I do see a certain look on my daughters - they wear a mishmash of thrifted and retail and yet come out looking very today's teen to my eye.
I like to follow trends, or I should say trend reports, and let it inform what I thrift and to some extent what I wear. But I pick and choose, as we all do. I have worn long shorts, flat shoes, birkenstocks, midis, boyfriend jeans and crossbody bags before, during and after their "hot and trendy" phases.

Jessikams, We still have our own trends here in Japan. I must admit I notice it on mums most (as that's what I am) but one example was these damn beanie hats that were around for a few years around the time my eldest was born and people would wear them in summer. They'd wear them so that most of the hat was empty just above their head. Put them on their kids too. I always thought they looked like condoms. They were everywhere too like literally every other mum would be wearing one.

Irina - I think it’s difficult to be “trend free” if you browse fashion at all. Also we can only buy what is available which, for me, sometimes necessitates change. That said I really follow my likes, although I enjoy adding new pieces that speak to me. The lug sole Chelsea. I’m a boot girl, I don’t care if it goes out I’ll wear these for a decade. Thin cropped sweaters were unavailable I’m stocking up. Oy, gray was “in” now its out. In the famine hoping to stock up awaiting the feast years. Long and cutaway blazers. Buying as many as I can afford. I wait got fashion to cycle bsck to my likes to replenish.

I’m thinking back, wondering how it’s possible to NOT be on trend. I mean, on the one hand, how can teens not be on trend? They’re young and growing - they don’t have anything from twenty years ago to *still* be wearing. What’s in the stores is in the stores.

On the other hand, how is it that my mum managed to find me baggy jeans when I was a teen when everyone else’s mum got them skinnies?

Very interesting thoughts

Nodding along with Jonesy, Brooklyn, Sal and Gryffin.

Jessikams and Irina, I want to add something about the international fashion scene that you might find interesting. The Middle East, Africa, and India have incredibly unique and rich fashion cultures. Every time I go back to South Africa to visit Greg's family - and stop half way in Dubai because it's a 38hr one way trip - I see people dressing very differently from these corners of the world. And very beautifully. It's a feast for my fashion-hungry eyes!

I agree with Rachylou that the young people tend to be “on trend” as they don’t have the old stuff as available to them, so if they are interested in old they need to raid mother’s or grandmother’s closets or go to vintage stores. Which I certainly enjoyed doing as a late teen/ early 20s person. I did love the trends of the early 80s when I was in my early 20s and those are still faves really. I don’t think I am “on trend” these days much. Only in terms of being restricted in new clothing by what’s available.

Over the years, I’ve managed to avoid tops and dresses that require a strapless bra, low rise jeans, empire tops and dresses, capris, ballet flats, and a few other things. They simply don’t work for my body. Full stop. But in the last few years, I’ve bought quite a few puffed sleeves, high rise pants, made or bought kick flares, and lace up thick soled footwear. Those styles work for my body so I will continue to buy them even when they become scarce — unless they come in colors that don’t work for me.

First off, I think we need to separate personal tastes out from trends. Not sure what you mean about tight cropped tops; the ones I’ve seen aren’t tight, just fitted enough not to fly up in a breeze. At my son’s high school in Tampa, (3 years since he was there), they were not a trend—they’re classics. It’s hard for me to think of Daisy Dukes as trendy either—seems to me they’ve always been there, at least since Catherine Bach was wearing them. Iow, some of your complaints sound like they’re more about young women’s bodies than about trendiness. You could’ve made the same point using barrel-legged jeans and the oversized clothing that’s trending now. If sexualization is the issue, let’s get men to be respectful & learn to lower their gaze when necessary, not tell women to drape ourselves in loose layers to disguise bodies’ movements. That’s a topic for a different post, so I’ll try to ignore the fact that you chose a very specific subset of trends and will write the rest of my response about trendiness in general.

The same trend will work differently for different people. Some current trends you describe appeal to me—I’m liking the dresses I see here, and my body is NOT cut out for the low waists that dominated for a while; high waists are even better for me than mid-rises. I was surprised at all the responses to a post someone made earlier this year about “tyranny of high rises”—of course I knew everyone’s bodies are different, but still, the amount of variation and how many ways we can be different surprised me. So the high waists that look trendy to you are just “ahhhhh, so comfy” to me. Slowing down fashion can’t be about coming up with the one true formula to rule them all, because our bodies don’t follow rules. They just *are* (although our bodies really are a set of parameters that we can work in; I’m trying to change mine in some ways. But each of us has our own limits within which we can effect change in our bodies).

Enough preamble, you know my basic response to your questions already: no, I am not a trendy dresser, and have never understood the idea that one needs to find out what is on trend and then go seek it out. That sounds to me like a recipe for neuroticism. I pick things that are true to me from what’s available in stores and have no problem saying “no” to others—but of course what’s available changes and sometimes the “new” stuff works for me. I didn’t pick up hip huggers when they were in, but pants I bought those years probably have a shorter rise than other years, and I did jump on flared legs when I saw them again a couple years ago.

I have a very small number of items I got as a teen. They are extremely classic cuts. For the most part, teens’ bodies are still changing, so what they wear this year won’t necessarily fit them the next, and it probably takes a couple years to figure out that the changes have slowed way down once a body does basically stabilize. But if you’re going for quality, you’re probably not going to get disposable fast fashion.

I sometimes make K/R posts here, and comment on others’, but that’s not my thing really. I’m much more interested in seeing how people style things and in getting feedback on the ways I remix what I already own than in the churn of weeding things out to go buy more. I certainly don’t see DYOT as a temporary bandaid until shops can start whisking in “new” items quickly & often. I’ve never thought of my dressing as artwork, but I know there are some who do see outfit or wardrobe creation as a creative outlet. To me, using my body and the materials at hand, collected over a lifetime (as opposed to selective replacement), is actual evolution of style. It also seems more creative than trying to buy style off the rack.

Angie, would you please please please start adding in African/Middle Eastern/S Asian fashions to your reports? Pretty please with sugar on top? I’m sure you know the fashion shows in those locations. We don’t want to appropriate other cultures by wearing their traditional clothes, but you know that’s not what the shows are about. Even if they follow international trends, they are doing it on top of very different traditions and ideas about women’s bodies, so the result is quite different from the NY/Paris/Hong Kong/LA looks. It would be awesome if you’d delve into them & include them in your reports/forecasts. I’m going to guess that Covid may have made many of them available on-line, so you might not even need to travel to include them.

N, I like those hats (but I’d pull mine down so far it probably wouldn’t qualify as on trend)

I am definitely passed being that interested in trends, like I was when I was younger. Now I am more interested in looking stylish not trendy. Of course I need to know what is current to look stylish. Just that my outfits are not trend driven.

FI, I had to go back and re-read what I wrote. Where did you get the idea I complain about young women bodies? Male gaze, sexualisation of something - where is it coming from? Certainly, not from my post. My musings were about sameness of trendy looks and fashion trends repetitions. Trends are always driven by younger generation, for them every next trend is new. For 55 years old me, new trends are not so new, I already wore them. How important trends for others - this is what I was asking. I’m evaluating my own style at this point in my life and ask myself a lot of questions. And I appreciate options of the forum members because they help me to find answers.

I’m not picking on revealing clothes. I mentioned the trends that are worn here in the middle of the summer, including jeans and wide pants. My post could have been about short, oversized puffers if I wrote it in the winter. It is not the point.

Irene, the styles you complained about all show a woman’s body—“tight” crop tops (although as I mentioned, my guess is that the tops you were looking at are not actually tight, just fitted), short shorts, bike shorts, short dresses, etc. OTOH, the fashions you cited as laudable are the drapey loose kind. Reading through the responses here, I am in no way the only person who felt this way—look at the many comments before mine on Daisy Dukes. Wonder why my comment triggered you? True, I’m the only one who offered a conjecture as to why those trends would be a problem, but I’m clearly far from the first person to notice it. But as I said in my first response, that is probably a topic for a different post.

ETA, I might’ve felt the sting of your comments more than others. Responses to my first WIWs here included criticism of my “short” (hardly!) shorts, which are standard Meronas from Target (not a brand associated with sexiness) and spaghetti straps on a tank top in a different post. It isn’t unusual for people here to call my clothes “tight” when they are in fact fitted, not restrictive or binding in any way. I would not want tight clothing limiting my movement anymore than I’d want a “batwing” sweater that gets in the way, catches on things, or just needs to be readjusted. So I know the comments about “tight” clothes are off-base and I ignore them, but like I said, I might be more aware than most people are of the inaccurate judgment around here of how tight a thing is/ the tendency to claim something is tight when it simply lies close to the body.

FI, yes, these thoughts ought to have their own post. You always have a analytical, deconstructing, intellectually curious approach to politics of style and dressing. Nice, but I don't see how it fits in with Irinas words and post.

Also re: African/Asian style: fashion is becoming ever more narrowly uniform and global. I think people in Tokyo/Berlin/Accra dresses surprisingly similar in 2021.

Synne, all the more reason to include some of the influences Angie mentioned in her regular round-ups! I agree with you that there is a congruence of fashion around the world. The way that often works is American and European companies “mine” fashions in other places, and make big money from them. I’d much rather go to the source, and let the money go to them, the actual creators. But that might also be another post. As for the skewed set of examples used to exemplify “trendy” I agree that should be bracketed to be taken up in a different post, if they are what someone actually wishes to talk about, so I pointed it out & then moved on.

And also, talking about dressing and bodies is a minefield! Especially for linguistic buffoons like my self who doesn't master the language in any elegant way. I recently used the adjective "stumpy" in one of my post. I realized in hindsight that was very bad-taste.

It’s ok to not be trendy.
I am “trendy for my age” according to my daughter. I like seeing the cropped tops and bike shorts on young women.
It’s their “thing” and how they distinguish themselves from us, the old fogeys

Synne, as someone who lives in a foreign language, I don’t find your use of “stumpy” problematic. Even the native speakers of English on here can mean very different things with the same words. Witness the increasing resistance to recognizing that “a tryhard” is different than “trying hard” every time I tried* to use it here. The key is to be open to the possibility of linguistic differences, be ready accept explanations of what someone meant, and move on, rather than getting caught up on What Stumpy Means To Me. You explained what you meant, we could understand it, and that’s more than enough. Then again, as my juvenile photograph shows, sometimes we just need to have a laugh at the difference language makes.

*past tense because I’ve decided the effort of explaining that phrase every time I use it on here is simply not worth it, so I will circumvent that word every time it seems the best fit otherwise.

FI, the fashions you cited as laudable are the drapey loose kind.

I actually didn't see any objections to Irina's thoughts /use of words/examples here other than what was recently posted above me. The last thing we need is having words dissected and meanings parsed so that the original intent is blurred. Going with the flow of a conversation is more fun .

Irina, feel free to search the conversation for the phrase “Daisy Dukes”. As I’ve said several times now, I set that issue aside to focus on the topic of trendiness, which is what I thought you wanted this thread to be about. Or would you rather talk about skimpy clothes? You might be interested in the distinction I (& several others—Sal probably phrased it best) brought up of trends influencing what’s available and therefore what we chose from vs chasing the latest trends? Or the contrast I pointed out between re-creating style through constant purge and repurchase and evolving it by re-using the same items differently, or any of the other issues I & others mentioned? Your thread, your choice.

Lisa P, lol. Yes, I quite agree. See my example above about people getting hung up on a particular phrase. As i recall, you commented repeatedly on how that meant something else in your world, but every time you said it meant something else, you refused to say what that something was. Classic tease behavior, instead of honestly trying to come to an understanding. I’m glad to hear you’ve moved on past that now! I’d like to move on past the issue of Daisy Dukes, but apparently Irina isn’t ready to do so yet.

What? You've lost me.

Did Irina even mention “Daisy Dukes?”
Anyway, FashIntern, as you just said, “is be ready accept the explanations of what someone meant and move on, instead of getting caught up” in what you think someone meant, & then policing it. I see none of what you saw in Irina’s comment.
What you saw is an enormous issue—the sexualization of women-& material for another thread & probably another forum.

Ophelia, yep. That’s why I pointed it out—might be something to talk about, if anyone cares to post. I don’t think I have anything new to say about it, really think “lower your gaze” says it best, and that’s 1500 years old. So I said something about it in one paragraph, then wrote several others paragraphs that don’t say a thing about it.

Ps “Did Irina even mention “Daisy Dukes?” Yes, she referred to “very short denim shorts” which many people—again, quite a few Fabbers used the phrase before my comment—know as “Daisy Dukes”.

So, anybody want to talk about trendiness? The “trendiest” things I have in my wardrobe fit in with vintage trends.

I mentioned this on another thread, but the trend here in the backwater remains, inexplicably, long black leggings w/ long tee shirts or sports bras. I realize the masses are under no obligation to entertain me w/ their outfits, but I am so boooooored of them. And puzzled, cuz it’s not just blazing hot here, it’s HUMID.
I am not remotely trendy & admit, here on a style forum, never have been. (Sad face)

Fashintern: you are being trendy by deliberately avoiding trends;-) you are my favorite Berlin hippie hipster. (Now that was a phrase I want praise for, lol!)

I had a really stressful week, and so I’ve been following this tread, but did not post anything, because i felt it was a topic that required a bit more brain power than i was up to earlier in the week.
But it feels like its moving so far off topic right now….

Anyway, Irina, back to the original question…and it ties into Lisap’s post, what are your friends wearing…i do so a lot of sameness, but not the all the same trends that you are seeing. My city is very very into the athleisure look, and so seeing a lot of gym shorts on younger women and denim shorts on everyone , but surprisingly not a lot of bike shorts. Tons of tees, of all lengths. And sneakers sneakers sneakers, with Birkenstock’s being a distant 2nd. I am interested in trends, but not in being trendy, so i pick and choose.

Synne, high five on the “hippie hipster” phrase, and thank you for the compliment! Not sure I’m being trendy by *avoiding* trends though—I often don’t even know what they are. I think you do know, and you go your own way, picking out those secondhand items that work for you and that reference the essence of a current look without slavishly following.

Kkards, being as I’m in Europe, I don’t see a lot of gym shorts, but sneakers are strong, particularly with summer dresses and even more so with midi skirts that have knife pleats all the way up to the waist. I also see “bike shorts” (the fashion kind, without the chamois). I’m curious how these looks will adapt to winter.

FI, When I gave examples of trends, short denim shorts was one of them. I do not know the cultural reference of Daisy Duke, haven’t used it and don’t intend to learn it.

Brava.

Why do you prefer to talk about skimpy clothes? I don’t know. But after I pointed out that that’s what most of your examples of distasteful trends were, I went on to discuss the main topic, as others in this thread have done. My comment on the examples you chose is the only thing in the thread you’ve responded to. I’ve no idea why that’s what you focus on, when the rest of us are still on the original topic of the thread. Refusing to learn fashion terms when you’re on a fashion site is an unusual choice.

Fashintern - from the outside it looks like you are picking a fight. There was a thread a few months ago about swimwear for a family member - and I think you felt people were picking a fight with you. From my perspective that is how Irina is feeling.

My advice is to let this go as Irina has asked.