I am trendy!

"I never try to be trendy."  That seems to be fashion's favourite phrase, but in reality, what nonsense!  Everyone in fashion who utters that phrase seems to say it with such pride, as if they are so horribly different and admirable.  Face it - it's an overused phrase.  It's the equivalent of "They're just like us!" in celebrity gossip.  If no one's trying to be trendy, then what's so special about not being trendy?

Fashion designers and style setters constantly insist, vehemently, that they are not trendy.  It's as if they believe the world around them to be madly buzzing with panicked trendsetters, while they stand nonchalantly in the centre, oblivious to all that goes on around them, proudly proclaiming their unique style.  But open your eyes and you'll see a bevy of people just like you, with their heads in the clouds thinking that not being à la mode is something special.  I have no doubt that you have a unique personal style, and in fact, I probably even admire it!  But the phrase "I'm not trendy"?  Fashion has been so heavily criticized for caring about what's hot that the whole idea of being trendy has sunken into a pit of negativity. 

I adore classic fashion through and through, but I also love being trendy and experimenting with the latest innovations.  Being in vogue does not mean you're a slave to fashion.  We need to get rid of that connotation.  Being trendy just means you enjoy the constant hunt for new shapes, new fabrics, and new ways of flattering your body.  You can still wear pieces that are considered on trend, and express your inner personal style.  If you stay true to who you are, wearing trends will not, in fact, make you like everyone else.  You will be you.  And after all, fashion is never static.  Trends cycle.  What's red hot in one season is classic in another, and vice versa.  It's exasperating when designers assert that their designs are not trendy.  If you think about it, designers play a significant role in developing trends in the first place, so please, stop the charades!

There's nothing wrong with designing or wearing classic pieces.  Everyone needs their basics.  Everyone has their own personal style that doesn't always run parallel to what's in style a certain season.  But don't try to pass yourself as being better than those who follow trends.  All you're doing is hunkering behind the safety of classicism, when there's a whole world beyond you bustling with excitement, and most importantly, potential.  You're missing out if you define yourself as not being something so integral to the nature of fashion.  Take a stand, and don't be afraid to say, "I am trendy!"

Image Source: Photo1, Photo2, Photo3