Kawji Fashion Blog

Pulling off this trend has few rules, but they are fairly strict, because with something this quirky, it would be a little too easy to come off as looking ludicrous, and no one wants to do that — again, unless you are attending a Halloween or costume party, and even then most of us want to look cute rather than ridiculous.

To avoid the latter and exceed at the former, make sure your hair has a tousled, just out of bed look when you try this hairstyle; up ‘dos are good as well, or a voluminous ‘do reminiscent of those sultry 1960s sex kittens.

However, steer clear of any props or looks that could be construed as costumes. That’s taking this look a bit too far. If your hair is quirky, make sure to be somewhat subtle elsewhere.

This look is perfect for evenings, parties, fun activities, et cetera. Family dinners or days at the office: no.

Yes, fashionistas, you read that correctly, I said bunny ears. And yes, as it happens, that is in part exactly what you are probably thinking about: actual bunny ears. Not to mention mouse ears, cat ears, and who knows what else — or big, over sized bows, and other, intricately styled headbands, like the one you see here.

We are going to talk about the do’s and don’ts associated with this style, because it can be pretty cute if you know what to do — or what not to do.

However, in all good conscience, I really cannot advocate the wearing of actual bunny ears or cat ears, if you are not attending a Halloween bash or costume party. I just don’t have it in me.

Now that we have explored the one-shouldered look, let’s go ahead and talk about the leather dress look.  Now, if you have been following all of the fashion trends for last year and this year, I can promise that you have seen leather as a trend.

Now, for the spring time, if you are planning to wear a dress, it should be a little on the heavy side and should be leather.  Leather is not only one of the best materials in the world but it looks sexy as hell.

Leather dresses folks – if you want to look hot and be fashionable in the spring, leather dresses are the way to do it!

Now that we have talked about some boots, let’s go ahead and talk about the color palette for the shoes that you should expect when you are looking for a new pair of shoes. 

First up are dark colors.  To be completely honest, I think that this season in general – whether it is fall or winter is going to be filled with a lot of deep reds, dark purples, dark greens and a lot of midnight blues and blacks. 

Personally, I think that these colors are absolutely breathtaking and I love the fact that your feet are going to be encased with some darker colors while your outfit may be a little bit brighter.

You always have to think about how you look. If gold is the color of the minute, consider this: are you tan? If so, gold will heighten your complexion, so if you like it, go for it. I myself am very pale; gold tends to make pale people look washed out, even sallow. You know what looks fantastic on us? Silver.

Skinny jeans look good on girls with slender, lanky figures. If you are curvy and tall, wide legged jeans are going to make you look stellar. Curvy and short? Not so wide legged.

If you understand the essential, fundamental differences between style and fashion, you will be better able to decide what trends will work for you. Style is an art; fashion is cool, but it tends to be transitory — just like trends. What is fashionable today will not be fashionable tomorrow … but what is stylish is generally classic for a good long time.

Trends. They are so tempting. But come on, we have to be honest with ourselves, we cannot always pull them off for one reason or another. Me, I am short and not a size 2, so skinny jeans are never going to look good on me. And many times, trends are not only passing, but they are too expensive and, well, unattractive, to waste money on in the first place. For instance, one trend in facial hair right now is to shave off or bleach one’s eyebrows. Uhm … why?

So, let’s talk about when to just let the trends go. Let’s talk about how to keep things in perspective.

A trend may be super hot, but that does not mean that it’s right for you. You might see it in Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar or even another, more applicable fashion mag — but remember that the models wearing that particular trend have the benefit of professional stylists … and professional airbrushing.

I will never understand why, but the fashions popularized in the 1980s are coming back, and people are getting into it. So although it hurts my heart a little bit, I would be terribly remiss if I didn’t tell you how to make it work for you.

The 1980s goes high end, thanks to fashions offered by BCBG, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, and others.

Remember, this was a decade known for its excess; it was all about money and power.

So you need black tights and leggings in metallic shades. You need to channel Le Palace and, of course, Studio 54 — go watch the movie, peeps, you at least get to see Ryan Phillipe half naked.

Power suits are back, along with exaggerated shoulders getting paired with nipped in, tight waists. Silhouettes should be triangular, jersey tunics are the rage, and fetish boots that graze the hips are in, in, in.

For your color palette, go black with shades of grey — but day glo neon colors are back, too.

Go punk. Really, even I can’t complain about punk.

Look for sequins, wear leather, find some fur (or faux fur), and make sure you go red lip.

Retro glam is a growing trend, the likes of which can be both elegant and edgy — if it is done right. The problem is, it is hard to discover the right components to make new trends work for you, so in the upcoming weeks, we at Kawji are going to take a look at some of the individual facets for the hottest trends, so you can pick and choose to put together a look that works for you.

With retro glam, think the Golden Age of Hollywood as a base and a starting point. Look at what John Galliano is doing for Christian Dior, especially in terms of the flapper and 1920s Orientalism.

Shimmers and shines will do you will, as will the surrealist glamor tricks straight from the 1930s — think Dali, Man Ray, and Cocteau.

Think Joan Crawford and the austere elegance of the 1940s. Go dark and somber, think perfectly tailored jackets (see Prada) and draped dresses.

Remember how we were talking about deconstruction the other day? Well, this is a great example of what I meant by that.

Rodarte, with sister designers Laura and Kate Mulleavy at the helm, are the driving force behind this upcoming arts and crafts fad. We will be seeing lots of dresses evocative of cobwebs, for instance, and collages made of things like sandpaper silk, lace, leather, and cheesecloth in burnt plaids.

There will be a whole lot of braiding to be seen as well. Rodarte is weaving skirts and vests out of leather braid. Caroline Herrera has debuted a vest with rope weaving. Chado Ralph Rucci went one better and is offering a fabulous braided leather jacket, complete with tassels along the hem. Even Diane von Furstenberg has gone mad for macrame.

I have some bad news. I don’t know how it happened. In many ways, it represents one of my biggest fears.

Somehow, some way … 80s fashion is coming back. Pretty soon we will be seeing lots of … acid washed denim. Lots of shoulder pads. Lots of bows — big ones — and lots of leotards. There might be leg warmers and big, bright geometric prints. There might even be trophy jackets.

The only redeeming quality of this inexplicable trend is that there will be a definitive 2009 kind of twist … but I don’t know how much better that makes the whole thing. It means that all that stuff up there gets paired with really sharp lines and close tailoring, ankle boots with a little chunk, and dewy, lolita like makeup.

There will be leggings and junk in colors like … oyster and coral. So you might end up looking like your grandma trying to dress up for some kind of 1980s theme party.