Under attack

Looking at this photo may make you think: "Why is the photographer wearing a football helmet?" . Well the answer is because back in the 70s there was a "King of the Paparazzi", Mr. Ron Gallela and he had some unfortunate encounters with celebrities like Marlon Brando, shown above in the mid 70s.

We can see the mod style carried into the 70s by Marlon Brando with his turtleneck and a velvet jacket and Ron Gallela's very 70s styled leather jacket. What grabs more my attention is the shell necklace Brando is wearing, it definetly spices up a very classic outfit. It brings echoes to me of when men wore big medallions in the late 60s and of course the hippie/ethnic trend which I mentioned in my previous post.

Photo: NYMag

Caftans

Since Spring/Summer is practically round the corner now :) I decided to post a photo today of a popular piece of clothes and trend in the mid and late 60s: the Caftan ensemble. Adopted from the ethnic groups of Africa and India it's an ideal item for Spring/Summer due to its freshness, comfort, and elaborate art. Nowadays that the Bohemian/Hippie trend comes back every now and then it's so easy to find them, and if you happen to live in a place where they're made by local artisans then that's where to get it from. I would recommend wearing a Hippie necklace with it, or one of those Budhist beaded rosaries. To add a modern/casual twist instead of mathcing trousers wear a pair of jeans.

Photo: LIFE

Klimt

This GQ cover from the early 70s is a reinterpretation of the works of Gustav Klimt. It is easy to distinguish the heavily detailed jackets and trousers from those years in menswear.

Photo: GQ

People who wear...

Four things grabbed my attention from the following adverstisement from the late 60s, of course the fashion, the female model hehe, the whole scene, and this quote: "People who wear boring sweaters lead boring lifes". A stong catchphrase I must say.

Photo: Flickr

La Dolce Vita

Federico Fellini's 1960 film "La Dolce Vita" is one of the most famous films of all time because it not only shows the world the story of Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni), a social coulmnist who spends his nights on Rome's Via Veneto, and his affair with American actress Sylvia (Anita Eckberg) while she's visting Rome; the legendary and long imitated Trevi Fountain bath scene between the Marcello and Sylvia; or because it introduced the celebrity world to a new character and term: paparazzo. "La Dolce Vita" has become ever since its release a type of cult film for many. The plot I must say is a complex one, full of metaphors, and it's a film that makes you think.

This film depicts the lifestyle in Rome during the late 50s and early 60s, gives the world a glimpse of its famous nightlife, and it shares very good examples of the Italian fashions for both men and women.

Marcello Mastroianni wears mostly throughout the film sleek and simple black suits with black ties, but one can see him donning a tuxedo or even a white suit with a blue shirt and a scarf around his neck. Also noticeable are his Persol sunglasses.

A film I really recommend watching!

Photos: Flickr

Pierre Cardin

Pierre Cardin is a member of fashion's Hall of Fame and a man that has left the fashion world a big legacy. I'm pretty sure everyone is more or less familiar with him, and even owns at least something with his name (not to be forgotten the fact that he was the first designer to license many things bearing his name, including mass ready to wear). While his designs were mostly for women, during the mid 60s (circa 1964-1967) he was one of the precursors of "Space Fashion".

Below a classic photo that depicts some of his "galactic" designs. Call them reminiscent of Star Trek or whatever, they're something I'd like to wear one day (of course not with that very "galactic" vibe), and they're so basic imo. My favorite ones are the purple pants with leather jacket one, the green one, and the brown one in the back (practically all).

You can see on the left side of this photo a classic English gentleman, looking closely and in awe at this Space Mod crowd. Definetly shows the breakthrough Mod culture and fashion had at that time in a very classic and traditional world.


Photo: Flickr

Her name is Rio...

The 80s are decade that is loved by some, while others aren't just fond of it and claim that it was the worst decade for fashion because of all the wild color mixes and accesories. I'm one of those who's fond it, sure some stuff in fashion was unusual and looking at photos from those years sometimes makes me think "What were they thinking!". But among the best of the 80s we have the Birtish "New Wave" group: Duran Duran.

Duran Duran wasn't only famous back then for its great tunes and music, nowadays it continues to have its old legion of fans, which keeps increasing with those who "discover" their music. Besides the music, Duran Duran is remembered for its awesome fashion style during the 80s. Watching their videos is definetly an opportunity to take a peek at the classic, modern, and elegant fashions of the 80s.

I intended to post some pictures or screencaps of one of my favorite videos from them, but I thought it would be very static, so that's why I'm posting the video for their hit song "Rio". I won't describe this time what you'll see in terms of clothes, since it's a surprise for all of you. Enjoy.



Video: Youtube

Let the sunshine...

Spring/Summer is just round the corner...thankfully...and to start getting ready for it I've decided to post today a photo which shows Ryan Lochte (US gold olympic swimmer) relaxing and enjoying the sun. When I first saw this pic I immediately had a 70s and early 80s fashion flashback. The whole outfit (except for those flip flops!) including the hairstyle is very reminiscent of sportswear fashions from those days.

I think an outfit like this is a good option for going to the beach or enjoying a warm day outdoors, functional and will definetly make you stand out from the crowd.

Photo: GQ

Wayfarer Success

Robert Pattinson is definetly enjoying his 15 minutes of fame (maybe they'll last longer, only time will tell) right now with the hit movie "Twilight", a movie which I haven't watched and don't intend to. The reason I decided to post a photo of him here is because I stumbled upon it and was impressed by how well he was pulling of the Wayfarer look and his outfit. His wayfarers aren't vintage, they're from Ray Ban's 2007-2008 collection (I'm sure mostly everyone has these ones as vintage ones are so hard and expensive to find). I really like his jacket and the combination of it with a black shirt. So classic and elegant. Despite the dark colors it's an outfit that could be worn without a problem this SS.

Throughout these couple of years where Wayfarers have made a big comeback I've seen many wear them, but only few can really pull them off successfully...credit goes to Robert Pattinson, Adam Brody, & the Medina brothers.

Photo: Flickr

Black and white: Him & Her

The elegance of the black and white combination is with any doubt unquestionable, as seen in this 1968 photo. Both outfits are similarly styled and may I say that her outfit seems a bit 2007-2009 because of how she's wearing shorts/bermudas with the jacket.


Photo: LIFE

FW 2009-2010

So finally I had the chance some days ago to skim through the FW 2009-2010 collections presented recently in Milan and Paris. I was eager to see much of it since I had read some very positive reviews online (blogs mainly) and in print (some magazines hinted the return of the Dandy look and even posted very cool pictures); and considering that last year's FW collections grabbed my attention and likeness. I began checking my "favorite" houses at the moment...Missoni, Armani, D&G (wanted to see what was all the hype surrounding those velvet lined trousers), Gucci, Burberry, and YSL.

Now here comes my opinion...maybe some won't agree with me at all but it's okay afterall that's the enriching part of blogs devoted to fashion like this one, to hear and exchange thoughts on a subject. I didn't like most of the FW collections. Shocking...yes. I don't know if it was because I'm more keen towards SS clothing (as evidenced in one of my first posts in this blog where I commented on the collections presented in June 2008) or the constant use of black and grey and no colors. Whatever it was these collections lacked of appeal.

YSL was a major disappointment for me, considering how brilliant Stefano Pilati's FW 2008 collection had been in terms of color and the omnipresent 70s styling, this time it was all black and plain. I did evidence the return of the Dandy look (it made me think on some fellow bloggers) and I liked it. Despite everything I saw a mixture of sophistication with modern urban styles on the runway.

Below are some outfits I liked from these collections. To my surprise this time I favored more D&G, I must say I like their stuff but not really since at times it can be quite flashy but this time it was perfect.

This outfit looks very 60s mod, I would prefer it in a blue tone but nevertheless in black it's perfect. The jacket's stripes are what make it unique.

A very casual and simple outfit, yet elegant. The trousers look like workout trousers, I think some all black trousers would have been better.

This outfit from Burberry was also one of my favorites, very retro, modern, and elegant looking. You can't go wrong with black that's true. I think this one is perfect for clubbing or a fancy dinner.

To end this post I'd like to point out that maybe the current economic crisis had an impact on these collections too. It seems all designers opted for classic items that could be worn many times throughout several years. Classic doesn't mean boring, I consider it smart in terms of spending budget and appearance, not only do you end up looking elegant, but you can save some money too.

Photos: Menstyle.com

Sammy Davis Jr.

Some months ago I posted about the Nehru/Mao jackets of the 60s....below is another example of a Nehru suit worn by Sammy Davis Jr. I keep on hearing such good reviews from the recent shows in Milan and Paris that I have yet to check out...as soon as I do I'll post my favorite pieces here.


Photo: Flickr