Sue of VINTAGE RESCUE SQUAD had a thought Inspiring Post for the New Year... on what she Hoped was OUT for 2012 and asking peeps in Blog Land what things they Hoped might be "Out" or "In" for the 2012 Trends?
It got me to thinking about the answer to that question... and frankly, since I've never been one to care about Trends my response would have to be I Hoped that EVERYTHING that I LOVE would be OUT in 2012 *Winks*... so that I could get it more reasonably and not overpriced into the stratosphere because suddenly it was deemed IN and a Trend for the year! *Le Sigh*
I buy what I Love regardless of popularity, therefore, I always Hope that not everybody and their Grandmother is also seeking those coveted items that I'm wanting to feather my Nest with and earnestly seeking in my Junquing forrays. Though I can be influenced by a fresh approach to utilizing something cool... I Heart a good Stylist or Vignette Maker, they provide endless Inspiration with their Talents!
Though as a Lover of the Vintage and anything with a sense of History I'm delighted that anything of those Genres becomes popular so that it may be appreciated and preserved as a piece of History rather than ending up in a Landfill. *Shudder* So it's all good and Trendiness actually Saves and Salvages many items that otherwise may never get a new lease on Life and for that I'm grateful, whether I Collect or Decorate with it or not. I'm glad that Junque has come into it's own in recent years and Flea Market Style is now an acceptable alternative to buying New or having to have great value to be deemed worthy of preserving. And I think that unless the Economy takes a major upswing, people will still be Creative and more frugal in how they Style their Homes and Businesses... Repurposing, Upcycling and Salvaging... so secondhand items aren't likely to go out of Style anytime soon IMO.
And there are those innovative Trends that do captivate us sometimes, it's something perhaps we haven't seen before or at least not used in THAT way... Creative, unique {for a time anyway until you begin to see it virtually everywhere, LOL}, Inspiring... and we really, really like it and so we'll jump on the bandwagon and buy one. Maybe not so much because its Trendy, unless that's our "Thing" to stay abreast and have or wear the latest Trend... but because it really does speak to us and lends itself to our particular aesthetic or preferences.
A standing ovation and much respect to those Trend Setters whose Idea or Creation catches on and is appreciated by the masses so that they may prosper from it... and of coarse the highest form of flattery is imitation and that will also come if something is popular and appreciated enough that everyone wants one or was inspired by it... if you can't get the Real Deal there will be Reproductions of whatever is "IN" and the supply of the authentic can't keep up with the demand for it... or the price will become too high for the average folks to get the Original, so there's a niche for the affordable alternative too. Things that will get folks digging in their Attics & Storage Sheds to pull out dusty forgotten items that now have a National Market or perhaps even an International one!?
A standing ovation and much respect to those Trend Setters whose Idea or Creation catches on and is appreciated by the masses so that they may prosper from it... and of coarse the highest form of flattery is imitation and that will also come if something is popular and appreciated enough that everyone wants one or was inspired by it... if you can't get the Real Deal there will be Reproductions of whatever is "IN" and the supply of the authentic can't keep up with the demand for it... or the price will become too high for the average folks to get the Original, so there's a niche for the affordable alternative too. Things that will get folks digging in their Attics & Storage Sheds to pull out dusty forgotten items that now have a National Market or perhaps even an International one!?
Now, perhaps if I was a Seller rather than a Buyer I'd feel differently about Trends... I'd probably care more about them if my livelihood depended on keeping abreast of what Trends were going to line my pockets. I'd want intuition rivaling a Gypsy Fortune Teller and pick and hoard those items that would soon be what everyone was clamoring for and willing to purchase at any price! *LOL* I give kudos to those folks who have the instinct to know what is going to be the next Hot thing that will fly off the shelves and command serious moolah and have folks lining up around the block to 'score' first at the Shows & Events! *Winks* Seriously, who knew some of the once discarded and deemed valueless items would suddenly increase in value exponentially once folks started appreciating them and wanting to decorate with or Collect them because their Time had come and now they were Trendy?!? See, it doesn't really matter if folks like me Love an item because I'm more inclined to be the "Picker" Type and purchase what is still underpriced or overlooked, the Thrill of the Hunt and Art of the Deal is part of the appeal to me... I ENJOY seeking out my own Treasures, Hopefully at a deep discount or what I can negotiate. But a Trendy person, well, they'll buy whatever is on Trend and not care so much if it's now so popular it's overpriced and they may have to pay a premium on not admiring it BEFORE it became "IN". A Trendy person might abhor anything that is deemed "OUT" and wouldn't Dream of having it in their possession lest someone see it and critique their Taste level and Fashion-Forwardness. *Smiles* If I appear to be Trend Bashing, you're right, I've never quite understood how masses can be convinced that something is either "IN" or "OUT" and be swayed by that opinion that might not even be theirs? If it's your own opinion then I totally "get it", but if someone CONVINCED you of the opinion that THEY have, not so much... that's a Mystery to me... I'm reminded of the alleged "Fashion Critics" I'd often see on TV that looked like a Hot Mess and yet were critiquing how other people dressed... *LOL*
Granted, there are some things we might have once Loved or thought Okay that now we wouldn't be caught dead with either, they were just Era specific I guess... I think back to the 80's *shudder*... or perhaps it was the 70's *Winks ~ at my Age some of my time line is getting blurred!!! LOL*... and some of the crap I actually owned or wore for a short time until better sense prevailed and I got back to my True Boheme' Aesthetic! *LOL* I think we all can confess to lapses in our judgment and Styling with some items that we now think, "What was I thinking?!?" *Smiles* {I'm thinking upon permed hair and Red-White-Blue Patriotic Canvas Platform Tennis Shoes coupled with long, wide Bell Bottom Jeans that made me look like I was floating and tall!!! While standing beside an Avocado Green large Appliance... Gack!!!} I think I've destroyed all the Photographic evidence of such hidious History of brief lapsed Judgment and kept only those Photos of my Hippie Bohemian Styling that I STILL adore... *Winks* But I do often wonder what Trends that are "IN" now will some folks be totally ashamed to take ownership of later on in the Future? *Winks* If they didn't absolutely LOVE and ADORE it with all of their Heart, and they just went along with a Trend, those Photo Albums might be kept in a Secret Vault never to see the light of day again?!? *LOL*
Just go into any Thrift Store and take a look at Decorating Books from say a decade or more ago to see what used to be Trendy and now NOBODY would want their Home to look like! *Smiles* There are always those Styles that were "IN" that I abhored even as they were madly popular and Thank God I never considered or allowed into my abode! I won't mention them here lest they might have been Beloved by some of you *Smiles*... suffice to say... to each his own I suppose. But what I do Hope for each of you is that you never cave to what is allegedly deemed to be "IN" or "OUT" by whoever makes this stuff up anyway??? That instead you follow your Heart, your instincts, your own Loves and particular sense of Style and sensibilities... surrounding yourselves and wearing what YOU feel good about being around and in regardless of what anyone else thinks about it! And if it happens to be a Trend now, well, it will just mean we'll have to pay a bit more for it for a time... until it's "OUT" again... so lets Hope that those things we really have an eye for and desire in 2012 will be "OUT" so that we can snatch them up at a bargain... or at the very least won't be "IN" until we've acquired all of it that we want... or can stockpile and make a fortune on... *Winks*
So... what were some of your Favorite and least favored Trends in 2011 my Friends? I was digging the Deconstructed Style of Furniture & Lampshades, Industrial & Agricultural Salvage, Vintage Suitcases, Gypsy & Kilim Style Cowboy Boots, Fedora Hats coming back into Style, Steampunk & Altered Art Jewelry & Bottle Creations, Vintage Mannequins, Sage & Sepia hues and Lighting Fixtures made of Galvanized Metal Objects of all sorts. The overall Styling of 2011 appealed to me actually, and luckily I had procured many of these types of items prior to the explosion of popularity, so I was pleased not to have to pay a premium for the majority of what I have that had a surge and gained in popularity.
But some Trends Wowed me because I hadn't seen them Styled in the way that they gained momentum and were presented to the Public by the Shops & Artists that offered them... they were fresh. And if it Called to me and I didn't have any, I either jumpedon the bandwagon and got some {you know getting just one of anything is hardly my Style ~ LOL}.... wanted some or considered some at an as yet unknown Future date when prices & demand settle down and it's no longer "IN" ... or I'll use enginuity and just Create my own so that it'll be exactly how I want it and envision it for myself... because the only thing more fun and gratifying than buying something you Love, is making something you Love.
And what Trends have I wished were "Out" forever and I wouldn't care if I never saw again? The wearing of sagging pants that exposes the Chonies... looks uncomfortable too having to walk in such a way that they don't fall down around the ankles!? *LOL* The wearing of Pajamas & Bedroom Slippers in Public, it just makes a person look depressed as if they were too "down" to bother getting dressed before wandering out the door? *LOL* Sterile, Stark looking Contemporary Decor... Minimalism can look very Charming or Zen, but if it looks Cold and devoid of personality, like a Hotel Room or Doctor's Office Lobby, it is unwelcoming & uncomfortable to me, I never want to stay long in an environment like that. Art that looks like my Kindergarten aged G-Kid could have produced it and somebody paid a fortune for... I just never know what to say??? *LOL* Cheesy Southwestern Decor targeted for Tourists to our State... for God's sake, there's enough authentic Beautiful Southwestern Decor and Art people, find a Local and we'll be glad to load you up with stuff that won't be embarrassingly tacky!!! *Gack!* I do Love some types of Kitsch, and if any type of it is your "Thing" then Okay... perhaps what makes me gag is exactly the Found Treasure you were seeking... to each his own I always say... there's probably a Market for everything under the Sun after all!!! *LOL* And what do I think or Hope will be "IN" and is an upcoming Trend for 2012 my Friends? Why, naturally anything I'm trying to get rid of and purge from the Bohemian Valhalla Residence of coarse... wanna buy some good junk... ummmm... I mean Trendy Junque? *Winks*
And what Trends have I wished were "Out" forever and I wouldn't care if I never saw again? The wearing of sagging pants that exposes the Chonies... looks uncomfortable too having to walk in such a way that they don't fall down around the ankles!? *LOL* The wearing of Pajamas & Bedroom Slippers in Public, it just makes a person look depressed as if they were too "down" to bother getting dressed before wandering out the door? *LOL* Sterile, Stark looking Contemporary Decor... Minimalism can look very Charming or Zen, but if it looks Cold and devoid of personality, like a Hotel Room or Doctor's Office Lobby, it is unwelcoming & uncomfortable to me, I never want to stay long in an environment like that. Art that looks like my Kindergarten aged G-Kid could have produced it and somebody paid a fortune for... I just never know what to say??? *LOL* Cheesy Southwestern Decor targeted for Tourists to our State... for God's sake, there's enough authentic Beautiful Southwestern Decor and Art people, find a Local and we'll be glad to load you up with stuff that won't be embarrassingly tacky!!! *Gack!* I do Love some types of Kitsch, and if any type of it is your "Thing" then Okay... perhaps what makes me gag is exactly the Found Treasure you were seeking... to each his own I always say... there's probably a Market for everything under the Sun after all!!! *LOL* And what do I think or Hope will be "IN" and is an upcoming Trend for 2012 my Friends? Why, naturally anything I'm trying to get rid of and purge from the Bohemian Valhalla Residence of coarse... wanna buy some good junk... ummmm... I mean Trendy Junque? *Winks*
Dawn... The Bohemian
*All Photo Mosaic Images are gleened from my Favorites taken from Pinterest, Flickr, Bing Images, Blogland and I probably don't remember exactly where I Saved them from *LOL*... and some were captured through the eye of my lens from my own Photo Archives... if you happen to see any Images that are yours and you want it to be Credited please let me know so I can give Credit where due! My Intent was to create a Collage of things I saw in abundance during 2011 at Shops or Online... or think we might see more of in 2012 as a popular Trend??? Thanks!*