No-trend dressing – part II
While still pondering the concept of the ‘no-trend season‘, a little Googling threw up a gem. It seems we’ve been here before with this ‘no-trend’ business, eighteen years ago in fact. Amy Spindler debated the issue in this 1995 New York Times article. The bit that jumped out at me was a quote from Joan Kaner, the senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus. “The trend comes in and out every six months, and the customer is spending a lot of money on clothes she thinks will be obsolete in two or three months. She’s right to be angry.”
See? Fashion fatigue happened eighteen years ago too, this is a mere revival. Which proves alas, that today’s trend go-slow isn’t the sign of big changes I thought it was. Give it a season or two and we’ll be back to the must-haves and ‘It’ items that makes the fashion world go round. Individuality be damned, it is a business after all.
8 January, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
I’ve spent a long time thinking about this ‘no-trend’ shiz since you posted it.
I’d be so delighted if this happens, but with the past few so trends laden they’re practically drowning in them seasons I simply can’t imagine it!
Do you think it would actually happen? Wouldn’t retailers want to try to market trends as wildly different from last year’s to give people a motivation to buy? But on the other hand… maybe they’re realising people will be less likely to buy into trends.
Hmmm..
8 January, 2009 @ 9:46 pm
i’m not sure about all this no trends business, elle seemed to provide a free magazine just as full as last season with the new trends. people might not buy into trends so much, but there definitely are trends. on vogue.com they have a great a-z of trends, with multiple trends to the letter. maybe having no trends is a trend that’s come around againt then?
8 January, 2009 @ 9:58 pm
I always like to think that every trend I experience and every time I buy is unique and exciting – not because I’m the only person to own it but because it was part of something for me. In a way, it feels quite sad when you realise that it is all cyclical, as typified in all the mags!
I hope to embrace the first ‘no trend’ trend of my life in a similar way! Bring it on.
9 January, 2009 @ 3:01 am
I buy things that are trendy at the moment — but then I’m still wearing them five years later. So is that trend or no-trend?
9 January, 2009 @ 8:31 am
Trend fatigue is cyclical too – how brilliant to discover the no-trend trend is in fact a revival!
9 January, 2009 @ 10:34 am
Good point WendyB. Well, I do that too, I call that ‘clever dressing’, (hah! maybe the title for another post?) or maybe it comes with (ahem) maturity and learning your own style and what ‘trends’ work with it…
9 January, 2009 @ 2:39 pm
Good sleuthing DSR! I’m feeling a little trend-proof at the moment but like you say, it could just be another fad..