Fashion Revival

I am absolutely dying over the fashion revivals that have been going on. It's like the best trends from all of the ages are taking centre stage, and the ways that people are playing with these looks is phenomenal. This truly is the age of inspired fashion. Feel free to play with what has been created in the past, and make your look your own. Dress up by throwing a fitted vest over a plain tee, paired with a pair of slim fitting jeans. Add some edge with an 80's inspired leather bomber.

The three-piece suit truly is the gentlemen's greatest tool. No matter the guy, this is a great way to make yourself look refined and chic. Try throwing back your hair into a nice coiffure to put the cherry on top of the cake. This suit by Ralph Lauren is perfection. The five-buttoned vest adds a tad more chicness than the three-buttoned versions out there.

Turtlenecks have been ridiculed for the past decade... Finally, they're becoming socially acceptable--even demanded--once more. If you want to add some edge to this look, try a chunkier turleneck like the Dolce & Gabbana one to the right.

This leather bomber by Jean-Paul Gaultier is especially inspired. I love the short torso, with the large detailing at the bottom edge. Try to shy away from leather jackets that have pocket flaps. One is okay, but anymore than that and you'll look too bulky.

In With The Old. In With The New. Lacoste Spring '11

No other designer has as much fun with colour as Christophe Lemaire. Lacoste... Known for their 'every colour of the rainbow' polos, mixed the old with the new in New York this month.

The colour combo featured in this look is amazing. It is essential to pair a look this bold with other, simpler colours.... As is done perfectly with the white sandals and bracelets. Remember to show off those signature pieces!

Did I miss something? I knew that baggy pants were back.... But pleats? Seriously?? While I'll admit that these two gents look rather refined, I'll withhold on this look. Thanks!

What really caught my eye in this collection was how the timeline was played with. The look on the left looks like something taken straight from a futuristic movie, while the look on the right appears to be some '70s flower-power babe.

Black and white. Always has been a staple. Always will be. What we do with these neutrals, however, is ever-changing. I feel as though we've been transported back to Coco Chanel's Parisian studio with these two looks... Even the baggy trouser-wearing woman seems to be a shoutout to the rebelliousness that Coco promoted in her designs. J'adore!

This is what happens when you tell a male model to smile right before he walks down the runway. Lesson learned.

If I were to get my hands on this sweater, I would forever be happy. Well... At least until my next fashion-lust.

Jean on Jean / GStar Spring '11

Jean on jean. Jean overalls. Jean jackets. Jean, jean, jean! No one is able to use the same fabric in so many ways, quite as well as GStar. I've often found myself so obsessed with their (exquisite) jackets, that I don't take time to fully appreciate the pure artistry in the rest of what they do. It has been far too long since my last post, and there is no better way to come back (with a vengeance) than paying homage to one of my favourite designers. In this collection, Pierre Morriset took denim to the next level. He used the very street-ready material in every article of clothing from head-to-toe, and utilized a variety of colours to show the pure malleability of the fabric.

Belt it, belt it, and belt it some more. Remember a few years ago when we were all brain-washed with 'lower is better'. Well, what we think is chic is once again, being rewritten. This fall and in seasons to come, HIKE IT UP! For you ladies, get yourself a variety of belts. It's always great to have not only a few colours to choose from, but also a few widths. A skinny belt can be a great way to add a little flare to a pair of high-waisted denim shorts, and a chunkier belt can add some personality to a dress.

Probably one of the more difficult to pull off looks... White it out. An outfit this bold needs to be worn with confidence. Be prepared to be traffic stopping. Also be prepared to eat with a bib, or not at all!

Whoever thought that jeans would only get skinnier, you've been proven wrong. This season, be prepared to increase the wiggle room in your bottoms. The dropped-crotch pants are also going to be hitting the ready-to-wear lines more. And what I'm particularly digging... The baggy-meets-skinny jean (seen best on the left). What a fantastic way to mix up a look! Finally, your legs will be able to breath (a huge sigh of relief).

What would be a GStar show without some jackets. I die for the jacket on the left. One rule of thumb to always follow with a peacoat... Pop. That. Collar.

My favourite look of the collection. I have always thought that overalls were out for good. Respectfully I admit... I was wrong! Dead wrong, in fact. These buttoned-up, baggy-legged beauties make me want to dance on the table while belting out Kylie Minogue lyrics.

Enter Ladies / Alexander Wang

It's a damn good thing that Alexander Wang is so freakin' talented! Otherwise, I'd be shooting jealousy out of my every orifice. This young New Yorker has created some truly remarkable looks over the past three years, and there is no denying his inherent flare for fashion. At only 25 years old, he has quickly become one of the fashion world's best known designers for womenswear. I recently heard the news that he was going to be branching more into menswear, so thought it was an appropriate time to start bridging the gap between the two sexes here on POP. Here are some looks from Wang's 2011 Resort collection that accentuate what makes him one of my favourite designers.

Wang entered the fashion industry as a master of the deconstructed look. With his latest collection, he does nothing to quell this fact. I love the piecey-ness of this skirt!

Another of Wang's trademarks comes from his use of layers. Generally speaking, layers are achieved by combining multiple pieces of clothing to create said look. Wang, however, is a master of creating this highly sought after look using only one piece. The hugely over exaggerated pleating of the pants to the right is exquisite!

Who said that chunky shirts were only okay when guys wear them?? With the 'boyfriend' look becoming much more mainstream this season among the ladies, why not wear something that's oh-so-chunky? I love the high shorts in the look to the right, and the cardigan that they're being paired with. With a more relaxed fitting sweater, an effortless, yet put-together look is created.

For us gentlemen, Wang has introduced his menswear line with some simple tees. I'm usually one to sway toward something more slim fitting, but I find the relaxed baginess of these tees to border on elegance. The spacious fit will also allow for more breathing room during the sweaty summer months. For a full look at Alexander's men's tees, visit his online store.

An Itch For Theatrics

John Galliano dished out some truly inspired pieces... Given, some of the pieces were way over the top, but for the most part, I found this collection quite lovely. There was no lack of visuals or mind benders. Everything that Galliano did pushed so many boundaries, and he seemed to have landed on his feet more often than not! I loved how black and white he was with his inspiration. You could very easily delve into his dark, twisted, and oh-so-creative mind.

Probably my favourite part of this show was the makeup. There was a lot of variety in the looks, and there was also a lot of attention to detail in each of them! The mime-like looks really drew my eyes. It made the look really feel like it was trying to portray an entire feeling and situation, much like the show did as a whole. Check out the brows on the guy to the left! And is the one immediately to the right a guy or a girl? I had to look at the chest to tell!

Galliano brought us some looks that, despite their classic roots, still had a twinge of madness. The look to the right really made me think of Frankenstein's wedding. Hey! Who's to say that the undead don't want to look good too??

These three jackets totally got me off. I love the sheen to the two on the left, and I especially like the patterns that the one in the middle sports. I really feel like I'm starting to develop a fetish for grandma's couch upholstery....

I have a theory that suspenders are coming back in a big way. Just remember to wear them correctly if you're going to. For those slimmer gentlemen, it's more than dandy to wear them with any of your usual pants... But for everyone else, try not to. It may have the unfortunate look of accentuating your 'curviness'. Instead, aim for something like the look above... Use suspenders for their traditional use, which was to wear them to hold up pants that were a little too big. Basically, they should act as a belt.

For the beach savvy gent, here are three summer ready looks! I'm digging the oversized beret. The sheer tank is also great, and would be excellent for those hot summer days. On another note, I can't imagine the tan lines that you'd get from the shorts on the right. Talk about reinventing the skid marks.

I need to get me some! I'm clearly talking about the pants because the guy is a given... It's no secret that I have a thing for dropped crotch pants this season. I especially like the detailing sported around the waist and down the legs.

Once You Pop, You Can't Stop / Pringle of Scotland

Pringle of Scotland are known as the founders of knitwear. Although they may not have been the first line to carry knitted pieces, they were the first to implement them as outerwear. And to this day, they're still rocking the trend. This collection is full of colours, new-age cuts and styles, and chunky sweaters! In short, everything that I love to see in a collection!

Sheer is coming in to play with full force. Choosing a sheer top can be a great way to beat the heat, or even to add another layer without weighing yourself down. It's great to see Pringle playing with this new trend, and mixing it in with something classic. Argyle prints were first designed by Pringle of Scotland, and remain a fashion staple to this day. They've done a fantastic job at bringing some life to the old.

Would it really be a British line without a little Royal Blue? I'm not quite sure about the jacket to the left and how one would wear it, but its intricacy truly is fabulous. Definitely a mind fuck, but in a good way! The overall majesty of both these looks really brings me back to the olden-days or lords and ladies.

I love, love, LOVE these three looks. There have been a lot of 'grandpa' looks from lots of designers this season. Pringle of Scotland has done an excellent job at taking a youthful approach to something that would have otherwise been too old school. The chunky, thrown-together look of the three knitted sweaters really is the highlight of each look. I'm fully enjoying the different hues of blue that were used throughout this collection, as well as the cardigan pieces.