MEDIUM RARE

Fast fashion. Disposable fashion.

Wear today, trash tomorrow.
 

If there seems to be no discernible fashion trend/s today, does it mean millennials and their kid sisters and younger cousins have found the joy of wearing clothes so basic they could almost count as classic? (Classic, meaning your mother’s dress would look okay on your older or younger sister.)

Unlike the mini skirt and Twiggy look of the last century which took the world by storm, including those who didn’t bother with the length of their skirts or how short their shorts ought to be, today’s fashionistas seem to say, “Wear whatever wherever and whenever, whoever you are.” You decide your fashion, love your body, be the shape you’re happy in, in the clothes that give you comfort, pleasure and joy, not to mention a sense of your individuality.

Or it could be that the trendsetters have themselves given up on trend-setting since they, too, have become so free – free from their own rules of what’s hot and what’s not?
Maybe Manila, fashion capital of the Philippines, has other things (and people) to worry about?

But while the fashion-is-running-out news may be good to hear for those of us who cannot afford to run the fashion race, would it spell bad news for the dressmakers who supply the readymade garments for the masses in Divisoria, Baclaran, Taytay? Probably not. Their products are basic, cut along the simplest lines and come in only three sizes, S-M-L.  Their customers belong to a class of consumers who are easy to please because they care only about price with discount.  

Internationally, however, garments have been experiencing a production downturn since 2021, with no sign of letting up in 2024, according to forecasters (who were not looking at style trends). Fact is, not only garments but also shoes and travel goods.  

Meanwhile, certain Third World countries won’t be accepting second-hand garments anymore; their incinerators are choking with fashion’s unwanted consequences.

Speaking of basics, what could be more basic, and tough, than denim? The denim identified with American cowboys is supposed to last a lifetime. According to a fashionable businessman, only Filipino men care about their denim so much they press their jeans for a tailored look.