Who Wears Short Shorts this Summer?

By Joanna Douglas, Senior Fashion and Beauty Editor | Fashion

It’s not unusual for women’s hemlines to dramatically rise and fall from minis to maxis from season to season. And last summer women’s shorts were so tiny they practically resembled underwear. It may seem like guys have had it easy in terms of baring their legs, with the majority of shorts clocking in at the same comfortable, conservative, knee-cap-grazing length. But after further investigation, rhe Wall Street Journal found that men’s shorts have suddenly started rising up the thigh at a startling rate — several inches each year, as opposed to mere millimeters — to an inseam that would make even the most confident dude blush. 

Bonobos, Nike, and J.Crew are all making 5-inch shorts this season. Photos courtesy of the brands

More on Yahoo Shine: Seven Steps to Shorts-Ready Legs

According to the WSJ, over the past few years the standard inseam on men’s shorts has rapidly shrunk from 15 inches to a “newly fashionable thigh-flaunting 5 inches.” Any shorter and guys may need to consider bikini waxes. Leading the way for shorter shorts, runway designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Lanvin, and even Nautica revealed a whole lot of leg on their catwalks. J.Crewoffers its popular Stanton shorts at a variety of lengths, from 10.5 inches to a wee 5 inches, the latter of which has all five-star reviews on its website, despite one customer writing, “At first I was a bit worried about how short they would be.” Bonobos, another preppy outfitter acclaimed for its chinos, has a whopping 19 colors available in its 5-inch shorts style. Nike is offering 5-inch mesh running shorts — a big switch from the below-the-knee styles of recent years. Even Old Navy, purveyor of ultra-long cargo shorts, is selling a 7-inch cuffed-up twill style this season and receiving rave reviews.

More on Yahoo: Athletic looks dominate Milan runways

Pharrell Williams wore fancy Lanvin short to the Oscars this year. Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Durand Guion, vice president, men’s fashion director at Macy’s, says the shorter shift is actually not a huge surprise. “Everything in fashion is cyclical, and in ’60s and ’70s surf culture, those OP shorts were extremely short,” Guion tells Yahoo Shine. He says a number of factors explain the return to this silhouette at this moment in time. “There’s a strong influence of sport on fashion right now. Guys are in better shape than they’ve ever been and we’re seeing a true update of a guy’s wardrobe. Every silhouette is being looked at and getting trimmer, slimmer, and shorter, so it’s all about keeping things proportional. If the polo is closer to the body, so is the chino.” And comfort always comes in to play with shorts, adds Guion, so while baggy may seem comfortable all the excess fabric gets bulky and does nothing for the overall look. 

Joseph Katz, a Beverly Hills-based stylist and fashion expert, believes the shift is all about guys’ growing confidence. “I really think men are taking care of themselves and investing in eating right, working out, and really caring about how they look and feel,” Katz tells Yahoo Shine. “They have the body, so they want to feel good about what they’re wearing and step out of the mold of long shorts.”  Males have also become savvier shoppers than ever before: “Men are more aware in social media of what other brands are showing and look for comfort and cut of the shorts they are buying. I feel like consumers now are much more open to change and taking risks than ever before.”

But guys who are not comfortable trying the look themselves need not worry. Guion says the shift will probably be more gradual than obvious and immediate: “You will absolutely see them cleaned up and going for a shorter short, but it depends on who the guy is, who his friends are, where he’s going, what the pattern is.” Guion cautions that short shorts will look even shorter on tall guys, and that the shirt should hang just over the belt to avoid looking like a dress or throwing off the proportion. 

As for who can pull them off, our experts have slightly differing opinions. “I don’t think that there is an age limit as to who can wear the 5-inch short,” says Katz. “I think this looks great on guys who work out or [have a] trim runner’s build.” He uses a variety of lengths on his clients, and believes it depends on their individual builds, but personally prefers a 7-inch inseam.

Guion, meanwhile, says short shorts are an extreme look best reserved for the super young or the savviest of trendsetters. “For everyone else probably mid-thigh to top of the thigh is best,” he advises, adding that fleece shorts should hit the knee, corduroy can go a little shorter, and cutoff denim gets a little risky. “If you make that skinny short too short, it’s going to look like a girl’s short. You’ve gotta take a look in the mirror.”

Men should also be smart about where they choose to wear shorts. Pharrell Williams comes to mind, as he wore a pair of Lanvin shorts to the Academy Awards this year. Katz is on board with the singer’s choice: “Pharrell is an amazing artist, and I think being that he has such a cool style. He can pull off a funky trend like wearing shorts to the Oscars!”

 

Guion, however, is not sold on going with the look on such a formal night: “I think Pharrell is the most amazing style influencer on the planet, but the Oscars was probably not the best place to wear a short. Let the short be casual and relaxed. If it’s too buttoned up with a tailored jacket it can look clownish or cartoonish.”

And if you’re wondering about wearing shorts to the office, Guion has some advice: “If 30 to 40 percent of your colleges are in pants, don’t do it,” says Guion. “Are you going on vacation? Are you going on a run? I still believe in guys looking sharp, sophisticated, and stylish.”

In the end, perhaps guys should take a cue from their female counterparts: Have a variety of styles at different lengths to suit different moods and occasions and try on the new trend if it suits you. “It is OK for guys to be sexy, and all that material swishing around is not sexy,” says Guion. “Something slightly cleaned up gives him more credit for taking care of himself. A lot of guys have great legs without doing a lot of work, so take advantage of it!”

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Saint Int’l boss hosts TV show

AP/Observer 

DEIWGHT Peters, CEO of Saint International model agency, will premiere his pilot six-week lifestyle/fashion television show of the same name on TVJ tomorrow at 9:00 pm.

Deiwght Peters

“The Deiwght Peters Show will highlight dynamic personalities with substantive stories to tell in an unpretentious way. The show is multi-faceted with many different elements unlike anything else on TV,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

According to CEO, the show — produced by his GDP Studios — will feature Who’s Hot and Who’s Not on the social landscape as well as behind-the-scenes look at Jamaican models during fashion week in Paris and Milan.

“I also wanted the opportunity to create a bigger platform to make a difference in people’s lives and to share the best of our culture (beyond fashion) with the world,”

he said.

Peters said the show will have global appeal and transcends all demographics.

“It’s for males and females, between 18-49, who are culture lovers, tech-savvy, fiercely ambitious, who love the finer things in life and love to have a good time with friends,” he said.

This is not Peters’s first time being involved with a television series. In 2002, he launched the CVM Faces of Summer model reality series.

“It was several years later we saw Tyra Banks and other shows of similar themes. I always believe in originality,” he said.

 

productiongrassroot@gmail.com

 

Jamaican Model Kai Newman for Balmain Pre Fall 2014 collection

AP/  Isioma’s Style 

Kai-Newman-for-Balmain

 

The Balmain Pre Fall 2014 collection with it’s African Safari theme features the seriously stunning newcomer Jamaican Model Kai Newman. The collection itself blended the zebra and leopard prints that designer Oliver Rousteing found in the Balmain archives and safari-inspired Saharan jackets with hip-hop chic crop tops and track pant. The variety of sweaters also proved that he has a real affinity for everyday cool. While I am impressed with the new collection and I adore the theme, I am equally in love with the fact that the designer took a chance to feature the gorgeous Kai Newman whom I have a feeling is destined for the stars in luxurious fashion.

Best- and worst-dressed at the Oscars

Oscars 2014 Red Carpet Report Card

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

The “Gravity” goddess — a nominee for Best Actress — oozed old-Hollywood glam in a silky, strapless blue number with an elaborate train by Alexander McQueen. Bullock, 49, also sported curls and sparkling earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.

Sandra Bullock/Grade A-

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

The question wasn’t whether the fashionable Best Supporting Actress nominee (“12 Years a Slave”) would stun at the Oscars, but which designer she would be wearing! Prada was the lucky label. The 31-year-old was beautiful as always in a light blue, custom Grecian-style design from the label paired with a pretty headband.

Lupita Nyong’o/Grade A

(Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

While it’s pretty impossible for Jolie to look bad in anything, the shimmery Elie Saab gown she sported for Hollywood’s biggest bash of the year was far from her best look. It was a little too matronly for the 38-year-old actress, no?

Angelina Jolie/Grade D+

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

This handsome couple can do no wrong, and that extends to red carpet fashion. She shimmered in a nude Reem Acra gown, while her husband looked studly in his tux (duh).

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum/Grade B+

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

The pregnant “Scandal” star, 37, wore a drapey dress by Jason Wu and jewelry by Jennifer Meyer. Washington tied her romantic look together with pretty half-up, half-down hair and berry lips.

Kerry Washington/Grade B-

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

The musician and nominee for Best Original Song for his tune “Happy,” from “Despicable Me 2,” was clearly running late as he dressed for what’s undeniably the most prestigious party of the year. Why else would he wear shorts with his otherwise chic Lanvin look?

Pharrell Williams/Grade D-

The 86th Annual Academy Awards

 

 

 

 

 

 

335 Hours a Year Primping? Here’s How to Speed Up Your Morning Ritual

Here’s a wakeup call for you: Women spend an average of 55 minutes getting ready every morning — frittering away the equivalent of 6.4 hours a week, or 335 hours a year, on looks alone, a new survey finds. Men, by comparison, spend 4.5 hours a week working on their appearance, while teenage girls, the worst offenders, use up 7.7 hours a week on the task. And much of that time, note experts, is spent battling the negative voices in our heads.

Photo: Retrofile/Getty Images

“Beauty isn’t about being perfect,” says Ann Kearney-Cooke, a Cincinnati-based psychologist and eating disorder expert who helped develop the Today/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey, the results of which were released on Monday. What it’s about, she tells Yahoo Shine, is “doing the best with what you have and focusing on your signature strengths.”

The survey of 2,059 adults and 200 teens also found that 60 percent of women have negative thoughts about themselves weekly; adult women worry more regularly about their appearance than they do about finances, relationships, or professional success; and moms seem to be more plagued by appearance worries than women without children are, with 73 percent of mothers regularly worrying about how they look, compared with 65 percent of women who don’t have kids.

Finally, regarding the near-hour a day spent on getting ready, 78 percent of women said they do it to “feel better about themselves.” Additionally, 62 percent of people ages 16 to 34 worry that people are judging their appearance.

Photo: /Getty Images

While it’s hard to say exactly how many mirror-focused minutes is healthy or unhealthy for each individual, Kearney-Cooke says that one way to figure out if you’re spending too much time on your looks is if you’re getting “too perfectionistic” in the process — “if you’re trying on clothes over and over, redoing your hair, redoing your eyeliner,” for example. She warns that getting mired in a beauty routine that’s fueled by negativity (“I look fat, I look old”) can even go so far as to rewire your brain. “And it really takes too much of your time and affects your mood [each morning], and then you head out into the world,” says Kearney-Cooke. “It’s a very destructive ritual.”

So how do you counteract that pull to obsess? Shine spoke with experts offering advice on how to cut down on your prep time each day, culling tips both practical and psychological:

•Makeup: Your getting-ready-quick mantra here should be “Fewer brushes, fewer products,” professional makeup artist Susan Posnick tells Yahoo Shine. She notes that using multipurpose products  — such as ColorFlo, the self-dispensing mineral foundation containing SPF that’s part of her eponymous product line — will cut down on the product pileup. Posnick also suggests blending makeup with your fingers rather than brushes, which “cuts your time in half.” Also to that end: Choose creamier rather than powdery eye shadows, and stick to just a couple of colors, especially for daytime purposes. “That’s when it’s not so much about precision, but about defining your eye,” she says.

•Hair: “Lots of women aren’t pre-drying their hair — waiting until it’s half dry before blowing it,” MizuNew York stylist Judy McGuinness tells Yahoo Shine. Save time by letting your air dry while you do your makeup, then use an ionic blow dryer to finish the job. Also helpful, she notes: using products like Oribe Royal Blowout or Living Proof Satin Hair Serum, which cut drying time in half. As for washing, do it only every two or three days, especially if you have color-treated hair that’s prone to drying out. On the off days, McGuinness suggests, use a dry shampoo — and, if you have bangs, give just those a quick wash in the sink. No one will be the wiser.

•Clothing: Assess the state of your emotions each day before even opening up your closet, suggests New York–based fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen. Then, she tells Yahoo Shine, “Decide if you’ll dress for ‘mood enhancement’— dressing to optimize your mood — or for ‘mood illustration,’ which is dressing to perpetuate your mood.” In other words, figure out if you want to coddle your rainy-day blues by wearing head-to-toe black or counteract those feelings by reaching for that fuchsia dress.

•Mindset: Jeff Szymanski, director of the International OCD Foundation, tells Yahoo Shine that being flexible in your routine — spending more time primping before a big presentation, for example, and less on other days — can be helpful, as can a bit of self-reflection. “Ask yourself, ‘Is this worth my time?’” he suggests. “At the end of your life, what do you want to be known for? Is it that you always looked beautiful and had your makeup done perfectly?” Finally, Kearney-Cooke suggests coming up with some ground rules for yourself and sticking to them. “Choose one goal, like ‘I want my eyes to pop,’” she advises. “Or make a rule that you can only try on two outfits and then walk away and switch your focus — even if it’s simply by walking out of the room.”

By:Beth Greenfield

Mom jeans are back! Here’s how to wear them

“Mom jeans”— pleated, tapered, high-waisted pants with elongated pockets — aren’t exactly cutting edge, but the denim drawers once adored by the over-40 set, and later parodied on “Saturday Night Live,” are making a surprising comeback. Again.

Topshop’s Mom Jeans Collection

Case in point: Topshop now carries Moto Blue Mom Jeans, a $66 cotton version and Urban Outfitters sells the Mom Jean, a $59 pair with a tapered, cropped leg. And Hollywood is crawling with the look— in December, Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted wearing the voluminous, drawstring version of the jeans, and Elle Fanning admitted to New York magazine that she favors a baggier look, “sort of like a mom jean.” Meanwhile, actress Emma Roberts rocked a high-waisted, skin-tight pair of dark denims recently. Hard to believe that in 2009, Jessica Simpson received flak from the media for wearing a dark blue pair of her own during a Florida concert. But back then, high-waisted denims were having a resurgence, too—thanks to street style blogs featuring hipsters embracing the look ironically, of course. This time around, we have a new explanation for mom jeans and some guidelines for wearing them.

“Fashion is experiencing a wave of ‘90s nostalgia— lots of crop tops, plaid, and layering — and mom jeans right fit right in,” Stephanie Trong, co-editor in chief of Fashionista.com, told Yahoo Shine. “But let’s be clear: These aren’t everyday jeans, and they won’t necessarily flatter your body; however, they do poke fun at fashion and make a playful statement.” Dare to try it? Proceed with caution — and definitely wear them with confidence.

American Music Awards Red Carpet Trend: Cutout Dresses

Photo by: Getty Images
Taylor Swift

The singer took home four AMA’s last night, but Swift was also a sartorial winner. Her glittery, gold-sequined Julien MacDonald minidress is certainly worthy of the holiday party circuit. When this dress graced the fall 2013 runway, it had a revealing chest cutout, but it looks like Swift had it filled in with a flesh-toned mesh material for a bit more modest look. A smart move, since the 23-year-old star was already revealing a lot of leg.

Photo by: Getty Images
Christina Aguilera

 

1. Like Richie, the singer also wore a white gown with cutouts, but her long-sleeved Maria Lucia Hohan frock had a vintage Marilyn vibe, especially when paired with that glam bob.

   

   Photo by: Getty Images
   Chilli of TLC (left) with T-Boz (right)

   The ’90s R&B icon is still busy showing off her abs — and with a toned figure like hers, who can blame her? Her multicolor Swarovski cutout crop top is by Manish Arora (and is the same one Britney Spears wore in her recent “Work B**ch” music video) and the blue skirt is by “Project Runway” designer Michael Costello.

   

   Photo by: Getty Images
   Ciara

   Instead of side cutouts, the singer opted for a sheer, embroidered J. Mendel gown with tiny holes everywhere. Ciara looked covered up, but once she hit the stage, you could truly see just how much skin was showing. (Hint: a lot!)

    

Is that the same person? make up transformations

Makeup artist Vadim Andreev spends his days working his magic on some of the worlds most beautiful models but it’s his way of transforming the average citizen from ordinary to extraordinary that has made him famous in his home country of Russia, and now in America.

Growing up in Saint Petersburg, Andreev first learned his craft at age 16. Using everyday women as his canvas, the makeup artist has made it his mission to show women (and some men) how easy it is to go from wallflower to traffic-stopper with the right cosmetic tools, tricks, and talent. Just like the A-list actresses of the world do.

The 29-year-old Andreev perfected his transformative routine by giving workshops and master classes to brides-to-be. And the only postproduction help comes from the usual fiddling with color contrast and exposure, and the odd whisking-away of errant hairs with the eraser.

All the women shown here are nonmodels, and, clearly, made up to the nines — simply with the intention of showing people the power of makeup. Obviously the heavily made-up look is not necessarily one everyone wants (or needs) to embrace, but it sure is fun to look at. Here, the makeup artist shares his top tips for going glam.

AP

Photo: Vadim Andreev

 

Tongue Peircing at parties

A tongue piercing is a body piercing usually done directly through the center of the tongue, and is the fifth most popular piercing site in the western world after the ear.[1] Standard tongue piercings, or one hole in the center of your tongue, is the most common and safest way to have your tongue pierced.

Party Vibes

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