Cult fashion trends

By Ed Biado

Not all trends hit the mainstream. There are those that are so outrageous, weird or kept on the down low that only a handful of stylistas have picked up on and incorporated into their looks. Here are the more obscure (and upcoming) trends in fashion today that The Daily 10 discovered:

1. Retro glasses?Stylishly geeky, retro glasses with black plastic frames are not only for those with bad eyesight. Really adventurous style savants are wearing them just for the heck of it. And pulling it off requires a great deal of outfit coordination and attitude.

2. Wings?As much as many girls fantasize to wear those big Victoria?s Secret wings, they can?t really do that unless it?s Halloween. So, we have to settle for the next best thing: wings on shoes, wing elements on bridal gowns, wing designs on shirts and jeans.

3. Hand-painted garments?It?s all about personalization this year and some have gone as drastic as painting everything they wear on their own. From plain shoes to tops to even couture dresses, the fashionably budget-conscious have taken ?making it their own? to a whole different level.

4. Gloomy fabulous?Coinciding with the current financial state, certain fashion houses have done away with the glitz and glamor and opted to create depressing pieces. Some look like trash and will make you look like a homeless person. But it?s all chic and ironically fresh. Really good fashion magazines also have similar concepts for their editorials.

5. Camboo?This ?new? fabric (an interweaving blend of cashmere and bamboo) serves two purposes. One: it?s green and promotes eco-friendliness. And two: it helps make cashmere cheaper for these economic times.

6. Ambigrams?With the theatrical release of Angels & Demons soon, fashion is always a step ahead with the introduction ambigram prints on streetwear. Some makers offer full customization while others are just overhauling the overrated statement shirts by making the statements in the form of ambigrams.

7. Retro swimwear?The trend in swimwear in recent years has always been ?less is more.? But some specialty stores are boldly going the opposite direction by reintroducing swimsuit designs from decades past?as far back as the 1930s.

8. Canine fashion?Walk around Bonifacio High Street and you?ll see all forms of bitches in colorful ensembles. And we?re talking real bitches (i.e. dogs) sashaying and seemingly outdoing one another with what their owners put on them. Canine fashion is an emerging industry.

9. Egyptian jewelry?Going back further in time, jewelry makers are getting inspiration from the golden ages of Egyptian civilization and making you want to unleash your inner Cleopatra with fantastic works of art that you can wear. Rustic, as well as extremely hip, these could be the next big thing in accessorizing.

10. Unusual headdresses?The Lesley Mobo-created hammerhead bonnet, as seen on a recent cover of a local uber-stylish magazine, is making lots of people wonder what it really is. Well, we?re now revealing its name and it?s pretty self-explanatory. And then, there?s also the Bedouin head wrap which will be featured in the March issue of Vogue Nippon.