Is It Right To Wear White?

There's always been that age old fashion etiquette rule that's told us white after Labor Day is a 'no-no' but is it really?  It's true that the non hue clothing choice has always been associated with cooler climates, primarily Summer but if we go as far back to the 1920's, white was oftentimes linked to an elite society of socialites who vacationed in the Hampton's whereas the working class spent their time working year round to make ends meet. Some have claimed that wearing white in the Winter reflects light and heat and actually makes the wearer cold.  Who really knows the origin of the no white after September deal & does it really matter in the current day with all of the 'out there' designs & color schemes that seem to have no boundaries?  I would say..."NO"!

Celebrated in the United States, Labor Day is said to be the official mark to the end of Summer as vacations come to an end and children head back to school and throughout history, both Fall & Winter have always been thought of as darker color seasons in regards to apparel.  French designer CoCo Chanel believed 'white was right' year round as it was a permanent part of her personal wardrobe.  She dared to wear her signature white suit year round...

In vintage days wearing white was connected with 'snobbery' & 'keeping cool' but for all intents and purposes, especially in the 21st century, there is really no good reason not to wear white twelve months out of the year. With that being said, it's a personal choice and you're not going to be shunned for it.  For Fall/Winter 2011 we are seeing a lot of white on the front as Yves St. Laurent, Stella McCartney & Calvin Klein are showing us that white can be so right in spite of the idea that we've all held onto for years.

On a more casual & affordable level, white paired with anything is what is trendy for the cooler weather that's just right around the corner. So remember that it's your right to rock the white from here on out!

      


pics: otownstyle.com, myhero.com, elle.com, laurenhamptondesigns.blogspot.com

    

Fashion In Film Friday - Wild At Heart

In 1990, director David Lynch released a film called 'Wild At Heart' about two lovers on the run, played by Laura Dern (Lula) & Nicolas Cage (Sailor).  If you've ever seen a Lynch film before than you know just what to expect.  Although he never fails to be more than entertaining, his story lines usually go off in a million directions leaving the viewer wondering..."What the heck was that all about?"  For some, it was considered to be a cult classic but that subject still remains up for discussion because during the original screening people were walking out in droves.  In spite of that, 'Wild At Heart' won the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival that year...

Between the music & the costume designs, the movie had a serious vintage vibe to it and even though it was produced in 1990, you really didn't have any idea what era it was set in.  It is a mixture of 40's, 50's, 60's & new wave retro that was the 80's.  The soundtrack includes everything from Glen Miller's 'In The Mood', Gene Vincent's 'Be-Bop-A-Lu-La' to Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'.

From The snakeskin jacket worn by Sailor to the aerobics leotard & leggings paired with cowboy boots worn by Lula, there was a whole lot of diversity going on in this movie in regards to fashion styles.  Unlike Cage who basically wore the same outfit throughout the entirety of the film (jeans, t-shirt, jacket), Dern's wardrobe was eclectic and I'm assuming because of the title of the movie, the costume designer, Amy Stofsky knew exactly what she was doing by making the crazy personalities of the characters believable with the ability to create a free spirited feel to the roles being played. 

Usually, I give my readers a little 'how to' in regards to creating a style in accordance with the film it was inspired by, but not this week.  I don't think there's no room in any ones wardrobe for the return of the aerobic leotard!

*Wishing everyone a safe & fun filled Labor Day Weekend!

pics: geraldine-lisboa.com, posters555.com, realmovienews.com, joeyzine.com, moviemail-online.co.uk, allmoviephoto.com, davidlynch.de,                    

MOD Monday

It's almost time...Summer 2011 is right around the corner depending on what part of the United States you live, so with that being said, today's topic is 'sunglasses' but not just any shades of course, we're gonna be talking MOD!  There have been so many variations of shapes and styles throughout the years but the one that's making a loud revival is the return of the big white chunky mod frame of the 1960's.  Screen stars of the vintage era gone by, Audrey Hepburn & Grace Kelly were the first to make white mod shades scene savvy.

    

The round shape was popular in the 60's early 70's and evolved into an oversized oval.  Although there hasn't been too much variation over time, this frame will never go out of style!

In the 90's, the late grunge rocker Kurt Cobain of the then popular band Nirvana, made these shades rock and and shortly thereafter, everyone was else was too! 

White is a universal color for all seasons these days so you can throw away the notions of the past that you're not supposed to wear this bare hue beyond Labor Day and after all, if the 'It Girl's' Nicole, Drew & Paris give these pale shades a thumbs up then you know you're all good to go!

     
    
pics: people.com, jkhgroup.com, thisnext.com, s4.hugimg.com, bemod.com