heads up, wardrobe_remix fans and members of JPG magazine!

JPG magazine is running a photo challenge theme this week focusing on my baby, wardrobe_remix!

the fine people over at JPG magazine asked me to be a guest editor for this theme, what an honor!

see their blog post about the challenge here, and if you’re a member of JPG, you can enter a photo in the challenge and vote upon the submissions as well. the same basic rules that apply over at wardrobe_remix apply for this challenge…ya know, head-to-toe and all that jazz.

if you’d just like to browse the entries entered thus far, go here!

the contest runs through next week.

thanks, JPG magazine! i cannot wait to see all the fabulous entries.

due to my busy-ness last week, this feature took a little unplanned vacay. whoopsie-daisy!

so, lots to share this week. enjoy, and as usual, feel free to comment and discuss at will!

-times are tough and getting tougher financially. food and gas prices are soaring and clearly, many people are feeling the pinch (via the new york times). what i am curious about is…does the ever increasing cost of fuel put the breaks on your ventures out in to the world? what about when it comes to shopping? do you take less trips into town to indulge in fashion-finding missions (retail, secondhand, or otherwise)? have you turned to alternate forms of transportation? when money is tight, what becomes a priority for you? does satiating your style bug become less important in the scheme of things? has it already?

-ever heard of the lipstick theory of economics? seems that mr. lauder (of estee lauder) noted that sales of his lipstick seemed to shoot up precipitously when things, particularly in terms of world and personal finance, are a bit unstable (via the new york times). in times of economic uncertainty, women seem to be more likely to buy a couple of relatively inexpensive lipsticks (or the equivalent) to give their mood a boost, rather than dropping hundreds of dollars on say, a designer dress. obviously, the beauty companies are banking on this percolating trend. and it seems to make some sense as far as economic theory is concerned, say experts in that field. but thus far this year, the numbers haven’t borne said theory out.

what about you? when the budget belt is tight and getting tighter, do you find yourself forgoing those big ticket items, instead choosing to go for little luxuries? what else do you do to stretch a dime, while at the same time satiating your need for a fun little sartorial pick-me-up?

-according to carole white of the premier model management agency in the UL, there is a dearth of black models in modeling and by extension, media because, and i quote: “according to magazines, black models don’t sell.” british photographer nick knight says the problem stems from those in high places in the fashion industry, who believe that black models are ‘”not aspirational” or “don’t sell in Asia”‘. (via the independent). what??

does that imply that “white” is that color of money? is “white” the only thing that is or can be considered beautiful these days? i call BULLSHIT. what happened to the healthy diversity in modeling and fashion that was in vogue in years past? what is this apparent racism in the fashion industry REALLY all about? anyone else think this apparently lack of diversity in media is reprehensible and disgusting?

for further reading on the same: jourdan dunn is the color of money (via the times online)

and a positively ginormous pile of the quick and dirty!:

-my absolute FAVORITE new york city boutique, i heart, now has a blog! ’bout time, gals! now you just need an e-commerce site so we can enjoy the wonderfulness of your store even at a distance…

-as a guest blogger on design*sponge, illustrator/designer julia rothman shows how to turn a drawing into a repeated pattern, w/o the help of handy tools like photoshop. it can be done! would be a cool way to turn an illustration you’ve made into a cool piece of printed fabric, for starters…

-woot, a knit bias stripe stitch pattern! thanks, vogue knitting!

-make an effort to take good photographs! it matters! people are looking, and they DO notice poopy photography/imagery. at least, i do! do you? the 10e20 blog offers up 21 ways to shoot better photographs.

-craft: spread the word: knit1 (the fun knitting/crochet mag put out by the makers of vogue knitting) has a page with free downloadable pdf’s of v. cute patterns. that are free. yay! (on a related note, i am grooving on the colors in their ‘ginormous baby blanket’…oooh! ahhh! rainbows!)

-love this tutorial for a quilt on oh fransson! that features ‘crazy’ nine patch blocks. the fractured, offbeat look of said blocks makes me think of some of the work of modern quilt maven, denise schmidt.

-the purl bee gives us the run down on thimbles…calling them an essential for any sewing kit. and depending on your sewing needs the project you’re working on, i’d have to say i agree.

-i need to make one of these super cute yoga mat bags using the pattern and instructions offered up by bored and crafty, stat. one made out of some patchwork fabric would be mighty me and quite lovely, methinks.

-show those plastic sandwich bags the door, forever! check out this little how-to on how to make a little reusable sandwich wrap, from the small object.

-damn right, san francisco is crafty! feisty elle put together a great google map with points that correspond to artsy-craftsy destinations-of-interest in this here fair city by the bay. i cannot even express how awesome this is. thanks for doing all that work, feisty elle! crafters and makers of the bay area salute you.

-i have basically no hair, so this can’t do *me* any good, but i am totally grooving on this how-to on how to make your own hair-ties, on bluelines. if i had long, lustrous tresses, i’d go nuts picking out just the right buttons and baubles to adorn my locks! the crazier the better…

-i recently learned that lion brand yarns has a blog. while i don’t love everything lion brand does (some of their designs are more than a bit clunky/old fashioned in an off way, and some of the yarns are too synthetic for my personal taste), i do like what they do now and again and check in with their site on occasion to see what new patterns they have on offer. this relaxed, slouchy market bag pattern is rather lovely…and it looks easy to crochet, tout suite.

i’ve had a busy few weeks. came back from hawaii the monday before last, a short week commenced, and then my in-laws came that friday and we spent almost the whole day with them for four days in a row. and then, another short but ridiculous week started for me…and it’s the one i still find myself in. lots of appointments and such like to attend to from now until the weekend. i need some rest! i am yearning for a real “day off”. whatever that means…hopefully it means just zoning out and staring at the wall a little! or, ok…maybe something more productive, like knitting or sewing…that would be exceedingly lovely. *sigh*

some other things on my mind of late:

-the maker faire was amazing. we went on saturday and took my in-laws with us and also had the company of some friends as well…and i walked around as much as i could, trying to take in all the sights and sounds. big hellos again to everyone i met who recognized me from this humble little blog! you are sweet. i wish i would have had more time to mill around the bizarre bazaar and such, but alas…

-i’m freakin’ addicted to kashi cinnamon harvest cereal right now. i get sort of antsy when i get to the bottom of a given box! i usually slather it in a layer of bananas or strawberries, depending on what’s around.

-with all this fatigue i’ve been having lately i have been finding myself getting into slap-happy giggle fits. this post about photobombing (particularly the first link) set me off in peals of laughter this morning.

-a fascinating fashion tome i picked up in antwerp, belgium last year and just now started reading: the fashion reader. amazon describes it better than i can manage at this juncture:

The Fashion Reader is designed for students, scholars, and anyone interested in contemporary fashion. The book brings together the key writings on the subject, covering the history, culture, and business of fashion. The extracts are drawn from a wide range of sources–books, professional and academic journals, magazines, interviews and exhibition catalogues.

best for those who want to delve a little deeper into all things fashion (like yours truly, natch!) instead of skimming the surface of said world.

before i launch into this most recent bunch o’ links, i want to say thanks for the HUGE response to my why do we wear what we wear? post early last week. i guess i touched on something there! i am constantly floored at how intelligent and creative and diverse you all are. thanks for reading! and for sharing and discussing. i’m constantly humbled by the fact that you stop by and are in some way interested in what i blog about or…really, anything i post!

now, on with the show!

-the bay area maker faire, put on by make: and craft: is this coming weekend, may 3rd and 4th, down in san mateo, california, at the san mateo fairgrounds. are any of you bay area denziens planning on going?

fun fact: i spoke about wardrobe_remix at last year’s maker faire! it was a blast.

and looks like they have a TON of great craft demos and crafty happenings going down this year too, including the bizarre bazaar. my in-laws are due to visit this weekend…maybe we’ll drag them down there for a look-see! *evil laugh*

-reason # 7658934563 that fashion trend pronouncements are a steaming pile of stinking TRIPE: the fashion industry (well, really, idiotic fashion editors, designers, and their ilk) is now claiming that the dress is “OUT” (via the new york times). seriously?? like people are going to stop wearing dresses because some dolt like anne slowey claims they are “out”??? just thinking about this and how inane and non-sensical such a statement is makes me want to slam my head against the wall repeatedly in frustration. (via a dress a day) dresses make up a very broad and diverse category of clothing, so to say all dresses are “out” as of this coming fall (??) just sounds completely moronic. like, are all brides going to forgo the trad wedding DRESS in lieu of wedding PANTS, for starters??

now do you understand why i constantly say “trends” are just a bunch of garbage? this kind of thing TOTALLY proves my point…if nothing else i’ve ever written to this end hasn’t worked in convincing you.

and a big old stack of the quick and dirty!:

-i love love LOVE this how-to on hand-dying trims, by a little imagination and a pile of junk. bright, and happy…and could be used in so many ways. your imagination is probably the only limitation! (via craft:)

-this knitted food by artist ed bing lee looks scrumptious! (via fly)

-check out this inspiring sweater recon by one pearl button. i can think of a million stylish ways to riff off that idea…again, the possibilities seem endless!

-some super-duper pretty dahlias made from rick-rack, by made with love by hannah. would be lovely as a brooch, hair do-dad, or hat decoration, methinks!

-threadbanger’s blog has a great round-up of ways to make handmade shoes…check it!

-the human ecology collection of the university of wisconsin-madison has an online archive of vintage dressmaking, fashion design, costume design, millinery (aka hatmaking), and sewing texts provided in full available for your perusal right here. an AMAZING resource for makers and designers, to say the least.

-check out this patchwork/collaged chair tutorial by dutch artist jane schouten on design*sponge. i’m literally drooling over it…so covetable, and so do-able!

-the coveted dishes out the deets on a slew of great ebay sellers who specialize in designer and vintage goodies. worth a peek!

-there’s apparently a new (to me?) SF street fashion blog, called san francisco style (via design that kills). what makes it different from the pack? a huge amount of commentary by the authors on the stylish who were snapped on SF’s streets.

tons and tons and TONS to share today!

enjoy, my pets!

-seems like (almost everything) one buys these days, especially clothing, has a tag bearing the words “made in china”. for some time now, china has been a manufacturing powerhouse, making many products we in the west consume cheaply and plentifully. but such plenty and such cheapness, while it benefits corporations and manufacturers and their profit margins, comes at a cost…both for many of the chinese (particularly the chinese workers), and most certainly, for us, who are about to be paying more for those aforementioned chinese-made goods (via slate).

a chinese backlash seems to be blooming, in britain, and elsewhere. china’s bad record on issues like the environment, labor issues, and so forth have some talking about and trying to personally boycott chinese products (via BBC.com).

but, are such boycotts bound to be successful? who do such boycotts REALLY affect? would trying to boycott chinese products ultimately prove to be a great and complex challenge, when so much of what surrounds us is made or made from materials sourced from that vast country? what are the alternatives to chinese made products, particularly when it comes to clothing? (via the telegraph) and another thing: are you REALLY willing to pay more and work harder to avoid that which is made in a manner that you find displeasing?

-speaking of britain and ethical clothing: the BBC has launched an online ethical fashion magazine, called thread (via the telegraph). hopefully it will prove to be a jolly good effort when it comes to covering all things ethical fashion.

a stellar feature from the thread mag that also relates to all the chinese/ manufacturing talk above: from factory to high street: the hidden cost of cut-price clothes

-through a dress a day, i learned about a “kerfuffle” that occured at the recently commenced st. louis fashion week:

seems a gal named ashley dayley submitted a dress to the show made from an iconic vintage (and recently re-issued) butterick sewing pattern. at first glance, it seemed as if ashley dayley was merely a copycat, trying to pass off a garment made from a commercially made pattern as her own.

ashley later claimed that this information was well-known to those involved with the fashion show (in fact, the rules of the show allegedly allowed garments made from commercial patterns), and as such she did not see any issue with submitting a “design” made from a commercial sewing pattern to said show.

but the trouble was, this wasn’t too clear from the PR surrounding the show that ashley (or anyone else, for that matter), wasn’t just trying to pass off a dress made from a commercially made pattern as his/her own…until ashley herself tried to clear it all up (check the comments on the DOTD post).

regardless of what actually happened in this whole ashley dayley/st. louis fashion show thing, this story does bring up some issues regarding what constitutes ‘original’ design, and just what makes someone a ‘designer’…

here’s my take (coming from a fashion design educational background):

the mere act of making a garment from a commercial sewing pattern (even if you, say, add your own embellishment) DOES NOT make you the ‘designer’ of that garment, or a ‘designer’ period.

making a garment from a pattern may make you artistic and creative, a skilled dressmaker, crafty, and a myriad of other things. but it does not imply that you designed that sewing pattern…the fundamental basis of the/any garment.

to me, being the ‘designer’ of a garment implies that you created an garment from scratch (i.e. you DID NOT use a commercial pattern as the basis of your design). you drafted or draped the pattern yourself (or employed a patternmaker to do so as your explicit proxy), and in many (though not all) cases you are likely to be responsible for everything related to the design from the idea and pattern stage onwards…including but not limited to creating the initial sketch, the calculations and other technical skills employed to make that sketch come to life through said patternmaking/drafting or draping, the fabrication and embellishment decisions employed on/in said garment, and sometimes, also sewing/constructing said garment.

i sometimes sew, knit or crochet from a pattern that has been designed by another person or persons (for instance, a company who makes commercial patterns). certainly, i make choices concerning the materials i use, and occasionally make subtile tweaks to said patterns to have said patterns work better for me. i am, of course, proud of what i have done to fashion said garment and certainly consider work made from said patterns to be a creative endeavor and effort.

HOWEVER, i personally would NEVER deign to call myself the ‘designer’ of said patterns, i can only be the owner of the result of using those patterns…and nothing else. the original designer is the one who deserves the credit for the idea…i can only take credit for my version of THEIR DESIGN. i would never make something using someone else’s blueprints and call it my own. i see it as wrong, period. all rightful acknowledgement for the original design, in my mind, can ONLY go to the person who came up with the original idea or pattern. to take another person or persons designs and call them my own, in any way, would be against my personal beliefs and ethics.

i believe that the selling of wares made from commercially available patterns is a copyright violation, not aboveboard at all…yet, people do it all the time, and it’s somehow somewhat acceptable to some…

the issue is, of course, for some, very complicated, and i could probably discuss it it ad nauseam!…it’s even a common issue in the fashion industry at large. opinions differ, of course. from mine, from yours.

some questions, as usual:

does just making a dress/sweater/anything from a commercial pattern make you a designer? what constitutes an ‘original’ clothing design? when do you believe that someone can rightfully call themselves a designer, and the work they make an original design? what is a completely ‘original’ idea, when it comes to clothing, or anything else?

what say you?

-body image issues are up for debate, both in the culture at large, and now even in the lower house of france’s parliament, who’ve approved a bill that would “make it illegal for anyone — including fashion magazines, advertisers and Web sites — to publicly incite extreme thinness”. the target here, of course, is the fashion industry, and violating this proposed law could land said stylish perps of emaciatedness in court, or sock them with hefty fines. the point, say french lawmakers, is to affect a change in the way that body image is perceived in the fashion industry, and by extension, the culture at large. of course, the french federation of couture takes issue with this proposed bill, not wanting to have to bow to any outside controls…(via the new york times)

-why can’t a woman shop more like a man? (via the telegraph) indeed! perhaps we can learn a thing or two from the fellows when it comes to smart shopping…for starters: employing a little forethought and strategy into the purchases we do actually make, forgoing the trendy-trendy-of-the-moment pieces for the savvy, more long-lasting purchases, and saving those occasional extravagant buys for the sales only.

and of course….the quick and dir-tay!:

-nylon recently posted a mini-interview with eley kishimoto, one of my all time favorite designers (design TEAM, i should say)!

-quilts and patchwork are cool and rule! emily and i are on the same page, as evidenced by a recent post on her blog, go go distro, called quilted appreciation.

-and more quilty goodness: if only i could go see these fabulous art quilts at the wayne art center that fly gives us a peep at…i’d be a happy camper!

-a polka dot stitch pattern, from vogue knitting! i am itching to bust out the knitting needles RIGHT NOW and use this for something, anything, maybe EVERYTHING! YESSSSS!

-how to drape a bodice, a video from domestic haven (via craft:)

-from the threadbanger blog: how to remake old sweaters into spring cardigans!

-jennifer perkins of naughty secretary club shows you how to make your own take on tom binns ‘no time watch’. sweet!

-a reminder for you san franciscans/bay area denziens:

the 2008 discarded to divine fashion show and auction is coming up soon! it’s on april 26th, at 7 pm, at the academy of art’s building over at 601 brannan street, in the soma district here in san francisco.

i posted about the upcoming event way back at the end of february…i was planning on going, but oops, turns out i’ll be resting and relaxing on a beach in hawaii that weekend! so, i beg of you, GO! and report back!

get a peep at select, stunning garments that will be featured at the show by checking out sf indie fashion’s fabulous discarded to divine sneak preview!

according to the telegraph, fashion mags are now photoshopping curves onto skinny models and celebs in an attempt to deflect criticism concerning possible objectification of said skinny models in the recent past. wait, first these models aren’t skinny enough…now they are TOO skinny? seriously, WTF? i think this quote nails the ridiculousness of all this:

…Susan Ringwood, the chief executive of the eating disorder charity Beat, condemned the practice. “Altering models’ bodies to appear fuller-figured proves that the industry acknowledges there is a serious issue with projecting images of very thin models, but [it is] missing the point,” she said. “They should be using naturally healthy models in the first instance, instead of having to make them look that way.”

indeed. EMBRACE REALITY, fashion industry, it’s the latest trend!

-has the sartorialist has overstepped his boundaries as a street fashion photographer? not wanting to limit himself to merely concentrating on documenting stylish folks, he’s now moving on to ‘making over’ those who allegedly just don’t make the cut as fodder for his site. seems he’s wanting to make such folks conform to the sartorialist “look”, or make them look “better”…implying there’s a standard to conform to, stylewise. over 500 comments show that at least a few folks are questioning (and also supporting) this move of his…

for me, the post in question in turn begs these questions:

…should street fashion photographers dispense style advice? what is a street fashion photographer’s intention or job? to merely document, or dictate? should a street fashion blog be about celebration, or about dissection (of a person’s style)?

…can any one street fashion photographer be truly diverse in what they show or choose to show, given their own tastes and inclinations?

what say you?

and the quick and dirty (the all-sock edition!):

-these prep-tastic pom-pom socks featured on the purl bee are so deliciously cute. the pom-poms are completely reminiscent of bunny tails…and who doesn’t like bunnies? *grin* anyway, i think said socks could be super suave and more than a little subversive done in a really riotous color combo, like neon yellow paired with gray, or mint green paired with red-orange. natch.

-metapostmodernknitting is running a sock design challenge. the aim? to create an artsy and/or fashionable knitted sock for women. think you’ve got the knit wits and style sense to come up with something suitable? go to this blog post on MPMK for more details! (via craft:)

i am in deep, deep love with these wearable knitted bits and bobs by japanese knitwear artist/designer mafuyu:

(bonus factoid: mafuyu is also one of the artists behind the knitted homes (officially entitled ‘my town in my home’) that made the rounds on the internets some time ago.)

-i know pretty much everyone else thinks karl lagerfeld is a god, but after reading this interview with him on jezebel, he just seems to me to be an elitist, misanthropic ass. seriously though, whatever you think of old karl, the interview (rife with discussion of the myriad things he loathes) is a laugh riot. (thanks to design that kills)

-this week i came across two articles from the the new york times that focus on body shape and size and how such is typically received in the culture at large. i felt that they are also quite connected to matters of fashion, body image, and the like, so i’m bringing them to your attention: one, a report on research that suggests that fat bias is worse for women, and two, a look at what life [is like] as a tall girl.

to the first, i say, damn right women find more criticism as a result of their size and shape, whatever it is. what say you? and do you think the results of this study are right on? or off-base? and if you’re a man and you’re actually reading this, what can you say about these matters? are men as criticized for their weight as women seem to be?

and as for the second, if nothing else, it sheds some light on what it’s like to go through life being a little different from the norm. something i’m sure we all can relate to, in some way, shape or form (pun intended).

-speaking of body parts and body image: for the moment, fashion seems to have banished the bosom (via the telegraph). being a card-carrying member of the big-busted crew (not of my own will, but the will of a powerful little thing called…oh, genetics?), i take issue with this sweeping, somewhat misogynistic fashion movement, on behalf of my fellow busties and less-endowed sisters alike. one bust shape is not inherently better than the other. hey designers! stop making it hard for all of us to get dressed (depending on the moment and your ridiculous whims)…and be a little more realistic about the shape of the average human body and the bodies of your markets, else you risk looking like you’re of minimal brain and minimal creativity.

-in combing over my blog’s technorati links, i came across a lovely menswear-focused blog called style salvage. in the post i saw, they happened to be pimping wardrobe_remix (saying it needs more men, and i agree!)…so sweet. so i am making it my mission right now to pimp them. the content over there: smart, savvy, young, and approachable. keep up the great work, guys!

-ever wanted to get a small peek into the wonder that is thrift town, that great san francisco thrifting mecca i frequent every week and have mentioned here a million times? the venerable apartment therapy: san francisco grants your wish with this post on thrift town and the fab finds to be found within. granted, it’s mostly about their home finds, but you get the idea.

the quick quick and dirty dirty:

-i am so envious of the nicely outfitted silkscreen printing studio of boston-based stationary printers two trick pony (recently featured on poppytalk)

-this big crumb rhubarb coffee cake by smitten kitchen makes me drool. (why am i posting this? because cooking is creative, natch!)

-i’m feeling a knee sock obsession coming around again in my life. in the spring? yes, i am weird. anyway, these clessidra stockings on knitty address and answer said obsession beautifully.

feel free to comment with cool links, as always…!

in a relatively recent post on one of my new fave blogs, a cup of jo, i was happy to learn about german photographer albrecht tübke. jo deemed tübke “the alternative sartorialist”…and, at first glance, i can certainly see at least some connection between the two. both photographers source people from the street for their subject matter, and aesthetically, too there are similarities: straight on, documentarian style portrait photography is their game.

tübke takes stunning photographs of everyday, (sometimes very stylish) german people. as i see it, though, what sets tübke’s work apart from the aforementioned style shooter is this: tübke seems to choose to scout a decidedly diverse cross-section of subjects who appear to be a bit more ‘ordinary’ than the fashion insiders favored by the sartorialist. one could say tübke’s work is kind of about fashion in an abstract sense, as his subjects are clothed, and their clothing certainly speaks to and supports the story of who these people are…but any fashion depicted therein appears to be more idiosyncratic and personal, sometimes and often utilitarian, but not always current. and that it’s not current fashion doesn’t matter. tübke’s main focus seems to be depicting the essence of an individual and what makes them such. fashion takes a supporting role, not a starring one (as would be the case with the work of the sartorialist).

some portraits from albrecht tübke’s portfolio:

(a related aside: when *i* look at tübke’s work, with it’s reverent, documentarian ethos/aesthetic, i immediately see parallels with the work of diane arbus…particularly because his work includes a series that focuses upon twins (see: arbus’s twins). unlike arbus, whose body of work focused heavily on individuals who lingered on the fringes of society (little people, giants, transvestites, and so forth), tübke’s work obviously focuses more on the everyday man, woman or child. but still…i see a link betwixt the two. just throwin’ that out there.)

*is* there anything wrong with fashion right now?

perhaps it’s all fine and dandy to some, and some aren’t perceiving anything…but…

sometimes i get this feeling that something seems like it’s all coming to a head…there’s a certain, but increasingly palpable uncertain-ness in the air, from a fashion industry perspective, but also, from a consumer perspective. i know a lot of people may not be able to perceive it, they may not care, but i’m feeling it acutely, almost like it’s a premonition.

it feels as if, collectively, as a culture, we’re all wondering where to go next and what’s going to happen next.

i know i cannot the only one feeling a subtle paradigm shift happening in terms of fashion…and really, a shift happening in the culture at large. it seems as if perceptions are shifting on a grand scale.

do you feel this too? or no? if not, what do you feel? articulate it, if you can!

(frankly, i love thinking about fashion and style, i like the idea of fashion, the process of making wearables…but the reality of the way it is in the stores and on the runways right now just leaves me wanting, leaves me cold and questioning.)

(and so, i absorb. i think. and i question.)

on the absorbing tip…

the article from WWD (in the snap above) queried fashion industry insiders who were pondering the current state of fashion at this very instant. the aforementioned called out the following as possible reasons why all things fashion-related feel more than a little uncertain:

-the economy tanking (especially here in the US, it’s beginning to look pretty dire…)

-insane prices of designer wear (coupled with the aforementioned weak US economy and value of the dollar against other currencies like the pound and euro)

-the lack of color in the recently commenced fall shows: black is dominant. people want and connect with color, but designers aren’t offering it (these dark colors for clothing seem almost funereal, and are, interestingly enough, an apt metaphor for the malaise and fear in the air culturally, politically and economically. hmm!)

-an overhyped fashion industry machine: stuff is churned out so fast and slammed into our face so much (via magazines, blogs, websites and the like), we lose sense of what season we’re in and what’s really significant at any given moment stylistically.

-the lack of a single, solitary “must-have” item in the market at the moment (a trend for consumers like us to fixate upon, which would drive us to the stores to buy, buy, buy)

-an off-kilter delivery cycle that puts clothing on the racks and shelves of stores months before a season actually starts…which works against the fact that people want to wear what they buy RIGHT NOW. why stash it away for later?? (think: putting out spring threads in the dead of winter, fall clothes in the heat of summer.)

-fast fashion is a worthy adversary: some retailers push new, relevant designs out to their floors constantly, pleasing the customer…something it’s more difficult for big designers to do or sustain. designers feel the pinch.

-some people would rather spend good money on the latest gadgets (think: iPhone), something that ensures long-lasting, practical use, than buy lots of (inevitably) trendy, disposable clothes.

on the thinking tip…

other possible reasons for malaise and uncertainty:

-some lament (and others celebrate) the diversity of today’s style scene: anything goes. this is bad news for manufacturers, who, like it says above, would probably prefer one dominant look to foist upon a large number of potential customers.

-and trends change SO FREAKING FAST now, consumers can’t keep up. and what happens when the trends du jour don’t resonate with customers? not everyone’s into each and every look! just because designers are into it, because designers are making it, doesn’t mean that customers are going to eat it up. the aforementioned diversity of today’s cultural landscape is at odds with that designer motive: many people cannot relate or find what’s on offer as being relevant to their bodies, or their lives.

consumers, people like us, all of us, who buy clothes, are feeling more than a little blasé about the current state of fashion and shopping too. a recent article from the telegraph references the article i paraphrased from WWD. called why fashion has gone off the rails, i feel it sort of encapsulates this current uncertain fashion zeitgeist:

You scarcely need to listen to the biblical chorus of retailers blaming the credit crunch, the weather, energy bills (anything but themselves) to see the evidence that this spring women have risen up, taken a look round the shops, pulled a face - and kept their plastic in their purses.


Clock the fact that the “mid-season sale” has arrived in so many places before the “season” has even got going (with barely a moment to clear winter’s discounted leftovers) and there’s only one thing to conclude: sorry, but we just don’t like these clothes that much.

consumers biggest complaint?

that, increasingly, clothes are not just blah in terms of style (non-comittal, non-novel, bland details), but are made cheaply of cheap materials. why bother buying when the garment is garbage even on the hanger?

low, low prices are only convincing for a while…when money is tight (and tighter with each passing day), buyers want to know that what they deign to buy is actually a deal, and not a dupe. *something* about that piece, whatever it is, has to sell it, has to signify it’s special nature to the shopper…and in that arena, manufacturers are falling short. perhaps the bottom hasn’t been reached, but we’re falling toward it.

something has to give, eventually, doesn’t it?

…because after all, those manufacturers and marketers are feeling the pinch too. cheap materials and labor mean the potential for eking out more profits…vitally important in economically restrictive days to come. some might call it greed, indeed. and some might say, well, those mass-market makers are just trying to stay afloat, to brace themselves from the wave of uncertainty and possible hard times that feel as if they just might be rumbling toward us all.

and so, some questions to foster discussion:

-what’s the answer, then? what do we do and buy in these times, if anything?

-in this dismal economic scene, where does fashion go? where do we go as consumers? what DO we choose to buy and do to express ourselves when what’s on offer doesn’t suit us anymore?

-do we keep on with this movement of making our own? do we increasingly take fashion and style into our own hands? could this mean even more interest in sewing, restyling, and the needle arts?

-will second-hand shopping become even more desirable for more people? what happens when we turn to said sources, and only find them crammed with discards from those cheap-chic stores? then what?

-what will happen to these designers, to luxury fashion, if the customers stop lining up to buy, from lack of funds, or lack of interest?

-if everything is in style, if everything is up for grabs, is there any way that we could, collectively, go back to accepting one main directive? is there a potential for one overriding aesthetic anymore?

-how do we digest and make sense of the call for more ethical, more green ways of living, of clothing and expressing ourselves, if at all? do these factors weigh in any with this feeling of uncertainty with what’s on offer in the shops, and what we choose, in the end, to put on our bodies? if so, what do we need to do?

indeed…

where is fashion going next?

(if anywhere??)