Our fast-paced, ever-changing society is still focused on “this year’s” fashion trends, and trying ever so hard to keep up with them as they change. Many people spend all their time and money into getting the latest and greatest thing that has just come out, only to realize that it changes within another week and they have to spend more money all over again. Each period of time can be defined pretty easily by its fashion trends as every decade seems to have one or two trends that stick out in particular, and are usually moulded by the social and political climate of that time.
However, if you look around carefully at fashion trends as they go in and out, you will come to realize that they may change slightly in appearance, but trends tend to come back after a few years, and some trends are consistently changing! The fashion world is like art- there is a never-ending realm of possibilities and you just never know what will come next.
- Women are taking on more masculine roles
One new trend that designers are embracing is having women take on more masculine roles in modelling. An example of this trend would be female models adopting short hairstyles that traditionally only men wore, and rocking them when they do. They are also wearing more pantsuits and blazers, wearing tuxedos, and elegant dresses carrying stylish women wallet at events.
These fashion trends are not just changing the way women dress, but changing social trends as well and encouraging women to become stronger and more successful in a way that men were typically accustomed too.
- Boldness in fashion is breaking ground- Still!
Something that is becoming more and more socially acceptable in our culture as the times move forward, is the concept of cross-dressing. Directors are putting their male models in bright, bold make-up and often times even acrylic nails for catwalks or photo shoots. This is making more people accept sexuality as being fluid, but it also means that fashion can be bolder than it ever has been before.
Men and women are able to unashamedly flash their individuality and it is taking fashion to a more interesting level that it has never been too before. This is a trend that has slowly been happening since the ’90s, and it will continue to change as fashion designers continue to test social norms and make statements in their work.
- Tattoos are no longer taboo
Males and females who had tattoos, especially ones that are quite visible and hard to hide, used to have a very difficult time becoming a model and finding work. Now, tattoos are not only acceptable, but the trends are changing in their favour and there is an entire genre for them in the fashion industry.
- Models are encouraged to love their bodies
The fashion trends for so long required women to be quite thin, and have a perfect hourglass shape with absolutely no flaws or blemishes. This is still encouraged to several fashion designers, but the trend of having to look a certain way is dying, and men and women who model are being more encouraged to love their bodies and embrace what makes them unique.
- How models are being seen
Over the years more and more models have come out and changed the face of fashion. People want to see models that represent them in the fashion world, so designers are beginning to work on models who are different skin tones, have heights that range drastically, and body types which are sometimes far from the very thin model that we are so used to seeing walk the runway.
Models are also starting to express their own styles and make their personal beliefs known which was rarely heard of before. So how does this change fashion trends? It is breaking ground and changing what we think about clothes and what is considered feminine or masculine, what is now considered elegant and what is a good street-casual look.
The idea that clothes are suited for one gender, in particular, one type of place, one body type is changing and changing fast! It will continue to change as models and people who buy and wear the clothes keep using their voices to speak up!
- Fashion is becoming more racially diverse
In the past, models both male and female were generally Caucasian and they all looked quite similar to each other. This is not a dying trend, it is dead. Instead, it is ever-changing and becoming more and more racially diverse. Men and women of all colours, races, and backgrounds are being included in fashion and it is amazing to see how much this fashion trend has changed the game and is bringing society leaps and bounds ahead as far as acceptance goes.
There will always be changes in how fashion looks, and things that stay the same. Fashion always repeats itself in some form, but there are things that will always change, keep breaking ground, and test society in things they have never seen before.