.027 WHAT IS AFTER NORMCORE?

Once again,  life caught up to me and my personal blog had to be put on the back burner. The last month of my final year of college had been spent writing blog posts for my College Fashionista internship and promoting a massive KickStarter event for my PR internship. Oh, and school, work, a social life and a few pinches of sleep. Life has been hectic and I am only now starting to feel it slow down. With graduation on the horizon, I am feeling less tension and, rather than nervousness, I feel relief.

Over the past month I have kept trying to conceptualize normcore, perhaps giving more credit than I should to the blasé fashion movement (or anti-fashion movement, rather). The past few years fashion subcultures had been inspired by efforts to standout. Clothing with loud prints (think donuts and Bart Simpson), cutouts, high-low, oversized Jeffrey Campbells, pastel lipstick, neon - the list goes on. I would call it a strange blend of the big-and-loud eighties and the aesthetic of a late nineties teenager taking fashion advice from a Lisa Frank backpack.

Now it seems as though fashion has matured. Rather than looking to Saved by the Bell or ironic captioned stills from King of the Hill, fashion is grasping for the complete opposite. We are making a time jump to the early 00s where Sex and the City reigns and the efforts to stand out are at a minimal. But by setting oneself apart from those that strive for the abnormal, are those that work hard (though, they may think by being minimalist they are not trying at all) to make themselves "normal" standing out in the end? Or do they even really care? The normcore movement is oozing with irony and, yet, the aesthetic is appealing and right on time whether those that consider themselves a part of the in-group think so or not. Fashion works in cycles and in due time the ones still "stuck" standing out will gravitate towards normcore (maybe not as a lifestyle, but as a trend). Eventually being normal will be...normal again. Is the next move to standout? Is fashion always about fluctuating between these two modes?

(The nineties fashion Tumblr users around the world praise.)

(Massive trenches, loafers, easy-going style - Sex and the City reigns supreme.)

Well, if we continue to move on this path of working our way through the nineties and 2000s (not to say other decades are not serving as inspiration) we will eventually hit the next line of trends. Soon we just might find ourselves idolizing 2004 Nicole and Paris and ironically sporting Von Dutch caps. Leather pants with a lace up crotch or Jnco wide-legged jeans could be our new future. What sounds absolutely dreadful (in my honest opinion) could be the post-normcore. With Naomi Campbell in Phillip Plein's fall 2014 show sporting a look reminiscent of Nelly in the "Ride Wit Me" video, the reality of an early 2000s aesthetic is upon us. Arguably it is already here with its microscopic crop tops, shimmery accessories and chunky shoes but on the flip side, those were also popular in the late nineties. There is so much more I could go on about, but I feel as though I am exhausting my point. Overall, normcore is more than likely here to stay for the next year or so. I like it (though, not necessarily the attitude surrounding it), as I have always admired minimalist fashion. Just be prepared for what is to come and understand that Jnco jeans could be a fashionable reality once again. 

(Naomi Campbell in Phillip Plein's fall 2014 show - Fashionista)

(I would have killed for these outfits in 5th grade - More photos here!)

.014 NINETIES WEDNESDAY

Now that I've worked and had my relaxation, it is time to continue to blog. (Because blogging is such hard work, I know.) Before I start in on my insightful look at something nineties, I wanted to say happy holidays to anyone that reads this! My Christmas morning was pretty spectacular. I got a tiger kigu (#fashion), a new black purse, off-white high top Converse, a few vinyl, and enough candy to earn myself a night of sugary regret. I might need to do another haul video, as I foresee a shopping trip at Topshop in the near future. Winter is my favorite season to dress for. Layers are my best friend.

So rather than reporting on a trend, a former trend, or a nineties fashion inspiration, I wanted to show a collage of sorts of items, that I'd like to own, that are unmistakably nineties. I tried to venture outside of my usual comfort zone as I was looking for items. I typically stick to blacks and neutrals, so you can only imagine how much I struggle when investing in any sort of boldly colored dress, slacks, or shoes.

Okay, so maybe I did not go too far outside of my comfort zone. Still, I channeled my Jawbreaker, Clarissa Explains it All, and Babysitter's Club vibes to the best of my ability. As you can see, all items (excluding the tattoo choker, I believe you can find one on Etsy) can be found at Topshop. Who knows? Maybe I'll search for these items the next time I drag myself and my poor wallet into this danger zone of a store. We will have to see in my next haul video. Until then, enjoy the holiday festivities!

.004 NINETIES WEDNESDAY PT.2

As a senior in college, it is hard to keep up with a blog, so I do apologize for the two week hiatus. With that being said, I want to address that I did mean to post, trust me! I've been mulling over what to talk about when it comes to the reoccurring "nineties wednesday" theme. After an impulse purchase last Sunday, I had my topic.*

Lumi Sherpa Coat - Anthropologie $168

Ah yes, Anthropologie. The mother store to Urban Outfitters. The goddess of expensive bohemia. A store I usually bypass for the sake of my wallet. Well, my self control was shattered and I made the purchase. All it took was putting the coat on and looking in the mirror. I could see it then. A black slip, sheer black tights, and black heels or booties. Possibly a floppy black hat and long gold chains. Oh wait, someone else did this. Ahh, Courtney Love. So I wasn't that original. Whatever.

Yeah. She pulled this off first.

She knows this.

This sort of street style celebrity chic isn't necessarily anything new, but hey, with a nineties twist it is a bit refreshing. And who doesn't want a bit of faux fur dressed down with some silk and lace? Classy and risque, who would have thought? (Plenty of people, but roll with me here.) 

Gotta love the strings for straps.

I'd like to argue that faux fur is timeless. Sure, it phases in and out, but it's always there somewhere. Whether it is rockstar couture or that old woman you talk to on the train, there is something to love about the overwhelming warmth of synthetic fur. 

*Pictures in the coat soon to come!

.003 START OF NINETIES WEDNESDAYS

Flannels, ripped jeans, Elaine Benes, Britney Spears, The Baby-Sitters Club - you get the point. Nineties fashion and culture has been on repeat for the last three years in both the fashion world and in underground fashion movements that more-or-less stemmed from the Internet. Crop tops and a late 1990s inspired minimalism are featured on the runway, still fresh and popular. The idea that the nineties is influencing fashion is apparent as trends trickle down into chain stores cough Forever 21. One look at the store window and you’re assaulted by a display of crop tops, plaid, and sportswear. This is not to say that this clothing is not “fashionable”, but the creativity is slowly lacking.

Starting around 2011, Internet-based movements like “sea punk” and “grunge” appropriated nineties icons with a certain flare of irony and nostalgia. Jeremy Scott’s Bart Simpson knitwear, worshipping Kurt Cobain, remembering the software designs of Windows ‘98, rewatching King of the Hill; reaching for inspiration in an era where most feel popular media icons are lacking. Nineties culture is idolized as a better time - a time when the millenium was the next big thing and when the Internet was a new world. But now that we’re here...now what? The trend has not faded and, in fact, companies such as Urban Outfitters and Nasty Gal have profited from the Internet phenomenon.  

image credit to weheartit.com

In the cyclical world that is fashion, there is already a tackiness assigned to these internet-based trends. The Internet, namely Tumblr and Instagram, has only accelerated these “oh-so-nineties” looks and after being recycled x-amount of times, the alien backpacks and the pastel on black becomes...tired. I will reluctantly admit to tapping into my inner-sea punk pastel goth phase. Summer 2011 was a dark time, my good friends. I realized quickly that investing my mind, body and soul into this trend was a waste of time and money (the little money I had, let’s be real). And in a way, it would have been a waste because it is a trend for a reason.

~*~pastel princess~*~

After exploring the dark path of edginess, I wanted to remain in the nineties for the nostalgia still was not ready to leave my closet. There was also that ever-present want to stay true to my personal style. To abandon myself for a trend seemed...wrong, so I decided to explore other nineties icons and fashion movements. The cast of Friends, Elaine Benes, and the pop stars of the late nineties - I’m looking at you and your cropped turtlenecks, Britney Spears. Platform mules, that shiny sheer nonsense, and Missy Elliott inspired quilted coats - I want to see more of this. Much to my pleasure, latest runway trends seem to be guiding towards the lesser known nineties fashions. Grunge is getting glammed up and holographic clothing is being recognized for its greatness, even if my friends aren’t ready for my backstreet's back purple shine.

tanks over tees are making a comeback

sometimes i run, sometimes i HiiiDe