I don’t consider myself to be a type of girl who goes ga-ga for a particular brand or a store, but there are a select few that continues to top my most-wanted list despite the changes in trend and my personal preferences. In a word, they’re timeless.
One such brand is Theory.
The aesthetic philosophy of Theory is simple yet complex. In their own words, “Theory is a phenomenon that spun out of great fitting pants”. That’s not far from the truth. I can have dozens of embellished tops from almost anywhere (I don’t), and I can have pants that are too tight but give a shallow impression of looking and feeling great (I don’t, I hope). But there is always that one top, a skirt, a dress or a pair of pants that are simple, clean and ever so chic.
In terms of design selection, I feel like it’s hard for many to not go overboard. If you were spending money on clothing, sometimes it seems to make more sense to spend money on a piece that has more stuff on it, or is in line with the current trend. It’s a trade-off; you trade money for a piece of clothing that has more stuff compared to less, or you trade money for a piece that will make you feel like a part of a trend and the broader society. It’s a psychological thing. But what will you do when that trend has passed? Or when you get sick of that too-much top?
One example is the leather and spike trend from two years ago. I remember flipping through BCBG Max Azria’s fall catalog and being unable to find pretty much anything that didn’t have spikes or weren’t made of leather. If it wasn’t made of leather completely, it was bound to have a random, obscure patch of leather somewhere on the piece. A typical model from the catalog was clad in leather pants and spiked stilettos, along with spiked leather jacket. Of course, everything was in glaring black and her freshly manicured (in black) hands clutched a black, studded leather purse and behind her huge black sunglasses were eyes painted with black, winged eyeliner. The only hint of color other than black were her dark red lips. But it wasn’t just BCBG that was doing it. Almost overnight, girls of Vancouver seemed to have painted their closet black and welcome the combination of leather and spikes that would make one think of a procession of punks in stilettos. It was clear: black, spikes, studs, and leather were in.
Clearly an overdose. As the old saying goes, all good things come in moderation. Of course, believing that like a dogma might very well take the fun out of fashion, but the phrase has its value. Once the season passed, it was time for a new look: the neons. But purchasing clothes leaves a mark in our wardrobe, and we wear what is in our wardrobe not simply because we love it and want to wear it, but sometimes because we paid for it and we still believe that the piece itself has social capital because it was in trend when we bought it. Although wearing pieces with a scent of faded trend is completely fine if done tastefully, those who wear them head-to-toe with blind faith in its illusion of trendiness can make the wearer look extremely out of place. Think about it; in a sea of bright neons heralding the days of summer, stands a figure clad in heavy black leather and spikes from top to bottom, and, to top it off, a pair of black sunglasses. It would probably have been better if she weren’t wearing everything black, or spikes that weren’t so glaring and everywhere- it would have been much more tasteful if a key piece stood out from the rest of her clothing.
Theory stayed away from all that, and even if it didn’t, it dabbled in the trend with modesty. Over the years, it stayed true to its aesthetics of simplicity by honoring the fundamentals - fit and cut. I have a basic pencil skirt which my mom wore in her twenties, and I must say, I have never seen a skirt that fits me so well. Trends are always recycled, and they will always come and go. What’s essential for me is that I love the piece for what it is, and how well it fits me and my personality. I’m usually aware of trends, but I don’t dwell on them. Having great basics that makes me look and feel great is priceless, and no amount of cheap and trendy pieces can replace that.
