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.