Fashion is always evolving.
By LAUREN PADILLA
Longmeadow High
Fashion is always evolving. We’ve come a long way in the past century — from corseted waists, to beaded frocks, to shoulder pads. My question is: What is next? What is the future of fashion?
These past few years have been different from any other decade before. With the rise of the Internet, both magazines and fashion houses have been losing control over the industry. The result is a population whose fashion taste is anything but uniform.
Take a look around — no one is dressed the same. I know people who still wear dresses to work every day; I know others who think jeans are appropriate for all occasions. Some women still curl their hair for a trip to the market; others go to dinner in tracksuits. Although there are still certain events which require a certain dress code, for the most part, dress today is relatively liberal.
Just imagine what people in the early 20th century would say if they flipped through a page of Seventeen. As interesting as today’s fashion is, it can’t continue forever. At some point or another, a definitive “new look” will have to emerge, won’t it?
The question is: What will it be? The problem designers face today is that there are only a handful of ways to make skirt or a dress or a pair of pants. Gone are the days of Dior, when there were still countless silhouettes left to be explored. Today it seems as though every possible cut has already been tested.
If you’re doubtful, just type “skirt” into Google —miniskirts, maxi-skirts, A-line skirts, circle skirts, H-line skirts, the list continues forever.
Although a few very innovative designers have managed to develop a couple of new silhouettes, these “new” shapes tend to fail, purely for lack of practicality. Could impracticality be the next step in fashion? Is Lady Gaga really onto something? Will we all be wearing meat, and electrically-powered gowns in 20 years? As ridiculous as it may sound, I refuse to believe that anything is impossible. I doubt the Victorians ever imagined we would be wearing bikinis in 2013, and look where we are.
As of now, costumes from the “Hunger Games,” and the unconventional challenges of “Project Runway” provide us more with entertainment, than any feasible wardrobe inspiration. However, in 10 or 30 years, everything may change.
For all I know, I could very well be wearing dresses made out of aluminum in 2033. Then, of course, I could be completely wrong. Perhaps fashion will stay the same, the industry might continue on its endless cycle of reusing and recycling. Maybe there will never really be another world-changing silhouette. There may be a chance that, from now on, humans will live forever in furry boots, sweatpants, and leggings (oh, I hope not).
But, who knows? I suppose we’ll all just have to wait and see.