An example of punk fashion; courtesy of media.photobucket.com/image/punk%20fashion/eriiika1

Dating back to the mid 1970s, punk rock’s roots rest in New York City and London. Bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and The Ramones were some of the most important music and fashion pioneers. While showing that second-hand, grungy clothes could be made cool again, these bands wore self-made clothes adorned with safety pins, anarchy symbols, and Dr. Martens to complete a look that would eventually be described as punk. Tattoos and piercings later came into play as a punk fashion element. Yet still, these cities, New York and London, are also two of the major fashion capitals of the world.

No one expects a man with a doctorate in psychology to own and operate a high-end fashion store in downtown Bloomsburg. But that is exactly what Stephen B. Parrish does. As the CEO of Top Drawer Menswear, located at 35 E. Main St, Parrish and his wife, Rosie, relocated from New York City to Bloomsburg only a few years ago. The pair has since opened two stores on Main Street, Top Drawer Menswear and Bella Donna Boutique, which specialize in high-end clothing from New York City.

Delving into his life prior to the store, it is to be discovered that Parrish used to be a clinical psychologist. “Fashion is an expression of yourself and your being,” he says. As a psychologist, Parrish has social psychology theories about why people dress under a punk label and what exactly it says about their being.

One of his theories is that of a “character continuum.” This scale ranges from obsessive compulsive on one extreme to hysteria, or overexcitement, on the other, with a balance in the middle. He says that most punk fashion followers live productive and healthy lifestyles, with characteristics from both extremes of the continuum. Society seems to have completely different views of those who choose this fashion sense than the psychology world does. Society lumps together and thinks that there is “something wrong” with those who dress in a punk manner because some show more signs of hysteria, Parrish says. These signs range from being confrontational to skateboarding, which many consider to be a destructive activity. Parrish explains that skateboarding is actually a healthy, productive form of exercise.

One of Parrish’s main social theories revolves around his overall idea of fashion: self-expression. A quote by Gianni Versace, used by Parrish in a recent radio advertisement, exhibits this idea: “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.”

According to Parrish, those who dress in a punk manner are releasing their emotions and inner feelings, much like punk musicians do through their lyrics. Through studies, they exhibit a need to belong within a group and to gain acceptance from society. From a psychological perspective, Parrish considers both of these needs to be normal attributes. Everyone wants to fit into some form of group. He states that punk followers are just in need of attention. Parrish clarifies by saying that it is not necessarily a dysfunctional, or abnormal, need. Be it friends, family, or society, these fashion followers are just looking for an outlet. As with the musical genre, social discontent can be seen in someone who dresses this way. Punk dressers differ from others in the fact that their styles do not normally fit in with the mainstream, making society view them differently.

Mike Katsak, an employee of Top Drawer, also discusses the punk fashion

punk fashion, courtesy of media.photobucket.com/image/punk%20fashion/nekouniverse/ANTM/Anya-1.jpg

influence. He states that “dirty” is now being marketed to the masses. Damaged-looking, second-hand clothes can be seen in fashion advertising campaigns. According to Katsak, these campaigns are “very punk.” They show nods to the bands of the 1970s that influenced the genre of punk rock, such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash. He went on to list current influences such as Green Day.

Parrish also says that punk rock has had a significant impact on styles and image. Tighter jeans, skater looks, and Goth looks have all emerged in the fashion world from punk rock roots. Many celebrities dress in this manner, and Parrish believes that people want “celebrity styles.” Though the original punk style of old, ratty clothes still runs rampant, average people are now shopping for higher end items such as Ed Hardy, a fashion brand based on a tattoo artist’s designs, and name brand military jackets.

“It’s not my thing, but I think it’s cool” says Katsak when referring to current punk fashion. He believes that the ultimate punk statement is customization. He told a story about sitting in a New York City subway car, seeing a man with safety pins adorning his otherwise very formal sports coat. Being able to make the clothes your own, no matter what brand or style, is Katsak’s idea of being truly punk.

For more information on Top Drawer, visit the following sites:
Top Drawer on Facebook

Top Drawer Menswear

For more information on punk fashions, check out:
Wikipedia

While I was walking to the Student Service Center this morning, I passed a young man who thought it was fashionable to wear a t-shirt with dragons all over it.  Along with his poor choice of shirt, he decided to complete his outfit with a black trench coat and black parachute pants that looked like a skirt when he walked.  So if any of you have any of these items in your closet, please throw them out, they aren’t fashionable.

It’s bad when a persons clothes can catch my attention from across the quad.  That is exactly what happened to a student who thought it would be a good idea to wear mustard/puke yellow skinny jeans, which were twenty sizes too small, paired with a hot pink shirt – also way too small.  The jeans weren’t so bad but paired with HOT pink…not so good.  If the person decided to wear a black shirt, that fit properly, instead of pink, the outfit might have been slightly more acceptable.

While walking home from class one day, I saw a girl wearing a terrible outfit.  I actually wondered if she had gotten dressed in the dark that morning.  The first thing I noticed were the stripper heels she was wearing.  Now, for those of you who don’t know, stripper heels are extremely high heels that are clear and have a lot of straps.  You would expect a girl who wears stripper shoes around campus to be able to walk in these shoes…wrong.  This poor girl was wobbling all over the place, I thought she was going to fall and break her ankle.  If her shoes were her only fashion mistake, then I might have been able to let her go, but it wasn’t.  She paired the shoes with tight acid wash jeans; these jeans were in style in the 1980’s, not 2009.  The jeans looked like they came from the kids’ section of a department store because they were extremely tight, even though this fashion victim already looked to be a size 2.  To complete the outfit, she had on a clear studded belt, a light pink tank top and a jacket that was wrapped around her wasit.  I am not a fan of apparrel wrapped waists, so when I saw this, I almost fell over.  Needless to say, she has to be the worst dressed person I have even seen on campus.

Now I will focus my attention on professors.  A lot of professors at Bloomsburg have a very unique fashion sense, and I will tell you about the fashion no-no’s my professors have commited.

First, I will start off with the pleather jacket.   This was no ordinary black pleather jacket - this was turquoise jacket and I swear when my professor moved, the jacket made a noise.  (By the way, pleather is plastic leather.)  Aside from the pleather jacket, the professor’s outfit wasn’t bad.  She paired the horrible pleather with light khaki pants.

Two semesters ago, I had the worst dressed professor ever.  I would sit through class and think of ways to fix her outfit - that’s how badly she was dressed.  First of all, professors really shouldn’t wear knee-high hooker boots; it just isn’t right.  Second, those hooker boots should not be paired with gaucho pants.  My professor was really tall and petite, but she didn’t wear clothes that fit her properly.  She would wear hooker boots, gaucho pants, and a long  sweater that made her look double her size.  It just didn’t look nice on her.  What she needed was a cropped jacket and a shirt that hit right at the hip.  She had so much potential, but she just didn’t know what to pair with what.

Not only was she poorly dressed every day, but her hair looked like a disaster.  (I have curly hair and I spend 45 minutes straightening it, so I know the affects humidity has on hair.  Apparently, my professor did not.)  Her hair was so big and so frizzy, I wanted to bring anti-frizz spray to class.  Hopefully she has changed her style since last year, or at least tamed her hair.

I am sure there are more fashion victim stories out there; if you have any stories, leave a comment and let me know.  And if one of these fashion victims happens to be your friends, please take them shopping and help them buy a completely new wardrobe.

(All Photos Courtesy of Google Images.)

Sorry guys, there is no top ten spring break fashion for you, you guys are easy!  Just pack shorts, t-shirts, button down shirts (just in case), and swim shorts. 

But for the girls, here are ten essential items that should be in your suitcase.

• Bermuda Shorts- These shorts are perfect to wear on spring break.  These shorts can be dressed down with a t-shirt or polo shirt for a nice afternoon out or dressed up with chunky jewelry and a button down shirt.
  

  www.oldnavy.com

   

   

   

• Colorful Shorts- This is the perfect spring break clothing item.  It adds color to your wardrobe and its fun!  Pairing this item with a long sleeve polo or a t-shirt, with a cardigan, is perfect for warm weather in Florida or Cancun.
  

  www.oldnavy.com

    

   

   

• Capris- For the cooler nights in the islands or on the coast, this pair of jeans is the perfect length.  Hitting just above the ankle it’s perfect for walking on the beach at night or going out on a cool evening.
  

  www.oldnavy.com Cardigan- Adding a light cardigan can complete a look. At night if it gets cooler, you can wear it over a sundress or a t-shirt. www.gap.com

   

   

   

• Long sleeve polo- A long sleeve polo would pair nicely with shorts or Bermuda shorts.  It is nice to wear to dinner with your friends or for a walk on the beach.
  

  www.ralphlauren.com

   

   

   

• Sandals & Flats-No boots or sneakers should be taken on spring break!  Now is the time to break out the sandals and walk around.  Flats are good to wear at night to a nice dinner and can be paired with shorts or capris.  Most likely sandals will be preferred over flats just because girls get to wear sandals in the winter!
• 

  www.ae.com

   

   

   

• Sundress- Every girl has that little sundress, and to be able to pull it out in the cold month of February is a dream come true.  For spring break, any kind of sundress will do.  This is the perfect outfit for walking around town during the day or going out to dinner with friends.�
  

  www.ae.com

   

   

  Bathing Suit- How can you go on spring break without a bathing suit?  Any style of bathing suit will work as long as you bring one! Beach Cover Up- A beach cover up is an easy look for walking to the beach.  It can also double as a nice dress for walking around after the beach.  If you decide to go to a restaurant for lunch on the boardwalk, you can just throw on your cover-up and you are ready to go.  

• 

  www.ae.com

   

   

• 

  www.gap.com

   

   

• Sunglasses- This completes the whole spring break fashion look.  You can not go anywhere without sunglasses.  Big frames, small frames, aviators, or colorful frames, anything will work, as long as you have a pair. 

If you are one of the lucky students who will be going to a warm place for spring break, have an amazing time and soak up the sun.  For those of you staying in the colder climates, stay warm and relax.  If you are going away, make sure you pack these ten spring break essentials!