The New Minimal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man, these inspiration posts are so much easier now I have Pinterest...almost too easy, I used to have to work to find images.

 

I hate to say it but I'm beginning to tire of the internet's saturation of monochrome and minimalism, unless it's high end luxury or with sportswear detailing (as shown in above images) it can become quite repetitive. I read an article on the rising costs of manufacturing, it related directly to sneakers but could be applied to any area of he fashion industry (trust me I'm going somewhere with this, it is slightly relevant just read on...). Anyway, factors including the rising cost of oil, increasing minimum wages in emerging economies and high cotton prices mean that retailers need to either raise their selling prices or simplify their designs to continue to achieve the same profit margins. Understand it yet? It could just be complete coincidence that simplistic, minimal styles have come into fashion just as brands are desperate to lower the cost prices of their products. But knowing the fashion industry, nothing happens by chance and we all fell for this one.

 

So, there's a clear differentiation between classy, minimal style and garments that are plain boring, a differentiation that many fail to see. My advice- keep the fabric quality high, play with textures and proportions and add in a bit of print or detailing to keep it interesting!

Depop Culture

Depop is an app for buying, selling or swapping fashion products in an eBay-meets-Instagram experience and gets my highest stamp of approval. The app facilitates interaction between users, creating a network for fashion minded individuals; finally a social media platform with a purpose beyond selfies and hate. With everyone from super-blogger Chiara Ferragni, to exclusive trainer sellers on board, the app encourages you to buy and sell in equal measures, increasing your status within the community.  It is fast, free, safe and links easily to Facebook and Twitter however there is an additional reason why I am such a fan.

 

 The ever-growing trend of disposable, fast-fashion has got me, amongst others, concerned. It is unethical, and far from stylish to be buying cheap, high-trend products only to disregard them when the retailers/media tell you this is no longer 'in' (Warning: this is a marketing ploy, the shorter the trends, the more often you buy, the more money they make). Of course, there are ways to combat this disposable mentality such as investing in classic, quality garments that will last seasons or recycling unwanted goods. Depop brings about a third option to reduce waste from unwanted clothing, with the added convenience factor that other online selling platforms fall short of. After all, clothes are meant to be worn and loved, not hidden at the back of a wardrobe or thrown out in the bin.

 

Reuse. Recycle. Resell

 

I am seriously looking forward to getting back home to my wardrobe and depopping all the stuff I don't wear/doesn't fit. You can follow me @takeovergirl, currently I've only got trainers up for sale that I was planning on eBaying but more shall be added next week including cheaper products.

 

What I am Selling:

 

 

Nike Jordan V- Grape White

Nike Blazer Office Exclusive- Black Suede

 

What I have bought:

 

 

Zara White Clutch bag: Stressed, But Well Dressed

(Painfully relevant to all final year fashion students, I'm sure)

Green Is Good

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm shocked at how diverse this blog is getting...and everyone thought I could only do black and Air Max.

 

When it comes to print I'm an all-or-nothing kind of girl and at the moment, 'all' comes in the form of tropical, leafy green, fruity and floral. They've been featuring across the full fashion spectrum from Moschino to 10 deep and from Zara to Obey in a mass of print-on-print co-ords. Finally a mainstream 'summer trend' that agrees with me.

 

 

Why I say no to the Huarache Platinum

 

 

So there I am at 8am this morning, obsessively checking the Size? website for the much hyped Huarache Platinum release. Thanks to their unexplained delay, this continues throughout the morning and into the afternoon, hitting refresh like my life depended on it and ignoring the exam revision I had planned to dedicate my day to. Its about 2pm before their actual release and I'm straight on it within a minute of the tweet. Typically there are no small sizes, so I panic buy a UK8, resale value has gotta be good.

 

There seems to be a love/hate divide when it comes to Huaraches as well as the reoccurring 'jumping on the bandwagon'  issue and backlash, ever present with sneakers. Personally, I like them. They're not my favourite style ever but the platinum white, just like the triple black release, is very nice shoe. Especially for women.

 

So anyway, lack of small sizes results in me tweeting Size? as well as ringing up stores across the country like some desperate woman whose life revolves around Nikes. Turns out they might get another delivery tomorrow, so I consider sacrificing another morning.

 

It's only then that I get a chance to chill and check my phone. My Instagram feed is full of white huaraches, and Twitter, and Facebook. Everyone seems to want them or have them, with a fair few hating on them but still, it's publicity nevertheless. By now, I've seen the damn trainers so many times they've lost their appeal. I mean, white is on trend this season blah blah but really, this is all a bit excessive.

 

It got me thinking how a hot product, combined with a saturation of social media marketing can convince a nation that they all must have these shoes. There's clearly a correlation between the hype surrounding a product and how much I want it. However, this seems to reach a point, of maximum hype, where I'm put off completely. This isn't an anti-conformist thing; I haven't just decided to dislike them because everyone else likes them. It's more about the love of fashion, and individuality, and not wasting time, effort and money on something that everyone has seen a million times.

 

There's no doubt that they're the best colour-way in a while, but I prefer to see trainers I've never come across before. Whether they're old, exclusive, kids, custom or just not hyped that much. For me, this is far more interesting and impressive than the latest fad to hit the sneaker world, that Instagram told you to buy.