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Proud to declare myself TRENDY. Are you?

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I’m noting increasingly on the forum an aversion to the word trendy and wonder why this is? My interest in style would not have begun had I not been influenced by fashion and trends. I love to integrate a new trend into my wardrobe, it keeps my style fresh and my interest piqued.

I do not view trendy as Fashion Victim? I view trendy as current, who amongst us wishes to look dated? Are we not all on this fabulous forum because we are learning to navigate both the worlds of fashion and style? Would style even exist without fashion?

Therefore I’m proud to declare myself Trendy are you?

General

31 replies

Latest reply was from Mac

Dusty

(website)

I don't mind being called trendy at all!

Louise

Veteran

Trendy and proud too, I love trying the new trends, I think it only becomes a bit fashion victimy when you have to wear every new trend regardless of whether it suits you x

stringy

Veteran

I wouldn't object to it at all, although I'd be very surprised to hear it I don't think it applies to me, but I think that finding a way to follow trends yet still maintain your own style is very clever. It takes more work to do well than some other styles, but I assume that's part of the fun.

Although now that I think about it, I'd probably use the phrase "fashion forward" rather than trendy. I only just saw that word in a magazine a few months ago, and I think it's a better way of saying that someone is incorporating some fringe trends as well as major currents into their own style.

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

I don't have an aversion to the word trendy or to those who embrace it, but it's not really my thing. I come to trends very late and often begrudgingly, and many I bypass altogether.

From my POV, they often don't fit my lifestyle -- they are more for non-professional environments, and my "dominant season" so to speak, is the office. Harem pants, sequined tees, clamdiggers, denim shirts, etc -- not appropriate for there. Even leggings is kind of pushing it! Looking like I just stepped out of the 80s with strong-shouldered jackets...honestly, there are still a lot of women who wear those styles unironically! I feel like I would almost be mocking them.

That said, I do keep an eye on trends, and if I can work it into my life, I will try. Eventually. But I would not define that as being "trendy", you know?

Maya

Veteran

I tried being classic for a while and it was like the dark age or blue period in my style history. It took away all the joy of fashion for me.

I commonly notice that some classic dressers tend to look down on trends, like they are beneath them. they think those of us who embrace them are just not disciplined enough, or that we don't think for ourselves and let the fashion industry influence us too much.

But the truth is that all classic looks start out as trends, and I'd rather stay ahead of the curve then behind it. It's a lot more fun to say "I told you so" than to constantly eat your words. Trends move fashion forward. Without trends, we'd still be in corsets and floor length dresses. I want to be a part of the movement that embraces these changes rather than resists them.

I should also add that being trendy DOES require discipline. It's easy to just blanketly say "no" to all trends, but it takes a lot more awareness of ones body type and fashion persona to cherry pick which trends to embrace and which to leave behind.

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

If there's any part of my style that's trendy, all credit is due to YLF.

I also have not noticed any aversion to "being trendy" on these boards - I've always seen them as welcoming to all fashion styles.

That being said, it's also possible to go wrong with a style...with classic, you risk looking dated, with trendy, you risk looking like a fashion victim. It's just semantics that the negative comment happens to utilize the style word (i.e. too trendy. Being trendy in and of itself - not a problem...being too trendy (i.e. having the fashions wear you instead of the other way around, or wearing EVERY trend that comes down the pike indiscriminately...that's a problem).

rute

Veteran

Well, classic style is by no means static!!!!
Classic style is influenced by trends either!!!
The jackets can have strong shoulders, the cage heels can substitute the classical black pumps.. this is a good exemple:

http://letshopblog.blogspot.co.....-week.html

Look at the classic outfit! The boyfriend jacket and the chain!

RoseandJoan

Veteran

fabulous reasoning.

MPJ, I'm not disparaging this forum, the forum only appears to be opposed to the word trendy rather than having an aversion to trends.

Ele

(website)

Exactly, Julie. It's not trends themselves that I object to (I think most would agree that I'm hardly a stick-in-the-mud dresser, love embracing new looks, etc.) but the word trendy. It just feels superficial to me, for some (likely completely unfounded) reason. When I think of a "trendy" person, I think of someone who is embracing trends and fads right, left and centre, with little regard for flattery or, and more importantly, for fine-tuning their own individual style. Obviously I know that this isn't the case, and there are many "trendy" dressers who aren't like this at all. I mean- look at Angie. That hardly describes her, yet it's still what I see when I hear "trendy".

I love the existence of trends because, like Maya says, they're what move fashion forward. But personally, I prefer to be called current, up-to-date, contemporary, hip, or even just fashionable.

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

I guess I've always thought of 'trendy' as a compliment...although it's not necessarily a style I aspire to, it would tickle my toes to have Angie point to me as a 'trendy lass.'

(And sorry for my earlier response, RoseandJoan, I didn't mean to imply I thought you were disparaging the forum in any way!)

Lisa

Veteran

I'm not sure I'd be called trendy since there are always a lot of the trends that I won't follow. I always viewed a trendy person as someone with all the "in" items of the moment and enough time and money to keep up with changing as the trends change. I will usually try to pick 1 or 2 that I think will work for me. But I think there are more degrees when classifying a trend follower after reading YLF. I stick to describing a trendy person as someone with a lot of the looks you see in magazines and people who select only those items of the moment that will work for them (and therefore having either 1 or 2 trend items or modifications of the trend) as people with fashion forward style instead of a trendsetter. Regardless I think the best looks are those that seem to suit the person, when they can wear the clothes, not the clothes wearing them. And often that comes from selecting the right cuts, lengths, and colors for an ensemble.

Queen Mum

Veteran

hmmm.... if that was the first thing someone noticed about me (which I am far from) I would wonder what I was portraying with my dress. I would like people to see me as stylish and current and while I am not opposed to sporting trends, if being trendy was the most notable thing about my style I would feel the need to re-evaluate how I was presenting myself.
So, I guess the word trendy does have a bit of a negative connotation to me. The word used alone makes me think of a teeny bopper.
And, I would not define Angie's style as trendy by my definition. I would call Angie fashion forward, arty, creative, adventurous.... but trendy... no.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Julie!!! So great to see you post! Watch today's blog post. It's going in soon. Bless you in the mean time though :0)

If you have an opinion, please comment on today's post too. I'd love to see your opinions there as that part of the blog is our show piece.

Patience

Veteran

Yes. I think trendy is actually one of the best words to describe my style. I set out to be trendy because I want to be current and it's fun to try new things.

I have been thinking about this question, and I think the negative connotations in my mind are 20 years old and arose because of how I had heard the word used by other people, not by some connection that I made on my own. But being on YLF has really changed my association of this word with the negative to a positive thing, especially since I don't hear it negatively so much elsewhere. In fact, I would say the word I hear most associated with negativity is "hip" or "hipster." This is just too bad. But I think this negatiivity arises when there clearly is a type or group of people that can be labeled so easily and people just have an aversion to labels in some contexts.

Queen Mum

Veteran

interesting Patience.. to me, hip is a more positive term than trendy.

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Somewhere in the back of my mind I have always equated trendy with confidence, "have arrived", "have it together", and so on. I'm obviously wrong, but because I consider myself none of these, I don't use trendy and my style in the same sentence.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The blog post is in. Please read it if you are interested in this subject.

Patience, love your epiphany. High five!

Sarah and Kim, I hate to break it you, but you both have trendy elements to your style and I love it :0)

Vix

Veteran

I hang out with an nearly-70 year old who is mega-trendy so NO, I make no claim to being trendy/fashion-forward!

She isn't happy unless she's wearing at least 3 of the latest trends at a time..usually to my "zero" trends. Somehow we usually manage to find something to admire about the other's style.

[Her current passion is shoulder-length feather earrings -- it's what the hippest of a certain "cool kid" subset are wearing in my area. Whereas I'm excited about having another pencil skirt, ha.]

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Patience is the trendy queen. I love your style!
And Angie, I don't mind having trendy elements, I'd just rather that come from you than from my confused head.

Queen Mum

Veteran

Angie- I don't mind trendy elements at all... I love to play with trends..... and pull them off. I just dont want to be defined by 'trendy" And, I know that we are all defining the word differently
now off to read the blog post

MNsara

Veteran

What a timely thread! I just read Angie's blog on this too

I do have a slightly negative connotation associated with 'trendy', but I realize that here in YLF 'trendy' is not used as a negative at all. It just means I might choose a different wording, like 'fashion forward' to mean the same thing, although I know I am safe here using 'trendy'

(It reminds me of the adjective 'cute' and how that had childish connotations for some, but not to me. So, I try to think twice about using 'cute' now. . .)

Oh, yes, for me I love to be trendy (as defined by YLF), that's what drew me here in the first place - wanting to be current and still look good!!!!!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

just.......can't.....do it!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Khris, you already are. Sorry to have to break it to you because I know you view trendy as a negative (I just read your blog comment). You know I view it as a positive so I hope you can appreciate the sentiment.

Julie, I am absolutely trendy and proud of it. Also really appreciated your reasoning on this thread. I feel exactly as you do about trends and the word "trendy".

Anonymous

Everyone needs a little bit of trendiness to their style to keep from becoming stagnant. I know a woman who makes her own clothes, teaches others how to do the same, has a knitting machine and so knits very intricate sweaters. These are beautiful but her whole look is very stagnant. Her boots looked like something she's had since the 60's or70's, also same for jackts and vests. All of her attire is very imposrtant to her, well made, loved, but not one ounce trendy. She said to her class, "I only care about classics, not trends or fads". The effect, not so good, not fun, very serious.

taylor

Veteran

Perfect timing Julie...great minds !!! Love your style BTW:)

I think it is kind of funny that many of us see our style differently than others view our style leaves lots of room for growth.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I'm so late getting back to my thread, my apologies! You all make such valid points about the associations of the word trendy but to me it will always be 100% positive. I'm not a fashion victim but I do love a trend. Thank you so much for your time.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And thank you, Jules. It's nice to know that I'm not alone with my positive interpretation of the word trendy!

April

Veteran

I don't think I'm trendy, though I like to look current, relevant, up-to-date. Hmm, so what's the difference...

Maybe it's that I will very rarely adopt a fringe trend, but I will modify my wardrobe to reflect current directions in style.

Would I be insulted if someone said I was trendy? I think it would depend on whether *they* meant it as an insult.

Mac

Veteran

Who is "Julie," pls?

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