When the past’s ‘unfashionables’ become today’s trends

Or what about the traditional scarves that are now seen draped around the necks of youths even in Europe? Or Wellington boots, so cheap to manufacture, which you can now purchase for hundreds of dollars under the most expensive sorts of labels? And how about those shoulder pads we see steadily rising, as if imitating illegal add-on floors being constructed on buildings? And what should be said about jeans, ripped, torn and then worn as one of the most “modern” outfits possible?

The fact is that sometimes it is clothing which we used to laugh at, clothing we would wrinkle our noses at, that becomes the height of fashion. Fashion, which some shrug off as being a fascist and repressive phenomenon, is also a phenomenon with a magical touch, one able to make even the most seemingly ridiculous pieces of clothing something that people will pay loads for. And when even those very styles we might have scoffed at before become the height of fashion everywhere, the saying by British fashion researcher Levier rings truer than ever: Everything in fashion now will seem repulsive 10 years from now, interesting 30 years from now, and fantastic 50 years from now. Here are some of the “interesting” fashion trends of this season:

The “puşi” headscarf: This style of scarf is popularly called the “puşi” and is made from a material used as a sweat cloth of sorts for hundreds and hundreds of years by men all over the Middle Eastern region. Though it used to be loaded with a more ideological meaning, these days you can see this scarf everywhere, as a popular accessory. The “puşi” is known in America and Europe as the “desert scarf.”

Wellington boots: These used to be a symbol of construction workers and fishermen, who loved them for being warm and waterproof and, of course, for their reasonable price. But since last winter, we have started seeing Wellington boots on the feet of fashion followers everywhere, and in a wide range of colors. And so, touched by the magic brush of fashion, Wellington boots got color, design, labeled and expensive!

Shalvar: These are comfortable pants traditionally worn throughout Anatolia by men and women working the fields. In fact, these pants were associated so much with a provincial life and lifestyle that wearing a pair of shalvar in the city was always considered odd and wrong. But suddenly, these traditional pants have become an inspiration for many world-famous fashion collections. And what’s more, they have even come to symbolize a certain intellectual stance on life.

Ripped jeans: These used to be worn by manual laborers, in mines for example. Then they were adopted by the youth culture as cool sporty wear. And now you might encounter ripped jeans even at evening parties and workplaces. Sometimes they are even combined with chic sports jackets, shirts and cufflinks.

Ripped stockings: Those years when even the slightest rip in your stockings would ruin your entire outfit are not far removed from us. But unfortunately, the trend of ripped stockings has taken fashion by storm for the past two seasons.

Tops with shoulder pads: Those padded styles that at one time we didn’t even want to remember have suddenly made a post-1980s re-entry into the fashion world. Those shoulder pads that used to be a favorite of people who had to carry heavy things have begun to receive acclaim again, and now you can see them in everything, from shirts to jackets.

In the end, fashion is truly a phenomenon which can make almost any piece of clothing sparkle by anointing it as “trendy,” “chic,” “in” and so on, and thus winds up dressing people the way it wishes. Never mind though, be yourselves, and don’t end up falling into the trap of “trends” which are really mistakes from the past.