Plus sized bias

by Nicole Stemmler, staff reporter     

Plus sized models often face difficulties when
working in the industry. Photo attribution
to @Dee ♥on Flickr.

Fashion design has the ability to empower a person to get up every morning and grace the day with pride. However, the fashion industry makes millions of people feel ashamed of their bodies.

Over half the population of America is considered plus sized (which is a size 16), yet companies are not catering to the masses.                       

Many designers have tried implementing plus sized models more in magazines and shows, but there is still so many ways in which the fashion industry are slighting the plus sized demographic.

Many plus sized models in photo shoots are actually given pads to make their bodies look perfectly in proportion. This gives women of plus sized shape unattainable goals to become a manufactured body.  

Plus sized clothing is designed in a manner that does flatter the average plus size woman. Just because the size on the tag goes up designers suddenly cannot design presentable clothing.

Pro plus sized campaign, as well as celebrities endorsements such as, Tim Gunn, speak out to designers requesting to change the industry and calling out the retail industry for allowing plus sized clothes to be doughty and hidden in department stores. Many plus sized clothings are not only made cheaply, but is made in darker colors as if the industry wants plus sized woman to blend in.

“It is bad business on their [businesses that do not make plus sized clothing] part, they are just giving business to companies that are willing to sell to plus sized woman,” junior Skylar Kleess said.

Plus sized options are very limited in many department stores. The shoe aisles are larger than the plus sized section. There is no reason for the 67% of Americans who are plus sized to be offered less options than the 33% of Americans who are not.

FentyXPuma vs. Rihanna’s fashion moments

by Nicole Stemmler, staff reporter

Rihanna’s many defining fashion moments have given her a high fashion profile, which led her to the opportunity to have a line working with Puma.

Rihanna's new shoes have caused even more admiration on Rihanna's inherit style than ever before. While admiring Rihanna's new shoes, I have found a correlation between her real life fashion moments and her new line with Puma.

Rihanna's 2013 Grammy Awards dress and The Trainer. Photo attribution to The Grammys and Rihanna.

Rihanna's stunning look at the 2013 Grammy Awards and her new shoes called, The Trainer, have a similar quality to them. Both the shoe and the dress are almost the same color. Rihanna's new shoes can be purchased on Puma's website when they are put back in stock.

“I think there really nice I like the red shoes the most they really caught my attention,” junior Giuliana Pezzino said.

Picture of The Creeper shown on Puma's website.

Rihanna wore this next look on her 73rd date, Anti World Tour. This look stood out because of her wide range of style. It shows a very similar vibe to the currently sold out shoe called, The Creeper.

Rihanna wore fur covered look to an interview with Good Morning America. This look shocked many because it is such a sweet, chic style, compared to her usual edgy outfits. This oversized fur scarf reminds me of The Fur Slides which come in pink, black, white, and gray.

On Monday, November 24th, 2008 Rihanna stunned the attendees at the American Music Awards by wearing this leather outfit. These shoes called, The Sneakerboot Wedge, have such a similar edgy style with not only leather but also the chains. This shoe is not yet available, but is coming very soon.

Rihanna's shoes have become as popular as her own fashion style. Almost all of Rihanna's shoes have gone out of stock, but will be available soon. Go pick up a pair of unique Fenty x Puma once the shoes are back in stock.

New York Fashion Week unveils first all-hijab show

by Yasmine Mohamed, staff reporter

Anneisa Hasibuan introduced the first all-hijab fashion show through 2016's
New York Fashion Week. Screenshot of Anneisa Hasibuan's website.

Fashion history has been made this year when 30-year-old, Anniesa Hasibuan, a designer from Indonesia, created the first traditional Islamic religious attire collection, consisting of 48 bold outfits with dazzling hijabs.

Anneisa Hasibuan wearing the Black Jacket Bomber from
Daisy Collection. Photo in courtesy of Anneisa Hasibuan's
Instagram.

This is a big move and a powerful message as Muslim women in the United States continue to be harassed in the streets, in the workforce, and are even rejected from colleges. They have been targeted because of their religion, and Hasibuan has taken a step towards change.

In countries that are largely populated by Muslims, hijab can be used as a mark of socioeconomic status, but Westerners see it as out of the ordinary.

“I think that along with this being a fashion statement, it serves to be a big step towards the acceptance of one of the world’s largest religions, and other religions as well,” 11th grade student Emily Fitzgerald said.

Melanie Elturk, chief executive of Haute Hijab, wrote via Instagram; “I believe fashion is one of the outlets in which we can start that cultural shift in today’s society to normalize hijab in America so as to break down stereotypes and demystify misconceptions.” She also thanks Hasibuan for not giving in to pressure and having the courage to do this.

Hasibuan was inspired by her hometown Jakarta, and she clearly indicated her love for modest fashion through her stunning velvet tunics, gowns, and kimonos. It was showcased on September 12th at the Moynihan Station. The audience gave a standing ovation at the show’s finale.

Numerous conventional retailers are becoming increasingly interested in promoting Islamic style. MANGO has been releasing a Ramadan collection every year, along with brands like H&M, Uniqlo, as well as Dolce & Gabbana.

A Closer Look Into London Fashion Week: Felder Felder

by Rajaa Singh, staff reporter

Starting from music and now making headway

into fashion, Daniela and Annette Felder have

stood out in London Fashion Week. Incorporating

both elegance and punk, the brand itself is

bringing back rock n' roll. Photo attributed to

@FelderFelder official Twitter.

From the runways of New York to London, the fashion raves on and on. Hundreds of designers displayed their collections. Felder twins flaunted their fall line on September 12, 2013.

London Fashion Week amped up the glam with patterns, color, and pizzazz. A particular brand made quite the impression on the public: the London-based Felder Felder collection. The German-born designers, Daniela and Annette Felder, made bold statements with their new 2016 collection. Felder Felder’s ten-year presentation had a rock n’ roll vibe to it that left people in awe. They are known for presenting elegance with a hint of edge.

“The Felder twins have such a fun and outgoing line,” 11th grader Giuliana Pezzino said.

The twins introduced their new “Carbon Dress”. They collaborated with BMW to incorporate a futuristic touch by using woven carbon fiber, which is used in some of the newest models of BMWs. The fashion industry is not yet open to a substantial amount of this material, therefore it makes more of a statement in the fashion industry. The twins are bringing new trends to the industry in hopes to make their name more known worldwide.

The Felder twins presented an all eco-friendly line, including luxe metallics, leather, sheepskin, and faux fur to bring back the iconic 80’s rock n’ roll look. Looks were completed with rockstar-like makeup to compliment the collection.

Fashion trends and where they come from

by Nicole Stemmler, staff reporter

One of the fashion trends for this season is ruffled
looks. Photo attribution to Aveda Corporation on Flickr.

With NY fashion week ascending upon us, new trends are in style.

Everyone who is looking for the latest and the greatest benefits in clothes are paying very close attention to the trends on the runway. Anyone who wants to look like an “it girl” is not only paying attention to the clothes on the runway, but also the hair, makeup, and atmosphere of their favorite designers’ shows. Many people underestimate the atmosphere of the fashion show when in reality, it is one of the most important parts of the show because they tell the consumer how the designer wants you to feel when wearing the clothes.

According to Stylecaster, this season’s trends are statement furs, ruffled looks, nude tones, and metallics. These trends are very bold looks that require thoughtful planning to put together. This is why fashion designers have been working all year, finding ways to wear these looks. Many companies have been patiently and excitedly waiting for months to be able to show off their new lines and it is finally time.  

Have you ever wondered, how companies like Ralph Lauren and Versace, as well as department stores like Macy's and T.J Maxx, are all now sporting the trends that Stylecaster has identified? Well, here is the answer provided by Trend books. It is a large misconception that trends are decided from the people wearing the clothes. This is a misconception that 8th grader Sasha Romero had. She said “ trends come from social media, a picture will become viral and that is the start of the trend” the way trends come to life is actually not the people it is through companies that make trend books.

Trend books are a top secret part of the fashion industry that not many people know about. There is an association whose job is to decide what colors are in season, their names, and the types of clothes, makeup, and hairstyles that will be on trend. These companies release the trend books a year in advance so that subscribers can plan ahead.

Companies have the option to pay for the services of the trend book so that their clothes will be up to date with their peers who are using them. According to a disclaimed professor at FIT, some companies, when asked if they are subscribed to the books deny subscription because they want to look like they came up with these ideas on their own, but in fact, many of those companies do subscribe.

Though these companies that produce trend books do define fashion, at the end of the day, it is the people's choices as to what becomes popular. For example, the trend companies can tell the subscribers that shoulder pads will be back in style fall of 2016, but if the consumers do not buy items with shoulder pads, companies will not order more shipments for anything with shoulder pads.

Trend books have defined fashion for many years, yet many consumers have not been educated about how powerful these companies really are. The trend book companies have not released the trend book and for that reason, the general public has not gotten the opportunity to better understand how the fashion works.

Aveeno Active Naturals Protect+Hydrate lotion sunscreen

     I recently came back from the beach with a really bad sunburn, like really bad. So, I decided to buy my favorite face sunblock  that I used a year ago.

Texture: *****
-It doesn't feel like the typical greasy sunblock. It feels like a lotion without the added greasiness and goes across the skin very smoothly.

Price: ****
-I feel like it's a bit expensive for a DRUGSTORE face sunblock, but then again if you look at other face sunblocks this is definitely a bargain. I bought it at CVS, so it was probably more expensive there then at Target or Walgreens.

Longevity: ****
-I actually don't know if this lasts on the skin for a long time, but it says it lasts 80 minutes on the skin before you have to reapply, so it seems to last long. However, if you're wearing this to the beach you should DEFINITELY REAPPLY every time to get out of the water, or laying under the sun.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this product, and I can see why I loved it so much in the past. It absorbs into the skin nicely and applies very smoothly without making my skin feel overly greasy.

Adidas Tiro 15 Track Jacket and Track Pants

     I know that these have been out for quite some time, but after wanting them for 3 years I finally got them!

Adidas Tiro 15 Training Jacket:

(source: www.adidas.com)

Size: *****
-It fits perfectly on me. I ordered the small size, but I got hesitant thinking it was too small. Fortunately, it fit perfectly.

Comfort:****
-I guess because it's new it hasn't really "broken down" onto my body yet, if you get what I mean. It feels new, but at the same time it fits nice and snuggly onto my body.

Smell?: *****
-When I opened up the Adidas package, I smelled the track jacket, and surprisingly it smelled faintly of cologne. I liked it, but I found it very strange as new clothing usually smells...new.

Design: *****
-The reason why I bought this jacket was because I was watching this Naruto episode and Minato was wearing a jacket with 3 stripes down the side when he saved Kushina in this filler episode of Naruto. Overall, it's very minimalist but still looked modern and fresh at the same time.


Sponsored by: Adidas

Adidas Tiro 15 Track Pants



Size: ***
-I'm actually pretty unsure if the size fits right. In the picture, the pants seem to fit just right on the model, but on me, it's a bit looser around the thighs and calve area. However, my friend who's actually sponsored by Adidas said that it was normal. My mother said the same thing, that it was normal and it'll eventually shrink in the wash. I dunno. I feel like the pants are too loose, and hopefully I'll be able to order an extra small next time.

Comfort: ****
-The pants feel nice on the legs,  but the thing that urks me the most is the zipper on the side. I actually didn't know there was a zipper on the pants, as it's not seen in the photo the model is in. It kind of itches and it's cold, and you know it's there. It's not too much of a bother, but I'd rather prefer it without the zipper.

Design; *****
-The pants are black with white stripes, and like the track jacket, it's very minimalist, but looks fresh and modern. Every time I see a guy or girl wearing Adidas track pants, I immediately like them. I don't know...something about the Adidas Track pants transforms a persons appearance and makes them more badass looking? +10000 style points to anyone who owns and wears Adidas track pants.

OVERALL:
- I had a 15 perfect off coupon, so instead of paying the full price I got 6 dollars off. I feel like both items were a bit pricey, but both worth the price as they will last long and be with me for a long time until it's time for them to get replaced. I definitely prefer the track jacket over the track pants, but I love both of them!