Kim Miles: I’ll Leave You With This…
Photo: Alana Sousa
When did the 2020s become the ‘90s which are really just the ‘70s or ‘80s?
I’m pissed.
Over the past few years, not only did I get rid of a perfectly beautiful pair of emerald-green cowboy boots, but I also gave away a square-toed pair of faux alligator booties with a really cool heel.
#1: If you had told me that cowboy boots would have been one of the hotter trends recently, I clearly would have acted otherwise.
#2: Never in my wildest dreams did I think that square-toed shoes would make a comeback. (I mean, did we really love them the first time around?) But alas, they came back with a vengeance, and I was caught flat-footed.
Pun intended.
As the adage goes, what’s old is new again. It’s said that fashion trends tend to repeat themselves every 20 years. And, man, if the most recent fashion season didn’t completely prove that point, I’m not sure what does.
Enter the wide-leg, boot-cut, bell-bottom jean.
Now, I’m a skinny-jean gal myself. However, I have been known to dabble in a bit of a wider leg just to keep up with the cool kids. Okay, I’m lying. I’ve hung onto several pairs of wider leg jeans, not because I’m a fashion clairvoyant, but because I have some sort of phobia of getting rid of pants.
Hear me out: how many women do you know that hang onto pants (especially jeans) so that they’re armed with options based on how they feel that day? “I’m having a skinny/fat/cozy/sassy/what-the-hell-do-I-wear? day.” Hence, I’m reluctant to get rid of any pair of pants. And, lo and behold, the older styles have indeed come back around.
Which begs the question: WHO makes the decision as to WHICH styles of yesteryear are the ones that come back into fashion? Remember that snarky scene in The Devil Wears Prada when Madame Meryl looks at Anne Hathaway and lectures her about the color “Cerulean Blue” and how Meryl was the very reason that color was even trendy in the first place? Do the Madame Meryls of the fashion world all get together at some kind of clothing convention and decide, as a group, which fashions should come around again every 20 years? I mean, wouldn’t you agree that there are some fashions that should just stay where they lay—deep in the confines of our closet, in the donation bin, or in the annals of vintage volumes of Vogue?
For example, let’s talk paisley print. Personally, I’m not sure there is ever a place for the return of paisley. And yet, this pattern was all the rage in the ‘60s and ‘70s and made a pretty rockin’ comeback in the ‘90s. I think we’re good, Madame Meryl. Thank you, NEXT.
Personally, I would like to make a strong case for shoulder pads. These have definitely made a comeback recently and I’m a fan. Back in the ‘90s, I absolutely loved my removable, foam shoulder pads. (Remember those? They came in a cool plastic container and were sold everywhere!) I put those babies in almost everything. Jacket? Check. Dress? Oh, yeah. T-shirt? Hell to the yes. For those of us who don’t have tiny waists, anything that makes us look wider on top and smaller around the middle? Sign. Me. Up.
I happen to love the fact that the sneaker industry has made a super strong showing as of late. Converse Chucks with dresses is all you’ll see on the tweens these days. Classic Tretorns, Stan Smiths, the Adidas black Sambas that were the “soccer sneaker;” all of these are not only hot again, but perfectly acceptable in all kinds of fashion scenarios, both dressy and casual alike. We all know this gal LOVES a high heel, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t adore a sassy sneaker as well.
I think the most powerful thing about fashion is finding what makes you feel CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE, embracing those pieces, and making that look your signature style. I know what complements my body type and even though something might be trendy or fashionable, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to hop on board.
To Trend or Not to Trend (according to Kim Miles):
-Tube tops (Really?)
-Crop tops (‘Nuff said.)
-High-waisted pants (Don’t get me started.)
-Anything requiring me to go braless (HARD PASS.)
I’ll leave you with this…
When it comes to fashion, like most other areas of our lives, I say, “You do you, Boo.” I’ll applaud the girls who can make an outfit out of a micro-mini, complemented by a pair of Chucks, and a tube top while forgoing any support for the girls up there. I’ll cheer them on all while I hoist my girls in their industrial strength harness because as the saying goes, “The higher the boobs, the closer to God.” (Or something like that.) I will celebrate the woman who wants to proudly prance around in a pair of paisley pants, as long as they respect the fact that they’ll never convince me that I’ll look good in them. Moral of the story? To each her own, especially when it comes to style. And while you rock your [insert trend here] I’ll be hanging out waiting for the return of that movement when wearing your pajamas out in public was acceptable, cool even. I feel like that’s a trend I could really get behind. Granted, that seemed to be a thing back when I was under the age of five, but still. After all, orange is the new black, which is the new pink, which is…blah, blah, blah; you know the drill. Maybe I should check in with Madame Meryl. Rumor has it that “The Devil Wears Prada” is working on a sequel. Anyone have the number for Vogue?
Kim is on Instagram @kimmilesinheels Visit MilesInHeels.com.
