Hot Summer Clothing

Ready for a dose of the hottest trends this summer – look no further, we’ve got the best looks ready for you! Whether you’re seeking summer dresses, skirts, the latest shoes, or just an overview of what summer fashion has to offer, you’ll find it here at fashionblast.net.

Mint Green Colored Clothing

Mint green may bring to mind imagines of culinary deliciousness, however it is also now a strong player in the world of delicious fashion! Mint green is an emerging color this spring, showing up in the form of tank tops, skirts, shoes, flipflops and dresses. This is a very trendy color and will be for quite awhile, so don’t shy away from a refreshing minty garment when you see it on your next shopping trip.

Black and White Tanks, Shirts, Dresses and Skirts

Black and white is a fashion staple that is seeing an uptick in popularity on the runways and the streets this season. Anyone can pull off the black and white look, and it’s always in style, meaning when you purchase black and white clothing, so long as it is treated well, it will last a long time. Spring, summer, fall and winter all have a place for black and white attire.

For summer, consider black and white dresses and skirts, to give yourself a classic feminine look.

Crochet Clothing

Crochet isn’t just for your grandma anymore, as this earthy, granola fabric is popping up all over the place. Crochet vests are all the rage right now, but if that’s a bit too much for you, consider a simple crochet handbag. If you do not know how to create crochet goodies yourself (I would imagine few do in this day and age), worry not as these fashionable items can be found online and in stores as well.

Neon Accessories – Handbags, Shoes

Thought you’d seen the last of neon in the early nineties? Well it’s baaack. However, before you pull those neon orange pants out of storage, you may wish to keep it to simply accessories, like a neon purse or pair of neon flats.

Neon shoes are being worn by ladies and gents alike, as it’s an easy way to brighten up an outfit and make a splash. Be bold and try something neon, weather it’s neon blue, green, orange, yellow, pink or any other shade! Neon orange is paricularly fashionable, but truly all neon colors are hot, hot, hot right now. So try one out, you’ll be glad you did!

Stripes

Stripes are hard to miss these days, as they are a hugely popular style for skirts, tops, sweaters and accessories. Stripes can be worn effectively at any age and within any type of budget. They are extremely versatile and work well for both casual and sophistacted looks.

Belt Bags

Belt bags are a big trend right now. These are small, usually square bags that come in a huge variety of styles and fabrics. While they may be small, but certainly add a punch of style and convenience to any outfit.

High-Waist Pants and Shorts

Personally, I was super-happy when I found out that high waist pants are now back in style! It seems that year after year the rise had gotten lower (and it had), to the point where it was getting a little uncomfortable, and even dangerously revealing to bend over. High-waisted is a more feminine look, and pairs nicely with blouses and other refined tops. This look is especially appealing with prints, such as floral which has also come roaring back to the runways this season.

Lace

Delicate lace is becoming an everyday staple, no longer reserved for ultra-fancy occasions, or, well, doilies. Lace is seeing itself used in new ways as well, such as on high heeled shoes, as well as entire handbags made from or featuring large amounts of lace. Also, lace blouses are very trendy and will definitely help you stand out from the crowd.

Leg warmers may not be a perennial fashion favorite, but they certainly are HOT right now. In fact, I’m not sure they’ve been this popular since the days when Samantha Fox, Tiffany, and Kelly Kapowski were household names.

The truth is that many of today’s generation of young people are too youthful to remember the glory days of leg warmers, and as such, aren’t quite sure how to go about wearing them. Well, fear not fashion friends, we here at FashionBlast have written a how-to formula just for you!

First of all, what exactly are leg warmers?

Think of a warm tube sock, but with holes at each end – and generally made out of a thicker, more presentable fabric. The legwarmer goes from under the knee to the top of the foot and is worn scrunched. You may have seen celebrities such as Gisele Bundchen wearing them.

How Should Legwarmers Fit?

Leg warmers should be long and loose enough that you can scrunch them up a fair bit. However, they should not be so loose that you are always having to pull them up. Of course, they also shouldn’t feel tight and constrictive on the legs. Some legwarmers will be longer than others, and therefore extend further up the leg – in fact, you’ll see legwarmers that go just up the ankle and others that end right below the knee. However most will go from the top of the foot to a couple of inches under the knee. Leg warmers should never cover the knee – that is a major fashion faux paus!

Okay, now that we’ve got those basic questions out of the way, the most common question when it comes to wearing leg warmers is –

What on Earth do I wear them with???

The answer is, that you have a few options which we will detail below:

Wearing Legwarmers with Leggings

The most classic way in which to wear legwarmers is over top of leggings (or jeggings!) Make sure that your leggings are in great condition, and aren’t faded or contain rips or tears.

Wearing Legwarmers with Skinny Jeans

Skinny jeans also pair nicely with legwarmers – in particular black leg warmers over-top of skinny jeans is very popular. Wear a darker fade if you are a curvier girl, to really complete this sultry look. Check out our article on how to wear skinny jeans if you need some more assistance.

Wearing Legwarmers with a Skirt

Leg warmers can be worn with skirts as well, and in fact many of our fashion-forward friends combine a skirt/leggings/legwarmers for a very trendy look. Obviously this is not to be done with formal or long skirts, but only shorter, trendier skirts.

There you have it folks, so go out there at strut your stuff with this new look today!

The definition of swag varies depending on who you ask — however, here at fashionblast.net it simply means style. Want to dress with swag? Want to feel stylish, confident, and cool? Don’t be intimidated if you don’t currently see yourself as a fashion guru. Looking stylish isn’t rocket science, and we’ll give you the tips to make it downright easy.  Here’s how to do it:

Fitted clothes – swag means not just grabbing a medium off the rack (because you’re usually a medium, right?). To really dress with style, your clothes should fit perfectly. It’s okay for men to wear fitted clothing – it’s part of looking presentable, truly. Sure, high-end baggy pants or shirts can work for some dudes, but unless you’re a gangsta rapper, you’ll almost certainly look nicer in — shock — clothing that fit the way clothing was originally intended to fit!

For dressing swag, clothing needs to be in excellent condition – your clothing should always look new. So, don’t leave it too long in the dryer and you may even want to invest in an iron (that hot thing that you saw grandma use on grandpa’s work shirts back in the day). No tears, no fading, none of that.

Swag is more than just the threads on your back. It’s your precence, your posture — so stand tall. Good posture is pivotal to dressing swag – many people don’t realize how poor their posture is. Stand up straight, ladies and gents, and exude confidence!

The truth is it can be expensive to look stylish. Swag generally means wearing brand name clothing, and keeping up with the latest trends – while there are many styles that don’t require this, swag most certainly does! So if you don’t like fashion trends and shopping for new clothes, swag isn’t the fashion movement for you.

Swag means attention to detail – your pants can be new, trendy and fitted, your hair shiny, silky, freshly colored and glamorous, your blouse ironed — heck dry cleaned even, and a perfect match for your outfit, however if your shoes are old and ratty, then you still score a big fat zero on the swagometer (patent pending).

Look just a little bit fancy. Please understand, swag isn’t achieved by purchasing all your clothing at Abercromibe and Fitch, Aeuropostale, and American Eagle. You want to step it up a notch — shop at stores such as Banana Republic, Nordstrom, and Tommy Hilfiger.

How To Dress With Swag For Girls

Dressing swag for girls means not being afraid of making your look truly feminine. You’re an elegant lady — pencil skirts, dresses, high heels, blouses. Details like scarves, hats, and bracelets. Hair in an updo works well for this look.

How To Dress With Swag For Men

Clean cut, confident — hair freshly trimmed, clean-shaven, — looking (and smelling) fresh. Please don’t take this as an invitation to overdo it on the cologne (if you leave an elevator your scent shouldn’t linger), but do wear a little bit – it shows effort. And hey, pump that iron, as swag looks best on guys (and gals) that are in shape, so hit the gym on the regular. Remember our suggest to stay away from baggy clothes? This includes jackets – baggy jackets simply hide the look you are trying to present. There is no need to wear ultra tight clothing, but don’t be afraid to wear fitted jackets, pants and shirts.

Sarah Palin has many fans as well as many detractors – and while she may be viewed as a polarizing figure, there is one thing that most of us can agree on – she is certainly stylish! This fact has led many people to try and look and dress like Sarah Palin, whether explicitly or more subtly. It’s noteworthy that, while she may have preferred to shop at consignment shops during the latter part of her pre-vice presidential candidate life — these days she just might be going a little higher end – or at least she can certainly afford to! Follow these tips to pull off the Sarah Palin’s style:

Sarah Palin’s Glasses

Although it’s possible to look like “Sarah Barracuda” without glasses, her rimless spectacles are by far her famous fashion accessory. In fact, these glasses became so popular when Sarah was introduced as John McCain’s running mate that many retailers were having trouble keeping up with demand, and would find themselves out of stock. Her glasses are Kawasaki Glasses 704 but any square (or squarish, but not oval) rimless glasses will help you pull this look off.

The Hair

It’s got body, it’s got bounce – and don’t forget the bangs. Occasionally she’ll wear it down and wavy — or on a casual day she’ll do a simple pony – but for most political events, she’ll do some sort of up do – like a mini-beehive or bun with lots of volume. Sarah also keeps her hair fresh and cheerful with regularly maintained blond streaks.

Make up

Sarah Palin typically keeps her makeup much the same, not experimenting with wild eye shadows or lipstick colors. Her skin tone is evened out with foundation and power, and enhanced with what some would say is a generous amount of blush — frankly, I like the blush and wouldn’t change it, but to each their own.

To look like Sarah Palin, you’ll need to use brown or black eyeliner, with a nude colored shadow. Also her lips are always perfectly done with lip liner and then covered with gloss. Sarah has been known to wear fake eyelashes, but if you’d rather not go that route, just make sure to apply a lash lengthening mascara in black.

When it comes to clothing, Sarah’s attire (like most of us) varies significantly depending on whether she’s at work or play.

Sarah’s Style At Work

Sarah’s style at work can be described as classic with a punch — usually a punch of color and some ultra-high heels. Sarah wears fitted power suits, usually black or red. She’ll often do solid colors, such as a fitted red jacket with a black skirt. Also, she loves to rock a killer pair of heels, and has even worn leopard print pumps from time to time.

Sarah’s Style At Play

Palin isn’t afraid to dress down, often to choosing to go back to basics by wearing simple t-shirts on those casual days. An avid outdoors woman, Sarah not only keeps it casual with t-shirts, but is commonly seen wearing NorthFace clothing and outerwear.

It’s not exactly a secret that Selena Gomez turns heads — including that of Justin Bieber, and with her fabulous sense of style, that’s really no surprise! Do you want to emulate Selena’s style? Read on to learn how!

First of all, start with SKINNY jeans or SKINNY pants – this girl loves her skinny jeans! If you don’t already own a pair of these, check out our article on how to wear skinny jeans.

During the day, Selena tends to keep things low-key and casual. This means not just her famous skinny jeans, but also t-shirts, flip flops, a pair of sunglasses and some comfortable plaid. In fact, she tends to wear quite a bit of plaid, usually over a t-shirt for a casual yet still trendy look.

She is also a fan of summer dresses, and may go with just a basic color or something a little more cheerful like a floral print.

What she doesn’t wear? Selena doesn’t go crazy with the accessories, preferring to keep her look natural and airy. So while she might wear a pair of hoop earrings, or a nice pair of shades, if you’re trying to look like Selena Gomez, you ought to avoid over-accessorizing.

Also, as fair as hair and makeup, Selena keeps her hair shiny and with a bit of a wave – she doesn’t tend to flat iron it straight like many girls. In keeping with her low maintenance look, unless she is going to a special event (like an awards show), you’ll usually notice that she doesn’t wear a lot of make up, preferring to show off her natural gorgeous complexion. However if you’re not blessed with perfect skin (few are), just up to keep things as light as you can. A little bit of mascara, some lip gloss, maybe a bit of eyeliner and moisturizer are enough to pull off the Selena Gomez look.

Oh, and don’t forget — perhaps most importantly — Ms. Gomez is almost always wearing this very important thing — a smile!

For some it is a lifestyle, for others a way of showing preference for a certain music genre, while for others it is simply a style of dress. However, for true punks, it is all three! All in all, regardless of your reasons for wanting to add an edge to your appearance, you can follow the following tips if you wish to dress in the style of punk rock:

First of all, it’s important to know that punk is not the same as goth. It’s also not the same as emo!

Unisex Punk

Whether you’re a girl or a guy, as a would-be punk you’ll probably want to purchase either a denim or leather jacket. For denim jackets black or blue are common, but for leather, most generally choose black. Now these aren’t your typical leather jacket, but rather will often include metal spikes! Denim jackets will often have patches, rips and tears, as well as buttons of popular punk bands.

Also, wear punk band shirts with logos of bands you actually listen to! Often times these will be sleeveless (some will just rip the sleeves right off!), or have a few tears in them. If you’ve never heard of the band, or don’t know their music, pass on the shirt no matter how cool it looks – otherwise you will appear quite foolish when someone chats you up about them!

Horizontal stripes, especially ones that are black and white, or black mixed with a neon color have become a huge part of the punk look. Shirts, leggings, socks and accessories are pieces that often accompany this look.

Punk for Girls

Specifically for the girls, this look makes use of wild prints and patterns, especially when it comes to shirts or skirts – prints include, but are not limited to animal prints such as tiger and leopard. Obviously, you’ll want to stick with prints as you don’t want PETA coming after you!

Also for the ladies, skirts with tights or leggings underneath are often worn.

Punk for Guys

As for the guys, skinny jeans (generally black) are often worn — however some guys just can’t go skinny for comfort reasons. In that case, just choose whichever pair of black or blue pants best suit you.

Shoes

Doc Martens or Chuck Taylors are generally the footwear of choice. You can rock these with any punk clothing. You’re feet will be comfortable and your look almost complete — now it’s just time to accessorize!

Accessories and Makeup

Indeed, this look is not just about the clothes, as is seen in other styles it includes specific accessories, hair and even make up.

For makeup, choose dark, dramatic eye shadows, with heavy black mascara and eyeliner.

For accessories opt for silver — bangles are very popular, as well jewelry with a chain-like appearance. This style also makes use of safety pins, whether you are using them alone or to add patches to your clothing.

Also, “extreme” piercings, such as those of the lip or eyebrow are punk favorites.

For hair, whether you’re a girl or a guy, don’t be afraid to rock a mohawk or spike your hair. Just a warning though: your grandmother will almost certainly be horrified (unless she’s very open-minded!) But hey, you’re a punk – you don’t care what others think! Also, if you’re fearless you can go with loud hair colors, such as blue, red, purple or green — the brighter the better.

And of course, many punks love tattoos! While some may have just a single small one, many others will have full tattoo sleeves and large pieces of interesting ink art covering various parts of their body.

Rock on!!!

Do you love the look of uber-popular skinny jeans, however you’re uncertain if you can pull them off? No need to fear looking ridiculous, just follow our tips below and prepare to turn heads!

Proper fit

The key to looking great in your skinny jeans is to be certain that they are the right fit for your body. Contrary to popular belief, these jeans don’t need to be super tight! Afterall, you’re hardly going to look good if your jeans are causing a muffin top! You should be able to not only breath in your jeans, but also be able to move around comfortably as well.

What about skinny jeans for the pear shaped girl?

Think your butt is too big for this look? Think again — it’s okay to have a little junk in the trunk and still rock a pair of skinnys! However, opt out of ultra low rise jeans, and choose a midrise instead. Also, a darker jean will allow you to show off your booty with, er, over maximizing it! In the end, trust your instincts by trying on many pairs and picking the one that feels right to you.

With boots

It’s no secret that boots and skinny jeans are a hot combination. It’s also very convenient, because unlike other styles of denim, skinnys tuck easily into boots — you won’t even have to fight with the zipper!

With flats

While skinny jeans don’t work too well with flats (unless you’re a hipster) or other short shoes, they do work well with ballet flats. The key here is to ensure your pants just about hit the ground. This will ensure your legs look long and slender, rather than the short, stocky look produced by jeans that are too short.

With heels

Match your skinny jeans with heels for a dressy look, which works for a night out on the town. Beware though, you will certainly turn heads when this combination is donned — so try not to give anyone whiplash!

Do you like indie films, enjoy listening to obscure bands, and have an innate desire to do things a little bit differently? If you answered yes, then you might be a hipster! Those who classify themselves as such tend to walk everywhere, care about the planet, and love anything retro. They also have a unique style — and if you want to try it out, here’s the skinny on how to do so:

Skinny Jeans/Skinny Pants

It’s hard to look hipster if your pants aren’t tight — extremely tight! Hipsters wear body-hugging skinny jeans or pants that taper significantly at the ankles. They may choose colors (orange, brown) and textures (corduroy) that are outside of the usual for today’s styles, but were in style back in the 70′s.

Tight shirts/Retro shirts/Cardigans

You may not have been into seventies fashion in the seventies, heck you may not have even been alive in the seventies, but that doesn’t stop a hipster from wearing retro inspired shirts of that time! Semi-small t-shirts with retro logos or ironic phrases are one option, another is simple but tight shirts in any color. Also, hipsters tend to love cardigans, so grab one of those too!

Alternatively, if you throw an old flannel shirt on and leave it unbuttoned (with something on underneath!) you’ll have an instant hipster look.

Footwear

No need to splurge on Christian Louboutin shoes if you’re a hipster. An old banged up pair of Converse will do. Shoes should be comfy, as many hipsters are eco conscious and prefer walking as their main source of transportation.

Accessories

Funky, over sized and flashy belts are all  favorites of this group. Also, for ladies, try some big earrings in non traditional colors and materials, like turquoise and wood! Also, a hipster worth his or her salt is practically naked without an eye catching, patterned scarf!

And finally, the glasses

If you wear glasses think thick rimmed, usually black frames — black frames work because they are suitable for all occasions, whether formal, for business, or casual. If you don’t wear glasses, then don’t forget your shades! Still go with the thick rims, but as these aren’t prescription glasses that will be needed all the time, louder colors and patterns are often chosen.

The flowers may only be starting to bloom, but our fashion picks are in full blossom – so stop and smell the roses with our Spring 2012 fashion favorites!

Floral

Floral prints are huge and everywhere this season! In fact, they haven’t seen popularity like this since the eighties. Floral prints can be found in various fashion boutiques — in fact, they’re likely in just about every fashion boutique near you! Just Cavalli, Oscar De La Renta and many other top designers all have floral as a key print in their 2012 spring collections. — some are even going super bold with floral pantsuits which look fantastic!

Blocks Of Color

Big chunky blocks of solid bright and bold colors are making major splashes on runways all over the world right now, but this is truly a look that anybody can pull off! Whether simply going for a bold shirt with several color blocks, or a full dress of the same style, this is a look we haven’t seen much in recent years, and so it’s a breath of fresh air for both the catwalk as well as everyday life.

Crop Tops

This one is great for ladies with toned, flat tummies… alas, the rest of us will want to opt out of this one, well at least until we spend a little more time doing crunches. However, if you’ve got it, flaunt it (just a little) by donning a mid-drift showing crop top!

Orange

Every once in awhile orange pops up as a major color in fashion, and that’s certainly true this spring. It’s hard to miss, and in shades from creamsicle to orange peel, you’ll be seeing this eye catcher around town. Pair an orange shirt with a white skirt for a fresh spring look.

The 20′s

The roarin’ 20′s are making a comeback! Now, this look is all about 20′s inspired fashion, so stay out of great grandma’s closet! The twenties look is all about pleats, embellishments, and of course the flapper! Also when it comes to 20′s dresses, sequins or beads are the materials of choice. Complete the 20′s look with feminine gloves, a scarf and preferable a 20′s inspired stylish hat as well.

Leather

Most of us don’t associate warming weather with wearing leather, but this look is going strong as we adapt it for spring days. Dresses, skirts and even feminine leather jackets are here to stay — for this season at least.

The goth look isn’t one that has been covered much here on FashionBlast before, but that doesn’t mean there is any shortage of people who wish to add a darker twist to their appearance. So here are our tips on how to pull this look off:

Back to black

There’s no way around it: it’s hard to dress goth without some black outfit pieces. While, unlike the stereotype, you certainly don’t need to only wear black, you will need at least a few black staples. However, don’t be afraid to throw in some accent colors, such a deep sultry reds, dark vibrant shades of purple or even a little white. On the contrary, yellows, pinks or anything pastel are big no-nos!

A proper goth outfit will often blend formal attire with more casual pieces. So keep your eyes open for corsets, fitted jackets and other formal garments that can blend well with the more casual pieces of your wardrobe.

What about dressing goth for guys?

The basics of dressing goth are the same for males and females. However, males who dress goth often will wear tighter clothing (especially pants) than guys who don’t subscribe to this look. However if you aren’t in the best of shape, then you probably should stick with looser clothing, as it will be more flattering. If you’re in really fantastic shape you could even consider leather pants, but tight clothes are by no means a requirement to pulling this look off.

Also for you gentlemen, black band t-shirts of gothic bands are popular, and may even look better with a tear or two in them.

Don’t forget the shoes!

Tall black boots are a must-have, however formal black shoes can also compliment an outfit, and oftentimes are worn even when the rest of the ensemble is quite casual.  Of course, on truly lazy days black sneakers will do.

Try different textures!

One of the great things about this look is all of the great textures it encompasses. Lace, velvet, heck even studded and spiked accesories! Goths know how to mix it up with the textures like nobody’s business.

Goth make up and hair

Think Kat Von D, or… Bif Naked (Do Non Canadian’s know her?) Heavy makeup, including full very dark eye make up, with a pale foundation color. Some like to add red (or less often black) lipstick as well. Gothic guys may also wear makeup. Also, dark (often dyed jet black hair) is common, however some go for crazy colors like blue or cherry red, while many others keep their natural hair color