Trends and great design

Carol

In "The Story of Stuff" video, Annie Leonard talks about how shoe trends are pointy one year, and round the next, and then pointy again, and so on.

I heard recently that the style of shoe below is just a no-no to wear. It certainly was more popular 10 or 15 years ago, but to me it is just such a great design that I would still wear it today. I have them in my closet, and I still wear them occasionally.

Context is also important. I am not sure I would wear them in NYC. I would have to gauge whether or not they were acceptable. Place dictates clothing so much, and New York is a place of adhering to fashion IQ. Perhaps a Kardashian shoe from 2010 wouldn't work. Or perhaps it would!

But even if you like to keep up with trends, you have to admit that is an objectively beautiful shoe. It makes me realize that I respond to great design much more than trends. It's what had me pulling Dynasty shoulder-pad dresses off the rack at the thrift store when the current vibe was peasant dresses.

Do you respond more to trends or great design? How do you decide if you will wear something "out of style?"

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3 weeks ago

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19 replies

Latest reply was from Carol

Star (Lise)

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I had a pair of those from around 15
Years ago. I left them behind when I moved continents. I don't care too much about whether something is trendy or not. I have quite distinctive likes and dislikes. Design is definitely part of it, and good fabric. Of course my likes and dislikes do change over time. In fact when too many people are wearing something it puts me a bit off temporarily. If I like an item a lot but it is out of style I will still wear it happily. I do prefer more classic items so they probably not out of style, just currently not trendy if that makes sense. Like your shoes.

3 weeks ago

Carol

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Lise--I also like classic items, and get a bit put off when a trend is everywhere. Design I do pay attention to, and working on fabric. I order so much online, and sometimes something arrives and the fabric is just so strange!

3 weeks ago

Angie

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Carol, the way I see it, is that the BIGGEST trend today is: DYOT.

Anything and everything goes when you wear it with intention, confidence, ease and a happy heart.

Yes, there are trends. Still. But they are harder to pinpoint because we see it ALL. Trends will become superfluous at some point. Jeans trends are heading in that direction already. I suspect the same will happen to all wardrobe items in my lifetime (or a millennial's lifetime). Especially with a buzzing secondhand market.

There will be True Vintage (because the items are old relics), and everything else. No trends.

So when it comes to so called "good design" - a very subjective thing in itself - it's all about following your style preferences and embracing your signature style. That's what you're doing with these pumps

3 weeks ago

Irina

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I’m with Angie, a “good design “ is very subjective. For example, I like pointy shoes. I think I like them more than other styles because of my own narrow and pointy feet. To me, it is a “good design “ and I have always loved Manolo Blahnik shoes (but never owned myself). I wear other styles like almond and square toes, they were recently trendy and some maybe trendy now. But to me interesting design is more important than trends. At the same time, I’m aware of the current trends and interested in incorporating some of them into my wardrobe.

3 weeks ago

Suz

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I think good design and trends can be aligned...but some trendy items are badly designed and made. And I think when love an item whether or not it hits a current trend, sometimes that's on account of some aspect of the design. In footwear, it could go beyond superficial details like the shape of the toe or the height of the heel -- it might have to do with the pitch of the last, i.e. is it supremely comfortable?? I have a pair of heeled boots like that...they are definitely not trendy, but wow, are they comfortable, and I'm not getting rid of them for that reason. (Below).

I think those items that match our signature style feel like "good design" to us more often than not, and those are the ones we want to hang onto.

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3 weeks ago

LJP

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It’s all very subjective and personal . My idea of good design may not be the same as yours and we are each informed by experience , education , training and pure emotion . As for wearing something someone else has deemed dated , if I still love it myself , I'll carry on wearing it . Perfect example ( for me ) : today I wore an ivory unlined brushed wool long shirt style coat from Aritizia that is probably 10 yrs old and was ubiquitous at Aritzia for quite awhile . It’s not current by any means in that it’s not oversized and the shirt jacket look has had its day , but mine is in great condition and I love the tailoring and the brightness it adds to my gloomy complexion and hair . Lol.

3 weeks ago

Sloper

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Well, just FYI, they (whoever “they” might be) most certainly do not hand out fashion-flub citations in NYC. It is DYOT all the way!

I’m in agreement with Angie regarding the demise of the reign of trends.

And perhaps not a few of us would agree that many trends are not very good design.

To your question - I respond to design in the sense of suitability to my lifestyle, and personal aesthetic. Which also means that I will respond to a trend in the same terms. I’ve lost count of the cycle of waiting through skinny pants trends until my adored wide legs come back around again.

3 weeks ago

Sal

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Interesting question Carol.

I think no (or very few) pieces in isolation are dated - but some combinations can be. I see leopard high heel pumps as a classic piece that will cycle in and out of being trendy. For a classic dresser I think these would work with a straight skirt or tailored trousers, silk shirt or knit sweater. A trendy dresser might wear them with barrel jeans and a crop top and bomber jacket (I could be wrong here). With a waterfall cardigan and skinny jeans I think they could look dated.

I have pieces that speak to me even when they are not trendy. I have always loved Mary Jane shoes and wore them when they were definitely not in fashion. I feel similarly about palazzo style pants, knee high classic 1970s boots and wedge summer sandals.

I think the best outfits often have something older and something newer in them - not always - but often!

3 weeks ago

Carol

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Suz--I think you are right about liking something about a design. For me, I get fascinated by a great cut of pants--how that might be different from the average cut. I had a very expensive pair of tweed J. Crew trousers years ago, and I wore them 10 years. I attribute that to a designer who knows how to design for the long range.

Angie, Irina, LJP, Sloper--taste is subjective, great design is not, I am certain. When I was into wine, wine experts would say: it's really just all about what you like. Well, yes and no. One bottle is $500, another is $20, and if you really like wine, it is worth it to know why the first is valued more, even if you like the second. Cars are like this, and fashion is like this. Even in a visual sense. Here is a pair of Charlotte Russe leopard pumps, in a similar design (a cheaper brand). Very fun, but uncomfortable, and you might not want to wear them in every environment. The Sartos are a more thought-out design, and can work in several environments.

I see what you are saying, that we are moving into a DYOT era. That sounds great. But when we pull items from our past, the ones we "get away with wearing..." I am convinced they have intelligent design.

Sal--I love your two contrasting ideas about how to style the pumps. And I really love what you said at the end--the best outfits have something old and new. Food for thought.

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3 weeks ago

Sal

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Yes Carol I agree that older pieces that still resonate do have great design or execution or quality - or all of them. I think in the case of high heeled pumps that the angles and shape and materials between two different pairs can make all the difference.

3 weeks ago

Star (Lise)

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SAL such a good point about in what combination you wear said said dated items can make the difference. I certainly am aware of that and definitely try not to look like I walked out of a specific and identifiable era.

3 weeks ago

Jaime

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Interesting question Carol. When I see something that I consider great design - and well made - at a thrift store, which I also like and fits and I could imagine wearing I am very likely to want to take it home. But I also respond to trends, so I might not wear it until it fits into my sense of what is current (a very subjective sense).

3 weeks ago

LJP

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3 weeks ago

Angie

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Thanks for the good conversation, Carol! All in good fun and you are fab

I'll counter your argument in an extreme way because I believe that good design is subjective. Let me attempt to explain my point of view.

Just like beauty lies in the eye of the beholder - (as LJP points out, our subjective opinions are shaped by many things). Art, style and design are not quantifiable, and cannot be objectively measured. They are measured by subjective opinions. In that sense, it's not science. Of course, a more comfortable shoe is a better design because comfort is important. Foot pain is not the goal. A podiatrist, PT, or wellness professional will say that both pairs of high heeled shoes shown here are a bad design for your feet. People who can't wear high heels and don't like animal print will too. Others like you enjoy their "good design"!

As Sal pointed out, some wardrobe items have extreme longevity and are what I call iconic classics here on YLF. Animal print is one of those things, and pumps are another (but a style that is more classic than what you're showing here). Perhaps that is what you mean, and I get that! What I call iconic classics hold their place in fashion for decades, and possibly forever because of their so called "good design" - and more importantly, because they continue to sell at retail because people love wearing them.

In terms of trends, these waters ALSO get muddy! Just to confuse us, classics have their fashion moments, and become trendy for a while, in which case - we see more of them and they get a lot of attention. My new aviator jacket is an example of that. Soooo on trend! Yet sooooo classic! It's having its fashion moment now, but I'll wear this jacket until it falls apart because I think it's a good design! Others may quite rightly disagree.

Hope that makes sense, and thanks for reading my novel

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3 weeks ago

Jenni NZ

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I respond to what I like, I think. I agree with Angie that it’s subjective. We won’t necessarily agree on what good design is. I find it difficult when people appear to criticise others for wearing something that they think is dated. So I like that Angie thinks Do Your Own Thing is the biggest trend of all.
I occasionally read back on Angie’s blog, when thinking about a particular topic, say for an example Mary-Jane shoes like Sal mentions. I like those, and own some. I won’t be reading old posts to see if they are dated or not, but maybe for examples of what people are wearing with them, say. Just for ideas. And if there are old forum posts connected to the blog post I find, people might be agonising about what pants length to wear with them or something. (This is all just a made-up example). Because the blog has been going for 19 years, there are going to be huge changes in what is thought to be dated. I like that there is possibly becoming less emphasis on that, personally. It feels kinder.

3 weeks ago

Carol

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Alright, thanks everyone. I'm going to say that we are all a little bit right. I think that great design CAN be subjective, according to taste, need, etc. But also objective in the sense that the more people vote for something, especially experts, the better that design probably is. A Levi's jacket over a $5 knock-off one at the mall, for example.

3 weeks ago

Angie

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Carol, the "good design" aspect is where the concept of "iconic classics" comes in. The levi's trucker denim jacket across its fits and fabrics is an example - and to your point. It's something many people across ages and genders buy, and have been buying for decades. And will continue to do so. To the extent that it is knocked off

Iconic classics have extra longevity and versatility, which makes them popular. And as long as they keep selling, retailers will supply them.

Iconic classics are not popular with everyone everywhere. It's subjectively cultural too. A pair of Levi's jeans is more popular in the US. A Burberry trench coat is more popular in the UK. A silk scarf is more popular in France. Dutch orange items are more popular in the Netherlands. Gucci loafers are more popular in Italy.

Good discussion!

3 weeks ago

Janet

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I’d like to point out something really basic (and maybe a little pedantic, sorry!). As a former designer (not fashion but there are universal truths about design in general), “good design” is about function as much as form. Good design means a garment or piece of footwear, etc, functions well for a wearer. Things like seam and pocket placement, effective closures, fabrication, allowance for movement, flexibility of a shoe last…those are a big part of good design. Things have to work on a body. “Good design” to me does not mean something that only looks nice in a photo but is not functional or comfortable for actual wear — that’s art, not design. Design needs to function.

That said, there is also a big component that’s subjective. What you find beautiful or useful or wearable, someone else will not. Even from an aesthetic standpoint, there is not really a totally universal standard of what comprises a “beautiful” garment or shoe. I may prefer a profile with a slimmer toe than your example, or a print that has more tonal variation or more contrast or whatever.

I’m always looking for a balance of form and function. It’s hard to achieve without compromise — I suspect that most of us compromise quite a lot!

2 weeks ago

Carol

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Angie--yes, iconic classics. And I would say there is even something in the line, the cut, that makes these last longer visually. Like the J. Crew pants I mentioned above.

Janet--good point. I know there are several components to good design, though I did not explicitly state that. Can it withstand beating up? Will it have longevity, etc?

I would also argue that even aesthetically, there are some "universal" rules of appeal, which is where you get those iconic items.

With the two leopard shoes, I do really enjoy the second visually as much as the firsts, though it is very specific...it really just screams "clubbing 2010." Even back then, I don't think I would have been able to wear those to a club...would have preferred the stability of the first.

2 weeks ago

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