehicle that contributes to global warming emissions. It's so easy for people to equate SUV's as being harmful and exclude other vehicles. In my case, BIGGER is not BADDER in regards to having a negative effect on the environment. So please don't judge me or any other H3 driver, just be glad we're not rolling in the orginal Tank.

A Random Sighting

I couldn't help but to stop this individual and ask him to pose for a picture when I spotted him outside of a club this past weekend. His ensemble was definitely channeling the 70s' Saturday Night Fever movie on an actual Saturday night in the Twenty-first Century. As you can see to the right, the security guard was beyond annoyed with this stylish man, and I only made it worst when I stopped him to pose for this picture. I had no problem with his out dated outfit nor with his wearing of heels, but I did have a bit of an issue with his obvious "excitement" and lack of proper undergarment.

Distressed Jeans? YIKES!!!

Will any of you be buying or making your own pair of distressed jeans this Spring & Summer? While others are saying that they are chic, to me distressed jeans are neither sexy nor sophisticated; therefore, you won't be seeing me in a pair. I can't stand to have the slightest bit of fray that designers sometime put on the hemmed edges of jean pockets. I'm sure many other agree with me, but there are clearly so many more who don't when it comes to this trendy comeback. Take high fashion designer Christophe Decarnin who used several different variations of distressed denim in the Balmain Spring & Summer 09 Collection...he also created that fab jacket that Beyonce was spotted wearing in the post I did on the return of shoulder pads.

I'm not big on being a follower, but I do like to get inspirations for my sense of style, but not even these lovely ladies could convince me to walk out of my home with a pair or torn skinny or boyfriend cut jeans.

Image sources - NicoleBitchie, TaisToisSoisBeau, People, TheInsider, and BlahGirls