IS 2018 THE MOST UNFASHIONABLE YEAR YET?

It looks like 2018 is set to be the year of the 'unfashionable', as fashion duds reach the top of every 'do' list quicker than you can say ensembly challenged.

For some I'm sure the very real possibility of wearing sweats and slides out in public, to the furore of the youth of today, with the encouragement of fashion publications and without reproach, brings about a squeal of happiness. For those others who nary read a fashion do-list, let alone enact its questionable instruction, this may be a moot point. For me, however, I can't help but feel conflicted.

Yay to expression and wearing whatever you want and being free to wear your every fancy yada yada yada. But with balaclavas, Grandpa style sweaters (termed so by Vogue nonetheless), transparent outfits, ugly trainers (no longer relegated to gym wear, now, instead paired with, shock horror, suits *gasps*), indigo denim ("it's B*Witched reimagined for 2018" - Vogue) and kitten heels still purr-ading down the catwalk, it leaves me wondering if I'm out of the joke?

The pages read more like a how-to in dressing like Britney Spears circa head-to-toe denim, pre-umbrella fiasco; crop tops, bootleg indigo jeans, kitten heels, finished with a bumbag for good measure. Dressing down is even more questionable, look to any and all of Kim K West's recent outfits; clad in cycling shorts - contrary to their intention, no cycling is ever undertaken - paired with thick white tube socks, chunky running shoes and puffer jacket to disguise her body from looking like, a body - let alone one of the most envied bodies in the world. 'Pre-Kanye, mid Herve Leger body-con boom Kim', would scoff at the thought.

I've written about bad taste vs good taste before and concluded that it rests largely with personal interpretation. However, with the torrent of questionable trends coming from every and all angles, it seems like the difference between good taste and bad taste no longer exists, as the dichotomy is conflated: bad taste is the new good taste. When cycling shorts and bumbags are to be aspired to and balaclavas are being proposed as viable everyday headwear by fashion authorities: Calvin Klein, Gucci, Marni and Dior; the interchangeability of good taste and bad taste becomes undeniable. 

However, in a valiant attempt to remain open-minded amidst this fashion confusion, lets consider the potentially redeeming qualities of these questionable trends. To begin with; ugly trainers. They are very practical for all those life things that need to get done, so their apparent newfound fashion credibility is somewhat of a happy side effect. Bum bags - if you ignore their American moniker of 'fanny pack' - are quite chic in their newfound sleek iterations. Transparent layers can be taken as literally as personally desired. Bare nips may be too risqué for some (or not as the case may be), yet black cigarette trousers under an ethereal tulle skirt make for an interesting (yet covered up) pairing. Indigo denim offers a smart variation of the blue jean, a primness that is not all too often associated with denim, making it more workwear appropriate (look out casual Fridays) than most other denim washes. 

And to conclude, despite my determined attempts to find good in all, kitten heels remain a conundrum. Take my silence as the sum of my thoughts on this one...

The point here is to adopt what you like and overlook what you don't. Though I recommend refraining from being too narrow-minded, as though questionable, these trends come with a definite dose of fun. Perhaps 2018 is less about unfashionable trends and more about fashion poking fun at itself, taking itself less seriously in opposition to the current climate of very serious political, economic and societal change.

Though I can't imagine myself wearing matrix style, narrow sunglasses - as is another rather questionable trend to surface of late - the year is young yet and there is much time for my pliable mind to be indoctrinated by social media and pop culture. Who knows, if next winter is as cold as this one past, you might see me in a balaclava (or not see me as the case may be).

(Images via: CRFashionbook.com, vogue.com, pinterest, stylecaster & The Fashion Medley) 

UNLIKELY ICON: BREAKING THE MAGICIAN'S CODE

Who knew that the real magic of the show lay in the wardrobes of the magician's assistants ey?

Netflix fills the void Blockbuster (RIP) sadly left behind, it's also a hole into which I fall headlong most nights. On one such night, I happened upon a show that conjured up such strong feelings of nostalgia that I couldn't not watch it: 'Breaking The Magician's Code'.

I remembered watching the show as a child, awestruck as the magic was performed and then exposed as slight of hand, trick of the eye and/or, incredibly flexible (perhaps boneless?) assistants. 

And it's these very assistants that now inspire me so.

I have no recollection of the assistants' clothing as a child, the magic holding my attention. However, now as a twenty-something, the magic seems secondary to the 90's fashion that distracts from the trickery of the act. The girls are of amazonian proportions and wear mini skirts that emphasise their long, lithe limbs and clothing so tight as to make you wonder if the magic doesn't lie in the fact that they don't pass out every episode.

There is not a feather boa or sequin in sight, as the moodiness of the 90s is captured with shades of plum and charcoal grey, shoes are chunky and lips are dark. It's a revival that we have been riffing off of for a while. 'Non-fashion is the new fashion' could be the slogan of right now, with many citing this as a means of people trying to ground themselves amongst the furore of the socio-political unrest of now. Finding comfort in the mundane and familiar, with 90's fashion being a beacon of that for many, with it's grunge aesthetic, embracement of the everyman staple: the plaid shirt and a decidedly less put-togetherness compared to that of the 80s glam.

For me, I appreciate their goth glam, reminiscent of Winona Ryder at her peak (pre sticky fingers fiasco), 'The Craft' coven's moody aesthetic and Nirvana's grunge dishevelment. It's far removed from the shiny hair, dazzling teeth and general blinding aura of today's TV. You can just imagine that these girls would clock off work, having been cut in half a couple of dozen times, only to head straight to a mosh pit or something equally gritty.

Perhaps it's the bad-assness and all that goes with that, that I have ascribed to these girls and their 'looks', rather than their actual clothing - which when compared to my own is rather dichotomous - that I find appealing. I am an oversized clothing aficionado. Skin tight is just not something that is in my lexicon. So I won't necessarily be replicating the magician's assistants' figure hugging, arse skimming looks on a day-to-day basis. However, it could very well inform my nighttime attire.  

For now I'll try to emulate the mystery, adopt the attitude and perhaps invest in a pair of chunky soled sandals to pacify this acute bout of nostalgia. And if that doesn't work, then I'm going to try out some dark lipstick and maybe a magic class or two...   

(Ed note: Pictures were scarce to support my argument. There seems to have been a series that went into the millennia that featured all such accompanying tack, which is unfortunately the only remnant of the show on the internet, so I suggest watching the  magic on Netflix instead.)

(All images via Netflix)