Posts with tag CasualWear

We're always on the look-out for shirts that shake things up and make this casual wear something more than just sloppy. These Skin of the City t-shirts remind us of the beauty of a simple all-over design. Our favorites are these prints of ghostly, bare trees. Reminiscent of Northern winters or the circulatory system, this shirt adds interesting detail to an otherwise plain shirt.

We can see it now: This shirt, plus a pair of dark wash jeans or black trousers and a well-structured, neutral-colored jacket on top, preferably military-inspired cutting. The other shirt designs, flattened images of buildings and brick walls stretched across your torso, are pretty cool, but the stunning impact of so many strong little lines do the trick for us.

This isn't the first time we've ooh'd and ahh'd over shirts. Check out these previous StyleList posts about everyone's favorite go-to item: Threadless shirts, geek tees, opinionated tops.

...And we're back. After what has seemed like an eternity (OK, it's been a week) since its last diffusion collection dropped, Target is ready to release another line under its widely successful Go International label.

But if you're looking to find some affordable pieces from the designers whose year end sales you live for, then this little package of tops and shorts isn't for you.

Hey! Remember that one time Diddy made a t-shirt about the 2004 election? And it had a witty catchphrase on it? Boy, I sure do!

Well, the man, the myth, nay -- THE LEGEND has come up with a brand new shirt (using, oddly enough, the same font) with a brand new catchphrase!

Ladies and Gentlemen.....No Bitchassness. Say it loud and proud -- you are bitchassness free! You will have none! If you see bitchassness in the street, you will let it lie.

Other possible suggestions for Diddy t-shirt catchphrases:

• Vote or Be Bitchassed
• I am against your penchant for bitchassness
  
• Please refrain from either bitching or assing
• Bitchass says RELAX!

I'm surprised, with the nascence of his two young daughters, that this slogan isn't available on a romper.

I'm not even sure what this means. Besides Diddy having entirely too much money to blow on t-shirt manufacturing, obviously. But really, when you get down to it, my only question is....why don't I have this shirt!?

In the last interview I saw featuring women's streetwear designer Leah McSweeney of Married to the Mob, the very proud Irish woman and new mother was ranting and raving about her brand being the "first of its kind" for ladies in the streetwear market and something about her "paving the road" for other brands. Blah, blah, blah.

Anyways, I didn't fight her boisterous and rather obnoxious statements because in a way it's kind of true. With that, you would think that her collections following the infamous declaration would be all sorts of awesome, right?

Uh, not so much. Overall, the pieces were pretty decent and wearable. But how many times can one rearrange a pair of lips, three leaf clovers, and the words "hoes" and "tricks" on t-shirts before it becomes unoriginal? No, it's not bad. But if you're going to declare yourself a front-runner in a competitive market, you're going to need to have a much stronger platform.

But there is one gem in Miss McSweeney's spring line:

The Fafi t-shirt.

Fafi, the Parisian graffiti artist who just recently released a limited-edition cosmetics line with MAC, doodled one of her signature Fafinettes equipped with a Hermes Birkin bag, Chanel pumps and a lip tattoo on the tee, which comes in two colors. It's too cute and retails for $40.

Now, If only Fafi could help her pal with the rest of her pieces. Just kidding.

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I'm really intrigued by the bold, graphic prints of CUT-IT-OUT, a collection of jersey clothing and accessories created by Russian-born designer Yelena Konovalova. Yelena grew up studying art in St. Petersburg before moving to New York to immerse herself in the world of fashion design, first as a student at Parsons and later as Design Director for Catherine Malandrino.

The women's long sleeve Man Woman Man shirt is my favorite piece from the new collection, which features innovative cotton jersey clothing for both men and women. These are not your average t-shirts. Yelena created these single color designs through a process of cutting and folding paper ... although these pieces are probably much more intricate and interesting than those paper snowflakes you made in elementary school. The current lighthearted collection of limited edition pieces was inspired by Russian folk art and pagan fairytales. These would be the perfect comfy yet stylish clothes to spend your weekend daydreaming away in.

Prices range from $30-$120. Available at CUT-IT-OUT.net and Smashing Darling.

Apparently Pepsi has accepted that they'll never beat Coke in the cola wars, and have decided to branch out into something different -- women's wear. They already launched a men's line back in 2006 (full of items that looked like they came straight out of Vanilla Ice's closet), so this isn't a huge surprise -- but the women's clothing market is decidedly more competitive, so it'll be interesting to see how the new line compares to those launched by real designers.

The line should be available in around 1,000 stores over the coming year, but don't expect to see it advertised in fashion magazines. It sounds like the company plans to sell their product by pushing it off on celebrities -- then hoping that people notice. While that's standard practice designers who make clothing that doesn't suck, somehow I see that being less effective with t-shirts and sweatshirts that look like walking billboards for second-rate soda.

Granted, I've only ever seen the men's collection, so maybe the women's looks will be more bearable. But I'm not holding my breath.

Sure, the t-shirt at right looks cool. Bold graphics, cute design elements, and a reference to Twitter (a trendy new social networking website) -- how geek chic!

Oh, but there's more. The "Reactee" can give anyone who sees you updates on your life. All they have to do is send a text message to the number on your shirt, and they'll get a pre-designated text back from you.

You could use this as a walking billboard for your favorite cause -- like an "Obama For President" shirt that sends people campaign information -- or as a way to promote your band's website while you're busking on street corners. The above example sends your latest Twitter update -- so however you were feeling the last time you used your computer can now be available in real time to anyone you pass on the street.

[via Shiny Shiny]

Just when you thought you'd finally seen the worst of those little plastic disasters, we learn that the makers of Crocs have stooped to a new low. Soon your fashion-challenged friends can have entire wardrobes full of brightly-colored goo, as the company has revealed they'll be launching a line of "plastic-inspired" clothing.

Gross.

Apparently, they figured out how to take the same ugly-ass material that's in the shoes and spin it into yarn, making it possible to design foam resin shirts, skirts and shorts.

Please, Croc people, I'm begging you -- show some restraint! Have a little foresight -- think of how we'll be judged by future generations. Spare the world from this hideous idea!

This is mostly for the guys out there, who crumple their t-shirts, shove them in the drawer, and wonder why they always look like a bum. I'm not advocating that your iron your casual wear, but you'll look significantly more polished if you bother to fold your shirts after they come out of the dryer.

The good news is, that the entire folding process can take about 5 seconds if you do it properly. In the above video, you'll see how with 2 simple moves, you can have your shirts folded perfectly in no time at all.

So say goodbye to your wadded up t-shirts, guys, and hello to a more sophisticated, wrinkle-free summer.

[via Neatorama]

For non-UK readers, Footballers Wives is a popular British TV drama about a bunch of catty, rich women who are -- as the title suggests -- married to professional soccer players.

In response, Phunk Studio has created the ultimate ironic comment on this lame, tacky TV phenomenon -- a bra print t-shirt for skinny guys who looking nothing like either professional atheletes or their obnoxious life-partners.

Granted, if you don't live in the UK, that part of the joke will be lost on anyone you meet, but a guy wearing a bra-print t-shirt is pretty funny in its own right, even if you've never seen the show.

The only drawback is that it's not particularly flattering. Even the guy in the picture, who looks likes your typical, ultra-thin hipster type, looks a little bit like he has man boobs. It's not the end of the world, and is probably worth it for the joke, but just something to be aware before you wear it out and have to fend off jokes that you need a Mansierre.

Smelling like booze usually means you've been partying. But what if that wine smell came from something else -- like your clothes?

Researchers in Australia have created a dress made not from cotton or silk, but from wine. Apparently, if wine is exposed to oxygen during the fermentation process -- conditions that produce vinegar -- a slimy byproduct called cellulose forms on the top of the vats. Cellulose consists of short fibers that can be combined to produce a fabric. Unlike cotton fib res, which can easily be spun into even longer fib res, wine fabric is considerably more unstable. In fact, if the cellulose dries up you lose the fibers altogether.

To create the dress, the scientists draped the cellulose over inflatable dolls (hehe -- wonder where they got those!). When the dress was complete, the dolls were deflated so that the outfit could be transferred onto the body of the model pictured at right.

But teetotalers shouldn't worry just yet -- wine dresses that last are still a long way off.

You know those tiny little balls of fabric that collect on the sleeves of your favorite sweaters? You hate them, don't you? Well, you can save your sweaters from looking worn-out with a ever-so-clever sweater stone. By gently rubbing the sweater stone along the surface of your knits, you can gently remove the offending pills without damaging the fabric. The natural, pumice-like material of the sweater stone is perfect for delicate fabrics like cashmere, but it's also hearty enough to handle heavy upholstery and blankets. I first became a believer in the pumice stone when I lived in the Netherlands. Having tried everything from a safety razor to those electric sweater shavers, I can say with confidence that the all-natural sweater stone is the best depiller around.

Retail experts have recently coined a new phrase that refers to the buying habits of some women in their 40s and 50s. They call it "10 years younger syndrome". This term describes the tendency of well-off women over the age of 40 to dress exactly like women ten years their junior. It has become commonplace for mothers and daughters to shop in the same store -- a thought that I would have never entertained back when I was a teenager.

I hesitate to say that this means that older women simply aren't "dressing their age" -- I think they are. It's just that the term "age-appropriate" doesn't make that much sense anymore. In an time when 20-year-olds are wearing couture (the Olsen twins) and 45-year-olds are wearing low riders (Elle MacPherson), it seems silly to draw those distinctions in the first place.

Maybe I have a secret crush on Picasso or maybe I've just seen too many French films over the years. Either way, I can't deny that I have a major soft spot for men in striped shirts. No, I'm not talking about a striped oxford or some kind of frat-boy polo. I'm talking about a multi-colored long-sleeved shirt with a high geek-factor level. (Hey, I'm just being honest...)

This fall, Etro has a very hunky crewneck sweater in their men's casual line. I think what stands apart about this sweater is the unusual combination of colors, which include eggplant, pink, orange, green, and creme. Ordinarily, if you mixed these contrasting shades, the result would be a total eyesore. And yet there's just something about Etro's modern arrangement and smart muting that makes this sweater work perfectly.

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