Good ways to keep up with fashion and style?
April 18, 2013 8:47 AM
My goal is to keep up with fashion. This is sort of broad, so I'm looking for good blogs and news sources to keep up with what people are wearing, and what people think people should be wearing...or will be wearing, etc.
A good example might be Put This On. Another example would be Man Repeller before it got awful (though is still worth a read). My dream would be some blogs that take a more poetic bent on things, or a more academic bent, but I'll take what I can find.
I myself am not terrible fashionable, but I find the fashion world very interesting. I am interested primarily in women's fashion, but am definitely interested in good blogs that cover either. So I'm looking for stuff covering the "big" stuff like Prada's newest line or whatever, but even more interesting in people who have an interesting take on what is going on, whether it be a high level view or more in the weeds stuff.
A good example might be Put This On. Another example would be Man Repeller before it got awful (though is still worth a read). My dream would be some blogs that take a more poetic bent on things, or a more academic bent, but I'll take what I can find.
I myself am not terrible fashionable, but I find the fashion world very interesting. I am interested primarily in women's fashion, but am definitely interested in good blogs that cover either. So I'm looking for stuff covering the "big" stuff like Prada's newest line or whatever, but even more interesting in people who have an interesting take on what is going on, whether it be a high level view or more in the weeds stuff.
I use Refinery 29 for this, though it's more "what people are wearing now" and not so much poetic/academic or anything else beyond the internet version of a lady magazine. What I like about them is that they are pretty blunt about "X is in style right now" or "everybody is wearing Y this summer" or whatnot. I find blogs that cover fashion week and different designers' lookbooks a little too forest-for-the-trees for me. I don't want to know what might be in style five years from now, or what's going to be available next fall. Refinery 29 is good for "this is what you should be wearing".
One caveat -- sometimes I think the whole site is a joke created by trolls. They have a high degree of suggesting that people who are pear-shaped should wear high waisted pleated pants with loud prints.
If you were ever curious about costuming for film and TV, especially period costuming (and, to an extent costume history), and happened to be specifically really interested in the 1960's, you really can't go wrong with Tom & Lorenzo's series of posts on the fashion of Mad Men. If you're into that, definitely start by digging deep in the archives where they lay the groundwork for each character's look, rather than starting with their rundowns of recent episodes which assume you know that Betty usually wears blue, Trudy almost always matches her house, etc.
posted by Sara C. at 9:15 AM on April 18, 2013
One caveat -- sometimes I think the whole site is a joke created by trolls. They have a high degree of suggesting that people who are pear-shaped should wear high waisted pleated pants with loud prints.
If you were ever curious about costuming for film and TV, especially period costuming (and, to an extent costume history), and happened to be specifically really interested in the 1960's, you really can't go wrong with Tom & Lorenzo's series of posts on the fashion of Mad Men. If you're into that, definitely start by digging deep in the archives where they lay the groundwork for each character's look, rather than starting with their rundowns of recent episodes which assume you know that Betty usually wears blue, Trudy almost always matches her house, etc.
posted by Sara C. at 9:15 AM on April 18, 2013
I'm really liking Prep 101-Fashion Book. I get it in my Facebook feed. Great ideas for putting outfits together.
Also, my buddy, Medea42/Di has Fat Chic. Poetic and academic. But we've been friends for years now...
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:50 AM on April 18, 2013
Also, my buddy, Medea42/Di has Fat Chic. Poetic and academic. But we've been friends for years now...
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:50 AM on April 18, 2013
The Sartorialist is mostly on-the-street photos of people wearing interesting clothes, presented with minimal commentary. Plus a bit of runway stuff.
posted by wolfnote at 9:53 AM on April 18, 2013
posted by wolfnote at 9:53 AM on April 18, 2013
Major broadsheets cover the Fashion Weeks - the Guardian, New York Times, The Times and IHT all run extensive features on London, Paris, New York and Milan. The Guardian in particular has some interesting columns.
And yes, seconding Tom and Lorenzo - even if you have no interest in fashion whatsoever, the thought that goes into the costuming and what it signifies is a semiotician's delight.
posted by mippy at 10:03 AM on April 18, 2013
And yes, seconding Tom and Lorenzo - even if you have no interest in fashion whatsoever, the thought that goes into the costuming and what it signifies is a semiotician's delight.
posted by mippy at 10:03 AM on April 18, 2013
I like Pinterest for this kind of thing. Follow people who have similar tastes or are blogging about fashion and all kinds of things show up. Here are some boards I follow:
Honestly WTF
Uncovet Streetstyle
Mrs French
or just plug in some search terms and see what boards come up: streetstyle, Tokyo, boho glam, Swedish Hasbeens, etc...
posted by biscuits at 10:35 AM on April 18, 2013
Honestly WTF
Uncovet Streetstyle
Mrs French
or just plug in some search terms and see what boards come up: streetstyle, Tokyo, boho glam, Swedish Hasbeens, etc...
posted by biscuits at 10:35 AM on April 18, 2013
Second Refinery 29. It's how I learn things like "mint is a trend" and then start thinking hmm...mint/pastelly colors wash me out, so how would I wear it...maybe in a clutch or something...
don't judge me - this is what you think about when you think about fashion.
posted by sweetkid at 10:40 AM on April 18, 2013
don't judge me - this is what you think about when you think about fashion.
posted by sweetkid at 10:40 AM on April 18, 2013
Yeah, pinterest is good but it can be a bit overwhelming.
Great recommendations, people! Keep em coming :D Particularly excited about the mad men stuff. I do wish that there were more critical views of fashion, but I guess there might not be a market for it? Maybe once I know more (I follow some pinterest and whatnot now but feel pretty ignorant) I'll be the blog I want to see in the world :P
Sweetkid: this is a safe space ;)
posted by wooh at 10:44 AM on April 18, 2013
Great recommendations, people! Keep em coming :D Particularly excited about the mad men stuff. I do wish that there were more critical views of fashion, but I guess there might not be a market for it? Maybe once I know more (I follow some pinterest and whatnot now but feel pretty ignorant) I'll be the blog I want to see in the world :P
Sweetkid: this is a safe space ;)
posted by wooh at 10:44 AM on April 18, 2013
though I mostly use it for art, I find that tumblr (when not trying to be the 'panopticon of porn') does a pretty good job as the 'panopticon of fashion'...I just added Tiffany and Co to my feed...mmm...jewels...
posted by sexyrobot at 1:00 PM on April 18, 2013
posted by sexyrobot at 1:00 PM on April 18, 2013
I'm more about style than fashion. (I consider style to be timeless, and fashion to be trendy) and I picked up on Primer a while ago. I will admit that they are in the "step 1, be attractive, step 2, don't have a gut"-camp, but still useful for a style-challenged guy. I always found Put This On to be less applicable to the everyman, but to each his own.
posted by Wild_Eep at 8:08 PM on April 18, 2013
posted by Wild_Eep at 8:08 PM on April 18, 2013
I like blogs that look at fashion a bit more critically, and particularly blogs that aim for a small, well-curated wardrobe rather than ones that try to obsessively follow the latest trends. Some of my favorites in that vein are:
Dead Fleurette
les anti-modernes
empty emptor
out of the bag
Un Petit Bijou
Assembled Hazardly
Of Stranger Sensibilities
posted by peacheater at 2:13 PM on April 19, 2013
Dead Fleurette
les anti-modernes
empty emptor
out of the bag
Un Petit Bijou
Assembled Hazardly
Of Stranger Sensibilities
posted by peacheater at 2:13 PM on April 19, 2013
I really like the fashion shoots in in the online magazine Rookie. They're not always at the forefront of what's new or trendy, but they're always arty and endearing.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 6:22 PM on April 19, 2013
posted by Nibbly Fang at 6:22 PM on April 19, 2013
« Older Rent vs. Buy: Retiree edition! | Is there a 2-in-1 charger/aux cable for mini-USB... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by xicana63 at 8:54 AM on April 18, 2013