Holiday Gift Ideas for students!

Holiday shopping off of L.A.'s beaten path

If you want to avoid all of the long lines and mainstread department stores, LA Times has the scoop on where to shop! Holiday Must Do's: Avoiding the Mainstream Dep't Stores The thing about LA fashion that makes it revolutionary, is that it goes where most people have not thought of before. This Christmas, don't go to the same stores you go every year. Go into the heart of LA, to give your loved ones gifts they would actually love. No one in LA truly wants to get the same look everyone is sporting right after New Year's.

After all of the turkey, Black Friday shopping and November mayhem...the time is here to finally begin looking for fashionable gift ideas! Obviously as a students budget is certainly an issue. But looking at these fashion ideas can spark creativity in looking for just as trendy gifts-in a more reasonable price range.

According to LA Times, the items currently trending the fashion world include women's jewelry such as drop designer earrings(no surprise!),fringed leather and faux fur, as well as chocolate! That's right, chocolate has become a fashion accessory worthy of being given as a holiday gift this year. Feathers have also become a must this December and can be seen in necklaces and earrings.


Our first must have this season is the Nina Ricci feather Necklace by Barneys. It is a very interesting interpretation of a typical feather necklace and is very trendy! However, it's $850 price can hurt the budget of those of us who are still in college. http://www.barneys.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-BNY-Site/default/Product-Show?pid=00505028846871&q=Nina%20Ricci&index=47

While this accessory is a must have, it might be hard for the have-nots. This is why other trendy and fashionable stores such as H&M as well as Forever 21 have just as cute and very reasonably priced jewelry!

If you are a die-hard fashionista and must keep to date with what is in and what is out this season, feathers are in. Forever 21 has a great option for feather necklaces and accessories. Forever 21 Gold Free Spirit Feather Necklace

In addition, H&M is putting up competition when it comes to feather jewelry. H&M Feather Necklace






Let's not forget how LA truly affects and makes our fashion senses: the film/tv industry. According to LA Times, a certain hat worn by Walter White in "Breaking Bad",  "The Heisenberg" hat
 is in season and up for grabs! If you want to have the coolest last minute gift idea for a parent or a die hard "Breaking Bad" fan, you can special order one from the Goorin Bros hat company. This issue is an identical replica of the hat on the show. Breaking Bad:Bad Ass Last Minute Holiday Be sure to do your shopping as early as possible so you can actually get the really awesome gifts your family and friends won't be asking the return receipts for. So please, don't be that person. Hopefully this insight will give you the push you need to narrow your choices to only those that are choice worthy. 

Black Friday Shopping Must Haves!!!

Sometimes it can be very difficult to know what is in fashion and what is not. Just to be balanced and get an outside perspective, I have included this video by Aleigha, master of all things fashionable. Her perspective is on our very topic, and of course you know the hottest trends are from LA. Clutches, leopard with a twist, as well as dramatic up plays of classics. Her advice is to make sure that your jackets,dresses and shoes have texture. When she mentions this, it reminds me that too "matchy" is not wise. So be sure to mix things up and have fun with it! She included fur as a must this season. This is everywhere!

For the gentlemen: Plaid, stripes and oversized jacket looks are best. Slacks or anything menswear and basic feel is the best for men this Fall. The bright colors are not good alone, but they must be mixed with muted colors.

In other news, local surf clothing designer dies at age 54. Lian Murray recently passed away. This fashion innovator was known for going outside the conventional. This local California native's inspiration helped launch Hurley California clothing enterprise. She was very in tune to what was attractive for her audience: The Pop/surf crowd of Southern California. She went to school at UC San Diego and while in college launched her first clothing line. Her mother had ties to the LA community as a worker for the LA Times. Her sad death is a reminder for those of us in or outside of the fashion world, to realize that life is short. Dreams must be pursued and goals must be taken seriously.
LA Times:Lian Murray's Death

Calling all the Men:Facial Hair Ceiling?

In keeping up to date on Los Angeles trends this Fall, it is necessary to maintain focus in this frigid and cold weather. The leaves are changing, the weather is getting more crisp, and even men's facial status is changing.  It is November, which is also recognized by many as "No Shave November." This is the time of year when men have the freedom to sport most facial hair styles and pretty much get away with it. The LA Times recently published an article on Facial Hair, and if there was a 'facial-hair ceiling' in the American workplace. LA Times on Facial Hair It is important to remember that fashion does have its perks and drawbacks. Here on the APU campus, most men have a head start on growing this fierce facial fiasco, which can apparently be called fashion. To each their own....beard. On a separate article by LA Times, Tom Ford introduces his skin care line. Afterall, beauty is fashion and at 51 whatever he is using is clearly working. Tom Ford Keeping Appearances

Thanksgiving Shoutouts: Fashionista we're ALL Thankful for

LA Times Fashion Trends for November include Beards, Unicorn Sweaters (Famous Ugly Fall Sweaters), as well as some accessories! Since the influence of LA has taken over APU's fashion, it is important to give our campus a fashion make-over for in season trends, while finding creative alternatives to the expensive taste of Los Angeles socialites.



So the focus of the next few posts, will be preparing for the after Thanksgiving shopping sprees known as Black Friday and then later as what is known as Christmas Shopping. Before you spend you money on what you truly want, let me give you some perspective before yo spend those hard earned dollars. Something I'm thankful for is the Fashion Icon Award that Kerry Washington is being nominated for. Her hit show Scandal portrays her character, Olivia Pope dressed in the hottest wear. For a 36 year old breaking the fashion barriers in LA, she is sure to go down in history as one of the best dressed women in LA! Kerry Washington
Washington is quoted with saying, ""As an actor, your presence on the red carpet and also in editorial is your marketing division."She is known for her fierce characters as well as the creative style choices on the red carpet. As an African American woman in her late thirties, she is definitely recognized for her status and has been given a contract with LA Based beauty line Neutrogena.   She even has her own interests in fashion outside of the Hollywood scene, as an active fashion blogger and stylist. She tends to choose her clothing by using symbolism of either the project she is representing or the country she is visiting. She is very appropriate with her use of style and lines, which drape her figure very nicely. She is an inspiration to all of those people who not only love fashion, but are go-getters and goal setters. She graduated from George Washington University, but recognized her desire to impact the fashion and film industry. 

Halloween Fashion Highlights at APU

HALLOWEEN...High Fashion 2013

This fall's fashion cannot be mentioned without highlighting some of the most creative Halloween costumes on campus yet! Students from every major and year took the opportunity strut their best on Halloween!All different themes, colors, and interpretations were used to add flare to Halloween favorites as well as newbies!

Some students incorporated their own cultural traditions such as Dia de Los Muertos . This very important Mexican tradition was represented by some APU students. 

Halloween is normally seen as an innocent and playful tradition in the United States. Although some social circles see a darker side to this colorful and candy filled day, some are much more hesitant to even participate in. Despite the controversial stigma of Hallow's Eve in the Christian community, several students were confident in strutting their costumes! Several APU students participated in making their own creative costumes of favorite movie characters. A favorite among many students was the adorable Minion costume! Each interpretation varied from shocked minion, confused minion...to the most unique minion...the hipster minion. To each...his own MINION. 

It really looked like the real thing! Of course you cannot deny the power of the all time favorites for Halloween fashion. The Minions have a very powerful and undeniable influence on many APU students this year, but they were not alone in powerful fashion statements. Of course the superheros were sure to make an appearance on this night! These are always favorites among students because they are easy to put together but remain completely in fashion every year! 

Superman V.S. Batman 

Yes, that's right! Pets were sure to participate in the festivities too!

The Ninja Turtles is a very popular favorite that is seen in all age groups for  Halloween occasions. People of all backgrounds who watched this show as children can relate and  appreciate the tributes given to this popular cartoon.  These APU women are sure to make an appearance with their adorable outfits. Their cute masks and similar costumes make them a show stopping trio! They would be sure to make heads turn by not only their costumes but also their confidence!

Our APU community was very resourceful in putting together very creative and adorable outfits this year! Many people even recycled items from previous years and put it all together for an entire new ensemble this Halloween. At APU it is not how much money you spend on your costume, it is about the accessories, effort and heart you put into the look you are going for. Money is not a concern where creativity and expert fashion sense is involved. 

Pirates are always a favorite, and this year was no exception. This model features the timeless eye patch classic with the classic skull and bones. It is obvious that pirates just never go out of style! This simple costume is easy to pull off for both genders!

Here a couple kept things very simple with just wearing the Halloween colors and modeling this pumpkin! They were sure to stay true to the basics of Halloween even if they did not go all out. Sometimes the best accessories to your costume are the people you surround yourself with. Note: No real pumpkins were harmed or sacrificed in the making of this picture. 

And of course, you could not have a Halloween fashion page without fairies and bananas!!! Nothing says Halloween like mystical creatures and produce! This memorable night will be remembered from the new Freshman to the seasoned seniors ready to graduate. Most people put their hearts into getting the look they really wanted and had a lot of fun in the process! They were resourceful with their limited college student budgets, and did not fail to impress. 

This is what Halloween is all about.That and the candy!

APU's Men's Fashion vs LA Trends

Good Evening! Tonight I'm going to be touching on some fashion trends that are seem in not only Los Angeles, but also on the APU campus this fashion season for men ! Since APU is in LA County, it's no surprise that some of its fashion sense would find its way in our private Christian university. Trends such as bow ties, beards (Possibly due to no shave November), as well trendy and very unnecessary scarves. Yes, scarves that are typically worn on a person who is wearing shorts, a top and Ugg boots on the hottest day of the year. Most of us know that girl or are that girl I am describing.  This unnecessary fashion accessory is just that, in ever trendy southern California where it is summer most of the year.




Some of these fashion trends are seen in Los Angeles as well. In fact, it appears there is a direct correlation. According to the LA Times Fashion page LA Times Fashion Trends  Bow Ties are becoming all everyone is obsessed with, it is evident that many of the fashion trends seen on campus mirror those throughout the greater Los Angeles area!
So how does one become trendy and fashionable this month? Well, it depends on what you are looking for. Several APU men on campus have become privy to the use of bowties. Much like Modern Family's star, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, the men on this campus have turned heads with their keen attention to detail when it comes to bow ties!In addition, as not much attention is usually given to male fashion, any APU male would not be caught dead without an unnecessary and trendy scarf to sport in southern California! The Wall Street Journal has taken the liberty of choosing the most trendy according to themselves. By clicking  this link, men folk, your mind will be BLOWN at the possibilities of trendy accessories you once thought you could not pull off. WSJ Fall's Best Men's Scarves

So, to all the men out there who thought fashion was a woman's priority-clearly, it is a topic to be explored from all people of both genders.

First things First: Defining Fashion

Fashion:

"Fashionable adj. - fashion, noun - fashion, verb. Today this word seems to mean anything that's too hideous and freaky to even wear on the catwalk - too freaky"

-Urban Dictionary

First things first, Fashion must be defined and explored. It is not a trend that is dead or one that is for only one group of people. Fashion is evident of a person's generation, social class, and typically gender. The beautiful aspect of fashion is that it can also transcend these boundaries. No two things in fashion are mutually exclusive, because just as one thing is in this moment another in another lifetime would be outdated. Fashion trends seek to push boundaries and redefine what beauty is. It is always important to know that true beauty is not only outwards-but yes that timeless cliche of inwards. 

My goal for this project is to explore how the fashion trends in the greater Los Angeles area affect those seen on the small private Christian community (that is "set apart"), yet living among an enormous metropolis. The random and fun fashion trends inspired by weather, culture, holidays or even quirkiness will be expressed.  Some think of fashion as shallow and hollow, but it can be seen as the outward expression of the inner person.