Collecting Regrets: The Timing of Timelessness

By Ryan Wallace

“Regrets collect like old friends; Here to relive your darkest moments.” –Florence + the Machine

I don’t know whether it was the quote itself that inspired the thought, or rather the endless margaritas of Cinco de Mayo this past Saturday and the two weeks of arguing for the sake of fashion, but it finally hit me that fashion is more like relationships than I had thought.

Now it’s not simply to justify my argument that this thought came about, but rather out of the argument that this ingenious notion came to be. A few weeks ago, inspired by the words of a fashionable colleague of mine, Natasha Aftandilians, I started to question what it is that we as fashion writers portray to you(our readers). And aside from a never-ending slew of opinionated jargon, that honestly is as convoluted as it can get at times, I could only come up with one other thing: LIES.

Now this isn’t to say that my fellow writers or myself ever put pen to paper with the intent of being disingenuous or deceitful, but when it comes to objectivity we are at times lacking. And it is hard to play Devil’s advocate, especially about something as touchy as fashion, but it raises the most interesting responses.

A few weeks ago a column was published about essential staples for every wardrobe in our lovely Features section; it was very well-written and insightful to the core, bringing about not only personal experience but also some great advice. And aside from personal aesthetics, leading me to question some of the choices of the author(me not being a fan of certain pieces and most certainly nothing made of velvet), the part of the article that struck me most was the notion of “Timelessness”. At first I was irritated, then appalled at the notion that fashion could ever be considered “Timeless”.

There are staples, yes, but they are most certainly not “timeless”! The “flights of fancy” not only bring us some of the most inventive, and albeit ridiculous, trends, but also help define the era in which we live! Even something as simple as a little black dress changes with the decades… The cut, the fabrics, the hemline, the seaming; it’s all reflective of changes! Fashion is not static, and thus has no Timelessness, merely favoritism towards certain accessories.

But how dare I justify this with relationships, one might ask? No, not because my clothes are my only friends! But rather because clothing is like another extension of you, more like a best friend. That pair of Rainbow sandals are like that bestie that you never go on a road trip without. They see all of the crap that you step in on this messy road called life! But just like that relationship, everything has an expiration date… and one day you might get a text that says “you’d be better off with someone else!” and that is the end of your relationship. That’s like the end of Season! They’re good while they last, and you will always have fond memories of it, but it has to end.

Nothing is timeless; I know, it’s a cynical point of view but I feel it best not to lie. And like with relationships, some more abundant than others, you will find that with fashion you have regrets. Clothing you never bought, or things you should have never bought, let alone have worn(black velvet dresses……*clears throat*….). But these regrets and memories help us grow, much like the end of a relationship.

No relationship can last forever, let’s face it; at the very least it stops short with death. And thus, no relationships are timeless nor are any parts of fashion. You can hold onto a memory of them, and cry into your pillow when they’re gone, but from that pain something springs eternal: HOPE. You’re relationship may end, and although you may never find one another again (like the tragic parachute pants of the 70’s), if you do, it will never be the same. It will be a new relationship; different in some way, hopefully for the better.

And thus I want to bring that hope to you. Don’t be fooled into thinking that things won’t come to an end; you will most certainly continue to “relive your darkest moments” if you deny that everything must come to an end. Things will end, but embrace them like the seasons; take them in stride. One day Spring may come again, and your relationship may arise from the ashes of the former, but don’t corrupt it with a tainted memory of the past. Embrace the trends of the moment, who knows when you will have to part or how long it will be before you find one another again!