Thoughts on juxtaposition at retail - YouLookFab Forum

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Thoughts on juxtaposition at retail

Anonymous

The puffy sleeve post is making me think how fashion this year especially seems to have 2 extremes.

First there's the strongly Ingenue elements- the puffy sleeves, ruffles, florals, and fit and flare dresses. Far more than I've seen in decades.

But then there's the more "agressive" side- lots of animal prints, camo, stompy and pointy shoes. I had noticed this a lot earlier, and wondered if it was sort of a feeling of defensiveness/ agression inspired by current socio-political conditions. Can't really figure out the extreme Ingenue bit though in that context-aside from the wish for maximalism/ complexity if worn together.
The division seems much more pronounced to me than normal. Anyone else noticing this?

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32 replies

Latest reply was from The Cat

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Now that you mention it.... the ingenue/ romantic side of things might well be shear escapism, wishing for a simpler, prettier world.

Interesting how you divided things up; I'd put pointy toes and animal prints on the "feminine" side of things, but not quite romantic.

Anonymous

Well the pointy toes look feminine, but can be used as a weapon- if needed! "You get fresh you get the business end of my pointy shoe."
Animal prints can be thought of as bombshelly, but also "I'm fierce because I'm channeling leopard/snake".

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YES, Suntiger.

That's exactly what I mentioned in my trend reports - because of the strong influence of BOTH the '80s and the '90s. Very opposing decades in terms of "it" silhouettes, hair, make-up, vibe, style.

I think it's GREAT! Something for everyone AND it's fab to combine the strengths of both decades

Personally, I much preferred the '80s to the '90s. But the '90s weren't all bad.....

Anonymous

There seems a lot more of the ingenue to me though than before, or maybe I'm just more aware of it now. The harder elements yes, the pointy 80s and stompy 90s shoes.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I don't see more ingenue, personally. I see stronger '90s influences tempering and marrying the '80s. It's the perfect storm!

Anonymous

To me Ingenue is girly young- small florals, bows, short fit and flares, and the like. I guess that was around in the 80s- but I think of it as 50s too.

cindysmith

Veteran

Now that you mention it, yes. I see the polarization, and it is so good to finally see something for everybody. I know that we often see people rejoicing that something that's in their wheelhouse is everywhere, and others bemoaning the lack of options that appeal to their personal style. It's amazing that there's a wide array of options for both sides of strong femininity: the florals and poofy sleeves for the traditional idea of feminine, and the utility look for the flip side of feminism.

I'm loving that nobody has to fit a particular mold this season.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Those soft ditsy floral print dresses and skirts were very ‘90s. Short and long. Flared, bias cut, a-line. Tempered by a tough black support act.

Anonymous

The flip side of feminism! Love that

rachylou

Veteran

No, Angie. Everything good about the 90s really came from the 80s. Hahaha! But seriously, my problem with the 90s is I feel like nothing really happened.

Anyways, very very VERY interesting observation, suntiger. Must ponder this. My initial thoughts are that both of these are a) very feminine, in different ways and b) maximal. The antithesis of the sleek minimalism of... masculine high tech and industrial style?

rachylou

Veteran

Oh wait... the flip side of feminism... hmm hmm hmm. Or maybe the evolution of it, from Dworkinism to Me Too.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Words I came across looking up "ingenue": artless, unworldly, endearingly wholesome and innocent. La Ped does this extremely well.

For me, that word doesn't conjure up bows or frills or anything else trying to look feminine and "girly". I think of it as more natural, a girl/young woman who isn't aware of the entire realm of physical (sexual) appeal, and therefore doesn't play up her considerable charms (which shine through, perhaps stronger for not having been forced), sort of a "girl next door".

I know it's a kibbe type, have no idea how it's used there.

LaPed

Veteran

Thank you FI. I never think of myself that way, but it's nice to know I have an ingenue element that comes across.

I think part of the juxtaposition phenomenon might also be the conflation of different eras on the part of the younger set to whom these trends are marketed.

I remember this from when I was a tween and "hippie" everything was trending; it was a total mash-up of 60s and 70s styles. My baby boomer parents were always trying to set me straight as to which was which, and deepen my understanding of what was actually "in" when they were young (which of course was of very little importance to me!).

I wouldn't be surprised if today's kids think similarly about the 80s/90s. That is, they see the continuity and similarities rather than the finer distinctions, because they're taking it in retrospectively rather than living it.

LaPed

Veteran

Also, I'll say I'm actually getting a strong late-70s New Romantic vibe from a lot of what's on offer. It's just a total smorgasbord out there!

Sal

Veteran

I do see what you mean - I also see the New Romantic - early Princess Diana look being mixed in.

I struggle to dive heavily into 80s and 90s looks and am more drawn to 70s. But I take inspiration from both I am sure even if I don’t realise it.

Actually the ingenue and the tough stomps looks are two that I have never liked on me - love them on others.

Anonymous

That is a very interesting observation , but I can't really figure out if it means anything to me or not - in terms of dressing. The 80's and 90's, when I would have been in my 20's and 30's , never struck me as a personally meaningful time for fashion . Or course I bought clothes for work as much as anyone else did, and worked a lot in the fashion industry in those decades, but I would think I was more influenced by the 70's than anything . I suppose the minimalist 90's brought me leather, pointy toes , sleek blazers etc. .....

As for why it's all at retail now? I think retail is a really tough gig, and the more there is to choose from, the better the population is served. I can distinctly remember years where there would be nothing I wanted to buy , where the colours and silhouettes were wrong....Now - this is les of an issue

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

There IS '70s in the mix, especially since the '90s were based on the '70s.

Lisa P, pointy toes are '80s

Rachy, dead right!

Anonymous

Yes, you're right . That shows you how little those decades mattered to me

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

90s clothes, fine by me, as long as there are more pants choices than MC Hammer Harem pants (the only popular clothing item i clearly remember from a very busy, fun time of my life).

Style Fan

Veteran

Interesting observation. Fashion is less rigid and there is more to choose from.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I am not interested in projecting an ingenue look at all, but will absolutely wear elements of that style (puffy/ruffly/floral). I also like to wear pointy shoes, some leather and am very attracted to 90s minimalism. So maybe retail right now is perfect for me? Most of my 90s clothes are from the 90s though .

Anonymous

Thanks all-had a long day yesterday and finally getting back to this. Definitely no nostalgia from me for any prior decades! I see a lot of media from that time period being rehashed/updated too-like Star Wars.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Ah Suntiger you’re the opposite to me, I drown in nostalgia for previous decades every day!
I think the 80s, which started when I was 19, just so perfectly suited my personality with the bright colours and all the possibilities of my life at the time, that anything that reminds me of them pushes my buttons. That was the decade of graduating, meeting and marrying DH, and travelling. For me the 90s was so much more responsible and somber, having our 3 children and our both buying our businesses that we still own now, so I kind of missed out on any fashion of that decade except for leggings.
I have a fond memory of a particular sort of romantic puffy sleeved white blouse which I wore with a deep red corduroy skirt many times, the first time to a party with a new boyfriend. Ahhh, happy sigh.
Maybe a romantic look and a pointy shoe doesn’t look as good on me now as it did then, but I might ignore that annoying fact!

Liesbeth

Veteran

Oh jenni, I laughed at your perspective! Though I find it strangely true that the nineties were also a pretty dark decade, with stark minimalism, angry grunge and a lot of angst in mainstream culture (think of music video's from back then with their heavy symbolism, and radiohead).
Somehow though, the nineties were my formative years and it seems as though this is why nineties style clothes may just seem like the most 'regular' clothes possible for me, outside of trends (though of course that is not really the case). Of course I'm now talking about what people on Friends wore e.g.
Sorry suntiger, not really on topic, your question is interesting but I'm not capable of adding anything intelligent right now.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Well Liesbeth I wonder if that’s the case for most of us, that the clothes of our maybe teens but certainly 20s look the most “normal” to us. See I completely missed most of the music and the clothes of the 90s- too busy with the young family and honestly started paying attention more to the music my children liked- like the Spice Girls!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Jenni NZ !

"Ah Suntiger you’re the opposite to me, I drown in nostalgia for previous decades every day!"

HIGH FIVE. I am EXTREMELY nostalgic for fashion of previous decades. I get you

Toban

Veteran

I’m with suntiger in not being particularly nostalgic for earlier decade fashions. The reprise of the 80s and 90s remind me of how difficult developing my style as a teenager and college student was... especially challenging as being a heavy petite who struggled to find clothes that fit. The petite options were generally at stores that catered to a more mature client. Ugh. Bad memories. I am enjoying this era of doing your own thing and more inclusivity in sizes, even if relegated to online purchases.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Fair enough Toban. For me it was extremely easy to dress in the 80s- I was petite of course but also very slim at that age and lots of stuff fit right off the rack. I agree that would colour how you feel about it.
In the 90s I didn’t like what I called “old lady shops” which you kindly call stores that cater to a “more mature client”. I was in my 30s then but now I am their demographic! Funny how times change.

Gaylene

Veteran

Jenni NZ, your statement “the clothes of our maybe teens but certainly 20s look the most “normal” to us” makes total sense to me.

I suspect that, for many of us, our late teens and 20s tend to be formative fashion years where we emerge from our “try everything, no matter how outrageous”, experimentalist tendencies of our early and middle teens to find a “look”, or personal style, which works for our particular tastes, budgets, and lifestyles. Staying within that style framework isn’t nostalgia as much as much as it is a sense of fixed thinking about what works for me aesthetically, socially, and emotionally. Moving out of that fixed thinking isn’t easy.

I’m also fascinated by the wide variations in how people remember the fashions of different decades. My 90s were a decade of silk blouses, Donna Karan jersey pieces, and Anne Klein suits, not plaid shirts, scrunchies, and slip dresses—in other words, the difference between the fashion world of a teenage girl and a 40+, career-focused female. I guess that’s why, after living through 50 decades of fashion, I have a hard time when I hear people linking particular styles to a decade. It seems to me that every decade I’ve lived through is a mishmash of looks. Each era has its own version of a feminine vs. a more masculinized version of a shirt or a shoe, just like it has its own version of a maximal vs. minimal look, or an ingenue vs. powerful look.

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