Attending an 80s Party: How You Can Familiarize Yourself with 80s Fashions

Do you remember the 80s?  Whether you were an adult or a teenager, there is a good chance that you do. While you may have fond memories of raising a family or being a fun loving kid, one thing that many seem to remember is the fashion trends of the 80s.  Popular 80s fashion trends often included large scrunched up socks, rolled up jeans, pony tails off to the side, and bright colored clothing, often neon.  The fashions of the 80s is one that often brings back smiles and memories for some. That is actually one the reasons why many individuals throw themed 80s parties.

If you ever find yourself invited to a themed 80s fashion party, you may end up wondering what you can wear.  Even if you can remember some of the many 80s fashion trends, you may want still want to think about doing a little bit of research before deciding on your 80s fashion wardrobe for your party. When it comes to 80s fashions, there are many individuals who seem to remember the same thing. While this is okay, a little bit of 80s fashion research and you could be more than just an average partygoer; you could be one that stands out or is complimented for your wardrobe choice.

If you are interested in familiarizing yourself with 80s fashion trends of the past, you will find that you have a number of different options.  One of those options involves using the internet. What is nice about using the internet is that you can find just about anything that you are looking for online, including information on popular 80s fashion trends.  In addition to traditional websites that may provide you with free information online, you may also be able to find older versions or scans of old 80s fashion magazines online. The internet is a nice and easy way to familiarize yourself with 80s fashion trends. You can get started by performing a standard internet search.

Whether you were a child or an adult during the 80s there is a good chance that you may have photographs of yourself, your family, or your friends.  If you are able to find those photographs, if they do exist, you may want to take a look at them. In addition to getting a nice walk down memory lane, you can also familiarize yourself with some of the popular 80s fashion trends.  When doing so, you may want to think about grabbing a friend, family member, or an old acquaintance, as it is often fun to reminisce.

Another fun way that you can go about researching 80s fashion trends is by turning on your television.  On television, even today, you can find a number of shows that aired in the 80s.  What is nice about these shows is that they are set in the time.  Watching 80s television shows will likely not only bring back memories of your childhood or your young adult days, but it may also help you familiarize yourself with 80s fashion trends; trends that you may want to incorporate into your next 80s party outfit.  You may also want to think about heading down to your local video store to rent an 80s movie.

Of course, the decision as to what you want to wear or even if you want to do any research for an 80s themed party is yours to make, but you may want to think about doing so. As previously mentioned, researching 80s fashions is likely to be fun, exciting and bring back a lot of memories.

African Fashion Designers Going Global

On September 12, 2011, I heard from the news about an African beauty stood out and shined above the rest. When I saw her, she looked liked a black Barbie doll donned in a form-fitting gold and white slit gown. And when I researched her on the internet, she is actually the new Miss Universe, Leila Lopes from Angola. With her captivating smile and her exotic looks, she brought the house down that night.

Well, she just deserved it. She is so beautiful and her aura is great on stage. This just proves how African beauty reigns above all. This kind of recognition is a sign that Africans are not the underdogs in this society. They are even a threat now in the fashion industry as many Black fashion designers are dominating the scene. On this post, I’d like to enumerate a few famous designers who are embracing African ethnicity and proud of African fashion.

Take a look at Kimora Lee Simons. She owns Baby Phat, a clothing line for women and girls. His father is an African American who worked as a federal marshal. She is very proud of her ethnicity and her urban line reflects African fashion so much. She even has her own self-titled reality show that features her life as a mother of two and celebrity fashion designer.

Another designer whom I really love is Cookie Johnson, who just launched her collection last 2009. Her label CJ is best known for its fun and trendy jeans which is featured by many magazines around the world. I like her designs since it has sizes for girls with big waists.

If you’ve seen Project Runway’s season 3, you might notice Mychael Knight who was named fan favorite in that season. Being a fan favorite is a big deal since it means Mychael is loved by many. Just recently, his collection was featured in the elusive New York Fashion Week with his “Lost World” collection for spring/summer collection 2012. How’s that?

Young and dynamic duo, Angela and Vanessa Simmons created a buzz in the fashion industry when they launched Pastry, a shoe collection targeting the teen market. These two have good reviews for their design with their originality and new style for the youth.

I hope that these African fashion designers will still keep the fire burning and penetrate the world market. Though it’s the competition is tough, African fashion has a very good chance in the fashion industry with globalization turning toward being exotic and unique.

Photo Credits from: top-people.starmedia.com, live.drjays.com, peterpaulcarim.com

How do you like it?

And I’m talking about your fashion here!!!

Do you like clean lines, plain fabric, bold prints, minimalist looks, skyscraper heels, oversized accessories.....what works for you?

Which leads me to my next question.............

.........................does it really work for you?!

I absolutely love elaborate geles, huge handbags and bold statement jewellery. The only problem is, at 5ft 2in – I end up looking like a little girl playing dress up in her mummy’s clothes!

Over the years I’ve learnt to work with what I have and just incorporate certain elements that might not be so flattering.

Anybody want to share their fashion loves and faux pas with me?

Starting with the basics for getting it right – the fabric.

Choose fabrics that work with you and your lifestyle. The main fabrics used for African clothing are cotton, rayon and silk. Let’s face it, spending the afternoon with a three year old wearing silk is just asking for trouble!

If you want mileage out of a particular item of clothing, then go for the cotton and rayon. Save the silk for special occasions.

Next on my list – the print.     

 

Oh, where to start?! This has the potential to be a wondrous or a disastrous thing! The one thing not lacking when it comes to African fabric is print choices. Just think Vlisco! As much as they are Dutch wax prints – they symbolise a lot of what African clothing means.

Keep it simple, choose a print that doesn’t shout you down or drown you out. You should wear the clothes, not the other way round.

Now that we’re working with the right fabric and pattern for us.....find the right style. Not all things look good on all people. As I’ve found out numerous times, some things just weren’t meant to be!

Unfortunately we’re not always honest with ourselves and sometimes our desire to have something clouds our better judgement (and if my best friend is reading this then yes, I’m talking about those 6in heels hiding at the back of your closet!)

My suggestion: where possible, never go shopping alone! Better still – shop from the comfort of home (or your iPad, or BlackBerry!) Pick out what you like and ask a good friend for her opinion. That’s what friends are for right?!

Remember, ultimately your clothes are an expression of who you are!

                                       

Which Afrodelicious Diva are you?

I know, I know, my last post inspired you to go out and get all Afrolicious (and if you can’t figure out what I mean by that then stop reading right now!) So you rushed out, bought everything you could that remotely whispered “African”, tried it all on and had a “How do I look?” moment.

The verdict was................a hot mess!!

Let’s face it, not everything looks good on everyone. So let’s break it down a bit.....what suits who?

Disclaimer time: I am not a fashion expert – I am just an opinionated female who spends a lot of time dissing people who just aren’t dressed right!

Also, if you’re looking for a detailed step-by-step “how to look fabulous in African fashion” then unfortunately, I can’t help you.

Firstly – body shapes. You’ve heard them all....pear, apple, hourglass, ruler (skittle, vase, cornet, lollipop, column, bell, goblet, cello, brick too according to Trinny and Susannah). I hate to say this because I know it’ll piss off a whole lot of people but.....who cares?!!

Fashion Sista’s suggestion no.1: forget body shape, just love the skin you’re in! We come in all shapes and sizes and fabulous is all about how you feel, not what shape you are! Rules are for school, who wants to be a grown woman and be told they’re a brick or an apple? I mean really, how’s that going to make me feel good about myself?!

So now that we’ve thrown that theory out of the window....

Fashion Sista’s suggestion no.2: dress for your personality! Radical thought, isn’t it? But think about it, if you’re a loud, proud kind of gal, then why not dress that way? Go for those bold prints, loud colours and huge statement pieces. You have the guts to carry it off (plus the chutzpah to tell off anybody who says otherwise!)

If you’re a more reserved type of sista (what do you mean ‘do they exist’?!) then pick out clothes and accessories that speak to your sense of style. They are out there......they might be harder to find, but if you know where to look you’ll find them.

Check in with me soon to find out more about getting your Afrolicious on.

Laters!

Introductions!

Hey all and welcome to my brand new blog -Fashion Sista!

You’re probably sitting there wondering about the name of the blog.  Simply put, I’m a fashionista who’s also a proud sista et voila, Fashion Sista!

I’m a young-ish, hip-ish, urban diva and I absolutely LOVE all things African and all things fashion so no prizes for guessing what this blog’s about – you got it in one: African fashion!!

For the record, the profile pic isn’t actually me, just a lovely photo I came across created by someone called.........africa, naturally!

I’ve been wanting to blog for a while (blame it on the talkative gene I inherited from my mum’s side of the family!) and this particular idea started when I was invited to an event and the theme wasn’t black tie or smart casual, it was African. When I got there, I looked around and while there were the older divas rocking their full on Nubian glam......the younger ladies didn’t (in my not-so-humble opinion) quite make the cut.

So.....I got to thinking, what exactly is African fashion? Where did it come from? Where is it headed? Is it still relevant to us, the younger, more “westernised” generation wherever we may be based?

I’m hoping to answer some, if not all, of those questions right here. I’ll be exploring the fashion history and diversity of beautiful Mama Africa, looking out for where to buy great fashions as well as getting to know (hopefully!) the people behind the designs and sharing them with you. I’ll be attacking innocent people on the streets and getting to hear their views which I’ll pass on to you.

Basically my aim is to make African fashion truly fashionable!

Well that’s all about me and my game plan for this blog but what I really want is for this to be a meeting place where we can discuss our love (or hate if you’re a hater!) of African fashion. I want to hear your ideas about what’s hot and what’s not.

So if there’s anybody out there reading this other than my Grandma and my best friend (yes, you better be reading it!), then please feel free to throw in your ideas and opinions on what you’d like to hear more (or less) about.

Bye for now!