WEBEN team was closely observing what was being put forward when it comes to trends: bold and stylish designs, large and in-charge blazers, bold blue bags, and sleek face masks dominated Fashion Weeks over the last few weeks. This year, some of the most influential decades have played a huge role in this season’s looks.

We love every single one of them, and you can see why. From Paris to Milan, find serious style inspiration with the top fashion trends spotted at SS21 Fashion Weeks.

1. Oversized Shoulder pad Boyfriend Jackets

Create a long line silhouette and play with shapes with a 80s-inspired oversized boyfriend blazer. With the help of shoulder pads, this outerwear cinches in your waist and elongates your legs. Rock this look with a pair of straight-leg trousers or leather shorts for an ultra-modern style – colors that suit this trend are powder blue, charcoal, and neutrals. You can easily dress this up or down for an effortlessly chic aesthetic.

2. Black Face Masks

When it comes to protecting yourself, you may as well do it beautifully. These sleek black face masks match almost any outfit you wear, and they offer great coverage for your nose and mouth. Opt for a silky fabric for easier breathing or choose something with embellishments if you’re feeling fancy. The beauty behind this face-covering is the limitless styling opportunities that come along with it. Wear anything from a red trench coat to a color-blocking suit and look exceptionally stylish. From an accordion-style to a traditional shape, there are so many choices that will keep you and others safe.

3. Head Scarfs

Taking inspiration from the 50s and the 60s, this sleek fashion trend is coming back in a big way. Headscarves protect your hair and add a finishing touch to your outfit without overdoing it. Choose from a silky design with floral motifs or intricate patterns, or keep it simple with bold colors and block letters. When styling this accessory, you can wrap the fabric under your chin in a loose knot, or have it hanging off the back of your head – mix things up by wrapping it around your neck or let it dangle from your bag. Channeling your inner Grace Kelly has never been easier with this classic go-to item.

4. Sorbet Pastel Tones

Another trend that has continued to dominate this year has been pastel tones. These sorbet-inspired colors are the perfect option for summer and they suit a wide variety of skin tones. Choose from a boiler suit in cool mint green or an oversized trench coat in soft lavender – better yet, try them both simultaneously. Suits and separates in the soft and buttery hues elevate your overall aesthetic and will remain one of the chicest styles for seasons to come.

5. Yellow Bags

This season yellow bags have taken over the runways and the streets. This trend is easy to replicate and it is timeless – choose a small clutch to spice up an outfit or find a mustard tote for your daily needs. There are so many shades to choose from that suit your taste, and they look incredible when paired with other vibrant hues or a monochromatic ensemble. Opt for an amber structured handbag with an all-white get-up, or a sleek canary baguette for a night out.

6. Folk Inspired Coats

Go all out this season with these beautiful and intricate folk-inspired coats. When the temperature starts to drop, add some layers of delicate embroidery and lace to keep your outfit hot. The intricate tapestry on each piece of outerwear looks great with a monochrome black or brown ensemble or choose it in a series of other colors for a bright and interesting choice. This trend is easy to style and looks fantastic on every body type.

7. White Knee High Boots

Swing it back to the ’60s with this classic gogo dancers inspired item of footwear – white knee-high boots. Taking its inspiration from the Youth Revolution in the mid-century, this Nancy Sinatra-approved look is a chic way to elevate your outfit. Wear it with a patterned mini dress or skirt, a rollneck, or a funky pair of leggings. This season, opt for a slouchy style for an effortless feel or keep it sleek and tight for a sexy touch.

8. Yellow and Camel Color Styling

Keep it neutral with yellow and camel color styling – the trend taken from the 70s has gotten a serious facelift. Mixing and matching these shades adds dimension and depth to your ensembles, no matter the clothes you prefer to wear. Try a light brown suit or coat with a mustard turtleneck for the cooler months or a sleek tan T-shirt and camel pair of flare pants. This subtle yet flattering combination is the hottest look to try this season.

9. Pop Blue Accessories

Why blend in when you were born to stand out? Add a pop of blue to your monochrome outfit to update your go-to outfits. The beauty behind this trend is the unlimited amount of options you can try throughout the season – from a duck egg blue handbag from Dior to a chic Marine Serre bucket hat, you can try it all. When styling these items, opt for all black or grey outfits. The bright hue will stand out amongst the deeper shades. Mix and match your accessories and discover a new favorite way to rock your key pieces.

10. Fringing on the Bags

When it’s time to make a statement, let your handbag do the talking. This season, one of the biggest looks we’ve seen is the fringing on the bags. Let the tassels dangle close to the fabric or watch them almost hit the floor for maximum impact – the over-the-top design is sure to turn some heads and keep you feeling chic. Choose from a leather fringe or shearling – you can rock this piece any season, and make it work for almost any event. For a classic feel, choose dark hues like brown or black, but if you want to stand out from the others, take a dip into bold shades like red or green. If you’re ready to shake up your go-to style, this is the item to pick!

Phone, wallet, keys… I forgot something…” – if they had told us only five months ago that we would have to wear masks absolutely everywhere and constantly, then it would have sounded like a script for a science fiction movie. However, not only is it not a movie, but this is now the reality we live in, and it will certainly be like that for a long time to come. Through unjustified resistance to them to immature ridicule, today masks are a complete musthave on the streets, moreover, those who do not wear them are the subject of condemnation. So, on average, it took about three months for people to adapt and get used to the new living conditions – they finally got into the habit of wearing masks, although there were many of them who persistently refused that kind of responsibility.

A difficult period is behind us, in every sense, the consequences that have already befallen us are unbearable for many, this is a period in which many of us are trying to see the damage caused by the pandemic, which is reflected in  psychological, health and most of all economic consequences – and how some economic experts predict a bad economic situation that will peak in the fall. Therefore, smile, the worst is yet to come, if we believe these experts, we have not seen anything from the crisis yet. On the other hand, unemployment is skyrocketing everywhere in the world, as the BBC reports in the US, unemployment jumped by 7% in June 2020, and other countries are not in a better situation either. To make matters worse, these percentages are just the beginning of the economic abyss by the end of the year that many predict.

How much is a good business, life, education or any kind of plan worth today? Or if we are completely skeptical – does it have value at all? If the lesson of this pandemic was to teach us that a plan is worthless and that “as we can see, you can plan whatever, it doesn’t have to happen,” then we disagree. Unforeseen things always happen, so all we’ve learned is that not only should we have a plan B, but maybe a plan C or D. As masks have become a mandatory part of outfits, it also seems to us that one of the possible scenarios in the field of business is a complete transition to online business and the growth of self-employed people – entrepreneurs of the new age. So all you have to do is grab your PC or cell phone and do your own job, as things stand IT is a new office for both farmers and developers in the distant future.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a stir around the world. We still can’t see all the consequences of the virus, but we can see that they affect all aspects of our lives, including sports and physical activity. In most countries where there are infected people, measures of social and physical distance are in force, as well as a ban on mass gatherings. Further spread of the virus is also prevented by canceling sports events. The COVID-19 virus has stopped sports competitions and training of athletes around the planet. For the first time, the Olympic and Paralympic Games were postponed, as well as numerous major championships and tournaments. In the first attack of the coronavirus, the athletes tried to maintain their shape in specific home conditions. However, after the first wave, more and more professional athletes are returning to the fields, but this time without an audience.

Not only are professional athletes at risk of losing professional sponsors and jobs, but many other related service activities in close correlations to leagues and sporting events such as travel, tourism, transportation, infrastructure, catering, etc.
The cancellation of games, in addition to economic ones, also has its social consequences. Since sport has long been considered a valuable tool for fostering communication between communities and generations, as well as means of creating learning opportunities and inclusion for often marginalized and at-risk populations, the cancellation of games has also contributed to the collapse of social cohesion.

Not only professional athletes are affected, but also recreational athletes. The closure of courts, stadiums, swimming pools, fitness studios and parks has meant that individuals and groups are less physically active outside their homes, have a disturbed sleep cycle and spend more time near the screens. All this can contribute to the deterioration of physical and mental health. However, it is possible to exercise at home in a small space and without equipment. For those whose home life can involve long periods of sitting, there may be options to be more active during the day, for example by stretching, doing housework, climbing stairs or dancing to music. In addition, particularly for those who have internet access, there are many free resources on how to stay active during the pandemic. The global community has adapted rapidly by creating online content tailored to different people; from free tutorials on social media, to stretching, meditation, yoga and dance classes in which the whole family can participate.

The closure of education institutions around the world due to COVID-19 has also impacted the sports education sector, which is comprised of a broad range of stakeholders, including national ministries and local authorities, public and private education institutions, sports organizations and athletes, NGOs, teachers, scholars and coaches, parents and, first and foremost: mostly young learners. While this community has been severely impacted by the current crisis, it can also be a key contributor to solutions to contain and overcome it, as well as in promoting rights and values in times of social distancing.

In the future we are going to face many challenges and problems that we must solve, which concern the safety of sporting events at all levels. Doing sports, we deal with our own physical and mental health. But we must not forget to remain responsible to others as well.

Nothing changes as quickly as fashion, and just when you thought you knew what it would be next season – behold, men wear skirts and women wear suits! And how come blue jeans and a white t-shirt are a must have every season, for both women and men back 50 years? Isn’t that something only men would wear? Who said that any way?

On one occasion, John Berger stated – “men act, women appear.” Women today would probably agree that this is not a case anymore, it is not uncommon to see a woman in pants, a sweater, a suit with stripes, or a man in the same suit. If we imagine for a moment, that there is no division into women’s and men’s wardrobes – what do you think, how many extraordinary identities are hidden in these moldy men, either, women?

Olivier Polge, a perfumer who works for Chanel fashion company, said on the occasion of the release of the new Chanel Boy perfume in 2016, “I wanted to create a unisex fragrance, but one that would dive more into men’s fragrances… To show good manner in which a woman also would carry it.”

“So, it wasn’t the idea to create a scent somewhere in between, but a very masculine scent. And – like many other things in life – gender is given by the person who wears it.”

Once all these potentials, power and energy – which are waiting in all of us – are released, how then will the world be tailored? Something tells us that this is likely to be the world for every shapes and sizes and certainly, not like the one we know now. But if we do not recognize the world as it is now, then we cannot imagine what it could be like! If Gucci fashion company is to be believed – “The future is fluid!”

Entrepreneurship captures and affects all areas of social life. We can see that entrepreneurs are expanding their field of activity as well as exploring and reaching new markets and industries. One such realm is the world of sports. If you eat and breathe sports, there are many ways to make money from it. Starting a sports business requires careful planning and smart advertising. Following other sports businesses is a great way to learn how to start a successful sports business. For inspiration, check out these sports businesses which are using entrepreneurial skills.

• Sportsy

Sportsy is a mobile training platform that makes it fun for kids and adults to learn, practice and become better at key skills in a variety of sports. Sportsy members have access to videos to help them learn the proper way to perform drills, special challenges to help them practice the way professional athletes do, and exclusive tips and tricks from professional athletes and coaches.  Members can also compete against one another and upload videos of them playing to get feedback from Sportsy coaches. Sportsy covers 20 sports.

• TeamSnap

TeamSnap provides online organizational services and mobile applications for sports teams. TeamSnap helps athletes manage, coach or organize team sports or groups. The company allows players to access their roster, team schedule, member availability and payments. There is also a group-message option to connect with teammates.

• Fancred

Fancred’s mission is to unite the world’s sports fans by creating a new way to consume sports information and interact with other fans and members of their community. Fancred is social media network, focused on the passion sports fans have for their favorite teams. Fancred connects sports fans to one another with posts, photos, videos, live video, and live On-Air broadcasts, creating relationships, communities, and providing a vibrant experience during live sporting events.

• CoachUp

CoachUp matches users with skilled professionals in their area. All they need to do is enter their location and training goals, then browse through the results by distance, price, reviews and training types. From there, they can choose their coach and either message them for more information or book a meeting time. The coaches offer one-on-one training, camps and clinics, and virtual training.

Be creative, be brave, contribute to sports.

Crises, sometimes – as with the current pandemic of the Covid-19 virus, make us forget for a moment how big are our debts, what we like to eat, where we like to go, what our privileges were. Not only ours, but also the ones we consider to have the most power and enjoy the most privileges. Some would say these are big companies, corporations or fashion companies – who make billions and the only thing they care about, are their profits. But what if they are one of the most humane and the most responsible people for changes in our global community, in which, at least on one hand, we live more freely every day?

A woman wearing pants, a sweater and a bag over her shoulder on the street is a daily occurrence, nothing out of the ordinary. No one whispers or hides anymore when talking about AIDS. Nothing will prevent white European woman from having an emotional relationship with an African American. Or is it really so unimaginable for a nun to fall in love? It all seems like it has never been a problem to find two men or two women in a loving relationship.

However, as much as these claims, or at least most of them, sound more or less rational and logical to us. They certainly did not come overnight and, they were encouraged for sure, by fashion industry. Oliviero Toscani, a photographer who worked until 2000 for Benetton, is otherwise accused of controversial photographs, which were used in the campaigns of this Italian brand. On one occasion he told the New York Times in 1991, when their new fashion collection was launched, but also a campaign against AIDS – “I have found that advertising is the richest and most powerful medium existing today, so I feel responsible that I do more than say, ‘Our sweater is pretty.’”

Likewise, Coco Chanel did not accidentally made women’s pants, sew handles on her purses, cut corsets, and by her influence inspired an army of women to wear sweaters. Their hands became free with no purses in them, they could move any way and anywhere they wanted. They were no longer dependent on men, and finally became persons with their first and last name – and proudly standing in pants! From today’s point of view, in the current health and economic world crisis, there are again heroes who, by their own example, are pushing the boundaries, and again some of them come from the world of fashion. The Dior Fashion House has begun manufacturing protective masks, as a sign of support for those who stand on the front lines of defense and fight this invisible enemy – doctors! While money that they will earn from selling masks, they are going to donate to the hospital in Bergamo, the worst hit by this pandemic in Italy.

Fashion is not just a piece of clothing, it gives you a lifestyle! That is why we are eager to launch our line of T-shirts, which as you already know, are not just T-shirts that are inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit – but are T-shirts that will change the way you see the world!

Have you ever felt that you are communicating with another person solely on the basis of the exchange of vibrations, no matter if that person is present or not?

Telepathy nowadays sounds like and old-school notion that everybody knows about, and everybody experienced it at least once in a while. But with the ascending up-trend in awareness improvement on civilizational level – it seems that telepathy is leveling up.

My sister asked me once: “Do you think it’s possible that you are completely sure that someone is thinking of you at the same moment when you are thinking on that person?”

She was trying to analyze her intuition in a sense that she was to a high extent sure that there was some sensible discourse going on in real time, only by the power of thinking, between two persons pshysicaly distant.

Science tends to explain in any which way that there is something OUT THERE. Perheps our thoughts and mind in general function on certain frequency level, like radio waves. And then some people can tune in and listen to the babbles we have in our mind, or – maybe it does not happen all by chance: maybe we can, using our will and vibrations we “broadcast”, direct some other persons thoughts or, God forbid, actions.

Imagine that nano-technology methods combined with the intution and telepathic moments really lead to manipulation of the matter (our bodies) on atomic or molecular level.

Michio Kaku, an American theoretical physicist and futurist, in his book “The future of the mind”, he discusses future tranformations of the brain and therefore mind, in terms of strengthning possibilities for telepathy and telekinesis. He also proposes something called “spacetime theory of consciousness”.

Maybe there is some language that we use to communicate with others that is beyond our capability of speaking and using bodily expressions. There is a range of vibrations (energy) that we exchange with others and that we can clearly discribe in terms of pleasant or unpleasant at least. Maybe our SPACETIME vibrations communicate better and faster than our mind can recognize and describe.

And maybe we already communicate and connect with each other on the level of vibrational codes that we are not even aware of. Most probably on that level we better understand each other.

Did you know that it takes just three seconds for some to determine whether they like you or will they do business with you? People snap judgments are not different even when it comes to the social media and visual contents you put there. If it takes three seconds for ‘face-2-face’ first impression, this is even shorter when it comes to the website and social media, where only 50 milliseconds will determine whether that person will stay or leave your page.

Unfortunately, these seconds are not enough for someone to find out what a good person you are, or ‘how big your heart is’, but it is more than enough to notice what you wear, what is your facial expression, posture and to notice some gestures. Making judgments about someone’s personality based on the way they look is something humans do automatically, without thinking.

A person’s choice of clothing can heavily influence the impression they transmit and is, therefore, a powerful communication tool. According to researchers, ‘clothes is a systematic means of transmission of information about the wearer’. The ‘code’ of communication is also present in our social profiles, and it presents us, or who we want to be. Fashion style is expressions of yourself, your personal affiliations, lifestyle and the way you want to be perceived. Now you probably think that globalization made us all wear similar no matter where and how we live, but do never forget that you are the only one who chose how to wear it and how to present yourself.

Northwestern University study examined a concept called ‘enclothed cognition’, meaning what your clothes are saying to you, not about you. The clothes you choose is sending a message to those around you, but also to yourself. Enclothed cognition gives scientific proof to the idea that you should dress not how you feel, but how you want to feel. Which clothes make you feel powerful? Sexy? In control? Wealthy?

Living in the world where you have popular free platforms, to present yourself, and connect with others, why not use it! Social media matters! It is one of the first places your name will be searched by your future employer, partner, or business co-worker, and visual contact you share will present YOU.

Research by Gul Gunaydin, Emre Selcuk, and Vivian Zayas have shown that first impressions of people in photographs influence our perception of those people even after we’ve interacted with them personally. Perhaps the most fascinating feature of this study is that, when independent observers reviewed the videotapes of the interactions, they found that perceivers who’d viewed the people in the photographs more favorably acted more warmly toward those people when they met them in real life.

So, first impressions are a lot stickier than we’re inclined to believe, a very short period of time is a key to future relationship and social media is your tool for presentation, choose wisely cause phrase ‘do not judge the book by its cover’ does not stand anymore. While everyone is saying that social media are shaping our life, you should be the one to shape your social media platform. You are the one in control of your thoughts, your life, your social media content, and first impression you want to make.

Observing the event with participation – a well-known anthropological method – I consume a welcome drink and among strong hairstyles, dress combinations and expensive shoes, I wonder – why is a handkerchief from the upper pocket of a jacket a reflection of subtlety and sophistication? Why is it placed on the left side?

There is something in it that the person carrying it gives a dose of sophistication – whichever type of the liquor melts ice-cubes in her glass.

Pocket Square itself is not functional, unless some damsel in distress starts crying in front of you. But again, the goal of fashion is not that it is functional – but irrational and changeable! Anyway, although it has no daily practical use, it is a fashionable accessory and above all, it represents a style.

Of course, that was not always the case.

Pocket Squares that, in modern times, moved into the upper pocket of jackets, blazers or coats, had their origin of use in various, sometimes incompatible sources.

In the initial times handkerchief had a simple use – it was used for absorbing sweat from face and neck, or to wipe one’s nose.

At the end of the eighteenth century, women waved with it as a sign of approval at public events such as political gatherings.

In the Balkans, it is known that the ringleader holds a handkerchief in a hand with cyclical movement.

Every new circumstances and context dictate how the most common piece of fabric can be used to send a particular message.

Patenting paper disposable wipes made it possible for Pocket Squares to be used as a fashion detail.

Even though notions of pocket squares and handkerchiefs are use interchangeably, we should note that the one “is used for show and the other for blow”.

The esthetization of the clothes as a daily dress-up for men and women Pocket Square became a fashion trend of the 1920s. Its use as a key fashion accessory was also popularized by public figures such as mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, actors like Clark Gable and later by Fred Astaire and others.

With the development of the fashion industry, variations in design and coloration of Pocket Squares remain a field in which changes can be made, while standardization of 16×16 inches is introduced into fashion trends. These design variations contribute to highlighting the style of the wearer and, to some extent, constitute an overture to her personality.

It is not necessary that you will first notice someone on your own only due to this fashion appendage, but it will definitely make him/her stand our from the crowd and may encourage you to find out something about that misterious person.

Through the best intentions of popular psychology to explain that we can all achieve or have what we want or imagine, through numerous motivating messages – the most likely outcome is the insight that we have not succeeded.

We were not able to become millionaires in our twenties; we were not able to drive Lamborghini, to own a yacht and to live in large villa with a pool. But what we have succeeded in is to see that the burnout costs a lot, and that the momentary success is not sufficient or pleasant, because it is one point on the path of pure illusion.

And accepting that professional success as defined today represents pure illusion is the greatest blessing we can get.

Why?

First of all, we bound business progress to the concept of money in a quantitative, and not qualitative sense. This means that we are not even aware of the value of the money, because we are overwhelmed by getting it in order to have it more, forgetting what it serves for: to be earned privilege of having (paid) free time that we will spend on personal development and helping others.

Secondly, the economic, political and social circumstances in which we live are not suitable for flourishment of millionaires, especially if personal hope is the sole basis for becoming the one. Perhaps the reality could be limiting factor, but as soon as we understand our possibilities, competencies and domains – it will be much nicer and easier to let out our true potential that is not overwritten from a motivating sticker.

Thirdly, nor money nor power should be in everyone’s hands. They are burdens, physical and psychological, and they influence the creation of our relationships and, consequently, our overall environment. They can be toxic, to cause unreasonable acts and incalculable consequences, especially if they are acquired to satisfy some deeply buried dissatisfaction in a person. With the help of money and power, frustrations are being only reproduced in such persons’ minds.

Nevertheless, if you become a millionaire, make sure you are good, gracious, kind and generous. Everything else you do not possess.