I have zero idea what's in fashion ... what have you clocked?

[JFDIYOLO]

I was ten when glam rock happened and through my teens, twenties and thirties I knew what was happening because I read Jackie (😊), then Company, Cosmo, Marie Claire, Elle, the occasional Vogue ...

Glam, punk, disco, new romantic pirates, Blitz kids, 80s Dynasty shoulder pads, 90s Donna Karan wrappy skirt and body and heels ... Each change was so swift, so intriguing over just a couple of decades. And I loved it. Through university and my new career and my single days.

I've just read a fascinating book on 20th century fashion that documents the astonishing changes in fashion as inextricably linked with politics, world events, new inventions, women's rights, etc etc etc.

I knew all the designer names mentioned in the book, which was published in 1999.

Then I got to thinking - I have absolutely no idea what happened next, in this century. I couldn't begin to tell you who's designing, who's big, who's setting trends, what names are lighting up the industry. I have no idea what the trends and directions are, how they're filtering down into the high street. I couldn't tell you what's happening from shop windows and people in the street or on TV.

I needed to go for a sit down last time checked how much a magazine costs today! 🤣

I don't think it's an age thing - being in my sixties doesn't equal 'and therefore can't possibly have any interest.'

So ..

What have you noticed? Who's on the radar? What's current and what's the next big thing?

I think 'fast fashion' had a lot to answer for. Endless cycles of 'new in' and latest trend stuff which is often a poor rip off of previous fashions. A lot of the clothing is poorly made and fitting so rarely has the desired effect once on. Lots of athleisure or relaxed oversized trends. Overwhelmingly casual.

What is the name of the book?

I wore a lot of black and back combed my hair when I was young.
My grandmother said I dressed like I was going to a funeral.

These days there are important questions
(a) does it have pockets?
(b) why doesn't it have pockets?
(c) why are these pockets not deep enough for a set of keys?

I don't back comb my hair any more though and I wear brighter colours for the most part.

Here it is, Vogue 20th Century Fashion, by Linda Watson, published by Carlton Books

This one's nice too; three centuries of fashion history. Very serious Japanese academic writing, with a wealth of museum exhibit photography

Fashion From the 18th to the 20th Century pub. Taschen

With photo!

If you subscribed to this:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/vogue-fashion-shopping/id289380413

you would never have to ask What’s in fashion?.

NB - it’s not the magazine but the app formerly known as Vogue Runway. It was free until a few months ago, and now that one has to pay they seem to have de-emphasised the runway part. But it’s still there, and immense.

I'm fascinated with the way fashion goes in huge cycles with small ones within them. Wheels within wheels.

At the beginning of the 20th, 19th, 18th centuries the look is long and slender.

In the middle of each century the look is hourglass, huge skirts, sloping shoulders, bust emphasis.

If I'm around in the 2050s I'll be intrigued to see if the mid century swing happens again!

But within the last century, a three decade swing has also happened - 1920s short boxy adolescent, 1930s long, curvy sinuous, 1940s strong, businesslike, shoulder pads and big hair - and then exactly the same cycle happens round the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Maybe I've just seen it aaaaaaaallllll before and innovation can now only be outlandish and unwearable? Have they just run out of ideas and with recycle repurpose reuse the only options?

But I do like visiting the art college summer exhibition to see the utterly bonkers fashion student shows -and wonder if one day some of them will be driving what we want and what we get on the high street?

Surely innovation always looks outlandish and unwearable until either the innovation or our eyes settle into it?

How else would we recognise it?

Maybe I've just seen it aaaaaaaallllll before and innovation can now only be outlandish and unwearable? Have they just run out of ideas and with recycle repurpose reuse the only options?

I wonder about this too @JFDIYOLO. I'm kind of resigned to not seeing any truly new trends ever again.

That said, I think you're right that 60s/70s/80s fashion wasn't quite as new and innovative as it seemed to me at the time - it was just my first ride on the merry go round.

I don't believe that there's a finite number of ideas and that they've all been used up. However I wonder whether the really creative people, the ones who might be capable of coming up with these ideas, are choosing a career in fashion at the moment. I'm not sure either whether the industry, with all those collections every year and the endless drive for profits, is conducive to creativity any more.