Monday, June 23, 2008

Trends: In, Out, In, Out, In ...

I went to an outdoor Jack Johnson concert last night. It was a gorgeous night, mid-70's, sunny, slight breeze. There had to be close to twenty thousand people there, and, yes, I was ... um ... on the older side of the fan base.

For those of you not familiar with his music, Jack is Hawaiian and it comes through in his sound. He's got a light, hippieish, surfer dude, environmental/societal issue awareness thing going.

While I enjoyed the concert, I got an even bigger kick out of people watching. Everywhere I looked I saw tie dye, flowered dresses and skirts, peace necklaces, headbands and psychedelic hair. The pungent smell of reefer filled the air. My husband even swears he saw Janis Joplin. (And, no, he wasn't smoking anything!)

Funny how trends and fashion, even ideas and philosophies come in and go out of style. I loved the return of bell bottoms and the hip hugging lower waist-line of jeans, but if the padded shoulders and the big hair of the 80's makes another come 'round count me firmly out. I love tie dye, always have, always will. And I totally buy into the whole environmental awareness recycling gig. But I can't stand the smell of incense.

What thing, fashion, ideology, food, music, etc... would you like to see return in popularity? What returning trend drives/would drive you crazy?

Helen

17 comments:

Cindy Gerard said...

Hey Helen. Great subject.
I for one have been waiting with baited breath for HOT PANTS to come back in style - NOT!
Actually, I'm a big fan of madras plaid. I know. go figure but I liked it.

Helen Brenna said...

And thigh high vinyl boots! Yeah, baby.

Madras plaids are very pretty. On other people.

Keri Ford said...

I would never put on a pair of jeans again if they only made those high waisted ones that nearly hit the underside of your boobs like in the mid-nineties. You know the ones. They had zippers long as rulers.

Something I would love to see more of? Normal cut shirts. The big thing now seems to be the pregnant look. V-neck shirt that fits the boobs and flares out underneath. What happened to simple fitted T's? I like my fare share of 'neat' cut shirts, but give me some comfortable normal looking stuff too. And don't even get me started on the color patterns on half the clothes either. Can't a girl get some solids????

now off to google this madras plaid

Michele Hauf said...

I'd be cool with the return of the 80s fashion, so long as the music accompanied it. The 80s rocked. Okay, so the shoulder pads I could do without, but I loved the neon. And remember the rhinestone jewelry? I started my collection then, and am ready to dig it out again!

Helen Brenna said...

Any wonders those particular high-waisted style of jeans didn't stay in very long, Keri?

By pregnant look, do you mean the baby doll thing? I admit, I kinda like that, feels so comfortable.

Yes, patterns are everywhere these days!

Michele, I had a feel you go all 80s on me! Okay, yeah, love the neon and music.

Women's shoes, back then, sucked though. All I remember is ugly.

Keri Ford said...

yep, helen that's what I mean..the baby doll top. must be the haven't been unpregnant long and won't be long and I'll be that way again feelings that makes me not like them. Patterns are okay, it's the colors of the patterns I take most of my issues with. a nappy brown with puke colored orange and a dash of silver doesn't fancy my eye.

I suppose high rise jeans went because you couldn't really bend over at the waist. Though you can't really do that in the low rise either, can you?

oh, and I do like madras plaids, especially on the men's and boy's shirts I came across.

Debra Dixon said...

Keri-- Dude! There are some of us who need the V-neck, room at the hip shirt. I was desperate until they brought them back! LOL!

I'd hate it if the old polyester came back. Ugh. I do like travel knit. Big fan of that!

limecello said...

Hi Helen,
Nice post - hm trends... I caught a blurb on the news yesterday saying how leggings, and something else are coming back in style... so, the 80s haunt us again.
I like boat neck tops and 3/4 sleeves - a lot of the Audrey Hepburn era. Bell bottoms I like more than "skinny/tight" jeans - most people odn't look good in those. And... the trends that drive me crazy, are the ones now. The long tunic type flowing tops or dresses that all look like night gowns. They're really only for the tall skinny girls, and as a short girl who has shape... I'm unhappy.
I also... cannot imagine side ponytails and the like making a come back. Please no.

Unknown said...

Let's think about skinny cut jeans and leggings. Really? Does anyone not regularly seen on a runway look good in those?

And the low jeans...okay they're cool, but I can't find shirts to meet them hence the muffin top look. Yikes. Please, God, let us either make jeans higher or shirts lower. I'm getting too old to show that much skin.

Chris M. said...

I will rebel and only wear pajamas and slippers if the 80's come back in style! BLECH! And high-waisted jeans need to be ripped up and burned never to be resurrected again!

I do love how so many designers are leaning more toward a classic style, that doesn't really rule anyone out. Straight-leg pants that are flattering to pretty much everyone, tailored shirts and dresses that emphasize the more flattering parts of any woman. THAT is the trend that I like. I don't like seeing styles for only skinny people. Yes, yes, I am one of those people, BUT I'm the odd one in my family! I believe every shape of woman is beautiful!

Playground Monitor said...

I've always heard if you hang onto something long enough it will come back into style. The clothing today is like the stuff I wore in college in the early 70's. Even if I'd held onto it, it wouldn't fit. :-( Ugh on ugly polyester and platform shoes. And can we find a nice middle ground between plumber's butt jeans and the boob nudgers? I'm long waisted and 57 years old. I don't want my backside showing in jeans, but my middle is thicker now too, so the high ones don't fit unless they're too big in the butt.

::sigh::

I don't think go-go boots should come back either.

My favorite tees? The V-neck cotton Faded Glory tees from Wally World. I bought several in the spring and bought half a dozen more a week or so ago when they put them on sale for $4.

I have a couple babydoll tops. I sure hope nobody thinks I'm pregnant. There's no oven for a bun anymore. LOL!

Marilyn

Marilyn

Christie Ridgway said...

Blogger is eating my posts!

NO EIGHTIES! Not even the music, Michele.

Baby doll tops: It has taken me a while to get used to them. I try to find ones that are more A-line than gathered after the fitted bodice.

Jack Johnson and I (and surfer guy) have the same alma mater! University of California at Santa Barbara.

Michele Hauf said...

I see Christie and I may have a little tussle over this no-80s thing. :-)

I had green neon spike high heels, and they rocked!

Okay, so I probably can't rock them anymore, but still.

Helen Brenna said...

Deb, I'm with you on the old polyester, but the new stuff is pretty good.

Limecello, yep leggings. My 19 year old daughter and her girlfriends are big into them. Weird, because she used to wear them when she was 2!

Side ponytails? EEEK, don't remind me.

Lois, I can think of one woman who'd looks good in skinny jeans and leggings. That would be you!

Chris, I agree. Designers do seem to be bringing forth styles that look good on a lot of women.

No bun for the oven, eh, Marilyn. Never heard that one before!

I think I like the more fitted on top, baby dolls, Christie, but the A line ones are nice too.

Helen Brenna said...

Oh, oh. Cat fight. Ala Christie and Michele. LOL

Estella said...

I can do without anything polyester, bell bottoms, mini skirts and big hair,

Helen Brenna said...

Estella, you summed it up!