The surge in old-fashioned accessories demand is a sign of the age of innocence.
Don’t spend a fortune on expensive beauty products. People who want to live a long and happy life are looking at their wardrobes. This has led to a rise in the demand for items that look like children, such as beaded bags, prairie dresses, and padded headbands.
According to Lyst fashion search engine Lyst, Prada’s stud-embellished hairband was second in popularity among women in the first quarter 2019. It saw a 300% increase of searches in just two months. It’s not the only accessory that evokes childhood styles. Hair bows and ribbons are also gaining popularity. In fact, celebrities like Ashley Graham, Lady Gaga, and Chloe Sevigny have all been sporting bows in the past few weeks.
Asos has more than 100 statement hair-clips in stock, which was a popular accessory choice at the end last year. According to Lyst, “pearls” and “crystals” are the most searched details.
This trend is also being tapped into by beaded bags, which are often reminiscent handbags that were found in a child’s dressing-up box. Searches for these bags have increased 42% annually, after they were carried by celebrities like Alexa Chung or Laura Bailey.
Lyst reports that searches for accessories have increased 34% in March.
Lyst reports that LoveShackFancy is one of the most popular brands for prairie dresses. A high-neck, ruffle-covered prairie gown, was worn by Maya Rudolph on Wednesday in New York. Jennifer Connelly, who was also in New York, wore a colorful, ruffled mini for the Louis Vuitton Cruise Show.
There were many examples of infantilization of fashion on the catwalk. Emilia Wickstead used black hair bows, along with giant back bows, in her Spring/Summer 2019 collection. Simone Rocha as well as Dior featured models sporting large headbands. Shrimps, a brand that has always represented a young image, included beaded bags along with opaque hosiery.
“I believe most people are still drawn towards the things we were drawn too as children. But for some reason, we feel we have to give up some things as we grow up,” states Hannah Weiland, Shrimps designer. “Getting dressed should be something you enjoy, and this is what this trend is promoting.”
Fashion historian Tony Glenville locates the trends’ roots to Japan: “Street fashions and Japanese ‘harajuku’ styles have always been about that little-girl-dressed-up look” – an observation that chimes with recent reports of the “Cool Japania movement” and the increasing number of Japanese designers setting up shop in the UK.
Dr Aurore Barrdey, senior lecturer on consumer psychology at London College of Fashion, says that “being nostalgic for our childhood might be one reason for childlike stylings.” “The ‘it was better before’ syndrome can have an impact on how we consume fashion.”
Glenville believes that current trends may be influenced by a sartorial appeal to simpler times. He says that underneath it all there is a sense of innocence. It’s about a time in which things were good and life was vibrant. It was a time when Brexit was not even considered.
