There is a limit as to how long one can keep up defenses before succumbing to release. The constant energy expended can wear on an individual and eventually one either copes and accepts the environmental circumstances or withdraws; it's human nature when facing circumstances beyond control. Fashion hasn't completely given up on supplying the structure that is psychological armour for their audience, but does read into a release and has been accommodating.
Some of it is in the form of utilitarian casual that has permeated the collections. As stated in prior articles, fashion's revisiting of the 90s coincides with the economic climate that shifted in fashion from theatrical and ostentatious to more practical choices. As well, there is more of a casual edge in many, if not most, of the pre-fall collections coming out so far. The very casual ease in the form of sweat tops and slouchy cuts has set the stage for some very relaxed rules of dressing, something paralleled with the 90s when blending in mattered more than standing out and resignation of economic circumstances allowed for less caring. It was a time of survival; the party was essentially over.
But if many are looking to ease into the day, some are signaling a break from lethargy. We are feeling energy. It's the energy to act upon the world we are in, to connect with the energy around us as we seek to interact with rather than merely witness change. The connected world we have seeks us to participate rather than languish. It offers freedom to choose how to react to the world beyond fight or flight.
We felt that in the late 50s as economies got on their feet and people got more engaged in moving away from the dreamy world initially cultivated earlier in the decade towards a more realistic, adult world where we could have dialogue on world affairs, even if the politics was sometimes more skewed. Urban sophistication, a heightened appreciation of the arts, esoteric subject matter, mortality, religion...we were a bit more open towards mature and frank discussion without betraying controlled frameworks that the decade's conventions dictated. While not as wild as the 60s, we along with fashion allowed ourselves to be inspired, exploring new forms without taking too many risks. It was a more balanced experimentation, if you will, and we were willing .
Our adult approach is with us today. We have the information before us and yet we also value control. So i9n this measured way we connect with the world, and our clothes show the energy connected to our spirit through architectural movement and swing, with some collections transcending the 80s roominess and slouch towards a more controlled roominess of the A-line (10 Crosby Derek Lam. Alice + Olivia, Georgio Armani, Missoni, Monique Lhullier, Oscar de la Renta, Pamella Roland, Rebecca Taylor, and Theory) be it in A-line skirts or trapeze cuts in coats and jackets, balancing a more forgiving roominess with swing to give movement to the wearer. The kinetic energy also comes in measured incorporation of fringe, such as that showed in collections from 10 Crosby Derek Lam, Chanel and Just Cavali.
The emergence of swing factor matches nicely with our willingness to participate. That's not to say that it's all of the connectivity is active, as some collections also are willing to make a statement of expression interpretation where the clothes do the work for the individual. Some of it is good, and some of it says otherwise. But at least there is something going on.