How Misinformation Leads To Fashion Faux Pas's

Leah: “Because we have talked a little about how athleisure affects the trends; the track stripe, the sneakers at work, which we have all identified, what we set out to do with this talk is focus on the greater influences that haven’t just changed the trends, but changed how we actually dress. Along that line, when you talk about misinformation and that shoppers haven’t been educated, is the presence of an idealized life portrayed on social media platforms giving a false sense of understanding about what are wearable, every day clothes?”

Jan: “Yes.”

Julie: “That goes back to everything we are being educated about on a social media platform.”

Leah: “I feel it is important to come to that realization. A sponsored ad on Instagram is now my source of information as to what is appropriate to wear out and about, which is not about educating readers, it’s an advertisement.”

Julie: “Social media is not an appropriate way to get your news, to educate yourself on fashion or anything really.”

Leah: “Since the athleisure trend, regardless of its overall influence in fashion, I have started to see a resurgence of a femininity that I find exemplary of the late 40s, 50s and 60s. It will be interesting to see how we come out of this bubble of our lives being casually dictated by the comfort of that practical wardrobe.”

Cassie: “You mean the Dior look?”

Leah: “Yeah, and others too. I don’t know if it’s a trickle down of Kate Middleton’s style, but I see a lot more of that look. We have talked about that return to the cropped pant like Mary Tyler Moore in the Dick Van Dyke show with a pair of flats, we can’t keep A-line skirts in the store, or the updated pant suit.  I think there is a growing group of women who want to own feeling feminine without showing everything, and those ideals are influencing what I have seen coming down the fashion pipeline as far as trends go.”

Cassie: “I wish that were the case. This weekend I was in a big city I was like WOW! You should leave more to the imagination.”

Julie: “HAHAH!”

Cassie: “I was really surprised.”

Jan: “Like yoga gear or short dresses?”

Julie: “In everything.”

Leah: “I think that comes back to where are people getting educated.”

Jan: “Like the rompers that are way too short with booty hanging out.”

Cassie: “Oh yeah like everyone was wearing that.  The men were watching them, ogling, and I just wanted to pull it down a little. Don’t you have self-respect?”

Julie: “That is how they feel respected. They feel like they are being alluring.”

Cassie: “It’s not that they weren’t attractive, they had beautiful figures, but how they were dressed wasn’t flattering their figures.”

Jan: “There are always going to be provocative dressers.”

Julie: “It’s what we all choose to do personally. I love that you said that about the cropped pant and I think you will have that. However, I think you will always have a segment of the population that wants to revolt against fashion.  That sense of “I don’t have to do what somebody says” kind of thing.  There will always be that segment that rebels against what is appropriate, and another segment that is going to follow fashion and trends but are going to do it wrong. And a segment beyond that, who will put effort into being dressed, it’s part of their life, and they will spend the money to do it. And it’s been like that forever.”

Leah: “There is something I have thought about with wearing athletic wear outside of the gym. I wonder if women like it because there is an advert sexiness to it?"

Julie: “I would agree with Leah, that there is a segment of the population that does believe exactly what she said.”

Cassie: “Because they are showing off their figure, that’s funny I hadn’t looked at it like that.”

Julie: “They think it’s more youthful, that it’s sexy.”

Jan: “It’s funny because I am comfortable in that attire at the gym, but if I were to run around town, run into Jophiel wearing it, I would feel very exposed.”

Julie: “You know one of the things that I think is going to happen and be a revolt, is women are going to say, “I am not putting a flipping Spanx on no matter what!” I think that revolt is coming.” 

Leah: “That is a really good segue into the next installment, and something I’m both excited and little anxious to talk about: using the information and personal education to accept the diversity in body types and learn how to style for your own.  I think we could spend hours talking about it.”