Button-fly jeans are a fringe trend. I think they are a throwback to the late ‘80s and early ‘90s original and unisex Levi’s 501 jeans. I can’t remember button flies before that, but will stand corrected if I’m mistaken. Those 501’s were the first time I wore button-fly jeans.

My clients, friends and family vary in their tolerance for button-fly jeans. Some prefer it, some have no preference, and some prefer a zipper fly. Some occasionally tolerate a button fly if it’s a visible feature of the jeans. Some like to have a mix of button fly and zipper fly. And some — like my Dad and brother — refuse to wear button-fly jeans.

There is no getting away from the fact that a zipper fly is fast, practical, smooth, and easy. A button fly takes more time to fasten and unfasten, and some find the buttons bulky and bulging on the tummy area. But a button fly can be fun, different, nostalgic, and a design feature of the jeans. Although an acquired taste, it’s an interesting vibe.

Personally, I have no preference. I wear a button fly as happily as a zipper fly, and don’t find them inconvenient, bulky or bothersome. I also find button flies a bit nostalgic. I have four pairs of button fly-jeans at the moment, and am not opposed to getting more. Two pairs have visible button flies, and two have concealed button flies. It’s fun to have the variety. Coincidently, my three pairs of new jeans have button flies, and I love them all.

I vote yay for button-fly jeans. What’s your verdict?

I should start by saying that 99.99% of my wardrobe items never see the inside of a tumble dryer. Not even panties, loungewear, yoga wear, sleepwear, and especially not bras. I tumble-dry my socks and camisoles, and that’s it. The rest is hung dry in an empty closet or sent to eco-friendly cleaners. That’s because I believe that tumble-drying ruins the fit of your clothes, tortures delicate fibres, wears out fabric, makes the colour fade, and takes the polished and crisp integrity out of them. So I go to the effort of hang drying and ironing as needed. It’s extra effort and time, but worth it to me.

That said, every once in a while I carefully use the tumble dryer to deliberately adjust the fit of my clothes. I don’t recommend this strategy unless you’re prepared to take a risk, but I haven’t had any disasters yet. Here are two recent examples.

The first is a pair of Carpenter Straight Leg Jeans (see them in action here). They are the perfect length for my white Western shooties, but a little long for short-shaft Chelsea boots. I thought about having them shortened about half an inch because I am that pedantic about the lengths of things. Instead of having them altered I decided to shrink the length with the dryer. First I washed the jeans and hung dried them in the closet till they were almost dry. I then popped them in the dryer for ten minutes on regular heat. Afterwards, I pressed them to look pristine. They successfully shrunk half an inch in the length, and not at all in the width. I thought this might happen because they are 100% cotton woven fabric and very thick, stiff denim. Stretchy, soft and thin denim tends to shrink all over (and bag out later). Now the length is perfect to wear with my shooties, low-shaft Chelsea booties AND my hi-top sneakers for that matter (see the exact boot styles below). 

I’ve worn the jeans several times post the tumble dry, and they’re currently my favourite jeans. I will NOT be putting them in the tumble dryer again.

The second example is a lovely oatmeal surface interest knit top that I bought in the Netherlands a few months ago. It fits very fluidly, and I semi-tuck for more structure. I thought I’d be a devil and tumble dry it to create a snugger fit. First I washed the top and hung dried it in the closet till it was almost dry. I popped it in the dryer for ten minutes on regular heat. There was no need to iron it since it’s a crease-resistant top. It shrunk all over to exactly the fit I wanted, which was more luck than wisdom. Knits shrink in the dryer when they have a high cotton content, but they can often shrink too much in one direction. I love that the fit across the armholes, shoulders and sleeve width is narrower after the tumble dry. The top is still quite fluid, but less so. It’s also shorter and a better match for my new capsule of jeans with high rises. The top has retained its new fit after a couple of wears. I will NOT be putting it in the tumble dryer again.

Over to you. Have you ever deliberately shrunk clothing items in the tumble dryer? And was it successful?

Jenna Lyons’ new venture, the theme for next year’s Met Gala, an H&M bra collection for breast cancer survivors, and other style news that made headlines in October.

• Stuart Weitzman is expanding its boot width sizes: Fall styles will be available in sizes 4–12 and in narrow, medium, and wide. 
• H&M launched a bra collection for breast cancer survivors.
• Next year’s Costume Institue exhibition and Met Gala will be framed around Susan Sontag’s seminal 1964 essay ‘Notes on ‘Camp’.
• Walmart has announced it will be acquiring plus-size brand Eloquii.
• Everlane is eliminating virgin plastic from its business, starting with a new outerwear collection.
• Here’s Alexander Wang’s intimates collection for Uniqlo.
• Coach is phasing out fur by their fall 2019 collection.
• Former executive creative director and president of J.Crew Jenna Lyons is partnering with Turner for a weekly unscripted television series that will bring together fashion, home, and lifestyle.
• J.Crew meanwhile is running its second annual coat drive (until 25 December). The gently used coats will go to people in need across the U.S. and in seven other countries.
• Gilberto Benetton, co-founder of the eponymous clothing brand, has died at the age of 77.
• The London Victoria & Albert Museum will be staging the UK’s largest ever Christian Dior exhibition.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that sneaker brand Keds, founded in 1916, “was originally supposed to be called Peds, after the Latin word for feet. When they realised that word had already been trademarked, the company decided on the name Keds” instead. 

Today I’m going to talk about the way I use some common fashion terms here on YLF. The differences between some of the terms are subtle. And they are used differently by different fashion professionals. In those cases I’m not claiming my definition is better. It’s just mine. 

Trendy: An item is trendy when it’s on-trend. Trends typically last five to seven years, and sometimes even longer. Trends can be fringe or mainstream. Fring trends are those that are only adopted by a smallish subset of consumers. Some trends start out fringe and go mainstream later. Some go mainstream right away, and some stay fringe forever. Although trendy items are current, current is not a synonym for trendy. A look or item can be current, but not on-trend. For example, moto jackets are current, but not on-trend.

Current: Current means not dated. Items are current when they are not necessarily on-trend or fashionable, but they are in style. A pair of mid-rise skinny jeans or a simple knee-length pencil skirt are current items, but not trendy items. Modern classics are current. I put the word modern with the word classic because classics can date, needing a periodic refresh as the trends evolve.

Dated: Dated means not current. It applies when an item or look has passed its trendy and stylish expiry date. What is considered dated these days is as clear as mud because it’s extremely subjective and almost anything goes. With all sorts of silhouettes, looks and combinations coming back into fashion, items are less prone to looking dated, and that’s a good thing. It’s more of a personal question for the wearer because what looks dated to one person is not to another.

Fad: A fashion trend that is short-lived and over in one season or less. Fashion fads are rare these days, because trends last a lot longer than they used to. This is another great way in which fashion has evolved.

Modern Retro: Modern Retro means that you’re incorporating a style, trend or design from a bygone era AND adding a good dose of modern or current to the look. Retro items are new pieces, not vintage items that were actually made during those eras. Integrating a dose of a bygone fashion era into your look defies the trends and holds its own these days. That’s why I feel that the retro chunky white pearl necklaces that I wear daily and with anything defy the trends and don’t look dated.

Just to complicate matters, adding a dose of specific era into your look can be trendy if those fashion eras are on-trend at the moment. For example, it’s all about the ‘80s and ‘90s influences in fashion right now, so you’re on-trend wearing them.

Vintage: Wardrobe items that are older than twenty years. The risk of these items looking dated is high, but there is a hip factor associated with wearing them if you can make them look current — even on-trend — in an outfit. For example, high-rise classic jeans (aka Mom jeans) and high-rise straight jeans are vintage items you’ll find in a thrift store. You can make them look fashionably right when you combine them with a good dose of current.

Fashion-Forward: A look or item that is ahead of its time. Fashion-forward items and outfit combinations can become on-trend and completely mainstream at a later date. Think of how unfathomable it was to wear sneakers with dressier outfits a couple of decades ago. The juxtaposition was absurdly fashion-forward. Now sneakers look fine, even fabulous, with most outfits. The goalposts for what is regular fashion and fashion-forward keeps on shifting.

Avant-Garde: Unique, experimental, daring, dramatic, and somewhat architectural looks and wardrobe items that defy the trends. They are modern, current, and always in style. The most recognizable avant-garde retailer is Scandinavian COS.

Do your own definitions differ for any of these terms?