It's MAGIC!

I attended MAGIC this year which is held in Vegas, which actually seemed very appropriate I realized after visiting some of the conventions. I went with the student chapter of FGI from our university and it was a lot of fun and very eye opening, but let me tell you my feet were not prepared from the moment I stepped off the plane. I've been to Vegas before I know there is a lot of walking involved, I mean just walking from your hotel room to the front lobby is like an endurance feat in itself!

On the day we arrived we attended Project, which is for off price retailers. The best way to describe the clothes and accessories here is to imagine your self in one of those cheap clothing store where everything is a knock-off. It was all pretty ghetto fabulous to be honest. One woman's booth did have something interesting, she sold items that looked like Northface jackets and Abercrombie cargo shorts, but didn't actually carry the label. The truth is that $100 jacket your sporting was made in the same factory with the same materials as a much cheaper one the only difference is the embroidery on the front stating the brand. Very interesting!

From there we caught a taxi to the Wynn, which by the way I wouldn't mind spending my honeymoon there. Our next exhibit was ENK a very cool and young clothing vendor show. All the vendors there looked like characters from The City or The Hills and of course did have a kind of pretentious air about them. Needless to say I wanted to hang out in there all day. The clothes were amazing and everything had beautiful soft neutral colors with hints of bright colors like purples and reds. The shoes, my god, the shoes! Platforms, military, safari awesomeness! If I could stop time and just live in that showcase I would. Okay, time to move on.

The second day was the big day, we would be heading down to the Las Vegas convention center to see the Mecca of fashion, MAGIC. When we walked in I could not believe the amount of vendors there and how amazing there booths could be. Some of the bigger retailers had their booth designed to look like a miniature version of their store. A couple of friends and I were lucky to make it into the Jessica Simpson booth and look around and talk to one of the girls who was a vendor. Let me explain the lucky part.

Some of these booths were pretty exclusive/ intimidating looking. They had people standing in front of their little makeshift entrances and it seemed only by invitation or if you were a serious buyer could you actually go in, so yes we were lucky to make it into the Jessica Simpson booth.

Next to MAGIC was a new show called Platform, which was entirely for shoes. It was amazing. The only underwhelming part was waiting an hour to see Paris Hilton. She was debuting a line of shoes.

The sad thing was I have seen these shoes in all different stores. I don't mean hers specifically, but the style. They had been done before and it was nothing new. Plus, she was late so it added to my distaste. Whatever Paris, you are so not hot.

MAGIC was exhausting to say the least, but it is something I will never forget and I hope that this was not my only time visiting. I look forward to seeing what vendors continue to produce and see who puts their amazing product in their stores.

Side note: I will post pictures and notes to accompany from a presentation on trends for next year. It was also amazing (of, course).

From military to leather jackets, I've got you covered

It's been waaay too long since my last post and I know I know I really need to stay on top of it if I'm going to keep a fashion blog. I finally have something to post and it's an article I wrote for my college newspaper. Enjoy!

As fall sets upon us and the temperature starts to drop we must all don something new: layers, layers, layers people! There is a reason the September issue of every major magazine is the largest; the fashion community welcomes fall with open arms and you can too with these new trends.

Predominantly seen on the fall runways this season was a throwback to 50’s glamour. Outfits were more sensual and curve hugging yet still conservative. Things to take away from this trend are longer skirts and high-waist pants, which is a relief. It’s a nice alternative to the low-rise jeans plaguing our waistlines and everyone else’s awkward glances when we sit down.

The military style is also an easy trend to translate into everyday wear. Olive green and khaki colors paired with metallic accessories make this trend accessible for everyone. Take a military inspired jacket paired with a white tank and skinny jeans and you’re set! Add riding boots in dark brown leather and prepare yourself for people coming to you for fashion advice.

Last trend that must be stressed is faux fur and this takes some guts. Real and faux fur was across many runway shows (see Chanel and their iceberg themed runway), though the faux version is in more favor. Just a small article covered in the fuzzy stuff can really make a statement and add life to any outfit, ironic right? Fur not for the fashion shy and will turn heads most definitely so wear proudly.

Fella’s don’t worry you have not been forgotten there are trends you should definitely consider trying out. First I would like to address something that most guys already know, but it should always be reminded. Every man needs an awesome suit and this doesn’t mean you need to buy an expensive one. A good tailor is your best friend; the suit needs to fit closely. This means nothing baggy guys that train has come and gone. For fall many designers opted for the three-piece suit, which pulls the suit together very nicely.

For those of you who live more on the edge you are not left out the leather jacket was seen all over the runways. Whether it was motorcycle or bomber style, a fitted leather

jacket always looks bad a**. If you’re wondering what to wear with this automatic cool pass it’s simple and I’m sure most of you already have this in your closet: a plaid shirt paired with jeans, so cool.

Some parting advice for any fashion venture is this: if you are ever in doubt about what you are wearing, you probably shouldn’t wear it. That includes wearing sweatpants in public. Just say no.