Thursday 30 October 2008

Choose Style

I'm wondering if fashion is about to implode? In the sense that too many trends and so many looks means a bit of strict direction is required. I loved it when yesterday one young person on my MA course (being the mature student - I'm still youngish though!!) who I was chatting to during our 10 minute break commented that fashion no longer existed in the decade span that it used to and it was so fast paced and irrelevant you could put something on and step out of the door and be fashionable by complete chance! We scanned our very full lecture room and noted no one apart from 3 shows of tartan/plaid out of 50 were wearing anything similar or even looked similar.


I'm not saying that a fashion used to last 10 years but styles and cuts did last a lot longer than they do now. Admittedly our random research was based on a group of women in London and more specifically the London College of Fashion and it might not have been the same result in an office for example. But diversity and pace has been a massive driver of fashion for clothes, interiors even restaurants for the heyday of our recent consumer boom.


Now we are entering a period of zero maybe even negative growth (we are still not officially in a recession despite media doom mongers as two successive quarters of negative growth must be recorded!) will this bust mentality slow down fashion. Next A/W 09 collections will be a key indicator of what is to come. Luxury brands are currently weathering the approaching storm and even the High Street is not a complete loss, note John Lewis revealed a downturn in all areas but women's shoes!


This is the time to attempt to define your style to make good purchases when you can and to maximise your wardrobe. There are a number of ways to do this, one favourite is the mood board where you pin items you love and this reflects your taste back to you and helps define a look. Another way is to emulate, for example Audrey Hepburn, an obvious one I know but still relevant today. There is no wrong or right way to define you nor is there a style that is better than another.



I limit where I shop based on price, quality and style. Lets put it this way Chanel isn't on my list currently! I have places that reveal little gems and this year Kew still features on it - okay it might be just two items but no one else is wearing them unlike Topshop, so that reveals I tend to like items that are not must haves or mainstream fashion pieces. I'll always have a bit of a tomboy edge to what I wear but that doesn't mean I dress in a masculine way. I'm just not a neat freak or particularly of the Grace Kelly sophisticated mode.



My current style admiration goes to Cheryl Cole and I'm not alone in this but she has honed a style of her own which has a 60s edge to it, almost Mowtownish or other glitzy stars of that era but a very modern interpretation. Define your own style now and you'll see out the next few years with ease.




17 comments:

  1. Hi there-this is a really great post and that is such an interesting conversation you had with your friend too. Fashion is just soo fast paced and seasons fly by with 'this in trend' and then 'that in trend' before you can blink!! My way to go I think is to source rarer vintage pieces if I can, secondly quality designer or quality High Street pieces-thrifted of course! I'm not a slave to trends by any means, but I like the occasional fun piece, like my recent Topshop leggings for example. But they are one offs, not the staple of my wardrobe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Style wall is a great idea. I will have to try that. Yep I'm going through 1-2 year old mags and I can definitely tell there is really no trend per se.. there are seasons to go with varying temperatures but that's it. Anything goes and all works. I think it's a good thing personally.

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh yes, cheryl is classy and I have only come to like her after watching her on x factor

    ReplyDelete
  4. About 8 years ago I completely gave up on the notion of being "in style" and decided I was going to go with personal style that would endure much longer than the trends of 15 minutes. My fashion philosphy is to spend the most I can on classic pieces( so they will last as long as Audrey's turtlencks) and if I am craving a trend I make sure to spend much less on those pieces as I see those items as disposable.

    I feel sure that the trends will slow down as the financial crisis hits home. I don't know who Cheryl is---but she has great hair.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nicely said, Make Do.

    The one that that resonated with me from the Victor & Rolf exhibition at the Barbican is how they revolted against the industry's demand for frequent on-schedule collections. I loved that they opted out a couple of times in protest.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great post and issue to debate.
    I agree there's so many trends and fads that the things can't stay as they are not so but also regarding the economic crisis we still have to face.
    I think these F/W trends are a bit classier than other ones with some kind of returning to the lady like look.
    And I agree with LBR about her fashion philosphy.

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Words of wisdom. Just because there are more choices being thrown at us at breakneck speed doesn't mean we need to absorb them all. Defining personal style can be tough, but it's well worth the effort.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've reined in my look in time to weather the imploding aussie dollar and sit tight for the next couple of years.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm still not sure what I think of Cheryl. She does look lovely in yellow though.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sharon Rose - oh i agree you have to inject fun into your wardrobe otherwise it would be no fun! Topshop, Primark, Dotty P and H&M are great for this.

    Songy - it is good that anything goes and makes it easier to define yourself how you want.

    Simone - she has turned it around hasn't she!

    La Belette Rouge - Cheryl Cole is in a band called Girls Aloud and they do great pop songs. Her hair is thick due to extenions she loves having thich hair and the petit garcon is in love with her!

    ReplyDelete
  11. It seems like no matter what the state of the economy, manufacturers/designers/retailers are still bombarding us with messages encouraging us to "BUY!" I don't suppose they'll stop, despite the fact that many people don't seem to want to.

    I'm molding my style from what I have, and I'm going to hunker down and wait for all this foolishness to end.

    ReplyDelete
  12. wonderfull post !! i love your blog !!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This post is quite thought-provoking...defining and developing a personal style of my own has taken nearly two years now, but it makes it much easier to buy things as I generally know what I want and don't tend to get swept up in the trends. I also always have to ask myself whether the item that I am considering will fit into my wardrobe or would I have to buy new shoes etc to go with it!
    --<-@

    ReplyDelete
  14. A great post that I think outlines the basis of what could happen in the future.... I'm a style flitter and people have always rained on my parade for it.... I suppose they are wise for doing so and sticking to a certain style and I will suffer for my style schizophrenia but I would enjoy fashion less if I was to restrict myself.... so I guess I'll be left in the gutters of recession...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Interesting conversation - if you look at something like a work suit, you can still get away with some jackets from the late 90s/early 00s if they were fitted to begin with, but the trousers have changes dramatically. Makes a good arguement for buying separates. At least in the US, boy's prep-school jackets have been coming in and out of style for a few years so are still a good investment. Dresses, blouses and jeans are practically over within a season.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh nooooo Make Do, I'm not buying the Cheryl Cole hype, sorry! Agree though that fashion has just gone insane. Personally I prefer to be two seasons behind, that way there's no stressing about trying to be (cringe alert:) On Trend!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I saw one of them in the street

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for commenting, much appreciated. Sorry about no longer offering anonymous comments but spamming had become a very annoying issue. xxx