YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Your Trend Sensitivity?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Your Trend Sensitivity? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:14:22 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Dee on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349641 Sat, 13 Jan 2024 12:10:08 +0000 Dee 2349641@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Runcarla-  Those half-moon bags are now everywhere. I’ve looked at them but haven’t purchased. I can see their usefulness but their extreme popularity still gives me pause.  Love your point about how staying current with trends helps bridge the gap between the generations and let’s you feel like you’re not slipping into a “senior ghetto” as you mentioned. Sal - I too relented and finally bought a longer tunic when it was all the rage, I never really liked it on me either, it hardly got worn. Lesson learned there, need to follow my instincts more and not get sucked in by a trend’s popularity only. Sal on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349615 Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:07:46 +0000 Sal 2349615@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It depends…. There are some trends I have adopted earlyish in the fashion cycle and some I have adopted late. A trend I adopted late and finished wearing early was the tunic over leggings - I never could get it to feel great on me. Another one I adopted late but adored was the sandal booties one - oh how I loved those. But I let it go after my one pair wore out so I would say I wore them at the peak of the trend only. When a trend is in sync with my style I will adopt early and wear past the peak. Linen is one, Mary Jane shoes are another. I am moderately influenced by trends - I think I have quite a conventional style. I think I make them my own though - most outfits I wear have a mix of older and newer pieces with something more classic in the mix. Carla on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349604 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 22:09:18 +0000 Carla 2349604@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is probably repetitive of what’s already been written, but here goes! Yes!  I’m sensitive to trends.  However, I’m less likely to purchase a trendy or faddish item, and more likely to use basic/classic items but style them in a way that is trending. (Can I style my Joe Fresh turtleneck the way the Tibi folks style theirs?)  I’ll consider trends when updating or replacing items - if I believe the trend has legs.  (Ex. jeans silouhettes and colours.) It doesn’t bother me if a trend has saturated the market, or its popularity is peaking - especially if the item really works for me.  (Ex: I love my uber trendy Uniqlo half moon bag!  I gave one to DS#2 for Christmas ‘22, and he bought his brother one for his birthday this past summer.  His GF saw it and bought herself one.  I gave one to my 86 yo mother for Christmas ‘23.  The bag made a top 10 trends list on Lyst in 2023! LOL!  It’s everywhere! And, I don’t care!) My style is influenced by trends to the extent that I’m enjoying the trend and it suits my lifestyle.  An interest in fashion, and presenting myself in a current manner helps keep me out of the seniors ghetto into which I find myself sliding since retirement and Covid bumped so many activities that were intergenerational.  (Seniors bridge survived, but the open bridge club did not, I let my gym membership lapse after 9 years, and swim at a time when most folks are at work.  Lane accessibility is great, but it’s non-working senior types using the pool!)  I’m constantly surprised by how strangers (of all ages) will start up a conversation after commenting on a stylish outfit or trendy accessory, and this makes me feel ‘engaged’ - even if it is a superficial thing.   Dee on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349601 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:32:01 +0000 Dee 2349601@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Jaime - Yes it is interesting challenging the notion of what is timeless in fashion. Joy- Haha, I agree once a trendy item hits the clearance rack, its a pretty clear signal that its over. Anonymous on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349564 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 16:01:07 +0000 Anonymous 2349564@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Trends are sometimes the only thing in stores to buy.  I refuse to buy leggings.  It has been hard as they are everywhere.  I also have never worn jeans with lots of distressing and holes in them.  Thank goodness they are going or gone.  When a trend hits the sales racks I know it is on the way out to be replaced by direct opposite. ( Leggings vs wide legs ). Jaime on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349528 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 03:05:53 +0000 Jaime 2349528@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ok, I love takes likes Suz's cum Avery Trufelman that stands back and questions our basic assumptions about timelessness. And frankly I would be (well actually have been ) far more delighted to find a vintage Courreges item than vintage Chanel.  But anyway - I love following trends because they inform my thrifting and I delight in finding new trends among the old clothes. So I don't care if it is very popular at the time or that it might not be popular tomorrow - if it is a good piece it will come around again. I will wear it whenever I feel like it - but this feeling is influenced by what I see on-line and the zeitgeist of the moment.  Great question and responses! Dee on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349525 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 02:59:09 +0000 Dee 2349525@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh Suz those are some really great questions posed in your link when it comes to trends. It may end up simply being a question of whether we want our fashion choices to fit in or stand out for whatever our reasons and sensibilities to the culture at large, Lee on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349524 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 02:46:47 +0000 Lee 2349524@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Pretty much Dee on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349523 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 02:01:11 +0000 Dee 2349523@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Love all your interesting thoughts on this subject Phoebe- Yep Item fatigue and loss of interest can become one and the same with trends. Helena -Good point about trends having a longer shelf life than a fad and certainly Influencer culture like Instagram really has changed the game when it comes to promoting the popularity of these trends. Lee - Looks like your holding your own against the trends Rachylou-  Yes, it does seem like the trend right now is rather non trendy with more basic staples that don’t necessarily define it as being a “Now” item. Irina - You’re right, trends are the mainstream retailer’s bread & butter merchandise. Suz on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349521 Fri, 12 Jan 2024 01:44:00 +0000 Suz 2349521@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ On the subject of trends, I enjoyed this short essay by Avery Trufelman, the podcaster who makes Articles of Interest (such a fab podcast!)  <a rel="nofollow" href="https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/trendiness-and-timelessness">https://articlesofinterest.sub.....melessness</a> A quote: "In her excellent <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/fashion-forecasting-9781501338632/">Trend Forecasting textbook</a>, Lorynn Divita puts forth that, when it comes to clothing, there are two kinds of “cool.” One kind changes and evolves constantly (Madonna, David Bowie), and another kind stays constant (Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen)." Later in the essay, Trufelman mentions a challenge posed to her by a friend: "What's wrong with something looking of its time?"  This simple question upended all her former aesthetic ideas about the supposed superiority of "timelessness."  And then she brings up Roland Barthes' contrast between Coco Chanel and Courreges (Coco="timeless"; Courreges="trendy" or of its time.) What struck me about the images was how Courreges actually adopted the same shapes and proportions as Chanel! The differences were surface, quite superficial, really (at least in the images she shows.) Which suggests...what? That trendy always has a basis in timeless? That Barthes was wrong to view Courreges as so revolutionary? That time has a way of making distinctions that once loomed large, seem minor? I don't know!  Anyway, I like Helena's distinction between trends and fads. And like Rachy, I am potentially susceptible to both -- if  and only if they fit into my own style! (So I'm like Irina, in that way.)  <ul> <li>What causes us to decide we no longer enjoy wearing a particular trend anymore?</li> </ul> For me, it's like what Phoebe said. I get tired of it the way I would get tired of any frequently worn item. Or, like Irina said, I decide it no longer fits with my style sensibility. My style is consistent but it does evolve and at a certain point I just get tired of a particular silhouette, whether or not it is still trendy.  <ul> <li>Does the fact that a trend is really popular matter to you?</li> </ul> Not one way or the other. I will only adopt it if I like it. I don't really care if others like it a lot or not at all. This is interesting because when it comes to movies or books or new restaurants (to take a few examples),  I'm often reluctant to pick up on those that are extremely popular.  I tend to leave those alone, or at least wait until the buzz has worn off. The more popular an author is, the less likely I am to read their book right away. ;)  <ul> <li>Do you worry about a trend's popularity peaking?</li> </ul> Not really, because if I like it, I like it. And I'm not one to overbuy into a specific look very often.  <ul> <li>How much do you feel your current style is actually influenced by trends?</li> </ul> Significantly, because I buy from mainstream retailers. And also because I'm interested in looking current and modern. That's part of my style sensibility.  Great questions, Dee, and I'm glad you started the thread because I was thinking of the same thing.  Irina on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349514 Thu, 11 Jan 2024 23:59:42 +0000 Irina 2349514@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Generally speaking, I like learning about trends mostly because they sometimes highlight styles or details that are either new or ones that I forgot. They might give a bit of a push or a new take on things even if I’m not going to wear that trend. But I find that my attitude towards trends changed, I want to be aware but not to follow.  <div> <ul> <li> What causes us to decide we no longer enjoy wearing a particular trend anymore? When I realized that it doesn’t fit into my style. </li> <li>Does the fact that a trend is really popular matter to you? Yes, it does. It’s unlikely I would buy it. </li> <li>Do you worry about a trend's popularity peaking? No, if I bought it, the trend is aligned with my style and will stay until my style shifts, nothing to do with its popularity. </li> <li>How much do you feel your current style is actually influenced by trends? As long as I buy from the mainstream retailers, it’s definitely influenced. But I’m not interested in which color is trending and such things. </li> </ul> </div> rachylou on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349511 Thu, 11 Jan 2024 23:22:23 +0000 rachylou 2349511@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I’m of the same mind as Helena re trend v fad. Tbh, I have a love of both, like to entertain both for short periods of time, bring them back out as the years pass. I like to be present in The Now. My big issue now, is that I feel the dominant trend is actually ‘basic.’ But basic is also not a trend and so… so old! Lol! There’s an inherent conundrum! Lee on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349510 Thu, 11 Jan 2024 23:07:38 +0000 Lee 2349510@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I do enjoy seeing what’s in the spotlight each season and it’s fun incorporating new stuff but I am happy to wear things no one else does or things others stopped wearing, so in that sense ‘trends’ don’t matter to me. Helena on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349500 Thu, 11 Jan 2024 20:59:21 +0000 Helena 2349500@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Always find this subject interesting and good food for thought! I like to think in terms of trends vs. fads ... to me trends are more slow moving and reflect a more general direction in fashion (e.g. the move from skinny jeans to wider jeans); whereas fads can change by the season or even faster (a particular 'it' item du jour).  <ul> <li>What causes us to decide we no longer enjoy wearing a particular trend anymore? For me, its if the trend did not align well with my personal style, or was so popular that it reads as "dated" (to me - these things always have an element of subjectivity!)</li> <li>Does the fact that a trend is really popular matter to you? Yes, in that if something is really popular I will take notice of it. No, in that popularity is not sufficient for me to hop onto a trend - I also have to genuinely like it in that moment, find it aligns with my personal style OR think it might be an interesting way for me to evolve my style (or enjoy it as a wild card)</li> <li>Do you worry about a trend's popularity peaking? - Somewhat - like if every time I go onto Instagram someone is wearing a very specific item, then I worry if I wear it people will go "oh, that's that Instagram item everyone used to like" haha ... this may be more relevant to "fads" rather than trends (i.e. highly specific short term popularity items vs. a general shift in direction) </li> <li>How much do you feel your current style is actually influenced by trends? - My current style in influenced by some of the broader, more slow-moving trends, such as relaxing the silhouette, leaning heavily on neutrals, casualization of dress ... I'm slower to adopt though so am rarely wearing 'the newest thing' (once I know about it, it's not the newest thing anymore haha). </li> </ul> phoebe on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349499 Thu, 11 Jan 2024 20:04:17 +0000 phoebe 2349499@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In order I'm a uniform dresser, trendy item fatigue is indistinguishable from the loss of interest I can experience with any items I've worn repeatedly No.I only indulge if there's something obviously useful to ME Not at all, especially since I am invariably "late" More than I realize! Dee on "Your Trend Sensitivity?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/your-trend-sensitivity#post-2349498 Thu, 11 Jan 2024 19:45:20 +0000 Dee 2349498@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In a previous post last week, there was a small discussion about whether or not wearing the same trends as everyone else was an issue or not. It got me wondering about some of the factors that come into play with trends such as:  <ul> <li>What causes us to decide we no longer enjoy wearing a particular trend anymore?</li> <li>Does the fact that a trend is really popular matter to you?</li> <li>Do you worry about a trend's popularity peaking?</li> <li>How much do you feel your current style is actually influenced by trends?</li> </ul> For myself, there are times I do worry about wearing extremely popular trends and looking like a clone of everyone else, I think this might also depend on what demographic is wearing it the most too. Often I try to find some version of a trend that's just slightly different from what " the crowd" might be wearing. I've also been so late to "like" certain trends that I often just decide to skip them altogether because I figure its probably on its way out anyways and I don't want my style to feel too passé. I am certainly aware of trends and they do figure into my personal style whenever it enhances it but I'm no longer as sensitive to them as compared to when I was younger. They need to serve my needs first and foremost. Love to hear your thoughts on the subject?