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Summer Fashion:
The do's and don'ts of the season...
So, I'm writing the summer fashion segment in the Bizzaro edition of the Happygrrls website. But anyone who knows me knows that my sense of fashion is "très horrible." So writing this article would have been one of the biggest fake-outs of 2003. Usually, if given this sort of assignment, I would have went off on a tangent about how fashion in music videos seems to be translating itself onto "the street" (you can take that any way you want).I would have been very pretentious and extolled the virtues of daisy dukes. And that they are the fashion statement to make this summer. Between all the Britney and Avril wannabes, we haven't seen enough crack on our streets, but we must beat out the belly buttons and plumber butt from last summer as well. We should fully endorse the concept of seeing sagging, fake-and-bake butt cheeks. Yuck.
But I decided to take the higher road and take this more seriously. So I called in the Big Guns and got some help from an expert. I called on the expertise of a soon-to-be fashion mogul/icon Patricia Amato, since she knows the difference between a mule and a stiletto.
I did a little background research by checking out some of fashion websites on the net. I refuse to go onto the Gap website simply because I hate that place. You could probably go to Walmart and get the same thing. But whatever. If you like it, all the more power to you. I started to notice a few patterns perusing those websites. But there was one pattern I did not appreciate: the extortionist pricing attached to those websites. I humbly shut down my computer and moseyed on down to my local Indigo to look over some fashion magazines.
I noticed that geometric prints in bold colours seem to be a common theme. Stripes are also in the mix as well; whether they are vertical, horizontal or diagonal the fashionites everywhere love them for this summer. Distressed/faded denim is all the rage (THANK GOD! As long as acid wash doesn't see the light of day, I'll go for almost anything). And the 80's seem to be coming back with a vengeance. So bust out those tried jeans you've worn back in elementary, girls, all that stuff is coming back!
After speaking to Patricia, she nailed down some trends that seem to be hot right now and accompanied them with all the stuff from the magazines and I have gleaned their wisdom, which I have categorized into a few sections:
"Gotta haves" for the summer:
"Just leave home without it" for the summer:
- Vintage tees
- Cargo pants
- Peasant skirts
- Extremes in footwear (spiky stilettos, or flip flops)
- Tee shirts with blazers
- Bright/bold colours
- PRINTS! PRINTS! PRINTS!
- Geometric patterns
- Anything exotic
- Satins
- Frills & Lace
- Mix and Match prints
- White
- Trucker baseball caps
A word of caution for those brave souls that want mix-and-match prints - just keep a couple of things in mind:
- Anything camouflage
- Anything Hawaiian
- Anything uncomfortable
One last major trend for this summer: Tee shirts with slogans on them. Whether it's "Dump Him" (Britney Spears), "Jesus is My Homeboy" (Ashton Kutcher), "You Suck" (Madonna), or (my personal favourite), a picture of a mad Hello Kitty with the caption: "Cute on the Outside. Angry On the Inside," they're all making a statement for you and you don't have to say a word.
- Keep the background colour for both pieces within the same shade. Sure, pinks and violets may be hot colours right now, but that doesn't mean that you have to turn them into a paisley top/polka dot pants fiasco.
- One pattern should ALWAYS be more subtle than the other. If you're going to do this, keep in mind that sight is a wonderful thing, therefore you shouldn't make it painful. Having two loud pieces in your ensemble is something reserved for the colour-blind.
- Hawaiian Shirts. I know that 80s revival is in full swing, but that doesn't mean that we should lose our minds. Unless you are in Hawaii, there is no excuse to where that stuff.
One trend that is (thankfully) making its way out this summer is: Camouflage/Army wear. Praise the Lord. Finally, the camouflage/fatigue days are over. There is only one thing left to say: "That look belongs in the trenches maggot!"
With all this said, I ask that you keep one thing in mind at all times. And this should be in top priority whether it's while you're shopping or deciding what to wear in the morning. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS be comfortable in what you wear. If you're more comfortable in stilettos than you are in running shoes, then spike it up. If that slinky, sexy, little black number keeps riding up for some reason, don't wear it out. There are very few things in this world that are less sexy than fidgeting because your underwear keeps fighting with your the little black dress. And besides, it kind of defeats the purpose of the sexy little black dress anyway.
When you're comfortable, you can be confident. And when you're confident, that's when you're sexy. A good attitude is the best accessory for any season. And that, my friends, is the best fashion advice anyone can give. ¤ Sheena