T R A X WINTER FEATURE A LOOK BACK
AT THE TRENDS OF
2013 PLUS: THE HAT SEEN
AROUND THE WORLD
WINTER 2013
CONTENTS FEATURES
FASHION
8 5 THE HAT SEEN TOPSHELF AROUND THE WORLD CLOTHES by Emily Wells The floppy hat has become an international trend.
22 YEAR OF THE BOLD
A look back at some of the most audacious fashion trends of 2013.
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by Ali Close A New York based startup provides online personal shopping ease with individual high fashion expertise.
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BEAUTY 6 NAILS A LA MODE by Julia Burke A new nail salon and gift boutique has joined the 50th and France shopping district.
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TRAX JUSTINE TUTEWOHL Editor-in-Chief
EMILIE RADIGAN Creative Director
JULIA BURKE Art Director
EMILY WELLS
Fashion Director
SARAH BROWNSON Social Media Director
Staff Writers JULIA BURKE, ALI CLOSE, EMILY WELLS
FASHION
TOP SHELF CLOTHES ONLINE PERSONAL SHOPPING EASE WITH INDIVIDUAL HIGH FASHION EXPERTISE
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hopping online has become an invaluable efficiency tool for women who “do it all,” and it is also a convenient way to discover the latest fashions. However, with unlimited options on the web, it also requires resourcefulness, strong research skills, patience, and a lot of time. Fortunately, there are new sites available to e-commerce fashionistas everywhere, which can help you narrow your options whether you are a diva, bohemian, or classic chic girl. One customer favorite is TopShelf Clothes, a startup based in Soho in NYC that acts as an online personal shopper for women (“Pandora for fashion”). TopShelf’s team of expert personal stylists get to know each member through a style survey and by analyzing what they have bought online in the past. They combine this with their knowledge of trends and brands to help members build a better wardrobe.
“TopShelf Clothes is all about keeping you stylish, while saving you time,” says Founder and CEO Katie Nadler. The best part about this site is the price. Personal stylists in NYC can cost up to $200 per hour, but TopShelf is absolutely free for members. When customers join TopShelf, they provide specific information regarding their fashion preferences, favorite styles, preferred brands, and their fashion budget. Stylists then use customers’ survey and past purchase data and search the entire web to create a personalized look book for each customer, who can then can vote on each suggestion — it’s just like using Pandora! -Ali Close
TRAX READERS CAN JOIN TOPSHELF WITH THE SPECIAL INVITE CODE TOPSHELFLOVESTRAX AT TOPSHELFCLOTHES.COM
IMAGE COURTESY OF WEAR TO CLICK
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HEALTH AND BEAUTY
NAILS A LA MODE
A LA MODE BOUTIQUE & NAIL SALON HAS JOINED THE 50TH AND FRANCE SHOPPING DISTRICT IN EDINA.
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new upscale nail salon and boutique has set up shop in Edina. A la Mode Boutique & Nail Spa, located in the former Monique Lhullier store, offers not only a variety of nail services, but also an exclusive selection of fashion and home accessories. Situated in the 50th and France fashion district, the atmosphere of the salon exudes sophistication and luxury, but also comfort and a sense of community.
The talented staff at A la Mode was trained by industry-leading educators from various Forbes Five-Star salons before the salon opened its doors. For all of their services, which include ultra-hygienic, organic, and chemical-free nail treatments, nail technicians use the most innovative nail protocols in the industry. An eclectic mix of home décor and fashion accessories from style capitals around the world are featured at A la Mode’s boutique. Their ever-changing collection selection of trendy merchandise offers fresh items and a plethora of choices. A la Mode encourages their clients to meet with old friends and to make new friends while enjoying a relaxing beauty experience. Their collection of inspirational décor and accessories, selection of luxurious nail treatments, and sophisticated atmosphere will create a memorable visit. -Julia Burke
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IMAGES COURTESY OF MPLS ST PAUL MAGAZINE
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THE HAT SEEN AROUND THE WORLD Have you ever wondered what people in South Africa or Brazil actually wear? All of us at TRAX have pondered this same question throughout the years. It is easy to have preconceived notions of what we expect people to wear across the world. And with the globalization of fashion, it seems people are increasingly wearing the same styles. For this feature, I will bring you a comprehensive guide to fashion trends across the world. We will explore every continent while focusing on Canada, South Africa, Poland, Brazil, India, and Australia. What was the main trend I saw in these countries and others across the world? Floppy, felt hats. If you want to try out this new trend, I recommend buying a dark gray, floppy, felt hat. It is neutral enough to go with your entire wardrobe, but will stand out more than a basic black hat. From left to right, these styles come from Canada, Brazil, and Australia. -Written & Illustrated by Emily Wells, Fashion Director IMAGES COURTESY OF LOOKBOOK
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CANADA N
eedless to say, our neighbor to the north knows a thing or two about winter fashion. I feel I speak for all Minnesotans when I say that loving winter styles becomes a necessity when living in this state. While scouring street style blogs, I encountered a few, truly Canadian styles. First of all, Canadians had a very distinctive choice in coats. I saw numerous long, wool coats that fell between knee and ankle-length. Another coat style I saw was large collars. This style was consistent across jackets and coats that were otherwise complete opposites in terms of silhouette. Besides wool coats, leather jackets also graced the pages of many street style blogs. My favorite coat was short and oxblood-colored with leather details. Oxblood, in general, is one of my favorite fall fashion colors, and I was very pleased to see that this trend is continuing in Canada. In addition to this particular shade of red, I saw various metallics. Gold seemed to be the most popular metallic, but many outfits featured silver accents. Try wearing gold with a simple color palette. For example, a gold tank top would look great when paired with white jeans and a cream coat. Throw on an oxblood felt hat and you’re done! Finally, I can’t forget all the great accessories I spotted. For shoes, my favorite Canadian trend was sleek ankle booties. Avoid shoes with too many details that may detract from the overall outfit. Instead of purses, I saw many oversized clutches. They tended to be neutral colors like black and beige. Use these types of accessories to complete your winter look. IMAGES COURTESY OF THE BACKSEAT STYLERS
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SOUTH AFRICA H
ow would I describe South African fashion? The essence of cool. I found South African styles to be expressive and refreshing. Every style cut through the clutter and offered something unique and innovative that I haven’t seen in fashion before. As mentioned, South African fashion is very expressive. One major way it stands out is through the us of prints. Everyone seemed to have the ability to effortlessly mix prints and patterns. It can be difficult to accomplish this without looking cluttered and busy. If one print is bright and colorful, choose a simpler pattern featuring one or two colors from the first. This helps the look remain cohesive. While women’s fashion was great in South Africa, the true stars were the men- on many blogs they were shown more than women. One man, featured to the left, rocks a wrap skirt. The print and colors blend seamlessly with his basic tee and knit cap. Men, if you want to try a daring style, then keep the other elements in the outfit simple. Some styles blurred across gender lines in South Africa. The four main trends that I saw were leather accents, sneakers, knit hats, and baseball caps. I also saw men and women rocking rounded sunglasses. Want to create your own outfit based on the trends I saw in South Africa? Throw on a pair of sneakers with colored laces and pair them with pleather shorts and a brightly patterned shirt. Finally, add on a knit cap and some sunglasses. You’ll definitely stand out this spring – in a good way! IMAGES COURTESY OF THE EXPRESSIONIST
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POLAND O
ther European countries, like Italy and London, commonly overshadow Poland’s fashion scene. However, I was very delighted by what I saw in the Eastern European country. Polish women interjected their styles with quite a bit of sass. Similar to Canada, Poland is a great place to look when exploring winter fashion trends. What was my favorite fashion item? Definitely the boots. Many Polish street style blogs showcased women wearing knee and thigh-high boots. I have never seen so many people rock this style with such ease. It can be hard to find the perfect knee-high boot. Oftentimes, styles tend to be too loose or tight around the thigh. I recommend finding a boot with laces to solve this problem. This will give you more control over the fit of the boot. Not many people in Poland seemed keen on colorful outfits. Instead, the color palette in most outfits was primarily black and white. However, this does not mean the outfits were cold and boring, but instead left room for more detail in texture and silhouette. This was primarily seen in textured and patterned tights, as well as fringe and fur coats. Keeping the colors simple kept these details from overpowering the looks. Try pairing a gray coat that has an asymmetrical zipper and lace tights with your new knee-high black boots. A bright lipstick helps balance your makeup against this dark look. I particularly love the woman on the right rocking light blue lipstick. IMAGES COURTESY OF STYLE STALKER
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BRAZIL O
verall, I felt Brazilians combined ultra-femme styles with a few tough accents. I also found their style to be rather playful and colorful. Similar to South Africa, there was a focus on prints, however Brazilians put their own spin on their print choices. Brazilians approach colorful prints in a subdued and delicate manner. While I saw many different bright patterns, they usually only appeared in one item in the outfit. There wasn’t much mixing of prints within a single look, and the prints usually featured bright colors like bold pinks, greens, oranges, and reds. Numerous Brazilians rocked tougher looks. I saw quite a few Brazilian bloggers wearing feminine silhouettes and flowy skirts paired with studded accessories. On the other end of the spectrum, many Brazilian bloggers wore playful, girly outfits. These usually consisted of floral skirts and dresses. I also saw a variety of dresses in pastel blues and pinks. Many Brazilians paired these looks with chunky pearls. One similarity I saw between these two style groups was shoe choice. The most common shoe style worn by Brazilians was colored pumps. No matter the look, it was easily dressed up with a pair of these heels. I feel studded, suede pumps would encapsulate all the trends I saw in Brazil. Pair them with a purple, floral skirt and white button-up and add a thin belt to help cinch the skirt and polish the look. IMAGES COURTESY OF FASHION COOLTURE, INSTINTO DE VESTIR, AND CHICTOPIA
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INDIA D
espite being the second most populous country in the world, there hasn’t been much focus on Indian fashion in mainstream American magazines. This is really a disappointment because I feel Indian styles challenged traditional fashion silhouettes. There was a lot of similarity I saw between the silhouettes of men and women’s fashion in India. Mainly, there was a great emphasis on pants. While the colors and patterns changed, the basic shape of pants in India remained the same. While the pants were loose fitting, they were by no means baggy. They almost always cinched around the ankle which helps flatter the natural body shape. This was the most common trend I saw in India. The main colors I saw were greyish-blue and dusty rose. There were two predominant shoe trends I discovered in India; the main trend being oxfords. Once again, both men and women donned this style. I recommend buying dusty rose oxfords. It is a color that brings attention to an otherwise basic shoe style. The other popular shoe style was t-strap sandals. Most of the clothes worn by people in India were made out of linens and cotton. These fabrics are lightweight and breathable. Try pairing dark blue, t-strap sandals, grey, linen pants, and a pink, cotton button-up. It is bound to be a comfortable yet fashionable outfit. Wear it when you browse the farmer’s market with friends this summer! IMAGES COURTESY OF WEARABOUT
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AUSTRALIA
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t is easy to get jealous of all the trend-setters in Australia wearing mini skirts. With Minnesota winters, it is hard to imagine a time will come when we too can don skirts and dresses. However, since Australia is having its summer, it gives us time to search out the best of summer and spring fashion trends. I found Australian fashion to be very polished and feminine. While maxi skirts have been the dominant style over the past few years, Australians are breathing life into much shorter styles. Both shorts and mini skirts were popular amongst fashion bloggers in Australia. Many styles featured cutouts. Some of these cutouts just showed slivers of skin around the shoulders while others exposed the stomach. If you are new to the style, try a dress with a cutout back. This is much more subtle than stomach cutouts, but still adds intrigue to the outfit. White was the most popular color that appeared in almost every outfit. And we aren’t talking about a tiny peak of white- no, most outfits were predominately white. If there was a patterned dress or shirt, it would feature white with one or two other colors. I did, however, see many neon pink, blue, and green accents. These accent colors were seen primarily in shoes and purses. This summer, take a cue from Australians with a white, monochromatic outfit: pair high-waisted, white shorts with a white crop top and add neon green shoes and a bright blue clutch. IMAGES COURTESY OF LOOKBOOK AND VOGUE AUSTRALIA
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Top Shop shirt, Marshalls overalls, DSW shoes, Marshalls purse, Emporio Armani sunglasses.
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Macy’s dress, DSW shoes, Ann Taylor clutch, Aldo necklace, Nordstrom bracelet and ring.
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Marshalls dress, belt, and clutch; Nordstrom necklace and bracelet; DSW shoes.
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Marshalls shirt, Macy’s leggings, Forever 21 necklace, model’s own shoes.
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Top Shop shirt, Marshalls vest and pants, Aldo necklace and ring, Nordstrom bracelet, model’s own shoes.
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THANKS FOR READING OUR WINTER FEATURE! CHECK OUT OUR NEXT ISSUE IN SUMMER 2014. XOXO T R A X
TRAX FASHION MAGAZINE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA - TWIN CITIES WINTER 2013