With the inauguration of Barack Obama as our nation’s forty-fourth president and the promise of better tomorrow, our country waits with great anticipation to see how our newly-elected President will guide our nation over the next four years. While the world’s eye has been ever so watchful of the new President, the fashion world is also very interested in the new President and the First Lady. This presidential season has had more conversation about what the candidates and their significant others have been wearing then any other presidential campaign that I can recall.

Many of us remember the Sarah Palin episode where she was reported to have spent $150,000 on new clothes during her campaign with Senator John McCain. She is not the only female whose wardrobe has garnered attention, either; there has been much discussion over the wardrobe of Michelle Obama. The New York Times website has an interactive slideshow chronicling her outfit choices throughout her husband’s presidential campaign. The Narciso Rodriguez dress that she chose to wear on the night of President Obama’s victory speech was under great debate, not just among the fashion world but in the mainstream media as well. It seemed like everyone I talked to about it had an opinion whether or not that was the appropriate choice. Mrs. Obama has become a fashion icon in her own right. I have recently heard her referred to as Michelle O, drawing comparisons to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Michelle Obama’s style is a nice contrast to that of her husband’s. President Obama has a very clean, conservative, neat template. He continues in the tradition of most policy makers of wearing two-button, soft shoulder American-made suits, usually with a white shirt and either a red or blue tie. Where I see the difference between him and the man he is replacing is in the fit of the suit. The jacket is not too long, the shape is not boxy, his sleeves are the right length and his pants have the correct amount of break in them. Obama wears the suit and does not let the suit wear him. President Obama takes the way he looks seriously, but that does not necessarily mean that he is in a suit all the time. Already he has dismissed the rule that one must wear a suit at all times when in the Oval Office.

On January 20, as the whole world watched as Barack Obama took the Oath of Office to become our forty-forth president, what did the First Couple wear to this most historic event? President and Mrs. Obama were both true to their style aesthetic. President Obama wore his traditional two-button, soft shoulder suit, with a red tie, adorned with American flag pin. Mrs. Obama was in a lemongrass yellow outfit by one of her favorite designers, Isabel Toledo. The dress had texture and sparkle.She wore a wool coat of the same color, but was not swallowed up by it, and as New York Times fashion writer Kathy Horn points out on her blog “On the Runway,” “I liked the fact that you could see the whole outfit, you could see her.”

Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the book Team of Rivals, a biography about Abraham Lincoln, says, “What style means to the country is a window onto the personality of the president and his wife.” “The way that [presidents] conduct themselves really does attract fascination, and it often reflects the mood in the country.” This quote appeared in an article entitled “The Obama Momentum: Smarts, Style Create A New Kind of Power” by Bridget Folley for wwd.com. Earlier in the day Diane Sawyer said that the reason why Mrs. Obama picked gold for her outfit was to instill a sense of celebration, to make note that this day was a day for celebration, not just for an inauguration of a new president but for a new time in our country’s history. I think that these two ideas go hand in hand. We might not think too much about what our leaders are wearing, but they do give us a glimpse into who they are and provide another avenue in which to get their message across. Fashion is not a world of its own; it can act as a reflection of the world’s current situation.

Taking a look at the current menswear shows going on in Milan and Paris, many designers’ collections have been influenced by these hard economic times, whether it being a direct representation such as Miuccia Prada’s collection consisting of looks of worn and torn garments in shades of black and grey, or Thom Browne’s showing, a collection of tailored jackets and trim suits that draws inspiration from early 1960s menswear (think Mad Men if you are familiar with the show) that transports the viewer back to a era when times were good.

Something as important as electing a new president permeates its way into everything in society, even fashion.

Popularity: 14% [?]

This past Thursday, my friend Lizzi and I went on an adventure to Brookfield Square mall to see the infamous Tim Gunn of Project Runway. He was at the Boston Store doing a fashion show promoting Liz Claiborne, where he holds the position of Chief Creative Officer. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture with Tim because you had to buy $100 worth of Liz Claiborne apparel in order to meet him. However, we were able to get pictures of him and of the fashion show.
Throughout the show Gunn stressed several points:

1. Buy clothes for the body you have now
2. Think of your body in terms of thirds, and not two halves, and dress accordingly
3. Use accessories to update looks you already have
4. When buying clothes remember these three concepts: silhouette, proportion and fit

To see more photos, check out my blog, Make It Work Milwaukee.

Popularity: 18% [?]

On October 17, I had the opportunity to attend Milwaukee Art Museum After Dark: Run Up to the Runway. Run Up to the Runway is a fashion show runway event sponsored by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League’s Evening Associates in collaboration with the Milwaukee Art Museum. The event was created four years ago, with only 75 people in attendance. By this year, it had grown to a total of 1300 people attending. The event showcased designers from Mount Mary College, Milwaukee designers Amanda Ergen, Delanie Seamon and Mink, as well as local retailers Aala Reed, Shop and Valentina.

I arrived at the MAM at about 8 p.m. to a large mass of people in Windhover Hall. The large ceiling was adorned with soft purple lighting with Run Up to the Runway shown over it. There was a large white catwalk that measured about 30 feet with about 100 white chairs surrounding it. The fashion show was not to start until 9 p.m., so my friend Anna and I went to check out the new exhibit, Art/React, which I highly recommend to anyone who visits the museum. As the name implies, the exhibit consisted of pieces of art that reacted to the individual. These ranged from a white canvas, which would record your movements that would then play on a video loop with twelve other black silhouettes that had been recorded earlier from others who stepped in front of the canvas, to a wooden table in a very soft lit room, that when you touched the table, different sentences would ring out of the speakers that surrounded the room.

By the time my friend and I were finished exploring the new exhibit, it was almost time for the runway show. Before the show began, students from Mt. Mary’s College were displaying their designs on the catwalk. The designs of the students varied greatly. From a ballerina-inspired dress in a light pink, purple and red, to a brown leather dress with a leaf adorned corset, with long black strips of fabric lying over a torn brown skirt. The winning look was a high-waisted gold pencil skirt with a large gold rosette, paired with a sleek black sleeveless turtleneck.

After the announcement of the winner, the show began. The first designers to display their work in the runway were Amanda Ergen and Mink. My favorite of their five dresses was an off-white dress that was gathered at the shoulder with a purpose flower. The fabric was nicely draped, creating a flow to the dress as the model walked down the runway. Next was the collection from Delanie Seamom. Her collection showed a great deal of range, offering different looks, and some of her clothes were my favorites of the night. I really enjoyed her last outfit, which consisted of a ruffled mini-skirt in eggplant with a fitted corset top in steel grey. It was topped with a wool swing jacket in yellow. What I liked most about this outfit was how the yellow jacket really brought to life the eggplant and steel colors. Sometimes when there is a bright color, it can distract from the other aspects of the outfit; however, the jacket complimented those colors and made for a well-put together look.

Next up was Shop. What really caught my attention during their show was an outfit which consisted of a simple purple scarf, a Mink Pink soldier jacket in black, and a brown to black whirlpool print dress. It seems that this season many designers are embracing the structure of the military jacket. I like this coat because it plays with the idea of masculinity and femininity. Its use of design and structure gives it that masculine feel, while the cut and shape of the jacket maintains its femininity with the cinched waist, smaller armholes and soft, slender shoulders.

Next on the runway was Aala Reed Men’s. To be honest, I was not crazy about the looks Aala Reed Men’s put together. The first outfit was a sequined Superman logo t-shirt with a pair of jeans that had a great deal of embroidery on them that I thought it could do without. The high point in their collection was a Ted Baker jacket with a Hugo Boss turtleneck and dark skinny jeans. The jacket embodies a militaristic feel with its double-breasted closure, stiff structure and use of epaulets.

Following Aala Reed Men’s was Aala Reed Women’s. I must say that Aala Reed Women’s put on a much better show than their male counterpart. I really liked two pieces in their collection. First was a deep v-neck halter dress in a midnight navy by Ingwa-Malero. The second was a Ted Baker “Lola” dress. What I liked about this dress was its uses of geometric shapes to create an intriguing and beautiful silhouette. Sometimes geometric patterns on a dress can make the dress seem busy or confusing and the dress gets lost in a mess of shapes, but this dress was not like that. The last to show was Molloy’s, who provided the audience with a variety of beautiful dresses. My favorites were a black and gold brocade cocktail dress and red charmeuse one-shoulder gown, which swayed back and forth on the runway as the model walked.

Overall, I thought the event was a great success. I saw many things I liked, and some things I did not. It is nice to see a growing community of people who are interested in fashion and that Milwaukee is trying to create a name for itself with some of the young designers who reside here; however, there is a still a lot of work to do before Milwaukee can claim that it is a fashion hub.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Nick Roberts is the fashion reporter for The Warrior. To read his work with photos please go here.

Popularity: 4% [?]

A couple of days ago, when I was talking with several of my friends about the topic, they had informed me that people do not really go on dates anymore, which I am kind of sad about; so guys, we should bring dating back. When we do bring dating back, what are gentlemen to wear? This can be a daunting task! I remember last year, several of my residents came up to me and asked me the question, “What should I wear?” Well in deciding what to wear for the date, a gentleman should dress for what the occasion calls for. With that in mind, I came up with three looks, which can be applied to the majority of dating scenarios that college students go on.

Casual—Polo, jeans and sneakers: This look is probably the most commonly used and easiest outfit in the male college student’s repertoire, but it can also be done wrong. To start with, make sure the polo fits well. I see lots of guys whose polos are too big and could probably go down a size. The polo’s sleeve should end at the mid-part of your bicep, and not all the way down to your elbow. The fit should touch your body from your shoulders to waist without binding. The jeans should be fully intact, no holes or paint marks or whatever else Abercrombie throws on them, and preferably straight leg. Your sneakers should be clean, not beat up, and if were to suggest a pair, they would be a pair of white Chuck Taylor’s. That shoe goes with just about anything.

Nice Dinner—White button down dress shirt, dark jeans and dress shoes: Every gentleman at this age should own a white dress shirt, and you can get a lot more mileage out of it then just wearing it to church/wedding/job interview. For the fit of the shirt, the tail of the shirt should be long enough to lay under your rear end, but not too long if you choose to wear it untucked. The cuff of your shirt should fall in the crook between the base of your thumb and wrist. The buttons should lie flat when buttoned and the fabric should not bunch. If you have a slimmer frame, go for shirts that are usually labeled modern or slim flit, or if you are on the larger side, look for shirts that have box pleats on the back of the shirt. This allows you more room but without the excess fabric. If the weather is getting cooler as it is now, wear a v-neck sweater if you have one, preferably in grey. As for the jeans, again straight leg is the way to go, with no holes and other markings, and keep the denim dark, which is a little dressier. Lastly, as for the dress shoes, black or brown is up to you, just be sure to match your belt with it, and please no white athletic socks.

Swanky Dinner/Bar or Special Evening—Sport coat, dress shirt and dark denim: This look is if you are going some place fancy but a suit is not required, or this look could be substituted for a suit. For those men who have a suit and normally only wear the jacket with the pants, this is a way to get more use of out your jacket. By wearing the jacket with a dark denim jean you still can achieve that formal effect, but without the uncomfortable feeling that some gentlemen have when it comes to wearing a suit. To finish the look, pair it with a pair of dress shoes or even a pair of sneakers, but like I said before, make sure they are in great condition. Add a pocket square if you wish to add a little more flavor to the ensemble. There is a great video online at men.style.com that will show you step by step how to do this, or just check out my blog, where I will post the video.

So there are three fail-safe looks when going out on a date. These are just some guidelines; so don’t feel obligated to do exactly what I wrote about. The great thing about fashion is that you can make it your own, so experiment a little and come up with a look that feels good for you. As Tim Gunn from Project Runway says, “Make it work!”

Please visit my newly created blog Make it Work Milwaukee. On my blog, I will post pictures of people who I think display an individual and creative sense of style which visitors can comment on, as well as my articles from The Warrior and any additional topics that I feel like writing about.

Popularity: 19% [?]

The news was not surprising on February 2 when the groundhog weather-beast, also known as Punxsutawney, had seen his shadow.

So, yes, the city of Milwaukee must endure another six weeks of wintry, freezing bliss. But surely there will be a day when the sun will come out for minutes rather than seconds, and the gentle breeze will brush our faces, rather than leave us wind-burned.
Continue Reading

Popularity: 5% [?]