Serene magazine

SERENE Fashion & Beauty for the Easy Going

FASHION SUSTAINABILITY Is it possible to have an 100% green industry?

5 cute hairstyles for when you are running late Page 5

April, 2018

Table of Contents APRIL 2018 EDITION APRIL 2018 EDITION

03. Letter from the Editor 05. 4 Hairstyles for running late 07. Serene Search 09. Trend Report: Athelisure 10. Self Tanner for Summer Glow 11. Fashion Sustainability: is it possible?

Page 1

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Serene Readers, Hi! My name is Taylor and I am the creator and editor of Serene Magazine. First off, welcome to Serene, a magazine catered to an audience that is often times looked over. People who love fashion – but prefer to remain comfortable and relaxed. One’s who feel best in leggings and hoodie during the day but leather jacket and skirt at night. The people who might run late more than be on time, or those who prefer no makeup over a full face. After my experience at a “fashion forward” school, I have realized it is okay to not get dolled up each day. I remember back in my Freshman year, I used to think I needed to wear a dress and heels each day, with full makeup to show I loved fashion. But it took me some time to realize that this was not for me and my happiness, but to please others and fit in.

I would not enjoy the hours put in each day just to take it off the second I got back into my dorm room.

Page 3

Thankfully – I have grown into myself and realized that this is not pleasing anyone, including myself. Since, I have stopped and have never been happier. I have accepted the fact that I am not the kind of girl to do a full face of makeup each day, or someone who puts together outfits the night before. And that is okay – it doesn’t mean I can’t love fashion and beauty! It is important to find your comfort in expression, and ultimately do whatever the heck you want to do. No one is perfect, and the idea of “perfection” truly is a myth. There is not, and never will be a definition of perfection, especially in beauty. There are no rules for how you should look. Serene is for the people who are similar to me – and for people who are struggling to fit the idea of “perfect,” and to help understand it is okay to not be completely put together all the time. It is okay to run a little late, it is okay to go make-up less, it is okay to wear sweatpants to class! Accepting your flaws is an incredibly difficult thing to do, but once you do, the end result is incredibly rewarding. Life is hard, therefore it is important to do what makes you the happiest. Just know you are doing fine – and as long as you’re content (and not hurting anyone) – everything is okay. You only have one life to live so you might as well spend it doing what makes you happy, rather than impressing others. Stay true to yourself, because at the end of the day, you only have yourself to rely on. Life is too short for that extra stress. So thank you to all the Serene Readers – enjoy and remember it is okay to not have everything put together! I definetly don’t.

Xoxo, Taylor McMahon Page 4

4 Hairstyles for running late

If you are anything like me, running late is second nature. Maining because getting out of bed is a major struggle each morning. Here 5 quick, easy hairstyles I love to do when I am late out of the door.

#1 Chic Low Pony

Give your go-to low pony a new update with this twisted, teased variation. Divide your hair into three sections—left, middle, and right—and then twist the middle section toward the right, pinning it in place. Twist the left section toward the right and pin in place, and then twist the right section toward the left and pin in place over the other two sections.

You’ll be on your way in seconds!

Page 5

#2 Half Up Bun

It doesn’t get easier than this knotted half-updo. Take one two-inch section of hair on either side of your head and gather them together in the back. Twist the sections together as one, twist it into a knot, and then tuck the ends under and pin them in place. Super cute and easy, and versatile based out outfits.

#3 Dutch Braid to Messy Bun Dutch braids and low messy bun is an easy hairstyle to wear casually or dressed up. This hairstyle is quick and easy to do and perfect for looking put-together this holiday season.

Simply section hair as if you were to french braid - then inside of pieces going over, go under. This will create a braid that “sits” on top of your head - rather than weaved in. Tie off the end with an elastic and bring it into the messy bun. You will look put together in seconds!

#4 High Messy Bun

A hairstyle that literally can take seconds.

First, gather hair into a high ponytail, then twist it to create a loose bun by wrapping the hair around itself—it should resemble a cinnamon roll. After securing in place with a hair tie and strategically placed bobby pins, pull out sections of your bun to loosen.

Page 6

SERENE WORDSEARCH

Find ALL the words in under 2 minutes!

INGNZUCEPSRIMOH GXXSWOKWWENSSFB SNERUSIELHTARFN CGVIGSAANWWHEJT NFNVVTXIVDSQKAO HTLISBHGJZVAACZ WLSHGQJKARAHEKD CNIHTGTZZUCNNEY NRLDIREJRXIISTL TWUJORNLOOUEXRD GPWFUWTMOAMZFCN BQMYUGCMNBAAKKK BOAMHZOAPTOIZTE CCJBLBDVCHDEIGQ PAJAMASPANWYONU WORD BANK ATHLEISURE TSHIRT NAP COMFORT JACKET

Page 7

PAJAMAS LEGGINGS RELAX LEGGINGS SWEATSHIRT

Trend Report: Athleisure

“It’s a trend. People of all ages are wearing their workoutwear all day now, whether it’s leggings with a longer coat and a scarf, or someone younger wearing a cropped T-shirt with a denim jacket and some highheeled boots.” - Vouge

Athleisure is a major trend in the fashion industry, and seems to be one of the best trends ever. Being able to be comfortable AND fashionable is the best of both worlds. The trend has evolved, and looks like it is here to stay for a long while. There are countless styles of leggings, shoes, t-shirts and they keep coming. Even if people do not work out, they still buy this type of clothing because it is still fashion forward and considered to be popular. Many people have been wearing their “workout” clothes during their everyday lives. Sneakers, leggings, t shirts have all become staple pieces in every day outfits. Athleisure can be considered as a fashion industry movement, enabled by improved textile materials, which allow sportswear to be more versatile, comfortable, and fashionable. Athleisure doesn’t just mean wearing your workout clothes when you aren’t working out. This could also be wearing sneakers with mom jeans and or wearing a pair of leggings with a sweatshirt. The trend has not just been seen in fast fashion. Major designers such as Rebecca Minkoff, Tory Burch, Alexander Wang, and Mara Hoffman have been seen incorporating these types of styles in their pieces. Considering the trend is so prominent and rocking the fashion industry, it is safe to say you will not be saying goodbye to comfort anytime soon.

Page 9

Best Self-Tanners for a Pre-Summer Glow

Do you want a tan for summer - but avoid the hassle and harmful effects of tanning beds? Here are two of the best self tanners to have you looking as if you just went on a tropical vacation.

JERGENS NATURAL GLOW

Target – $7.99

This is a moisturizing lotion that gets you darker and darker over a few days. This product is perfect when it comes to getting your skin hydrated, and the smell is great. The downside of this product is that you NEED to put in on every day for a week to start seeing quality results. If you are looking to substitute your lotion out for something that will give you color, this is perfect.

SALLY HANSEN AIRBRUSH LEGS

Walgreens - $13.99

The name can be a bit deceiving, as it only mentions legs, not full body.

But it 100% works for full body. This gives you an instant tan, and looks just as if you went on vacation. The tan looks so beyond natural, and it is not sticky whatsoever. It dries really fast as well. Although, that is one of the only downsides. This product dries fast, so it’s a bit hard to get your tan to be completely streak free. I highly recommend this though, instead of tanning for my prom, I used this, and got so many compliments!

Page 10

Fashion Sustainability: Is it possible?

Fast fashion has become the normal, and enviromental aspects are being ignored in order to make clothing quickly. Is is possible to reverse the problem and create in a more sustainable way?

Fast fashion, a concept that was once praised and coveted by those in the industry is now one of the leading contributors of textile waste in our world today.

While factories are producing clothing at an abundantly aggressive rate, unwanted clothing is being disposed of and ultimately creating landfills that only continue to grow. This is causing incredible harm to the environment, affecting all aspects from our water, air and even food. Due to the constant need of new clothing – the environmental corners are often cut; forgetting the effects on the earth. The idea of sustainable fashion has been talked a lot recently – but is this idea of a completely green industry possible?

The fashion industry is the world’s 2nd biggest polluter, finishing closely behind the oil industry. The era of fast fashion has created a world like no other – constantly having new styles and designs on store floors each day. According to a study done by WRI, “fast fashion uses innovative production and distribution models to dramatically shorten fashion cycles, sometimes getting a garment from the designer to the customer in a matter of a week’s instead of months. The number of fashion seasons has increased from two a year – spring/summer and fall/winter – to as many as 50-100 micro seasons.” We live in a world where we always need the newest trends, causing products to be low value. Fast fashion retailers are producing an abundance of clothing at an extremely rapid rate, clearly choosing quantity over quality. People are buying into this anyway – and creating more and more waste each day. Retailers are making more clothes than they sell, causing clothing to be thrown into landfills to sit for decades.

Page 11

Another issue that is enabling fast fashion is the use of online media. With a world where everyone is constantly on their phones, brands are making it easier to buy things with the click of a button. Social media is a part of our everyday lives, and there has been a lot of invasive marketing with these apps. This is creating a growing popularity of e-commerce channels over brick and mortar – forcing brands to become more creative with their ways of advertising on the media platforms. Consumers are now able to buy everything with the click of a button – creating a lot of room for impulse buying. We are now buying items we do not need, just because the process is simple and the price is extremely low. It is to also note that buying items online often leads to more discounts or deals on the products being purchased. This is mostly an issue with the millennial generation, as they are considered to be the most active social media users. According to Forbes magazine, “One thing that makes millennials like their parents is that almost 80% are influenced by price. Even as much as they are looking for other values from their products like authenticity, local sourcing, ethical production and a great shopping experience, nothing beats a discount no matter how old you are.” This means retailers are competing with one another to get the cheapest products because they know they will be bought – because consumers do not care where the clothing is coming from or made. This is enabling brands to continue to cut the environmental angles and consumers are remaining uneducated.

As pressure to reduce cost and the time it takes to get a product from design to shop floor means that environmental corners are more likely to be cut. Criticisms of fast fashion include its negative environmental impact, water pollution, the use of toxic chemicals and increasing levels of textile waste. We are using textiles that are harmful and take years to decompose. The effects of the fast fashion world are incredibly harmful to the environment, especially overseas. Most factories are located in developing countries, causing extremely harmful effects on their air, waterways and food. Textile dyeing is one of the most destructive to the environment, being the second largest polluter of clean water globally. 20% of industrial water pollution in the world comes from the treatment and dyeing of textiles. In order to get the bright, vibrant colors found in clothing – the clothing needs to be dyed using colors that eventually end up in waterways effecting not only humans, but wildlife as well living in the water.

Page 12

Another issue with fast fashion is the effects on the air. The production of polyester and nylon release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that contribute to global warming 300 times more so than carbon dioxide, and it has been noted that ending this production for one year would be equivalent to taking over one million cars off of American highways.

Polyester has become one of the most used fabrics in the fashion industry, which took the place of popular textile, cotton. The downfall of this is that polyester emits almost three times more carbon dioxide during its lifecycle than cotton. The number of clothing items that are currently containing polyester are through the roof – and are growing rapidly each day. Another issue with polyester is when washed in domestic washing machines, garments containing this shed microfibers that add to the increasing levels of plastic in our oceans. It’s estimated that a single polyester garment releases 1,900 individual plastic microfibers during each wash. This is not only effecting the oceans – but is also effecting us. As the microfibers are being released into the oceans, they are being ingested by fish that is eventually sold in stores, and is eaten by humans.

Granted there currently seems as if there is not hope – there is.

Green fashion is possible, the proper steps just need to be taken. We are unable to reverse the negative the industry has already done to the environment, but steps can be made to make the issue better from here on out. One major way to fix the issue is consumer awareness. The issue ultimately lies with the consumer – because if people weren’t buying these products – then they wouldn’t be made. There needs to be a change within buyers and they need to be educated. If just one company shows that it is possible to make clothes out of organic materials, and people buy it – other retailers would copy. People need to start researching and understanding that the clothes they are buying are hurting the earth, and one this is understood, change will occur. This will encourage brands to use alternative, biodegradable resources from start to finish during the process of garment making.

Page 13

A major change brands can make is to start utilizing all of the natural, biodegradable materials we are aware of while continuing to explore the possibility of more natural and efficient options. There are a number of all natural textiles found such as:

Cotton Replacement: • Banana plant stems • Pineapple leaves • Coconut husks • Jute • Hemp • Bamboo Leather Replacement: • Pineapple leaves • Fish skins Fabric Dye Replacement: • Algamy • Carrots Bag and shoes made • Onion skins from Pineapple leaves • Dandelion roots • Oak • Bark • Cherries • Pink roses • Avocado skins • Berries

Garments made from Alge

Dye made from fresh berries

Page 14