Fad: A fad is defined as a style that is adopted with great enthusiasm; however, is short lived as it does not necessarily fit into fashion culture. The asymmetrical haircuts that these lovely ladies have are a great example of fad.
The cut hadn't been widely adopted by women until just recently, when Rihanna cropped her hair. I think that this was the point when the number of adopters of the trend really started to spike. Star power fueled the enthusiasm behind this fad and around the same time as the Rihanna crop, almost every third girl I saw on the street had shaved half of her head. I'm starting to see fewer asymmetrical crops on the street now and I feel as though the bell is on the decline - possibly, the cut doesn't allow for enough versatility, making it difficult for a number of otherwise fashion forward people to adopt the trend; the stage on which this particular brand of powerful femininity is acceptable is still quite small in comparison to other cuts that were once considered "unconventional," such as the pixie cut.
Fashion: Everything about this woman's outfit said fashion to me. Each piece is characteristic of popular style culture or the social elite - you could pick up any one of a number of fashion magazines and see each one of these elements in an ad or on a celebrity.
Skinny jeans: the skinny cut has made its way into the fashion class as it is now widely available, at all sorts of price points and is still in high demand.
Wrap scarf: In its first incarnation, the pashmina was a high quality, cashmere scarf that had certain status attached to it. The demand for this soft, wrap scarf was high, however, consumers did not want to pay the high prices for the hand-woven cashmere scarves. Suppliers saw an opportunity to create an inexpensive version for the consumers that wanted to have a piece of that luxury without the price tag, thus increasing the number of people that could access the trend. This control of supply and demand translates as a slower ascension in the number of adopters over a period of time as the demand was there, but the supply of the product at a acceptable price point, was not. I think this style of scarf being a rather versatile garment (acceptable in all-seasons, and almost all-occasions) has also lent to its longevity in popular fashion culture.
Updated trench: This trench is updated with a few details, making it more of a fashion item - the back is gathered at the waistline for a less tailored fit and the colour is a little on the trendy side; not everyone would be comfortable in an off-white coat. So, while this item may have originated from a classic, the minor changes to its construction and aesthetic shorten the scope of its appeal slightly, since silhouette and colour are major factors that are subject to change with each season.
Kitten heels in a punchy colour: The statement shoe was popularized by Carrie Bradshaw of the Sex and the City series, but, not every girl can afford Manolo's, nevertheless endure an entire day in a 6 inch stiletto - enter the kitten heel. While a lower heel isn't anything new, this low heeled shoe in an unconventional colour speaks fashion. It can be categorized as a statement shoe because of the colour, thus becoming a product of pop culture.
LV handbag: I believe that some may argue that this Louis Vuitton handbag is more of a classic than a fashion item, but I disagree. While the LV brand has lasting significance in our culture today, I feel like the clever marketing behind the status associated with LV bags is more of a fashion phenomenon. Consumers today, are not necessarily buying the brand solely for the quality the brand embodies, but because of the symbol of status that it also carries. What is currently "in mode" is greatly driven by what is popular among celebrities, and since most celebrities are drawn to prestige goods as a way to set themselves apart from the masses, the masses are drawn to prestige goods in order to mirror the social elite.
Foreword: So after being bedridden with this ridiculous cold for most of the weekend, and only having got two of my three shots, I set out to find some classic fashion! I thought I was genius with my approach - "
oh, I'll just set myself up by the skytrain station by my house - there's tons of great examples of classics there!" Unfortunately, I failed to realize how
creepy I might seem hanging out in front of the skytrain snapping photos as people got off the train; I certainly received a look or two (or 20...). Now, I was trying to be discreet, using my phone at first, (
they won't even know that I'm taking their picture...) but when I realized my phone could really only take half decent photos when the subject was still, I busted out the camera and tried an honest approach -
"Excuse me, I'm doing a little project for school where I need to photograph classic looks on the streets of Vancouver, would you mind if I took your photo?" Still, nay.
I was determined, but had lost my steam. I knocked on my neighbour's door, and finally! I found my friend, Xylia, in a little Audrey Hepburn get-up that was perfect, even if I had to venture off the streets of Vancouver to find her...
Classic: This crew neck sweater and cigarette pant combo is reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in the film,
Funny Face. Audrey's style has, over time, been established as the standard for understated, elegant beauty. The elements of this outfit - grey crew neck sweater and black, cropped cigarette pants, are simple, un-embellished styles. The relation of supply and demand for these types of items is different than that of fashion or fad items - where fads and fashions tend to be purchased in singles due to all the different style variations and how innovative they are perceived as being, classics are generally purchased in multiples, at one point and/or over a period of time as they have been established as a basic. Similar garments such as this crew neck sweater and cigarette pant, may be available for different age groups or genders and have been in stores for generations; but regardless of this, the essence of the styles of these two items remain the same which is also what qualifies them as classics. Classic garments have fewer style attributes that fluctuate from season to season (no additional details like buttons or non-neutral colours), so they have a longer lifespan, but as they don't really register as greatly influential pieces with the social elite or in pop culture, the rate at which the number of people who adopt the style grows much slower than that of a fashion or fad garment.
