The shape of things to come

You’d have to be a hibernating bear (and indeed have been hibernating for quite some time) to be completely unaware of the current worldwide financial crisis. A consequence of this meltdown is that the style sections of newspapers and magazines are now devoted to churning out features on investment dressing. Hem lines! WHAT. DO. THEY. MEAN? Some say they rise, and some are adamant that they fall with the stock market.

Ddjhfjkhudsuuuuuut6y7ue eeeebdhjsssPU)cl;xz zzzzzzzzzz’. Oh, sorry! Seem to have dozed off there. Trying to keep track of what length my skirt should be and the cost per wear of any investment pieces I am thinking of purchasing has left me simply exhausted.

But, there is more to say on this subject then what’s currently being recycled in the media, which is “customers should look for investment pieces and value for money”. Well. Yes.

Jess Cartner-Morley, fashion editor at the Guardian explores this well excavated subject a little further in this article, lean times and hemlines. It’s a feature about how fashion will be affected by the credit crunch, in the aesthetic sense rather than a business one. She reflects upon the trends that emerged from the boom and bust times in recent history with a view of defining this economic crisis’ appearance. She draws no firm conclusions but she does highlight a couple of interesting theories including this one from Valerie Steele, internationally renowned Fashion Historian:

The hemlines theory was invented back in the 1920s. But it just doesn’t hold up. Take the 20s – hemlines actually began to fall in 1927, two years before the crash. They were falling by 1969, two years before the downturn of 1971

Contrary to popular belief it would seem that the ‘look’ of the great depression was actually a result of what was fashionable the two years prior to it.

Jess then goes on to quote Jo Hooper, Head of Womenswear at John Lewis. Hooper implies that the softer, sculpted, voluminous silhouette that is becoming popular will be the defining look of the recession. She identifies the current vogue for the round-shouldered look as:

cocooning, which is the feeling of wrapping up, of hunkering down. It’s a basic human instinct.

Both of these theories are very feasible. However never one to rest on my laurels, I decided to do some research of my own. Mystic Meg wouldn’t return my calls, so I settled for the next best thing: Mark Watson, the Womenswear Editor at trend forecasting agency WGSN. I asked him for his thoughts on what he felt the look of the credit crunch would be. This is the PG version of his email response:

The most obvious effect of ‘The credit crunch’ as we saw during Paris Fashion week is that most designers will march to their own tune, sticking to what they know best and satisfying customers who are loyal to their labels rather than putting their heads on the chopping block of fashion whimsies. What may be of interest is that prior to this financial crisis designers were focusing on the shoulder and the power dressing 80s particularly taking silhouettes from Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana. In times of a strong financial system there is a the ‘power’ look whilst we at WGSN are currently moving towards a more fantastical, ethereal feeling soft layers, a looser silhouette looking at Bill Gibb also Nina Ricci collection in Paris.

Reading these three very different responses from credible industry experts; it is obvious that defining what the aesthetic of the credit-crunch will be is no easy feat. Not least because there are no parallels to be drawn between ‘fashions’ from one recession to the next. Each financial crisis has been brought about by different economic factors, which therefore in turn mean consumer habits, circumstances and attitudes are unique to that period of time.

Nevertheless history will record that this recession had a ’style’ just as it has done for the 1930s and 1970s, regardless of whether it was actually the result of the downturn.

So, lets try and put this subject to bed once and for all! Vote! VOTE! VOTE LIKE YOU ARE SHAPING TOMORROW! Because you are.

Edith

All images are SS09 from Style.com. In order of appearance: Balmain, Balenciaga, Nina Ricci

Autumn/Winter 08/09 Trends

Want to update your wardrobe, but not sure where to start? Need help figuring out which autumn trends are for you? Look no further! Some Like it Fashion is here to help! This questionnaire will help you identify your key looks for the season; because as we all know the many complex problems of the universe can be solved with a simple and clichéd survey:

Which of the following quotes do you most identify with?

1. Work is like a sport. It’s hard and we all want to win. (Harold Tillman)
2. Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man. (John Lennon)
3. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. (Proverbs 31)
4. I never leave underwear at a guys place because I never see it again. (Samantha Jones, SATC)
5. I fear being a completely acceptable sheep in society (Marylin Manson)

What is your favourite colour?

1. The colour of money.
2. Brown, the shade of the earth.
3. Traditional warm shades of red and green.
4. Anything that brings attention to my tits.
5. Black. Dark black.

What do you have on your i-pod?

1. A mixture of stuff. Classical, power ballads, soft rock. I’m very eclectic. And clever.
2. I-pod? Dude, you’ve gotta get it on vinyl!
3. What’s an i-pod? Do you mean music? I have a Cliff Richard album on cassette. Mistletoe and Wine is a tuuuuune!
4. Cheesey pop, stuff I can reaaaaally dance to. Britney, Xtina, Girls aloud, Beyonce, they’re all on there.
5. Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees. I like bands that have black album covers.

What is your theme tune?

1. Eye of the tiger, Survivor.
2. Born to be wild, Steppen Wolf
3. A spoonful of sugar, Mary Poppins
4. I touch myself, The Divinyls
5. Ignore the machine, Alien Sex Fiend

What is your favourite part of the body?

1. My mind. The body is over sexualised by the media. I want to be appreciated for my intelligence and wit. There is more to me than my breasts.
2. Whoaaah, heavy question dude. I guess my hands. Without them, how would I smoke?
3. The womb. It gives the greatest gift. That of life.
4. The schlong. Yum.
5. Hair. It can be died black.

If you had to watch a Demi Moore film ,which would you chose?

1. G.I. Jane
2. One Crazy Summer
3. Ghost
4. Disclosure
5. The Seventh Sign. (It is dark film. Dark is like black.)

If you were an animal you’d be…

1. A crocodile. They’re adaptable survivors. They see what they want and they get it.
2. A bird. They are free of the politics of our society. They can fly and roam as they please.
3. A dog. They are loyal, loving and reliable. Just like me.
4. A monkey. They can masturbate in public and nobody judges them.
5. A bat. They are black and they like blackness.

If you were a bear you’d be…

1. A spectacled bear. I want to be taken seriously.
2. A sloth. Chillax, man.
3. A polar bear. They are the cutest by far.
4. A panda. When I have sex it’s newsworthy.
5. An American black bear. Because they’re black.

*Drumroll*

Prepare to be dazzled (and a little freaked out at how spookily accurate I am) . If you answered mostly:

1: Ambitious, driven and tenacious. That’s you that is. You work hard and you are going places. Daaaam straight. Your wardrobe reflects your desire to be taken seriously by your peers. You want to look successful yet intimidating. And riiiiich. The super-structured tailoring and sculptural trends are perfect for you. Look to YSL, Balenciaga and Jil Sander for inspiration.

2: Although you may not know it yet, deep, deep, deep, deep down you are a kaftan wearing, incense lighting, peace loving, hairy armpitted, stinky hippy. Yup. Embrace your inner tree hugger this season with Gucci, Hermes and Dries Van Noten. They will let you indulge your wandering Indian spirit with their interpretations of folk (fringing, paisley and embroidery) and tunics and trousers trends.

3: Hear that? Listen quietly. Yes, that. It´s your ovaries throbbing. You see family is your main focus. Either the one you have or the desire in your womb to have one ASAP. Clothes are secondary to this (a very important secondary mind you). This season you´ll need washable items in colours and prints that don’t show chocolate hand prints and baby vomit. Tartan is ideal for this, as is the heritage trend with its practical fabrics. Dolce and Gabanna, Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith should be your starting points.

4: Oh you doity, doity, doity, dooooog. You loved to get dressed up, for well, any occasion. But not to the detriment of your body mind you (you side stepped that whole sack dress debacle unlike the rest of us). You’ll love this season’s peek-a-boo (sheer fabrics such as chiffons) and tomato red trends. They’re ideal for the gorgeous exhibitionist in you. Check out Dior, Giles and La Perla.

5: Black. You love it. You wear it not because you feel safe in it like most people, you choose black because you feel it differentiates you from the masses. You wear it with an edge. If you weren’t a goth a school you almost certainly secretly fancied one. Channel your black passion using the lace and soft goth trends this season. Prada, Givency and Chanel will be right up your dark street.

Edith