Wednesday 15 February 2012

Mixed Prints- Friend or Foe?

I'd like to think of fashion as a multi-polar individual- soft, subtle, saintly yet screaming sexiness depending on what she wears. She is your friend or foe with a huge impact on your life. She makes you or breaks you and is used as a looking glass through which other view you. In short, your style speaks volumes about you, whether you're into it or not.

Mixed Prints is trending currently and it is simply an arrangement of different colour and shape schemes worn on separate items of clothing together. One rule of fashion that has been passed down over the years is never, ever, ever neveeerr mix prints or 'mix-match'. 'The classic Jamaican stripe and pretty-pretty, stripe and plaid.' This criminal fashion offence, gladly for some, has been amended and mixed prints have become a huge statement when done correctly. There are a few rules, I've observed, that must be followed when breaking-out in this trend.

1) According to People magazine, you must pay close attention to proportion and working within the same colour palette.
Amber Heard (left) is mindful of her tans and browns in her colour palette. Also, notice how the flower motif on her top is larger than the spot motif on her skirt. This makes the outfit easy on the eye instead of creating a dazzling effect it would have, ought they been the same size.
Kelly Osbourne (middle) ensures that white forms the background for both her skirt and top. She like Amber, balances out the look as her polka-dot is not overly 'polka-dotty' since her skirt is overly floral. (I hope I'm making sense)
Selita Ebanks (right) works with white and blue in her palette. She has probably run the biggest risk of them all but still manages to maintain the rule. The spots on her skirt, though numerous are smaller than the floral motif on her blouse and doesn't create that 'dazzly' effect.
* The accessories (jewelry, shoes,handbag etc) should be as mono-coloured as possible. This helps to maintain the balance.

2) When mixing prints you can pull off florals on florals, spots on spots BUT lines do not go well with lines! They just don't.
Look how these celebs work their lines.

Lines and florals- tres chic!

Ethnic prints, especially African prints, defy the rules mentioned above. Believe me. I just think they are too awesome to not look cooool:)


I find mixed prints to be especially rad on the beach....

And my very own mixed print to school (primarily because I've ran out of clean clothes)



Now you decide: Friend or foe?

Monday 30 January 2012

Fashion Designers have it easy..

While listening to some techno music from the 90'S, MC Hammer's- 'Can't touch this'to be specific, one thing apart from the awesomely insane dance moves caught my eyes, and probably if you youtube the video right now, the thing might just pop out at you as well. In case you haven't figured it out just yet, its MC Hammer's metallic frompy fashionable pants! YUP! The man is not only gifted in rapping but he definitely had a way with clothes and those Aladin pants were his trademark. I then thought, 'where have I seen those pants lately?' and the current Harem pants trend came to mind. Fashion undoubtedly is a cycle that makes is easy for fashion designers to cope in the financial market. All they have to do is think of a way to modernise and resurrect previous trends that hibernated. Here are a few trends that have reincarnated in the year 2011-2012 that might be familiar to both you and your great grandparents.

There goes MC Hammering in the classic pants..

....and a slightly more modern twist to the parachute pants.





The 80's will always be remembered for its loud colours and extreme fashion styles...this dress reminds us of a prom episode of Saved by the bell..

A moderm play of the 80's dress..



I remember my Dad sporting a pair of these back in the day...OXFORDS..

little did I know that I'd now be dying for a pair...






Look how these celebs rock them out..

This photograph dates back as far as 1944, huge bow tie..

Admire how Kourtney Kardashian-one of my style icons, sports her huge bow tie

ACID WASHED then..!
....and now.


Colour blocking from the days of the Bill Cosby Show


Colour Blocking,Gucci Style
And I had to conclude with my trendy African ancestors, who knew how to design prints that would last for centuries.
African Prints do High Fahion




The Fashion Craze will continue..
<3