Tuesday 1 February 2011

Why fashion has kicked the bucket

In fact fashion is so dead that even Jesus would have had trouble raising it.

But for those who've invested their lives in it, it's a truth that can never be aired. Why? Because to do so would be to expose a racket that can add substantially to the GDP of a nation.

Let me explain.

If a definition of fashion is to be 'in and of the now', then by its very nature, as soon as something's in fashion, it's already obsolete.

And yet we're encouraged to chase after an elusive 'look' for each season as if it's critical to life.

But how many people really buy into fashion? Once you get past your teens, you wear what's comfortable, what's affordable and what suits. You begin to realise that being younique works better than being a sheep.

Take the shock of square shoulder-pads that dominated last year's look for women.

Yes a shoulder-pad in a jacket can add form and structure but the nonsense that was sold in the shops was a joke. You had big old pointy shoulder-pads on tee-shirts, dresses and even handbags. OK perhaps not handbags but you get my drift.

I hardly saw anyone busting that look - maybe because it was unflattering. Who then decided that arrow-head shoulders would be a good look? In fact where do these things get decided?

Shoes are another befuddlement.

Have you ever seen a woman trying to walk in a 'fierce' shoe? Very few can carry it off. In fact, they probably wish someone would carry them off.

The shoes not only look painful to walk in but they're bogged down in buckles, straps, bits of metal poking out; all adding up to one heavy looking shoe. But it's not just the shoe that's heavy, the price tag can be hefty too. And for what? You're paying the price - quite literally - for wobbling down the road in something that's akin to an instrument of torture.

Why do women do it to themselves? And yet we know the truth because the popularity of flats and ballet pumps shows no sign of abating.

So when we will wake up that fashion itself is now out of fashion?

When we will see that following a look gets you nowhere and that it's much more fun to be an individual.

Have we become so sheep-like, so fearful of being seen as - gasp! - different that we're prepared to play a game where the rules are made-up and arbituary?

I say let's celebrate our individuality. Let's opt for comfort. Let's be ourselves and buy clothes that fit who we are. And if celebrities want to faff around with fashion - let them. After all their job is to entertain us.

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