They're taking over.
Everywhere I turn, they're on flip-flops, headbands, shirts, bras, pants, belt loops, even watches. They've been selling out like mad at Eloise and Dixie Divas. They're the epitomy of preppy-chic, a style that many U.Va.-ers strive to attain.
Have you guessed what I'm rambling about yet?
Ribbons, silly!
Like popped collars, Rainbow sandals and Birkenstocks, pastel button downs and pearls, ribbons are taking Grounds by storm.
Nowadays, ribbons seem to be adorning everything from outerwear to underwear to accessories. The fact that ribbons come in such a variety of colors, patterns and widths, coupled with the fact that they're so versatile and can basically be stuck on to anything, make them immensely popular with University students and preps nationwide. Such brands as Eliza B., Lilly Pulitzer and CK Bradley have taken ribbons out of the WASP-ish yacht clubs and transferred them onto mainstream college campuses.
Eloise, an adorable boutique located downtown, has recently started carrying bras with ribbon straps. I guess the rationale is, if you're going to wear a tank that reveals your bra straps, why not reveal some ribbon adorned with margarita glasses or pineapples, or even little whales or ducks? Eloise also carries CK Bradley headbands and has refurbished its supply of CK Bradley key chains, which, I must say, are very cute. The sturdy ribbon used to make the key chains is conducive to carrying tons of keys along with the occasional student ID or credit card (After all, who knows when you'll be faced with a must-have item of the season? You wouldn't want to be bereft of your credit card at that crucial moment, now would you?).
Oh Suzannah, another cute boutique located downtown, carries bikinis with ribbon details and clip-on barrettes with polka-dot or striped ribbon stuck on. Very cute and very third grade, might I add. I also saw some nice bags -- get this -- entirely made out of ribbon. They were small handbags made of interwoven ribbon (kind of like a basket) -- a good counterpart to the slightly alternative seatbelt bags sold there over the winter. These seatbelt bags were made out of -- you guessed it -- seatbelts woven like a basket is woven of straw. I myself prefer to wear my seatbelt over my shoulder, not on it. Safety and fashion hand in hand!
What's next? Airbag backpacks?
In addition to ribbon flip-flops and belts, clothing companies have come up with new and exciting (read: desperate) ways to hop on the ribbon bandwagon for a ride. Dixie Divas on the Corner has been selling tank tops with ribbon set at an empire waist. A hall-mate (is that a word?) of mine, first-year College student Carter Johnson, recently acquired a really nice ribbon watch. I'm not sure if hers is like some of the ones I've spotted, but the ones I've seen recently have ribbon bands that you can change.
Just think!
All those mathchie matchie obsessive compulsives out there can actually match the band of their watches to their outfits!
Oh, the agony!
Last year, Gap came out with ribbon-trimmed capris, creating a sporty, streamlined look. Just make sure not to add any more ribbon to the outfit, as the ribbon on the sides is quite enough because it covers such a large area of the body.
Let's go back to the quintessential ribbon accessory -- the ribbon belt. No preppy wardrobe is complete without one. Even boys have started wearing them (note to boys: so cute!). Ribbons come in super wide and narrow sizes and tons of prints and textures. Grosgrain, canvas, silk, satin and other textures have found their way through the D-ring. Popular styles include: polka-dots, stripes and little animals like ducks, whales and lobsters. Fruit is also cute -- I've spied pineapples, lemons and cherries. Alcohol, ever present in college life, has even found its way onto ribbon belts. Margarita glasses, little shot glasses and mini cocktails have paraded along the length of ribbon around so many girls' waistbands.
A pledge sister of mine has even been industrious enough to make her own ribbon belt with the help of her mom. She bought the d-rings at a craft store and found two different colors of polka-dot ribbon and sewed them together using a sewing machine. The utilization of two different colors is quite clever in my opinion -- this way, she has two belts in one, cutting effort and time in half.
As my last note -- a word of caution. I would never want one of my readers to commit a heinous faux pas, therefore I will lovingly warn. As I've said countless times, fashion is basically whatever floats your boat. But, BEWARE. Wearing ribbon-type things can be quite dangerous and have the potential to be detrimental to your fashion's health. Wearing more than two ribbon accessories at a time is risky. Also, wearing two different ribbon accessories with the same type of ribbon can be hazardous as well. For example, wearing the same color polka-dot ribbon flip-flops and belt is a little too grandmamma, but wearing the same color (and same material/ribbon type) polka-dot flip-flops with the same color striped belt can provide a nice contrast, while tying in an outfit at the same time.
So, you don't need to tie yourself in knots when trying to figure out how to wear your ribbonized clothing, all you need to do is remember: a little ribbon goes a long way.
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