JUL
2013
23

Nostalgia for the 1990s? Already?

Manolo says, according to the blog posting at the website of the Intro, the hot menswear trends of the summer of 2013 are the varsity letterman’s jackets, nautical-inspired clothing, and the 1990s nostalgia.

Get ready for a blast from the past! 90s fashion is back, as seen on the catwalks at Topman Design and Shaun Sampson summer 2013 is seeing a big 90s revival. Key trends like double denim, neon brights, acid wash, all over prints, grunge style beanie hats and loose fitting fabrics are all must haves for this season. Now I’ll admit that the 90s look may seem difficult to pull off but when styled correctly you can make sure you don’t end up looking like the fresh prince.

Please to make this go back to the future.

Ayyyy! The 1990 have returned! Only without the roaring economy that made the execrable styles (such as the drop crotch jeans) seem tolerable.

Nostalgia for the 1990s? Why are we condemned to relive the era of grunge?

Why can we not have the nostalgia for the 1890s? That was the real decade of style. Cut-away coats and top hats, high button shoes with spats.

JUL
2012
01

Sunday Slipper from Elizabeth and James

Grace in Dalmation Pony from Elizabeth and JamesGrace in Blue Pony from Elizabeth and James

Manolo says, yes, the slipper is the hottest thing among the fashion cognoscenti, which proves that, like the swallows to Capistrano, the classics will come back with surprising predictability.

Here is the Grace from Elizabeth and James, the classic pony hair slipper in Prussian blue or canine dalmation. Perfect for jaunting about town!

APR
2011
04

Botas Exoticas: The Leningrad Cowboys

Manolo says, the Manolo’s internet friend, the Yum Yum, has pointed to high-spirited Finnish rock band known as the Leningrad Cowboys, who for the past twenty years have been wearing the pointy hair and the pointier shoes.

The Leningrad Cowboys and the Botas Exoticas

In 1993, they even did the concert with the Red Army Chorus, of which the video below is the amusing artifact.

To the Manolo, the pointy-toes and pompadours of the Leningrad Cowboys have more in common with the Japanese Rockabilly dancers as the obvious appropriation and exaggeration of the American rock iconography, while the sudden appearance of the botas exoticas of the baile tribal are more sui generis and mysterious.

But, the Manolo leaves it up to you to decide.

The Jacket of Sport

Manolo says, our friend Mr. Henry considers the Sport Jacket.

To those interested in the history of fashion, mention must be made that, like so may other fashions originating as actual sportswear, the modern suit jacket originated as a hunting coat for riding to the hounds. The seat vent allows the jacket to drape elegantly astride the saddle.

Most sport jackets today appear to have devolved from military uniforms, specifically the flight jacket and the motorcycle jacket.

APR
2010
28

The Maxi-Dress Moment, Pt 2

Manolo says, it is the summer of the Maxi-Dress!

Regan Maxi-Dress by Lilly Pulitzer

Here is the Regan Maxi-Dress from Lilly Pulitzer, the white strapless maxi with the so-called “burnout” tropical leaf pattern. And now, we must need some colorful shoes to add interest and flavor to the dish. The Manolo recommends pink!

Metro T-Strap Wedge Sandals from Kate SpadeDolce & Gabanna Estelle Wedge Sandal on Sale

On the left is the Metro T-Strap Wedge Sandals from Kate Spade. On the right is the Dolce & Gabanna Estelle Wedge Sandal (which you may recognize as having been recommended by the Manolo in the green color the couple months ago).

Of the course, you are not limited to pink with the dress such as this. Indeed, almost any vibrantly happy color will work.

The Maxi-Dress Moment

Manolo says, unless you are perhaps living in the cave in the Hindu Kush, you will be aware that one of the better trends of this season is the maxi-dress.

Theo Maxi Dress from Joie

Here is the single shoulder, beautifully draped, Theo Maxi-Dress from Joie that will have you looking like the Pallas Athena!

And, for the shoes, pay no attention to what the model is wearing, you, of the course, will require sandals of great simplicity and unusual beauty.

Blaze Sandals from Elizabeth and James

Sandals such as the Blaze from Elizabeth and James, which have imbibed the spirit of classical antiquity, and yet suggest not the placid classicism of Attica, but the energetic rusticity of Macedonia. And thus not peaceable Pallas Athena, but Athena Nike, resting confidently at the head of Phillip’s horsemen.

Kim Jong Il, Fashion Trendsetter!

From the Agence France-Presse comes news of the latest fashion trend.

The trademark suit sported by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is now in fashion worldwide thanks to his greatness, Pyongyang’s official website said Wednesday.Like Evel Knievel, Kim Jong Il favors the jump suit. A touch of color would be good, no?

Uriminzokkiri, quoting an article in communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, said the modest-looking suits have gripped people’s imagination and become a global vogue.

“The reason is that the august image of the Great General, who is always wearing the modest suit while working, leaves a deep impression on people’s mind in the world,” it said.

“To sum it up, that is because his image as a great man is so outstanding.”

The article quoted an unidentified French fashion expert as saying world fashion follows Kim Jong-Il’s style.

“Kim Jong-Il mode which is now spreading expeditiously worldwide is something unprecedented in the world’s history,” the stylist was quoted as saying.

The suits consist of an overall-style zipped-up tunic and matching trousers, usually in khaki or blueish-grey.

To which the Manolo replies, do not be ridiculous, Kim Jong Il, the fashion leader. It is, as they say, to laugh.

“But, Manolo,” you are perhaps saying, “do you not remember that Preen RTW show from last year?”

Preen Jumpsuit, RTW 2010, Designed by Dicatators!

Ayyyyyyy!

P.S. This is not the first time the Manolo has considered the fashion crimes of Kim Jong Il.

Sweatpants for the High Fashion Slobs!

Manolo says, finally, the People of Walmart people are at the head of the fashion parade!

Taking casual chic to its extreme, a number of established designers including Michael Kors, Thakoon and Jean Paul Gaultier are touting versions of the slouchy pant usually associated with stay-at-home sick days. Gussied up with expensive materials, some tailoring details and price tags as high as $1,000, this new breed of sweatpant is intended to be worn proudly in public with blazers, dressy tops and high heels.

Designers say their customers are looking for fashion that’s less flashy, more practical. Plus, in shaky economic times, swanky sweatpants are viewed as a safe bet. “Look, whenever you can combine fashion, style and comfort in one item, it’s going to work at retail,” says Mr. Kors, whose cashmere versions will sell for $995. Sally Lohan, a trend expert at fashion-consulting service WGSN, also says the sweatpant trend will have legs. “We really balked at wearing leggings but eventually we all did—they were a good comfortable item to wear,” she says.

Sigh….

Katie Holmes in Sweatpants. The Death of Glamour.

Katine Holmes, on her way to Sam’s Club for some bulk chicken wings.

MAR
2010
08

Diary of the Shoe Collector

Manolo says, the website Collector’s Weekly has the interview with the super fantastic John Walford, author of the book The Seductive Shoe and shoe collector extraordinaire. Here is the very tasty excerpt.

Collectors Weekly: What were women wearing at the beginning of the 20th century?

Walford: This was just around the period when hemlines were beginning to creep up. Interestingly, shoes were almost a reaction to the fashions of the time. A lot of the Edwardian turn-of-the-century fashions were dripping in lace and making the most of the feminine figure, with padded buttocks, a padded bosom, and a tight waist. The look was ultra feminine. In contrast, shoes were often very masculine—little, tight Oxford shoes with low heels, very suffragette in comparison to the elaborate femininity of the costume itself. Even in eveningwear or with very fancy dresses, the footwear was still quite practical and masculine.

Embroidered shoes by French designer Greco from 1927.

All that changed in the 1910s with the rise of the hem. There was the introduction of straps and color in womens footwear. Of course the leg was still not supposed to be seen in its naked form, so stockings were opaque. But the shoes themselves brought attention to the leg and the foot.

Shoe design took off in the 1920s and ’30s when bare legs and translucent stockings became acceptable. Suddenly shoes were brightly colored and highly decorated. French shoe designer André Perugia got his start in the 1920s, doing fantastical designs and colors and patterns for Paul Poiret. Roger Vivier designed shoes for Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s. This is when shoe design as we know it really began.

And now you must go read the whole thing, as it is remarkably informative and lengthy.

OCT
2009
26

The End of the Highest of High Heels?

Manolo says, the Manolo has been predicting the end of the ultra-extreme towering heels for many months now, and at last it has come to pass, as announced by Leon Andre Talley himself.

Designers with an obsession for towering torture chambers, often poorly designed for the well-being of the foot, must get a reality check. I, for one, am over the mania for the high, high heel. Too many career women look like a herd of fashion beasts, aping one another in impractical shoes . . . Can’t anyone take a cue from First Lady Michelle Obama, in the elegant low-heeled shoes she always wears? A flat would be nice.

Of the course, the reason that the First Lady wears the flats has less to do with the comfort and more to do with her amazonian stature.

Be that as it may, the Manolo agrees that the heels had gone beyond what was both advisable and attractive. It was time for the predictable reaction, the return to more practical shoes.

Thus, the old hotness.

Ridiculous shoes in which you cannot walk.

Versus, the new hotness.

The Low Heels of High Spark Girls.

JUN
2009
09

Can’t Touch This

Manolo says, in this week’s fashion news, the return of the bicycle shorts and the drop-crotch pants.

Drop-crotch pants and bicycle shorts?

This can only mean one thing…

Hammertime!