Hip Hop Fashion Trends: Then and Now

Hip hop fashion trends are not a newcomer to the fashion scene by any means. In fact, this style has been around since the 1980’s, when celebrities like Will Smith and Christopher “Kid” Reid showed youth how it should be done. Of course, hip hop fashion trends have evolved over the past two decades as tastes and styles have changed to correspond with the culture of the time. The following will offer you a brief but colorful history into the world of hip hop, with some of the current fashion design today.

Early Hip Hop
In the 1980’s, major brand names became synonymous with the hip hop fashion trends. Brands like Nike, Adidas and Clark shoes were sported with leather bomber jackets and brightly-colored track suits. Sports jerseys were a hot commodity, with Will Smith showing them off in his hit television show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire. This was the time when heavy gold jewelry and large sunglasses came into play, creating an image of wealth and luxury in the hip hop culture of this time. In the latter part of this decade, MC Hammer and other rappers introduced hip hop fashion trends like baggy pants and baseball caps.

The Gangsta Look
In the 1900’s, hip hop fashion trends shifted to the gangsta look in the fashion of the Los Angeles Chicano gangsters. This style sported baggy pants that were worn low and without a belt, shirt tails hanging outside the pants and bandanas on the head. In the midst of this fashion trend, designers were also providing something that the youth of this time liked, and brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Polo and Nautica also came into vogue. At this time, hip hop fashion trends evolved into urban streetwear, with names like Mecca USA, Lugz and Rocawear coming into play.

Flash and Bling
The turn of the century saw hip hop fashion trends switch to flashy ensembles and bling bling jewelry, made popular by the likes of Jay-Z and The Hot Boys. High end designers like Gucci came onto the hip hop scene during this time as well. Today, the hip hop look has toned down somewhat, with hip hop fashion trends that are more tailored and professional – preppie hip hop, if you will. However, since the hip hop fashion trends are primarily embraced by youth, this style will always be cutting edge and separate from the fashion mainstream. After more than two decades on the fashion scene, it appears that this trend is more than just a trend – it is a fashion icon that is here to stay.

Getting Started in High Fashion Design

Whether you are planning to get into high heel fashion or any other genre of fashion in particular, it is going to be important for you to get started in high fashion design. The world of fashion design can be more than just very lucrative, it can be incredibly rewarding in other ways for you as well.

If you are interested in getting a career in high fashion design, here are a few tips that will help you on your way and make sure that you have the most success possible.

Learn the Details

The first thing you are going to want to do if you are interested in achieving a successful career in high fashion design is learn the details, and what your goals should be here. Basically your aim is going to be to become an attractive job candidate, and know that starting a fashion design career is going to take a lot of work and diligence.

You want to set big goals for yourself and yet realistic expectations at the same time. When you are just getting started and beginning your fashion design career, you really want to expect to put your time in at an entry-level position, possibly for quite a long time, before getting anywhere.

Far too many people expect to get right to the top within a couple of years when really, in the fashion world, it will usually take a heck of a lot longer than that.

Build Your Fashion Design Portfolio

One of the most important things you need to be concerned with if you want a career in high fashion design is building your fashion design portfolio. After all, it is never too early to start showcasing your best work and so whether you are applying to schools or looking for jobs, it is your portfolio which is going to help you get in the door.

Keep in mind that you should include various examples, enough that are going to really showcase your entire sketching ability, as well as color and textile knowledge, problem solving skills, and design development.

Find an Apprenticeship

Once you have gotten your foot in the door with high fashion design and have most of the education that you need, you are going to want to start finding fashion design apprenticeships and internships. Getting industry experience is going to do you a world of good and be a very important step in terms of starting your fashion design career.

Find Great Deals By Buying Fashion Clothes Online

When you think of buying clothes, you probably think of going to your local department store to find great deals. That may be true as many department stores do offer great deals, but you can often find better deals by shopping for fashion clothes online. Online fashion design has been in high demand as technology gets more advanced. A few years ago, people were hesitant to find fashion clothes online because they didn’t know if it was safe or not. Credit card numbers could be stolen and it just wasn’t as secure or as popular as it is today. Nowadays, however, many people love to get their fashion clothes online. You can shop various online stores with a few clicks of your mouse and you can find everything you’re looking for within minutes. You can discreetly use your credit or debit card and you can have all your items delivered right to your door. It’s convenient, it’s easy, and you’re likely to find everything you need as you won’t have to wait for your local department store to stock whatever piece of clothing you’re looking for.

Easy To Find What You Need

When you shop at your local department store, you may find what you’re looking for and you may not. If you don’t, you’ll have to go to another store to find what you need. That wastes time, money, gas and it’s inconvenient. Shopping for fashion clothes online, however, is so easy you can shop three or four different online shops in a matter of minutes. If you don’t see what you’re looking for at one store, you can simply click off of that store and search another one. And this is all done from your comfortable office chair or on the couch with your laptop in your lap. There are so many stores that offer fashion clothes online that it’s not likely you won’t find what you’re looking for.

Making Your Purchase

When you find what you want, all you have to do is pull out your credit or debit card and order what you need. If you’ve shopped for fashion clothes online with that same store, it’s likely they have your information on file. You don’t have to worry about your information getting stolen, however, as shopping for fashion clothes online is very secure. If there is a problem, such as someone logged into your account and ordered from your card, your credit card company or bank will likely take the transaction off as they will know it didn’t come from you. That is if you can prove that you didn’t make the transaction. This happens very rarely, however, so you shouldn’t worry about making purchases for fashion clothes online.

Choosing Sports Fashion For Women

Sports fashion for women is more than not demanded by the modern women that want to look great even when they do exercising, jogging or simply go to an sports event.

Gone are the days when women who excel in sports are thought of as tomboys. With the rise of glamorous and fashionable sports icon such as Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis, it seems that women have learned to combine fashion and sports with flair. Just because you are into sports or you are wearing sports gear does not mean that you can’t be chic. You can look good and still look ready for the kill!

Below are some tips on how to balance out fashion and sports.

Don’t be afraid of colors

Putting colors into your sports apparel and uniform is one way to put fashion into your otherwise drab outfit. Mix bold colors like reds, pinks and yellows with basic neutral ones such as blacks and whites for a more elegant combination.

You can also play with glittering colors like golds and silvers but don’t put so much. Outlines and hemlines in these colors are enough. Don’t put them all over your outfit.

Design differently

One of the things that makes a uniform stand out is the way it was designed. Of course, you cannot just wear something really new without first considering its suitability and functionality for the game. If you can, it is better if you can design the outfit yourself as you know what works for you and what does not. You can play with the cut and the fabrics. In fact, you can combine fabrics.

For instance, you can put one fabric for the top and another for the bottom. If this cannot work, you can always add fabrics on the hemline. Patterns are also great designs that you can incorporate into your uniform. If putting a separate pattern is too much for the uniform, you can choose a fabric that already has a wonderful pattern and have that fabric outfitted for you.

It’s in the details

Putting really intricate details on your outfit is one way of being fashionable without sacrificing much of the look of your sports uniform. Designers can put in embroidered hemlines or necklines. You can also have flowers, butterflies or whatever icons you want emblazoned into your outfit.

Other great details that you can add to sports apparel are ribbons and buttons that are strategically placed. Of course, this depends on the sports that you are in. There are sports where buttons on clothes can interfere with the game; so be very careful also in putting too much designs in your wardrobe.

You will always find some great and good looking sports fashion here

 

 

Great Fashion Is All About What Works For You

When you see someone wearing clothes that really work for them, you might say they have a great fashion sense. However, those same clothes may not work for someone else. Being fashion conscious is very relative. To find your own fashion sense, you should try different styles and definitely get some opinions from others that you care about. However, most of the time people choose their fashion depending on what they like and they don’t care about what anyone else thinks. Just try different styles out and soon you’ll find a sense of fashion that truly defines you.

Goth And Emo

There is a trend going on nowadays that is popular with the kids and teenagers. This is called Goth or Emo. Emo stands for emotional and it represents teen angst, non-conformity and it is characterized by all black clothes, torn fishnet stockings, black hair and makeup. Even the guys who are dressed in Goth or Emo wear makeup. This is one style you can try but if you’re not into Emo music or you don’t feel any pain or angst, you might want to try a style that’s a little less dramatic and a little more upbeat.

Preppy

Then there is the fashion that is known as preppy. This is the clean cut look that is popular with a lot of college age kids and some adults. This fashion style tells others that you care about your appearance and that you are meticulous with your clothes. The clothing is usually pressed, very neat and always clean.

Go Wild

The above examples are two extremes when it comes to fashion. You can try a mixture of the two or you can go completely wild and just try to come up with a fashion sense that’s all your own. Sometimes, a person will try a certain fashion by just choosing a few different styles and putting them together and it totally works for them. If you’re clueless about fashion and you’d like to come up with a style that works for you, try looking online. There are many online fashion websites that will give you tricks, tips and ideas that you can piece together to come up with your own original identity. When you find it, you’ll get a lot of compliments and that’s when you know you’ve chosen a good style for you. Or, you could not care what anyone thinks and just go for what you like; which is what many people do and it seems to work for them.

I Need To Get My Daughter Fashion Clothing, What Do I Do?

If you are looking for fashion clothing for you child, but are not having any success then I am here to help. The problem that most parents have when trying fashion clothing is that they do not realize what their kids truly want. The truth is more than likely your kids have no idea what they want either. You try to find women fashion clothing that makes sense, but you really have no idea whether or not your child will like it. Buying fashion clothing can be one of the most difficult and perplexing things you can do, but it does not have to be.

How To Get Fashion clothing That My Daughter Will Like

The first thing I would stay away from, and you may find this surprising, is getting actual fashion clothing. Instead I would focus on fashionable accessories like purses, watches, shoes and the like. You child is much more likely to appreciate a small accessory then a full outfit. Plus accessories are easy to exchange. One accessory that I found has worked well for me are Gucci handbags. The best thing about a fashion handbag is that it can really represent a sense of style for the girl you give it to.

This handbag can be an extension of your daughter’s personality. A bright colorful handbag can show a cheerful and outgoing side, whereas a bold design can show strength and maturity. The best bet would be to go out and shop for this high fashion clothing with your daughter so that you can be sure that she gets what she wants.

This brings me to the next option you have for making your child happy. You could get her a gift card to a high fashion store and go to pick out the clothes with her. This can be a great experience for you and your daughter, a true bonding experience. By letting her take the lead and pick the clothes she wants you are helping her to grow up and move into becoming a grown woman.

As you can see getting clothes for your teen age daughter is complicated. My two suggestions for making this experience easy and fun are to one – get your daughter something that she can use in multiple outfits that is not just one single thing. Two – take her with you to do the shopping so you can share in the fun.

How to Get a Fashion Design Career

Are you interested in getting a fashion design career? It is really no surprise, because a fashion design career, particularly in high fashion, can be more than just incredibly lucrative. A career in fashion can also be incredibly fun, enjoyable and satisfying, if you are a creative person and want to get into the industry.

What’s even more, is that you will be the envy of all your friends because you will be the one who is on the cutting edge, who is aware of all the fashions before they even become popular, so your friends will all be turning to you when they want to get fashion advice.

Getting Started

If you want to get a fashion design career, there are a few steps that you are going to want to follow if you want to have the most success. The first thing is to learn about the different options that you have. This is important because, as you are probably not aware, there are tons of different options when it comes to fashion design careers.

Choose a Field

It is going to be really important that you choose the right field for a fashion design career, one that is going to best suit your needs. For instance if you enjoy photography maybe you will want to be a fashion photographer. This field alone would offer a variety of opportunities. For instance you could be one of the photographers that stands at the end of the runway and snaps pictures of models as they are strutting their stuff.

Or maybe you enjoy traveling and would like to be one of the Sports Illustrated or Victoria’s Secret fashion photographers.

Maybe you are more into writing, and then again the options are plentiful. You could be a fashion journalist who writes in a paper, or maybe you would prefer a fashion design career as a fashion novelist.

It is important that you really take your time here so that you can consider all the different options presented to you and ensure that you are going with the right one. After all, you want to find a career that is not only going to be financially rewarding, but which is going to offer you the way to express your creativity that you are looking for, an outlet that you are going to love and not going to grow bored of.

In fact, money should really be one of the last things on your mind, because if you don’t enjoy your job no amount of money will keep you happy.

Men Fashion Clothing – Personal Favorite

I would never consider myself to be a high fashion expert, but I do have an opinion on my clothes. Men fashion clothing in my mind needs to have three things – style, comfort, and solid construction. The one men fashion clothing that I have found that consistently has those three things are the clothes from Ralph Lauren.

Polo Ralph Lauren – Men Fashion Clothing For Everyman

The one thing that really stands out to me about Polo’s line of clothes is how diverse their collection is. When I am looking for men fashion clothing is that I want a designer who can make cloths for whatever occasion. I must admit that I really do no enjoy thinking about clothes or any kind of fashion for that matter, and Ralph Lauren has made it easy for me to find clothes I can wear. From sports jackets to underwear if you can not find it in the Polo collection you are not looking in the right spot.

Another great thing about Ralph Lauren is how easy it is to find. Sometimes men fashion clothing can be difficult to shop for, but if you near a mall you can find Polo clothes. I am actually very lucky in that there is a Polo outlet within a short distance from my house so I go there to get everything I need. The prices are far more reasonable than what you will find in most department stores. Better than the price is the selection. Only at an outlet store can you find everything that Polo makes.

I am a huge sports fan and the recent line of Olympic themed clothes from Polo are a hit for me. Once every four years I go nuts for the Olympics, and with this line of clothes I can show my appreciation and do it in style. I was able to pick up an extra large Olympic Games hoodie at my local outlet store for a good price. This classic fitting hoodie sweatshirt in heavy prima cotton features the official Team USA logo for the 2008 Olympics. The best thing is that it goes with everything else I own, is super comfortable, and will be a keepsake for years to come.

As you can see I really think Polo has the best men fashion clothing you can buy for a number of reasons. First off they stick to my big three, and second they have a lot of clothes to choose from. I, like most guys, want my shopping to be a simple as possible and Ralph Lauren has made it easy for me.

I Need To Get Teen Fashion Clothing – HELP!

If you are looking for teen fashion clothing but not having any luck then this article is here to help. The mistake that most parents make when trying teen fashion clothing is that they do not realize what their kids truly want. The unfortunate thing is more than likely your kids have no idea what they want either. You try to find fashion design clothing that makes sense, but you really have no idea whether or not your teen will like it. Buying teen fashion clothing can be one of the most complicated and frustrating things you can do, but it does not have to be.

How To Get Teen Fashion Clothing That Makes Sense And Is Easy

The first thing I would stay completely away from, and you may find this surprising, is getting actual teen fashion clothing. Instead I would focus on fashionable accessories like purses, watches, shoes and the like. You child is much more likely to appreciate a small accessory then a full outfit. Plus accessories are easy to exchange. One item of teen fashion clothing that I found has worked well for me are Zavier handbags. The best thing about a fashion handbag is that it can really represent a sense of style for the girl you give it to.

This handbag can be an extension of your daughter’s personality. A bright colorful handbag can show a cheerful and outgoing side, whereas a bold design can show strength and maturity. The best bet would be to go out and shop for this high fashion clothing with your daughter so that you can be sure that she gets what she wants.

This brings me to the next option you have for making your child happy. You could get her a gift card to a high fashion store and go to pick out the clothes with her. This can be a great experience for you and your daughter, a true bonding experience. By letting her take the lead and pick the clothes she wants you are helping her to grow up and move into becoming a grown woman.

As you can see getting clothes for your teen age daughter is complicated. My two suggestions for making this experience easy and fun are to one – get your daughter something that she can use in multiple outfits that is not just one single thing. Two – take her with you to do the shopping so you can share in the fun.

Fashion Design Software Basics

In the days past fashion designers had to manually draw, create, sew, and engineer multiple examples of a certain finished product in order to make the design work for the potential buyers. In today’s world, all of these things, once the mundane parts of the fashion designers world, are now handled by fashion design software.

What Is Fashion Design Software?

Fashion design software is computer aided design, or CAD, software. Other industries which have been using CAD software for decades are Architects and Engineers. A good piece of fashion design software can help create professional looking designs. This type of software comes in various applications. The many uses of this software include designing fabrics, garments and fashion accessories; you can also do digitizing, pattern engineering, grading, marking, 3D imaging and other applications. With fashion changing constantly, fashion designers find that software is adding new features and improved versions of software each year.

What Can Fashion Design Software Do?

While fashion design software will not take the place of good ideas or creativity, it can greatly assist and speed up the process thereby allowing more work to be done. The best varieties of fashion design software allow the user to play around with colors, cuts, and fabrics on the computer. This saves the designer from having to purchase all the material for a design only to later discover it doesn’t work. Fashion design software also allows more creativity in experimenting with different combinations without spending too much in time, energy, and money.

The Use Of Software In The Fashion Design Studio.

Fashion design software is a great tool for the studio in that it allows designers to not only create 2D and 3D renderings of ideas, but also allows them to print, upload, and share the design progress with others via email. Some fashion design software allows the designer to try different colors and cuts; this type of software usually has a database with fabrics, textures, patterns, and prints available. Smaller studios which are collaborating with others can share their work quickly and efficiently thereby giving them the ability to make quick changes to any designs.

While there are many varieties of fashion design software, there are also many manufacturers of fashion design software. The designer or studio will have to create a list of what they want from the software and then find suitable vendors and tools. Most makers of fashion design software can be found on the internet. The amount you can spend for this software will more than pay for itself over a year’s time and work.

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