Fashion Trends, Fashion Through the Ages & Looks for Less

From the beginning of time fashion and style has influenced the lives of all who have the fortune to afford all inner styles. Whether it was Marie Antoinette, Coco Chanel, Princess Diana or Olivia Palermo, these styles icons will always have the same common denominator, which is the act of being competitive. The competitive addiction of “Who wore it best?” Even in our personal lives there is always a competitive attitude of “Who wore it best?” or jealous remarks of “her bag is fake” and “she looks large in that” all because some cannot keep up with the high fashion lifestyle and the high fashion cost.

No wonder why the number one type of debt in America is retail credit cards. Would you rather be broke then dress like the average Joe?

For most, high school years are always the most crucial. The average American high school student spends hundreds of thousands of their parent’s dollars to look the part of their yearly clique. From preppy to gangster, emo to nerdy. No matter what clique you’re in, the clothes make the man. Spectators can talk all the shit they want, but nobody wants to be made fun of because of the clothes they wear. I never grew up with a gold spoon in my mouth, but I always managed to get what I wanted. Both parents had great jobs and money was never an issue. I remember teasing a few kids in high school because of the way they dressed. They’re parents couldn’t afford new clothes from stores we were all shopping at. Did I know that back then? No. I regret it every day. Look at me now, living on my own, working full time and writing part time. Trying to survive in Manhattan. I feel sympathy for the students I made fun of. I would never want my children to be teased for something I couldn’t afford for them. What kind of parent would want that heaviness on their heart?

Fashion inspiration websites such as Polyvore and Pinterest are perfect for finding those looks for less everybody wants to achieve. They’re great for trying to match the very high with the very low. For example, a $3,000.00 Michele Watch and a $9.00 Hanes T Shirt. The possibilities are endless. Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests. In a 2014 business appraisal study, Pinterest was worth an estimated 5 billion dollars. www.pinterest.com

Polyvore, however is a more fashion driven site where you can mix and match different items from different brands, creating “sets”. These “sets” are used by companies, trendsetters, fashion stylists, bloggers and any other creative minds in the world of fashion. Polyvore, founded in 2007, brings in 20.1 million end users per month! www.polyvore.com.

Both Polyvore and Pinterest accounts require email/password registration with the option to automatically unsubscribe from those annoying email newsletters!

H&M, Zara, Forever 21 and ASOS.com are the top fashion ecommerce sites right now throughout the world. They all use the designer/runway silhouettes that we all want, but can’t afford. Emily C, a fashion production specialist says, “Once fashion week is over and the trends are “trending”, companies like these start making patterns the next day. Usually ten to fifteen samples a day. Then, they use fabrics they already have in their factories to save time. They receive samples 2­3 days later, make adjustments when needed and then go straight into mass production” Companies like H&M, Zara, Forever 21 and more have such low prices because their factories demand high minimums even though the discount the factories give are astronomical. This is exactly why the same DVF dress pattern and structure is $25.00 in H&M and not $350.00. Its non-couture or “made for”. You can still look fashion forward on a budget.

We may think that fashion trends are universal depending on location but, they’re really not. Living in both New York City and Los Angeles, I understand the fashion trends and the change of pace. Though a lot of it has to do with climate change, the overall reasoning is product marketing and advertising. When you walk down Fifth Ave, down the streets of SoHo or stop into Bergdorf Goodman, all mannequins, window displays and floor sets use nothing but black clothing and accessories. New York City is a very modern city with modern people, modern “blah” attitudes and modern color schemes. Black, Grey and Navy. In Los Angeles, colors, coolness and non-conservative clothing takes the stage. LA is the only place a woman can wear short shorts, a tank, heels and still pull it off in a non slutty way. Buyers in the Fashion Industry are buyers for one reason and one reason only, they’re compulsive shoppers! They need to shop and choose from each vendor differently depending on which city they are buying for. They shop for the LA market and the NYC market separately. After all, they are indeed two different worlds!

Check out Anthony Romeo’s website: AnthonyWRomeo.com & follow him on twitter @_anthonyromeo