A great read - I’m really interested in how what we wear (not necessarily consume) can disrupt the ‘pre-set trend cycle trajectory’ set by the industry. Because it sure needs disrupting!
Also, wouldn’t mini skirts declining in volume be an indicator? I thought minis decline when There’s a recession. Can confirm we wore less of them.
There are some other things we can review which may or may not be relevant considering how much overall trends have changed for genderless dressing but here’s a few from when I lived through the Great Recession.
Ombré or grown out highlights - nobody can afford their double
Process color
At home nail kits / polish
Boyfriend / oversized fit for everything - jeans, t shirts, blazers, cardigans
In general slouchy fit - flowy tops, skirts, dresses, batwing cuts, slouchy suede boots.
T shirts layered under everything, even for work
We still wore heels but they had to have a platform for comfort, in general everything had to be more comfortable. Single sole stilettos started bouncing back in 2012/2013
Sheer clothing. Less fabric was cheaper lol
Lastly we dressed a lot more modestly than pre recession. The recession was not a time to
Show a lot of skin or wear flashy logos. Logo bags and jewelry declined in popularity.
maybe it's because of my age at the time but 2008-2011 actually seemed like a VERY immodest time for clothes.... lots of skin, lots of neon/flashy clothes, lots of mini skirts and short shorts (with tights and the slouchy peter pan boots or pointy flats). the skinniest of skinny jeans. skintight everything. also the opposite of the "clean girl" aesthetic -- not saying a lot of makeup, but MESSY. in short, i totally understand why they decided to go with "indie sleaze" when retroactively naming that era's fashion.
Oh in comparison to today, you’re probably right! I’m comparing it to coming out of the 2000s when we basically wore lingerie, tanned ourselves into oblivion and used body glitter/ oil. Victoria’s Secret corset tops were going out tops. Side by side the short “trouser shorts”, blazers, crop tops and skinny jeans looked Amish to me lol. It obviously depends on the environment you were in too. Suits, and tights were really popular, the big wraps that covered your entire torso lol. We still wore a cocktail dress on the weekends, but generally it was much more classy than the bandage dresses I wore in college. Yes we did wear a smoky eye for sure, that was our “edge” despite the mad men/gossip girl aesthetic. But that could be my environment, I lived in New York and worked in fashion. And I have loved it all, no regrets!
oh for sure, also depends on the scene of course! i was in a college in the early/mid aughts that was half and half granola/hipster, so nary a bandage dress in sight lol, but i definitely know exactly what you're talking about. i'll never forget the wearing blazers to the club thing though... that seemed like a cross-cultural phenomenon somehow
i live for these analyses
Me too! They are interesting af
I love this analysis… it feels like economics but more feminine and I’m living for it. Trends and fashion are so interesting imo
really interesting af
Loved this analysis as always!
Genius. So good
A great read - I’m really interested in how what we wear (not necessarily consume) can disrupt the ‘pre-set trend cycle trajectory’ set by the industry. Because it sure needs disrupting!
You should try to get data from NRF!
Also, wouldn’t mini skirts declining in volume be an indicator? I thought minis decline when There’s a recession. Can confirm we wore less of them.
There are some other things we can review which may or may not be relevant considering how much overall trends have changed for genderless dressing but here’s a few from when I lived through the Great Recession.
Ombré or grown out highlights - nobody can afford their double
Process color
At home nail kits / polish
Boyfriend / oversized fit for everything - jeans, t shirts, blazers, cardigans
In general slouchy fit - flowy tops, skirts, dresses, batwing cuts, slouchy suede boots.
T shirts layered under everything, even for work
We still wore heels but they had to have a platform for comfort, in general everything had to be more comfortable. Single sole stilettos started bouncing back in 2012/2013
Sheer clothing. Less fabric was cheaper lol
Lastly we dressed a lot more modestly than pre recession. The recession was not a time to
Show a lot of skin or wear flashy logos. Logo bags and jewelry declined in popularity.
maybe it's because of my age at the time but 2008-2011 actually seemed like a VERY immodest time for clothes.... lots of skin, lots of neon/flashy clothes, lots of mini skirts and short shorts (with tights and the slouchy peter pan boots or pointy flats). the skinniest of skinny jeans. skintight everything. also the opposite of the "clean girl" aesthetic -- not saying a lot of makeup, but MESSY. in short, i totally understand why they decided to go with "indie sleaze" when retroactively naming that era's fashion.
Oh in comparison to today, you’re probably right! I’m comparing it to coming out of the 2000s when we basically wore lingerie, tanned ourselves into oblivion and used body glitter/ oil. Victoria’s Secret corset tops were going out tops. Side by side the short “trouser shorts”, blazers, crop tops and skinny jeans looked Amish to me lol. It obviously depends on the environment you were in too. Suits, and tights were really popular, the big wraps that covered your entire torso lol. We still wore a cocktail dress on the weekends, but generally it was much more classy than the bandage dresses I wore in college. Yes we did wear a smoky eye for sure, that was our “edge” despite the mad men/gossip girl aesthetic. But that could be my environment, I lived in New York and worked in fashion. And I have loved it all, no regrets!
oh for sure, also depends on the scene of course! i was in a college in the early/mid aughts that was half and half granola/hipster, so nary a bandage dress in sight lol, but i definitely know exactly what you're talking about. i'll never forget the wearing blazers to the club thing though... that seemed like a cross-cultural phenomenon somehow
Blazers for everyone! My favorite jacket was a fancy military jacket with tails lmao