Resplendent or Ridiculous? The Power Shoulder

 

I think that when talking about fashion the answer is almost always both. Take this throwback craze, dubbed by some the ‘power shoulder.’ Is it a beautiful addition to the human form or a Heathersesque throwback? To me when fashion creates a gut feeling of 'oh my that's neat' it doesn't matter if it's nonsensical or impractical, it has done what any art for should do, and made you react.  Take this outfit by designer Gareth Pugh. 

Surely very few people would have the guts to sport this on the streets but nobody can deny that there is an art to what Pugh created, not to mention that it's the most powerful of the power shoulders. Fashion isn't always practical or useful, but it is always fun. The ridiculous can inspire the sedate, the ordinary can be vamped up or the extraordinary toned down. Here are some examples of a more sedate shoulder;

So this holiday season have some fun.      Not necessarily pertaining to shoulders, we leave judgement of this fad up too you, but do something a little out of the ordinary. Experiment and experience, who knows, you might even have some fun. 

Resplendent or Ridiculous? The Power Shoulder

 

I think that when talking about fashion the answer is almost always both. Take this throwback craze, dubbed by some the ‘power shoulder.’ Is it a beautiful addition to the human form or a Heathersesque throwback? To me when fashion creates a gut feeling of 'oh my that's neat' it doesn't matter if it's nonsensical or impractical, it has done what any art for should do, and made you react.  Take this outfit by designer Gareth Pugh. 

Surely very few people would have the guts to sport this on the streets but nobody can deny that there is an art to what Pugh created, not to mention that it's the most powerful of the power shoulders. Fashion isn't always practical or useful, but it is always fun. The ridiculous can inspire the sedate, the ordinary can be vamped up or the extraordinary toned down. Here are some examples of a more sedate shoulder;

So this holiday season have some fun.      Not necessarily pertaining to shoulders, we leave judgement of this fad up too you, but do something a little out of the ordinary. Experiment and experience, who knows, you might even have some fun. 

The Craziest Costumes on the Block

Everyone’s on the lookout for the right costume this Halloween, and with all the great ensembles out there, sometimes the pressure can be a little overwhelming. But here to distract you from the stress of your costume search are a series of strange and scintillating outfits from Halloweens past. Sure to shock, amaze, and inspire, here’s our collection of Craziest Halloween Costumes. 

They say that real men wear pink – if so, this guy takes the cake for manliest man ever. He goes all out in his bizarre monkey costume, utilizing a stunning array of patterns and baubles to create something between a messenger for the Wicked Witch of the West, and I Dream of Jeannie.

Sure, we all find McDonald’s a little scary, but this costume takes such a concept to a whole new level. Leaving behind the safety of chemicals and cholesterol, it opens up a terrifying world of hamburger horrors with its super-creepy facial features and subtly proportioned scythe.

The pirate is a classic, but everyone has a different take on it. Here, Jamie Lee Curtis leaves no holds barred with a larger-than-her-body headpiece, and a plethora of scarves and buckles (and of course, the essential parrot). An impressive ensemble; kudos to Jamie for not falling over with all that weight on her head.

Not only did this guy make a Hostess cupcake costume (inside which he sits contentedly), but he made it out of fake fur. What else is there to say?

This spectacular butterfly costume involves no fabric at all – only balloons and body paint. That’s right, it’s a balloon costume. Made by a man who specializes in inflatable attire, this outfit will surely be the center of attention at any Halloween party. Sitting down is not advised.

By: Izzy Walsh

The Craziest Costumes on the Block

Everyone’s on the lookout for the right costume this Halloween, and with all the great ensembles out there, sometimes the pressure can be a little overwhelming. But here to distract you from the stress of your costume search are a series of strange and scintillating outfits from Halloweens past. Sure to shock, amaze, and inspire, here’s our collection of Craziest Halloween Costumes. 

They say that real men wear pink – if so, this guy takes the cake for manliest man ever. He goes all out in his bizarre monkey costume, utilizing a stunning array of patterns and baubles to create something between a messenger for the Wicked Witch of the West, and I Dream of Jeannie.

Sure, we all find McDonald’s a little scary, but this costume takes such a concept to a whole new level. Leaving behind the safety of chemicals and cholesterol, it opens up a terrifying world of hamburger horrors with its super-creepy facial features and subtly proportioned scythe.

The pirate is a classic, but everyone has a different take on it. Here, Jamie Lee Curtis leaves no holds barred with a larger-than-her-body headpiece, and a plethora of scarves and buckles (and of course, the essential parrot). An impressive ensemble; kudos to Jamie for not falling over with all that weight on her head.

Not only did this guy make a Hostess cupcake costume (inside which he sits contentedly), but he made it out of fake fur. What else is there to say?

This spectacular butterfly costume involves no fabric at all – only balloons and body paint. That’s right, it’s a balloon costume. Made by a man who specializes in inflatable attire, this outfit will surely be the center of attention at any Halloween party. Sitting down is not advised.

By: Izzy Walsh

Welcome to Dandy!

Dear fashionistas, frumps, and everybody else out there,

welcome to the first few posts of Dandy, Concord Academy's fashion and style magazine. Whether you spend hours in front of your mirror, wear the same sweatshirt for weeks on end, or fall in some hazy middle ground, we encourage you to read on. What we here at Dandy are hoping to show is that fashion is an incredible art-form; that it is not just about the clothes you wear but how you wear them. Yes, this is a cliché, but one that holds true. We hope that with this magazine we can inspire confidence, provide some much needed relaxation, and avoid style mandates at all costs.

Love,

Anna and Amelia

Welcome to Dandy!

Dear fashionistas, frumps, and everybody else out there,

welcome to the first few posts of Dandy, Concord Academy's fashion and style magazine. Whether you spend hours in front of your mirror, wear the same sweatshirt for weeks on end, or fall in some hazy middle ground, we encourage you to read on. What we here at Dandy are hoping to show is that fashion is an incredible art-form; that it is not just about the clothes you wear but how you wear them. Yes, this is a cliché, but one that holds true. We hope that with this magazine we can inspire confidence, provide some much needed relaxation, and avoid style mandates at all costs.

Love,

Anna and Amelia

Fall Boots

Fall Boots

Boots for Men

Boots for Men

What's in a Dress?

I do not dress to express myself. Who I am I show through my pursuit of theater and writing, the meaningful conversations I share with people, the things I learn in and outside of the classroom. For some people fashion is their primary outlet of creativity, and that is wonderful – not for me. I love fashion; it reflects history and social trends and life in an artistic, dreamlike way. It has the power to deliver important messages. I love observing and analyzing them, but acting as messenger is a task for other people.

So what is in a dress, a pair of heels, or a tube of lipstick? When writing an English essay gets overwhelming, why do my fingers instinctively type urbanoutfitters.com on the browser? Every time I go to a bookstore, why is it so hard to resist the glossy covers of Elle, Marie Claire, and Nylon?

To want to be beautiful is a human instinct. I simply pay attention to how I look because I want to be attractive, to others and to myself. I want compliments on my outfit; I want to pass by mirrors and windows and stop for a brief second and feel good about my hair. Fashion is like a comfort food for me – spending a few extra minutes in front of the mirror brightens up a morning after a terrible night; retail therapy, with all its wastefulness, actually helps me.

Freshman year I had a rather unfortunate sense of style because I truly believed that I was communicating something by wearing the clothes I wore, or the makeup I applied. Once I decided on red eyeliner, thinking it was a stroke of genius, a sign of total rebel/badassness. I was extremely proud of my pin-straight, black, uncombed hair. I loved my combat boots, both the socially acceptable ones and the, um, other ones from Hot Topic. People commented on my style and sometimes they were not very nice. My mother, of course, did not approve.

Still, I miss those days. It’s not that I care more about what people think now – rather, it’s simply that I no longer feel the creative impulse, the desire to be crazy, the powerful ticking in me that told me to pair crazy plaid skirts with sheer knee high stockings. Now I do the lazy thing where I agree with the fashion magazines most of the time.

To the fighters who are still out there: I beg you please, do not start looking like everyone else. To those who are more like me: don’t take fashion too seriously. You don’t have to know the names of the French couture houses and the hottest young designers. Your shoes don’t have to reflect your philosophy; your shirts don’t have to allude to your favorite musical era. Expression occurs to everyone in different ways. Let’s stop agonizing over what the shape of your dress means in the larger social context; if it looks good on you, really, who cares?

-Daphne Kim

What's in a Dress?

I do not dress to express myself. Who I am I show through my pursuit of theater and writing, the meaningful conversations I share with people, the things I learn in and outside of the classroom. For some people fashion is their primary outlet of creativity, and that is wonderful – not for me. I love fashion; it reflects history and social trends and life in an artistic, dreamlike way. It has the power to deliver important messages. I love observing and analyzing them, but acting as messenger is a task for other people.

So what is in a dress, a pair of heels, or a tube of lipstick? When writing an English essay gets overwhelming, why do my fingers instinctively type urbanoutfitters.com on the browser? Every time I go to a bookstore, why is it so hard to resist the glossy covers of Elle, Marie Claire, and Nylon?

To want to be beautiful is a human instinct. I simply pay attention to how I look because I want to be attractive, to others and to myself. I want compliments on my outfit; I want to pass by mirrors and windows and stop for a brief second and feel good about my hair. Fashion is like a comfort food for me – spending a few extra minutes in front of the mirror brightens up a morning after a terrible night; retail therapy, with all its wastefulness, actually helps me.

Freshman year I had a rather unfortunate sense of style because I truly believed that I was communicating something by wearing the clothes I wore, or the makeup I applied. Once I decided on red eyeliner, thinking it was a stroke of genius, a sign of total rebel/badassness. I was extremely proud of my pin-straight, black, uncombed hair. I loved my combat boots, both the socially acceptable ones and the, um, other ones from Hot Topic. People commented on my style and sometimes they were not very nice. My mother, of course, did not approve.

Still, I miss those days. It’s not that I care more about what people think now – rather, it’s simply that I no longer feel the creative impulse, the desire to be crazy, the powerful ticking in me that told me to pair crazy plaid skirts with sheer knee high stockings. Now I do the lazy thing where I agree with the fashion magazines most of the time.

To the fighters who are still out there: I beg you please, do not start looking like everyone else. To those who are more like me: don’t take fashion too seriously. You don’t have to know the names of the French couture houses and the hottest young designers. Your shoes don’t have to reflect your philosophy; your shirts don’t have to allude to your favorite musical era. Expression occurs to everyone in different ways. Let’s stop agonizing over what the shape of your dress means in the larger social context; if it looks good on you, really, who cares?

-Daphne Kim