The Motel X Loop

THE MOTEL X THE LOOP

As years pass and fashion trends evolve, it can be hard to imagine where individuals find new creative styles to work with every couple of months. With a good knowledge of fashion history and understanding trend cycles or popular patterns and symbols, it’s easier to identify the neverending loops that make up modern fashion trends.

These loops are not inherently bad although they can become somewhat repetitive. Items once considered a 90s craze have cycled right back into modern style, or patterns considered tacky in the 70s now flood fast fashion websites and stores. For many, this could be seen as somewhat fun. It’s almost a test to see how much fashion history one truly knows in order to predict and develop personal style. On the other hand, this repetitive cycle can border on toxic. It can be frustrating and disheartening to watch pieces and styles enter the limelight only to be quickly thrown to the side once a new trend takes over.

This rapid trend succession is recognizable in shopping malls across the country. Stores no longer present individual styles unique to that company. Rather, many feel the racks are lined with cheap, trendy items akin to the ones found on a fast-fashion website. Screen printed patterns, thin fabric and quirky sayings slapped on poor-quality tees are advertised across the stores, perpetuating the never-ending cycle of trends that often last a month at most. For those looking to develop personal style and create a timeless closet, this can be frustrating.

Beyond issues with the mass market, these trendy styles can box stylists in and make it hard to be original. One of the newer trend cycles that was not as popularized in the past is the obsession with logos, called “logomania.”

“Strictly wearing a brand’s logo from head to toe, or mixing different brands, has become a huge fashion fad, especially for influencers or celebrities.”

This style has become popular because it is a way to show off wealth. Wearing a logo associated with an expensive company, shows that not only can a person afford to shop at said company, but they can afford to adorn themselves top to bottom in pricey attire. Although everyone has their own style, and wearing multiple logos is not always a bad thing, it is interesting to note the longevity of trends that showcase wealth versus cheap trends fueled by fast fashion.

While these trends can be limiting or frustrating to some, they come with some benefits to fashion as a whole. These cycles keep fashion moving forward. Without trends and moving changes, fashion would be stagnant. Fashion is always going to come and go, and trends will always take inspiration from their predecessors. It’s not inherently wrong to participate in trends, but shopping with quality and longevity in mind should be a top consideration. It takes effort to support stores that produce quality items designed to last to break the rapidity of fashion cycles.

Models: Lilly Soble, Alexis Flemming and Helena Rowland Writer: Borjana Alia and Raegen Eller Glam: Ev Campau and Andie Bahm Photo: Milan Lazovski Style: Anna K. Webber