… not to be confused with Sam Vimes’ Theory of Boots (aka the “boots theory of socioeconomic injustice” — iykyk).
So what’s this all about?
Trends.
I feel like I’ve been seeing a lot of social media hand-wringing lately by Millennials (and others) over trends. The obsession with Zoomers’ clothing choices, in particular, is fascinating to me because I don’t recall a similar existential crisis happening when my generation ceded way to the Millennials as the “hip young things”. Why a 30+ woman would care about whether a 16-year old thinks she’s cool (or “cheugy”) is beyond me. The answer is obvious. So it has always been with 16-year olds and their elders. (For what it’s worth, as a 42-year old, I also don’t think 16-year olds are cool, insofar as I ever think of 16-year olds at all, which is to say, practically never. No offence to 16-year olds, who I am sure never think about me either.)
Fashion has been trend-focused for decades (forever?) but it really does feel like more people than usual are suddenly alert to the concept and concerned about what they ought to do with it. I’m not here to tell you to ignore or follow trends; that’s a decision you should make based on any number of personal values and priorities, including how much you actually care about clothes beyond their utilitarian function. I AM here to tell you about ME, though. This is a personal style blog, after all.
My relationship with fashion has changed a lot over the years, so what I’m writing here is what I feel about this topic today. It might change next year! Life is chaotic like that. Anyway. As someone who enjoys fashion as an art form, I feel somewhat obliged to be aware of trends; it’s kinda like being au courant with the current bestsellers or hot new shows on Netflix even if you haven’t actually read or watched them. I generally don’t rush to incorporate trends into my wardrobe unless they happen to coincide with whatever aesthetic direction I am pursuing at the time. Or if they suggest a new direction that I may enjoy exploring.
For fall/winter 2022, there are some trend elements which will work with my planned Witchy Historian aesthetic — such as wide leg pants and (possibly) mini skirts. But the clothes in my wardrobe aren’t new — nor are the items I may end up thrifting in the coming months, since they are by definition secondhand; they are an older iteration of these trends.
There are often little tweaks and updates that happen between one iteration of a trend and another. From a business perspective, this makes good sense because it encourages people to buy things anew lest they end up lookin — gasp! — dated. You can probably tell from my writing that I don’t think much of this whole concept, but at the same time, I do like the idea of “updating” old clothes by styling them in new ways.
Which brings me to my theory of shoes.
After pondering this topic for a while (okay, like, a few minutes), I’ve decided that one of the easiest ways to update a wardrobe is by adding a trendy new shoe. As you know, I don’t shop retail as a rule; but in order to acquire a currently trendy shoe, it is kind of unavoidable. So after deciding to do it, I had to be strategic in making my choice. It had to be something that was very obviously trendy, but also fit my current aesthetic and lifestyle needs. The style that struck me as most “of the moment” — and, thus, most likely to make an impact in terms of updating my outfits — was something with a lug sole or a platform. Preferably, a combination of both.
Initially, my plan was to get a lug sole boot. I’ve admired them on others (most notably, my friend Lucy on IG) and I figured they would be a practical choice for Alberta weather. But after trying on a few pairs, I was not sold. I have short legs and large feet, and did not like the proportions of these chunky boots on me. They may be trendy, but if I don’t like them on me, they’re a no-go.
Then, I decided to pivot to a lug sole (lite) loafer. Similar vibe — with the bonus of being very 90s revival — but suddenly the proportions worked on me. Still visually chunky, but it a way that didn’t overwhelm my outfit. Loafers are also a good pairing for my RL-inspired Witchy Academic aesthetic for fall, and will work well with both pants and skirts/dresses.
I ended up getting this pair from Nordstrom Rack with a birthday gift card:
I chose this over a black-on-black version because I liked to contrast of the brown sole, and it means that they can be worn with both black- and brown-based outfits. Plus, I like black and brown together, especially for fall. I also like that the platform gives me a major height boost, but they wear like a pair of flats.
Do you think my theory is correct? What are the ways in which you’ve updated your outfits?
Good choice. I’ve been wanting a lug sole loafer myself but perhaps less of a heel. The funny thing is, I had so many versions of that style in the 90’s. And when one of my GF’s still had these in her closet not long ago – ok, maybe it was 6 or 7 years ago, I urged her to get rid of them and opt for a new look.
I know! It’s why I am having such a hard time letting go of things from my closet these days. They will come back in style eventually!
i fully believe that current, modern footwear is THE most important part of your outfit. i am a minimalist when it comes to clothing, as well as with accessories. my footwear has to do the heavy lifting. but you say you are a magpie, so maybe shoes don’t have to play the big part?
I think accessories can be a good way to change up an outfit, but they are also less trend-driven as a rule. So if what you want is specifically to update older clothes, accessories might not have as much of an impact as shoes. That’s my two cents, anyway 🙂