FASHION - Jeans will always be cool, of that there is no doubt. But its starting to look like they will have a lot of competition from the growing trend of wearing trousers. You would think that jeans, perhaps the most proletarian piece of apparel, known for durability, strength and versatility, would soar during recession times, but instead blue jeans appear to have fallen out of favour with women (sales are down world wide over the past 8 months). Denim is practically a demi-god in the fashion world, but in this David and Goliath story it seems like the lowly trousers now has the advantage. It used to be that blue jeans were kewl. Rebels wore blue jeans. Now everyone wears them. My grandma wears blue jeans. High school teachers wear blue jeans. George W. Bush wears blue jeans (he's really trying hard to fit back into civilian society). Conclusion? Blue jeans aren't that kewl any more. The hip thing these days is the more counter-culture look of trousers, sometimes made of l...
FASHION / POLITICS - Like Barack and Michelle Obama's fashion sense? You're not alone. Barack Obama is not just the next president of the United States. He's also the new face of fashion. Thanks in part to sightings of A-listers like Ryan Phillippe, Brad Pitt, Beyoncé and Kanye West wearing Obama T-shirts, as well as the constant and prominent display of the politician's handsome face on the big screen at the recent MTV Europe awards, his image has reached the status of an international pop culture icon. So it shouldn't be surprising that Toronto designer Kingi Carpenter, of the quirky label Peach Berserk, is making stuff emblazoned with Obama's face. Carpenter makes silkscreened hoodies, dresses, T-shirts, skirts and scarves... all with Obama on them. One woman even bought Obama pillows for her house. The designer, a self-admitted political junkie, follows American politics obsessively and is an Obama fan. But her inspiration for the Obama items arose out of C...
FASHION / RELIGION - Have you seen any women recently wearing a Niqab or Hijab? No, I am not talking about Conservative Muslim women. I am talking about women (of any ethnic background) wearing it as some kind of fashion statement. And an important point is you can now buy them in brand names like Calvin Klein and GAP. Like WTF? How did that happen? Well, its not so much that these brand name companies are getting into the business, its the fact they're making scarves/etc that can be used as such. First lets affiliate you with some of the fashion terms: A Hijab is basically a hood that is worn over your hair. A Niqab (or Niqaab) is a scarf you wear over your face. A full niqab covers everything but a slit for the eyes. There's also: Abaya - Covers you from head to toe except for the eyes, one large piece that looks very baggy. Usually found in Pakistan. Burqa - Like the Abaya, but it covers the eyes with semi-transparent fabric or a grille. More common in Afghanistan . Dupatta...