Parisian Sartorialism

There is something about Parisian sartorial elegance that has more than a grain of truth in it. If there’s a word that sums it up, it’s the understatement of it.

If you believe otherwise, Parisian style is generally more refined than your average New Yorker or Londoner – they would never consciously leave the house in a creased shirt. That is why, in Paris, cheap would never be in.

Parisian Lookbook via: fashionbeans.com

When you try to look at the ornate structures that surround the city it may seem that the people have been trying to mirror the stylish architecture of it all, in the way they dress and behave. The Parisian look has become more than a fashion statement but also a lifestyle, an image set off by small key tweaks that are subtle and understated.

Tailoring appeals hugely to the Parisian ensemble. Sharp and slim fitting jackets matched with tailored jeans or chinos tend to be the key for the style. Accessorizing yourself in a subtle and understated way is something that Parisians do well. Adding oversized chunky scarf in masculine colors or an elegant leather bag to your outfit can do well for a Parisian ensemble. Although, the subtle things can provide the final touches to your overall look, why not consider a crisp, slim fitting white shirt, solid black frame glasses or a vintage pair of brown brogues which can bring that touch of classic European style to your wardrobe.

Scene Queen Phemomena

Having a new philosophy for life: half-way between comic book characters and appearance obsession, skeletal teenagers with flamboyant looks, the scene queens.

They’re between 13 and 25 years old with an ostentatious appearance with long, teased, techni-colored hair. They are the scene queens, a youth phenomenona that has freshly arrived in Italy subsequent to first appearing in the US punk rock world in the 80s.

The basic ingredients for the scene queen style, aside from having the teased hair – which is dyed in every possible colour, “spectacularised” with enormously long extensions and adorned with clips and tiaras – the make-up is essential. The principal features are the eyes: these are exaggerated and given a vamp look with solid outlines of eyeliner that is blended into a “comma” shape at the sides of the eye. Lipstick and multi-colour nail polish, does the rest, and the look is paired with hot pants, tops, singlet, leggings and mini-skirts. There is Hello Kitty everywhere in the accessories, with stripes, spots and checks in the designs, laddered tights and incredibly extravagant footwear. 


The most popular shades take in vibrant, candy schemes – the palette runs from fuchsia and turquoise to brilliant violet mixed with black, a trace of a darker style and perhaps the only detail that connects the scene queens to the emo world. The over-all result is vampish, with a mix cartoons and doll-like all at the same time. The common denominators are the sunglasses with heart-shaped lenses and doll-mascot that every scene queen takes around with her. The mood is completely free of any kind of gloominess: in fact, it stresses eccentricity and inventiveness in achieving a unique look.

Via the web, they've been accused,of anorexia and of being shallow, but the scene queens hit back, asserting their right to their unrestrained look, a style free of ideology. It implies a strong streak of exhibitionism and stresses their unique doctrine, a doctrine of appearances and of putting themselves centre-stage. It’s the basic leitmotif of our generation.

the Runaways

The Runaways’ outrageous fashion did not appeal to many fans. Jett chose clothes in an androgynous wardrobe, like her red jumpsuit, whereas other members wore lingerie. They were a band, sound, and style way ahead of their generation and the mass market just wasn’t ready to receive them.

Cutrone added that the look, which was more masculine than what women had worn in past decades, came from the freedom women established in that decade. "All of a sudden, you can get a job and make your own money. This was a happening time, because they were free," she said. "They were empowered. They were the band; they weren't with the band."

Robert Verdi, a celebrity styist said that while the look might feel fresh to the actresses' fans, their parents will unquestionably remember wearing many of these styles. "I think what's interesting when you look at the Runaways' style is that it's new to a generation but old to some people," he said. "The entire sort of shaggy haircut ... it's sort of punk rock, kind of intellectual, but still grungy”.

"What stands out is the shaggy hair. The mullet. That look will become popular again with young girls, because anyone who's done it before won't do it again," he added, pointing out a few other trends that will take off. "The cork shoes. The big, chunky kind of hippie shoe. The faded, light-blue jeans. The fitted military shirts with big collars. Nothing's loose. ... All those things will be things girls like to wear."

Heatherette designer Richie Rich said it is all about the T-shirts. "I love '70s fashion. I love that whole hippie-dippy feeling ... that vibe of being cooler than school," he said. "It can translate into the streets. People wearing rock-and-roll T-shirts, real chopped-up hair. I'm not so certain about the whole bootleg jeans. It's something fun, something different."

Richie described the style as cool tomboy and said the aesthetic can surely be very modern. "It will give us that aesthetic, like cool T-shirts and accessories and lots of eyeliner ... versions of the hair, like, fun and punky," he said, adding that "cool leather jackets and T-shirts" will come back in style. "It's street fashion. They almost revolutionized that in so many ways."

An Edwardian Fashion Movement

It was the start of something new, a wind of freedom in the early 1950's in England. Teenage gangs appeared in the East End of London; they were called the Cosh boys. These Cosh boys horrified English society: razor attacks, robberies, fights among gangs and also against law enforcers. 

After the Second World War England woke up with a headache!The Press looked-for a new term to call these gangs with their numbers escalating each day. The word selected was Teddy Boys.It seemed that the 1^st  newspaper that used the name Teddy Boy was the Daily Express on September 23rd 1953. 

The teddy boys in their "uniforms"

The teddy boy uniform was initially copied from the stylish Edwardian gentleman like those under the control of Edward VII (1901-1910) - their 'social superiors'. This fashion trend was tailored, and featured stretched high necked jackets, at times of velvet, or velvet trimmed collar and cuffs, and were ruled in either flowery or intense colors. This was paired with brocade waistcoats, bootlace or slim jim tie, narrow 'drainpipe' pants,a wing-collared top and suede shoes, which were formerly regarded as 'gay men's shoes' or 'nancy boy shoes'. A crucial fashion accessory, along with the cycle chain was the comb.

The Teddygirls adopted American fashions like toreador pants and circle skirts, though they tend to wear low cut tops to make themselves look less prissy.

All teddy boys went to immense lengths to keep their hair in place. Fighting messed up the hair - hence the ever at hand metal comb. The DA was the main style while there were many kinds like 'the bop', 'the Tony Curtis', 'the be-bop', 'the tevee', 'the panama' or the 'back sweep and crest'. It was greased and usually with sideboards.

The new generation of teddy boys

The British pop boom of the 1960s brought with it fresh music and new youth culture.The original Rock and Roll pubs appeared as do Rockers who liked the same tune and rode great British motorcycles. Teds and Rockers went well among each other and the leather motorbike jacket became the standard wear for many Teddyboys and Teddygirls for day-to-day use and for rough pubs. The bike jacket could guard against motorcycle accidents, razor attacks and spilled beer in a way that the drape jacket by no means can. 

The 1970's saw Glam Rock and Rockabilly styled bands in Britain and, while the Teds loathed most of this music, it brought a resurgence of interest in Rock and Roll. Many young people bought second hand wrap jackets, hid holes with badges and became a new generation for Teddyboys and girls.The new generation of Teds developed a tough personality: hair lacquer happened to change grease, the drapes were brighter and, occasionally, the drain-pipes were tighter. Steadily, the new generation were exposed to one of the roots of R'N'R : Rockabilly and Country Music. 

As the time went on, the urban working class association with the 'Teddy Boy' dress spread further and with the commercial hits of movies like 'Rock Around The Clock' and resultant media attention. a person causing nuisance of any kind was blamed on Teddy Boys. Just as all health problems today are held responsible on 'smokers', it became almost fashionable (and it sold papers) to blame any unsocial crime on 'Teddy Boys'. A youth only had to have a Tony Curtis haircut and he was instantly labeled 'a Teddy Boy'.

Mix-n-Match

Playing with styles, mixing and combining different clothes and accessories from different eras and cultures, has been a hugely successful trend since the seventeenth century.

Bloomers

The fun of variety runs through the world of fashion, and you can often express your personality best with a mix of different styles.The taste for mix and match started at the end of the seventeenth century when exotic Chinese silks printed with birds, leaves and flowers were imported in Europe. Bringing together the flamboyance of the Baroque and fabrics with Eastern cuts, the fashion of the time created a cultural fusion between the two worlds. With the French Revolution, exoticism lost its hold – but it returned into fashion with Elizabeth Smith Miller and her “bloomer” movement. In her magazine The Lily, she promoted a new way of dressing, pairing knee-length dresses and belts with wide Oriental trousers and boots.

Teddy Boys

The style was criticized by contemporaries, and Amelia Jenks Bloomer – one of its main exponents – abandoned it in 1853. The idea of combining different cultures was taken up some decades later by Paul Poiret. Influenced by Diaghilev’s ballet, he brought together the Japanese kimono and the shapes of the Greek tunic and the kaftan, combining strong colours like orange, plum and black with the pastel shades of the Belle Époque. Later, in the 20s,Coco Chanel created the idea of “simple luxury” and by mixing basic pieces like cardigans, white sweaters and skirts above the knee, defended a straightforward take on luxury. Thanks to collaborations between artists like Jean Cocteau and Dalí with designers like Elsa Schiaparelli, Surrealism created a way of dressing freely, and in a way that was ironic and fun. After World War II, the Teddy Boys in Britain reinterpreted the American look, rock ‘n’ roll and the Edwardian era. They mixed jackets, velvet shirts, skinny pants, narrow ties and Slim Jim shoes, expressing their opposition to the values of the 50s. In the 70s, punk appeared as an anti-conformist movement that ran against the reigning ideology of the time.

It paired necklaces with ripped clothes, completing the look with shaved heads, Mohicans and piercings. Its main driving-forces were Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, who opened a punk shop in London’s King’s Road. During the 80s, cultural diversity and contact with African and Asian cultures party influenced ways of dressing. According to the work of the sociologist Gilles Lipovetsky, the continual need for reinvention has created sub-cultures in our hyper-modern age which use mix and match to bring individuals together in shared ideologies or lifestyles. One current designer who combines contrasting elements is John Galliano. As German designer Lutz, who is fascinated by blending different styles, said in Fashion Now 2: “I take things that are basic, integral parts of everyday life, and mix  them all together so in turn they stay familiar but at the same time become something completely different.”

Pumped Up Kicks

The best selling item in the whole world and every person on earth has at least a pair of them. No one knows from where they came from, but everyone wants them and will be wanting them forever. 

No surprise,we’re only talking about shoes.Call them what you like: Trainers, sneakers,or Tennis shoes, but the concept is all the same for them,a rubber sole and uppers available in various kinds of material and color. Even in Ancient Greece, athletes were already wearing special shoes to help them during the Olympic Games. Indians used to cover the soles of their feet with latex from carving rubber’s barks. We would have to wait until the XIX century before a sneaker-like model was created. In that period, thanks to a clay mold, the shape of a foot sole was created with a rubber, the sole was put to the upper part of the shoe. Attracted by this  new experiment, Charles Goodyear  worked on rubber, until he would create a series of shoes.The very first people who benefited from this new type of shoe were tennis players, who swiftly embraced these shoes to play with.

1986 Olympic Games in Athens

That's why, they were called "tennis shoes" at first. Before long, the World Cup and the Olympic Games in 1986 in Athens would help in the spread of sneakers in the sporting world. But when the first basketball shoes came out in 1919, no one could ever have guessed their great success, even in time. Between teenagers and sneakers it was really love at first sight, and soon enough they became the symbol of young rebels. 

James Jean wearing All Star

James Dean used to wear All Stars, many rock bands were then photographed wearing sneakers from different brands and models, a symbol for emancipation which would become a mass phenomenon. As time went by, sneakers were used to match elegant office suits,showing an easy chic taste. Giorgio Armani himself, was the forerunner of this trend. 

In the US, the market was booming thanks to the overwelhming love American's have for a healthy lifestyle.Only in the 80's, over 30 million people have used them to run. That’s why in time studies have been carried out on sneakers, applying new and advanced technologies to make them even more fitting to every sport.

      

"I run with 600 Million Legs" Adidas Ad

In 1978, Nike introduced the Air technology that featured pressurized gas capsulated  in a cushioning between the sole and the upper of the shoe. Thanks to this innovation, and more, Nike’s annual sales are up to 10 billion dollars! If you love technology, this is exactly what you need: in 2005,Adidas started to the market Adidas One, a smart shoe capable to compress and decompress its sole every four steps you make, controlled by a small computer which is able to automatically calculate algorithms and adjust the soles of the shoe! Trainers at present not only belong to the sporting world, but are invading street fashions all over the world, and many shoe brands are born beside the most popular ones. 

Vintage fashion is showing a revised model of the past; new sneakers suggest a retro taste, but they will never be out of fashion.