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The key to unlocking the confines of "seasonal" thinking is all in the attitude. You must truly believe that the world is in the palm of your hand and you really are the offbeat-eccentric-genius-global- traveler-queen-of-the-universe, who also happens to possess a wicked sense of style. Being ever so slightly colorblind will come in handy too. Seasonal thinking is over and clothing may just never match again. Happily wear your bathing suit top under your cardigan with your fuzzy slippers, textured tights, suede hats and rubber wristbands. Delete sleek, minimal, and functional from your style keyword database. Did we leave out adhesive tattoos? Right exactly now, at the height of the millennial confusion is the optimum time to to lose your conventional style marbles. You may never get such a chance to express yourself this much again. Say no to the 80's. Mix. Mix. Mix your seasons. Everybody. Taking it's cue from the overall Zen state of the universe, spirituality everywhere ad nauseum spilling way over into the mainstream (oh so perfectly illustrated by Banana Republic's en masse yoga event which was recently scheduled an oh-so few seasons behind). At the heart of seasonless dressing is a strong push away from anything uptight. Hyper functional lines - including cargo pockets - will be dwindling along with other signs of unrelaxed style including severely straight hair and super tight silhouettes. Deconstruction is the resulting other end of this spectrum as the focus of many a collection, in Europe and stateside. Look for unexpected slits, holes and surprising fastenings, or add your own to your existing wardrobe. If you get lost in the new seasonless wilderness and need more clues, take them from the '70s rather than the '80s. The '70s was the last era where the extreme knee jerk release from the '50s (known as the '60s ) settled down a bit and true self expression led the way. |
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In the autumn days of yore, fall represented a season. Leaves turned, nights were cool, it was time to break out the woolens, and obsess on your new sun spots. It was a time when the most highly organized of the fashion plates had alternate storage to accommodate their seasonal wardrobe shifts. Fast forward to the year of now (1999) and we live in a seasonless world. The facts prevail. Sunscreen is an October necessity. It is just as likely to snow in May as it is likely to be sporting a tank top on your December deli run. Steadfast and strong, and despite mail order growth, the seasonal fashion show is an unshakable fixture, even as the New York show tents were stuck by a hurricane last week. Fashionable beings of this era have no real choice but to adapt through the embrace of their newfound freedom. A boundary free and limitless dress code. These brave ones will find their way to true happiness in the next era of seasonless style. One thing remains absolutely certain, as this "season" approaches, take off your head kerchief. It's way over for fall.
Do it yourself re-constructive skirt rehab is one way to go about it. Take any old leftover skirt on its way to the graveyard. Measure a block of fabric to go around the bottom width - as long as you want it. The stranger the texture and fabric contrast combo is that you come up with - the more you can emulate that your discovery came from some little known yet soon to blow-up Parisian designer. In the meantime: 