One of the latest from Michael Kors - large acrylic in pink

Although thick, bulkier watches have been in for a few years now, my obsession has not faded.  I have several watches that I have been eying but I’ve been hesitant to buy one because I already have six…Can you have too many watches though? After all, it is an accessory, and there is nothing wrong with having a variety, right?

This season I have been seeing watch ads for bright colored, thick-banded watches. I am a big fan of Michael Kors rainbow of options but they can be a bit pricy, retailing for around $195 each.  The Spring ‘10 J.Crew catalog features a cool Timex watch ($150) with a changeable band.  I love the rich tones of the straps available and at 2 for $30.  It’s a bit pricey for the student budget, but an investment to be sure.

The only tricky part about owning a bright colored watch is that it is obviously going to draw some attention, and you want people to admire your watch, not think it’s tacky. Therefore, just be aware that your watch this season is going to be the bling that adds a little pop to an outfit and leave out any other wrist accessories.

Gladiator sandals make a triumphant spring return.

(above image source)

Hello Spring! I love you and all your sunshine, flower-power glory. And of course with spring comes… SPRING SHOES! No more do we need to trudge through a foot of sludge to get to classes, so we can safely retire our soiled Uggs and weather-proof boots. But what should we replace them with? We must hurry to give our toes some wiggling freedom! Thus, this extensively scientifically researched Ultimate Spring Shoe Guide is written to help you and your toes on a quest to find the perfect, trend-appropriate kicks.

1. Wedge Heels

From covered wedges to peep-toe wedges to platform wedges, wedges are huge this spring–both literally and figuratively (check out Givenchy’s towering version for Spring 2010). I mean, what’s not to like? They give you the height of stilettos with the comfort of sandals. I also like the word wedges. It sounds so… wedged.

2. Oxfords and Saddle Shoes

Menswear-inspired looks still ruled the spring runway, and oxfords are no exception. Pair them with flirty dresses to toughen them up or with slouchy jeans and a tee for the I-just-threw-on-something-in-the-morning-and-yet-managed-to-look-amazing look. By the way, saddle shoes are basically oxfords, but with the top being a different color. I’m really loving the lighter, neutral oxfords this spring–which brings me to number three.

3. Neutrals

Thank God neutrals are in this spring. They definitely bring in the most bang for the buck, since they literally go with everything. Someone should create a saying about how neutral heels are a woman’s best friend. They make your legs look miles long as they blend in with your skin tone, and I can guarantee you’ll be able to find every trend on this list in a neutral. Hoorah for flesh tones!

4. Gladiator Sandals

No need to retire your gladiator sandals yet. Though initially predicted to last only one season, gladiator sandals return again for spring. Straps seem to be a little thicker, and ankle-covering, booties-sandals crossbreeds (they should really think of a word for that) are particularly prominent.

5. Peep-toe Booties

If Alexander Wang does it, it has to be cool, right? The peep-toe booties are still gaining popularity this summer despite their mere existence being an oxymoron of sorts. They’re perhaps for people whose ankles get cold and toes get too hot? Peep-toes are also turning more into full out stare-toes with increasing toe-cleavage (Get it? Peep…stare… Nevermind). However, despite all logic, I like the way they look and that’s all that counts anyways.

6. Clogs

Possibly the spring shoe trend that generated the most buzz, the clog has been returning with ferocity ever since Karl Lagerfeld reintroduced it in his Spring 2010 collection. The rustic Dutch shoes have since been made by retailers such as Jeffrey Campbell and Topshop and work on the stylish feet of Alexa Chung and Rachel Bilson. I’m not so sure I’m going to be clacking down the street in these anytime soon (mostly because I think the sound they make is annoying), but the studded, platformed Chanel version looks–dare I say it–pretty chic.

Cat-eye sunglasses

(above: image from Refinery29)

There is something so old Hollywood glamor about the upward tilting cat-eye sunglasses. They wrap their wearer in a UV protective haze of intrigue and mystery. Plus, it’s a nice way to stand out from the flocks of Ray-bans, which have now, at least in Ann Arbor, moved from quirky/vintage-cool to the same category as Uggs and Northface fleeces (not that I don’t love my Ray-bans anyways).

The feline-influenced sunglasses has been gaining popularity among stylish celebrities such as Gwen Stefani and Nicole Richie. “I will DIE if I don’t get a pair of these shades now!” you say? Alexander Wang has introduced a crazy pair for those brave few, and Asos.com is selling a decidedly more economic, but nonetheless adorable pair online. Of course, when in doubt–go vintage!

Shabayeva’s latest collection premiered at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York on Saturday February 13; built around a theme of aviation, it featured feathers, hand-painted detailing, wool, leather, fur, and… well, yes, if you looked at the terrible pun titling this article, Tupperware.

Shabayeva has an incredible talent for mixing the feel of soft femininity with a sartorial confidence of the detailing in each piece, and her emphasis on the essential luxe that imbues her work makes even the materials that make up the plastic container holding last night’s leftovers classy, chic and stylish.  It’s because of every other news report that one can even realize that it is not just fabric and feathers that Shabayeva uses to create her art, and the seamless integration is really inspirational–what else can we do with unconventional materials in clothing?

Think about it–a plastic dress, while not exactly biodegradable, is sort of like a redesigned plastic bag.  It can be worn for years, and if you gain a few pounds, the gown can stretch with you (just not back the other way!).  You find and buy a snazzy looking one, and it’ll be in style forever–you can pass it off to your daughter, who’ll give it to her daughter, who’ll… for the next 500-1,000 years, or however long a plastic bag will take to disintegrate.  Scientists haven’t figured it out yet.

What’s your take on plastic-wear?  Does this bring back too many memories of technicolored vinyl pants that left too little to the imagination, or are you psyched to cut up some old lunch boxes right now and start assembling your own DIY-plastic-detailed-dresses?  Are you gonna take other cues from Irina Shabayeva, and try incorporating some animal exteriors into your clothing?

(I recommend pulling the feathers out of your pillowcase if you can’t find any foot-long behemoths on your local carrion, and with the overabundance of obese squirrels on campus, you’re living in a city-wide fur factory).

Ninny C.

Audrey Tautou in "Coco Before Chanel"

Of course, nautical stripes are usually pretty on and off, especially around spring and summer. Fortunately, they are distinctly on this spring, as many seemed to have had my gushing reaction to the image. Nautical stripes have popped up in almost every major fashion retailing store including Forever21, shopbop.com and H&M.

Essential Striped Dress from forever21.com

I, for one, have been on the lookout for the perfect striped dress to pair with leggings, a bright scarf and boots. This basic striped dress from Forever21 might just be it at an affordable price of $12.00. When spring comes around, I’m looking forward to sporting the stripes with bare legs and wedged booties. If sailor stripes are a little too summery for you, wearing black stripes with touches of red accessories will evoke a distinctly Parisian feel. Tres, tres chic!

MC Hammer and his "Hammer pants," waaaaayyy back when.

No, this article isn’t about the questionable mentalities of groupies who hang around rappers of equally questionable talent–believe it or not, but it’s been 20 years since MC Hammer‘s unparalleled single, “U Can’t Touch This,” was released January 13, 1990 and of course, the induction of harem pants into pop infamy.

Since then, MC Hammer has had a glorious rise and fall–Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em became the first rap album to sell over 10 million copies before Hammer became overexposed in the media, embroiled in some deep financial doo-doo, and criticized for the “pop rap” genre of rap that he forefronted.  Even so, MC Hammer’s still considered one of the great innovators of rap music, and has rebounded greatly with his own reality show, Hammertime, on A&E and various business and ministry works.

The “Hammer pants,” however, have not rebounded quite as well.  Baggy at the top, often with a dropped crotch, the pants taper at the ankle, so often, the wearer looks like they are wearing an odd combination of skinny jeans and a sagging pouf skirt.  Though harem pants on women have, largely, regained a degree of respectability by donning the legs of a wide range of well-respected fashionistas including Sienna Miller, Rihanna, and Heidi Klum, most men are still shying away simply in memory of the pain caused by excessive glitter flashing from MC Hammer jamming out.

Cute London boy named Marshall, photographed by Vanessa Jackman on her street style blog.

Can men pull off the harem pant? Yes, but like women, with great caution.  Generally pair it with something minimalist or skinny on top, to counter the bagginess of the crotch, or throw on a jacket (see right) about the same width as the wide panels of the pants.  If you’re too ashamed to wear such an outrageous piece of clothing in public, at least buy a pair for lounging about the house–more comfortable than jeans, more classy than sweatpants, more appropriate than your boxers, and yet you still have that nice breeze around your privates, thanks.

Ninny C.

Matte Nail Polish in for 2010!

Light, dark, glittery or shiny, and now, the hot thing to start off the New Year – matte.   Even if you’re not feeling the matte polish look this year, there are still hundreds of other polish options to choose from.  And nail polish is a great accessory – versatile, variable, and affordable.

There is a color to match any outfit in your closet, and if not, you can make a little creation of your own by mixing two colors. Now the only problem: coral in the summer, brown in the fall, black in the winter, and pastels in the spring. But what about black in the summer or lime green in the fall? What if one is in the mood to wear “Pat on the Black,” a dark burgundy color bordering on black by Sally Hansen, but it’s the dead of summer?

 Nail polish is supposed to be fun, but similar to the rule that white clothing cannot be worn after Labor Day, specific nail colors are also being restricted to certain seasons. There have been several articles that say that dark is so in for winter and that pastels are the “it” color for spring, but that is nothing new. That is simply repeating the trend that has been so common for the past few years.

Well, I say forget it!  I refuse to refrain from wearing a nail color that catches my eye even if it doesn’t match the season. I also plan on rocking out with a matte finish nail color even if the trend does not catch on. Be daring, be bold, and make a statement with loud colors this winter. Set your own trend.

1. Neutral tones. Dorothy Zbornak often wore neutral tones and dark colors on the show.   These were popular this fall season as you may have read earlier on our blog.  Though not pictured here, the ladies, especially Rose, often wear decorative scarves in various patterns.  And yes, we covered that trend here too.

Hipster shades.

2. Thick glasses.  Maybe this is a bit of a Hipster trend, but these thick black frames looked pretty trendy on Sophia as she relaxed on the Linai.

Note Dorothy's bowtie and Blanche's pants

3. The slightly Androgynous look.  It seemed Dorothy was always wearing a more masculine version of an outfit, from evening attire to her more casual looks.  It wasn’t a pantsuit – it was classy androgyny.  There was a running gag on the show about her height and deeper voice but her experiences and thoughts were still feminine… or maybe I should say feminist.  Today, we ladies do Androgyny with cardigans, straight-leg pants, and high-tops.  SHEI even used the look for our last SHEIFest fashion show.  

If you’d like to see more current trends and possible future ones, check out The Golden Girls online. You can find entire seasons on Youtube.  From chunky jewelry to suede boots, the Golden Girls did them first.

B.C.Bodnar

Hey, if Carrie Bradshaw is doing it. It's probably cool.

While Christmas shopping, I’ve noticed something: Jewelery has taken a different approach this winter. No longer is it single strands, but it’s layers and layers of chunky jewels, strands, and metals. They especially look good with strapless dresses. And, if anyone can rock the look, it’s First Lady and fashionista, Michelle Obama. What I love about this new fad is that it can be worn anywhere. Spice up that dull t-shirt in class or get dolled up for a night out.

First Lady, Michelle Obama, knows how to wear her chunky necklaces!

ABS makes a killer chunky, multi-strand, crystal-accented necklace. But, it might be a little bit above the average price range. The answer? Use the jewelry you have lying around! Layer it up! A couple strands of pearls, a couple strands of gold, a few bright and colorful pendants. Before you know it, you have the chunky necklace look. Enough with the simple necklaces. Spice up those boring outfits!

Not sure if you can pull off the look? Take a line from the chunky necklace extraordinare herself: Yes You Can!

Are you a fan of the fang?

In case you haven’t gotten out of your coffin recently, let me tell you: With the Twilight saga dominating the box office,  the vampire trend is in full swing. A recent poll on ScreenCrave found that 73% of people admitted to not being sick of the vampire trend at all.

As you may know, the concept of vampires is as old as Dracula himself. One of the original vampire stories was  Johann Tieck’s Wake Not the Dead  published in the early 1800′s which was followed by Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

What started off with a few “I <3 Vampire Boys” t-shirts is now a full-fledged phenomenon. It has become so popular that it’s actually changed the world of makeup (for the time being).

The bottom line: Enough with the glowing tans and fake, Oompa Loompa skin. Right now, the pale, goth-like look is hot. Softpedia has done some research and, apparently, cosmetic companies around the country are seeing a drastic decrease in the desire for strong, vivid colors. Pale foundations are becoming more popular and so are smoky eyes and blood-red lips.  Nordstroms’ even has a Twilight-themed line of cosmetics, just in case you want to be sure you’ve got the ‘right’ look.

Although I can’t say I’ve purchased paler foundation, I will admit to being a fan of the fang, whether it’s Edward Cullen in Twilight, Bill Compton in True Blood, or Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire. And, believe me, the Twilight/vampire trend is far from over. Rumor has it that Tim Burton is hoping to do a redo of the 1960s vampire Dark Shadows, featuring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins (sighhh).

For all of your vampire haters, crawl back into the coffin. The vampire trend is sticking around for a little while longer.