The Online Revolution

There is so much online shopping that goes on nowadays, its so easy! You don't even have to get up from bed. I'm guilty of online shopping when I should be doing homework.... in fact, i oftentimes don't even buy anything, i just browse and put everything I like into my shopping cart and then look to see how much money I'm "saving" by not buying it. Anyways, black and white colorblocking can actually be found on a lot of websites. The following images were taken off of Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, Gap, and Macys. If you just type in "colorblock," these are some of the results.

Retail Revolution

When I searched local stores in Athens for this trend, I didn't find a whole lot. Heery's definitely had the most, but nothing colorblocked in the display. There were a few BCBG colorblocked garments on the back wall. This is the one colorblocked thing I found on display and it was in the Encore store window.  Other than that, most store windows in Athens boutiques are very colorful or have a lot of sparkle, especially as it gets closer to the holidays. When I was at Lenox mall over Black Friday weekend, I looked at a lot of store displays and I really didn't find many black and white colorblocked garments at all. Within the stores, I found some garments within BCBG Maxazria, Banana Republic, Macy's, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Madewell, JCrew, and some other stores that carried random pieces. I think colorblocked sweaters are pretty popular right now with stores like JCrew that do appeal to the mass consumers. But I think that finding a few colorblocked sweaters in stores that sell classic garments show that black and white colorblocking is more of a classic rather than a current trend.

Color Wheel!

Because my trend is black and white colorblocking, I couldn't really create a color wheel to show what colors were popular for my trend. However, I will show some colors that I think are popular to accessorize with. Below, is a primary color wheel. I included it because I think that Red is a very popular color to put with black and white. It makes it more sexy, and less serious (also, it make it UGA colors... GO DAWGS). I think its a great way to spice up a black and white outfit and give it some Old Hollywood glam. Most of the images I looked at though, celebrities wearing black and white colorblocked dresses opted for black or black and white heels.

In the News

All of the things I could find in WWD or any sort of fashion newspaper/magazine were from 2011 or 2012, which has made it clear to me that this trend is on its way out. I've attached an article from style.com that says color blocking is on its way out. I couldn't find an article on this, but I've come up with an idea of my own as to how outside pressures influence this specific trend.  I believe that colorblocking is tied to optimism. Colorblocking in itself is a very optimistic style, especially when it's done with color. It's very bold, playful, yet still whimsical and hopeful. I think that the reason it was popular in 2011 and 2012 was because that was right before the election and people were hopeful for a change.

http://www.style.com/stylefile/2012/04/is-color-blocking-played-out/

Features and Benefits

I think colorblocking is a very flattering and beneficial trend for many people. Everyone knows that black makes you look small and white while can make you look bigger, pairing the two is a dynamic combination that can really play up your curves and hide any bumps you don't want seen. The dresses I've pictured below are a great example as to how with color blocking, anyone can have an hourglass figure. Granted, each of the models are slim, but I'm sure most of them have a slim rectangle body type but these dresses make them look much more curvy. Therefore, I think that colorblocking is a very useful trend for many women. Also, the classic color combination is sexy and bold yet in an understated way.

Are UGA Students Wearing It?

To be honest, I haven't been able to spot anyone wearing this trend! I have one colorblocked item that I purchased recently but haven't yet worn, which there is a picture of below. I think that in Athens and primarily just in the South, color is very big. People don't wear that much black and white. Most of the girls I'm friends with are the southern, sorority girl type, so they don't own things like this because I think they would feel it was too chic. Things like Show Me Your Mumu are popular right now amongst college girls, which is basically as polar opposite as you can get from a black and white color block. I haven't seen anyone downtown wearing it either, which definitely goes against my initial prediction that it was going to be very popular.

Celebrity Sighting

There are quite a few celebrities that are wearing this trend right now. Colorblocking was without a doubt at its height in 2011 when celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Kim Kardashian were wearing the Gucci color block dress. Today, celebrities like Jessica Alba, Alicia Keys, Thandle Newton, Olivia Wilde, Beyonce, Eva Longoria, Candice Swanpoel, Khloe Kardashian, Anna Lynn McCord, and Taylor Swift are wearing it. Because it is such a classic look and can be very flattering, I think its a great option for lots of celebrities.