Introductions: Karl Lagerfeld

With the Met Gala only a few days away now, I thought we would take some time and familiarize ourselves with the history of Karl Lagerfeld. This years theme being Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty I wanted to write on the designer who was more than just a creative director at Chanel.

Born September 10^th, 1933 in Hamburg, Germany, Lagerfeld was more than just a designer. He was an artist, photographer, and creative director for many brands. He was born to a traditional family as they belonged to the old Catholic Church. His father was a businessman who owned his company that sold evaporated milk. Lagerfeld was known for changing his past. Often times he would change his birth year to seem younger or even change his birth parents in attempts to have a higher status. Lagerfeld also has two older sisters and kept the spelling of his family name to Lagerfeld, despite it being spelled both Lagerfeldt and Lagerfeld, as it was more commercial. He had a very distinct look as he established himself in the fashion world. He was notably known for his slim suits, white hair in a ponytail, big black sunglasses, and fingerless gloves.

Growing up he showed a great interest in art and visual arts. Often found sketching, Lagerfeld felt a deep connection to European culture. He was often influenced by old French styles such as Baroque and Rococo. This was solidified when he moved to Paris. There he entered in design competitions, submitting a design for a dress in 1954 to the International Wool Secretariat. He entered again for a coat competition in 1955 and won. There he met Yves Saint Laurent and was hired to be Pierre Balmain assistant and eventually apprentice, a job that would last three years. Later becoming creative director for Jean Patou in 1958 he would give that up and move to Rome in 1964 to study art and do freelance work. By 1967 he was hired to work for Fendi where he brought new furs for the infamous fur brand, he stayed with them until his death. Moving forward to 1970s, he had been working for Chloe and innovated the brand in ways that caught the eye of many people within the fashion industry. This only led to his arrival to Chanel in 1983.

Chanel was considered a dead brand by the 1980s. With Coco dying almost a decade before Karl’s arrival it was understandable that they were looking for a youthful energy to revitalize the house. Lagerfeld threw the old Chanel silhouette out and opted for a more 80s one with shoulder pads. His arrival to the house caused the old clientele to leave as they felt he was modernizing it too much. Surprisingly enough, his Chanel is the Chanel we know today. If you were ever on Tumblr or Twitter you will remember the numerous 90s Chanel runway photos that scatter those apps. Karl knew that his Chanel would have been hated by Coco but continued revamping it. By 1984 he started his own line meaning he was at Chanel, Fendi, and his own brand all at once. Lagerfeld never stopped and thrived off of work. Through his reign at Chanel we got It girls like Claudia Schiffer in the 90s and later Cara Delevingne in 2014. His Chanel was also one of the first brands to explore with the idea of celebrity ambassadors. Ranging from Lily Rose Depp, Willow, Caia Gerber, Jennie Kim, Margot Robbie, Kristen Stewart and many more. While bringing the house back to the status we knew of it before his passing he also brought a sense of entertainment to the traditional fashion show. Lagerfeld held over the top runway shows at the Palais Galliera. Including a supermarket (my favorite), spaceship, enchanted forests, and so on.

Being a genius design and artist, it doesn’t stop the flaws of a human. I will not sit here and say I’m celebrating this man and the things he believes in but I can enjoy the art he has created in his design. Like Dolce & Gabbana, Lagerfeld has said a few things that are not exactly ideal and need to be highlighted. Although considered the women’s designer in a sense he wasn’t, often advocating for having very thin women on his runway. Quoted “no one wants to see round women”, and as far as saying Heidi Klum was too big for his shows. In the event of stylist Karl Templer being accused of sexual assault he stated “if you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery they’ll always be a place for you in convent. They’re recruiting even!”. To further expand on that, Lagerfeld even sent flowers to Dominique Strauss-Kahn who was on trial for rape. While directing a campaign for Chanel he put Claudia Schiffer in black face and as well as yellow face. Though he created such beautiful garments and art all around it is odd to see this man celebrated at the Met Gala when has has quite the controversies. I’m excited to see what everyone will wear but I don’t think this is an exhibit I would visit.

Indie Sleaze and All Its Glory

Fashion month kicked my ass but I’m back. As we enter a new year the rise of new trends and micro trends emerge. If you’re in the TikTok sphere you may have notice the surge of Indie Sleaze styling videos. Ranging in tacky graphic tees, twee like collars and shoes, or looking like Alexa Chung dating Alex Turner era, the hipster fashion is back. Wiki describes Indie Sleaze to be a take on indie rock styles from the 2000s and 2010s most popular in the late MySpace days and the height of Tumblr.

I often talk about the fact that fashion is on a 20 year cycle. Trends come and go but eventually come back within that time frame. Given the technological advances and social media basically being the biggest leader of trend setting, the cycles have accelerated. 2003 would have been the year to look into to get at least a bit of a forecast on what would be shown on the runway. Indie Sleaze reigned from 2008-2014, a bit more ahead. But that’s not to say that elements of this aesthetic did not exist in 2003. For me 2003 was the year of the punk/ scene kid. (Granted I was 4 going on 5 so I don’t remember much). Straying away from the hanker-chief hems, itty bitty mini skirts, and flowy silky tops, there laid a pinstripe cargo style pants paired with chains and hanging straps. There were iconic artists like Avril Lavigne and movies like Freaky Friday where the main character was definitely in to that punk like style. But what later evolved from this was so much more. Indie Sleaze fell between a punk style but mixed with various other genres (70s/80s rock with 90s grunge).

The popularity of thrift shopping played a key role with the hipster aesthetic. As the whole point was to seem like you were above everyone else in the sense that you didn’t care where you bought your clothing. You were hipster if you went thrifting, only listened to vinyl, and had a great following on MySpace which only led to eventually being cool on Tumblr. For me the height of hipster or Indie Sleaze was Tumblr. I was on there from 2012-2017. (I eventually left when I graduated high school but I’m back on there recently to fill in the void for my inner teen). My page was scatter with The 1975 gif’s and lyrics as well as American Apparel ads. Lana Del Rey’s music was what I lived by and I cried about problems that were really not problems. Tumblr gave me an escapism that I miss dearly and brought on my obsession with fashion and fashion blogging. Indie Sleaze is described as such, an aesthetic created in the midst of a Great Recession.

Nostalgia is the reason as to why this trend is back. Indie Sleaze was birthed in a time of societal distressed. Given our circumstances we’re not that far from that. Was it the global pandemic? The impending doom of nuclear war? Politicians that are almost a laughing stock at this point? Maybe it’s all of the above but it’s not uncommon for people to go back to a time where they felt happiest. The whole mantra of that era was “YOLO” same can be said for now. While the resurgence of Y2K is the main character of many runways a lot of people are reverting to that hipster style we last saw in our Tumblr days. I too can personally tell you that lately I have not been caring about anything and just want to party and be happy in this moment, very “YOLO” of me. I want to go back to a time where I was care free and happy. So here I am stocking up on my doc marten’s, Jeffrey Campbell Lita’s, creepers, wearing stripes and mom jeans with a choker.

Being a fashion “girlie” is the new it thing. With the constant need of being trendy I often wonder if this decade or era would have any recognizable aesthetic. We’re so obsessed with Y2K, Indie Sleaze, and other past aesthetics that we lacking originality. Maybe we’re just waiting for something that might not come.

Fashion and Economy

Does the economy effective what we wear? Fashion is subjective and the designers are often influenced by past memories or current events. We all know that the world, economy, political and social events can effect the general theme for collections any given season. But can the financial market predict what will be the next trend on the runway? The saying goes that history repeats itself and I believe that’s a given in fashion. When forecasting for the next year it’s common practice to look at collections from twenty years prior. By looking at these collections can that also give us an idea of what the economy will be like in the next year?

To understand the effect of economy and fashion or vice versa, we have to understand the Hemline Index. A theory created in 1926 by George Taylor. In essence it states that women wear shorter skirts or dresses in times of financial success or growth. Whereas in times of need or financial down fall the skirts or dresses get longer. This was due to hosiery being very popular in the time the theory was created. Shorter hemlines allow you to see the hosiery where longer hemlines were more to hide the fact that you don’t have any due to not being able to afford them. The same idea can be applied to fashion in general during these times. For example shoes and trends changed to more glitzy and glamour in times of economic downfall.

The 1930s were known as the great depression but the fashion during this time was the exact opposite. Long floor length dresses and what was considered the introduction of the platform shoe are what reigned on the movie screen. Fashion was used as a form of escapism during this time, it was full of fantasy and whimsical. This could be seen through the likes of Elsa Schiaparelli and her designs inspired by surrealism. Although there is the latter where we see people move more towards practicality. This only became stronger as WWII commenced. I had my first hand with this when I was child, growing up in the early 2000s I saw the fashion and hemlines change a lot. Now as an adult and seeing the revival of early 2000s fashion it makes me a little worried given what was popular during certain times.

Covid has definitely change the course of fashion and the given trends. We went from comfy loungewear to crazy over the top. Partly because we were stuck inside for so long the need to go out and show out is strong. This last year or so we saw the craze for platform shoes like the Naked Wolf boots, sequins, and mini skirts. Although I do think sequins will be very popular in the next year it’s slowly sneaking its way in. People dress in excess as you can see in streetwear style looks that have a more maximalist approach to it. But how does the Hemline Index play a role with the micro mini skirt trend. Yes we just finished dealing with the pandemic and the economy right now in the US is not ideal – though I don’t think I can talk much about economics – but yet the hemlines are shorter. Does the financial market effective fashion or vice versa? I don’t know, but both play very important roles and help us understand the other.

Issey Miyake

First and foremost I want to say thank you to Issey Miyake for the beautiful pieces and collections he gave us, they were truly beautiful. Born on April 22^nd 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan he experienced the bombing at a very young age which impacted his life tremendously. Miyake was known for his technological advances on his designs. Originally wanting to be a dancer, Miyake did not start his interest in fashion until he started studying his sister’s magazines. He went on to study graphic design and eventually graduate with a degree in 1964 from the Tama Art University in Tokyo. Miyake would enter his designs in a few competitions but ultimately not win them due to his lack of pattern making and sewing skills. This only pushed him to apply to a fashion school in Paris where he would hold apprenticeship to Guy Laroche and Givenchy.

It wasn’t until 1969 where Miyake made the big move to New York where he enrolled in English classes in Columbia and worked for Geoffrey Beene. Returning to Tokyo in 1970, this is when he founded the Miyake Design Studio. Inspired by designers like Isamu Noguchi and Madelein Vionnet newness and geometric designs. During the 80s, Miyake started experimenting with new methods on pleating that allowed advances in flexibility and movement. He was credited as being one of the two people to reinvent the Mariano Fortuny pleats. (The other being Babette Pinksy). Miyakes methods of pleating are done by the garment being cut and sewn first then placed together between layers of paper and then put through a heating press.

Through Miyakes’s new method of making clothing he realized that it was perfect for dancer. The costuming for the dancers was what birthed “Pleats, Please”. The “Pleats, Please” clothing line brought us the pleated black pants that I feel like everyone and their mom either wants or has. Not only were these garments comfortable but they were geared to be accessible as this is something that Miyake believe in when it came to his clothing. Issey Miyake believed that the most modern thing was to dress everyone in the most beautiful clothes. He made comfortable clothing that even people like Steve Jobs adored as his go to was a black Miyake turtle neck. Besides the clothing, Miyake ventured into perfumes, watches, etc. I remember being introduced to the designer through his fragrance and Bao Bao bags. Issey Miyake would eventually retire from fashion in 1997, he wanted to continue to do research. On August 5^th 2022 we lost our wonderful designer to liver cancer. Miyake was an extremely talented designer who spent his life creating beautiful clothing to forget the bombings he experienced as a child. He created beauty with everything he did.

Introductions: Prada

After what almost feels like a year from my last “Introductions” post, I’m surprised it took me this long to write about my favorite brand. My obsession with the brand started off as a joke. Being obsessed with fashion at a young age caused a lot of “The Devil Wears Prada” jokes with me. Thus creating interest in the brand.

Founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, the brand originally specialized in leather handbags, travel accessories, etc.Their first shop was called “Fratelli Prada”, translating to Prada brothers, was owned and operated by Mario and Martino Prada. There is where they sold animal goods, English steamer trunks, and handbags; something that was very common for famous brands during this era. Mario believing women shouldn’t run the company eventually passed the brand onto his daughter, Luisa Prada, when his son didn’t want it. (The irony of it all). Through Luisa is where we are given Miuccia. Born as Maria Bianchi on May 1o^th, 1949 in Milan to Luigi Bianchi and Luisa Prada. She would later take the name Miuccia Prada in the 80s after being adopted by an aunt. Miuccia was the youngest of three, older siblings including Albert and Martina.

Surprisingly Miuccia had very little interest in fashion at the beginning. Graduating with a PhD in Political Science from the “University of Milan” her career did not push her in the realm of Prada until later on in life. She trained as a mime at the “Teatro Piccolo” and performed for five years, was a member of the Italian Communist Party, and was involved with women’s rights movements in the 70s. It wasn’t until the mid-seventies where Miuccia would take over the family business. During this time she met Patrizio Bertelli who had started his own leather good business at the age of twenty-four and would eventually become her business partner and future husband. Patrizio was the one to advised Miuccia on the end of steamer trunks and change the products of the brand. This is what lead us to the infamous nylon bags.

By 1979 Miuccia released the first collection of backpacks and totes made of nylon. This is the same nylon that was used as coverings for the trunks. Ten years later in 1989 the first women’s ready-to-wear collection would be released. This collection was known for their dropped waist and narrow belts. The brand would gain popularity for their clean lines and basic colors. Prada in a way is considered “Ugly Chic” mixing the old and new the ugly and chic. They are all about function rather than beauty. Towards the 90s is where Prada really starting gaining its popularity. With fashion in this era being loud and full of many colors, Prada brought the opposite. Being in a way, the ugly duckling which is what made them more interesting. A lot of earlier collections resonated with audiences due to the fact that it was perfect for the every day woman.

The brand continues being a leading force in fashion due to the juxtaposition in collections and overall aesthetic. Not just women’s ready-to-wear but men’s as well. Not to mention Prada Sport and Prada Linea Rossa. Prada Sport was sportswear line created in 1998 that now does not produce as much as before but is still in effect. Prada Linea Rossa has caught the eye of streetwear culture and is kind of what took over Prada Sport when Barrett left the company. As well as Miu Miu, which is viewed as a little sister to the Prada line (I’m obsessed with both). Other than clothing, the company has “Fondazione Prada” which is an institution devoted to artists in Milan. Raf Simons has joined the Prada team and we’re just getting a feel for what he will bring to the brand. With only a few collections from the duo I still don’t have an opinion on his impact but so far so good. The one thing I love about Prada is the variety in aesthetics, as someone who likes to dabble in all it’s nice to have a brand that does that in such a way that I feel compliments my personal style.

The Met 2022

It’s my favorite time of the year, the one night I look forward to besides my birthday and Christmas. Continuing on from the American theme from the Gala held last September, this exhibit is In America: An Anthology of Fashion. Whereas the red carpet theme was Gilded Glamor. With shows like the Gilded Age this theme should’ve seemed fairly easy for many people to emulate. I have such high hopes in humans unfortunately.

The Gilded Age was an era where people showed off their wealth. Which is a perfect opportunity for these celebrities that get invited to show off the most extravagant things they can wear. Let’s dissect the words gilded and glamor. The definition of gilded is “covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint” and glamor “an attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing”. One can take the theme quite literally and cover themselves in gold – as seen on my many people on the carpet – but that’s not what I believe the theme is here. The theme more so revolved around the Gilded Era fashion and the glamorization of it. The Gilded Era is marked from 1870-1900s so I expected many people to dress like that. I was truly wrong but anyways here’s my best dress list. I’ll keep it short and simple because Lord knows a small percentage of people followed the theme.

Cardi B in Versace looks beautiful here quite literally dripping in gold. I love what she said as well that “gilded doesn’t have to be just the age you can be gilded in any time period”. Which is absolutely true and something to note here in this red carpet. She mimicked an old 1900s silhouette but modernized to fit perfectly now in our generation.

Billie Eilish in Gucci giving us another vintage silhouette which I’m here for. Although I would of wanted the coloring to be a little different, that was until I heard that the materials used to make this gown were of left over fabric in the shop. (We love a non-wasteful queen). But other than that I love the look, it’s giving me Victorian, it’s giving me Gone With the Wind, it’s giving old man Vanderbilt. If you know, you know.

Paloma Elsesser in Coach gave off a slight hint to the Gilded Age era. The corset was something used during the time so she’s on my best dress list for being on theme. But overall an okay look.

Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Christopher John Rogers. At first I wasn’t too crazy about the pattern but after hearing what Sarah had to say about the inspiration for the dress it changed my mind. The dress was inspired by the gowns Elizabeth Keckley would make for Mary Todd Lincoln. (For more information on her story you can check my Introductions post on her). Keckley essentially bought her freedom as a slave with her seamstress skills. Sarah wanted to pay homage to her in the gown she wore to The Met as she was one of the many seamstress that often were forgotten in this period of time.

Phoebe Dynevor in Louis Vuitton, although many would say this isn’t on theme I can see hints here and there to the older silhouettes. It’s very glamor in my eyes for sure.

Evan Mock in Head of State. The suit had a corsetted like top which was a trend in the early 1900s as a lot of the women’s styles were slowly transferring onto the mens. Cute but not too crazy about the color (still works on him though).

Shawn Mendez in Tommy Hilfiger. I could honestly care less about Shawn Mendez, he has some good songs here and there but never turned looks. But this look was for the girls. It’s giving romantic love interest, it’s giving Anthony Bridgerton, it’s giving Mr. Darcy, yes.

Rosalia in Givenchy, I have nothing to say other than I love it.

Maude Apatow in Miu Miu, giving the glamor.

Kasey Musgrave in Prada giving me My Fair Lady vibes.

Vanessa Hudgens in Moschino, the puffed shoulders, the drama, the glamor. I’m here for it.

Kendall Jenner in Prada, I love the full skirt and pleated ruffles. A lot of people could do without the top but I think the top is what makes it modern and slightly glam.

Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian in Thom Browne. Contrary to a lot of people, I love the fact that Kourtney is wearing a deconstructed version of Travis’ look. His suit definitely hints to that early 1900s style men wore. Despite Kourtney being no-thoughts-head-empty for the theme of the Gala, her wearing his outfit still went very on theme in my opinion. The jacket formed skirt on her has the bustle like style which is very Gilded Age.

Mugler

It’s honestly been very hard to keep up with the most recent collections and fashion news. First it was Virgil, then Andre, now Mugler. With major fashion icons passing, I feel like the fashion world has lost a little bit of its light. Manfred Thierry Mugler brought a whole different meaning of what can be fashion. I’m someone who has often used fashion as a form of escapism. In the fashion world and clothing in general I can be whoever I want to be. Be perceived however I want to be because fashion gives you that sort of power. This is something I believe Mugler did very well, if not the best.

Born Manfred Thierry Mugler on December 21^th , 1948 in Strasbourg. Manfred studied dance at the age of 9 and would later leave the dance world to study Interior Design in Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts. It wasn’t until in 1971 where he would later start his carrier in fashion design. At this time he designed clothes for Karim where he first started his signature broad shoulder 1940s aesthetic. By 24 he had moved to Paris and continued to design for boutiques; at 26 he freelanced for fashion houses in Paris, Milan, London, and Barcelona. It wasn’t until in 1973 where Manfred created his first collection “Cafe de Paris”. The style for the collection was sophisticated and urban. The famous fashion editor, Melka Treanton, would eventually help launch his career. With his popularity rising his first boutique opened in 1978.

The 80s and 90s really changed everything for the Thierry Mugler brand as this was the era of international recognition. The popularity led him to create his first Haute Couture collection in 1992. At this time everyone knew the brand for their sharp suits, broad shoulders, Sci-Fi themes, Vampire themes, and Aquatic themes. Mugler’s signature were stars, has he thought they brought positive energy, as well as: power dressing, corsets, animals or insects, fembots, and automobiles. Manfred would take these elements and implement them into collections. A perfect example is the Harley Davidson bustier or the strip tease done to showcase the fembot on the runway. After these crazy highs the brand was bought by Clarins in 1997 which would eventually close the brand in 2003 due to financial losses (but kept the fragrance line).

While Manfred left the brand he took on other projects, such as creating the costumes for Zumanity, a Cirque du Soleil show. When he was asked about leaving the brand in 2002, Mugler responded with “Fashion is beautiful 3-D art in a human being, But it wasn’t enough, which is why I went on to create in other ways”. Which he did. He directed films, body building, and created the costumes for Beyonce’s 2009 “I am” tour. The brand later got a new creative director, Nicola Forimchetti, who changed the name from Thierry Mugler to just Mugler. After Forimchetti’s two years at the house he was succeeded by David Koma in 2013. Then finally in 2017 Casey Cadwallader took over as artistic director. Though Manfred was no longer as involved in the brand, he still continued to revive old archival pieces for celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Cardi B. Most notably The Birth of Venus dress the Cardi B wore to the Grammy’s and Kim K’s 2019 Met Gala look that Manfred stated by inspired by Sofia Loren.

We sadly lost the great Manfred Thierry Mugler on January 23^rd , 2022. One of the greats, in my opinion at least, for the fashion industry. Manfred gave women confidence through his beautiful garments. The Mugler woman has attitude, they own their sexuality and power. I would love to be a Mugler woman. Thank you Manfred for this wonderful world you created and for bringing this fantasy to the fashion world.

Virgil Abloh

Hearing the news that Virgil passed away brought me to tears as he was a designer I grew up watching. As I found my footing in the fashion world I often looked to him as he was truly influential. Virgil is often known for being the Men’s Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton and the founder of Off-White. He brought the two worlds of streetwear and luxury fashion into a whole new light that I believe transformed the styles into what we know now. He brought luxury into streetwear and streetwear into luxury. Born on September 30^th, 1980, Virgil initially went to school for a civil engineering as well as an architecture degree. During his time at school he worked on a building, sold t-shirt designs, and wrote about fashion on a blog called The Brilliance. That was where his interest in fashion started as he met Kanye while working on his designs at a store in Chicago.

Kanye and Virgil’s internship at Fendi solidified their collaboration. The two opened a boutique in Chicago that displayed some of Virgil’s designs and his take on interior design and worked on many other endeavors like the creative agency Donda. Virgil was the creative director for many album covers and also started a brand called Pyrex Vision as an artistic experiment. It wasn’t until 2013 where he founded the streetwear brand of Off-White. With the idea being “the gray area between black and white as the color of off-white”, Off-White is notoriously known for one of the big streetwear brands. I remember being in high school and wanting something from the brands traditional staples whether it be the zip ties even the barricade tape like belt that got overrated fairly quickly. (But it still holds a special place in my heart).

In 2018 Virgil was named artistic director for the menswear line of Louis Vuitton. This made him the first black fashion designer in charge of the menswear line in the history of the Vuitton fashion house. He was the representation that many people needed in the fashion world. Virgil was known to be a man that was everyone’s friend. He was known to go to the contestants that did not win the LVMH prize and remind them that he didn’t win but he never gave up. I see many posts today stating that he spoke to many people over Instagram dm’s and they never once met him but that he was always open to giving them advice and there to listen to their journey despite how big their following was. Virgil Abloh was a genius and visionary to fashion world and it will never be the same without him. Thank you for all that you’ve done for the fashion industry may your work never be forgotten. Please everyone remember to always be kind.

History of Halloween Costumes

The history of the ‘Halloween Costume’ pre-dates 1585 which is the first record proof we have of the holiday. It wasn’t until the mid-2oth century where we saw a big commercialization for Halloween costumes. During the 16th century the tradition of mumming was spreading across Europe. Mumming is the practice of dressing up in costume and reciting a verse or performing a play in exchange for food. Some practices of mumming even had people portraying dead souls and would use a disguise to protect themselves. But the first ever recorded guising in North America was in 1911 in Canada. This is where costuming was thought out differently for Halloween and how it became what we know today.

Traditionally to invoke fear and portray old folklore, the first ever costumes in North America were mostly aimed towards children and were home made. The costumes were gothic and were meant to actually be scary with many of the first iterations being devils, vampires, zombies, ghosts, witches, etc. It wasn’t until the 1930s where Halloween became commercialized. Costumes were starting to be sold in stores from brands like A.S. Fishbach and Ben Cooper Inc. As we progressed the costume evolved to a plastic mask and cloth loose fitting garment all within a box and made of inexpensive materials. With the selling of costumes brought the idea of advertising the holiday to adults. As we saw an increase of costumes for adults at this time. It was the first time that the adult audience truly got into to the Halloween fun. With this sudden interest the costume world turned to pop culture to base their pieces off of. Gone were the standard witches and zombies and here were the Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse.

Television played a key role in popularity of costumes as many people were starting to purchase them for their homes. With having the television brought different costumes based off of shows like ‘I love Lucy’ or Superman. Once the 60s hit a lot of the costumes were made out of cheap plastic or based off of anything space as everyone was obsessed with the space age. I would like to think this is where the idea of having Politicians themed costumes came from as there were few Kennedy costumes I saw while doing my research.

It wasn’t until the 90s where we saw a change in tone for the costumes. A lot of satirical themes or costumes based off of popular horror movie characters. From here on Halloween costume aesthetics changed a lot with the rise of the internet and influencer culture.We see a lot of sexualized versions of certain costumes as well as some that culture appropriate. Although we frown upon the culture appropriation ones and try to move on from those, the sexualized costume for women are much different now. I feel now we have various options for how we want to be portrayed. The sexier costumes give women a chance to feel confident in their own skin if they choose to wear those. Now living in 2021 people are more accepting of these costumes and don’t typically go for conventional themes. With people opting to do old childhood cartoon characters that aren’t as popular anymore or even obscure characters and themes. Also my personal favorite, memes. Regardless Halloween should be fun and you should dress as whatever or whoever you want without anyone shamming you or raining on your parade. So please have a wonderful Halloween and I hope you enjoyed my little history on Halloween Costumes.

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Anxiety in Fashion

Fashion has a 20 year trend cycle. The styles that were once popular before will be popular again in a 20 yrs. But now with the internet and the growth of TikTok the trends cycles have become much smaller. As a fellow human being that takes part in fashion and watching the trend cycles I find this quite exhausting. I constantly find myself trying to find my own personal style within my wardrobe and trying to wrap my mind around what’s me and what isn’t me. But I’m also someone who is interested in trends and often gets sucked up into the trend cycle where I feel like I lose myself and I don’t know what my personal style is.

The fashion industry puts a lot of pressure on this because if you want to make it in fashion you have to have a personal style that no one has ever had before and your personal styles has so to be so cool and different for anyone in fashion to notice you. How can I create my own personal style when nothing is new anymore? I can’t create anything new if everything is constantly repeating itself. I can’t keep up with these micro-trends because by the time I do purchase the item it’s no longer in style and to be fairly honest with you I still really like some of the items that were considered micro-trends. I have this constant fight of wanting to stay ahead of the trend but actually loving some and a fear that that might make me basic in the fashion world. In my mind I think it doesn’t matter what people think because it’s my personal style and I can wear whatever I want but also I want to look as fashionable as possible.

Cheugy is a word I fight with because sometimes I love it and then I hate it. This anxiety created by wanting to be as fashionable as possible and not wanting to be cheugy has made me almost not enjoy fashion as I once did. ALMOST, because fashion is literally the love of my life, the way people look at Chris Evans is the way I look at clothes. But what I mean is I don’t actively enjoy going shopping as much as I did before and if I do everything I see is so bland and boring to me, nothing sparks a fire within me. This could be because I’m maturing in my life and I’m understanding things a bit differently now in terms of what I like and what I believe I should invest in. But also the impending fear of ‘am I spending too much’ and ‘how can I truly stop partaking in fast fashion when I have middle class income’.

Out of the men and women I’ve asked about this topic a lot of women say they get anxiety from the fashion industry because they find it hard to keep up with trends. Others say it’s hard to find their personal style as a lot of brands don’t cater to their size. Out of the men, many don’t get anxiety on the same level as women do or don’t get anxiety at all. Some say that the fashion industry has a lot of things to cater to their style now, or they only get anxiety when they can’t get the latest drop from their favorite brand. One actually said there are far more important things to be anxious about. The fact of the matter is, fashion should be an industry that’s fun and open to all types of styles and interpretations of trends. We shouldn’t be scared of being considered “cheugy” or even care what people have to say. We should have more brands that are size inclusive and have options for sustainable fashion.

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