Troubled Youth?

I don't have much to say concerning the fashion for Dimepiece's Too Much Too Young Spring 2010 Collection, yes, I am a fan, but the season's lookbook is captivating in another way. It raises questions and I find it to be a great discussion topic. I love the introduction to the photos, the way they explain the youth of today is shrilly accurate. My mind has paced over the plight of my contemporaries, not to exclude myself, of course. Are we too self-indulgent, sexual, gullible? In an engaging coversation with a very well-spoken friend, we talked about how revolutionary the youth has been in the past. The youths were the interrogators of the government, of society, of world issues. They were the people who wanted to see the world change. But, sadly today's youth is not nearly as strong-willed and resolute when it comes to society and change. We'd much rather look good and seem smart than DO good and BE smart. Don't get me twisted, there are some with concerns, some who want to see the world head in a different direction, but as I said before, we as a generation are not what youths once were. It's like our brains are clouded with bullshit, maybe it's not our fault, maybe we really can blame "society," the media, the times... See Dimepiece's Too Much Too Young Spring Collection 2010 Here

Patricia Field Out Loud!

I can't say that I'm over Betsey Johnson, but I've had to give her a rest, for a few years now. I have a new obsession with a fashion wild child that needs my immediate and direct attention, her name is Patricia Field and she rocks my whole world. The name may sound familiar as she was the costume designer on a fashionista favorite, Sex and The City. She's a clothing and costume designer and stylist, I'm sure you'll love her style. I've got a couple favorites from her collection, her style is fresh, classic and sometimes outrageous. I'm a fan of her clutches and other purses, hats, dresses...pretty much everything. In addition to styling the Sex and the City series, she also did costume work on both films and some of music's leading ladies have been donned in Patricia Field's designs as of late.

This is a shot from Bey's "Video Phone" featuring Lady Gaga, she's wearing the We Come in Peace Tee ($110) by Patricia Field. RiHanna wears a Patricia Field hat in the Rude Boy Video.

As I mentioned before I'm a lover of her clutches in particular, they're colorful, fun, affordable and different from other purses you'll see out here. Field has a number of collections that include clutch purses, so I'm going to show you what I love by collection.

This is the House of Field Patricia Field Signature Clutch in fuschia. There's something about yellow and fuschia that makes me feel outrageously sexy, and look at the hottie with the beauty mark, I love it. Seeing that my birthday is not far away, feel free to purchase this for me at Patriciafield.com for $80... or not, whatever, I'd appreciate it though.

To the right is the Signature clutch in blue and it too, rubs me in all the right ways. the face is different, but the effect is the same. These are two of the most feminine pieces I've seen in a while. What do you think about them? I'd indulge.

Patricia Field for Keith Harin is my next focus, the look is different, more colorful and artsy. I know some kids who would love to rock these. They're loud purses with artwork and I'm sure if you get a good look at them you'll enjoy how busy they are. Once again, I'm in love.

Available @ http://www.patriciafield.com/ $80

The last clutch I want to shine light on is for all the girls that have a thing for Barbie right now, or have always loved her. Whether you look like Barbie or a Cabbage Patch Kid, this clutch is a cutie, and will be sure to take at least some attention off of your face if you're unfortunate looking. The classic pink is perfect and the purse says "Paris Who?" at the bottom by the way, how precious.

Glory! I've been searching for over two years for half-gloves and I have found them here. They've got some with armor and spiky stuff and ones that are plain. All of them are exactly what I had been looking for. I asked around in the past and the only response I got was "we have biker gloves." EFF THAT, I want half-gloves for my fingertips. If the armor and spiky gloves are a bit steep for your tastes and you want half-gloves, why not get into a DIY project and grab some hardware from Micahel's or Hobby Lobby? (shoutout to @iCandiRandi). The Finger Armor gloves on the right are $150 and the Armor Armor gloves to the left go for $128. 5-finger half-gloves $48 http://www.patriciafield.com/

In addition to all the amazing things I've shown you, you can also get Sex and The City pieces that you've seen in the movie (and will see in the upcoming movie). There's the Eiffel Tower purse, studded belt, the gloves above, the clutches and the jewelry. I also love the shoes, hats and headpieces, sunglasses and handbags. Be sure to check it all out.

Beyonce: "Why Don't You Love Me?"

I havent been here in while, and this is like 2 days late, but whatever bite me if you have a problem with it. This here is Beyonce's most recent contribution to pop culture. I will admit that I was beginning to get tired of Bey, but this video was such a turn from her usual, I was enthralled. Two reasons why I love it: the song was written by her sister Solange, whose music I love and the 1950s may be my very favorite fashion era. The video captures nearly all my favorite looks from the time period and the song is different from Bey's regular work. This is not a music blog, so I won't shine anymore light on the musical aspect of the video. Let's talk fashion. I love the powder blue jumpsuit with Gianmarco Lorenzi sandals, I need the lingerie with the sweetheart cut, like now, and the high waist panties and bra set with lilac pumps are perfect. The Rosie the Riveter look she has in the beginning is precious, I don't give a hoot what anyone says. The 1950s were a response to the mannishness (that can't be a word) of the 1940s, thus feminity was a staple and a statement. Looking like a lady was all the rage then, tiny waists, high heels, perfect hair and immaculate boobies were a must. Now, I hear a lot of people are getting tired of the onesies everyone has been wearing and while I do realize that some things do get old I can't seem to bring myself to dislike them, they're sexy. I also enjoy being convinced that I'm looking into a different time period, wardrobe helped, but to top it all off the video work was straight from a time before now, the video really looked old. Kudos to the producer and other homies who made that happen.

FUBU Returns

Is my head spinning, did someone slip something in my drink, or did I just hear that FUBU is returning to retail for a second run? No, I heard right, and so did you. FUBU's new classic look will soon be available to buyers everywhere. Let's see if they will have the success they had years ago. They've got a new motto, reminiscent of the popular Yves Saint Laurent quote, the new FUBU, now known as FB Legacy says "Trend is short. Style is forever." I wish FB Legacy much success and when they do well, I'll give them kudos, because I know the transition from being popular seven plus years ago to near extinction is hard, but doable. Good Luck FB Legacy.

Najee`

Outrageous Icons of the 21st Century

Over the years we've seen fashion icons emerge onto the pop culture scene. They have haters and lovers, but there's one thing we can all agree on, we'll never forget or overlook them. Who's the most memorable, who has the most fans, and who's the hottest? I've got some great comparisons I'd like to draw, I want to know if they're fair, sensible, and any good. Some women are demure, some never think outside the box, others are scared to be judged and then there are those women who just don't give a f#%k! I've got some ladies on my list of Outrageous Icons that you might want to hear about.

I'll begin with everyone's most recent favorite, Lady Gaga, and boy has she made a pop culture splash lately. With her extravagant ensembles, she pushes fashion limits and secretly makes me a little uncomfortable, but I think I like it. It seems like everyone in the free world not only knows who she is, but can also recall at least one of her bizarre get-ups since her rise to fame in 2009. I liked her from the first time I heard "Just Dance," the perfect "girl's just wanna have fun-esque" party anthem. She was fashionable, colorful and fun on screen. Little did we know, she was about to rock our worlds with her outwardly eccentric looks.




These were just a few of Lady Gaga's looks, the asymetrical mirror dress is my favorite. Ok, so whatev, here's my comparison and question to the world: Let's look at Madonna (circa 1980s, early 90s) and Lady Gaga, who's the bigger icon? I'm looking at fashion, music and fame, and I'm going to take a stance. I'm with Madonna for the music, let's just say Material Girl, Like a Virgin and Vogue are three songs that can wake me out of my sleep and have me dancing like I'm at a rave. The fashion icon award goes to Lady Gaga, because she has truly taken it there as far as fashion. Fashion and music really do live in the same house and Lady Gaga has skyrocketed her popularity with her outlandishly creative get-ups. She's worked with the late Alexander McQueen, she will even release her own collection for McQueen in spring 2011. And then there's the fame, which I suppose trumps all, right? Well, in this case I'm all Madge, or Madonna for those who aren't familiar with her religious name...This may not be the most fair of comparisons considering Madonna is pretty ancient now. She's had years to form a fan-base, but I will say that Lady Gaga is on her way, and may even outshine Madonna.



Ah, the famous cone bra, who but Madonna could make that a signature piece? Madonna was the pop icon of the 80s, and I certainly cannot rob her of her popularity in the years to come. She emerged in the 80s though and made her imprint on pop culture at that time. She was the poster child for lingerie as outerwear, she was the girl who made sexuality okay to express and she was thee original pop princess. You may beg to differ and I don't think I care. The Material Girl is the queen of reinvention, as she has been several different versions of herself over the years. She's nothing short of sheer entertainment, made for media and attention. Who's your favorite?



Indeed, the pop princesses are fun to look at, but I'm on to the land of taboo, rappers. I feel like everyone should know where I'm going with this one, and if you don't just you wait, it's going to be one of my favorite comparisons yet. I'll begin with the veteran this time. She's x-rated, she's THEE original, infamous Queen Bitch. She's Lil' Kim and she keeps people talking. You can say what you want about her, at some point you WERE rapping her lyrics and you may have even donned her the illest female emcee. Maybe Kim's been known to do some outrageous things, from her choice of fashion, to her plastic surgery and her no-holds barred lyrics, she's often been the talk of the hip-hop community. She said it herself, she's the female Don Dada and the rest of her lyrics might be too much for blog world...



So, who is Lil Kim's worthy contender? She can't be anyone other than Nicki Minaj, the fiery, sexy newcomer, with that "I don't give a f%#!" spirit, that is so reminiscent of the Queen Bitch. Once again, I'm looking at music, fashion and fame, and once again, I shall take my stance. Music goes to Lil Kim, she's the veteran and she's still the baddest, plus she's more of a rapper than an entertainer like Nicki. I can't say that I am the biggest fan of the Nicki's human animation. Don't get me wrong though, she's got an undeniable talent for rapping, but I stand with Kim. Fashion is all in Nicki's hands, she always looks so adorable, she looked stunning on BET's Rip the Runway and she's always a doll in any video in which she's featured. Lastly, there's fame, and just like before it's not all that fair, Kim's been out longer and of course I'm a believer that she has more fame than Nicki. But, I will say, if Nicki keeps it up, she will have Kim's fame and possibly surpass her, but who really knows?



The self-proclaimed Harajuku Barbie is the hottest female rapper out right now, and she has a strong following. Nicki seems to have started a "barbie" revolution, ladies all over have taken on the identity of barbies, well-deserved or not. Nicki is cute, colorful, and just as x-rated as Kim. Fans see the likeness between the two, and in Nicki's defense, I certainly do not think she's a replica. She has this fun, animated approach to rapping and it makes her all the more popular with her fans. She's got a look that's all her own and her body, whether it's real or fake, is amazing. There you have it Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj, who's the bigger icon?



Najee`

Prayers...

My deepest and most sincere thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and family members of victims of the recent earthquakes. People in the Phillippines, Indonesia, Haiti, Chile, Palau Region, Northern Mariana Island, Eastern Turkey and other countries have suffered earthquakes of a 5.0 magnitude or higher! I pray for strength, recovery, and faith among residents. Nature is a force that cannot be reckoned with, and although we attempt to warn ourselves, we never truly know what the outcome may be. "The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another." -Thomas Merton. We are all brothers and sisters, spread compassion, and love and send up your prayers.

Let's Go Retro!

Back in the day when I was young, I'm not a kid anymore but somedays I sit and wish I was a kid again...literally. Back in the day when I was a kid, people wore some pretty cool gear. And guess what? I got a treat for the people who love sports and the 90s. Does anyone remember snapback hats? They were adjustable and now they're adorably "old school." Is it true, can I really deem the 1990s as old school? Time sure does fly, and these hats here, well they're just the same. Equipped with vintage team logos and of course, snap backs, these caps can be great accessories. You can find them all on Karmaloop.com.


Simply because I love Charles Barkley, I will begin with the Vintage Deadstock Phoenix Suns cap. It's $45, and by the way, I've always had a thing for the purple and orange together. Current Suns fan or not, you can rock the 90s style, and rep the old school team if you please. Flip it backward, so everyone knows you took it wayyy back with the snapback! Makes me wanna do the cabbage patch...or not, whatever.


Who remembers the Charlotte Hornets, home of NBA greats like Muggsy Bogues and Larry Johnson? Now known as the New Orleans Hornets, you know it's old school when the team isn't even in the same city anymore. This hat's colors are bright and it certainly brings back the nostalgia of great basketball. For $55 you can support what used to be an awesome team (I still love the New Orleans Hornets though, just not as much as when "Hornets" were a Charlotte thing).



Go Steelers! I wonder how many football fans want to punch me in the throat for typing that? Go ahead, I'm a proud Pittsburgh Steelers fan, partly because they were once intertwined with my other favorite team the "Eagles," and because Detroit native Jerome Bettis led them to victory in Super Bowl XL right in the D. The team logo looks awesome on this hat, how can you not love gold and black together? This one goes for $35 and is the only football team hat I'm going to show, eat your heart out.


Oh shit son! Most of you might be able to see where I'm going to go with this one, eh? Some of my all-time faves played for the Bulls including a new one. Let's see we have Derrick Rose holding it down now, whom I love, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, and of course, the man even people who have lived under rocks for 30 years probably know, Michael Jordan. It's hard to think of the Bulls and not remember the magic that happened in the 1990s. I mean really, what kind of powerhouse team wins six NBA championships in eight years, with two three-peats! The Chicago Bulls Vintage Deadstock snapback is $55 and worth every penny. The cool thing about these hats is that you don't have to be a current fan, you can represent for back in the day!


Last but not least, and yes, I am certainly biased, is the Vintage Deadstock Detroit Pistons cap ($50). As a D Girl, I am required to save this for last. The Pistons underwent a couple changes over the years, from the red, blue combo to the teal and maroon, and back to red and blue. According to sportsdesignblog.com the Pistons fell victim to the fashion color craze of the 1990s, okay so maybe that is true, but it's always fun to remember the time. Why not do it with a 1990s Pistons hat? And yes, it IS best that the Pistons returned to the team colors from the glory days, because really, I think those colors were a bit much for a team full of big men. Cop it though, because those colors may not work for basketball, but they are perfect for fashion.