Drawing the Line Between Decades

We're going back a bit into January to visit a video we missed! We simply couldn't look past the retro styling with a modern feel. Time to take a step back from the glitz and glam of high production kpop videos...
So this week we're sailing the high seas with Royal Pirates, Drawing the Line!

This video was released on January 14th and as of February 8th had 191,493 views.

Arggg here there be pirate puns...

Ruby: This video seems to recall a bit of 1970s fabric and styling but keeps it modern and fresh. By using current cuts for jackets, shirts and pants, the retro elements feel hispter and chic rather than dated or trite. The whole video is full of simple but eye-catching outfits. Mixing neutrals like dark green and brown give the video a fashion-edge without taking away from the performance or hindering their ability to play. They also use pieces that mix textures like leather, wool and cotton. This adds depth to otherwise plain outfits and provides visual interests through contrast. Not to mention that their female extras stay super sexy while keeping it super classy. Imagine that kpop, it is possible.

no mixed feelings about mixed neutrals

soft waves of flowing hair

Em: I have to say, they were super sexy. One would think that men's fashion is easier since there's less variety in it than in women's, but somehow there's still a big difference between done and done well. Their classy hipster vibe gave them a sense of careful carelessness, which is a pretty good balance to strike if you ask me. There was a lot of black, with some distinctive jewelry and accessories set off against the clean backdrops. Loved the jackets. Even the all-sequin dress worn by one of the extras was made classy by both the length and the makeup/styling around it.

sexy and sleek

classy and sassy

how to get that retro feel without the just-stumbled-out-of-a-bad-back-to-the-future-remake frump.

Get a cool leather jacket, lots of texture or contrasting fabrics. Leather jackets are always in fashion and the extra additions give it a retro feel and also add a unique, personal touch! You can also get a shirt with leather sleeves for a similar effect.

Faux fur collars. Yup. Take a big jacket up another notch with one of these and not only will you look super groovy but it'll also keep your face warm.  (I live in the never ending snow storm, believe me)

Sleek hair and smokey eyes. By keeping the hair up and back, you can play more with makeup without it overwhelming your face. It's sexy and you don't have to worry about getting your hair everywhere (like in that kick ass red lipstick.)

Chunky black leather shoes will complete any of these looks by balancing out a top heavy outfit. Any one of these accents takes a cute modern look out of the ordinary and into a quirky retro look.

So this was a special case this time. Usually, I get all excited over the band itself and completely ignore the extras. This time, I just couldn't! The camera men could use some work but the WOMEN. Long, gorgeous, swooping gowns with bold prints or fabric that flows liKE A MAGICAL WATERFALL. *deep breath* sorry, got a little excited there. There was another girl, friend of mine, in a cute white sweater with black pants and chunky heels, and she actually helped pick out the snazzy all-black suit with pink heels of yet another extra! They ladies also went a little less formal and a little more rocker chick later on. Finally, one of my personal favorites was a loosely fitting sequin dress that caught the light and was set off by FANTASTIC hair. Oh god the hair. It was perfect. And the makeup. I think I need to sit down.

#fakeglasses_realguyliner

#studmuffin

#ThatHat

#fakeglasses_realguyliner... it's not just a hipster thing, it's also a kpop thing. Fake black, Buddy Holly-esque glasses pop up in other videos, dramas and advertisements. Even in airport fashion. Guyliner has been a kpop hallmark longer than any of us have been here. It is a rule, not a guideline. The combination of the two has become increasingly popular in artsy videos... think Icon's Rockstar.

From Icon's Rockstar

#studmuffin keep coming up in recent videos. The idea of leather and metal is a classic combo for communicating that edgy look, despite kpop's fluffy stereotype. 2ne1's Minzy sported some studded leather leggings in their recent mv for Missing You. Sure it wasn't silver leather, but the idea is the same...

From 2ne1's Missing You

#ThatHat for the hats in recent MVs as accessories. They featured pretty prominently in GPBasic Pika's Burnjuck in captain form as well as in Ga In's new Truth or Dare...and those are just some of the most recent examples.

From Ga In's Truth or Dare

Drawing to a close

Ruby: It was all in the details. When a concept is clean and simple, the smallest things pull outfits together and create a cohesive overall look. A metal-toed shoe or a chunky black bracelet can make a world of difference in how complete an outfit looks to the viewer. The silver pleather was a bit odd, but somehow it worked. By picking high quality fabrics for the clothes, like leather, fur and boiled wool, they avoided the cheapness of the 70s but kept the vibe.The whole feel of the video, from the sets, to the instruments (i saw your snazzy snake skin guitar strap) to the clothing choices pulled together to create an awesome throwback but in a modern way.

Spiky collar and floppy hat? you bet!

Now you can kick with style!

Em: I think we were both quite pleased to find this video. As much as we might have done without that ONE camo vest on that ONE extra...that's just being nit-picky. Everything from the approval-worthy use of plaid at the beginning (that's a first!) to the super shiny vests at the end was lovely. Even the fun zippers on the sleeves and the death spike neck piece. Most of it was wearable yet extremely stylish, and they even thought about the extras as more than just background. Good job guys.

well don't you look dapper.

hey it's plaid, but it's the 70s....

so much pretty makeup.... for a boy band.

random girl thinks they're crazy...she might be right, but at least they're well-dressed!

What do you think of retro style in kpop videos? Does the 1970s do it for you or would you prefer a different era?
Let us know and leave us some love!
See ya next week ya'll,
Ruby and Em <3

Roses are Red (and so are the shoes)

This week's choice to review was IU's ultra fashionable Red Shoes. We had a lot of fun reviewing it, especially since the MV was so fun to watch! If you haven't taken the time machine back and experienced it yet, check it out here:

Put on your dancing shoes and lets get started:

Em: Red Shoes was perfect to review because, I mean, how could we not review something where the title had to do with fashion? Beyond the shoe question, IU’s video had a lot of fun retro and interesting details. Her outfits were very dance-oriented, with flowy skirts and dance-friendly low-heeled shoes, and it fit with the theme of the video. They weren’t always attractive, but at least they were relevant. There was also a fascinating cast of characters that joined her in this; they had Paris-inspired, 1920s-esque outfits as well. She and the rest of the cast complimented each other to create a cohesive MV.

Flowy clothing and soft, bright makeup

Ah, Paris

Ruby: This was so much fun, and how could we pass up an mv centered on the shoes, too perfect for words. The whole mv had that Great Gatsby feel to it, which is of course, on the rise in the fashion world. There was a lot of clothing I didn’t love in the mv, but it all fit together so well, that I was willing to forgive silly looking striped shirts (Smee from Peter Pan anyone?) and a wholly unflattering dancing dress. It was seriously fun though, with the fashion show and the playful nature of the characters interactions. The whole cast looked current and fresh and goshdarnit like they were having a really good time.

 

Great Gatsby anyone?

Judgy Smee

NOW TRENDING:

#retrofitforfashion

#alittlelaceforthelady

#50shadesofgrayscale

#retrofitforfashion and we love it! Increasingly we’ve seen retro fashion filtering into the kpop mainstream. Sure, it’s usually a retro cut in bright, bubblegum colors rather than pastels or neutrals. But hey, isn’t magenta kind of neutral these days? This trend has been especially popular in girl groups. SunnyHill and Hello Venus come to mind.

 

Retro Romance

Oh so retro...it even has the stripes (from SunnyHill's
Darling of all Hearts)

#alittlelaceforthelady refers to the ever-popular addition of lace into an outfit, and one of IU’s main dance outfits involves an extra lacey black dress. Black lace can be sexy in the right amount (though it CAN get overdone), and this was no exception. Miss A used it in their MV Touch, and that looked pretty good too. Even the guys sometimes use it, like Junsu in Tarantellegra.

Now doesn't she look good?

Miss A in Touch doing the same thing

Junsu's somewhere in there.

#50shadesofgrayscale highlight a recurring tendency for kpop to either do things in black and white clothing/rooms or to just flat out make black and white videos. It’s a powerful color scheme, especially when done right, so we see it time and again (often with red thrown in for pizzazz). We saw it in our recently reviewed Coup d’Etat by G-Dragon and in the first half of MBLAQ’s Smoky Girl (before they went neon, that is). In IU’s video, the grayscale represented the past, referencing old silent films.

Mr. Shoes

MBLAQ's Smoky Girl

Gdragon's Coup d'Etat

*drum roll please* get ready for the fashion show of the century.......

Good afternoon IU, sweetie.

I saw you singing on the youtube today, yes. It was quite lovely, dear. I was simply in raptures over your outifts! They reminded me of the good old days, when men wore bowties and women’s skirts covered their patooties. Ah, those were good times…. Your cute little dancing dress was swishing all over, so adorbale. And what a handsome young man that got makeup all over your face… did you invite him home for dinner? He was so nicely dressed and clean cut, with his dapper half suit, the right kind of boy for young girls to be dating. Not to mention the shoes, how scandalous! Red dancing shoes! I remember when I could have danced all night in those cute little heels.And then that fashion show! So many memories of when I was young, the lace, the dropped waists, the feather boas! It was an era where women began to empower themselves to be feminine, sexy and independent! And I love seeing it come back in modern day! So move forward IU and let them know who is boss, KICK SOME BUTT BABE!

Ehem. And don't forget to invite your fella to dinner and clean up your apartment. I left you some kimchi in your fridge.

Hugs and Kisses,

Granny Kimchi

Yes, I do mean gentlemen like this one

The Last Dance

Em: One thing I really liked about this video was the detail work. Sometimes the marker of a really good video is the attention to detail…every time I see it I notice something different, and I like it even more. The directors didn’t seem to be concerned about us seeing everything they included, they wanted the whole effect of everything. Because of this attitude, even the backup dancers change outfits multiple times, despite them being in the background and just supporting IU. There was a lot of energy put into this and it shows. The outfits were bright and cohesive and just generally worked really well (despite some questionable individual pieces). You can tell there was a really clear vision for this MV.

 

Elaborate outfits on backup dancers (though still not too distracting)

VISION

Ruby: The video was spunky and fun and full of life. It was long, but I didn’t mind wathing it through, which was novel. There’s something about the retro concept that was endearing and enjoyable. I thought it lent IU, who has always been more cutsy than sexy, a fresh and daring edge. She blended her younger cuteness with a more adult sex appeal nicely within this genre. She to play with men’s clothing, lace and color, exploring this kind of fashion really fully. Sure I didn't love every piece but it was the variety and the usage of them that was so much fun. It really set a scene and an atmosphere, from the extra clothes, like floral buttondowns and drum major coats, to IU’s own wardrobe selections. Sweet and edgy and very very fashionable.

 

Mostly sweet in this picture

 

Fun florals for a fun guy

DAEBAK!!!

Sir. You have weed. On your socks.

Epic piano playing.

So what did you think? Are the weed socks a must-have for this fall's wardrobe? Do you want to party with the stripey couple? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you.

-Ruby & Em <3