In past blogs I’ve discussed and analyzed specific articles of clothing that are trending. For example, a leather jacket, platform sneakers, and so forth that all are independently their own trend. This week however I’m taking a bit of a different track to look at a new outfit that many are dressing in this fall. Collared shirts underneath sweatshirts. Yes, I am aware of how odd this sounds. These two clothing articles are polar opposites of class vs comfort seen in the business world vs home and other places of leisure. 

Also unlike my past trends that are only seen on predominantly women, this outfit is in fact gender neutral. I actually first saw this style choice on a male while out to dinner a couple of months ago. Men typically match the top with khakis or jeans whereas women have been styling it with jeans, leggings, and my favorite skirts. Pennsylvania is a bit cooler but back home in Colorado my go to fall outfit was a long sleeve top with a skirt because it wasn’t quite cool enough for bottoms like jeans or leggings, but was still cold enough to need some coverage. 

The collared shirt is typically a white bottom up and the sweatshirt is just about always a crew neck (a hoodie would hide the collar and make the outfit a bit messy). Now if you don’t own a collared shirt fashion companies have caught onto this trend and have simplified the outfit into simply sewing a white collar onto the neck of the sweatshirt creating the same illusion but without having to wear two individual shirts. Another alternative would be a little secret shared by teens and young adults who attended private schools with uniform requirements. The girls and boys often would order “fake collars” which is basically a little piece of fabric with a few buttons, a collar, and a tie to knot it about your chest to keep it in place. 

Either way you execute it, this outfit is both cheap and easy to accomplish while looking much more fashionable than wearing a simple sweatshirt. I personally have yet to actually wear this outfit (mainly because I do not own a collared shirt) but am now considering ordering on of the fake ones off of Amazon as it would be VERY easy to pair with one of the 15 or so crewnecks hiding in my closet.

 

 

Image Sources:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/446419381813481494/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/12455336458884239/

How To Dress Like an E-Boy

Trends in fashion depend on a number of things: whether they’re an article of clothing or an accessory, who its being marketed towards, color, size, and most importantly material. In the United States recently Americans have taken in comfort into their wardrobe choices but this year we have also adapted a long lived fashion trend from Europe… Leather. 

 

The majority of my family actually lives in Europe with my cousins ranging in ages between 8 and 21. While visiting last summer, I was persuaded by the three Swiss teenagers to invest in a black leather jacket. Although my debit card whimpered a bit, it turned out to be one of the best investments for my personal fashion. It adds a bit of sophistication and edge to any outfit and is actually much warmer than it looks.

Leather can be seen in both accessories and articles of clothing thus broadening its market and heightening its number of sales. It can be seen as a material used for hand bags, jackets, shoes, pants, and so forth. Typically all but the purses and shoes are made out of a fake leather material due to its high price. Those jackets that are made out of real leather are typically marketed at a price of at least $200 depending on the brand. 

 

For the last year before I left for State College in August, I had worked as a sales associate at Ralph Lauren. The store typically had a turnover every season to change out old outdated clothing and exchange it for new ones. Typically Ralph Lauren relies on its high class, Americana type of style but last winter in about December, all of a sudden they had switched the usual jean jackets for leather jackets, something that’s not typically seen in a Polo store. There were two different variations, a slimmer shorter one in the women’s department in both brown and black leather, and a larger bulky black one in the mens department. Both were just under $500 and one of the only pieces in the store than contained 3 different security tags around the jacket.

I think that one of the best things about fashion is its shared ideas over all different countries tying them together as one. Leather is most definitely old fashioned with its popularity for men in the 50’s but has now evolved into something for all genders and origins.

Because there are only two more days until October and it’s officially fall, the crisp weather has slowly begun to set into State College. The leaves are a bright burning auburn, the sun sets just a little bit earlier, and students are beginning to dress for the season. Coats have become as much of a fashion accessory as they are for the practicality for protecting your body from the cold. Popularized in 2019, “teddy bear coats” have become a staple for young women and specifically college students because they are comfortable but also dress up the person’s outfit. This season in particular I predict we will see a lot more of these jackets because they really became popular at the end of last year right before it became warm again.

 

These jackets are typically a light brown color made up of faux fur but are distressed to resemble a teddy bear’s fluff. They also come in white, pink, black (which I personally own), and more. My teddy jacket came from Nordstrom BP for about $70. Now however, they can come for a lot less and a lot more depending on a couple of classifications such as length, color, and of course the brand. Even if the quality between a teddy jacket from TJ Maxx and Coach are close to identical, the brand in the fashion industry dies in fact add a couple of zeros to that price tag. 

 

These jackets really are only sensible to wear in the fall because they’re not exactly waterproof. The material on the outside is just as complex if not more as the one on the inside of the jacket. Faux fur, especially this specific one, becomes matted when in contact with water which can become an issue especially in a state like Pennsylvania with rather wet weather. Additionally, the jacket itself is VERY warm and thus a bit problematic to wear in warmer weather. So yes these jackets are only useful for about 3 months of the year but they are definitely worth the purchase. 

 

Many younger social media influencers have promoted these coats as “comfortable and fashionable” which seems to be the new trend between all of these 2020 fashion trends. I personally encourage the purchase of these coats because I think they are a newer fashion item that won’t necessarily fall out of popularity for at least a couple of years in the coming future.

 

Picture Sources:

Teddy Coat Beige

http://wheretoget.it/look/6163665

 

Typically high fashion has been reserved for the footwear of shiny stilettos or six inch pumps shown off by celebrities such as Victoria’s Secret models Bella and GiGi Hadid. These shimmery torture devices give off the allure of confidence and wealth that normal footwear ceases to provide. That is until a new upcoming footwear trend emerged on social media. Sneakers. 

 

Normally I would not be caught dead in a pair of sneakers unless on the treadmill at my gym but these are completely different and unique breed of shoe. I was personally never a traditional sporty girl spending my last 15 or so years in a dance studio everyday surrounded by sparkles and hairspray. I never saw the appeal of sneakers as they were typically dull in color and laid flat on your feet not giving off any form of fashion and were almost impossible to match to any somewhat presentable outfit. But then this trend came about and like all of the big sneaker companies, I too immediately jumped on board. 

 

To continue the streak of confidence that comes in added height in women’s footwear, most of these sneakers are in fact lifted or heightened in some way with a couple inch platform. To clarify, these are in no way an athletic shoe…Yes they are designed to look like one but trust me when I say that they will come with an ankle injury just as much as other fashion shoes if exercise is attempted while wearing them. And like heels, most of them come in exotic colors or contain detailing commonly found in women’s shoe wear. Sportswear companies like Nike and Adidas have already continued full lines of these colorful, leather sneakers. Air force ones are just one line from Nike that sold out almost immediately in their women’s sneakers. Now used as a statement, women (and men) pair these fashionable accessories with equally fashionable outfits from street wear, to formal wear, to business casual.

The trend first emerged from teenage influencers like Emma Chamberlin (known for her high fashion streetwear) but eventually made their way up to the fashion hierarchy that is Vogue. And honestly if Vogue says its fashion, then its fashion. Fashion has always pushed boundaries and questioned standards and this is just one of those cases. I have yet to obtain a pair as they can be a bit costly but I will definitely be saving up and hoping that they stay in fashion until that day.

 

 

Pictures Sources:

https://pin.it/74z0XwE

https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/spring-flatform-platform-sneakers

 

As the air grows crisp and the leaves begin to change, it’s clear that summer is finally coming to an end and fall is taking over. While past fall fashion trends have consisted of scarves, tall Steve Madden boots, and beige colored sweaters, a new trend has rolled in. 2020 is the year that the fashion industry has exiled stilettos and tight blouses and welcomed comfort and affordability. I personally am 100 percent bored with this concept of coziness or also known by the name of “sweatshirt sets.” 

 

Sweatshirt sets have recently graced the presence and taken over platforms such as VSCO, Instagram, and Pinterest. When I first saw celebrities posting in these I was a bit skeptical because they for the most part go against every untalked fashion code to ever exist. However now that big name brands like Chanel are designing these sets, I’ve realized that like everything else that has happened in 2020, fashion surely is going to too be very different than past years. 

Rainbow Tie Dye Sweatshirt Set

This new fashion trend has constantly reminded me of the over popularized 2000 Juicy Couture sets made popular by fashion icons like Paris Hilton. These were a velvet sort of material that came in bright shades of pink, green, purple, and so forth. They were typically long loose pants with adjusting waist bands with matching cropped hoodies that zipped in the front. The early 2000’s embraced this trend showering the movie screens with characters like those from Mean Girls dressed in Juicy. 

Today, sweatshirt sets come from all different brands ranging in all different price ranges. Sets this fall are much looser and come as either shorts, skirts, or sweatpants matching the color or color scheme as the top crew neck. They can come with either logos, tie dye, bleach dye, and are even becoming a popular school spirit item. In fact back in march when I was hopeful we were going to be able to attend Penn State football games, I bought a set from gostatedesigns, a Penn State student’s thrift business on instagram, for tailgates. 

Although the current pandemic has forced us to stay inside for this autumn, partaking in this new trend can be a fun way to stay comfortable while also looking fashionable. These sets are both youthful and diverse meaning you can miss match one set with another or dress up the top or bottom with a pair or jeans or a sweater for a more sophisticated look. I know that I personally will be wearing my Penn State set while cheering on the Nittany Lions from outside the stadium this fall. 

 

 

Pictures:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159033430575318663/

https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/home-decorating/juicy-couture-velour-tracksuit-coming-back-ready/

Fashion trends have always been applauded or criticized in some way. No matter what it is, one person will always have a different taste and say “Mm, that’s not for me” and that is just how fashion goes. But then all of a sudden 2020 decides to throw a curveball and say “You don’t have a choice. Wear it.” Of course there is in fact no real choice when it comes down to protecting the life of those around you which is why the fashion industry is making the most out of this new and changing world. And these are the new daily accessory…masks. 

 

Back in the middle of March when Covid-19 really struck the United States, we all stayed inside and if we went out to buy food or other necessities we wore disposable medical face masks. These were the ones that were a light blue/white sheet of Polypropylene that hung over your mouth by two white stretchy straps that for some reason always snapped in half. Come May when many states were beginning to loosen regulations and allow people to return to work and the public, just about everywhere required you wear a mask when within six feet of another person. The fashion industry looked at this and knew they could turn a medical requirement into a new “trend” of sorts. 

I own almost all types of face masks produced on the market right now minus the large face shields (these kind of scare me as they look less human and more like something out of an apocalypse movie). First is my favorite, the cloth face masks. I bought mine from all different types of stores. On the more expensive end of the spectrum I own ones from Anthropology, Athleta, and Kitsch ranging between $12-$15 each. In the middle I have some from Amazon and Target both being about $8 a piece. Lastly I have a few cloth ones from Shein that were $1 each. The colors are unique and diverse in patterns and can be matched with different outfits which I have been doing lately to look more put together even in the middle of a pandemic. Not only are cloth masks proven to be one of the more effective face coverings in preventing the spread of Covid-19, but they’re also much better for the environment than disposables because they can be washed for future use. 

My second favorite would have to be the neck gaiters and bandanas. Although convenient, they’re not very effective in protection and lack in the feminist appeal of the cloth masks. Many males wear these and favor them as they come in different sports colors, school logos, and so forth and many already owned them because they were on the market far before Covid struck. I personally had two in my possession before the pandemic because I’m a skier and these are often used to protect your nose and mouth from the cold on the mountain. For the most part these sit in the bottom of my desk in my dorm room but I’m hoping to one day wear them when the weather gets colder to cover both my mouth and neck.

 

Masks can help you match with friends, rep your university, or add a little something to your outfit for the day. Whether you decide to purchase the cloth masks, the gaiters, or stick to those disposables, remember to look on the brighter side of this year by partaking in this new “trend” while also protecting friends and family.

In the past three years or so I’ve adapted many new passions… I’ve learned to play the large empty piano that sits untouched in my house. I’ve taken up baking (which I’ll be honest I enjoy but I’m not sure I can say I’m good at it). I’ve evolved my love of ballet into a love for tap when I injured my hip freshman year. Research wise, I’ve become interested in the culture surrounding famous serial killers and cults from the past and present. But there are two things that I love both researching and taking part in. Film and Fashion.

 

My freshman year as one of the business and art credits, I decided to take a class called “Multimedia 2”. I choose it because I have always been creative and loved art. Unfortunately, my coordination (or lack there of) prevented me from obtaining any skills such as painting or drawing. With that, I felt a technological form of art could be more of my speed. This class was an intro to film making, editing, as well as producing broadcasts for the schools network, RCTV. Within the first few months, I had produced countless short films, advertisements, and broadcasts all of which weren’t half bad. I kept it up and by the end of sophomore year I was given the opportunity to film at the Denver Capitol building and won an award for my film. I continued this trend through my senior year but my love for producing films has also now evolved into the love of watching and analyzing them. Over quarantine I was able to create a list of iconic movies both old and new that changed lives in one way or another. For this reason I truly hold film as a passion close to my heart.

 

Another passion I both research and take role in everyday is fashion. I’ve found it fascinating since I was younger the power clothes have on a person and their surroundings. They create stereotypes, communities, and shape the way a person is perceived from the public. Fashion trends in particular are a rather interesting idea to grasp because they come and go in waves but also through different parts of the world. Something that was popular in Europe in the 90s may now be popular in the US or vice versa. Fashion can even shed light into ones personal life. It can demonstrate a persons financial, marital status, their age and so forth. I follow trends but also enjoy adapting my own and creating my persona as one that I can call my own. For this reason I feel fashion will always be a part of my life and a connection to others.