Fashion Report

Posted by admin on Oct 1, 2008 in Arts & Culture | 1 comment

Lately, as I get dressed in the mornings and as I walk around campus, I’ve come to the realization that, in many ways, fashion is reverting back to the old school.

For instance: I walk to class and I see girls walking by in hippie headbands, shapeless shirts and those itty-bitty skirts of the 60s. I see high-rise pants, which five years ago I would never have considered cool, but which now I find myself coveting. Guys walk by in cardigans I remember my grandpa wearing, and suddenly I find grandpa sweaters attractive. Those hats that Bob Dylan used to wear that looked cool but outdated are suddenly new and artsy. The new mullet rocks even though my mom assured me they would never ever be cool again. And neon – it’s everywhere, no longer will the paths of TWU be full of dull, drab colours. Just a few months ago it was garish and yet, wherever neon appears, whether in hats, backpacks, hoodies, shoes, or tights, it is too cool. It’s not like we’re the first ones to wear this stuff; we’re wearing what our parents wore at our age, but it feels up-to-date and exciting.

I think that a lot of it has to do with that fact that we, as an age group, like things that make us as unique as possible. Suddenly anything goes. The more we stand out the better, we can have the same kinds of clothes as everyone else, but if we wear them differently then we can express our own unique personality. Blending in is no longer desired; gone are the days of monochromatic ensembles. With an outfit choice we can show an aspect of ourselves, whatever we want people to see. We could proverbially flip the bird at conventionality and wear 15 patterns all at once; or, we can express the fact that we think abstractly through angular lines and sharp silhouettes.

Not only do we like things to be unique, but our age group (or maybe just the crowd I roll with) has developed a love affair with old clothes, not just old styles. Whether they’re borrowed from our parents’ closets, real “vintage,” or plain old second-hand they are far cooler than the new stuff. For now, Value Village is the new Abercrombie and Fitch. It could just be how cheap everything is, but we love the used stuff. If the shirt you’re wearing was made 20 years ago when neon block prints were cool for the first time, then no one else has it—and that’s snazzy.

So with the varied trends and the mix-and-match styles of earlier decades we find an outlet of artistic expression, a way of showing ourselves as individuals. Whether it’s a pair of Ray-bans, super cool gladiator sandals, or a funky tie-dye shirt that makes us feel like we stand out in a crowd, that’s cool. Chances are, we will. So as we go through this current fashion cycle of “anything old-school goes,” have a good time. Embrace the craziness. We’ll probably want to shoot ourselves in 20 years for what we’re wearing now, but who cares? We’ll be unique, and right now that means a lot.