https://www.welcome back fashion folk! after a week hiatus we are tanned, rested and ready to tackle something i have wanted to talk about since the inception of this substack, the big bad T word: trends.
before we kick off i want to be clear this is well-worn ground, many a journalist, tiktoker and fashion expert have discussed micro trends and trends extensively and (honestly) better than i ever could. the conversation usually goes as follows; there is a heated debate on trends vs micro trends, the author despairs at how micro trends are making us all into clean-girl, slick-back-bun-hailey-bieber-zombies and finishes with how the ever-increasing trend cycles are slowly killing personal style. these things are all true and very relevant but what i would like to do here today is instead answer a simple question: do i like it, or do i like that it’s trending?
though it’s obviously important to discuss how things are happening, i think the thing a lot of people are missing is the why. why are people looking to trends and micro-trends to determine what they wear each day without a single consideration for what they actually like to wear? why are people all over the world dressed in the same boring clean-girl-office-siren-cottagecore-quiet-luxury aesthetic? why do these people see their vibe, their personal style, their aesthetic as uncool or not good enough?
i don’t know the answers to these questions (sorry if you were expecting answers here but it’s really all about the discussion) but what i do know is that none of the slick-back-bun-hailey-bieber-zombies have asked themselves do i like it, or do i like that it’s trending?
before i get too esoteric let’s ground this question in something tangible, a real-life example which hopefully you can relate to and apply to your life. sounds good? okay!
this year i have been obsessed with polka dots in a way i can only describe as slightly unhinged. the obsession was such that i started seeing them outside of just clothing — things like watering cans, shopping bags, mugs, rubbish bins(?!) if they had polka dots on them i suddenly thought, wait that’s chic. i own polka dot dresses, skirts, tops, bandannas, pants, it’s out of control. the obsession has bled out into my creative pursuits as well, i put polka dots on my instagram posts, overlaying them in collages, into my journal etc. and for a while i foolishly thought i was ahead of the curve, that i had found polka dots all by myself and that i was just totally in tune with my vibe and style and that i was the polka dot cat thrust amongst all of the slick-back-bun-hailey-bieber-pigeons.
i was brought back down to earth pretty quickly. polka dots were everywhere, yes i was wearing them but so was everyone else (you were as well probably!) they were a trend and that trend was trending, hard. it turned out that i had “discovered polka dots” coincidentally (?) in a year where polka dots were having their biggest moment in a long time. polka dots are nothing new — they’ve been sporadically popular since the 1920’s when norma smallwood’s miss america pageant-winning polka-dot swimsuit debut coincided with the debut of minnie mouse in her now iconic polka dot outfit.
the question i was then rudely forced to answer was this: did i stumble upon polka dots coincidentally because i am an ahead-of-the-trends style icon? or did instagram/tiktok/pinterest tell me to like polka dots? do i like polka dots, or do i just like that they’re trending?
if i am being completely honest… i do think the micro-trend big brother told me to like polka dots but i also do think i like them not because they are trending but because of the slightly retro, quirky, fun but chic vibe they represent. polka dots are a way that i can express a version of myself that’s less serious, less intent on being “chill” and “cool.” they’re loud and unafraid and when i wear them i feel a part of me is being represented that otherwise wouldn’t be and isn’t that what personal style is all about? i think it’s important to remember that just because you are wearing a trend doesn’t mean you immediately become a boring slick-back-bun-hailey-bieber-pigeon-zombie. trends are a part of fashion, it’s the choice to integrate or not integrate them into your wardrobe that makes it personal style.
i know normal people don’t sit and discuss whether their love for polka dots was indoctrinated or a fully individual thought (haha sigh) and i don’t expect you to do this either but i think asking ourselves simple questions such as: do i like it, or do i like that it’s trending? will help to reduce the insane micro-trend cycle and encourage more of us to throw off the boring slick-back-bun-hailey-bieber-pigeon-zombie shackles and just wear what we love.
and now that i have (hopefully) convinced you to question your trend choices rather than blindly purchase from whatever the big fast fashion retailer is peddling at the time, i shall return to the closet from whence i came. make sure to return next week when we discuss accessories as style anchors (it’s going to be great).
okay, we have now reached the portion of the blog where i pause my existential fashion ramblings, and together we go through my literal open tabs.
IZZYS OPEN TABS
LUCILA SAFDIE FOREVER DRESS
this brand is everything to me. their creative vision, their silhouettes, their colours, THIS DRESS. the lace with the polo and the black bra, im just obsessed
BONNIE CLYDE PRINCESSA SUNGLASSES
i need to be wearing these in an airport hiding from paparazzi or with an inconveniently large hat somewhere in italy
ELSIES ARCHIVE YAMAMA POLKA DOT DRESS
elsies archive is just the best curation of vintage pieces and she has done it again with this cutie dress. its giving ladybug in the best way
DOLLY DOLPHIN CAMO POLO SHIRT
i need this so badly y’all!! i love a polo and the camo here is just everything and the little pink collar peaking through?! stop it
FILLINTHEBLANK D STRAP BAG
obsessed with the d-ring strap and obsessed with the shape, this is going to be the next IT bag i can feel it
VIVIENS VINTAGE FRILL TOP
this is SO chic! imagine with a low waist or boot cut jean, the bonnie clyde princessa sunglasses and a giant bag. a DREAM
c u next friday <3
izzy.opentabs.com