Unique Handmade Halloween Gifts & Decor Ideas From Small Artists
Image By MedusaDollmaker
Ohh Halloween- our biggest excuse to dust off our spooky witch costumes and embrace the witch aesthetic for an entire month. We may not have the luxury to host huge themed parties for our friends and loved ones or impress the trick-or-treaters, but we can still enjoy the holiday nonetheless. Plus you don't even have to leave your house, because these small artists will deliver their unique Halloween decorations to your doorstep. Between posters, art prints, backdrops, pins, and custom clothing, keep reading to receive all the inspiration you need to get ready for Halloween -without breaking the bank.
The Story of Halloween
The Best Fall Jackets And Coats To Shop For Under $100 Right Now
Even though 2020 could not have been further from our expectations, trends are still here to save the day -or year. Certainly, many of use will only be able to rock the cutest Fall and Winter coats when we pay a quick visit to the grocery store or in a fun insta-worthy indoor photoshoot with our best friend, still, the 2020 jacket trends are hard to ignore. Mostly because jackets, coats, and blazers are so easy to style in many different ways, adding some new pieces to your wardrobe is never a choice you can regret. Pair them up with your favorite hoodies and leggings during autumn, or layer them on top of your trusted turtlenecks and sweaters for the ultimate snuggle look. Not a big fan of seasonal trends? Fear, not my friend, there are some great all-time classic jackets in the list to wear for many seasons to come.
Our favorite 2020 jacket trends are not only a great way to cozy up in, but they are also flattering and super cute. These trusted styles can guarantee to fit your pre-existing wardrobe like a glove and get plenty of use throughout the season- and the next one. After all, jackets are your best friends when it comes to layering and this is especially the case for the fall trends listed below. Since we all have plenty of time to spare these days, don't miss the chance to bring your imagination to the front and start putting together your outfits right now. Maybe take a few quick outfit snaps to keep a virtual diary of all the potential combos you can wear as soon as the temperature cools down even more.
To help you boost your styling creativity, we gathered some of the best ways to wear the 2020 jacket/coat trends without looking like an amateur and of course, some great shopping suggesting that won't break the bank. Yes, we too would love nothing more than to attend every event this autumn wearing our newly purchased outfits, but for the present time, let's all gather some much-needed inspo for our few outdoor activities with friends to get our minds off the current situation for a bit. Ohh quick note, all these styles are under $100!
The classic tailored blazer for every occasion
Leather moto jacket
All things plaid
Corduroy
I Watched 6 Of The Best LGBTQ+ Tv Series And This Is What I Learned
If you were born before 2000 this you most definitely remember the sad reality of the days when LGBTQ+ characters were comedic, b-roles in many movies and tv-series. Even though most of these characters played a huge part in the positive representation we see nowadays, there was a time when the slightest sign of same-sex intimacy was enough to enrage the majority of the viewers. For decades queer, gay and transgender people hardly ever saw any displays of love on mainstream media, leaving a big portion of the population eager to see something they could relate to.
The first positive representation of homosexuals on mainstream TV
Will and Grace aired in 1998 were the first-ever tv-series that painted the LGBTQ+ community in a positive light. As you can imagine the stereotypical portrayal of the two gay characters received quite enough hate and criticism but quickly became one of the most successful NBC series from 1998 until 2006. Even though the first steps towards equal representation of all genders and sexualities began years ago, the journey surely had many ups and downs.
Some of the worst portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in movies
We often saw gay people portrayed as evil and perverse. Who can forget Catherine Trammel (Sharon Stone), the lead character on The Basic Instinct who was presented as a sex-crazed murderer. Another offensive example came straight from Fame and Gain in which they introduced an old, pervert, homosexual priest for the sole purpose of him getting a beat up by Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) in a "funny" attempt to portray gay people as depraved individuals once again. So where are we standing in 2020? A recent study from GLAAD "Where we are on TV" verifies that the number of LGBTQ+ characters on primetime cable increased to 251.
Of the 879 regular characters expected to appear on broadcast scripted primetime programming this season, 90 (10.2%) were identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer. This is the highest percentage GLAAD has found in the fifteen years this report has counted all broadcast series regulars. There were an additional 30 recurring LGBTQ characters.
We cannot look past Netflix's positive impact on these numbers. Probably one of the most diverse and inclusive streaming service to this day, Netflix originals like the extremely popular show Orange Is The New Black or one of the best-rated series of all times, American Horror Story certainly leads the way for other mainstream media.
I am not simply obsessed with watching tv-series, many will say that I am actually invested in them. I have proudly watched more than 200 series so far (yes, you read that correctly). Some of those I sat down and rewatched and others left me wishing I could get the hours I've lost back. From the most popular shows ( La Casa De Papel, Blindspot, Lost) to lesser-known gems ( Osmosis, Chambers ) and worst ones of all times, for me ( Trinkets, Top of the lake), I have seen them all. As you can imagine, I couldn't miss the chance to deep dive into the best LGBTQ+ Tv shoes and properly list all my thoughts bellow.
1. ELITE
2. EUPHORIA
3. ORPHAN BLACK
4.THE MAGICIANS
The Syfy series adapted from Lev Grossman’s book trilogy quickly became a favorite amongst the magic world enthusiasts. This show ditches the old school classic way we see schools of magic by adding present time elements to the plot, a mirror to our current society if you will. Students always try to find new ways to use their powers in order to get high and have fun while trying to fight real evil. Early on we are introduced to Eliot Waugh, a queer student who never tries to hide his ongoing lust for all kinds of sexual activities while poking fun at the straight characters of the show. Eliot quickly became one of the most beloved characters of the series and a very important member of their group. This fictional world has the right dose of magic and realism but also taches on some serious subjects like sexual assault, depression, alcoholism, and coping with death.
5. DYNASTY
6. BONDING
This series is like nothing we've ever seen before. The combination of dark humor and sex-positivity quickly gained a cult following. The show follows the life of Pete and Tiff, two former high school best friends. The story begins when Pete (an openly gay man), desperate for a well-paying job accepts Tiff's offer to become her "assistant". Pete gets introduced to the secret, underground world of BDSM since episode one as his best friend turns out to be the most famous dominatrix in town.
These Are The Most Easy To Style 2020 Autumn/Winter Trends
The ongoing effort of equal representation of models from all ethnicities, body types, and sexes was once again obvious during the shows in the world's largest fashion capitals. "Every show featured models of color" Morgan C. Schimminger mentions on The Fashion Soot. "Claudia Li had the most racially diverse show of Fall 2020 with 83 percent models of color, but Area was the big diversity winner this season thanks to 78 percent models of color, two plus-size models and one aged model." she continuous. It's evident that each year more and more designers are approaching the issue of diversity but we have a long way ahead of us.
Following last year's eco-friendly ideology the word "trend" is no longer the right way to describe the seasonal collections. Designers and customers alike lean towards styles that can be worn 12 months a year, which furthermore proves our need to be more mindful of our consumption and avoid "one season" items. “We are certainly seeing designers choosing to showcase a selection of really wearable pieces, more so than other recent seasons,” states Elizabeth von der Goltz from Net-a-Porter.
Strong shoulders
Shop the trend
The celebration of Fetishism
Maxi coats
Velvet Glamour
Grid prints
Chunky boots
The Top Black-Owned Plus Size Brands You Need To Know
Huge brands have a history of suppressing small businesses mainly due to heavy social media advertising, their ability to offer very competitive prices, and sometimes blatantly unethical selling/production practices. For example, the biggest boycott campaign against the fast-fashion brand Dolls Kill which raised quite a few issues of injustice, including but not limited to cultural appropriation and stealing allegations. With the rise of the "black lives matter" movement many brands get called out daily for their lack of diversity or obvious racism towards models and clients alike. No matter your opinion on the subject, today's racial wealth gap and lack of representation in the fashion, beauty, and entertainment word are sadly undauntable.
So why do you need to support black-owned businesses?
Many African American business owners are focused on celebrating and promoting African American culture through fashion, skincare, and makeup. Many times these businesses are based solely on the needs of the black community like Shea Moisture, founded in 1991 by Richelieu Dennis, which still floods the natural hair care selves two decades later. With that being said, not all black-owned brands cater to black customers. You can support small, independent fashion brands like Lavenders Jungle and Eleven60, to get the latest trends ethically produced by fellow women entrepreneurs. Giving African Americans the chance to prove themselves in the industry is much more than getting a few extra hundreds of dollars. It's a way to cherish the work of the people who have been oppressed and shout out for centuries.
Having that in mind, today we carefully curated a list of the best Black-owned, plus size fashion brands you need to know. These brands constantly fight the big battle against masive corporations and even though they don't bring millions of dollars to the bank each year, they still maintain their creativity and ethos while steadily growing their businesses.
Zelie For She
These Are The Most Popular Vans Sneakers Of All Times
You can't name a more iconic Vans style than the Old-School. This was the first pair that featured the distinctive side stripe trend we all know and love to this day. The exterior sole, along with the waffle bottom design gave skaters all the durability and comfort they so desperately needed in the '90s. Also known as "style 36", it first appeared in 3 different colors and incorporated leather panels, which was an innovation for the year of 1977.
If you are in love with Vans and already own a few pairs of Old-Skool classics, this one might be just for you. Sadly we don't see street style looks that feature Sk8-His that often, partially because they are high top or not that popular amongst women. This is where it gets good. These high top sneaker is the most tear-proof of them all and can be found in 31 different designs. "Style 38" firstly appeared in the '70s and quickly became a favorite since it offers ankle protection and very solid construction.
"Authentic" was the first-ever shoe produced by Vans and quickly gained a cult following. "Style 95", commonly known as Era, designed in1976, shares a few similarities to its iconic predecessor. It was designed strictly for the world of skateboarding with padded collar for extra comfort and in a ton of different color combinations. This unisex shoes never went out of style. It is universally loved for its flattering shape and for how easy it is to style it up or down daily.
Old Skool, Sk8-Hi and Era images by SkateDistrict
WRITTEN BY KONSTANTINA ANTONIADOU
