Counting on Trends: December 2009

STREET TRENDS

It's interesting to see that All these street trends were derived from the common man's disgust with the powers that be. With that being said, maybe we need another uprising in order to see some innovation!!

ZOOT SUITS

ABOVE: TODD LYNN-SP 2009-ZOOT SUIT INSPIRED LOOK ON FAR LEFT

ABOVE: stefano-pilati-for-ysl

ABOVE: zoot suits From the set of "Malcolm X" 1992

Were characteristically worn and popularized by African Americans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Italian Americans, and Filipino Americans during the late 1930s and 1940s. Very similar to the Edwardian and Teddy Boy looks, Zoot suits were brightly colored and very roomy in fit. The suit trousers were high waisted with pleated fronts and pegged legs. The jacket was a long coat with wide lapels, and wide, largely padded shoulders. Most of the time, the zoot suit was worn with a felted fedora with a feather. They also wore pointy French style shoes with a watch chain hanging from the pocket on the side of the suit, very similar to the chain wallets seen most often in Punk attire.

TEDDY BOY

ABOVE:UK -1-1-81-HARD ROCK CAFE-Cliff RICHARD

Teddy Boys’s style was was bred in England from a new generation that rejected clothes worn by their parents. From around 1949 this was expressed as a liking for Edwardian style velvet trimmed skirted coats and specific accessories. "This fashion is thought to have really originated when 500 Jamaicans arrived in Tilbury in 1948 on board the ex troop ship "Empire Windrush" in response to the UK's government plea to the Caribbean for workers. They wore Zoot suits and the Edwardian look is thought to have been an adaptation of the suit the Jamaicans were seen wearing about the East End towns."

http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s/1950s_4_teenagers_teddy_boys.htm

ABOVE PICS:

HEART BLAZER: topshop-spring 09 RTW, DUCK'S ARSE: teddy boy hair,

Far right: Luba tweed coat

BEATNIK

ABOVE: beatnik-bjohnson-Fall 2008

ABOVE: the Parisian Beat scene in Funny Face (1957)

Beatniks were a group of poets and writers that looked for spirituality in many things including Eastern spirituality and drugs. They were open to many things and are often coined with the look of fitted bottoms, turtlenecks and berets.

"Members of the “beat” movement in the United States in the 1950s. Beatniks frequently rejected middle-class American values, customs, and tastes in favor of radical politics and exotic jazz, art, and literature. The movement was often classified as bohemian. The poet Allen Ginsberg and the novelist Jack Kerouac are examples of beatnik authors.

“Daddy-O” (a term of address); “Cool, man, cool”; and “strictly dullsville” are examples of slang expressions used by beatniks or by people trying to sound like beatniks."

http://www.answers.com/topic/beatnik

MODS

ABOVE: Lacoste, Spring 2009

ABOVE: Mod Fashion, Balenciaga, September 2008

ABOVE: lacoste-sp 09

ABOVE: mod look-hand made dress by Designer Joseph Hu AND authentic Russian Hat.(2009)

Mods were categorized by their incredible ablity to dress stylishly. This, however, still proved to be their mode of alienation from conventional society. This trend of the 60's began with British teenagers who were neat, sophisticated, and fancy. They mostly wore bright colors, pop art influenced attire, miniskirts, boots, and bell bottomed trousers.

HIPPIES

ABOVE: Early-Hippie-Irving-Penn-1967

ABOVE: Matthew Williamson (far left), Diane von Furstenberg (center), Anna Sui (right).

Sp 09

ABOVE: Woodstock-Mural-Alain-Bertrand

Hippies are by and far, the most talked about and celebrated era of fashion and living. These group of young Americans were spawned from the increasing distaste with the U.S involvement in the Vietnam War. Hippies were mainly white teenagers and young adults yet still shared the common hatred towards what they thought were traditional middle class values. They embraced Eastern religions, particularly Buddhism. Many hippies also saw hallucinogenic drugs, such as marijuana and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), as the key to escaping the ties of society and expanding their individual consciousness. Hippies were notorious for being nude and barefoot. But when they were clothed they wore moccassins, suede, bell bottoms, tie-dye and went for the naturally "unkept" look.

DISCO

When I think of Diso, I think of bright lights and glamour. This era of style was marked by a style of dance and music that was born in the mid 1970's. Many artists such as Donna Summer and Bee Gees are notorious in this era of repetitive lyrics and electronic sounds.
This was definitely the PARTY era, and many people indulged in drugs such as cocaine while partying ALL night. Shiny things were essential to wear, as well as big hair like afros and large curls. Platforms reigned during this era as well!

Pics: Green dress:balmain-sp 2009, pink shoes:Christian Louboutin Very Galaxy platforms at net-a-portercom-peep toe pumps, free people-mini-skirt-2009-$98. maison-martin-margiela-disco-shoes-fall 2009-2010

PUNK

ABOVE: balmain-sp-2009

ABOVE:punk-fashion-berlin-year unknown

ABOVE:lolita-fashion-and-punk-japanese woman in tokyo, 9-2008

ABOVE: balmain-sp-2009

Another ode to conventionalism. Punk went hand-in-hand with heavy metal and serious rock music. This era began in the 1970's and has been so commercialized that I wonder if Punks dress conventionally to no longer fit in. Vivienne Westwood can be considered one of the mother's of Punk dress, her designs brought awareness and life to this ever growing fashion trend.

HIP HOP

ABOVE: RAPPER, T.I-on-B.E.T-rip-the-runway-performance-2009

ABOVE: sweetface BY JENNIFER LOPEZ-fall 2005

ABOVE: ON THE SET OF THE MOVIE "krushgroove3"-1984-ll cool j

ABOVE: Hip Hop attire in the late 1980's/early 1990's

Some say it’s an attitude, others say, it’s all in the outfit. The truth is, Hip Hop attire continues to be redefines about every decade since it’s emergence. This may be the only street trend that was not meant to offend or rebel against. Hip Hop began as a celebration of music as well as taste. It began with African American youth in the 1980’s with the emergence of rap and the art of break dancing. The clothes worn to break dance were usually very loose and bright and expressive. Many t-shirts were worn during this time that expressed pride in black heritage. “African-inspired clothing also enjoyed a surge of popularity. Kente cloth from Ghana appeared in almost every type of apparel, and red, yellow, black and green were the colors du jour. When Run-D.M.C. hit the scene, so did a look that would, at least in part, be emulated for years: black leather jackets and pants, black fedoras or Kangol hats, large, chunky chains and, of course, Adidas. Eventually, these leather "suits" made way for nylon and cotton tracksuits, still adorned with heavy jewelry. The ensemble was often topped with a Kangol or baseball cap and bottomed with a pair of designer athletic shoes (Adidas made way for Nike). Hats, and even entire outfits, were worn backward (remember the Kriss Kross video "Jump"?). Basketball jerseys were worn over t-shirts with jeans so baggy that they pooled in a puddle of fabric stopped only by the open, unlaced top of a Timberland or Lugz boot.” Today Hip Hop is largely in the expense of designer labels. As the 1990s came to a close, oversized was still the size of choice, be it denim or cargo pants. The gangsta style of wearing pants so low that underwear shows persists today. Reportedly, the practice comes from prisons, where belts aren't allowed due to potentially lethal uses [source: CNN]. Kangol hats remain, as do baseball caps. Joining them is the do-rag, reportedly another prison-wear influence.

“Gangsta-inspired clothing wasn't the only 90s hip-hop staple. Designer labels, such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, filled closets from the East to the West Coast. The label-heavy trend remains today. Some of the more prominent brands on the shopping list include: Baby Phat, Carhartt, Converse, Dickies, Ecko and Ecko Red, Fubu, G-unit, Lacoste, Phat Farm, Reebok, Rocawear, Sean John, and Von Dutch.”

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/hip-hop7.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_fashion

GEEKS ARE CHIC

I’ve seen many shirts with women proudly proclaiming their love for Nerds recently. But it doesn’t end with the outward profession of Love of the Geeks. Fashion is taking a turn for the “point-dexter” in us all. Glasses are being worn with and without the lenses. Suspenders are the hottest accessory, and preppy looks are on the rise.
It’s an awkward glamour that only nerds can appreciate!

America Ferrera on the NY set of the TV series Ugly Betty