The History of Underwear. Yes, Underwear.

Many people tend be embarrassed when their underwear hangs out from their pants, but one museum has decided to pay homage to the evolution of the undergarment. Showing the changes and challenges that underwear has endured throughout history, The History Center in Ithaca, NY has a new exhibit called “Underneath It All Underwear Through the Ages.”

Displaying underwear that dates back to the 1800s, the exhibit includes items from the museum’s textile collection and items that were donated by the public. The museums objective through this exhibit is to “give us a glimpse of people of the past in a way that something more overt like a jacket or shirt won’t,” Execitive Director Scott Callan said.

While underwear is an interesting and unusual way to look at history, Jerk also feels like there are other items that might make good exhibits for the evolution of history. Here are some of our ideas:

Chest Hair Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

Bib necklaces are a huge trend right now, but they are usually made from metals, beads or other obvious materials; not human hair.  The first time I saw these pictures, my entire body felt itchy and I immediately got goose bumps.  These necklaces by artist Kerry Howley are made out of human hair! Something about putting other people’s old hair around my neck makes me want to crawl out of my own skin.

Her graduate collection “Attraction/Aversion” focuses on transforming something unattractive, such as discarded body hair, into something beautiful and precious. It’s kind of an awesome idea, but human hair may not have been the right material. Howley tried to make human hair commericially attractive by choosing jewelry as a platform. She also incorporated symmetry and delicate patterns, but I still cannot get past the old hair.

Style Spotlight: Melody Ehsani

Diamonds are forever

I heard about Melody Ehsani, a jewelry/shoe designer from L.A., a few years ago because Rihanna was wearing her creations. Ehsani is cool as hell, which I would know through the obscene amount of time I have spent on her Tumblr. She is of Iranian descent, which comes through in her mentality and worldview.

Celebrities such as Rihanna, Erykah Badu, and Nicki Minaj love her work. She has been featured in countless videos such as Massive Attack (Nicki) and S&M (Rihanna). Her talent comes from tapping right into what makes girls feel powerful and strong.

Rihanna in Melody ring and earrings.

She makes statement jewelry; her pieces always stand out and make an impression. Her influences come from all over. A lot of her early work is reminiscent of old Hip-hop style with a heavy focus on gold, big four-finger rings and chains draped with in-your-face L.A. swag.

Erykah Badu wearing Ehsani earrings

As I continue gushing, I have to mention that another thing I love about Melody is how conscious she is. She always tries to give meaning to her work, making pieces that have strong heritage and represent various cultures. She also makes a statement against discrimination with her look books. In her last one, she opted for models that are underrepresented in the industry. Melody is the shit, and I’m fully on her team as she continues to rise.

–Nadjma Sako

 

Don’t forget the tartar sauce!

If you’re having a fight with your significant other, most people tend not to play fair. In Pasadena, Texas a women was so angry at her ex-husband that she took playing dirty to a new level. The former couple had an argument about some jewelry that the husband had given his ex-wife and took back from her. So how did she retaliate? What any sane person would do of course…

She went into his apartment, took the seven goldfish that they had purchased together while married, fried them, and then proceeded to eat three of them. That must have been some pretty damn important jewelry!

Yum, imagine this cooked and fried in your tummy.

Okay, first of all, how immature do you have to be to get back at your ex-husband by hurting his goldfish? I mean I know jewelry can be a big deal for girls, but who seriously wears jewelry from their ex’s anyway? That is the type of thing that ends up in a box under the bed, given to a friend, or is sold at a pawn shop.

Booming Buyers

Whether it’s old black leggings and a t-shirt or faded chucks full of holes, SU has joined most colleges with the reputation of being un-fashionable and completely trendy.

The past few days, however, have offered a tantalizing treat for SU students who don’t have much money to drop on name brands and impromptu clothing buys. This weekend Boom Babies, usually known for its over priced prom-ish dresses, is dropping its prices and is hosting a rummage sale from Sept 12 to the 27.

Full priced clothing inside the store is 25 percent off. But the sales outside are where the real steals are. High waisted grunge jeans, old-fashioned dresses and vintage shoes fill the racks outside the store. Best of all, Boom Babies seem to have forgotten how great these styles are, pricing them much lower than 25 percent off. I bought two pairs of jeans for 19 dollars and got complements on them all weekend long.

For other shoppers, the jewelry sale inside is also a great place to sort through. Jewelry can make the outfit, and as Chanel always said, “A woman should mix fake and real…I love fakes because I find such jewelry provocative… the point of jewelry isn’t to make a woman look rich.”

With that in mind, some chains cost as little as five dollars, although you have to search for them. There are tons of flashy rings that can also spruce up an outfit. The key when shopping rummage sales remember that it’s not about finding the whole outfit.

You have to work the gems that you can find. One wooden ring can break or make an outfit, just look at Elisabeth Moss ruining her one shoulder dress or AnnaLynne McCord looking super bold at the Emmys. Their jewelry was the key.

AnnaLynne McCord's outfit pops with her bright neckline.

~Amity Paye