A New Take on Fashion

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes weeks of eating deliciously unhealthy food, family gatherings, and plenty of anxiety about what to wear. Looking festive doesn’t have to be difficult, and it definitely shouldn’t ruin the fun of gorging on holiday meals. Dressing up while feeling comfortable for a get-together can be easy, and style shouldn’t come before comfort. The biggest mistake a person can make when dressing up for the holidays is choosing to wear jeans. Sure, jeans look great and can fit almost every occasion, but a denim waistband is among the least forgiving of clothing. While wearing sweatpants is usually not an option, not all stretchy pants are classless. A thick pair of leggings can look sleek when paired with a cable knit sweater, a scarf, and some leather boots. The leggings have enough stretch to make room for all the holiday eating, and an oversized sweater can hide a “food baby” that comes with munching on too much ham. If the forgiving elastic in

Finding a job in the fashion industry may seem tough as it is, but throwing in young age on top of it makes the task even more difficult. Gaining experience in the industry is a struggle, as many opportunities are presented with the requirement of several years of practice already. How can a 20-year-old break into fashion, when so few entry level jobs exist? Without networking, starting a career in the fashion industry feels impossible. Knowing the right people, and making constant connections is honestly the easiest way to land an interview. Instructors, friends, roommates, classmates, and even stylish people on the street are the key to learning new skills and creating strong references that bump the odds of interviewing even higher. Having a good recommendation from somebody is almost as important as experience in the industry. However, networking can be difficult for many people, and figuring out how to reach out to someone can be tough. Taking local fashion classes is a great

To many, being stylish is about spending money. Having the season’s hottest trends is expensive, and looking good means dipping into savings. However, there are many ways to look fashion forward while saving money. Repurposing clothing is the easiest and most fun way to update a wardrobe. Taking a pair of scissors to an old t-shirt brings life in to a drab piece of clothing. Jeans can be customized (and turned into new party pants) by distressing and adding store-bought patches. Two garments can be cut apart and sewn back together to create a mix-print or colour-blocked look, and panels added to the hem of tops create interest and a one of a kind appearance. Thrifting can be tough, but feels like a treasure hunt. Unique vintage pieces feel almost abundant at thrift shops, and the very on-trend “mom jeans” are easy to find. Event and everyday pieces can be purchased at very low prices, which makes shopping feel guilt-free. Another tried and true way to find great clothes is to s

Though my time in the fashion industry has been short, my career choice has certainly impacted many aspects of my life. As a young person in fashion, most of my friends have come from past industry jobs or school, and many of my hobbies are based around my artistic career. However, being in this industry has impacted me in ways that I would have never expected. Dating is tough as it is, but trying to date while being in the fashion industry has brought on a whole new set of challenges. I’ve found that going into dates, many people have false stereotypes and expectations of my personality. They expect an airheaded, pink-loving, Elle Woods type, completely unaware of anything other than the season’s hottest fashions. I’m often compared to characters from movies and television, which reflect absolutely zero aspects of my life. “You’re in fashion? Oh so is your life like ‘The Devil Wears Prada’?” Well, it might be, except I don’t live in New York, I don’t work for a top rated fashion

Finding a job in the fashion industry may seem tough as it is, but throwing in young age on top of it makes the task even more difficult. Gaining experience in the industry is a struggle, as many opportunities are presented with the requirement of several years of practice already. How can a 20-year-old break into fashion, when so few entry level jobs exist? Without networking, starting a career in the fashion industry feels impossible. Knowing the right people, and making constant connections is honestly the easiest way to land an interview. Instructors, friends, roommates, classmates, and even stylish people on the street are the key to learning new skills and creating strong references that bump the odds of interviewing even higher. Having a good recommendation from somebody is almost as important as experience in the industry. However, networking can be difficult for many people, and figuring out how to reach out to someone can be tough. Taking local fashion classes is a great

To the average person, the economy and fashion only seem to be slightly related. However, the state of the economy greatly impacts fashion at various levels. Hemlines are known to rise and fall with the economy. As the state of the economy worsens, trends often become more modest, and the opposite proves true as well. During the 1920s, the economy was booming, and for the first time in American fashion history, women wore clothing that showed off their arms and ankles. The average person was feeling more liberated, and was happy to show some skin. However, during the Great Depression, dresses were once again modest, and appendages were fully covered. Not only do silhouettes change with the economy, clothing materials and quality is altered as well. In the 1930s, as the economy was tanking to its lowest point in history, families were forced to make their own clothes out of flour sacks, and even adding their own prints with whatever materials they could find. Designer clothing was onl

While the worlds of politics and fashion may seem light years apart, in reality they are much more related than they initially appear. Some connections between fashion and politics are more obvious. For example, new tariffs being imposed on goods imported from other countries, such as China and Thailand, make it more difficult to create inexpensive clothing from outsourced manufacturers. This, in turn, is killing fast fashion as well as many big box companies. Even smaller startup companies are suffering as fabric prices and manufacturing costs continue to increase. However, politics impacts fashion and trends in ways that few have noticed. Trends in the fashion industry often mimic trends from eras that had similar political climates. Today, it seems as though civil and human rights movements are more prevalent than ever, reflecting the zeitgeist of the 1960s.   Modern trends, such as high waisted bottoms, cropped pants, and miniskirts, were also very popular fifty years ago. Howeve

Every autumn, the same colours come back into fashion. It seems like the same dark red and mustard sweaters have been saturating the market for half a decade. While beautiful and flattering, it’s time for an update. Adding a few fresh colours is a perfect way to spice up any fall wardrobe. Trading out a candy apple red scarf for a blush accessory is an easy and interesting switch. Wearing a soft lavender with a dark navy can bring a surprising twist to a fall outfit. This year’s trendiest fall colour is the 2018 Pantone Colour of the Year; Ultra Violet. This deep purple looks great every skin tone, and pairs well with practically everything. Some other up and coming colours to incorporate are bright blue, taupe, and even lemon-lime. Throwing these colours into a look will add interest, and is sure to turn heads. Mixing up fall colours is almost as fun as going for a monochromatic look. A burgundy cardigan, violet tee, and a lavender scarf is an unexpected yet harmonious combination

The transition from summer to fall is arguably the most beautiful time of year. The leaves begin changing colours, embers crackle in fire places, and the temperature finally begins to decrease. However, all these changes bring on the age-old question; what is a person supposed to wear in this ever-changing weather? Transitional fashion can seem very intimidating to many people; however, it isn’t as difficult as it appears. The average person has everything they need in their closet to come up with a perfect fall transitional wardrobe. All it takes is a few basic pieces and some strategic layering to create an outfit that looks great, and is comfortable no matter what the forecast has in store. One of the easiest looks to put together, perfect for almost every occasion, consists of a fun t-shirt, fitted jeans, and a lightweight jacket or cardigan. This can be styled with any number of accessories, and a scarf is a nice addition that can add more style and warmth to the outfit. Any

Street style in Los Angeles is all about looking both put together, and effortless. The average person walking the streets of LA appears as though they could be going to any event; ready to take on anything at a moment’s notice. Every aspect of a look is entirely thought out, from the slight slouch in a jacket to each hair upon an individual’s head. Not a single part of the look goes without thought. There is a perfect balance always achieved in the outfit; both in colour and size. Every look is made to stand out, unique and quirky pieces defining the look, but somehow seems to fit in at every setting. Whether a person is attending a fashion show, or heading out for pizza, they manage to look as though they belong.  Despite the uniqueness the people of LA seem to strive for, both men and women often seem to dress somewhat alike. The lines between male and female fashion are often blurred, and the androgynous look is more prevalent than ever.   Fashion gender norms are being broken