The 360 Degrees in Fashion

What does the Brady Bunch trousers, capri pants, and mini-skirts have in common? These were fashion clothing during the previous decades. Guess what? They are once again back by popular demand. Fashion history is repeating itself.

In addition to the bell-bottoms and the mini-skirts, here are some other fashions from previous decades, especially the 1970s, which made a major comeback:

During the early 1970s, fashion was still sporting the hippie look from the late 1960s, where tie-dye and messy jeans were the most popular of psychedelic styles. What do I know about the psychedelic styles? (I was born in the late 1970s). I know a lot because these tie-dye shirts made a comeback somewhere during the 1990s—I do not see it nearly as much in the present time. Oh, let us not forget about the Capri pants, which became popular after Audrey Hepburn was seen wearing them in a motion picture. At the same time, jeans rises became less than four inches, as they are commonly referred to as "hip huggers," or "low riders," as we call them in the present time.

In the mid seventies, while the Watergate scandal was taking place, so was the popularity of the mini, midi, and maxi skirts. The maxi skirts, which was those skirts that met the ankle area, continued through some parts of the 1980s. On the other hand, the mini and midi, which meets the calf area, are still in existence. In my opinion, in the present time, the mini-skirts are a bit shorter—it seems as if they are reduced to almost nothing!

Platform shoes were also the in-style for men and women during this time period. It seems like they were more popular among women than men, even in later years. These shoes re-appeared around the mid-1990s. I remember these platforms really well because I owned a couple pair, mainly sandals. It made me feel taller. Maybe I see why many men discontinued wearing the platform shoes? Maybe they have seen the platform shoe fish bowl scene in a 1989 film. (I cannot remember the name of the film, but that scene really stood out in my memory bank.)

I can go on and on talking about the fashion from the 1970s because perhaps it was one of the most diverse decades that ever existed.

We all know that the fashion trends of the 1980s were very distinctive and colorful. There were the always-stylish headbands, mini-skirts, and designer undergarments.

Remember the Valley girl fashion? Like, yeah! The year was 1982 and the headbands suddenly became the "it" fashion. This trend was born in Southern California and expanded throughout the United States and eventually across the globe. To this day, the headband trend is still alive and kicking with additional fashion options.

There goes the mini-skirt fashion, again. Unfortunately, by the end of the 1970s, these skirts went into oblivion until 1982. Thanks to the Valley girls, it became a hit. Twenty-six years after its successful comeback, it is still a hit.

Fashion trends just keep on recycling itself as a different era and different generations emerge. I am wandering which decade will our next fashion trend mimic. Guess we will have to find out!


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970s_in_fashion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s_in_fashion

Future of the Toilet

We thought that we heard enough of the toilet jokes! But we haven't heard anything yet!

No one ever thinks about the mechanism of using the toilet with the exception of flushing the unwanted. In many aspects, this has changed with the invention of a highly computerized bathroom system that can collect information about individuals' physical health.

So, what is this bathroom system? This toilet is known as the Intelligent Toilet. It was created by two Japanese companies, Daiwa House Industry Co. Ltd. and Toto, Ltd. This toilet has so many built-in devices that it immediately calculates the patron's blood pressure, weight, body fat, and urine sugar level. I need this system in my house!

Every time the toilet is in usage, one of the devices measures the urine sugar level while the other one with a built-in counter next to the toilet bowl calculates blood pressure. After the toilet is no longer in usage by the patron, a scale built in the floor calculates his/her weight. On the other hand, the body fat is calculated by a device that is ready-made into the floor is measuring the weight. Since this device is built into the floor, it also has a sink basin after individuals wash their hands.

Putting these elements together in one place eliminates the operating and assembling individual devices when a patron have to get a health check. This is a very good idea; it keeps track of everything related to healthcare.

The purpose of this innovative bathroom technology, Intelligent Toilet is to make life better by maintaining a consistent check on symptomatic diseases related to lifestyles such as in the case of diabetes. These diseases generally are asymptomatic until the individual pays a visit to the physician for an examination. As a result, the progression of the disease may take place.After the recording of the patron's health data information, it can be uploaded from a home network and saved onto a personal computer. Kenko Kanriken, or Mr. Health Management, is an application that can be installed on the computer that makes the use of data to make graphs and that demonstrates monthly and yearly changes and gives tips on the improvement of the user's lifestyle.

Do we really want to know the price of this Intelligent Toilet? I guess that most of us want to know. Here it comes. The price of these toilets range from $3,454 to $5,109, more expensive that the traditional toilet.I think that this invention is very unique and, of course, intelligent! In that perspective, individuals will have a better understanding of his/her health before heading to the local physician.

Source:http://web-jpn.org/trends/science/sci050726.html

The Cabbage Patch Chronicles

This is an article that I had recently written about the Cabbage Patch Kids and the world's fascination with them:


Twenty-five years ago, these little creatures came into existence. Their features are very distinctive: large cabbage heads, puckered lips, hair that resembles either a stylish mop and/or human hair (of course, it is faux!) Who are these rambunctious creatures?

These creatures are known as the Cabbage Patch Kids. Almost every girl in America and eventually throughout the world wanted these kids in her bedroom. I was one of those kids. The Cabbage Patch Kids were so popular until stores ran out of them. Of course, this was the ultimate Christmas gift. Many parents nearly pulverized one another and the sales associates just to have a Cabbage Patch Kid. It was pure pandemonium!

There were imitation dolls. I was seven at the time; I wanted a CPK so bad until I pitched a fit. My father told me that these kids were unavailable. Of course, I was upset. My father ended up buying me the "fake Cabbage Patch Kid." It had some similarities, but it was not the real McCoy. I accepted her into my doll collection and named her Teresita. In addition to mi Teresita (my Teresita), a real Cabbage Patch Kid entered the extended doll family. Her name was Laurie Netta. She came with a birth certificate and adoption paper, unlike Teresita. My love affair with the Cabbage Patch Kids continues to this day.

I could not believe that these dolls had their own hospital. Thanks for this very unique idea, Xavier Roberts! Anyway, the Cabbage Patch Kids birthplace, which is based in Cleveland, GA. Roberts turned an old clinic into a doll hospital, which to this day serves as a birthing, nursery, and a center for adopting these kids. Employees are dressed up and have duties of actual doctors and nurses. Mainly the biggest fans, tourists, and the inquiring minds pay the hospital a visit.

Remember the Talking Cabbage Patch Kids? I do not know about anyone else, but I have a very fond recollection of these dolls. These talkers had a voice chip, touch sensors, and a device that was infrared for the communication with their fellow doll mates. The Talking Cabbage Patch Kids had a special "language," in the manner of speaking, which began with a short phrase that eventually leading to small conversations between the doll parties. They almost sounded like real human beings. However, this was not very successful for various reasons. For myself, it cost too much, at least over one hundred dollars. This is too much money just for the purpose of a playmate!

With the popularity of the Cabbage Patch Kids, there are always the controversies. In this case, it involved the Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids, which were meant to consume plastic snacks. The mechanism consisted of a pair of metal rollers behind a slot made from plastic and rubber lips. These snacks would make its exit from the doll’s back into the knapsack. I do not want to think about the end result! The bad news was that they did not have an on/off switch. It functioned by inserting these snacks and other objects in the mouth, allowing them to chew. This was short-lived due to children getting their fingers tagged into the doll’s mouth.
Despite all these Cabbage Patch Kids’ misbehaving flaws, they will always have a place in my heart. Speaking of them, I think I will adopt a CPK!

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_Patch_Kids