Hoodies: All Purpose Clothing

Have you ever had a sweater or something that you have had forever and still wear it because its comfortable? Hoodies are the perfect piece of clothing for all kinds of occasions, seasons, and events.  They are very comfortable and quite fashionable as well.  Let's take a look at some celebrities and see how they wear their hoodies. 



Hoodies are fun to play around with and are cool to wear.  These celebrities have discovered their inner "hoodie" and you should too!

Life as a Fashion Merchandise Major

I have been a student at Ball State University for four years now, and I am quickly approaching graduation in May.  When I first enrolled as a freshmen, I decided that I wanted my major to be business administration; I was told that's where the money is.  After a year of business and math classes I found out that was not what I wanted to be studying for three more years; it just didn't fit me as a person.  I ended up switching my major to fashion merchandise my sophomore year, and have been a student in the fashion program ever since. I find this area of study to be very intriguing and stimulating to the mind, which most people think the opposite about "fashion."  As a student in the fashion program at Ball State, I have had opportunities to take courses that will prepare me for future endeavors in the fashion industry.  I can definitely say that a highlight of my career as a fashion student would have to be the promotions fashion show that my class put on this semester.  By having the chance to actually put on a fashion show, I learned so much about what it takes to have a successful production.  I also learned that communication is the main key to having a successful event, because working with people of all different walks of life can be stressful and that's where communication comes in. I have taken several courses within this major, but there was one in particular that sparked my interest, and that was an introduction to sewing. I had never sewn before so this was all very new to me.  As a requirement for this class I had to construct my own garment from scratch.  The finished product turned out to be a success for me; I never thought that sewing would interest me.  I have to say that the fashion program at this institution (Ball State) is one of superb quality and should be ranked nationally.

Constructive Criticism

This blog is very different from the other blogs that I have previously posted.  I have the opportunity to view one of my classmates' blog page and express my thoughts about it.  I decided to use my group leaders blog to review because I knew I would be in for a treat.  When looking over her blog, I discovered that she focused on "warm clothing" for the upcoming winter season.  The blog was very well put together, the pictures on her blog were detailed and were cohesive with what she was saying in the blog itself.  I also thought that it was a good idea for her to talk about winter wear, especially since winter is quickly approaching!! I feel that I should also discuss some fashion possibilities for this upcoming winter season as well. It is very important to make sure you dress appropriately during the winter season; with that being said, lets take a look at some warm accessory options for both men and women.

These illustrations show various options of how hats, scarves, and gloves can be worn fashionably and still serve its purpose of keeping you warm.  Some people tend to think that wearing a hat or a pair of gloves takes away from the fashion aspect, but I beg to differ.  As you can see from these pictures, there are all types of winter accessories that can accent an ensemble rather than take away from it.  I encourage you to invest in winter wear for this season and stay  as warm as possible! 

Fashion Show

I'm sure that everyone loves to watch/ attend fashion shows, and enjoy the new  looks that are put on  display at the shows.  Looking from the outside in, it probably seems like its easy to put on a big production such as a fashion show, well that's what I always thought when I would watch them.  I now know that fashion shows are not easy to produce and make happen at all.  It takes a huge amount of patience and communication between individuals from all types of backgrounds.  I have new found respect for the people responsible for producing fashion shows because it takes an extraordinary person to be able to give or take instruction in order to get the job done.   I can now classify myself as one of those extraordinary individuals!   

Press Release- 2010

Fashion shows are events put on by fashion designers and/or merchandisers to showcase upcoming lines of clothing.  I recently took part in the production of a fashion show for a university promotion class that I am taking this semester.  The show was a huge success but could not have been done without the implementation of a press release, which is an announcement distributed to members of the press in order to supplement or replace an oral presentation.  The press release helped promote the fashion show and made people on and off campus aware of the event (fashion show) being put on.  If you ever find yourself helping to put on some type of big production, I advise you to take the time to do a press release well before the event occurs, it will make a huge difference in the turnout of your event.   

Kool Kicks

      

If you didn't already know, "shoes" are a major segment in the fashion industry.  You can have on the most expensive or stylish outfit, but if the shoes aren't up to par, it won't matter what you are wearing or who its made by.  There are three main categories of shoes, First is the casual shoe, that you wear with jeans on a regular day.  Second is the boot shoe, which is worn mostly during the fall/winter seasons.  The last category of shoes is the retro gym shoe, which can be worn with anything, during any season. 


Casual shoes (Men/Women)

 These are examples of shoes that can be worn with jeans and a comfortable sweater on a cool day.  These are all purpose shoes that look nice with whatever you decide to wear. 



Women's Boots

 This next picture is an example of women's boots that are typically worn in the fall/winter seasons. These knee length boots look best when worn with layers, or jackets and either jeans or leggings of some type. 




Men's Boots

 These boots can be worn with any ensemble, but looks best with dark denim jeans.  Black boots are classy but still give men that macho look they like. 













Creative recreations (men/women)

 This last category of shoes is my personal favorite.  This picture is an example of high quality gym shoes that can spice up any outfit.  These shoes are known for their intricate designs/patterns and bold/bright colors. 

Musical Fashion

As we all know, fashion and music are interchangeable in many different ways.  Musical artists of this era are the epitome of fashion.  Some big name people in the music industry that take fashion seriously, and stay current with the latest trends are Lady Gaga, Prince, Trey Songz, Kanye West,  Justin Timberlake and most importantly, Usher Raymond.

Usher's style has definitely evolved over time since the release of his first album entitled "Usher" in 1994.  His style of dress is unique and reflects the type of music that he makes.  You will catch Usher wearing many different looks, from casual to formal. 

This particular look features the pop/r&b superstar in a black leather jacket, with a plain black t-shirt, accessorized by a black and white scarf, with the perfect watch to add a more sporty feel to the outfit.  This is one of my favorite looks for Usher to wear, because it shows that he can take the simple items, such as the jeans that he had on, and make an outfit look trendy. 

Another look that Usher has worn, which is more formal than the previous one is the all white suit jacket, lined with black ribbon-like material on the lapel and pockets of the jacket.  He wore a white shirt to go under the suit jacket which had black buttons (excellent choice, accents the black on the suit jacket).  The pants were black, and to top off this sophisticated look, Usher wore a black bow tie and glasses to add to the swag of his outfit. 

The last look that I chose to discuss was Usher in an all black ensemble.  This outfit was very clean, crisp and classic.  To start the outfit off, he had on a black,casual suit jacket, accompanied by an all black crew neck t-shirt (simple, but fashion savvy), his pants were all black as well.  What makes this outfit epic in my opinion are the black combat boots, they speak volume for this particular look.  As far as accessories, Usher wore a black scarf to stabilize his look; and to add color to this all black rendezvous- a  fuchsia pink handkerchief was featured in the right pocket of the suit jacket, lastly, the dark tinted sunglasses gave mystery to his outfit. 

These three very different looks are perfect examples of why I think fashion and music are interrelated topics and also gives us a look into the fashion psyche of one of the biggest artists of all time.