Monday, September 10, 2007

Fashion opinions, from someone who wore pajamas grocery shopping tonight ;)

So this weekend, we went to the--gasp!!--MALL. We had heard about a terrific sale on something we needed, and also wanted to share the one day we had together this weekend doing something OUTSIDE of this house!

So, I got to see a bit of the trends and fashions both in the window displays and on the sullen teens themselves--and here are my latest opinions, hot off the presses:

Maternity/Empire waisted shirts: NO
Still everywhere, still hate them. but I am learning that not everyone is pregnant, even though it is taking time. (When I walked past Motherhood Maternity, and the clothes were the exact same as the ones in every other store, it gave me a little secret chuckle.)

Euro-Trash/80's look: mostly NO
Fun and ironic on the VERY young, completely despicable and aging on anyone over 20.
You see, (and I don't think for a minute that I am the first one to ever point this out) when the world of fashion gets all caught up in "bringing back the ___" such and such decade, there is a dangerous fine line that gets crossed when you "bring back" something that just did not happen all that long ago, and that is this: Alot of folks still dress like it is the 80's. Folks that you do not want to emulate, I promise. So therefore, it can be a really really tenuous thing, this whole "hey remember last year?" thing. If you have 80's clothes on, then maybe you are just...from the 80's...which could make you 40 or older...get it....?

Young skinny boys in razor haircuts and red and black striped leggings and gobs of eyeliner and baggy shaker sweaters: kind of cute!

Wierd moms with white plastic hoop earrings and gold flats on: kind of Tanya Harding-ish!

Jumper dresses over ankle-tights, off the shoulder flashdance crop tops, and bubble skirts: I say no. I think in the NY indie scene, about 5 to 10 years ago, there was no way else to go that wasn't already taken, so people like Chloe Sevigny, right when the worst thing you could look like was some 1985 lady, did exactly that, and it was ironic and amazing. Huge brown sunglasses. Light blue roller skating shorts. Terry cloth tank tops. Red plastic earrings. But again, it takes a certain amount of chutzpah and je ne sais quoi and youth and purpose to pull this off. I feel quite certain that this was never, EVER meant to happen full time mainstream, and I just feel sorry for everyone.

I wonder what else from the 80's will make a comeback? Hideous tapered jeans that make even 15 year olds look like they have Mom-Butt? Huge rooster-combed bangs in the front, with wet, scrunched "spiral" permed hair dangling in the back? What about banana clips, acid wash, or fringe? What about roach clips in your hair--a real thing they did in my school--with the dangling down feathers of course--Or does this look actually still remain firmly in the grasps of the real burnouts, and do their numbers still rank high enough to keep this look forever relegated to the timeless world of the carnival and the biker? (Anyone notice how hard I am trying not to say white trash? I know it is offensive but it is harder than you think not to say it when discussing 80's fashion!)


Oh-- and p.s.-- giant hideous belts on the outside of your shirt??? Come on. Unless you are actually being a disco diva for actual Hallowe'en, or you are an actual pro-wrestler...no

Way, way far to the side parted hair: YES
I completely approve of this one. All my life I thought that people whose hair was parted way over to the side looked darling. think about it: Early episode Marcia and Jan Brady. That kid from Flipper. The early Beatles. Any baby you ever met. Little boys on picture day. ITS CUTE!!

Middle parted hair has come and gone in history, most of the images in my head are not too flattering: Alfalfa. Burn outs. Farrah Fawcett.

You have to have the right face for a middle part. Bo Bice looked darling in his hippie inspired locks. But noone looks bad with their hair parted on the side, if you ask me. Its just so cute!

Well, thats it for my fashion trend-watch. We got the kids their awesome new shoes, $8.49 a pair at Children's Place Outlet. We got some exercise, and we got out of the house. Until next time....

8 comments:

sneakmastergeneral said...

You make me think of hair and clothes and girly stuff....and believe me, I NEVER think of my appearance on a day to day basis...great, now I want to do hair stuff again...look what you made me do? =)

Beth said...

I am definitely not way into the 80's bit either until I get a flash of past loves like Ducky from Pretty in Pink or boys in skater magazines. I guess only the skinniest teen boys are allowed to rock it in my world. So cute that I feel vaguely pervy.

Kelley said...

Uggghh, I did not like the 80s, then or now. Personally, I sincerely hope that decade doesn't come back with a vengeance. But then, I was a little kid in the 80s, and was something of a nerd in the 90s, so my opinion in the fashion arena probably isn't of much use to anyone. I only learned how to dress in anything decent and not too frilly or frumpy recently, as in, since I had my last kid. You can just say that I was seriously messed up in my fashion sense for a seriously long time. This is actually quite embarrassing to admit.

Trish said...

I'm probably in the minority - I loved the 80s! I was having so much fun back then! I was in Jr. High in the mid 80s, and I swore I'd never wear any jeans that weren't tapered - lol! I loved my hair big and the shoulder pads and all of it -- Aquanet ruled! I loved the denim jackets and buttons with crazy sayings.

That all said, I am not the same now as I was then - I wouldn't want to dress like that now! Back then I loved guys with long hair - now I tend to look at them and think they need a haircut. Does this mean I'm old now?

Anyway, I loved reading your observations and opinions - I've gotten stuck in a rut of jeans and t-shirts because I feel lost in today's fashion! Maybe I need to try a side part?

Housefairy said...

Grrltrouble--
you are too hilarious. I am glad you see what I mean. Tiny teen boys only, on this trend, huh?

Housefairy said...

Trish--
Jeans and a tshirt are always awesome.I had a blast in the 80's, too- I stared out 5 years old and ended out 15 so very formative years!

As far as the side part thing, I think I need to find a picture to show what I was talking about. Your hair is awesome, don't change a thing!

mamalove said...

It must be something in the air...I'm all about fashion these days, though my current wardrobe of maternity wear isn't really reflecting this. I've gone so far as to plan out my winter look. Flats/dark denim/plunging necklines to show off these milk-filled sweeties. I need to feed my brain with something other than In Style, obviously.

Lifedreamed said...

i enjoyed your take and i agree with you on everything but the empire waist shirts... then again i've been trying to get pregnant for awhile with a second so i could just have pregnacy on the mind and therefore be untrustworthy on fashion issues concerning empire waist shirts.