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.