Saturday, January 25, 2020

The accidental Singer sewing machine revolution By Tim Harford

taken from bbc.co.uk/news/business)

Friday, January 24, 2020

Trend of the week - polka dots

Kicking off the new year the trend I've spotted 😀 is the polka dot one in the stores which have new pieces in stock.  And not just in black and white which is good!




Faithfull The Brand                      Zimmermann                       Kenzo



Runway looks from Dries Van Noten, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga (images from Who What Wear)

Mix the size of the dots in one piece or separates.


Here are some great editorial images for some inspiration.




H&M has got a lot of nice pieces in right at the moment.  They've also got contrasting dogtooth check pieces if you want to have fun with pattern.


Here's a selection of pieces available in stores and online


         ASOS Maternity           Essential Antwerp (ASOS)        Lace And Beads (ASOS)


Atoir In The Night(ASOS)                    BOOHOO                  In The Style (ASOS)



Lace And Beads (ASOS)            Oasis                                    Betty Barclay



Monday, January 13, 2020

January trends and sustainability

I've been having a look at the trend reports and looking at the shops in town to see what's new and exciting, and I mainly saw polka dots, and elegance with a little funk edge.  The things that caught my eye in the trend reports were fluorescent, crochet, retro prints (a nod to the sixties and seventies again), feathers, the shorts suits (not convinced I like them that much, but they did get my attention), white dresses - they do float my boat, trench coats, tropical print, sheer material, and ruffle/puffed sleeves details.





In the shops, pieces have been laid out to create a classic look with a lot of neutral, and a dash of quite traditional pattern and pastel thrown in for a little bit of subtle colour.  This seems to be setting the scene for the hopefully very long lived habit of buying well and making it last, putting classic and neutral pieces under peoples noses to encourage them to be more sustainable.  There is still quite a lot of detail in pieces so it's not altogether minimalist and collections still have some trend oriented features.




My favourites were the puffed sleeves and the ruffled skirts.  Remember that trends come and go, so hold on to something you like; fads are the one week wonders.




To have go to, long lived fashion staples right in front of peoples eyes is the best way to encourage a sustainable mind set; create a capsule wardrobe then let some trends update it, jazz it up when something catches your eye.  It's also a good way to develop your signature style and let your wardrobe reflect you.  There's plenty to give you your identity and not be wearing the 2020 uniform, especially if you do have the idea of wearing things well and making them last - your unique vintage pieces or heirlooms, or great finds.  The collections flow well from season to season, you don't need an overhaul every few months, and so many styles appear every year or so.  There's always been so many great fashion pieces that make this easy enough to do - look at Jennifer Lopez in her Versace dress from 2000 - hot on the tropical print trend and ticking sustainability by being vintage.



Looking at some trends in particular - shirts and trench coats - these are things that will already be in peoples wardrobes so that's the perfect time to so demonstrate sustainability, by bringing these out to enjoy being worn again.  If you want to update something like your trench, give it a different belt - try a variation of the Ports 1961 trench with it's checked side by putting a contrasting belt instead of the orginal one.  A lot of people will already have white dresses, and sheer pieces, so give them life again and make them your own.  Denim was listed as one of the trends, but really when is it not a staple of someone's wardrobe?  And boho was popular as always.



H&M have a big range of polka pieces right at the main door on Buchanan St, carrying on from the geometric pieces and the dogstooth check from a few weeks ago.   Most places still have just about all their rails full of sale items, it's still very early in the new year, I'm much looking forward to seeing new things coming in.




Zara and New Look have ruffles, puffed sleeves and sheer pieces which do look amazing.  Monki has more colour than anyone else at the moment, and TopShop are sale-tastic - the new items they've got are very winter wear.  



I popped through M&S, and did actually like the in-store display near the front of the store, ankle boots funking up the seventies inspired dresses was a nice touch.

So, seeing that the trends are old favourites, and that sustainability is the hottest trend, it makes sense to wear old favourites, jazz them up, or go to good charity shops to find pieces that will give you the current look for a pleasant price.  Customising is always a good trick and can look really good if done well and by using good materials and good condition old clothes.

During fashion month designers covered a large range of ways to make their work more sustainable, from design features in their shows, like tree lined runways to partnering with other designers to hold joint shows in the same venue on the same day.  Obviously anyone who makes and sells clothing for a living doesn't want to lose customers, but it's a great thing to think environmentally and encourage your customers to consider who they buy their clothes from, the quantity they buy and how they were made.

The accidental Singer sewing machine revolution By Tim Harford

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