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Watch for it.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:28:37 +0100

Sorry I haven't posted for awhile! Here you go... Here goes it!

Memories. Some bitter and some sweet. But they all thread into one reminder; of the days when you were younger. Oh, to be young again! Memories of when there was nothing but time, and never a clock around to remind you of the minutes ticking. With the Y generation flexing their spending power in an economic turndown that means little to them, and the generation still being in the age where youth was just days ago, we could potentially see a trend in youthful product spending. “Adult-size” toys for a booming generation of spenders; sports cars and motorcycles (think matchbox), purchasing and remodeling foreclosed homes (think leggo’s), and oversized necklaces and earrings (think Barbie) to name just a few. And how about that pesky issue of time? It keeps getting away from us, and we all need a method to keep track of it. Why not make it fun and youthful? I believe there will be a big push for colorful, youthful watches for women. Think Swatch, but more updated. These more colorful bands will be constructed in semi-clear plastic, or dress it up with the classic, silver band. Think larger print with exciting, colorful fonts for the number dials. Go ahead. Time it.

Entering Hicksville

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:03:24 +0100

Flannels are back; we are all witnesses to it. Button-down, plaid goodness. Take no shame when pulling out the Christmas card from 1989. It's as if the last 20 years never happened. Past becomes the present. So what’s happening next within this trend? My guess is that we are going to begin to see women’s overalls…again. Before you run to the hills, crying from the memory of the unflattering denim I speak of, I am referring to a re-vamped version of the overall. So toss that toothpick, and add some bling and we’ve got a new trend.

The biggest issue with overalls of the past is that they weren’t, and aren’t, flattering. There is no waistline, the attached front patch of denim uncannily creates a 5-month pregnant belly, and the baggy pant creates visually no figure in the back or the front. I believe we are going to see a flattering overall start to appear.

The essence of the overall is the front patch covering the chest. Instead of covering the entire chest, we will begin to see a slimmer patch down the front. It will not be spaghetti strap by all means, but I believe we will see a loss of at least 2” in the width. This will create a more flattering bust-line, which is a very important step in the process of re-vamping the overall. Thinner denim would be more on-trend than the thick denim of the past, and the patch will also be cut and sewn to increase silhouette lines. There will definitely be a waist. It will consist of a cut and sew belt fit snug around the waist at belly button level. This will flatter the thinnest part of the waistline on a woman. The best part about these re-vamped overalls is that there will no longer be a full-length pant. I would love to see overalls with capri pants and skirts. Minus the excessive bagginess. So let’s put a new name to what was once the overall, and get in touch with your inner hick, ladies; big, green tractor style.

Wealthy is as Wealthy Does

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:12:12 +0100

It is all that anyone can talk about. The economy is down. The economy has plummeted. The economy is at it's lowest in years. Who really wants to be apart of that? Not me, not any of us. So how do we rise above it? How do we show that our economical status remains unaffected by the repression we are all denying partial participation in?

Fashion. Oh yes, fashion. When the going gets rough, buy the fancy at a discounted price. For instance, gaudy jewelry is on the rise. Who said rhinestones were fake? Just because you're not playing bocci ball and sipping champagne with the big boys doesn't mean you can't look rich. Bigger is better (not like that hasn't always been a trend). Expensive chain necklaces (an unconscious symbolism of the balance between repression and wealth, possibly) are key. A rise in pearls is beginning as well. They don't have to be real - they will just have to look it. Make them exotic (think red), make them black, make them pink, or keep them pearly white.

Also coming into play are the prints of the privileged. Argyle and plaid are on the rise in a big way (again). Run with the sweater vests and plaid skirts. Make that button down look sassy with a key-dangle chain necklace (key to the money safe, that is). Ruffles in a shirt are so in, the ruffles are getting fluffier. Pair with it with a creased plaid skirt. Fake it 'til you make it, baby.

The Chicken Soup Era

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:51:00 +0100

It's becoming soup, this world. We start with the freshest ingredients, chopped into the most delicious chunks, separated into flavors of goodness. And then each ingredient is tossed into the mixing pot as the chicken broth swirls around. As oil lines leave circular trails through the murky waters, ingredients rise to the surface. But every minute, it gets murkier and murkier. More ingredients get added. Where does it end? When do you suddenly realize the soup is ready? That it is complete? And if you don't realize it, and the pot becomes overfilled with ingredients, do we then start to weed out the unnecessary ingredients while embracing the rest?

It is my firm belief that we have reached this particular stage in our cultural fashion trends. It's an era of fashion when you look around a crowded mall at the people whisking by, and you never fully know what to expect. Yes, you are guaranteed to see skinny jeans on prepubescent teenage boys, and plaid scarves wrapped loosely around necks. But just like technology, this trend is gone in an instant in comparison to the span of time. Here today, gone tomorrow. Like technology, every step takes less time, is greeted with easy embracement, and increasingly exciting newness. But then again, does it disappear completely? People are still victim to financial uncertainties, and buying new clothes means keeping them in the closet for a qualified time. And then, we begin to have mixing trends.

For instance, I have leg warmers in my closet. Adorable and cute with a pair of open-toed heels, I bought them four years ago when the trend first tried (you know, after the last time it succeeded in the 80's) to take hold. I refused to get rid of them. Good thing, because they are coming back full circle, fastly approaching in my opinion. Now here's where the interesting part comes in. The other night, I chose to wear my leg warmers, and had the urge to wear my slim, silver headband in the exciting new halo-style trend. And here I was, happily wearing two trends from two very different time periods (can you mistake the 60's from the 80's? I think not).

The 21st century is showing a push toward a non-discriminatory collection of raw trends and exciting looks. Baggy shirts? In. Plaid flannel? In. Ripped jeans? In. Neon and pastel (well, let's please discriminate these color schemes from being on the same body at once)...In. While the culture we live in struggles to remove discrimination in our political beliefs, religion, sexuality, and gender, we find the same happening with fashion. So embrace the chicken noodle soup, add some salt and pepper to the mix, and above all, forget your instinct to discriminate.

Time for a welcome...

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:25:17 +0100

And so it begins.

Traveling to Seattle and LA, waking up at 4 am, rubbing tired eyes and knocking the sleep from them, I am walking through the South Bay Galleria with the Nordstrom Key Account Sales Rep, aka my team, my leader, my mentor. I suddenly had an urge to share with her something I have not shared with many. Bravery? I think yes. I dream to one day predict trends. And so begins this journey. With a little coddling, I will begin this journal. A journal of my dreams into the journey of fashion. Where will the trends lead to? Will I truly be able to predict the future? What a tempting possibility. And if all else fails and my trends stop at the bottom of this page, I will know that every step is a step closer to achieving success. Welcome to the world of blogging, Jamie. You're going to love it!