Fashion is changing at lightning speed. I am not talking about seasonal change and trends, but about the source of fashion and style.
You have undoubtedly heard of influencers and vloggers - but if you are a mum with kids like me and not a 25-year old you may still get your fashion from magazines like Vogue, Harper's Bazaar or Grazia.
(This brings me to a detour for one sec: did anyone buy September US Vogue? I complained HERE last year* about the enormous number of ugly ads in there, but this year the editorial is also disappointing. Even on my tiny blog I feel a little bit afraid of criticizing Anna Wintour, but screw it let me just say what I think: she would make a great ambassador to France, but please Anna step away from my formerly favorite magazine).
Our kids, however, watch vlogs by other kids for fashion and trends, a literal case of fashion by the people for the people. The fashion press are absolutely paranoid about this new world so in the last few years the dilophosauruses old guard have launched some vicious attacks on fashion's new rainmakers (this Metro article sums up the feud brilliantly). But there is no stopping this change and I for one am happy for it.
I love a fresh trend and a bit of seasonal change mostly because participating in fashion is fun, but maybe also because what you wear helps express who you are, and I like to think I am modern and open to change, and not stuck in a rut with my favorite blue eyeshadow.
At the same time I have always carried a smidge of anarchism deep inside my gut and the fact that a few privileged look-at-us-we're-beautiful editors had the power to decide which designers or designs would be the it-thing next season never sat right with me.
For our kids fashion is far more democratic - young girls sit in their rooms and film hauls, bags full of clothes they like or don't like. Everyone gets to participate. If you hate it you get to say so right away, if you love it you can subscribe and see more of this vlogger's style. One vlogger influences another, and styles and trends constantly evolve and refresh. The influencers behind their laptops have enormous sway over their followers but only the nice kids become really famous in this digital world.
The vloggers with the most followers tend to be regular people who don't pretend their lives are perfect, they are charming and funny, and hard workers too. It's true that some of them aggressively promote their sponsors, but that's no different from every single issue of Harper's Bazaar, where supposed editorial content is conveniently for sale on Bazaar's own website.
The fashion these kids promote is mostly very casual and wearable and it's missing the eccentric aspect you may find in an editorial styled by the lovely Grace Coddington**, although there are a few blogger/vlogger/influencers with so much natural style that they could easily take over an editorship at Vogue. My absolute favorite in this new fashion world is Aimee Song from Song of Style, a gifted stylist who is very open about being bullied in school and her struggle with depression.
(It does help to be really pretty - I think humans are just naturally drawn to beautiful faces - but it's not in any way a requirement, as demonstrated in this video by vlogger superstar Casey Neistat).
So what does this have to do with high waisted jeans?
Well there doesn't seem to be a vlogger in the world who wears anything but at the moment. I've dabbled, but because I am short these jeans often feel too high and I've had to rip off a few waistbands to make them work. However, I have found the most perfect pair for my height HERE at J.Crew, still high waisted but not swallowing my torso completely.
I love tucking in a shirt and throwing on a blazer, wearing some slides and running out the door. No more muffin top, my friends. A nice fitting pair of high waisted jeans does wonders for your posture too. And frankly, it's fun to pretend you're in the know.
(There are also a number of prominent over 40 vloggers out there but I watched one where the word snazzy came up a few times... as in: if you belt this trench coat it looks real snazzy. Aya, where do I start, that's not what I am talking about here. If you are looking for a highway to hell freeway to frumpy make sure to use the word snazzy in conversation).
* when I searched for that post to add a link I realized it was not from last year, but from 2014!!! How fast did those three years just pass!
** Grace Coddington seems to be such a lovely person and I don't think she's ever been negative about the new fashion reality.
J.Crew shoes (last season but similar HERE)
Martin Margiela (very old belt but similar HERE)
Parker Thatch bag (mine is from my friend's shop: @jordanbaker6011)
articulate and en pointe as always! mmmm the high waisted jean. i totally can't do it being high waisted but have eased into some mid-rises and loving the lack of muffin top! and yes we miss the old "vogue" (has anna gone to sleep?) but fortunately it has been reincarnated as "Porter" so a happy dance for that. yes we want thought provoking articles. yes we want style. we want less fur (i want no fur) we want less ads. we want better ads. i don't want tennis players on the cover. nor kardashians. i want vogue to seduce me again. it hasn't for 5 years. a decade?
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