Alternate contemporary fashions

[Hendryk]

This is something of a light-hearted speculation. Many fashions from OTL are quite silly--wearing one's cap frontside back, baggy pants that hang loose at thigh level, clothes worn with the price tags still on them, you name it. Can you think of other fashions that may also exist, all other things being equal?

One idea I had comes from reading a recent thread about a retail outlet punching holes in its discarded clothes in order to make them unwearable. But what if they were worn anyway, holes and all, and the trend caught on? You'd see stores selling deliberately damaged outfits to the fashion-conscious crowd.

 

[Domoviye]

One idea I had comes from reading a recent thread about a retail outlet punching holes in its discarded clothes in order to make them unwearable. But what if they were worn anyway, holes and all, and the trend caught on? You'd see stores selling deliberately damaged outfits to the fashion-conscious crowd.

Already done. Look at all the ripped and worn out jeans that used to be really popular and are now only slightly more niched.
Men skirts are a scary one. A few stores that sell to emo's are selling 'one legged' pants for boys. So for the sad, sad boy who can never find anything to match his mascara he can be slightly less angsty wearing a black skirt to show how he is different from everyone else.

 

[Emperor Norton I]

I miss that whole turtleneck suit deal the 1970's said would replace the suit and tie in the future.

Ape-enslavingly snazzy.

 

[Kabraloth]

You know, that really looks kind of nice. Now make ponytails be in again and here we go.

 

[mdc_1957]

It's been said somewhere that 80s fashion was inexplicably "futuristic" compared to what came after. If we kept the mullets and shoulder pads, 2010 would look life a real life version of the Macgyver universe.

On the other hand, a world where folks look as though they stepped out of the Mad Men set would be sweet.

 

[Theodoric]

This is something of a light-hearted speculation. Many fashions from OTL are quite silly--wearing one's cap frontside back, baggy pants that hang loose at thigh level, clothes worn with the price tags still on them, you name it.

Actually, that's quite dated; it's still there, but less prominent.

'Retro' is becoming exceedingly more popular; due in no small part due to steampunk, Victorian-esque style clothing is on the rise, though in most cases it looks rather more Edwardian.

It wouldn't be that unlikely to see retro movements based on any period between 1875 and 1975, I'd think, though that might be a bit more FH than AH.

 

[Wanderlust]

Is that price tags thing real? In Spares by Michael Marshall Smith (1998) he has a rich people trend for wearing clothes with price tags sewn into them. Which leads us nicely to a joke later with a rich woman running about, on fire, with the price dropping dramatically

I'd question whether Steampunk is responsible for the Victorian/Edwardian influences in fashion. Steampunk has yet to make any real impact on mainstream fashions as yet. There have always been a few Victorian fetishists going around, but the current fashion fior this sort of stuff came from horrible indie 'the' bands in London and New York, especially the whole fake Hussar jacket' thing.

I'd like to go back to that point about the 80s. The 80s were, as I see it, the last time mainstream fashion looked towards the future, instead of the past. Since then, there's been an almost interminable cycle of turgid and disappointing retro fashions. 60s. 70s. A bit of punk. More dull 60s/70s pastiches. Disco. Urgh. And now the 80s thing recently... Which I hope means that people are sick of all the retroism*, and wouldn't mind something more forward-thinking for a change.

So... Robes and togas, and lots of sinister-looking longcoats, all accessorised with goggles (practical as well as cool looking) please!

*Though I'd love to see Steampunk hit mainstream

 

[mdc_1957]

As far as retro styles go, I tend to look at those ranging from the later Victorian to about 1960 as the better options; fedoras and tuxedos ftw.

If fashions are to be "progressive," it has to be in a way that doesn't make 80s John Hughes film extras look modern.

 

[Sachyriel]

What if trends were the sign of individuality they promised to be, would the entire fashion industry be fighting against the societal norm of single-coloured jumpsuits?

Single Colour Jumpsuits!

With secret pockets in some of them for the secret plans of the global conspiracy of fashion designers who want to avoid being mobbed when they walk out in public. 97% of all the people in the world wear the SCJ at any one time. People who have the highly-sought after Anti-Anonymous-brand of clothing are the 2% and true made-for-the-self-by-the-self is the last 1%.

Wait, which is the fashion? the one that's really popular right?

 

[Wanderlust]

Single Colour Jumpsuits!

With secret pockets in some of them

Excellent

I could go for that.

As for the 'secret pockets', lots of clubwear already comes with these. Presumably so if the music gets a bit loud, you can take some aspirin for your headache, or something...

 

[Hendryk]

Excellent

I did wear a one-piece flight suit bought in some army surplus for a while. Lost it as I moved back to France though It was comfortable for wearing at concerts.

 

[Sachyriel]

Excellent

I could go for that.

As for the 'secret pockets', lots of clubwear already comes with these. Presumably so if the music gets a bit loud, you can take some aspirin for your headache, or something...

Would they have to be divided into colours based on your class though? Like in a Brave New World?

I did wear a one-piece flight suit bought in some army surplus for a while. Lost it as I moved back to France though It was comfortable for wearing at concerts.

I would have been surprised if you put it in your luggage and somehow the airline lost it.

 

[Wanderlust]

I did wear a one-piece flight suit bought in some army surplus for a while. Lost it as I moved back to France though It was comfortable for wearing at concerts.

Excellent

If it's one of those ones with boards on the knees, it'd be good for going shopping in, too.

 

[Wanderlust]

Would they have to be divided into colours based on your class though? Like in a Brave New World?

Rather, I'd have people colour-coded by where they live and work, and have society controlled by a colour-coordinating computer, so people looking down from the air will see a pretty design with lots of multicoloured dots whizzing around in a logical pattern.

 

[Sachyriel]

Rather, I'd have people colour-coded by where they live and work, and have society controlled by a colour-coordinating computer, so people looking down from the air will see a pretty design with lots of multicoloured dots whizzing around in a logical pattern.

Well what happens if someone who thinks the sky-viewable painting needs more red and goes on a killing spree? What does the colour-co-ordinating computer do then? Does it start evacuating people based on how to best maintain the image?

 

[Jeremak]

Ohu... Simplified Edwardian, that would be nice. Especially with more conservative social climate: "Good old days vs. today sodomy".
But imagine: womans in simple-form, 1910's inspired hats, shirts and long skirts, and mans in suits with vests and humburgs or other "classical hats"

'Retro' is becoming exceedingly more popular; due in no small part due to steampunk, Victorian-esque style clothing is on the rise, though in most cases it looks rather more Edwardian.

Maybe because "Eddie" period have more simple shapes (suits, shirts and skirts, more acceptable today than "Vicky" full dresses and "Sherlock style" coats (oh, the is new Holmes movie, I smell something...)

 

[Wanderlust]

Well what happens if someone who thinks the sky-viewable painting needs more red and goes on a killing spree? What does the colour-co-ordinating computer do then? Does it start evacuating people based on how to best maintain the image?

The fashion police who like all civil servants wear predator-style light-refracting suits vaporise the offender.

 

[Sachyriel]

The fashion police who like all civil servants wear predator-style light-refracting suits vaporise the offender.

Would Anarchists be wearing some sort of suit like that but set to the colours of a TV without an input signal? We would be awesome.