When "Back in Style" Takes You Back in Time
There's that saying "everything old is new again," and that most certainly applies to how fashion trends that were once retired continue to reappear. I think about this resurgence frequently, and how the fashion industry and consumers interpret a trend’s next iteration so that each time around it’s nuanced — and a bit more “fresh.” Some of the strongest accessory trends for Spring/Summer 2018 first appeared during my childhood and are again relevant 30 years later. The Statement Earring? The bigger the better! Sculptural handbags? Welcome back! Seeing these items made me nostalgic and brought me back decades to when my obsession with accessories began.From as far back as I can remember I’ve coveted accessories. Practically before I could walk I carried a handbag, and I begged so often and fiercely to get my ears pierced that my parents finally acquiesced three years earlier than planned. I wore friendship bracelets practically to my elbow. "More is more” was the accessorizing motto by which I lived! Even though I grew up in a conservative family, my parents decided early in my childhood that fashion and music were two things they were willing to let me explore on my terms. I was grateful then, and am grateful now, for that creative freedom.
The Statement Earring
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[/one_second]The Statement Earring has been part of my wardrobe since elementary school. I vividly remember my first pair. They were massive hoops (no doubt made of plastic!) from The Limited that were bedazzled with faux gemstones. Statement earrings resurfaced several seasons ago, thankfully more refined, but just as impactful.
This summer I’m trading my plastic hoops for a colorful pair that compliment open necklines and sun-kissed skin, but the concept remains the same: large and impactful. Whether you’re into metals, feathers, or raffia, the statement earring is a key piece that affordably elevates a basic summer look.
Sculptural Handbags
This week, a title from one of my favorite fashion newsletters read, “The Circle Handbag Isn’t Going Anywhere.” Sculptural handbags — specifically those in the shape of a circle and made of straw or leather — are part of many luxury designers’ collections this season. One of the first handbags that I convinced my parents I couldn’t live without was a Liz Claiborne beige, circle, mini-crossbody bag. Made of vinyl and somewhat tacky, to me it was perfection.
The circle bag reinvented for 2018 is slightly over-sized, and details like tassels and prominent zippers deliver pops of color. Constructed of soft faux leather, the circle bags at Kiskadee are significantly more refined than the vinyl bags of my youth!If an accessory is so good that its staying power is 140 years and counting, I would argue it has surpassed being a trend and moved into full-on icon status, and that’s precisely what Whiting & Davis brings to the handbag market. Made from their distinct metal mesh, Whiting & Davis bags simultaneously offer classic refinement and sultry sophistication.
I remember playing dress-up in my mother’s heels and jewelry and carrying her “sparkly” Whiting & Davis silver mesh clutch! I’m grateful that my mother gave her clutch to me and it’s in my regular rotation. Whiting & Davis bags don’t require reinvention to remain relevant and coveted across generations.While trendy isn’t necessarily something everyone aspires to be, when trends drive nostalgia, “trendiness” becomes much more meaningful.