Fickle Fashion

In an effort to speak more intelligently about fashion I often browse the latest fashion magazines at the bookstore, or scan online articles on the latest trends and colors. Recently, I have been reading information on fashion through the ages. We may have thought that it was only recently that fashion trends were influenced by movie stars, music and the socio economic status of the world around us, but that has been the case ever since Adam and Eve sewed the first fig leaves together.

Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay

In today’s world fashion is now being influenced by several other factors which include technology, social influencers, environmental factors and identity. With the influx of technological advances there is an influx of information. In other words, we now have instantaneous exposure to the latest trending outfit, colors and accessories. We live in the information age and we are inundated with info to the point of being regularly overwhelmed.

Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay

Social influencers have taken advantage of the tech revolution and many are earning a good living showing their followers the latest Coach bags, Jimmy Choo shoes or Giorgio Armani fragrance. There are also many sharing their ideas on enjoying fashion within a budget and learning how to better put outfits together from the clothes they already own.

It is only in the last decade or two that the idea of sustainability has really been making inroads into the fashion realm. Manufacturers and retailers are beginning to be more environmentally conscious and they are taking a long hard look at practices and outcomes that are hurting the environment and discussing and putting changes into place. Unfortunately, the idea of fast fashion is probably here to stay. It is quick, which caters to the constant stream of new trends every season and cheap which caters to many younger people who are working minimum wage jobs and still want to be able to have a fun, changeable wardrobe.

Image by annca from Pixabay

Finally, the idea of identity has definitely influenced the fashion world. Identity has always been involved in our fashion choices from a Goth wearing black to a Grunge wearing ripped jeans and oversized flannel, but now we also have added identifying terms like non-binary, gender fluid and pansexual as well as other gender choice related terms.

My reason for saying fashion is fickle lies in the fact that what goes around comes around, and what is here today is gone tomorrow, but will be back again in a season or two. All cliches aside, I believe the most important influence in fashion is you. You determine what you are going to wear on a day to day basis. You decide what clothes you are going to invest your money in, and which ones you will overlook. As a consumer, you are the one who decides if your fashion buying choices are hurting or helping the world around you. You decide how much time you are going to invest in looking at social media influencers and how much they are going to influence you. You decide what you believe about your identity.

Fashion will continue to be fickle, at the whim of societal influences, trends and consumer demands, but fashion for you and I doesn’t have to be fickle because we can choose how we dress, how we spend our money and who we allow to influence our fashion choices.

Have a wonderfully, fashionable day!

Winter Trends - My Take on Quilting

I have always loved handmade quilts. I think they are beautiful testaments to the women who work on them, tirelessly sewing, piecing together and creating a work of art in the form of a wall hanging or full sized quilt for a bed. When we went to the fair, back when that was allowed, I used to love to visit the hall where all the quilts were displayed. I always thought it would be cool to be part of a group of women who worked together to create these masterful pieces.

The winter trend of quilting is, once again, more present in outerwear, than in every day clothing. However, I wanted to show you something other than my quilted outerwear vests, so I reached for an older piece that for some reason I do not wear very often and a new piece that I just got. The blatant truth is, I have way too many clothes and one of these days I need to really pare things down, but for the time being, I would like to wear more of the things that I don’t wear as often.

This jacket is a new purchase from Christopher & Banks. It was marked down and then had another percent off. I like that it is light weight and on the day I took these photos it was quite cold and it kept me toasty warm. The shiny, olive green color was a nice addition to my outerwear wardrobe and this is a jacket that I will be able to wear fall, winter and spring when the temps are still cold. It appears, that Christopher & Banks, while closing all their brick and mortar stores, is still going to have on online presence. I know they still have these available on their website, so check it out.

The other quilted piece I want to show you is the gray vest I have on underneath the coat. This vest is also a Christopher & Banks purchase, but from a number of years ago. The quilting detail is much more intricate and unique on the front portions of the vest.

My fun printed pants were a recent thrift find from when my girls took me thrift shopping on my birthday. I saw these on the rack and I have always had this thing for plaid pants. I threw them in my cart thinking there was no way they’d fit, but why not try them on. I was so happy that they did. These are a brand called cabi jeans. Once again, a brand I am not familiar with, but they are a current online retailer, so you can check out their website here.

I will be able to use these jeans all year round and I am already thinking of spring outfit styled with a chambray shirt.

The next photo shows, not only my beaded necklace, but the gray, Worthington turtleneck sweater I wore under the vest. There is nothing like a cozy turtleneck to keep you warm in the winter months. This was the same one I styled a few weeks ago in my post, A Dickens’ Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

The only other accessories I had besides my beads were my faux suede boots and my gray convertible bag. These navy SO ankle boots have been on repeat this winter since I purchased them online from Kohl’s. My Evan Picone bag was a thrift find. I like that it can be carried as a top handle tote bag and also as a smaller cross body bag.

Do you have any quilted pieces in your closet besides the comforter you throw on the bed? Quilting is hit or miss. Most of us have heard of Vera Bradley and I almost pulled out one of my tote bags, but it didn’t really go with what I was wearing. I do like many of her things, but it has to be the right pattern and style for me and I usually just look for them at thrift stores. I’ve included some of her products in the shopping links.

What did you think of this outfit? Would you wear patterned pants like these? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links, for all things quilted. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I apologize that there are not more varied sizes available. I think a lot of things are selling out.

A Look at My Fashion Philosophy and an Intro to Winter Trends

Since winter just officially started last week, I thought I would take the next few weeks to look at a few of the fashion industry winter trends. Some of these were publicized months ago with the fall trends, but as you know, I do not adhere to a super strict timeline, when it comes to trends. In fact, if it is a trend I really like I will shop the end of season sales to find a piece or pieces within the trend to save myself money. I don’t worry about being spot on with a trend timeline. My feeling is, if it is a trend worth buying into, I am going to keep it around for a while.

Image by Lorri Lang from Pixabay

Since I have started regularly writing and blogging, I have noticed that King Solomon had a lot of wisdom when he penned these words in Ecclesiastes.

“What has been, it is what will be, And what has been done, it is what will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.”

— Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NASB)

I have said it before and I will say it again, hang on to those things you love, because they will be back around again, whether it is a print like leopard or gingham, a color scheme like monochrome or color blocking, or a silhouette like flared jeans or an a-line skirt. As long as an item still fits and it is something you love, don’t get rid of it, just because it isn’t trending anymore. Just be patient. Besides, there are no rules when it comes to your fashion style. It is what makes you feel good and confident. Wear black in the summer and white in the winter. Style your leopard print all year round and your sparkles for lunch with your friends. It really is up to you.

Before I get into the Winter trends, I wanted to share with you my fashion philosophy. Over the last few years as a blogger, I have been becoming more aware of my own style and the reasoning behind my style choices. I would like to share with you a few of my fashion parameters.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Fit - If it doesn’t fit well, I am not going to wear it. I have found a few of my favorite jeans at thrift stores, because there I can find and try on brands I normally wouldn’t buy. I would have never shopped at Lane Bryant, but one of my favorite pairs is a thrifted Lane Bryant boot cut distressed jean. I love the rise, the stretch and the comfort of that pair. Now Lane Bryant is for women size 12 and up, so if you are short and thin, you will not be wearing their brand. You have to find what works for you. Don’t be afraid to order things, try them on and send them back, or (after Covid), try multiple pairs on at a store like Kohl’s, Macy’s or Nordstrom until you find what works for you.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Style - We all have our own style, and it may take you a number of years of experimentation to find out what works for you. You can Google fashion styles and it will bring up a number of articles on what the different styles are. Many men and women are strictly one style or another, but most of us are blend of multiple styles. I love moto jackets and combat boots; velvet and chenille; twirly skirts and long tiered maxis; flannel shirts, scarves and cardigans.My style is a blend of casual, biker chick, boho, and tomboy with a bit of classic and grunge thrown in. No wonder I am so confused! Ha ha. Finding and owning your style is more important than trying to keep up with the trends.

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

Price point - I know many people don’t let price points affect their style; if they want something, they buy it. Many people shop for higher priced products because they are a better deal as far as fit, durability and wear. As a thrifter, I know I can find quality products at second hand stores if I am willing to be choosy, do some experimenting with brands and be patient. Personally I value other things more than I value designer products. There is no doubt that many designers make very high quality products and that is part of what keeps them in business, but I cannot justify paying $300 for a bag, a pair of jeans or a pair of shoes. But that is just part of my personal style and I have nothing against people who do spend more on their clothes. Hopefully, they are in a position where that is easier on their wallets, than it is on mine. There is another idea that goes along with price point and that brings me to the next fashion rule I try to follow.

Image by NatureFriend from Pixabay

Sustainability - When we talk about sustainability in fashion we are talking about the production and distribution of clothing, shoes and accessories in a manner that is both environmentally friendly and conducive to changing consumer behaviors. In a world where so much is thrown away it is no surprise that the clothing industry for many years has been a leader in post production waste. Not only the remnants from manufacture of the products themselves, but the waste water and other toxic sludge that is dumped into the environment. There is a fledgling movement underway to change these practices in the fashion industry and make clothing manufacture and distribution what sustainability entity Green Strategy calls Circular Fashion. You can see a clearer definition of this by clicking on the link.

Basically, circular fashion promotes the ideas that fashion from beginning to end can follow a circular loop that includes better quality fabrics, more environmentally friendly production steps with less waste, marketing that includes educating the consumer and creating a consumer who is more likely to return to these products and the repurposing of textiles either through donation to second hand sellers or to entities that will turn the products back into new products through incineration to create energy or through textile fiber recycling.

Being a thrifter enables me to do my part to stay the circular course of textiles and to do it at a price point that is much easier on my checkbook.

Image by Lorri Lang from Pixabay

Modesty - You might say I am an ostrich sticking my head in a hole if I don’t buy into the over sexualized aspects of fashion. I am fully aware of what is going on. You can’t look at a magazine cover while standing in the supermarket checkout that doesn’t have some reference to sex on the cover. Well, maybe not Taste of Home. Ha, ha. I have studied magazines like Seventeen, Vogue, Marie Claire, In Style and others. Every single one gives word space, and/or photo space, to talking about our sexual partners, fantasies, problems and issues. Pictures include women with varying degrees of sexual intonation from the lack of bras, pants or shirts, to positions with legs wide spread leaning back precariously close to an orgasm without a partner. Oh, sure, they have clothes on, but come on people, just what do you think these magazines are trying to sell?

I believe we, as women, have done ourselves a disservice in buying into what many forms of media are pushing. That is not to say, they never have an article that communicates the creativity and power of women. Many do, but I struggle to believe that the girls growing up in this world aren’t affected by the combination. If you say women are strong and creative, but place that article next to a photo of a sexualize woman, aren’t we then, promoting the idea that the only thing truly strong, creative and beautiful about women is their sex. Look at how many young women and girls idolize women in entertainment. No doubt, most of these women are gorgeous and extremely talented, but when it comes to how they present themselves by their clothing choices, it makes me wonder what are they really trying to say.

I am not saying we should be total prudes. Especially if you are in a committed relationship to another person. It is important to dress in a way that shows that person you love them and want to be sexy for them. However, when we are out in public, or promoting our blogs or our Instagrams, I think is is important to promote things that will last, like being creative or smart or talented. Physical beauty is fleeting, and what is truly sexy is not how much of ourselves we show off, but how beautifully the hidden places in our hearts rise to the surface.

Those are just some of the things I think about when it comes to my views on fashion and my approach to the outfits I pick out and the topics I talk about. I won’t be posting on Thursday this week as my Hubby and I are going to go see his parents for a few days. Next week I’ll pick back up with a look at some of this winter’s best trends. Until then, stay safe and have a very Happy New Year. See you in 2021!