What do you mean no one wears gaiters anymore?

April 3, 2010 9:06 PM

Looking for fashion trends before they are trends.

I live on Maui. When I lived in NYC, I knew about what the next big trend was before it was a trend. By the time it was a trend, I considered it outmoded. Now I live in a cultural and fashion backwater. When I moved here fashion was literally 10-years behind the time. Now with the Internet we are a little more in the mode.

About 4 years ago, I read that blue nail polish would be a trend in a few years, now this trend is passe, and of course everyone here is wearing blue nails. We haven't got to matte nails yet, and that trend is aging fast.

So, where can I learn online or in print what the trends are? W, Vogue, and other fashion magazines are not current enough. The best store we have is Macy's, which I always considered matronly. I am specifically interested in makeup, nails, perfume, and women's fashion.

I am not interested in what is trendy NOW, but what the trend will be.

posted by fifilaru to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

Here's a good start.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 9:11 PM on April 3, 2010

I'm seconding whowhatwear, and adding The Fashion Spot.

Really, the only way to really stay ahead of the curve, if that's really important to you, seems to be to pay close attention to what comes down the runways at fashion week at style.com, getty, or nymag. You'll know what will be big in the future, but it's usually a season ahead and you can't exactly wear it because it's not in stores yet or the weather's just not right (less of an issue in Hawaii, I guess). I'm typing this with blue-fingernailed hands though, so make what you will of that. :)
posted by erstwhile ungulate at 9:19 PM on April 3, 2010

Blogs:

Refinery 29
Fashionista
The Cut

But it's true (living in a similarly un-fashionable place) - you really have to be in the place with the trends to have your finger on them the best. The blogs are a good second-best, though.
posted by R a c h e l at 9:35 PM on April 3, 2010

Or? It's cliche, but major trends often do primere on the runway. Constantly check style.com during fashion week.
posted by R a c h e l at 9:36 PM on April 3, 2010

Also this.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 9:39 PM on April 3, 2010

Thanks all. This is helpful. I used to be able to spot trends before they hit the runway. (I know this is shallow and I should be doing other things with my mind and time.) It was just something I was wondering about and wanted to know if media had caught up with this. Thanks again!
posted by fifilaru at 9:46 PM on April 3, 2010

I follow a ton of fashion blogs which helps to give a sense of what's about to take off:

childhood flames
Fashion Toast
Jak & Jil Blog
KARLA'S CLOSET
Kingdom Of Style
knight cat
lulu and your mom
LUXIRARE
Sea of Shoes
Sex and Coffee
posted by ellieBOA at 1:54 AM on April 4, 2010

Coolhunters. There's this site for the general public, but there are also subscription-only services that people in the fashion industry use to keep up to date. I imagine this site, and the ones already mentioned, will be plenty for all normal purposes though.
posted by tel3path at 3:30 AM on April 4, 2010

Lookbook.nu seems like it could help.
posted by kylej at 8:17 AM on April 4, 2010

Find out what's being worn on the street in Italy. I don't know any specific blogs, but when I was there I remember specifically that the sort of thin soccer-style show thing was going on about a year before I started seeing it anywhere over here.
posted by cmoj at 11:41 AM on April 4, 2010

The Chloe Conspiracy is awesome.
posted by alygator at 2:38 PM on April 4, 2010