Serious Fashion Question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1950s Street Scene - Los Angeles

This is like 70 years ago. If those folks were to look back 70 years, what would the fashion look like? Think about that. What if people from 1885 were to look at this video? The would find it unfortunate that women were showing their legs, at best, I'm sure. And the 1950s women would look back at the 1885 dresses and feel fortunate that they don't have to put on a bustle (as we feel fortunate that we don't have to put on pantyhose).

I wonder what the clothing situation will be like 70 years from now.

I sometimes think that and it's really hard to imagine! We've already gone pretty extreme as far as showing skin, so it's hard to imagine that trend continuing unless we're all going to be walking around in cellophane. I've seen some sci fi that predicts a return to covering everything up, due to increasing pollution, skin cancer, etc. Or we're all just be sitting in houses living our lives through avatars like Ready Player One.

[Anonymous]

Covid. Post pandemic, women AND men just started wearing baggy sweatpants or yoga pants everywhere. Many more people also work from home, so that doesn't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The rise of athleisure and “tech” fabrics that essentially rebranded polyester as a fashion forward choice.

I pretty much only shop at GAP and J Crew, looking for 100% or 99% cotton or linen/cotton blends.
I can't believe all the plastic crap that dominates the clothing market now. $45 for a children's plastic Tshirt??

[Anonymous]

Nobody said anything about wearing heels and pencil skirts to go to the grocery store. The point is that an huge swath of society is struggling with minimal effort to look minimally put together - like there is a mystery on how to do it. What I’m hearing here is lots of people just don’t even care or want to add grooming and style to their daily routine because they don’t give a F - and they don’t have to. If crocs and pajama pants are the future of fashion so be it - from many of these comments it seems on brand with the solitary, isolated, screen obsessed society we live in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's partly our fabrics and the rise of fast fashion. Cheap fabric and poor construction drapes horribly, and people look sloppy when they wear it. Especially if overweight.

Cheap fabric, poor construction, and we’re still paying a lot for it. There is no reliable brand or retailer anymore.

But we aren't "paying a lot for it." People are paying such cheap prices at places like Shein that they buy a haul of clothes and then literally throw half of it away. And then get another haul.

I think PP's point is that I can buy ridiculously cheap clothes at Shein or expensive clothes that are similar in fabric and construction from Nordstrom (at least some of the brands) that are priced up because they are at Nordstrom not because they are made from good fabric or sewn well. There's no real place you can go and be assured of quality for your dollar.

You will get much better construction buying a garment at Nordstrom vs SHEIN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody said anything about wearing heels and pencil skirts to go to the grocery store. The point is that an huge swath of society is struggling with minimal effort to look minimally put together - like there is a mystery on how to do it. What I’m hearing here is lots of people just don’t even care or want to add grooming and style to their daily routine because they don’t give a F - and they don’t have to. If crocs and pajama pants are the future of fashion so be it - from many of these comments it seems on brand with the solitary, isolated, screen obsessed society we live in.

Nobody owes you a put-together look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just think we've changed expectations and I'm happy about it. Also some things that used to be considered an "event" are now just run of the mill. Like flying. My grandma always talks about how she would wear heels, a pencil skirt, and a cashmere sweater on a plane. But she only flew a few times in her life. She has a similar photo of herself dressed like that at a kids amusement park with her toddlers.

Sorry, but if that was the expectation, I'm glad it has shifted. I think we correctly care less about looking dressed up. Clean is important. Dressy is just not. I'd rather spend my time and money on other things and be able to fully participate in life rather than clomping around in heels and a tight skirt or sweating in pantyhose.

To be fair back then you weren’t expected to strip and get an intimate pat down before flying, you didn’t have to get to the airport 3 hours before takeoff, and seats were roomier.
The one time I flew dressed up (I was going straight to a funeral from the airport) I got VIP treatment for some reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Covid. Post pandemic, women AND men just started wearing baggy sweatpants or yoga pants everywhere. Many more people also work from home, so that doesn't help.

At school pickup (affluent area) virtually every parent of either sex is wearing what appears to be workout clothing. If you actually worked out in that earlier today, gross. If you’re heading straight to the gym after pickup, ok then but every single parent?
I’ve occasionally stopped at the grocery store after the gym and I always pray I don’t see anyone I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's partly our fabrics and the rise of fast fashion. Cheap fabric and poor construction drapes horribly, and people look sloppy when they wear it. Especially if overweight.

Cheap fabric, poor construction, and we’re still paying a lot for it. There is no reliable brand or retailer anymore.

But we aren't "paying a lot for it." People are paying such cheap prices at places like Shein that they buy a haul of clothes and then literally throw half of it away. And then get another haul.

I think PP's point is that I can buy ridiculously cheap clothes at Shein or expensive clothes that are similar in fabric and construction from Nordstrom (at least some of the brands) that are priced up because they are at Nordstrom not because they are made from good fabric or sewn well. There's no real place you can go and be assured of quality for your dollar.

You will get much better construction buying a garment at Nordstrom vs SHEIN.

Will you? I stopped shopping there when the things I was buying were splitting at the seams. But then again I don't shop at SHEIN. I just know Gap was better quality than what I was paying more for at Nordstrom. Though I wasn't being picky about brand there.

[Anonymous]

I challenge the premise. People did not look better in the 80s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I challenge the premise. People did not look better in the 80s.

I disagree. People were much more put together and it was easier to to it because, as someone said earlier in the thread, there were fewer choices.
Try navigating the world of fashion and clothing today with ADHD....there are WAY too many choices.
I'm really into building a sustainable life in every area, so what I do is thrift. I look at fashion blogs to tell what is "in" and of the looks I like, I'll search out those brands and styles on thredup. I generally pay 75% off retail for natural fabrics and am not contributing to the insane plastic problem we have today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I challenge the premise. People did not look better in the 80s.

I disagree. People were much more put together and it was easier to to it because, as someone said earlier in the thread, there were fewer choices.
Try navigating the world of fashion and clothing today with ADHD....there are WAY too many choices.
I'm really into building a sustainable life in every area, so what I do is thrift. I look at fashion blogs to tell what is "in" and of the looks I like, I'll search out those brands and styles on thredup. I generally pay 75% off retail for natural fabrics and am not contributing to the insane plastic problem we have today.

I agree with that PP -- people did not look better in the 80s. I think you are looking back with rose colored glasses.

[Anonymous]

I’m finding that, to really look put together, I have to spend much more per item to get well made clothes which means I have a much smaller volume of things I can buy. But wow the difference is shocking. I’m basically shifting to the 1950s model: fewer items in closet but the things in there are fabulous and fit perfectly. Getting there requires spending more money and time per item. So that makes me think a lot of this is the fast fashion sloppy tailoring in most of the shops these days. It is made to stretch and fit a wide range but not actually flatter most of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m finding that, to really look put together, I have to spend much more per item to get well made clothes which means I have a much smaller volume of things I can buy. But wow the difference is shocking. I’m basically shifting to the 1950s model: fewer items in closet but the things in there are fabulous and fit perfectly. Getting there requires spending more money and time per item. So that makes me think a lot of this is the fast fashion sloppy tailoring in most of the shops these days. It is made to stretch and fit a wide range but not actually flatter most of us.

I am wanting to go this route. I am in the process of purging my closet of stuff I will never wear. I would love to invest in some worthwhile pieces. Any recs on places to look for those quality pieces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m finding that, to really look put together, I have to spend much more per item to get well made clothes which means I have a much smaller volume of things I can buy. But wow the difference is shocking. I’m basically shifting to the 1950s model: fewer items in closet but the things in there are fabulous and fit perfectly. Getting there requires spending more money and time per item. So that makes me think a lot of this is the fast fashion sloppy tailoring in most of the shops these days. It is made to stretch and fit a wide range but not actually flatter most of us.

I am wanting to go this route. I am in the process of purging my closet of stuff I will never wear. I would love to invest in some worthwhile pieces. Any recs on places to look for those quality pieces.

Really takes a serious hunt but Me+Em, the Fold, Lafayette 148 for blazers, etc, and then to a good tailor. Sometimes Hobbs and Reiss. British brands are generally better in my experience.