Project Ethos Fashion: 90s Flashback

by Sarah Clifford

Welcome back 1990s, we missed you.

Leather, plaid, boots, baggy jeans and messy hair – the 90s were grunge-tastic.  For all the girls out there who like to be fashionable without all the fuss, this trend is definitely for you.

90s-inspired fashion has been popping up all over the place; like the new Velveteen Docs by Dr. Martens (found at Free People) or high-waisted jeans that can be spotted on every 20-something with a sense of style.

Even brightly colored hair has made a comeback.  Back in 1998, Gwen Stefani rocked a blue do at the MTV Music Video Awards.  Fast forward to 2011: blue hair is totally IN. 

It’s been rocked by bridesmaids and flower girls, Katy Perry at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards (although hers was a wig), and Kat Von D earlier this year.  Even a girl in my econ class has blue hair.

And I don’t think I even need to mention the Hammer pants, currently referred to as Harem pants.

To get some carefree, grunge fashion tips, look no further than the Olsen twins.  Their constant pairing of baggy plaids, messy hair and ripped denim meshes perfectly with this trend.

Smells like teen spirit…

Project Ethos Fashion: Turband Trend

by Sarah Clifford

I’m one of those people who really can’t pull off a full on turban, so the turband is the perfect alternative.  The turband is the love child of the headband and the turban…or just basically an elastic headband with a slipknot in the front.

They’re easy to find pretty much anywhere that sells hair accessories (try Nasty Gal or Gold Saturn), but they’re even easier to make.  All you need is a scarf or long piece of fabric.

The ‘How To Tie A Turband 3 Ways’ video gives a step-by-step guide for tying 1) The I Love Lucy, 2) The Hermes Way, and 3) The Moroccan Princess (my personal favorite).

The turband has been seen on everyone from boho queen Ashley Olsen to countless fashion bloggers.  The hassle-free headband is ultra-chic and added bonus: it can stylishly hide a bad hair day.

Now just pair with some cat eye sunnies and you’re set.



Project Ethos Fashion: DIY Time

By Sarah Clifford

Every now and again, I have this urge to create, whether it’s art, a piece of clothing, or an accessory. This past weekend I was out shopping and realized that friendship bracelets were everywhere. Free People was selling them for $18 a pop and just before I added one to my shopping bag, I realized, “Hey, I can make this myself!”

So after a quick trip to a local crafts store, I headed home to create a friendship bracelet of my own. I had a vague memory of making this when I was a kid, so I figured it’d come back to me. Not so much.


A little internet browsing and I was back in the game. Honestly…WTF: http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-friendship-bracelet has an awesome tutorial that I highly recommend. All you need is embroidery thread, tape and some scissors (and then a little patience).

They’re a little addicting, so be prepared to have a lot of thread on hand for all the color combos you come up with. After you have a few, you can mix up patterns, add rhinestone embellishments, and change colors.

Pile them on to add some flair to any outfit, be it your work attire or your get up for hitting the beach. Happy DIY-ing!