Fashion QR9

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 - I've been doing some research and I think the hot new look for Summer 2009 is cycling chic. And I've got the photos to prove it. If you Google "cycling fashion" you will find a tonne of websites selling fashion for cyclists, both professional and amateurs. What I prefer however is clothes that is multi-functional, great for doing-whatever, but close fitting enough that you can ride your bike without hassle. Note the text on the buttocks: Lucky Saddle. (Saddle is another word for bicycle seat for those out there not familiar with bike lingo.) You may be tempted to go for the tight fitting clothing, which looks hot. Or even a short skirt, which is cool too, but you will have to be careful about the length and how you sit to make sure it doesn't get tangled up. A lot of girls, especially if its really hot out, prefer to shed some layers and maybe even opt for a tank top or bikini. On cooler days you will want to maybe accessorize or wear something warmer b...

FASHION / HEALTH - When it comes to fashion, its become a cliche to wear a gas mask on the runway. Especially when it comes to fetish or BDSM garb. Its been OVERDONE. Stop doing it already! (I swear people are so unimaginative at times.) But... with the recent spread of the Swine Flu (H1N1 virus) from Mexico, a lot of people are taking the wise precaution and are wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from the deadly plague. Before I get into this I think its really important that people wear protection, even if you're not sick. You could catch H1N1 from somebody else, just by shaking their hand, opening a door, handling money, someone coughing nearby (or in an elevator) or any number of ways since its an airborne bacteria. The best way to prevent it is to be very careful about what touches your hands, what touches your face or goes in your mouth, and be mindful of washing your hands regularly. So buying food at the cafeteria or restaurant near your workplace... big no-no. B...

FASHION - What is the point of high fashion? Last year supermodel Carla Bruni (now the First Lady of France) wanted to bring herself down when standing beside the Queen Elizabeth II... She also chose a sombre grey dress-coat so to not upstage the Queen and for her shoes she wore a pair of plain black flats, while the Queen wore black heels. Had she worn something exquisitely beautiful it would have been wildly out-of-place... plus with Carla Bruni it doesn't really matter. She'd look good wearing a burlap sack. Most of us however are so ashamed of our bodies we wouldn't get caught dead wearing a burlap sack smock (or anything like it). We know we don't have the figure and we try to wear things that make us look better than we really do. That's the purpose of high fashion. Its like make-up in a way. Or high heels. Or corsets. Its to make us look better. We aren't naturally stunning to look at, so we need high fashion as a prop. If we all looked like supermodels...

FASHION / ENTERTAINMENT - Young teens (aka Tweens) are all abuzz about the new Hannah Montana Movie, starring Miley Cyrus... but their adoration has also sparked an unusual fashion trend... Modesty. In an era when teenagers and young girls seem to be showing a lot more skin, this trend is a welcome change for parents concerned about their kids' promiscuity. So instead we have the wholesome girl-next-door. As opposed to the skanky Britney Spears look or the slutty Paris Hilton look. Or punkish Avril Lavigne or heroin-chic Amy Winehouse. Adapted from the hit TV series from Disney, Hannah Montana is covered-up, ladylike and wholesome. But what do the fans say? "I saw the movie and really liked the clothes – I really liked the looser jeans and I want to get a flannel shirt. I liked that it was sort of peasant-y and plain," says Ruby, age 14. Ruby admits "I'm too old to have this admiration for her," and admits she had to pick her way past throngs of 8, 9 and 1...

FASHION - Call it my biggest fashion industry pet peeve... but what is with all the clothes that, admittedly, none of us would ever wear in public. Or in private for that matter. In the olden days of fashion design there was this thing called the avant garde, which was meant to represent anything that was so outrageous it was... controversial. The term is also used in art history , to describe artists like Jackson Pollock or Andy Warhol who did something nobody else had ever done before. Except when you look at the clothes shown here, you realize, yes, that's probably been done before. Its not very... experimental. Its like they're trying to be avant garde, but really they don't have a clue what they are doing. (I've tried to show a variety of different faux avant garde styles here, so you get a broad idea of the kind of bullshit nonsense these designers are pushing.) I admit some of the clothes does look pretty kewl, and I could see wearing some of them to a gothic ...

FASHION - Cage shoes may be popular right now, but how comfortable are they? Cage shoes may be the rage this season, starting at the spring/summer 2009 Yves Saint Laurent collection shown in Paris last October followed by designer Stefano Pilati sending his models down the runway with their feet encased in a shoe featuring thin strips of leather that form a grid-like pattern and perched on a metal cage-inspired heel. And ever since these cage shoes have been imprisoning the feet of models and supermodels all over the blogosphere, setting people a-twitter. I can't help but admit they look kewl, and indeed I wouldn't mind having a pair or two... but I've also tried them on several times at Holt Renfrew... and was very disappointed. They pinch your feet, your toes and your ankles. They are HORRIBLY uncomfortable. I have yet to find a pair that fit properly and are comfortable. I am soooooo glad I didn't buy them either, because I found out later they leave horrible waffl...