Before we start talking, there is one fashion show from a few years ago that I want to mention first. It is Balenciaga's 2018 S/S menswear collection. The collection depicts the leisure time, after the work, of father-age men who have no time to be interested in fashion.
High fashion is bound to face ideals that cannot be achieved. High-end fashion shows its 'cool' appearance and says it's as if you can get there if you do well. However, it cannot be achieved, and therefore it can stimulate people’s desire endlessly. Even if someone reaches such a top spot, it’s already old-fashioned.
However, Balenciaga's 2018 fashion show showed a slightly different look from what fashion has been talking about so far. The men's clothes you can see in this collection are nothing like the sophisticated look of high-end men's clothing fashion – the size that fits well, the luxurious material, and the perfect set. The shirt is wrinkled, the blazer is too big, and the jeans are drained vaguely as if they were not stored properly. There is also nothing that looks right in size.
Even if you don't know much about fashion, it's definitely quite different from the world of fashion in your head. This shows the current situation that the rules of fashion are becoming meaningless and different. In particular, this collection is not just a provocation for Balenciaga, nor is it a struggle throughout the fashion scene to create a trend. This fashion show vividly shows what the current fashion is and where it is headed.
The foundation of fashion is changing
As we enter the social media era, it seems that the influence of fashion has increased. Fashion, which was popular with the times, such as funk, rock and roll, and hip-hop, originally reflected a specific time and place and had exclusive properties. Now they all exist in one place. Although classical is classical just because it does not change, the area of formal wear and business wear itself is being dismantled. In the end, even if you mix whatever you like, there is nothing anyone can say, and the generation is going in that direction.
Yanai Tadashi, the chairman of Uniqlo, recently said, "The days of formal wear are over.” It's not just saying it. In fact, news of the bankruptcy of several large suit brands such as Brooks Brothers and Men's Warehouse has been heard this year. It is said that imports of ties in the U.S. fell more than half compared to the previous year. As many people have been working from home these days, it has left Business Wear nowhere to go and is testing its new fashion taste in comfortable casual wear.
It’s all about self-centeredness.
"Self-centeredness" is the main reason for these changes. Others can't judge my life recklessly, and I can't judge others' lives either. Refusing to evaluate other people's fashion means that I will not argue about other people's clothes either.
Not long ago, there was an article on BBC News about “Will formal wear disappear?” And everyone asked, “Can I leave my money to someone who is not properly dressed?” However, what we can see from this is that you have to dress up properly in order to commit financial fraud. There’s nothing anyone can tell why someone else wore that outfit. And you can't even step in and interfere with their choice. It is more important to stick to your own work at such a time. That attitude is how we live together in diversity.
Fashion in the process of this kind of change is freedom after all, and it is a sign that each person has a different way of life. Fashion is an area where there is no definite answer and at the same time, it's atypical. Therefore, it is strange to find a way to show off one's differences in the sense of security that comes from putting on the same clothes as others and making the same body shape. When diversity meets and stimulates each other, the world of fashion becomes wider. Above all, if you are under the name of fashion, accepting existing customs without much thought, and sometimes helping prevent change, you may not be able to show off.
wowww this article is so inspiring!!!!! good job!
Oh, I think this is a very interesting article. I did not think about how situations such as the pandemic must have affected the fashion business, especially for formal clothing. I think formal clothing is too expensive. There is an infinite cycle of people not being able to get jobs because they cannot afford formal clothing, and subsequently not earning enough money to buy themselves formals. Not to mention, formal clothing is not very comfortable and reduces the productivity of employees. Therefore, I welcome a shift from formal clothing to casual clothing in work places.