I recently read a very interesting Toronto Star article on the death of fashion trends: TheStar Von Hahn: Trends falter when faced with interactive technology. Karen Von Hahn’s report gives me great hope as the death of fashion trends I think opens the door for more personal fulfilment in society.
There are many victims of the digital age where technology has completely revamped how things are done. The demise of my favorite Gourmet Magazine is a good example as this long standing institution stopped printing in the fall of 2009. In development stages of adulthood, I clearly remember the stage of having to have the latest clothing trends of style and color whether the style, color and cost suited me or not. At times it was frustrating as my budget got sunk into one trendy top and that could rarely be worn as very little in my wardrobe ‘went with it’. By the time I could buy the other pieces, the look was gone replaced with something else that would not compliment last year’s look. De-cluttering my wardrobe meant giving away clothes that were perfectly good but had a short trending life. In hindsight – what a waste of money.
The Toronto Star article however, got me thinking about my pet peeve idea for wardrobe building. What if the trend was to build a wardrobe of clothes based on
- colors and textures that bring out our natural inner beauty which is completely different for each person
- styles and lines that suit our body type
- timeless styles that align with our character, way of life,
- styles that reflect our current thinking about the world at large and our own identity, values and beliefs.
- the need for speciality pieces for special occasions
- and most important – styles that in and of themselves are not out of style but waiting for our next occasion to trot them out.
What if we no longer let go of clothes that are ‘out of style’ with the mainstream public but instead let go of clothes that no longer fit, are worn out OR no longer reflect who we are on the inside. I envision a world where the trend is to build our personal collection of looks and trends that mirror our true selves, our state of being and that what ever we choose to wear is the trend du jour for us and it is okay with our network and anyone who actually matters to us. That if we are judged by what we wear, the standard is how well did we select something that is truly keeping us true to ourselves. From the article I conclude that the powers that be in the echelons of the fashion industry are already onto this.
If society, were less tied to keeping up with fashion to be an accepted, valued and appreciated member, perhaps we would be happier, have more inner freedom and be more personally expressive. How would your life change if you were free of the need to keep up with fashion trends?
carolynwinter.org 