Second Time Around

Fashion is hardly ever new, it’s typically a reincarnation of something old; but is fashion always better the second time around? Are we taking too much from the past and not starting a new fashionable future?

These days, (at the tender age of 25) I feel as if I am traveling through a time machine. Am I simply not accepting the fact I am getting older (yelp) or is fashion running through the decades faster than Rosie O’Donnell through a box of Krispy Kremes?

Think about it. In just these past few seasons we have covered quite a few decades. Right now I am feeling very reminiscent of my elementary school days; with the leggings, the layers, the belted and oversized tops- so 1980’s.

The fall 2006 runway is mirroring my bad memories of middle school; the 1990’s grunge era. I can remember my exact wardrobe- Oh the pain. I was so out of touch. I wanted so badly to wear the hottest trends, even if it meant wearing the same grungy pieces over and over again. I had a terribly hideous plaid long vest- it was blue and gray with a flannel ‘print’. I also rocked a flannel (real) shirt with matching burgundy cords, Limited Too (which was a big deal at the time) I begged my mother to buy me the outfit for my birthday.

‘Grunge’ fashion was mirrored after Kurt Cobain, who was the coolest. The look was meant to look unkempt and messy (and messy I was). As horrid as the look was, it had some sort of meaning- represented a time and a generation. Now 10 years later, the grunge look is reappearing on the runways- from Marc Jacobs to Diesel the grunge look will soon be a fixture in fall 2006.

While these trend reincarnations are all fine and good…are designers (dare I say it) at a loss for inspiration; or is just that we are out of interesting people/ events to model our fashion after. I do know this; we are running out of decades people! So let’s get it together and come up with fashions to mark this decade.