YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Timeless or trendy

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Timeless or trendy https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:53:25 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Zaeobi on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263490 Tue, 17 May 2022 19:14:43 +0000 Zaeobi 2263490@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ @Janet I agree that Organised Complexity can play in art too, though the degree of which will be determined by the individual artist's tastes. For example, my poems tend to be long & meandering but I prefer it when the ending 'wraps up' points made earlier (or at least from the beginning) so that we may come full circle. Others prefer cliffhangers. @approprio The first thing that came to my mind from your Dichotomy comment was Hong Kong's 2019 protestors' gear - the humble black t-shirt. Often worn with all black, it was both simple & serious, yet also subversive, in its messaging - especially since the term that the media & police started to use at the time for young people (assumed to be for the protests) was 'cockroaches'. Simultaneously hidden but everywhere. Even moreso after they started to accessorise ithe all-black with bright yellow (just the face masks persist as a relic of that time now, but I remember the yellow umbrellas & raincoats (in memory of the young man who lost his life) just like it was yesterday...) Not sure if it's an 'appropriate' parallel to make, but my brain is unfortunately all about making connections between seemingly unrelated things - sorry Staysfit on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263430 Tue, 17 May 2022 11:46:41 +0000 Staysfit 2263430@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ So much to think about here! I’m shifting away from jokes…… As I look around my closet and house, “collect stories, not stuff” comes to mind. The items on display, all the artwork, all my favorite items including my furniture, has a story. The practical and useful items in my kitchen, home office, basement and garage also have stories. For example,  I’m strangely attached to my stick/hook shaped staple remover. It was a gift from the office manager of my previous private practice. I recently donated a spare, unused, claw shaped staple remover to DH student’s.  I can easily find stories, often sentimental, in my jewelry and accessories.  It’s harder to find them in my clothes, although not impossible.  It seems I favor pieces with direct or indirect ties to experiences. Some experiences are recent and some remote. The pieces that are less used literally feel like “stuff”.  <div> </div> Janet on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263381 Tue, 17 May 2022 00:49:40 +0000 Janet 2263381@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Carol, yes! That’s where I was going with the “sizzle and fizzle” comparison. A big first impression but lacking depth with repeated exposure. I think it applies to the “joke” idea — not all jokes are equal, some are slapstick and some are satire. Likewise, I think there are “humor” elements in design and art and fashion that range in sophistication. CarolS on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263368 Mon, 16 May 2022 23:58:53 +0000 CarolS 2263368@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Just one added thought re jokes -- sort of building on something Rachy said. A joke might be funny the first time you hear them, but you rarely laugh as hard at the second telling, and might yawn by the third. The joy you get from the joke is largely in the punchline. In the -- "I didn't see that coming"  moment. It amuses in the moment, but doesn't become a source of daily joy. (Unless it's a joke with an emotional connection -- like the Lego stocking stuffer, perhaps, which transforms joke to story that might get more meaningful with time.) Suz on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263347 Mon, 16 May 2022 22:41:40 +0000 Suz 2263347@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Maybe it's as simple as some jokes give us joy? Or something akin to joy. We don't tire of these jokes (contrary to what the author implies) and those ones are the ones that are authentic to us, as Janet said? (Because you might see whimsy or twee where I see humour and vice versa). I don't know... Such an interesting discussion, though, and I do 100% agree with Approprio that humour shouldn't be sidelined or treated as "less than" in some way. A lot of serious art works through humour.  I was thinking some more about the "go for bold" instruction and people's varying responses to that. I will say that while I often respond with joy to colour and bold style elements, I also and equally, perhaps even more, respond joyfully to quieter, less visible elements of style such as the perfect fit for me -- items I'm most likely to adore over time are texturally pleasing to me and fit just right (oh how rare that seems, no?)  Janet on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263340 Mon, 16 May 2022 21:38:45 +0000 Janet 2263340@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well, this is a great discussion, and I forgot about the wagon wheel coffee table, LOL! Fun aside: Bruno Kirby was a super sweet person. I got it know him when he was in the cast of the film Tin Men, which filmed in my town, and the cast stayed at the hotel where I worked. He’s so young in WHMS! rachylou on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263339 Mon, 16 May 2022 21:30:22 +0000 rachylou 2263339@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ A thought is percolating re jokes—and a difference between that which is pleasing and that which is *merely amusing.* It occurs to me that there are many more things that I find amusing than I actually approve of for my own personal life. Like $1 pack LEGO—they amuse me but I truly wish my mother would stop using them as stocking stuffers… approprio on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263338 Mon, 16 May 2022 20:47:04 +0000 approprio 2263338@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well, Janet, you know how I like to overthink these things, particularly as they relate to the emergence and synthesis of form. We are emotional, and we are analytical. When we engage with fashion, we are at the mercy of a slew of social, commercial and environmental constraints over which we have no control whatsoever. The more rational we think we are about these things, the more likely they are to trip us up. Meanwhile, we are sending out and receiving subliminal messages all the time, and every one of us speaks a subtly different language. When the author talks about jokes, either she is making a subjective and unhelpful statement about the nature of Good Taste (TM), at odds with the rest of the story, or she is referring to something else which she, her editor and her immediate audience would understand, but leaves those of a different disposition or cultural persuasion scratching our heads. I have enough respect for all the other things she says to want to know what she means. I want to know what quality of unavoidable experience she thinks I should be avoiding. Would it make more sense if we substitute the word “novelty”? I could get behind that, but she covers it elsewhere. No shortage of beautiful things to buy, when ninety percent of everything is rubbish. And suddenly I find myself back on the treadmill, except now the treadmill is different. I’m reminded of a deathless line from When Harry Met Sally: Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor, but they couldn't possibly all have good taste. There will inevitably be times when we are confronted with the absurd, like that awful <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW8zvaTRuGo">wagon wheel coffee table</a> nobody likes except Jess.  OK. I’ll shut up now. Janet on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263330 Mon, 16 May 2022 17:19:00 +0000 Janet 2263330@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well, the line between whimsy and twee, clever humor and jokey, etc., is subjective. We all have varying tastes and tolerances for these things. And we all have different senses of humor -- one person's Monty Python is another person's Jeff Foxworthy.  I think it's important not to get too bogged down in the weeds with absolute pronouncements on these things but take the larger points into account as they apply *to our individual preferences*. The point is to be authentic, right? There are a lot of styles (in art, decor, and fashion) that I enjoy looking at, but I don't necessarily want them in my home or on my body.  My interpretation when the author references "joy not jokes" remains that she's emphasizing the development of personal preferences that deeply resonate rather than following a quick cheerful trend for the sake of quirk. That quirk may indeed point to a deeper meaning, or develop into a longer shift in aesthetics that goes beyond trend, but if it doesn't feel true to the wearer, it's all just for show. But again, that's my read on it, when read in the spirit of the rest of the essay.  I dunno, I'm just a photographer! :-D  approprio on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263327 Mon, 16 May 2022 17:00:35 +0000 approprio 2263327@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ OK, rachylou, you’ve convinced me. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, because everything else she says in the article is so salient. We need to workshop this. What exactly does she mean when she says to look for joy not jokes? What if we can’t tell the difference? Am I wrong for wanting Dorothea Tanning’s <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/178474">Tableau Vivant</a> on my wall? I am fairly sure I would never get bored, but does it give me joy? All I know is that I find it funny and alarming and I would totally hang it if it weren’t already part of the Scottish national collection. The Matisse prints I inherited are very tasteful, but I think I prefer the George Grosz. They always make me laugh.  There seems to be a whole area of behavior and utility, associated with a very human drive to make meaning out of our identity. There are the things that call to us that sometimes turn out to be mistakes. How do we know in advance what will make us happy?  rachylou on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263317 Mon, 16 May 2022 15:45:36 +0000 rachylou 2263317@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I sorta skipped over the joke idea, because while I think the Skygarden lamp is beautiful, I also thought it was a ‘joke’ and couldn’t tell the difference between it and the smoked furniture in terms of genre. I probably wouldn’t be able to find a place for either in my home. The only fashion ‘joke’ I can readily imagine is Dolly Parton and Dolly is an Icon. Is the blue dog a painting joke? I think I’m too dim for jokes, lol Lana on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263315 Mon, 16 May 2022 15:41:34 +0000 Lana 2263315@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great article! My most loved things are memory evocative or have some kind of connection to another time or people . . . Maybe just meaningful in some way and express something about me.  approprio on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263310 Mon, 16 May 2022 14:45:41 +0000 approprio 2263310@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Janet, totally agree. The best jokes are made in that very spirit, same as the difference between good and bad art.  I’ve thought so long and hard about this that I may as well have the bingo card for all the other points she raised, and this is the odd man out. As one for whom humor is an integral part of the aesthetic, I’m very tuned in to these kinds of value judgements, particularly when raised by self appointed style gurus. To say the least, this kind of advice is unhelpful. Her argument would have stood perfectly well without it. Janet on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263301 Mon, 16 May 2022 13:46:59 +0000 Janet 2263301@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Approprio, so glad you weighed in! Great thoughts. I agree that the joke is important. Questioning norms and poking a finger in the eye of what is accepted and established is absolutely necessary! But I also believe in all things in moderation, even jokes. ;-D approprio on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263292 Mon, 16 May 2022 10:10:34 +0000 approprio 2263292@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Vildy, thank you. Kind of you to say so and you’re quite right, it’s  important to embrace these paradoxes, in all aspects of life. And now I come to think of it, the joke about the ‘smoked vintage’ is probably on her. I mean, it was a graduation project. A conceptual piece, deliberately ephemeral, not a usable piece of furniture. Who would buy that to put in the house? Not me. However, the movement she is talking about gave rise to some locally made, affordable designs using reclaimed materials, including a nice book case which I did buy. This is how design evolves, develops, advances. I could go on but I’d rather not dump on an otherwise excellent article. ETA: I looked up the collection and I was wrong, a couple of pieces did go into production. They seem to be holding their value just fine. <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.pamono.eu/smoke-armchairs-by-maarten-baas-for-moooi-2000s-set-of-2">https://www.pamono.eu/smoke-ar.....s-set-of-2</a> Vildy on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263290 Mon, 16 May 2022 08:55:14 +0000 Vildy 2263290@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Approprio, I may just appreciate what you said even better than  the entire article. Dichotomies always need to be acknowledged,  especially with fashion, approprio on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy/page/2#post-2263286 Mon, 16 May 2022 07:43:01 +0000 approprio 2263286@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You guys, I’m throwing in my tuppence in defense of the joke. If anyone has a problem with that, may I refer you to Messers Margiela, Prada and Westwood, as well as the hatchet faced editor who is daring you not to laugh at her outfit during Fashion Week.  I have a friend who comes from Tokyo. The other day, we were talking about the meaning of the word “subversive” and how it relates to fashion. She said: in Japan, we are very good at this, and made a gesture to demonstrate what she meant. She flipped me the bird with one hand while hiding her finger behind the other.  Visual languages are full of jokes, because jokes are important. They are particularly important in fashion because fashion is concerned with the breaking and upholding of social convention. They can be deadly serious, even when reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously. Sometimes they are our last line of defense against totalitarianism.  Janet, I agree with you on the idea of “sizzle and fizzle”, which to me sums up the difference between good art and bad art. I’ve read and reread that section, and I feel like she’s using the same idea to indulge in some finger-wagging Puritanism, scolding people for enjoying a good laugh. Too bad, because everywhere else, she’s absolutely on the money.  CarolS on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263267 Sun, 15 May 2022 23:51:00 +0000 CarolS 2263267@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think I need to tattoo that sentence on my wrist, Janet, or make it the screen saver on my phone -- There will never be a shortage of wonderful things to buy.” Style Fan on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263263 Sun, 15 May 2022 20:36:46 +0000 Style Fan 2263263@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Excellent article! I don't tire of particular looks or colours like orange. I have never regretted bold purchases in home decor or clothing. Irina on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263252 Sun, 15 May 2022 18:56:40 +0000 Irina 2263252@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Janet, I feel the same about that sentence, too! :) I thought about my outfits or clothes that I would be excited about now as I was when I first acquired it. I thought back trying to identify and analyze it. And realized that it doesn’t work for me this way. I look at a photo and love my outfit in it but would not want to wear it. It was perfect in that moment and place. Sometimes I think that I buy a same thing a number of times over the years. But it is never exactly the same. I had a black wool coat in mid 90s - oversized with shoulder pads, another one in early 2000s - tailored and manwear inspired. I have one now - longer, structured.  <div>I also had wool coats in camel, grey and aubergine, one of each, no repeats.  It tells me that I tend to appreciate “timeless” (to me) style but not a specific garment. A white shirt is timeless and other colors make it a passing fancy to me. My version of “organized complexity” is a complexity of a design, a trendy take on a timeless garment, if I may.</div> rachylou on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263250 Sun, 15 May 2022 18:23:04 +0000 rachylou 2263250@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmm. Sizzle or fizzle? That’s a really good way to put the question, Janet, and I’m really chewing on the thought. I know there are plenty examples, but I’m having trouble thinking of clothing that I flirted with and abandoned. It’s easier for me to identify decor trends that fall into this category… I really had a big flirtation with Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Modern Farmhouse style, but it has not lasted the test of time for me… BUT - big but - I love looking at their section at Target. So maybe I actually have the same problem with decor. AND now I’m wondering if it’s just the shiplap because not enough complexity… the smooth papery plainess of sheetrock bothers me a bit too, now that I think about it. I miss ‘smooth’ plaster, lol. I know I generally don’t appreciate the way daytime talk show hosts are done-up; perhaps too generic when done IRL for me. Janet on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263248 Sun, 15 May 2022 17:10:34 +0000 Janet 2263248@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ A few thoughts I had on the article... I tend to most treasure the items that evoke memories -- purchases from my travels, gifts from friends and family, clothes I wore for certain events. While I definitely do have many belongings that bring me joy, experiences are hugely important to me. My travels are some of the most formative, joyful events in my life, and I treasure those memories (and the photos/art I make from them), but I also love having a *tangible* reminder. Mementos are fun. Some last a long time, and some I let go after a certain number of years as other things accumulate. The less expensive, impulse, kitschier type of items don't have the same longevity as the bigger investments that I pondered before buying. I rarely go wrong when I make the "go bold" choice when it truly resonates with me. The teal Burberry trench instead of classic beige, the cobalt blue backpack instead of the black one, the orange sofa instead of a more neutral color... But often the neutral truly is the better choice, and my instinct is good this way -- I can balance the need for something to work with an existing palette and a desire for a great color or pattern. Sometimes the simple black item is the most useful! "Organized complexity" is a concept I'm going to return to and ponder more. I need to think about how it applies to the art I make, as well as decor and design choices, and my personal style. I think it definitely comes down to balance, and how each person's individual tolerance perceives that balance. An acceptable level of organized complexity for someone who enjoys pattern mixing may be OTT for someone who likes to dress in all solid neutrals.  The bit about "jokes" reminded me of a photography workshop in which we discussed how some images "sizzle and fizzle" -- they make a big initial impact and then there doesn't seem to be much to linger on. They are like visual jokes -- they don't invite further pondering, open up questions in the mind of the viewer, or deepen understanding. I think similarly some outfits can feel a bit like this -- mostly uber-trendy fast-fashion type outfits, but also I think that's why costumey ensembles look...costumey. A little complexity or contrast or mixing of eras can help give a look some depth and not just look like someone is cosplaying.  "Waiting out the urge" is something I *TRY* to practice but often fail at. I told my husband years ago about my practice of walking away from an item while shopping if there was a question in my mind, and then seeing if it pops back up in my mind. If it keeps returning, then check and see if it's still available -- if it isn't, it wasn't meant to be. But the second visit is usually the make or break moment that answers whether I should take an item home.  I need to engrave this on my psyche: "There will never be a shortage of wonderful things to buy.” Anonymous on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263241 Sun, 15 May 2022 16:05:22 +0000 Anonymous 2263241@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thank you, Janet.  I enjoyed the article and food for thought. Barbara Diane on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263239 Sun, 15 May 2022 15:57:30 +0000 Barbara Diane 2263239@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love this article. I think it gave me permission to hang on to memory items, and explained why I am often bored with my outfits-not enough complexity, especially if I am not wearing jewelry. I loved the explanation of why to go for color in big furniture items if attracted to them, I previously have bought into the idea of neutral couch with changeable pillows, etc. Like it was fact. kkards on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263227 Sun, 15 May 2022 14:09:35 +0000 kkards 2263227@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ive now read this 3 times, and will continue to come back to it. collect stories not things…I realized a long time ago this is what i do, the “things” are my gateway to the people and places in my life, ie the stores, but i love how simply and elegantly she laid it out in this essay  chirico (Chiara) on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263193 Sun, 15 May 2022 05:30:17 +0000 chirico (Chiara) 2263193@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks for this interesting read. It really gives some food for thought. Sal on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263183 Sun, 15 May 2022 04:44:07 +0000 Sal 2263183@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes that was a good point re the story - the things we buy on holiday are another good example.  Which makes me wonder about online shopping adding or detracting from those emotions? And gifting is another tricky one - I have received and given the wrong gift - the blouse I thought my Mum would love but didn't, or the bracelet my sister gave me that I like but never wear because it's hard for me to incorporate. Jaime on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263164 Sun, 15 May 2022 01:17:24 +0000 Jaime 2263164@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Like Eliza, I particularly resonated with the idea of the story as important component to my long term love of an item. I treasure the vintage X found at a thrift shop for $2 so much more than the same item had I bought it retail/from a curated shop or had someone given it to me as a gift. Organized complexity is an interesting concept but I think finding the mid/happy zone is subjective for each person. Thanks for sharing Janet! Sal on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263162 Sun, 15 May 2022 00:12:19 +0000 Sal 2263162@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That is a great article - and I will ponder this more.  There are lots of things in my life I have always loved - my dessert glass dishes from my Grandmother for example.  I have loved everything about them since I was a child - shape, colour. memories etc  And other things do fall out of favour - I donated my old china frog collection for example. Sometimes holding on past the urge is helpful - I have certainly shopped with a strong need for chunky boots or a new blouse with desperation - without looking longer term if it really resonates with me.  And where I am now, with a full functioning closet means I can be fussy what I let in....and should be. Eliza on "Timeless or trendy" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/timeless-or-trendy#post-2263137 Sat, 14 May 2022 21:00:45 +0000 Eliza 2263137@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Great read, Janet. I loved the mention of focusing on the story, not just the object. Something with a patina or a sense of existing over time can have power for me. I love old cobblestones under foot. The article jives with something I read recently about the draw back to the decor equivalent of fast fashion and the importance of injecting something vintage or with a past into any room, regardless of its sensibility. Sometimes I feel thaT way about an outfit that all happened at once, too. And hurrah for addressing the safety of neutrals and the irony of how they recede more quickly as preferred items. Appreciate the responses, too. Thanks!