A few articles ago, I quoted some rather acerbic comments that conveyed disappointment amongst some fashion journalists who felt that collections as of recent lacked innovation. It’s hard not to side with them as fashion, for the most part, seems to be playing a rather safe bet. If the silhouettes and combinations that were shown in the SS2013 season weren’t reruns of previously successful ideas, the clothes were on the safe side as far as fit, cut and proportion. With colour and print (and to a lesser extent textile) being the key differentiation.

It brought to mind the humble t-shirt, a wardrobe mainstay that our culture currently embraces. Since its inclusion in our fashion repertoire as opposed to an undergarment function in the 50s, the t-shirt has transformed dramatically. Being democratically accessible it allowed the wearer to convey expression within a reasonable price point while becoming lucrative to the tune recently of being the source of a $40 billion dollar component of profit within the fashion industry.

Part of its appeal isn’t merely its ease and ability to function well within the casual wardrobe due to its simplicity. The item is within reasonable cost for the wearer to take chances on personalizing it through self-design. The popularity of tie-dye in the 60s/70s found a friend in the t-shirt where the medium grew in support with youth easily. This technique was so popular due to its accessibility that it became one of the hallmarks of the free loving generation, and its trippy associations were repopularized in the 90s and in more recently in some current SS2013 collections as designers tapped the past to bring feel-good memories into their clothes.

The simplicity of many collections and in fast fashion knockoffs that are sure to follow may seem lifeless, but when looking at current subculture and youth the blandness that is marketed has found favor. It is not for the simplicity alone but, like the t-shirt the simplicity allows for personalization, something that current economic conditions have given rise to.

Much like in the 80s when youth , unable to possess designer creations opted out for creating their own looks from manipulating garments, due to accessibility and cost, the current generation faces similar circumstances. This combined with the popularity of programming such as “Project Runway” has inspired some to take matters into their own hands and put their own personal spin on their wardrobe.

This is not lost opportunity, for websites such as Café Press are capitalizing on this desire for individuality and do-it-yourself creativity, offering customers the chance to customize and sell merchandise. Users of the site in 2007 made $100 million in goods and got 20% profit from this self-actualized initiative. Websites such as Dana’s Fashion Blog, Swellemayde and DIY Fashion support DIY inititatives, while books such as “DIY Couture: Create Your Own Fashion Collection” give a frugal generation the tools to make their own fashion. Social networks such as Pinterest and Instagram give a wealth of inspiration that previous generations never had before, while other media such as Tumblr provide access to consensus allowing DIYers to stay on point with current trends.

So although designers are seeing profit form more basic staples, it may not necessarily be due to a public’s embrace of bland clothing, but rather that they are offering templates that the public can manipulate into more personalize statements. And as fashion is ripe for inspiration, it won’t be long before the street dictates where fashion is to go next, much as what been done before and particularly in the decades where fashion currently finds inspiration today.

Consider this as necessity being the mother of invention and that this generation, faced with austerity that prohibits supporting their desires for creative garments, is inadvertently giving direction to where fashion needs to go next. However designers wish to interpret this, they can make it their own...next season.