"Let's kick, and push, and coast"
People often claim that nothing in fashion can truly be original, and yet my belief has always been that people would actually be dismissive of something that was truly original. We inherently seek the comfort of what we know, wherever that may be. Humans are creatures of habit, and we shall always go back to that to which we have previous, preferably good, associations. The rehashing of old trends and styles has always interested me, for when done with care, they are beautifully creative.
Whilst many may lament the '80s revival (myself included at times), with youngsters wearing acid wash and Wayfarers without realizing the connotations of such styles, I appreciate where the '80s has been done well, so to speak. The strong shoulders of Balmain, for example, may have had people worrying about a resurgence of ugly shoulder pads and ill fitting jackets, and yet to my eyes it was amazing because it was new. Strong shoulders may have been seen before, but not coupled with such a tailored fit to make a powerfully contrasting statement.
The '80s inspiration leads way to the revival, when suddenly trends are seen on the street that have been taken out of context, unlike the contemporary re-imaginings on the catwalk. That difference may seem petty to some, but I always feel that a style or trend when taken out of context risks the possibility of being misconstrued as costume rather than fashion.
(Apologies for the noisy quality of the photographs, I had to rely on poor indoor lighting towards the evening)
The reason I discuss this is that I have patiently been waiting for the inevitable '90s revival, the decade in which I grew up and have such fond memories of. The pace of the fashion cycle is ever increasing, to such an extent that Laver's Law was rapidly outdated soon after having been established. I look forward to seeing the styles reinterpreted in order to make them relevant to contemporary understanding, and yet at times I think of the iconic, not necessarily nice, trends which will inevitably return without modification and cringe.
My outfit yesterday was based around an image I always have in my mind of the '90s skater look. Although it has been far too long since I last ollie'd or kickflipped a board, I decided to revive my imagining of the look which has such a meaning to me. Yet the idea of baggy jeans and super chunky low cut skateboarding shoes did not really seem relevant. Rather I wanted to create an updated look that still evoked the memories I had, without being too literal in its interpretation.
I decided to wear my red plaid flannel shirt, which was actually mostly unbuttoned over a grey ribbed jersey vest. The weather has been rather wet and at times uncomfortably humid, and as such I wanted to have that loose layering through which the wind could blow. The fit of the shirt was a touch over-sized without being too baggy. In order to contrast with that fit, I decided to wear a pair of slim grey jeans.
As I have said, I did not want to go literally for the '90s skater look with baggy jeans, but rather wanted to keep it contemporary with just a little nod to my inspiration. The skater look, if there is even a defined look, has been updated over the years, and indeed it would seem that the slimmer profile has proliferated through all ranks and social circles. I tucked the jeans into a pair of hi-top skateboarding shoes, the artwork of which I thought complimented nicely with my shirt. As ever I chose also to compliment my outfit with the colour of my socks, which in this case were a pair of speckled red.
Currently playing: Bridging The Gap ft. Olu Dara - Nas
xxxx
Whilst many may lament the '80s revival (myself included at times), with youngsters wearing acid wash and Wayfarers without realizing the connotations of such styles, I appreciate where the '80s has been done well, so to speak. The strong shoulders of Balmain, for example, may have had people worrying about a resurgence of ugly shoulder pads and ill fitting jackets, and yet to my eyes it was amazing because it was new. Strong shoulders may have been seen before, but not coupled with such a tailored fit to make a powerfully contrasting statement.
The '80s inspiration leads way to the revival, when suddenly trends are seen on the street that have been taken out of context, unlike the contemporary re-imaginings on the catwalk. That difference may seem petty to some, but I always feel that a style or trend when taken out of context risks the possibility of being misconstrued as costume rather than fashion.
(Apologies for the noisy quality of the photographs, I had to rely on poor indoor lighting towards the evening)The reason I discuss this is that I have patiently been waiting for the inevitable '90s revival, the decade in which I grew up and have such fond memories of. The pace of the fashion cycle is ever increasing, to such an extent that Laver's Law was rapidly outdated soon after having been established. I look forward to seeing the styles reinterpreted in order to make them relevant to contemporary understanding, and yet at times I think of the iconic, not necessarily nice, trends which will inevitably return without modification and cringe.
My outfit yesterday was based around an image I always have in my mind of the '90s skater look. Although it has been far too long since I last ollie'd or kickflipped a board, I decided to revive my imagining of the look which has such a meaning to me. Yet the idea of baggy jeans and super chunky low cut skateboarding shoes did not really seem relevant. Rather I wanted to create an updated look that still evoked the memories I had, without being too literal in its interpretation.
I decided to wear my red plaid flannel shirt, which was actually mostly unbuttoned over a grey ribbed jersey vest. The weather has been rather wet and at times uncomfortably humid, and as such I wanted to have that loose layering through which the wind could blow. The fit of the shirt was a touch over-sized without being too baggy. In order to contrast with that fit, I decided to wear a pair of slim grey jeans.
As I have said, I did not want to go literally for the '90s skater look with baggy jeans, but rather wanted to keep it contemporary with just a little nod to my inspiration. The skater look, if there is even a defined look, has been updated over the years, and indeed it would seem that the slimmer profile has proliferated through all ranks and social circles. I tucked the jeans into a pair of hi-top skateboarding shoes, the artwork of which I thought complimented nicely with my shirt. As ever I chose also to compliment my outfit with the colour of my socks, which in this case were a pair of speckled red.
Currently playing: Bridging The Gap ft. Olu Dara - Nas
xxxx