Ring Around the Rosie
The reference well has dried up.
There’s over a thousand of you? HI.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Calvin Klein, especially the Fall 1999 collection. As I prepare to leave for New York again, I turn to collections like this. I overthink my wardrobe a lot and wonder if everything I own is total shit. Then I remember my Dries Van Noten jeans, Judy Turner sweater, Sisley tank top, Yohji Yamamoto knit tank, Comme des Garcon skirt, all my ratty white t-shirts, Prada blouses, Hanes sweatpants, Armani trench coat, the list goes on.
Then I unlock the horrible device known as the iPhone and see girls in their mid-twenties on TikTok sporting Paloma Wool tops, Gimaguas skirts, head scarves, Pucci nightgowns, sparkles, sequins, low rise paisley pants, and of course unboxing their new Margaux 15 (this generations’s Birkin). I start to panic and wonder is this me???? Am I old and boring???? I remind myself quickly there’s nothing cooler than wearing a classic silhouette (nod to Tonne Goodman). I know I look good in dark wash denim and a white tee shirt. When I start to try too hard and over do it or throw something on that's trending or that I saw some 20-year-old wear online, I feel inauthentic. I keep reminding myself that just because it looks good on someone else, doesn’t mean it’s going to look good on me too. I think it’s why many struggle with finding their personal style. It’s hard to not buy into the listacles and the shopping newsletters. Why wouldn’t you listen to a chic person telling you exactly what to buy? They look good in it, so shouldn’t you?
Tonne on denim—
Jeans work for me for a lot of reasons: facility, comfort, attitude. Facility being that I do operate from a uniform – because it is simple, and it is direct, and it is the easiest thing to do. I am a kid of the 60s, and jeans were what we all wore back then. There’s nothing that you can say that is a criticism of jeans, as far as I’m concerned. The fit is particular and perfect, and has been adopted and adapted into so many different styles; it’s now a fashion item. I used to live in button-fly 501s, period. The end.
I think the reason I love vintage clothing so much is because it’s not trying to show me anything that I haven't already seen. It doesn’t need to prove itself to me. It’s existed for decades. I don’t need the Alaïa corset, or white tee shirts from The Row— Fruit of the Loom exists. Of course, it would be lovely to buy a pair of black trousers that will last me years, but aren’t my Armani ones sufficient enough? People are striving for a label because it’s the pinnacle of fashion right now. It’s what comes with age (I assume), feeling confident getting dressed.
The majority of what fashion is in the year 2024 is not relatable. A lot of brands don’t have a point of view. They reproduce old designs that have already worked for them. They know it will sell, so why not? But I’m confused by the consumer. Do they keep buying the brand because they actually love it? Or because someone else told them it was cool or good or popular or chic? These shows are the most anticipated of the season—is it because of the clothing? Or because of the community that seems to be built around the brand?
I do love what Bally and Judy Turner are doing, I think that’s really interesting, but the majority of fashion now is not based on simplicity the way it was at the turn of the century. I know I'm not alone in loving that era of fashion, by no means is it a revolutionary idea, and maybe I’m even contradicting myself by telling you what references should be dead and gone when The 90s are where a majority of them come from in the first place.
Before falling deep into REM the other night, I thought again about how everyone is using the same references. The Sporty & Rich campaign
talked about last week is a perfect example. We’ve seen the look before, and anyone who works in fashion can say that we’ve seen this exact campaign executed dozens of times. Please don’t get me started on how every DTC/DIY brand that has launched since Covid-19 use all of the same models in their shoots.
We’ve used every reference. The well is dried up. Paparazzi photos of the off-duty model, CBK and JFK Jr, Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow red carpet, Princess Diana, etc. When are the references going to expire and are there any new ones? Where did these all come from and when did they start gaining popularity? What is the cycle turnover of these references? No one has new ideas anymore, they just go after a mood.
The everyday person is not buying Simone Rocha or Area. Where are the articles for the everyday woman? Is the everyday woman even reading about fashion? And who is she reading? I do wonder who some fashion publications are trying to cater to and I don’t want to name names because that’s not classy, but to me, it seems like they are only catering to a certain percentage of people that already buy into fashion trends and isn't that quite monotonous? Do people want to keep running around in circles?
When did buying Alaïa or this season’s Balenciaga become something to strive for? Wouldn’t you rather feel confident and comfortable than just acquire an expensive thing? Do you really want to wear Chanel or are you just buying into something because an editor told you to? Do you realize that the Miu Miu New Balance are already tired? What’s the purpose of coveting a thing? Is it just to say you had it once? For most people I feel like that’s true, maybe for others it’s because it makes them feel accomplished. I’m saying this as a person who has bought into trends, especially when I was trying to find myself a young woman. I’m not looking down on anyone, I was the bitch in Brandy Melville not long ago.
All this being said, I will be attending New York Fashion Week and I’m thinking about how I’ll pack for my flight this week as we speak. I’d love to come look at your clothes, gossip at your parties, and consider the playlists of your shows — I’m writing about it in a column launching very soon. Don’t go anywhere.
Lmao not me reading along and nodding as i go, only to see my own tweet screenshotted in here !! Great minds :) xx
Could not be more on point