Timeless or trendy - YouLookFab Forum

UmmLila (Lisa)

I particularly liked how the author explains that things that are beautiful and unusual may serve us better and create more long term joy than timeless neutrals.

2 years ago

anne

Veteran

Janet, thanks - that article is really insightful and thought provoking!

2 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Lisa, I liked that too — it resonated with me! Sixteen years ago when we bought our house, we chose an orange leather sectional for our living room, despite a little nervousness about the bold color. We had looked at red but it didn’t speak to us the way the orange did. And the neutrals didn’t do it for us either. Well, to this day we still love that sectional!

2 years ago

approprio

(website)

Veteran

That’s a really nice article. She’s done a very good job of identifying why we love the things we love. Her concept of organized complexity resonates very strongly and I like her approach to acquisition. I’m inclined to disagree about the jokes though. Many of them never get old. A select few keep on getting funnier.

2 years ago

Runcarla

Veteran

Thank you for sharing this salient article!

2 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

I really related to this in how I dress:

organized complexity in aesthetic objects: art, decor, and even music. Organized complexity means a mid-to-high level of intricacy in a design coupled with an overall level of order that brings balance and regularity.

I like a lot of symmetry, structure, recognizability in outward shapes but within those shapes anything goes. I think of a lot of it as classic gone riotous.

2 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Glad you all are appreciating it too.

I actually reread it, once thinking about home decor/design and fashion, and again thinking about how these concepts apply to artwork (for those of us who are artists) and how some works resonate through that organized complexity, and some are like jokes that once you get the punchline you don’t need to hear again. Trends (employed only as trends and not thoughtfully) = gimmicks, so to speak. Lots of good food for thought there as I edit not only my belongings and wardrobe but also the art that I make.

2 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Vildy, yes — that computes for me too. I like simple shapes but with some textural or patterned interest. There’s a balance. Too much — or not enough —of both tips the balance into either busy and overdesigned or bland, at least for my taste.

2 years ago

CarolS

Veteran

Thanks for sharing this, Janet!

Ingrid Fetell-Lee is brilliant!! She also has a marvellous TED talk. I haven't looked at it in a while, but I think that's where she talks about polka dots being happy.

2 years ago

slim cat

Veteran

Great article - love her writing! Organized complexity is a nice term
( gotta remember it for future talk with clients ).

2 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

Really good! Works for all categories of “ things”. And so interesting as to how it applies to the most st mundane things, some simple, and not just the moderate complexity ones.
In the kitchen I see this in the sense of satisfaction using various tools and ware. I have a veggie peeler, and a zester/ grater. They were ordinary purchases but I like them and use almost daily.
I have a little metal tongs that I saved from a catered lunch at work years ago— all the bowls and serving ware were considered disposable. I use them multiple times a week. When I organized my kitchen drawers not too long ago, I decluttered and now in my several types of drawer inserts/ dividers I have these and similar items in their own slots or nearly so— not jumbled at all. So I’m aware of this sense of satisfaction and “ enough- ness” reaching for them, using them, putting away from dishwasher.

Also for letting go of things. We acquired furniture and household items from our parents, and that included stuff THEY had saved from other family members. Some were items for which I knew the provenance and/ or how they were used by the person- so some of those had special meaning and usefulness. But I also found that some items that another person had loved just didn’t “ do”
anything for me, whereas other objects I had no idea of what they meant to someone, maybe had been just kind of hoarded generically, were ones I really liked for my own aesthetic. So I had to let myself evaluate all the levels of attachment, sentiment, “ should like” vs “do like”’. Some of this had to work out over time, which was a helpful luxury compared to rapid “ spark
joy” sorting.

2 years ago

cat2

Veteran

So interesting, but I am not sure about the distinction between style and aesthetics when it comes to fashion. The fashion items that have the longest legs for me are twists on classic. I guess that’s an aesthetic rather than following trends?

2 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Terrific article, Janet, and thought-provoking. I'm going to consider this idea of "organized complexity" more often especially when considering statement items that I hope might have some longevity. I definitely relate to the connection between colour and joy—in both our former house and current one we have used a lot of rich and bright colour both on walls, in artwork, and with some of the furniture.

2 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

That’s extremely interesting about a mid level of complexity being most appealing empirically. I wonder how that computes with, for example, the Baroque period.

2 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

I still haven't figured out why I buy clothes. When I was a teenager my mother usually said about some new trend, "I *had* that." Meaning she had already experienced it long ago and didn't want to revisit. Since I absorb a lot fashion/style/trend info, I tend to experience new trends vicariously. I see it in various combinations, diverse bodies, coloring. It's a GoTo outfit or silhouette for so many people - and sometimes for a decade like skinnies - that it kills all my curiosity and leaves me with an I Had That feeling.

But if I happen to get in at the beginning of a fad/trend, it goes better.
Like many, have been reading about the Coastal Grandma trend.
This has zero to do with my own lifestyle. I'm not attracted to it for myself. Yet the other day I shopped a bag sale at a church thrift I often frequent. I had been looking for a top in a certain shade of light blue and not finding one. But I did spot a dress in a different shade of pale blue with a white stripe. Slightly textured fabric as though it wanted to be a tablecloth. Buttoned all the way down, sleeveless but with some ruffling around the armhole. Definitely oversized for me, so loose. A linen mix partly lined in rayon and with pockets. I laughed because I really liked it and bought it and wore it. But I don't imagine working in my garden, rather something more like sunbleached Shipwreck Chic. So maybe my motivation in acquiring new clothing lies closer to exploring those ten qualities of joy.

ETA: so maybe instead of Ginger or Maryann, I identify with Mrs. Howell.

2 years ago

Helena

Veteran

This is an interesting article; thanks for sharing it! I enjoyed going down the 10 aesthetics of joy rabbithole. There was some resonance for me and some not. Boldness in choice does not resonate with me and I frequently regret choosing colour over neutral, so I'm almost reverse on that point. Organized complexity is interesting and I'll have to contemplate it further but I think it resonates ... Although I suspect I would tap out at the mid level of complexity.

2 years ago

Eliza

Veteran

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!

2 years ago

Sal

Veteran

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.

2 years ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

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!

2 years ago

Sal

Veteran

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.

2 years ago

chirico (Chiara)

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for this interesting read. It really gives some food for thought.

2 years ago

kkards

Veteran

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

2 years ago

Barbara Diane

Veteran

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.

2 years ago

Joy

Veteran

Thank you, Janet. I enjoyed the article and food for thought.

2 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

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.”

2 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

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.

2 years ago

Irina

Veteran

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.

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.

2 years ago

Style Fan

Veteran

Excellent article! I don't tire of particular looks or colours like orange. I have never regretted bold purchases in home decor or clothing.

2 years ago

CarolS

Veteran

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.”

2 years ago

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