It's January... the beginning of the year... which means that all the style bloggers and stylists are giving their forecasts for what will be on-trend this year, and what's "out". (I won't bother detailing all the trends; you can find them with a simple search on YouTube.) The funny thing is that some of these people are providing conflicting information.
At least... I think it's funny.
What's the difference between a fad, a trend, and a classic?
Fads come in with a boom, masses of people partake in them, they stay for a short while, and then fade away into oblivion. Think massive '80s shoulder pads or the '00s super-low-waisted jeans. Sometimes they are resuscitated 20-30 years later.
Trends come upon us suddenly, they bring in something fresh and new. Think skinny jeans. They get stronger with time and affect the way we view things. After a while, trends begin to feel more comfortable to us, as they permeate more and more areas of an industry. If a trend affects enough sectors, it can remain a long time and become a classic. If not, it will slowly die down and be replaced by something else.
Classics are timeless. It can be difficult to tell what era a classic item is from, it seems like it never goes in or out of style... it's classic. Think classic tailored blazer. Well-made classic items are more expensive, but they will endure, and are a worthwhile investment. People who want to look more affluent wear classics, or at least, mix in classics with more trendy pieces.
Every so often, long-ago fads we cringe to think about come back into style. Fortunately for us, when they're brought back, it's usually with some sort of upgrade. Today's scrunchies (remember those?) differ from '90s scrunchies in that some of them have big bows attached. Today's Levis 501s - one of the items in my closet I most regret giving away 15 years ago - have more stretch to them, giving them a better fit. Today's oversized blazers with shoulder pads - a throwback to Dynasty days - are more slim fit, making them less of the absurd '80s spectacle that their predecessors were (but still not something I'm willing to buy into).
Where do you stand?
Do you jump on a fad or a new trend for the novelty of it?
Having lived through a fad once, do you avoid it when it's revived, decades later?
Do you wait until a trend has been around long enough for you to have gotten used to it, and then purchase it?
Are you classic, all the way?
Let me know!