Fad, Trend or Classic?

Fashion is constantly changing, repeating and attempting to be become better every season. Some fashion styles gain a place in history
...and some don’t.
A fad is something that is followed for a short period of time but with great enthusiasm. A few years ago fluoro, slogan and oversized tee shirts were extremely popular with young teenagers but thank goodness they are now hidden away or only brought out at 80’s parties (I suppose they were sort of a short lived trend repeat). Another example of a fad has been the use of zips on the outside of clothes as an obvious trimming. Many fads begin on the catwalk and are mimicked to death by other mass producing companies. Other fads come about by the “bubble up” method of kids on the street beginning their own styles which are mimicked by designers such as low, baggy jeans worn by poor children originally but now sported by rappers such as Snoop Dogg.

A trend is similar to a fad, except a trend stays popular for longer. Some good examples of a trend are skinny leg jeans, ripped jeans with stone wash or jeans in general. Today, trousers are mimicking the drainpipe style of those which were popular in the 1950’s and worn by stars such as Marilyn Monroe and bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (which gave the slim fitting jeans the “bad boy” image). Trousers of similar shape remained popular until the 70’s as a contrasting statement against the hippie’s and their flared pants. Kate Moss and The Strokes can be credited with the revival of skinny legged pants and jeans in the 2000’s.

Chanel is the best example of classic fashion. Her simple trouser designs in basic colours like cream and white, nautical inspired striped shirts, patent shoes and the ever classic and popular “little black dress” can be credited to her. A Classic item of clothing will potentially be forever stylish, if the wearer has style to accompany it. Chanel began such designs using the trickle down method as she was a fashion designer who was highly influential; her designs were also popular as they freed women from frills (and corset’s)

new life for clothes!

It's so simple to breathe "new life" into a garment!

here are some quick tricks:

• tuck/take off the sleeves


• take up the hem


• add a belt


• layer other garments around it such as tulle


• accessorise

If you have more time on your hands you can:

• turn a long skirt into a dress


• turn a dress into a top


• turn long trousers or jeans into shorts


• add flare to a dress/skirt/top


• rip, bleach, gather, tuck, bead, dye etc...

The fashionable doll and friends

These 21 inch full-figured dolls wear elaborate formal gowns and fancy accessories. They are similar to fashion dolls that took the doll market by storm in the 1950’s. Many early fashion dolls were created from hard plastic with glued on wigs for hair and even some legs or arms with joints...remind you of any common doll today? Smaller fashion dolls of about 6-9inches were very popular and magazines like Cosmopolitan and Vogue created their own dolls to accompany magazines. Dolls came with outfits and these could be swapped and treasured by the owner and serve as a historical reference of fashions of the day.

Dolls above by Andrew Yang, who has created a line of “supermodel” rag dolls dressed in miniature versions of Spring 2010 designs. The dolls sell for around $600.

Today, original fashion dolls are worth a mint if kept in pristine condition, however they were great toys at their time of creation as well as functioning as fashionable accompaniments. Barbie became the most popular doll of the time and helped end the attention to detail that was first included in fashion dolls. There is evidence to suggest fashion dolls were around in 1396 to display dresses for royalty. Fashion dolls became a high part of the fashion trade in the 17th Century as French designers would send dolls displaying miniature versions of their designs to England, Germany, Spain and Italy!
Their miniature size was useful in the depression’s as it meant less fabric wastage.

Blogs… do they really have an impact?

A blog is a website set up by anyone for almost any purpose. These blogs can advertise products like http://pigeonhole.com.au/news/ (which advertises new arrivals for the pigeonhole stores), share ones thoughts through poetry and random articles like http://imjustelisa.blogspot.com/ or display pretty picture upon picture or fashionable images and fantastic outfits such as http://lookbook.nu/new

Blogs are becoming increasingly popular and it seems most people have one. They are free and simple to set up and who doesn’t want to post their thoughts and pictures on the internet for all to see with a simple click of a button and internet service!

Some may say that blogs are the new magazine or even zine but I think they will never replace either form of media. Things on the internet can almost seem too accessible and common whereas a zine is handmade and a magazine (and zine) can be flicked through, not just stared at in awe.

aamener is also on the blogscene (you are witnessing it now...) The benefits of a blog are its accessibility, the ease that one hyperlink can show the reader a whole page to reference and admire other people’s blogs or photos and the flexibility involved with uploading more thoughts, articles and photos whenever and not needing to create a whole new zine!