Ypulse Best And Worst Of 2009: Style Trends

Today’s second Youth Advisory Board post continues our Year In Review coverage with new YAB member and aspiring trendspotter Amanda Aziz. Below she shares her picks for the hits and misses she’s seen in youth fashion this year.

The Best

Designers go mass market. Take the artistry of a pricy fashion designer and add the marketing and price tag of an affordable company and the result is a brilliant collaboration. As fashion designers pair up with Target, H&M, JC Penney’s and more, it seems this is becoming an increasingly popular strategy. The key selling point? As Meredith mentioned in her earlier YIR post, the combination of trendy styles and affordable cost make this trend pretty much recession-proof by offering teens and college students the chance to have their taste of the fashion world—from Rodarte for Target to Sonia Rykiel for H&M—without going broke. With more retailers integrating these collaborations into their DNA, like with Target’s GO International program, young shoppers are beginning to expect to pay under $50-$100 and look like they paid hundreds of dollars for an outfit! No complaints here.

[More] motorcycle jackets. A classic trend that can apply to ladies and gents, this article of clothing can be paired with just about anything. No wonder it was repeat pick from last year. If you want to toughen up a girly dress or look sleek with your usual jeans and a hoodie, a leather jacket can just do the trick. Comfy and perfect for the colder seasons of the year, you don’t have to have to worry about looking horrible while freezing to death.

The Classics. Oxford blouses and blazers are not just for the adults anymore. As of this year, there has been an increase in interest from Gen Y. I’m not sure if it is just for the need to look casually professional, loving the geek-chic trend or if it is a newfound love, but I am glad that Gen Y is leaning towards modesty (let’s hope that’s the last of hooker heels!). You can pass this for both dressy and casual, which gives this trend a hundred points for versatility. This could be the trend that can bring both the minimalist and extravagant together.

Street Style. It is not what you might think. The street style I’m talking about is literally inspiration drawn from random people on the street. Probably the most well known example is The Sartorialist (more on that below), a world-renowned fashion blog simply made up of random pictures of unknown (and occasionally well known) people on the street. The idea being to give those so inclined (stylish voyeurs) a look at how other regular people from around the world apply style into their everyday outfits. I personally love how something so simple can wind up creating such a phenomenon. Not to mention a fun resource for stylish ideas.

Fashion blogs. With the downfall of traditional fashion magazines, many young adults have been looking for another source to get their style fix. Enter fashion blogs! As a free and eco-friendly alternative, it’s a no-brainer why they’ve become so popular. Instead of a trip to the newsstand or waiting by the mailbox, your nearest fashion blog is just a few clicks away. Plus, who wants to wait until next month’s issue when the majority of the fashion blogs are updated a few times per few day.  The few blogs that have been catching the most attention are Style Rookie (Tween fashion icon Tavi Gevinson, anyone?) , The Sartorialist (mentioned above,) , CocoPerez (by Perez Hilton)  and Sea of Shoes. Like other crowdsourced reviews, these voices are becoming an increasingly strong influence on the fashion world. As you may have heard, Tavi Gevinson, creator of Style Rookie, was drawing much publicity for her quick wit and sharp eye, she was named muse for Rodarte’s collaboration line with Target. Not too shabby for a style rookie after all!

The Worst

Anything Ed Hardy. When I mean anything, I truly mean A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G that has to do with the super tacky, overrated and Jon Gosselin-contaminated brand Ed Hardy. The range of clothing and accessories, including the H1N1-conscious hand sanitizer, are way overpriced and they all look like a piece of trash. Each item, even the “modest” ones, look like a trip to the tattoo parlor gone wrong. Look at the design pictured here. Um, it’s a sword stabbing through the floating head of a cat (I think) with wings that appear to somehow have skulls on each side, while a parade of flowers swirl underneath? Don’t tell me that is not freaky.

Leggings [still] worn as pants. A crime that many girls continue to be guilty of and yet can’t seem to stop. Leggings are meant for tunics, dresses, skirts or shorts. Even if they are the “jean” leggings with fabric meant to look like denim, the same rule applies.  Hopefully this trend will die down soon.

Real Fur. I have to admit as an animal lover I’m a little biased here. But can we agree that this is just not cool anymore and send that message to style icons like Kate Moss? I mean, I get why that type of overindulgent glamour might have worked on red carpets in the past, but in today’s eco-conscious climate, you’d think stars would  think twice before resorting to slaughtering innocent (sometimes endangered) animals for a certain look. Not to mention that said look usually resembles Sasquatch, or some other mythical snow creature. My suggestion? If these stars really truly like the look of this season’s fur vests and coats, the best bet is just to go with faux.

Harem Pants. Maybe a lot of fashion designers are running out of original ideas and looking towards the recent past. I don’t know, but I do know that this is just ugly. I cannot imagine any occasion where these pants fit the dress code, or would be accepted as being attractive… unless you are dressing up like MC Hammer for Halloween. Bottom line: if you don’t live in a genie lamp, then you shouldn’t be giving thought to wearing harem pants.

Intense shoulder pads. Yes, it’s nice to give structure to your silhouette, but that doesn’t mean that you have to wear a decade’s worth of shoulder pads on your shoulders. It makes shoulders look too broad (I’ve seen some poor girls that even resemble hunchbacks!) and it makes most heads look ridiculously small in comparison to the massive load of foam on each side. If you want better posture… stand straight and try your best not to slouch.

Snuggies. WHY? I really don’t know what to say, I just want to know what the creator was thinking when he/she came up with this idea. As we’ve learned from countless infomercials and viral inspired spin offs (including one from Weezer), it’s supposed to be perfect for cold movie theatres and sporting events. You know… like a sweater or a coat. I’m just surprised Ed Hardy didn’t jump on this wagon, because he had to do that with everything else. For now, I guess Jon Gosselin will just have to settle for Royal Blue, Burgundy or Sage green.

About Amanda

Being a true believer in the Socratic Method (no, seriously) and a 16 year-old high school junior living in London, Ontario, Canada, Amanda believes that asking questions might just get her somewhere. Even when it comes to finding her way out of the superficial labyrinth that is known as school, she is not one who refrains from a challenge. Reading novels and asking questions are what satisfies her need to learn, and to get insight on different cultures (and pop culture!), languages (she hopes to be fluent in seven… good luck with that) to International Law/Social Justice and trends. Though she has many interests, she insists that music, hiding in the library at lunch time, volunteering, being a member of Junior Achievement, making insanely bad jokes, and wishing at 11:11 to be the “few” staples she can always rely on. Another passion of hers? Writing- whether it is songs, poetry or stories, which is why Amanda is so excited to be a member of the YAB for Ypulse. Maybe asking questions might just get her somewhere after all?