Much Fashion, So Wonderful, Wow

This year we've featured everything from modern sexy looks to frumpy retro styling. This week we found a video that sits right in between the two and damn, do the ladies look good! That's right, this week we're reviewing

So Wonderful- Ladies' Code

This video came out on February 12th, 2014 and as of February 25th had 255,529 views.


What was wonderful...

Ruby: I have to say that seeing the trends in girl groups this year, I was convinced that we were in for another super sexy video. I mean the mannequin concept just kind of screams objectification. However, I was actually really impressed with this. I really think that Ladies' Code is fast becoming one of my favorite girl groups to watch for kickass videos with unique but flattering fashion. This video is not only super on trend fashion-wise but it manages to keep it classy too. It's sexy and elegant and really sleek. I mean cute little retro dresses? Count me in.

I think that mannequin is looking at me...

LENS FLARE 

Em: Indeeeed, Ladies Code is quite noteworthy...and in a good way! The dresses were cute, and there were a lot of different things they experimented with in this. Some of it felt a little Christmas-party-ish, particularly the maroon dresses, (come on guys, its February) but it wasn't too bad, and the details they added like in the Ladies Code belt made it eye-catching. I really liked the detached collars too. And I mean, who doesn't love suspenders over pinstripes?

Nothing like shameless self promotion

Don't bag your babies... or your bandmates

To my dear young ladies...

Now when I first saw this dears I was quite concerned. This year has been so difficult for me. I can't even count how many times I've nearly witnessed wardrobe malfunctions! The young ladies have been so scantily clad! I do love a good corset... but sometimes I want a break from all these pheromones!
Now my dears, the men of this year have been completely scrumptious (don't you agree)? Dressed in dapper clothing that reflects fashion and personality! Some of them have been sexy and others more reserved but it was nice to see a range. It does my heart good to see a girls group embracing the same! You and a few other groups have taken their fashion back to the good old days and I am just so pleased...
Now you run along in your circle skirts and go tease the boys a bit, mkay?

- I'm sending you cookies next week, Love, Granny Kimchi

Let's say you've only got like 5 members, but you've seen one too many SNSD videos and now you want enough fashion for 9. What do you do? Now there's an answer, with:
How to Include More Fashion in an MV than You Have Bandmembers!

Step 1: Find a love interest. It could be any old love interest, male, female, or otherwise. Now, you may be thinking, "a love interest isn't fashion!" well, young grasshopper, a love interest isn't fashion, but unless you want to get BANNED, they're probably going to be wearing clothes (unless you're CL...). And yes, these clothes can be fashionable.

Step 2: Have a shoe display! Unless you're in a Super Junior MV where the only set is a weirdly futuristic room, you might have an opportunity for a subtle display of other fashion-y items. You could even go shopping in the video, like in Step by Step by ZE:A.

Step 3: Put in a mannequin or 3! The nice thing about mannequins is that they can wear whatever you want them to, and they're not even dancing so you don't have to worry about practicality! They ARE harder to put makeup on though.

#lacemeup
#motownmoproblems
#feelingformal

#lacemeup is sexy and sweet. Lace has always been a great way to add some sex appeal to an MV and really give an outfit a pop. One of our favorite lace pieces from this year came from Rumble Fish's Virulent Song. There's something sassy and classy about lace that we enjoy.

From Rumble Fish's Virulent Song (we reviewed this one)

#motownmoproblems... This year the mo-town feel has been big. Stand microphones and s curls have been all the rage. It's a really cute era to pull style from and gives off a hispter/indie vibe. It can really set mv's apart. TVXQ's Something comes to mind, as does SPICA's You Don't Love Me.

From TVXQ's Something 

From SPICA's You Don't Love Me

#feelingformal because lately we've seen a few MVs that emphasized special occasion dresses and gowns  rather than casual streetwear. While its less wearable, it can be an interesting exploration of materials, and is often classier. We saw this in Park Ji Yoon's Inner Space and in Royal Pirate's Drawing the Line.

From Park Ji Yoon's Inner Space

From Royal Pirates, Drawing the Line

Wonderful way to end...

Ruby: The mv kept the ladies in character, even the man with his funky little golden glasses fit right in with the concept. But not only did they manage to stay cohesive, but they also threw in super trendy outfits. Some parts of the styling felt off to me, the hair wasn't my favorite, some of the accessories were a bit chunky... But overall I think this video is really an all-kill for women's mv's so far this year. It's just really unexpected, sexy and all around charming.

Strike a pose

There's just a bit too much going on in this shot

Em: Yeah, I hope we see more of this and less of, say, Stellar's Marionette. It felt more like the fashion came before the sexy rather than the other way around. They also looked good as a group, which is always a nice touch...its hard to notice the good parts of each outfit when the group idea is done wrong. I actually didn't mind the hair. Some of the pieces were surprisingly simple for being so striking, like the red dress, yet it didn't seem underdone. Its great to see a group that's only been out for a year (as of Feb 24th) having such a distinctive style. All in all, yay Ladies Code!

The famous red dress 

They look so uniform

THIS PAINTERS PALETTE IS THE PERFECT DISGUISE I BLEND IN SO WELLLLL

INTENSE PICTURES OF AWESOME SHOES

Thanks so much for reading the review! What do you think about the creepy mannequin concept mixed with super cool styling? 

Let us know or leave us some love below...

See ya next week, 

Ruby and Em

1004 Styles for the Fashion-Forward

This week we reviewed enough coats to make us swoon, with BAP's 1004(Angel). It had 1,916,917 views on February 15th, 2014, plus our love!

Em: Yes, yes, 1004 times yes. This video was full of spectacular coats and dark, sexy clothing, topped off with some classy masculine jewelry. It was a mix between "I'm walking angstily around in February thinking about love" and "I'm going to a business meeting in the fashion industry" and "I'm on an adorable Carnival date." Somehow, those all worked together to create a unified band concept characterized by a mainly black and white palette with well-crafted additions of personality.

ANGST

cute carnival date, right? ignore the ominous wings

Ruby: I think that BAP's team chose a very difficult type of music video for a band this large to pull off. When you make a video with a bunch of different symbolic scenes and a plot line, it's easy for the sheer amount of outfits to become cluttered and distracting. While BAP uses a wide variety of clothing, the tonality and color choices were really what pulled this mv together. By keeping the tonality darker with small pops of color, like the purple shirt, the music video felt really cohesive. Not to mention it felt like pretty much every outfit was spot on. They all fit well and made sense but had a fashion edge.

The edge

that FANTASTIC purple shirt

Just a hint of purple in the pants

WHAT TO WEAR

Picture this: your day starts out as a chilly Febraury (yes, it is snowing where I am) and you need a jacket to get you around. But wait, tonight you've got a Valentine's Day date. What do you wear? Well, lets take some hints from BAP!

A classic furry coat will be warm and stylish, especially with a military-inspired line of buttons bringing it all together. It's also useful for digging holes in the ground!

You'll look like this guy, I swear.

Once you get to work though, you're going to need a smooth, versatile outfit that will be adaptable to whatever your boss needs you to do. Keep it sexy yet conservative. And roll those sleeves up...you can't go wrong with forearms.

Also be sure to look like you know what you're doing.

Got a date after work? Try an eye-catching pinstriped suit, especially if your date plans to dress cute and vintage too. You'll look adorable riding around on a carnival horse or giggling through a house of mirrors.

cuties.

Just be careful though...don't get lost in the house of mirrors, and DEFINITELY don't resort to this to find your way out:

Not recommended

You think a boy bands shoes are all the same? Men's shoes are more interesting than that! BAP explores a bunch of different snazzy options ranging from the classic to the modern! 

The classic oxford is always a good choice. It will never fail to look classy, put together and chic. Excellent for creeping around pseudo victorian mansion sets. 

Simple black loafers can also be a great way to go. If you're wearing busy clothes and just want something simple, these are a totally great option. You can easily chase women around fun houses and walk over broken glass without a care in the world. 

Want something younger and trendier? Try some lace up doc martin boots. Simple, but they'll stay on during aggressive dancing!

Still lookin'? What about some snake skin converse? They're an awesome detail piece for a simple outfit; simple and sleek. They are also great for setting the mood while running around giant corpses digging holes. 

Some heavy brown work boots can totally the best choice to pull a look together. They can add a nice balance if you're wearing a bulky top or coat. They're also great for exploring abandoned carnivals. 

There's even a pair of women's shoes. Sure you might break your ankle getting on or off of a carnival ride, but it sure makes hugging less awkward. 

#leatherinanyweather
#houndstooth
#sheerpleasure

#leatherinanyweather because is there's anything kpop is good at its putting leather into almost any outfit set. We've seen it in everything from Rumble Fish's Virulent Song to Eunhyuk and Donghae's Still You.

Leather and and the ever-present kpop wings of justice

leather in the Virulent Song

leather shoe close-up from Still You

#houndstooth for the classic pattern we keep seeing in kpop. It wasn't too bad in this MV, but it can get a little overwhelming. We saw a lot in Spica's You Don't Love Me.

At least the rest of the outfit is simple

Spica's You Don't Love Me with all-houndstooth outfits

#sheerpleasure is gaining popularity with girl groups. Sheer tops are a great way to introduce a bit of sex appeal while remaining modest. They leave just enough to the imagination to make you wonder... BAP's lady had a dress with a sheer polka dot top, Ladies' Code's So Wonderful featured a lace pattern see through dress and Rainbow Blaxx used simple see through fabric in their mv Cha Cha!

lovely

a wonderful sheer piece from So Wonderful

Rainbow Blaxx with one of many sheer pieces in Cha Cha

Em: All in all, this was pretty great! Granted, it didn't exactly break every rule in the fashion handbook, but that's okay. The details were lovely (I do love lovely details). From the guyliner to the jewelry, it was all well-thought-out. There was a pair of classic leather shoes in one of the shots that I want to see everywhere from now on. I know the coat and jacket-centric concepts can get overdone in kpop, but this is also men's fashion...if they have more than one interesting outfits I'm impressed. Sexy, clean, and masculine, this one wins my vote.

close-up of a decent amount of eyeliner. luckily for him its waterproof.

cool rings

Ruby: I mean there were small little things I might have changed, too much eyeliner here, not enough hair gel there, but overall this video was really a standout. Men's fashion this year has really taken classy up another notch, and this video was no exception! It kept it interesting while still maintaining a really clean-cut, masculine concept. As Em points out, its all in the detail at the end of the day. The leather pieces really brought consistency throughout the video. Even a something as small as a leather collar on a button down can really make a big difference.

leather collar

isolated accessories make more of an impact and seem more masculine

The set. It was gorgeous. *dies*

This table brought to you by Melon.