Style Bites: Has edginess torn down the fashionistas' 'simple-chic' consciousness?

Sun, 09/28/2008 10:00 AM  |  Arts & Design

For a long dreadfully draggy flat boring, the media and fashionistas have been overdosed-ly using the words: "simple, chic, elegant, glamorous and sophisticated" to describe the fashion of the moment. The words probably sound lavish and glitzy to most laymen's ears, but not to us the Fashion Educators, who have heard enough of this uniformity of expression over and over for the past five years. Luckily, a new term is coming along to give new color to all fashion lovers -- but I'm afraid it will create a similar uniform-phrase phenomenon all over again.

As a lecturer, I always tell my students to think one step ahead when it comes to composing a concept for fashion. The current trend is "what's hot", but they must be able to predict "what's hot after". That's where the designers stand when setting up the new upcoming trend. So when a student came to me and said she wanted to create a collection that would be "simple, chic, elegant, glamorous and sophisticated", she got my attention, and on my nerves as well.

Before I punished her by forcing her to determine the thread count of velvet fabric under the loop, I asked her, "Where and how can you measure if those words are reflected in your collection? By imagining if Paris Hilton would wear them? Or by copying a bit here and there from Hollywood's red carpet moments?" She was completely stunned, and obviously she didn't understand what she should work on to get the concept for a collection. Those five magic words are not a concept, they're styles.

Lately, we've been hearing the word "edgy" a lot. Edgy represents funky, stating a different style, against the conventional. In short, if you see some teenagers dressed in "funny" way -- according to you, anyway -- that's what they called edgy. Mismatched trends as shown off by some of the rising Hollywood starlets' signature styles, like a vintage sun dress paired with sneakers (Lily Allen), Afghan scarf paired with "dragonfly" sunglasses (Mary Kate), leggings under a voluminous skirt (Lindsay Lohan) and a new version of Mary Quant's bob cut (Rihanna), or simply an annoying combination of fringe and dental braces (Ugly Betty?) are some samples of edginess in teen style nowadays. Look familiar to you?

But do our teenagers really know how to work that edginess for the sake of following trends? Some do a good cute job, but for the majority I would actually say "oops!" But as I am so sick to seeing the neverending glamonstrous trend and the batik tsunami that leaves me suffocating in between those heavy beads and mega mendung motifs, I would say YES to "edgy". And also thanks to Agyness Deynof, the new teen idol of the moment, for intertwining the odds to the block. Move over chi, this whole gy thing is so in right now!

Attitude is everything, fashion is all about how you carry it. I take my hat off to those who dare to look "different". Just a few notes to be kept in mind, boys and gals:

- A fringe only works if you're cute or have a girlie face. If your face is more structured, exotic, or even if you have a double chin, do not attempt to cut your bangs as it won't help to soften your features.

- Colored and bulky dental braces are so yesteryear; let's minimize your "good teeth in the making" anguish, shall we? Just use the minimalist transparent ones.

- Scraggly hairs on a guy's chin that often look like tiny dry branches are never attractive. Unless you have finer and more even facial hair, then you can have a nicely trimmed goatee; otherwise you'll be just a goat.

- Low-waisted skinny pants will only work if your bum is not so bumbastic and your body is not of the muffin-top type.

- A skirt over a pair of leggings is fine, but if you opt for a pair of trousers instead of leggings, make sure your body is either petite or normal shape. Do not add extra layers or volume if you're a full-figured type.

- If your hormones are still actively producing pimples on your face, no matter how much you love The Beatles look, or if you're a wannabe alternative music star, avoid those typical camuri hairstyles. (Camuri: cakar muka sendiri -- scratch your own face.)

- Never ever take local sinetron as your trend source, or even worse, be inspired by their "sleep and wake up pretty in fake eyelashes and full blush on" trend!

For the junior fashionistas I'd like to hi-five your fashion experiments today, which I think are way "more civilized" compared with what my generation tried in our glory days. I've been in so many "fashion oops" stages all my life -- Geez, I still can't forgive myself for being spotted during the late 80s in a Tommy Page hairstyle with a giant neon Pop Swatch around my wrist and Garfield pins accessorizing my sneakers.

But while you're young, who cares if your skirt doesn't match your top, or your sweater color doesn't match your socks at some point, as long as you stick to it in the name of style. Unlike the more senior fashionistas, you still don't need to worry about being up to date with the latest branded bag to hang on your shoulder for the sake of your reputation, or to secretly organize a "mysterious disappearance" for a face lift or botox trips. Yes, life gets tougher, vainer and pricier as we reach higher levels of fashion consciousness. Sigh...

So go have some fashion fun. Everyone needs fashion tragic moments in order to have laugh material to look back at when we get older. And if people call you a fashion victim, it's probably their problem for not being brave enough to try something new, or possibly they're just nggak edgy banget dech! (so not edgy)

-- Diaz

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