defiant fashion

If you like to wear quirky outfits that make a statement, then defiant fashion is the website you should look at. This site has everything from clothes and accessories to celebrity fashion and men’s wear. It is a modern website which is easy to navigate around. A collage of words act as links to various items to browse through.

Defiant fashion shows items which seem to combine the old vintage look with a modern twist. Tweed caps, which are normally popular with the older generation, have made a striking comeback. The material is tightly fitted in to a sleek bonnet shape with a small cap. It is lady-like and small, yet certainly stands out from the crowd.

As you scroll down, it is like you are being taken on a trip through the ages. We see a hint of the sixties in a vibrant colored psychedelic dress. It is a bright blue and pink striped outfit which flows beautifully across the figure with an added feminine touch of a floating hemline as you twirl.

Styled with a hint of vintage seventies, we see a short dress which is made twee with a flowery decoration. The dress is figure hugging yet looks comfortable to wear, perfect for a relaxing day if you just want to lie down, play Foxy Bingo and put your feet up. You can look great, even if you are just sitting around the house. But a dress would be nothing without the perfect accessory.

Besides the beautiful dresses, there is incredible jewelry which look like tiny pieces of art. The Hardware collection is themed around items you would find around the garage. There are two gold wedding rings, designed for his and hers by the nut and bolt theme. A romantic touch which shows not only to the nut and bolt fit perfectly together, but so does the couple.

You are sure to improve your posture with the spirit level necklace or maybe the screw styled earrings are more your taste. This designer has been very inventive with what is easily found around a typical garage. Or maybe it was a man’s way of avoiding buying expensive jewelry for his girlfriend….

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There are plenty of runway trends that will inevitably trickle down to the streets this fall, some of them regrettable (ponchos, anyone?). And why are designers always trying to get us to wear jewel tones? It’s not gonna happen! But these are a few pieces I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more of this fall, if my predictions are correct.

Caps

I’ve already stated my weariness with the fedora trend, and I’m not suggesting anyone go Samuel L. Jackson or Newsies with a newsboy cap. I’m talking about floppy tweed caps, with or without a buckle. There are military-style caps with a flat top and equestrian-looking caps like the second one pictured. They make just about anyone look good, and they have a retro appeal that’s subtle, rather than overwhelming.

Sweaters with skirts

Speaking of caps, Jean-Luc Godard wears an excellent one in the photo below, which also displays one of my favorite fall looks — a sweater with a knee-length schoolgirl-esque skirt. Tights or long socks, ballet flats or oxfords — whatever you choose to wear below the knee is up to you. But keep the sweater baggy like Anna Karina does to avoid coming off too much like a schoolgirl of the X-rated variety.

Floor-length hems

Sure, it’s completely impractical in a city like New York (I shudder to think of a walk through the subway in one of these), but floor-skimming dresses and coats make a dramatic impression. Yes, that means you can dig that maxi dress from 2009 out of your closet and give it new life. It’s a recession, some trend recycling can be forgiven.

Red hair and natural makeup

This photo of Alyson Hannigan pretty much says it all. Red hair, natural makeup, check. Unlike last year’s trend of bright red lipstick and pale skin, vampire-style, this year it’s all about looking healthy and alive. Interesting to think about what that means in terms of us and the direction our culture is headed. Perhaps things are looking up?

Minimal jewelry

When fall comes, it’s time to put away the oversized, clunky necklaces that go so well with summer’s exuberant personality and focus on simple pieces that speak of timelessness. Simple pendants that have sentimental value (like cameos and coins, pictured below) are perfect for this time of year, which is all about getting serious again after a season full of reckless abandon.

Posted in Inspiration
Tags: accessories, apparel, beauty, jewelry

I know, I know, straw fedoras are cheap and you can wear them with anything, but right now you can’t walk down the street without seeing about a thousand people wearing them. This trend was tired even before it started — the entire cast of The Hills was wearing them years ago, as I recall. So ditch the fedora and pick up a flattering and versatile cloche, which will take you from summer to fall with a touch of class.

Cloches don’t necessarily have to be stiff and fussy, although a visit to a vintage store will turn up dozens of those. In this Gossip Girl still, Leighton Meester wears the Louise Green Emily cloche (thanks to Kelly Brown from Fashion Picks for posting about this!). It is a breezy, summery alternative to wool and felt cloche hats, and while this elegant version goes for $245, Nordstrom has a similar straw cloche on sale for $23.90! (picture and link below)

Torrid also has a cute black version for $18, pictured below.

Yay hats!

Posted in Shopping
Tags: accessories, hair accessories

Exciting news! I’ve long been a fan of indie musician and Defiant Fashion Star with Style Santigold, whose unique fashions set her apart from her less awesomely dressed indie comrades. Well, Vans apparently agrees with me, because they have issued a limited edition sneaker in collaboration with Santigold! The shoe is called the Tosha Hi collab sneaker, and it is being sold exclusively by Karmaloop.com. These fabulous black and gold chain sneakers are right up my alley since I’m a sucker for fake gold, and I kinda wish I could afford a pair. What do you think of them?

Posted in Shopping
Tags: shoes

As you’ve probably already gathered from the commercials Target‘s been scattering about, there is something very exciting happening, at least for fashion fans who don’t mind waiting in line or showing up early. The major retailer is having a “Best of” sale featuring 17 of the designer diffusion lines from over the years! They’re calling it the GO International Designer Collective, and some of the designers featured include Thakoon, Rodarte, Zac Posen, Jonathan Saunders, and Tara Jarmon. With two looks each, that means 34 outfits will be available at reasonable prices. The sale lasts March 13th through April 10th, and you can shop in the stores or online.

Yahoo’s Shine has a preview of the looks that will be on sale — check it out!

Posted in Shopping

I stumbled upon this great Etsy shop while looking for a chevron dress. I found the adorable vintage frock above and, after noticing that the shop owner is a Tucson native like myself, I decided to check out the rest of the online store’s inventory.

Well lo and behold, Old Age Vintage is a treasure trove of great vintage dresses that are almost all priced under $50. Here are some of the ones I love! Click on the images to go to the product page.

Posted in Shopping
Tags: apparel

New Yorkers looking for a unique t-shirt or other casual item should definitely stop by the Kataplin Arts Studio‘s big studio sale this weekend. This Brooklyn-based studio is known for its whimsical illustrations, which are very New York and which combine style and art perfectly. Men’s, women’s and children’s items will be for sale on Saturday and Sunday, and the details are on the flyer above (click to enlarge). Cheers!

Posted in Shopping
Tags: apparel

I’ve been going on about the return of ballet-inspired fashion since the beginning of fall, so it irks me just a little bit that all the fashion and beauty people are hopping on the ballet bandwagon now that Black Swan is so popular. Oh well, such is the fate of being ahead of the fashion curve! Seriously though, it’s a fun trend that you can incorporate into your wardrobe without looking totally Flashdance if you don’t overdo it. Here are a few items that you can mix and match with other wardrobe staples during any season!

Bodysuits are something you might remember from the early 90s, and like leggings, people have been dreading this trend’s return for years. But like it or not, tucked-in shirts are back, and if you’ve ever spent all night retucking your shirt into your skirt or pants, you know it is a pain in the ass. With fuller skirts back in, a good way to emphasize the waistline is to have a sleek tucked in top, and bodysuits are a great way to do this. Whether you like yours with short sleeves, long sleeves, or no sleeves at all, you’ll find plenty of choices at American Apparel. I particularly like the short sleeved ones, the wider the neckline the better, because they really lend that ballet feel. Here are a few cute ones:

Cotton Spandex Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt Leotard ($28)

Printed Cotton Spandex Jersey Double U-Neck Long Sleeve Bodysuit ($36)

Nylon Spandex Stretch Floral Lace Long Sleeve Thong Bodysuit ($44)

Cotton Spandex Jersey Cross-V Bodysuit ($36)

Now, keep in mind, the American Apparel bodysuits really only work for those with small to average sized boobs. If, like me, you absolutely cannot go braless, then I would suggest going with a leotard from a dancewear store like Discount Dance Supply. This online shop is also a great place to go for all sorts of costumey dresses and tutus, but rocking a full-on tutu in public if you’re not Carrie Bradshaw might earn you stares for the wrong reason.

However, with long boots and leggings back, there’s no reason leg warmers can’t be part of your winter outfit. The ones at Discount Dance Supply are actually pretty tasteful, and they come in a wide variety of colors that won’t give you Saved by the Bell flashbacks.

Adult Legwarmers (Discount Dance Supply, $7.95)

27″ Stirrup Legwarmers (Discount Dance Supply, $7.95)

Thicker, more opaque tights worn under a skirt are also a great ballet-ish look, and with long boots you’ll keep the cold out pretty well. I personally love all things gray this season, especially charcoal gray, so even though they are clearly of cheap and crappy quality, I’ll probably end up buying a few pairs of these cheap Target tights over the course of the winter.

Merona Women’s Opaque Tight (Target, $7)

These Hue tights from Macy’s are also quite affordable, and they come in gray as well. Hooray for gray!

Hue Super Control Top Opaque Tights ($12.50)

As for your hair, the obvious way to allude to ballet is to put your hair in a bun, or better yet a braided bun, and decorate it with ribbons. Hair ribbons are a great investment anyway–they are cute, feminine, and effortless.

As for shoes, do I even need to say it? Ballet flats!

Fiona Ballet Flat (Payless, $10.99 on sale)

So go forth and discover a whole new world of sweetly feminine, Degas-channeling ballet appreciation, in the one place it really matters — your wardrobe! Or you could, you know, learn how to dance. But that sounds like a lot of hard work.

Posted in Shopping
Tags: accessories, apparel, hair accessories