Alternative Apparel Blog

Casual Fridays: I Grew Up In An Anti-James Spader Household

My name is Lauren, and I grew up in an anti-James Spader household.

It's true.

Wow, I can't believe it's taken me this long to say it.

Man, where do I begin?

Weekend Favorites: Live it Up in Complete Comfort

 
Weekends are all about rest and relaxation, not high maintenance. After all, you work hard busting your hump for the man all week—you deserve a break, kid! Whether you’re lounging around or hitting the town, here are a few weekend must-haves to help keep your look low-key and still stylish.

Ladies

• The Weekend Dress – The foolproof go-to piece in any weekend wardrobe, a good day-to-night t-shirt dress will carry you through the season and help you look laidback and pulled together without any fuss.
• A Slouchy Cardigan – Don’t leave home without it. You can wear this on-trend staple with everything from jeans and shorts to dresses and leggings. Add a high-waisted skinny belt to dress it up a touch.
• A Street-Chic Tank – Go for a tank that incorporates some of the season’s top trends, like stripes, florals or the ever-popular racerback. The layered look is in this spring, so feel free to wear it over tees, tunics and other tanks.

Gents

• The Perfect Tee – A flawless-fitting tee is the key to your cool weekend style. Look for a style that suits your build—nothing too long or too short, too loose or too tight. Throw on a blazer to transition to a casual nighttime look.
• A Hip Hoodie – Grey and black are always a sure bet, but why not strut your weekend style and stay comfortable with a hoodie in a new hue? Green, blue and other earth tones are top picks this season.
• Super-Soft Sweats – Sweatpants are reserved for weekends (or trips to the gym), so take advantage of the only two acceptable days to wear them and make sure you’ve got the softest sweats ever.

For the perfect weekend getaway, check out Alternative’s Weekend Favorites Collection featuring our top picks at 15% off! Just enter code CWS211 at checkout to receive your discount now through 3.8.10.

Win New Music from Blind Man's Colour - As Seen In Alternative's Spring Campaign Video!

Our new music this week comes from the duo of Kyle Wyss and Orhan Chettri, known to the rest of the world as Blind Man's Colour; the song we've added to our music player is entitled "Never Hope for Treasure" from their EP Wooden Blankets, out February 23 on Kanine Records.  It's a hopelessly daydreamy tune that's cutting through this chilly weather and has me wishing I was napping in a hammock on a late summer afternoon.

Here's what the boys had to say when we asked them about the track and the EP:

"Never Hope for Treasure" was actually written for a video. Our friend was in need of a final project for his film class, so he just wanted to film us playing and walking around and whatnot. Later that night, one of us was humming a melody and we were jotting down feelings about the day, hanging out with friends, walking around the woods and the beach. We pretty much just scored the visual recordings from that day with lyrical and music interpretations of a fun day with friends. Wooden Blankets is a documentation of a good last year of high school. There are a lot of references to simpler times of little responsibility, as well as a lot of references to us just enjoying each other's friendship and company on weekend sleepovers. Obviously this is not a very original occurrence or memory, so hopefully people can relate to the comfort of being a teenager, or maybe it will spark some personal memories for those who are past that stage of their lives.

Here's a look at the official video:



P.S. Sound a little familiar? You might recognize this tune because you've already heard it here - "Never Hope for Treasure" was featured in our spring campaign video "I Kind of Love You" which debuted this month at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York!

For the giveaway, we're gonna send two lucky folks a copy of the EP both in digital format (via iTunes) as well as on vinyl! Our winners will also get the color and size of their choice in our unisex slub crew.

So, how can you win this? Here's how: just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, March 7, 2010. We'll announce our two random winners on Monday, March 8. Good luck!

Casual Fridays: What City Should I Live In?

If you're an ambitious, creative twenty-something like me (ambitious/creative = scared to death of settling down in a small city and living a conventional lifestyle that would probably be ten times more satisfying than being broke all the time, having meaningless relationships, and picking up and moving every couple of years to keep boredom at bay), then you probably often think of what major city you should move to. Moving to a major city is a big decision and one you should research well before making the plunge. If you don't know where to start, why not start here...

New York City

Population- 8,274,527

Unemployment rate- 9.2% 

Avg. 2 bedroom apt.- $2,200

Transportation- Excellent subway system, very biker/scooting friendly, can get by without car.

Pros- Gossip Girl
Cons- Splitting a studio apartment four ways

Personality type- For the film school geek who still envisions the city as Woody Allen's 1979 Manhattan.

Los Angeles

Population- 3,834,340 

Unemployment rate- 11.3% 

Avg. 2 bedroom apt. $1,749 

Transportation- Good bus system, poor subway system, scooter friendly, not known as a bike friendly city, need a car

Pros- Driving down Sunset Boulevard at 4AM

Cons- Driving down Sunset Boulevard at 4PM

Personality type- For the wannabe looking to become famous through "Big Brother" and/or by marrying a bipolar B-list celebrity

Jeremy Scott Knows Street Chic

 
There was no shortage of praise at West Coast-based designer Jeremy Scott’s Fall 2010 Fashion Week runway show yesterday at Milk Studios in NYC. As usual, the designer had an assembly of A-list celebrity fans in the audience to watch him unveil his latest collection. Kelly Osbourne, Estelle, Michael Stipe and the rest of the lucky front row fashionistas were lucky enough to get one of the goodie bags featuring an Alternative tee with Scott’s original "Pray for Fashion" design.

Alternative and Scott not only worked together on the front row freebie, but also on a series of exclusive Jeremy Scott for Alternative Apparel looks for a modern take on the classic little black dress (shown above). Here’s what Scott had to say about the collab: "The collection is inspired by fashion itself and with fashion as my muse, I created an homage to the little black dress. I’ve created three takes on the ever-modern women’s best friend—the black dress—using the super-soft and refined micro-modal spandex fabrics from Alternative Apparel."

Other highlights from the show included sleek, stretchy leggings, bow-back sweatshirts and ruffled bodysuits, gold-plated leather jackets—oh, and bedazzled everything. It appears that the king of street chic has outdone himself yet again.

Think Spring: This Season's Top Trends

 
With New York Fashion Week still in full swing, fashionistas everywhere have Fall 2010 on the brain, but I’ve got a serious case of spring fever. The official start of the season is just weeks away, so shed the winter layers and check out these top spring fashion trends to wear what’s hot now.

Asymmetrical

Asymmetry isn’t just for shoulders anymore. Sure, one shoulder dresses are still hot, but this season, the trend has expanded to skirts and tops with asymmetrical hems that dip down lower in the back or on the sides. The result is a flowing, figure-flattering silhouette that works on just about anyone. Alternative Pick: The Athena Asymmetrical Tank

Cropped

This short and sweet style is all the rage this season. If you’re not the midriff-baring type, just throw a longer tank or tunic under your cropped top for a more conservative but equally stylish take on the trend. Alternative Pick: The Molly Crop Burnout Tee

Florals

Designers displayed some serious flower power this season, from feminine floral prints to bold, floral-inspired jewelry. This look works best in moderation, so go for a chic, floral print tank or tee paired with jeans or a solid skirt rather than a head-to-toe flowery ensemble. Alternative Pick: The Tootie Floral Print Tee

Nautical

The nautical trend took the fashion world by storm in 2009 and is still going strong. This year it’s all about French sailor stripes and hardware embellishments for a classic, polished look—think gold and brass buttons and sleeve epaulettes. Alternative Pick: The Seafarer Tunic

Sheer

Another rollover from last season, the sheer look is big for spring and summer 2010. Designers are using the trend in a variety of ways, from layered, body-skimming styles to delicately draped tops, dresses and flowing skirts. Alternative Pick: Modal Silk Simmer Tank