Fashion

Decades of Fashion: 80’s and 90’s (Style Files)

This time on Style Files, we're completing our Decades of Fashion series. I have to say, I had a lot of fun writing these, and I learned a lot about the reasons behind a lot of the fads that we had. So, to conclude our series, we're going to cover from 1980-2000

1980-1990

The 1980s were definitely a time when women's fashion was coming into its own. Unlike the rather unisex clothing of the past couple of decades, this was a time of clothing for women, as shown by a rather excessive use of sequins, polka dots, suede, rhinestones, etc. Anything shiny that screamed girl! seemed to be part of the focus of this decade.

One of the most common concepts that started then, and is still in use today, is the idea of a well coordinated wardrobe. Instead of having things that only go with one 'outfit', the ability to have everything in your wardrobe work with everything else was one of the main themes that you would see in department stores and in catalogs.

This was also the decade of the suit. You know the ones, you've probably seen them in the back of your mom's closet, or in a thrift store. The ones with the short skirt and the huge decorated blazer with buttons, and shoulder pads that seem to add at least a foot to the span of your shoulders.

And of course, this was the start of the aerobics craze! To be properly dressed, you would have to be covered in bright colored Lycra/spandex leotards, and expensive shoes.

1990-2000

Now this is a decade that I actually remember! Kind of, anyway.

Fashion in the '90s was all about function. There was a lot of things going on in the world, and as such, having designer clothing and looking perfect all of the time seemed to fall by the wayside. There was still a huge exercise craze going on, so it became more acceptable to wear your exercise clothes out of the gym and onto the street. As evidenced above, this was a time for more function in your wardrobe, which meant that loose, baggy dresses and clothes were all the rage.

This was also the decade of the grunge look, with a lot of ripped jeans, flannel, unwashed hair. It was a trend that probably didn't look like much, but it was important to the people who dressed that way. One thing that everyone should remember about fads and trends is that even if you don't like them, the person who is wearing them probably does.

Towards the end of the decade, tighter, more fitted clothing was coming back. I remember when the trend of the flare jean first came back, which quickly blossomed into the full fledged bell bottom look that had been so popular back in the '60s and '70s.

Some of the evening gowns that were popular during this time still retained some of the elements of '80s fashion, with the way that they were cut, as well as details like the buttons on the front of this Givenchy evening dress.

Tags: style files, fashion, tips, 80's, 90's

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Styles For The Fall (Style Files)

Fall is officially here and while you want to keep warm during these couple of months, Style Files will give you some tips to stay cute!

The Girl Looks:

 Leopard and other furs are definitely in! You can try wearing these pieces with neutral colors like black, brown or gray. You can find similar coats from the picture above in Forever 21 like this one and this.

This fall is all about the studs! Studs provide a fresh post punk look but at the same time keeping it edgy and classy. You can find studded boots here and bags here.

It's all about the leggings ladies! Leggings are becoming extremely popular in these last couple of years. You can find them in all shapes, colors, textures and styles! If you're trying to add something special to your outfit or you want to wear a dress during the fall/winter, leggings are the way to go! You can find all types of leggings in Urban Outfitters.

Want to look extra chic with a short dress but not freeze outside? Simple! Pair up your mini dress with some thermal warm leggings and thigh high boots! This look will definetly make you look sexy and hot even when the temperature is low.

The Guy Looks:

 

Nervous about this upcoming holiday season? Don't know what to give to that special guy in your life? Want to bring a little more style to his closet? Try out this look! Scarves are fairly easy to shop for and very convenient for every day use. A pair of warm gloves or a beanie wouldn't hurt either! If you feel the need to give him something more bold, pea coats are definitely in this season (and warm). My favorite stores for guys include Urban Outfitters, Heritage 1981 and American Apparel.

And What Did Ivette Wear Today?

           

You can click on each of the items above to shop the look or view them!

Tags: style files, fashion, fall 2009, style falls, leopard print, big scarves

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Fashion Photography: Chantal Michel (Style Files)

Photography is something very essential for the fashion world. Here in style files we will make updates on some of the most notable fashion photographers!

Chantal Michel

Chantal Michel is a photographer born in the 1960s in Bern, Switzerland. She made her first debut in International Videofestival in Geneva, Switzerland. Most of her films involve beautiful colorful stills with a lot of action shots.

Chantal Michel is notable for combining amazing chaotic scenes with models. This can be made when she puts models to be part of the scene like in a couch or in a table. She also makes the model stand out of the shot creating a sense of dynamic tension in her photographs.

You can click on the pictures to go to the original source!

These images make the models integrate themselves in the photograph, making the shot look magical and mysterious.

"Egypt Family", Chantal Michel 2002

 

 Chantal Michel likes combining dirty scene with soft pastel colors. If you want to see more of her work, click on all the pictures to go to the official websites!

Source (ArtNet)

 

Tags: style files, fashion, fashion photography, models, chantal michel, photography

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Review - Shirt.Woot (Style Files)

JamieG, 20 writes...

JamieG Suggests

Shirt.Woot is an awesome site for buying clothes. They have a new t-shirt up every day for ten dollars (including US shipping), and the shirts are usually pretty fantastic; the vast majority of my shirts come from there. You can also, for $15, order shirts from past days (the ones that have sold the best, I believe). The quality is really good, and the material is super soft! The only thing that I can see being a problem is that they don't ship to quite everywhere.

Ivette says...

Thanks for the suggestion! I am not a t-shirt person but I really found some cute and funny shirts I would gladly wear!

Tags: style files, fashion, readers review, tshirts, readers suggestions, shirt.woot

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Kristen Stewart Look (Style Files)

An interview of Twilight Series Star, Kristen Stewart with Nylon TV Magazine!

Her Look

 Kristen Stewart incorporates this punk-rock and roll look in her outfits. Black and white are an essential color palette, among other dark and neutral colors. You can also find lots of studs in her look!

Nothing yells more punk and rock than skinny jeans. White and black work fine, but you can also incorporate fun colors like yellow, red and bright blue!

 A key aspect in this look is hardcore boots and a heavy shoulder-padded jacket. A fun thing to do is incorporate fun tights, like this punk style skeleton leggings.

Where Do I Get This Look?

Cheap Monday Jeans have a large variety of unique and colorful pants, despite being a little expensive it wouldn't hurt to have a pair of them in your closet.

Wet Seal has a great selection of studded shoes and boots for great prices!

Forever21 has great prices on their trendy colorful bags that can add a special touch to your outfit.

Click on the images to shop!

Tags: style files, kristen stewart, twilight, fashion, rock, punk, bags, boots, studded, new moon

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Karla’s Closet (Style Files)

I will be doing updates on one of the best fashion blogs in the blogger world. The first update will be: Karla's Closet!

Karla's Closet

Karla's Closet is a blog of a young lady called Karla who is a Fashion student designer in southern California. Her blog is full of creative outfit ensembles and interesting choices of colors, patterns and styles.

 Karla post's pictures of all the outfits she wears with a brief description where she found or bought the pieces.

Besides posting outfits, Karla posts pictures of recent vacations and blogs about her life, fashion and favorite brands.

Karla's Closet has become very popular over the years and has even been feature in magazines such as Nylon. If you want to read more about Karla's Closet click on the pictures or visit her blog here.

 

Source: (Karla's Closet

 

Tags: style files, fashion, blog, karla's closet

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Fashion Photography (Style Files)

This will be your weekly dose of fashion photography. Click on the pictures to go to the original links!

Tags: style files, fashion, fashion photography, pictures

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Fashion Photography (Style Files)

 

 

Tags: style files, fashion, fashion photography, pictures, photographs, style

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Dressing for Success ()

If there’s one thing that annoys me to death, it is college students that go to class in their pajamas. Why? Because when you’re a full-time college student, college is your job. Would you go to your job in pajamas? I sincerely hope not.

You judged on your appearance constantly. I’m not taking about your hair color or how skinny you are, but rather how put together you seem. Especially when trying to move up in the world, it is important to dress well—you never know when someone important may be watching. Dressing well does not mean that you’re wearing nylons and suits every day. Rather, it means that you’re wearing clothes that fit your properly, aren’t worn out, don’t reveal any cleavage, and cover at least the vast majority of your thighs.

As of late, I’ve had the unique pleasure to be invited to conferences and meetings to give presentations on strategically using social media in transportation. While initially invited for my knowledge on the subject, the whole package of looking appropriate and speaking charismatically earned me an invite to speak at a whole-day workshop in a few months.

But even prior to these recent successes, people tend to be more respectful of the person who is dressed better. In classes I found that I was called on more often because the instructor had the impression I was actually there to learn. And the impression that you give your professors is reflected in how they grade you and what they include in your recommendation letters for things like jobs, internships, and graduate school.

And on the subject of social media, “dressing for success” is important on Facebook too. Take down (or de-tag) the photos of you with the bottle of rum in your hand! More and more employers are savvy to social networking sites and regardless of what your privacy settings are don’t put it on the internet unless you’d like the entire world to see it. For me I have a simple policy, I ask myself: “Would I want my dad to see this?”

Above all else, it’s never too late to change your image. Want to change how things are going? Changing how you dress is one of the easiest things you can do. Furthermore, it’s not that hard to retain an edgy style in the work environment—character can be maintained by integrating patterns, colors, fabrics, and accessories. Being work appropriate does not mean a parade of black suits. For me it often involves patterned cotton skirts, brightly colored shirts, fun dresses, and usually skipping on the nylons.

The cost involved in such a change could also be prohibitive, and I do understand that. My suggestion is to not prematurely throw anything away, you can find innovative ways to re-purpose almost anything except for a pair of daisy-dukes. For me, as I get rid of three items of clothing (because my wardrobe was expansive, though filled with grey t-shirts that were often ill-fitting) I bring in one item—but that one item is something I’m surely able to wear into the office. I’m also sure to never buy items that definitely don’t match anything else I own.

So remember, you never know who’s looking! Even if you’re not trying to make it big in Hollywood, how you look matters!

Tags: fashion, college, working, shopping, clothes, success

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