Growing up in the 1980’s, there were a few fashion mistakes to be made…OK, a lot.Fortunately, my fashion faux pas’ are kept far away from the public eye.Unfortunately for Olympians, their scores--in fashion are recorded for all to see for years to come.
In 1896, before Ralph Lauren began designing Olympic outfits, athletes had to work with what they had, which wasn’t much.Originally, contestants competed for the Gold, Silver and Bronze—for their respective countries, nude.And although it would make the games, a little more interesting to watch, clothing has now become mandatory.
The United States tend to stick to the basics: red, white and blue.But it was Hungary in this year’s Parade of Nations that took home the Gold for “Hideous.”Not all Olympic outfits look like Elmo vomited on them; some outfits have been more memorable than the competition for the Gold.Like Venus and Serena Williams, who won the Gold in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, looked adorable in their respective outfits, while Mia Hamm kept it sporty in 2004.
Besides Ralph Lauren having his sewing hands in the Olympic Games this year, Adidas happens to be the official sponsor, with Nike biting at their Campus ST’s.
As an official sponsor of the Beijing games, Adidas is outfitting staff, volunteers and officials. Always in competition, Nike is dressing the U.S. track, basketball, and softball and BMX teams and is also providing the U.S. winners with podium wear, while Adidas is doing the same for Chinese winners.Also on the podium, there will also be a nod to Olympic history. U.S. medal winners will don a hooded warm-up jacket Nike modeled after the one worn by athletes at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Ralph Lauren isn’t the only designer having all the fun, Ports 1961 is dressing several NBC commentators, while riding-boot maker Ariat is outfitting the equestrian team.
Although the Olympics have never been specifically about fashion, the competition is getting heated between the designers who are trying to make fashion at the 2008 Summer Olympics a Gold win.
As trite and egotistical it sounds, it’s not easy being beautiful. Us ladies, have to battle superhuman forces in order to look prim, proper and perfect. It’s these beauty battles that test our wits, our ability to think on our feet, and more often than not, our patience. It’s those days when you want to curl up in a ball in your bed, or cry out on the roof tops, “why me???” that truly encompass our womanhood.All hope is not lost my friends, the battle can be won.
Hair:
There’s always the inevitable: rain on your wedding day, a traffic jam when you are late to work or school and yes, a bad hair day.Whether it’s too flat, too frizzy, or just too blah, this is a battle that is almost always won and with a plethora of options.One, more obvious option, is a hat.Luckily hats are still in style and relatively affordable.Another option is a scarf.Not a winter type scarf, a flowy, colorful chiffon, silk or suede scarf that will help to accessorize your outfit when your hair just won’t cooperate.Our personal favorite option, taking cues from Blair Waldorf, a headband.Headbands are so in right now, there are so many different kinds you can choose from that you don’t even have to have a bad hair day to fashion one of these baby’s on top of your head.
Pimples:
Those little suckers pop up everywhere and have the worst possible timing.Acne solutions can be found almost anywhere and everywhere, some can take weeks before there is a noticeable difference in your skin and others can be fixed momentarily.Not as harsh as benzoyl peroxide, tooth paste and bacitracin are two solutions that are worth a shot.If you don’t have access to either of these treatments, be sure to always carry around a tube of concealer, it will reduce the redness surrounding the pimple and buy you time to find a treatment that suits your skin type.
Puffy Eyes:
Whether you were crying your eyes out at the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy or recovering from a late night midterm cram session, puffy eyes are a dead giveaway of something gone awry on your face. Luckily, cucumbers aren’t just a garnish for delicious salads, they also contain special enzymes that de-puff and calm the area around your eyes.Also, cold, refrigerated used tea bags work just as well.The tea actually has a slight tissue shrinking astringent effect like the cucumber.
Dry Lips:
If you’re like Napoleon Dynamite and your lips hurt real bad, it could be the cause of chapped lips.Medicated lip balm can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors.As with any form of dry skin, it also helps to exfoliate.Jane Iredale’s Sugar & Butter Exfoliator & Plumper does the trick to make your lips kissable and smooth.
To look prim, proper and perfect had proven to be an uphill battle with beauty. Although the battles maybe a speed bump in our daily routines, we always win the war.
