You Wore What?

Jeans zeitgeist

 

Jeans have been around in one form or another since the nineteenth century, yet are still considered modern, and too 'edgy' for the workplace. If ever a pair of trousers could be described as an anti-establishment icon, it's jeans.

Jeans are everywhere, with denim once even being used as upholstery material for a limited edition of the Volkswagen Beetle. Jeans have been sported by virtually everyone at some pint - in fact the only people I can thunk of never to have been seen in a pair of denims are John Lydon, various church leaders in their 80s, and, err, that's about it.

The colour and the style of jeans changes all the time, of course, but not so radically that they are ever unrecognisable. Thankfully some trends look to have disappeared permanently (wine coloured denims, anyone?) while some are yet to be invented. Recent trends (some good, some not so good) have included:

*Integral staining - (artificially made to look like the wearer has been smearing jeans with silt

*Fake biro - jeans designed to look like they've been defaced/ doodled on

*Permacrush - jeans made to look like they've spent eternity at the bottom of a pile of washing and have suddenly been picked up and worn

*wacky embroidery - frogs, sequins, etc

*And the funniest one of all - jeans with flames printed on them. So you can look like you're being barbecued. A mad and repellent idea. Especially at £150.

The choice of what's available has actually increased lately as well, what with the amount of info available on the web. There are blogs by jeans collectors/ experts, websites for fashion houses, auction sites, stores. For mens jeans online, it's fair to say we are spoilt for choice.

 

 

 

Eco-clothing

I think it's time we all - all of us - started doing our bit for the environment and that's including our clothes and fashion choices.

No, I don't mean weaving your own socks or growing your own underpants. I don't even mean seeking out some eco-label that ensures its clothes are biodegradable.

I'm just talking simple common sense. Clean crestures that we are in the 21st century, we wash shirts, blouses, t-shirts after a day's wear. But how much soiling does your shirt or blouse show after a day's wearing? I mean if you're unlucky it might have a stray splodge of spagbol or a biro stroke. But if it doesn't, then it can usually be washed at a lower temperature. Don't put stuff in at 40 cos the label dictates. That is a maximum temperature, not a demand.By looking after the wash from an eco-perspective you will not only be looking after the environment but possibly lengthening the lifespan of your garment.

Other than that it's even more common-sensical. Stuff you don't wear any more that is still in style and in good nick can be taken to the charity shop. Don't try and give them your holey nylon yesteryear cords and expect them to sell them - they can't. For older unwearable garments there are recycling facilities widely available. And ask around the family to see if anyone wants stuff you're offloading. You never know who's secretly been coveting that Gucci tie you've gotten bored of and were about to chuck.

One more thing - try and use cleaning products that are eco-friendly and you will be doing even more for the environment - these are available in most supermarkets and do the job just as well as the conventional ones.

Online vibe: the evening dress for less

You don't want to spend too much cash on evening wear. Unless it's a tux or a kilt type thing for the gents, which cost about £800 and last forever.

But for your more transitory, fashion-led evening wear, a good bet is a trip online to see what's available. The virtual fashion malls are seeing better and better business every year as more and more people discover the joys of shopping without queueing. And also the price-savvy among us will all have tales to tell of the internet bargains we have landed. A bit like fishermen's tales, y'know: the discount was (arms spanned) like, thiiis biig...!   ;-)

Evening dresses online  come in all colours and styles - choose the one that's right and don't pay too much and do it online and... no hassle at all!

Smart clothes

If you asked people on the street in the 1970s what clothes would be like in the 2010s, I'm pretty sure there'd be a wide range of responses. If anyone had asked me I'd have expected future clothes to be at least self cleaning and maybe anti-gravity to help me float around a bit instead of walking everywhere.

But what I wouldn't've expected would be clothes that contain a remote-tracking device. I mean, why? There was talk a while back that a UK retailer had put tracking devices in cartons of razor blades, but I expect that was mainly an anti-theft kind of strategy. 

According to The Week blog, a very famous US retailer is putting tracking devices into jeans and underwear. Should we be scared? I say, emphatically, no. It's just a way of keeping track of the stock. Shops are highly unlikely to have the resources, the time or the will to track people wearing garments that have left the shop.

If something more sinister was afoot, and we were afraid of being tracked, then GPS devices and mobile phones would be unused. But they're ubiquitous.

Maybe a bit more info on the systems used and how they operate would allay people's fears on this one?

Big brother - sewn into your jeans?

Digital Autumn

Fashionwise, things haven't been this digital since, since ... since the days of the dotcom boom.But much of that Boo(m) may be best forgotten about - it seems, after all, like a lifetime ago. 

But someone from that far past (with the right flux capacitor) would probably be pleasantly surprised to see today just how much of an advance has been made into the digital world. Sure, thing's haven't reached the stage where we can instantly materialise what clothes we want by pressing a button on the laptop, but one day you never know...

Mashable has this interesting report on what's imminent in the world of digital from the fashion magazines this autumn. It's an exciting glimpse into a future we have so far only seen the merest hint of. InStyle magazine has hooked up with Stylefeeder, the personal shopping engine, while the value of social media such as facebook and Twitter is uncertain. Some magazine publishers have noticed that their advertisers demand solutions that incorporate social platforms, whereas others haven't. Either way, it looks as if the ultra-exclusive brands will remain aloof for the time being, social-media wise, as it woudn't do to be chatting with the customer at ground level.

In the report there is also talk of shopping apps being launched - again, this is early days for these kind of ventures, but hopefully they will mature and develop into something we can see a real difference from. Quite how the fashion world will respond to a decade where everyone has instant handheld internet is anyone's guess. We could be a t a real jump-off point here.

Or it could be Boo redux. But I very much doubt that'll happen.

...all around the web: sportswear, bespoke tailoring, women's clothes, and more...

It doesn't matter what you're in the market for clothes-wise, the internet is most definitely the place to start looking for it, and often actually find it too.

For your high-end tailored suit type stuff there's your Saville row type places like Gieves & Hawkes. These suits will set you back a few quid, but are world-renowned for quality (the company also makes miltary gear). But you don't need to go to Saville Row, just fire up your laptop and visit their website.

Then for your antique type clothes there's the online auction sites. These are very handy as you can pick up bargains here - whereas a second hand shop will have a fixed price, in an auction the price often starts very low and stays low.

For brand sportswear it's good to keep up with the latest by checking out the sites of each individual brand - they generally have a separate website for each country or territory and news of new releases wil  often be on there first.

And for women's clothes there are more websites than there are people on the planet. Or so it seems. But the list of retailers that actually do well in the marketplace tells a different story - in each territory there is a top band of retailers who are selling interesting stuff and developing the market.

All of which makes the high street and the laptop now almost seem like equal competitors for our clothes shopping pounds.

You wore... fashion horror?

Since most blog posts are about the stylish and the up to date, I thought I'd give you a quick tour of fashion horror moments from the last 100 years.

1. The Mullet -  the anti-iconic hairdon't of the late 80s. It made a prototype nu-rave oblique ironic resurgence in 1994, then disappeared - forever. Believed to still exist in remote pockets of Eastern Europe, this once- ubiquitous but now mythical beast is only seen on silver screens - or is it? Best keep an eye out for the deadly mullet. NB it doesn't show up in mirrors.

2. Parallells - like flares, but without the style. A kind of indie-dance nautical take on jeans, oftentimes worn with a Ravey Davey Gravey hat and a World Of Twist t-shirt. The kind of garment that Dracula-like sucked the style out of all it encountered, leaving it to roam like the baggy undead.

3. Doc shoes. Like, why...? The boots were ok, unless you wore the skinhead bovver boot 18-gimlet version, in which case you were a bit of a tearaway. But the shoes, man, they were 'orrible times infinity. The kind of shoe that even your geography teacher would reject. Blergh.

4. Dungarees. Big in the 70s, apparently. Way to look like a complete numpty!

5. Jumbo cords. That's cords but with the cord oversized to look like someone's taken the cover off an underground train seating bench, made it into trousers and forced you to wear it. The geography teachers did wear these back in the day. Prithee Nuncle, more fool them...

Even Mr Claypole from Rentaghost wouldn't be seen dead in parallels. And he's a ghost...

Jeans update - Harrison Ford's wedding day jeans story

According to this report from the eternally fascinating Digital Spy, Harrison Ford wore jeans to his wedding at his wedding in New Mexico earlier this month.

Well, it was Han Solo/ Indiana Jones marrying Aly McBeal. And it was in New Mexico...

Way to go, Harrison!

So, it got me wondering, what kind of jeans would I wear, if I was marrying a beautiful Hollywood actress? TBH I'd probably go for something fairly conservative - definitely no flares or rips for a wedding jean, that's my advice. Maybe some dark, standard western design, not too skinny, but dressy enought o show that I was making the effort. Coupled with a pair of adidas Chile 62 trainers and a decent shirt, i think it could be the new wedding get-up. It's got to be better than spending all morning on your wedding day figuing out how to work a kilt buckle and fastening on a sporran, ain't it?

With a laptop and a jeans online shop, you mightn't even have to leave the house in order to buy your duds for the big day!

 

Right, all this cake needs is a Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia on the top. And a light-sabre to cut it!

Make The Perfect Summer Look

The Summer Is here

As the Summer FINALLY rolls into town I think it's time we sorted out what's at the top of the table with summer clothes, we need to work out what was left behind last year and whats new in the market for those days down the beach.

Mens clothes can always be an issue with most guys happy to sport the same fashion they did five years ago but unfortunatly we forget that time moves on!

 

Mens Polo Shirt, you can never go wrong with this and it can be worm casual or smart.

 

Mens long shorts seem to be well at the top of shopping lists this summer and why not round it off with an army style feel

 

The old school gym shoes are back and suprisingly well in fashion!

All items picutred can be picked up next to nothing if you shop in the right places!

Nice range from Pearl Lowe

For those of you that are unaware, Pearl Lowe is an Indie-Icon (she used to be in the band Powder) turned fashion designer. She has designed two ranges of clothes for the high street retailer Peacocks - the latest of which for Spring/Summer 2010 is available to buy online now. There are some pretty cool items in there we think you'll agree.......

Pearls daughter Daisy Lowe models the Peacocks range 

Pearl Lowe for Peacocks SS2010 by Maci Scott on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
View All Just Arrived - Just Arrived - Peacocks, 6 GBP
View All Just Arrived - Just Arrived - Peacocks, 6 GBP
View All Just Arrived - Just Arrived - Peacocks, 14 GBP
View All Just Arrived - Just Arrived - Peacocks, 14 GBP
View All Just Arrived - Just Arrived - Peacocks, 14 GBP