Questionable
summer trends for 2019
Valerie McPhail
MSMU Class of 2015
(5/2019)
Model Gigi Hadid posts a selfie on Instagram while wearing
a bucket hat, and fashon followers respond fanatically.
Just seasons apart, her sister Bella stepped out on the
streets wearing a Chanel style of the same design.
Speculations of a trend are instantly confirmed. Far more
than plainly taking a hint to whether the bucket hat
accessory is a revitalized trend, the speed to which
fashion items are addressed and referenced as seasonal
trends is a testament to how fashion conversation
materializes today. With the same lens in view, curiosity
follows: what defines a fashion trend as we prepare our
summer wardrobes? Is it popularity of the chunky sole
tennis shoes that refreshed the sneaker industry, or the
solid color bathing suits that define modern swim labels,
or celebrity endorsement?
My uncomplicated approach to
summer fashion involves swimwear, a hat, [whether that may
be a baseball cap or straw fedora] loose flowing dresses
and graphic tees easily paired with denim shorts. But even
this wardrobe appears too traditional for most. When
gathering summer trends, the minimalist perspective on
fashion comes into question. With admiration it opens
doors to an opportunity to address history’s fashion needs
and interests alike.
Although at times social media and
blog posts circulate different conclusions, fashion
history shows that the bucket hat is a staple to culture.
In a report made by Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book, the
bucket hat has stayed relevant in fashion since its
invention in the 1900s. First functioning as a piece for
Irish fishermen, the bucket hat moved from the simple life
to solider uniforms during the Vietnam War, where it
functioned to shade necks from the sunshine. Experimental
designs with tweed and cotton brought the bucket hat into
the ‘80s hip-hop scene and later into womenswear design in
the 2000s. Amidst the history lesson, writer Andrea Cheng
concludes, "Blame ‘90s nostalgia and the industry’s
continued fascination with normcore (and its
utilitarian-driven derivative, gorpcore,) but after years
of lying low, it finally looks as though it’s the bucket
hat’s turn in the spotlight." (Cheng, "The history of the
Bucket Hat.") This conclusion was made last summer, and
even still today written, and photographic reports from
street style scenes and paparazzi continue to show that
the bucket hat is a fashion statement made beyond the
summer season. Although to call it a timeless piece may be
too bold of a statement, with certainty the bucket hat has
not returned, but rather did not go anywhere. What more
can be reasoned for other trends highlighted this season?
On the runway solar shield
sunglasses, XXL tote bags and belt bags made headlines.
The classic square-shaped sunnies were showcased in
fashion shows such as Loewe, Stella McCartney and Tom
Ford. Identical to miniature ski goggles, the design is
not new to the fashion scene. Celebrity sightings of
Jennifer Lopez wearing a pair of bronze tinted Chanel
glasses and Victoria Beckham with a classic pair of black
square-rimmed sunglasses shows that the futuristic, sci-fi
style is not an innovative idea, but rather resurfaced on
the fashion calendar. ("The Skinny Sunglasses Trend is
Finally Coming to an End – Here’s What’s Next," InStyle.)
To New York City culture the tote
bag is as common as cigarettes – this fashion accessory is
everywhere - utilized in everyday life for commutes,
office and travel. Recent trends show the relevance of
tote bags to city culture when they made headlines with
Goyard in 2015. The collection of tote bags became popular
with a toast color version, and then expanded to navy blue
and ruby. However, this is simply just one reference among
many others that reveal the functionalism of a large tote
bag to the New York City world. Longchamp and Saint
Laurent’s ‘Shopping’ Tote are among the fashion culture’s
most coveted. Even more relied upon during the summer
months is a larger version of the tote bag. Known as the
weekender bag or duffle and relied on as a companion for
travel such as weekend-long trips, the XXL tote bags said
to be trending from the runway is merely a traditional
large tote bag, or small travel suitcase utilized
habitually around the year, and not subject to season.
Although, perhaps the specific need for an extra large
tote bag through the summer months is utilized for a beach
day. May it be a beach bag, weekender duffle or even a
dramatic oversized tote, this accessory is not a new
design to the industry and consumers alike.
In a similar fashion, the belt bag
is a new fashion design. Worn around the abdomen or along
the belt line, the fanny pack has evolved into the belt
bag. Before progressing further, the fanny pack and belt
bag must be distinctively defined. The fanny pack, an
athletic and far more relaxed style, compares to the avant
garde fashion forward belt bag in aesthetic, for the
design of the belt bag is synonymous to a traditional
fanny pack that has held a function within culture
throughout history. Instyle Magazine’s digital platform
shared insight: "So whether the original fanny pack was
invented in the Stone Age to hold tools or in the 1960s to
stash frozen ski lunches, it’s an enduring trend that for
better or worse doesn’t look as if it’s going away."
("Back Story: A Brief History of the Fanny Pack," InStyle.)
Whether it was Beyoncé accessorizing with a red pack in a
2011 music video, Sarah Jessica Parker taking the bag to
the red carpet or even Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
fashioning a fanny pack in a photo circa 1994, celebrities
made this fashion trend big. The Alexander Wang, Salvatore
Ferragamo and Givenchy designs from the Spring/Summer 2019
Runway are not new to the fashion scene. From practicality
to pop culture and high fashion, this bag is a fundamental
fashion accessory.
At a time where the direction of
fashion rests on the endorsement and advertisement of
celebrity fashion choices, trends are quickly defined,
numbered and culturally consumed. Approaching headstrong
via Instagram, paparazzi shots and the runway, as a result
of social media and the digital age, fashion’s archive has
grown. Simultaneously, as the attention of culture shifts,
what conclusions can be made of the designs on the runway?
Is there a conversation between social media, runway
designs and how the public dresses for their everyday?
Although runway fashions are still current to defining
trends, it seems that the spotlight designs for this
Summer 2019 were already current in fashion. The bucket
hat, oversized square shield sunglasses and belt bag are
pieces popularly worn before the sunshine shed its rays
over the season. In conclusion, we see a fashion industry
highlighting functional fashion, available all year
around.
Read other articles by Valerie McPhail