tribal fashion

native american styles have always been a favorite of mine. the turquoise jewelry, fringe boots, camel colors and suede tops. american indians were stylish to the extreme, and they might not have even known it. or at least they might not have realized the trends they were about to set afire. 

with fun geometric cross-stitched patterns in bright colors, woven bags, furry and fringed boots, and over sized belted dresses, native american fashions are unique and stylish--but still comfortable. 

the background and traditions of american culture might have caused some of the appeal, but these people have such a strong heritage that has managed to hold strong through the tough times of the past. 

their art and jewelry nests some of the strongest traditions and culture of the native americans. fashions that are centuries old are now hitting the runways, celebrities and even mainstream and street styles. 

the manpurse, i.e. the murse

so men have started to shift towards some new fashions. fashions some people may even consider feminine. but like i have said in previous posts, fashion can spring from all sources; so both sexes can influence each other's fashions. many times (some say most times) menswear influences women's fashion on a regular basis. but i guess sometimes women can influence men too. 

so what about the manpurse? is it completely taboo and wrong? i mean men do need to carry things around as well don't they--and sometimes wallets just may not be enough. women get to tote around bags the size of watermelons, filled with sunglasses, beauty products, wallet(s), hair care, mobile phones and god knows what else. some men... may require the same needs. so are they allowed? 

whose to say... they'd probably do it anyway. but is it a fashion no no? i say it depends on the murse. some fashionable male celebs sport the male purses on a daily basis... but maybe they are too ahead of the game? or maybe they're just in need of the fashion police. it's a touch call. but i think if it's a side shoulder bag/murse, it's acceptable, and even cute sometimes. if it's a hand carried or a smaller handeled murse... i'd be a little worried for the man. 

john mayer here has the right idea :) 

hijabi fashion

Following fashion trends is not the easiest thing to do when wearing a hijab, Sara Beg said. A hijab is a scarf some Muslim women wear as a head covering. It’s worn to detract attention from men and to maintain respect for a woman’s beauty. But the hijab also represents conservative dressing as a whole. This means long sleeves and pants—so nothing except the face, hands and feet should show, said Beg.

Beg, 22, sports the head covering every day, and although the hijab is a fashion hurdle, she finds a way to express herself through clothing and accessories. “I tend to wear brightly colored shoes and just bright colors in general,” Beg said. “It's hard for me to find stuff that is hijab appropriate that is in fashion.”

But since covering up is more important to Beg, she sacrifices trendy styles and sticks with fun shoes, she said. “I like to match my hijabs to my shoes,” Beg said.

Tahreem Aziz, also 22, does not wear hijab, but she dresses on the more modest side, Aziz said. Fashion is important to Aziz, and she tries to keep track with current styles more than Beg, she said. “I try to follow whatever fashions are popular,” Aziz said. “Some of them fit with my conservativeness.” 

But some don’t, she said.

“For example, leggings are in fashion,” Aziz said. “But I don’t feel comfortable wearing them so I would wear skinny jeans.”

asian invasion

as all parts of the world have their influence on american fashion, so does asia. its bright bold colors and prints, plus rich textiles have carried over to runways and ready mades. japanese and asian fashions have a completely unique touch; therefore, making it easily recognizable when it is reworked into modern western fashions. 

color being a huge part of asian style, the once all black american fashion staple is now changing. western fashion has seen that it's not all about the dark colors, vibrant hues can be good too. red is a very symbolic and metaphorical color for china and japan. so the asian red became a huge accessory to the color black, and it still is.

the high neck collars on tunics, pulled over flaps on coats and shirts and kimono style sweaters or jackets are all over the market these days. these sophisticated and traditional clothing styles worn by chinese or japanese women for generations, are now being weaved into western fashions for that classy mod look. 

even hairstyles from eastern traditions are being seen on models and fashion trendies. the high and tight bun is traditionally very asian, it is being seen on women every day in the western hemisphere. very simple and classic styles have been pulled from the east and brought to the west. of course some of these styles are overly embellished for runway fashions, but a more every day look can be generated as well.

line me up

eye liner is a huge craze these days. and its all about the black baby--black, bold and brave. that cat tailed look is all the rage, and everyone is doing it. 

the influence of this super stylish make-up trick comes from century old styles--now it just has a modern touch. famous cleopatra was always depicted with the extended eye liner, giving her a bold and exotic look. the reason she was depicted this way was because egyptian hieroglyphics always portrayed their people with this style eyeliner. 

fashion icon celebs like lauren conrad (from the mtv hit show the hills) have spread fire to all kinds of trends--and the egyptian eye liner is definitely one of them. stars like LC show that it's easy to emulate and pull of. the look is so full of drama--yet so subtle. but when it comes down to it, it makes a huge difference to an over all look. 

other places that this eye liner style stems from? indian and japanese cultures. both use the dark eye liner to accentuate their dark features. don't like black... try dark brown, blue or even purple. 

how to do it? 

1. get some black liquid eye liner with a firm wand tip 

2. place your finger on outer corner of your eye and pull to the side slightly--stretching your eyelid straight (do this with eye closed)

3. trace along your lash line with the eye liner, making a straight line

4. for the cat tail--extend the straight line a bit further out from where your eye lid/lash line ends. 

5. let go of your eyelid--the straight line should have formed a slight upwards curve once you let go. you can adjust the point of the line as you please. 

Indo influence

source is key for fashion to bloom, explore and flourish. the world of fashion extends itself from unique designs and ideas that come from around the world. each idea is a stem that branches off into something new and refined. 

a huge trend these days, and actually for a while now, is indian/indo sourced fashion. tunics, flowy tops, strappy sandals, beaded shoes, embroidered fabrics, pashminas, bangles, floral prints and decadent jewelry. 

just coming back from pakistan myself, i noticed something. fashions in the u.s.a. and pakistan--countries more than half way across the world--had very similar fashions. there is a translantic message being sent here, both countries have had influence on each other. tunics are being worn with jeans in pakistan, and colorful bangles are being worn with t-shirts in the u.s.a. tv and movies are a big part of this; celebrities from asia and the u.s.a. are modeling style from their home countries--influencing corresponding trends. 

for example, the hit movie slumdog millionaire just came out with a bang, releasing its indian culture for the world to grasp and behold. with the stars of the movie taking over the golden globes and the oscars, indian culture has stolen the limelight. fashions from india are spreading like fire with all the publicity from the film. frieda pinto took over the cover of vogue india, and all the other stars have been featured on every talk show possible--in india, london and the u.s.a. 

anyway, just by looking at these pictures it is obvious that many of the trends popular today have come from indian/asian cultures. especially the summery ones. bright bold pops of colors are easy to add with the pretty fabrics and beadery that indian and asian fashions have to offer. they add such a nice touch to any outfit. 

tights, stockings, hose....whatever

so remember when your mom tried to make you wear those tights that you just hated? well now everyone is jumping all over that fad. wearing tights is an excuse to spice up your outfit with a pop of color on your legs. layering tights with solid colored dresses, long sweaters, leg warmers, etc... the trend is just all over the place. 

all different styles and patterns have taken over. tights are the new socks and even jeans. they are an excuse to not wear jeans and show off some leg in a more subtle way. technically you're not showing any leg, but you are--its a tease. 

in central new york, women and girls have played up this trend to the max. with it being so cold, any way to look cute while still staying warm is great. so girls have taken woolen stockings and tights and paired them with knee high boots to create a cute but warm look. with it snowing over 120 inches in the winter, it is really hard to look "cute." however, tights are one way this is possible. 

the trend kind of exploded from the return of the 80s and late 90s with the neon colors. of course style today has toned down some of the neon and kind of used it as nice little accents to an outfit, as opposed to the whole outfit. 

shows like gossip girl have taken the styles to a chic new level, making it completely stylish to add brightly colored tights and patterned stockings to otherwise plain outfits. 

whatever it is, tights just may have been a fashion savior for CNY. 

Ugg boots or ug-ly boots?

according to aussie (australian) history, the ugg, ug, or ugh boot belonged to natives of australia for the past 200 years. the name of these merino sheepskin boots came from the word ugly, because the boots are just not that attractive. 

however, they are comfortable and that has always been their main purpose. the fleece lining actually warms and cools--depending on the season. native's of australia actually used to wear the boots on the beach during the summer.

so as always, trends spread, and something as ugly as ugg boots can even become fashionable. now, here in central new york, one would be hard pressed to find a person without ugg boots--or something relatively similar. with it being so cold here, everyone has them--and in more than one color/style. CNY can be stylish...

the trend has spread as far as men becoming proud owners

 of the fleece lined boots. the boots are probably the most unisex boots one can buy, so that is probably why most men can get away with wearing them. of course, they probably don't wear them tucked into jeans like most girls do... 

not only have the ugg boots become popular, but they have created the trend of tucking jeans and pants into boots. australian surfer style has become street style all around the world. and what started out as street style has even moved to beco

me a staple in most girls' and guys' wardrobes. 

with everyone from celebs to dogs to grandma's adorning the uggs, how can you not one those comfy boots on your feet? 

keffiyeh... where did it come from?

so i know the triangle scarves have been the new trend all over the fashion market, but when i first saw them, they reminded me of my childhood right away. i spent 6 years growing up in riyadh, saudia arabia, and while living there all i saw were these triangle scarves--and that was over 14 years ago. 

i guess the saudi men were way ahead of the game... 

so when did such traditional scarves become so trendy? and why? here's a little history of where the triangle scarf stemmed from. 

the keffiyeh (arabic), also known as the yashmagh (turkish), ghutrah, hattah, or mashadah is a traditional headdress arab men wore. it was a square shaped cotton cloth folded and wrapped into a triangle, or other various styles, around the head. it was worn to protect from sun exposure, as well shielding the mouth and eyes from dust and sand blowing in the air. the distinctive woven check pattern originated in an ancient mesopotamian representation of fishing nets or ears of grain. 

in palestine, red and black colored scarves were usually worn--but 

from experience, black signified palestine, and red signified saudi or jordanian heritage. bedouins have used the scarf as a symbol of honor and tribal identification for centuries. 

the western world started adapting versions of the keffiyeh when people saw arabs as part of allies of world war I. so the scarf started becoming a part of theatrical wardrobe in western films. in the 1980s. girls started following arabs in the west who were wearing scarves proudly to represent their arab heritage. the keffiyeh became fashionable and was seen on famous people like the lead singer of nine inch nails and models. bohemian girls started wearing keffiyehs as scarves around their necks--so i guess the 80s really is back, in more ways than one. 

urban outfitters was one of the first stores to promote the keffiyeh fashion, but after some controversy pulled the item. the controversy was because the scarf was supposed to me more than just a fashion trend, to arabs (especially palestine with the war going on) it was a sense of nationalism and cultural pride. other controversies dealing with the keffiyeh have come up as well; some of which were righteous, some not. 

balenciaga's 2007 line set the scarves on fire, causing them to really hit the fashion world by storm--everyone wanted to wear them. different colors like purple, green, blue, and yellow started appearing as well. and now not only are keffiyeh's in fashion, but so are all kinds of triangle scarf versions... 

cultural effect

every country, culture, clique and person has its own unique and telling style. not just with clothing either--but with everything. fashion can comprehend all components of a lifestyle--hell fashion is a lifestyle. and that includes all things colorful: food, clothes, scents, shoes, bags, nail color, hair color, cars, phones, cameras, etc. 

fashion is a culture in itself, but every source of fashion has its influence on its surroundings. being in central new york, i have noticed that even as isolated as syracuse might seem--it really isn't. there are so many different people here from different parts of the world and country, and each individual person has a unique perspective on style and fashion. now, i know i will walk down the street sometimes and notice something that a person is wearing that i never would have thought to add to my wardrobe. thus springs an idea to my head, and i think of how i might add a similar touch to my own style. 

everyone affects everyone. so, i'd like to take a look at how different cultures, peoples, and styles influence the lonely, but not-so-lonely, city of syracuse. 

take for example, the harajuku lovers fragrance line by gwen stefani. she isn't from japan, 

but still the style has influenced her--and with her new line she is spreading this effect. the fragrance is bottled in cute japanese looking dolls that are colorful and fun, and each has its own personality.