The Perfect City Dweller

We as humans often sweep them under the rug, banishing them to the back of our minds and hoping they do not resurface. No, I am not talking about the holiday sweater your grandmother bought for you, nor am I referring to the opera tickets that your wife has begged you to buy; I am talking about pigeons. These perfect city dwellers make any town a city, any house a home, and any alley a dirty one.

Pigeons, not to be mistaken for their admirable cousin the dove, have nearly perfected what it takes to survive as a city dweller. You could say they are the perfect homeless species; living at the cost of others, inhabiting occupied land, yet managing to gain sympathy from all that pass by.

These feathery friends may have us all fooled, merely con artists in disguise. Maybe we are the dwellers, permanently residing in the home of the pigeon. So who really has it down perfectly, the perfect city dwellers or the perfect tenants, and above all, who holds which title?

You Can Judge a Book by its Cover

Perfection- n. A quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence.

Perfection is a goal that women and men have worked towards for centuries. Women in particular seem to be keen on the idea of altering themselves to achieve the fictitious idea of perfect beauty. But is it a myth? Scientific studies have shown that there is indeed a science behind “the perfect face.” This game changing theory entertains the fact that the ratios between key features such as the mouth and eyes can determine whether you are considered attractive or not. But this beauty is more than skin deep, for scientists are drawing connections between facial symmetry and overall health.

Florence Colgate is an 18-year-old Great Britain native who recently won Britain’s contest for “the perfect face.” Colgate’s perfectly proportioned face will be featured on SuperDrug billboards everywhere as the ultimate ideal in female beauty.

The idea of balance and ratios is a theory that has been around for many centuries. Our minds subconsciously average the thousands of faces we see each day, creating an optimal facial proportion which we try to obtain. A perfectly proportioned face is a desirable trait that many would love to possess. However, the reflection a proportioned face has on one’s health is perhaps even more desirable. A proportioned or “balanced” face can often represent a clean bill of health for those who were blessed with this trait.

The profundities of this golden ratio are never ending. Whether it be the astounding feature of a perfectly proportioned face or the able-bodied status one holds when walking out with perfect proportions, the golden ratio is sure to be considered beautiful in the eye of every beholder. 

Florence Colgate

Deco Design

Ralph Lauren Spring Show 2013

A model in a beaded embroidered dress makes her way down the runway, a pastel pink boa flowing as the model does her turn at the end of the catwalk. Her vintage earrings dangle and her three inch deco heels glisten; Ralph Lauren has somehow managed to make you feel as though you have traveled back to the era of jazz and prohibition.

Designers such as Ralph Lauren, Jill Stuart, and Gucci have begun to incorporate 1920s Deco inspired fashion into their collections for 2013. From elegant silk dresses, to meticulously beaded garments, many aspects of this trend emulate the once iconic fashions of CoCo Chanel and Jean Patou. In Gucci's latest Spring show, metallic colors and fabrics were featured as a bold twist on these classic pieces. However, there is a disconnect between what the everyday woman would wear and what the designers envision her wearing. Bold fashion statements made on the runway do not always translate as bold walking down the street, more often than not they look strange and out of place. When women embody these trends and make them their own, the connection between designer and consumer is made.

Simplifying these looks and mixing them with modern pieces is the key to making this trend wearable by everyday women. Piling too many vintage pieces on top of each other can look as though you are trapped in a second hand store rather than dressing for present day. For example, taking a vintage dress, such as the one seen in Ralph Lauren's Spring 2013 show, and pairing it with a pink boa is something only Ralph Lauren could do on the runway. In real life however, matching a nice necklace or bracelet (or both as long as it is kept simple) would be a perfect addition while the boa would look like you had just walked off the stage of the musical Chicago.

As far as metallics, minimal is the way to go. Combining too many metallics can lead to looking like a giant disco ball. Choosing one metallic piece such as a blouse or dress, then centering the rest of your outfit around that key piece is a better way to incorporate this look.  Shopping sites such as Modcloth.com are an excellent example of how to properly blend modern and retro styles together to make wearable ensembles.

1920s actress and fashionista, Louise Brooks once said ,"When I went to Hollywood in 1927, the girls were wearing lumpy sweaters and skirts... I was wearing sleek suits and half naked beaded gowns and piles, and piles of fur." Breaking the mold, Brooks went on to become a famous actress and the “it girl” of her era. Having this same attitude, women in the twenty-first century can also create and individualize their own style, setting them apart from the rest of the fashion followers.

                                           

"A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world."

-Louise Brooks

Turban Time

Drop your Fedoras, because despite what you think, turbans are the next expected fad of the season.

Turbans are known as the Middle Eastern accessory but the “Americanized” version gives the traditional turban a chicer and more edgy look.

Designers like Vena Cava top off their runway looks with a head turning turban to keep the onlookers constantly interested. Other than the runway, the right occasion for a turban is up to the brave soul who chooses to where it.

If your looking for an everyday turban, Gold Saturn is your one stop shop. From, Leopard and Python print, to bejeweled and solid colors, every turban you can imagine is at your finger tips.

Are you wondering how much these turbans will cost you? Ranging anywhere from $40 to to $152, you may want to crack open your piggy bank before hitting the mall for your turban shopping adventure. 

 

High Waisted Hype

Passing the belly button and working their way up to the bust line, high waisted shorts are giving a new meaning to the term “wedgie.”

These inappropriate shorts are reaching new lows as protruding backsides are oozing out of them for everyone to see. Although not by choice, it seems nearly impossible to escape the cheeks of others (as if it weren’t painful enough to look at your own.)

Some teens are cutting a fresh pair of jeans themselves to show the perfect amount of cheek. Sadly, this not only cuts the cost, but cuts the cheek off, halfway.

No matter your preference, short and revealing, or long and classic, people will notice you (or at least your backside.)

American Apparel Denim Red Shorts 

American Apparel Denim White Shorts

American Apperal Black Denim Shorts

 

 

Back to Retro

I just found this website called Modcloth. which is bringing back retro vintage styles from every era with a new age twist. Although I thought I was the first to find this online store, when I told my friends about it they only stared at me for a few seconds and started laughing because they had been there and done that. 

Because Modcloth is an online store, you don’t have the benefit of trying on what you wish to buy. However, there is a clear description of whether something is true to size, runs small, or runs a little large. These specifics are under the details icon on he right hand side, just above the list of sizes. 

One of the things I love about Modcloth is they have new releases, everyday. Just below the price of the item is an indicator on whether that particular item was released that day or the previous day. Items that have been out for more than two days have no indicator, but are still as cute as the new releases.

 Whether its now, yesterday, or tomorrow, Modcloth’s clothes are always, have always, and will always be relevant. 

 

 

Crop Shop

Crop tops,  are the belly baring 1960’s fashion trend is making a come back in style with a new age twist. How cropped is too cropped?

    2011 is the blast from the past millennium, bringing all previous fashion trends back in style and crop tops are no exception. Cropped tees are typically worn with a pair of jeans or high waisted shorts, which is also very 60’s. Simplicity is key when wearing a crop top, too many accessories can overpower the already daring tee.
    The option to wear a tank top underneath a crop top is often ignored by teens, who believe the more skin the better. Crop tops are getting shorter with every new fashion release. American Apparel has a large collection of these tees, but they sometimes cross the line between stylish and sleazy.
    Crops are a “to each their own” kind of tee. Some think that crop tops are stylish and fun, while other’s feel that they are too revealing cropped. Here’s a good rule of thumb, if you have been missing your morning crunches, don’t pursue the shirt.