1990s


Leather backpacks for fall 2013

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Photos: Leather Backpack: vintage Kenneth Cole / Earrings: John Hardy / Dress: Gap / Lipstick: c/o Dolce & Gabbana “Gentle Monica” / Bracelets: Tory Burch & c/o Twisted Silver / Nail Polish: Chanel Paparazzi / Boots: Prada Leather backpacks.

This was a huge trend from the mid-1990’s which eventually evolved into the “mini-backpack” trend of the mid to late 1990’s. If you lived in San Francisco at the time, mini-backpacks could be spotted on almost every 20-something on Union Street and the Triangle area. This time around, mini-backpacks are scarce (let’s hope it stays that way) and medium sized, luxurious leather backpacks are everywhere.

The leather backpack, while spotted on the fall/winter 2013/2014 runways, was not a dominant trend from designers. Consumers picked up on the style and took off with it, making the leather backpack a street style trend for fall 2013.

Leather backpacks are being shown in medium sizes made from soft and slouchy leather. The leather backpack is being shown in neutral, classic hues of black, charcoal and shades of brown. This is not a trend to wear in seasonal colors, bright colors, or any colors other than black, charcoal or light to dark brown.

If you wore leather backpacks for school, work or fun back in the 1990’s and kept your backpack in storage, you are in luck! Bring it out from the back of your closet and use it for casual days this fall as an alternative to a shopper tote. If not, this is the perfect time to invest in a leather backpack. Although trendy, leather backpacks are great for traveling and make the perfect carry-on for airplane rides when they are not considered trendy. Is it classic? Yes! Investment worthy? Yes! Great alternative to a bulky shopper tote for fall? Yes yes yes!

I found a few fabulous leather backpacks around the web and assembled them into the shopping widget below. I hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 


The return of Grunge

The fashion world gasped when Saint Laurent (formally known as Yves Saint Laurent) sent models down their fall/winter 2013/2014 runway wearing ensembles reminiscent of the “Seattle Sound” era. Eventually Fashionistas everywhere regained their breath and took a second look. There they were. Models with a “who cares-I hate the world” attitude pranced down the runway in dresses reminiscent of Courtney Love’s “Doll Parts” music video combined with thrift store pieces. This was it; Saint Laurent announced to the world that grunge has returned for the fall 2013 season.

I have a love/hate relationship with grunge. The “Seattle Sound” and grunge look was popular when I was graduating from high school and during my early years of undergrad. The grunge look became popular instantly and college students who would normally be classified as “preppy” would throw a flannel shirt over their tee shirts and jeans; calling it “grunge.” Lug soled shoes, Doc Marten boots and plaid shirts were everywhere; diluting the whole message behind the anti-establishment movement.

The grunge style was originally conceived through thrift store purchases by musicians in Seattle who were barely scraping by and living hand to mouth. To see this on the runway was a true testament of going from the street to the runway; and then back to the street. Could grunge be classified as the original “street style?” Can you think of another major trend which originated on the street and then took the fashion world by storm on the runway? Why has this trend returned to the runway? The “Seattle Sound” era has ended and only remains in the CD archives of GenX-ers who occasionally want to listen to Soundgarden and Pearl Jam songs to remember the “good ‘ol days.” So why are we re-living the fashion of the time?

I will admit to being one of those “preppy” college students in the mid-90’s wearing a DKNY plaid flannel shirt over my Gap jeans and lug soled shoes from Macy’s. I will also admit to loving everything that came out of Seattle in the 1990’s and I still have many of those albums on my iPod. Will I wear grunge again? Probably not. The big question is, will you wear grunge? Did you wear it the first time around? Will the globe catch on to this trend or will it remain on the runway? Thoughts to ponder. . .

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Ray-Ban Wayfarers make a comeback in bold colors and designs

Ray-Ban Wayfarers were one of the hottest styles of sunglasses in the 1980’s here in the Bay Area. Anywhere you turned, Fashionistas and non-Fashionistas were either wearing Vuarnet’s or Wayfarers. While Vuarnet fans opted for classic colors such as black and brown, Ray-Ban fans wore their Wayfarers in white, red or any color that suited their outfit of the day.

Ray-Ban Wayfarers, originally introduced to the market in 1952, have cycled in and out of fashion over the last sixty plus years. Over the past five years, Ray-Ban Wayfarers have been creeping back onto city streets with celebrities such as Drew Barymoore launching them back into the spotlight. For the upcoming resort and spring season, Ray-Ban has released several new colors and prints for the Wayfarer style, many of which are sold exclusively at Nordstrom.

Bold colors, mixed textures and unlikely color combinations were dominant on the spring 2011 runways in New York, Paris and Milan. The Ray-Ban Wayfarer colors and design palette mirrors the visual vibe designers put forth for the upcoming spring season.

Ray-Ban Wayfarers are being shown in classic Wayfarer colors such as white, black and red for the spring season. The bright and bold colors, that Ray-Ban is showing for spring on their Wayfarer style sunglasses, is capturing the attention of Fashionistas everywhere. With a move towards mixing bold together, the thought of pairing a fabulous pair of turquoise Ray-Ban Wayfarers with a candy pink top, orange pencil skirt and pale beige handbag on a yellow Christian Louboutin foundation, has fashion savvy shoppers flocking to Nordstrom for a pair.

Ray-Ban Wayfarers are being shown in turquoisecandy pinksunny yellowhot pink/black, mellow orange/tortoise, medium blue/white, leopard print as well as many other prints and color combinations. Ray-Ban Wayfarers can also have the lenses changed by an optometrist for Fashionistas who need prescription sunglasses.

Ray-Ban Wayfarer’s come in two styles, classic and “new small” which is a slightly slimmer version of the original, now dubbed classic. The new collection of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses can be found at Nordstrom Stores and online atNordstrom.com . Happy Shopping and stay fabulous 

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