Southern Protocol

Suppose I told you the biggest fashion trends for the spring were beyond ridiculous, like Lady Gaga-esque leotards with feather jackets and green lipstick? You would probably think, “riiight… Note to self: take Southern Protocol’s blog OFF my daily reading list.”

But suppose it was 1960 and I had told you the same thing? Chances are you would’ve sighed, sprayed on some more hairspray and thought, “Well… I don’t necessarily love it, but off I go on a hunt for the best birdy jacket I can find!” Why the difference? Up until fairly recently, the “trends” that designers and big time retailers dictated to the masses were the end-all, only options. All designers somehow agreed that short skirts were the way to go this season, or flared bottoms. You had no choice because it was all you could buy.

Fast forward to 2010, when the runways are filled with high and low necklines, short and long skirts, skinny and wide pants, dresses and shorts, neutrals and brights – all sometimes by the same designer. Now instead of just accepting one trend, we have the ability to dress for OUR bodies, what looks best on us. I personally look foul in drop-waist dresses, so I avoided them completely. Designers are pulling their inspirations from every decade, every old film, every country. It truly is amazing to think about the CHOICES we have in fashion!

These ideas are flushed out in a fantastic article in the Wall Street Journal, mostly as a foreshadowing opinion about the upcoming New York Fashion Week. Author Christina Brinkley goes so far as to say that there are no fashion trends anymore, that fashion trends exist simply as a marketing tool to get people to shop. Her opinion on the trench coat trend, for example? That it’s been “in” for the past few years, and will be “hot” for the next five, too – just with different adjectives (see Fall 2009’s “Safari” themed collections).

Read the article! Think about whether it’s a good thing (freedom to dress to express ourselves), or if it’s a huge hurdle for the fashion industry to overcome (dilution of trends means spending more money on advertising to get shoppers to your store). Either way, you’ve gotta love the vast amounts of clothing to choose from