posted by heatherChandler

Aug 30, 2007 3:21PM

For me, anything that is summery white and cotton (dresses, pants, shorts)
goes into storage this weekend. I was raised this way, so I blame my mother. I don't care how hot it gets, there is something odd about seeing an obvious summer outfit in Autumn sunlight. By putting stuff away for two seasons it gives me the opportunity to miss them and even more excited to see them again with their time of the year returns.

posted by kaela

Aug 30, 2007 4:23PM

i know that in florida, seasonal dressing is not declining - it's never been that popular! unluckily for us, our seasons consist of kind-of hot, really hot, oh my god it's hot, and back to mildly hot. this really decreases my choices when it comes to seasonal dressing.

posted by Smarter Fashion

Aug 30, 2007 4:36PM

I concur with Heather. It's WAY more fun to dress seasonally and come back to your favorites. I'm not sure why, but I cannot abide by the flip-flops in winter thing. Ew...I just hate it. And isn't it always the winter flip-flop wearers who are complain about the cold and want the heater turned up? Ummm, here's a solution: wear some freaking socks!

posted by arcadia

Aug 30, 2007 4:43PM

US fashion has always been dictated by what comes out of NYC which is a very seasonal city (i'm talking weather changes). but when you live in a place that has only two seasons (hot or rainy) like me, who cares if it's December, i'm still going to wear my strappy sandals on a balmy day.

seasonal dressing really depends on where you live.

posted by Lady Bird

Aug 30, 2007 5:17PM

I live in Texas where seasonal dressing has a different meaning. Right now I'm dying to wear fall stuff but it is really just getting hot and will likely stay hot until Thanksgiving. So I transition with darker colors but still stick with lighter weight fabrics. Or maybe a wooly skirt or dress, but with sandals or bare legs instead of a boot. So this is pretty relevant for me and all the other Texas gals. But sorry, still won't wear white shoes, seersucker and the like after Labor Day. Heck, what am I saying-- I never wear white shoes anyway. I'm not a nurse. However, I still think seasonal looks will stay, because that's how retail is set up.

posted by MegO

Aug 30, 2007 10:21PM

Pleading the fifth on the flip flops while snowing thing...

posted by H.

Aug 31, 2007 2:14AM

I definitely notice a decline, even where there are four seasons (Oregon). I sort of rebel against the homogenizing of clothing and wear my cotton-y things in the summer and my wool coats in the winter, but I never pack them away because it seems like Mother Nature will always throw a curve ball at me and there will be some odd warm day in the middle of winter.

posted by atey8

Aug 31, 2007 3:47PM

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that LA is influencing the fashion world more and more - yes, designers and houses are still based in NYC and Europe, but day-to-day dressing is heavily influenced by celebrities, most of whom live in LA. Therefore, "seasonless" fashion is taking a bigger and bigger role in influencing consumers, even if they live somewhere that water or ice (I believe it's called snow?) magically falls out of the sky more than 2 days per year.

posted by rachel

Aug 31, 2007 5:56PM

atey8: sorry, but celebrities look to fashion magazines, and good stylists, who reference nyc and europe. i am from cali and there is no way that los angeles has a strong impact on fashion cities. sure, rick owens is based there, but his mentality is not californian..........the celebs with unique style (kirsten dunst, the olsens, etc.) all have a very euro chic or nyc style.........

posted by Faran

Aug 31, 2007 6:05PM

Rachel:

Yes, but: I think Alix has a point when it comes to mid-market clothing. It's not what dominates the runways, but it often sells much, much better.

As a very extreme example, let's take Juicy Couture. That brand was entirely driven by celebrity culture in LA, and now it's spawned an entire aesthetic.

Lauren Conrad on The Hills is another, less intense, example. I'm not convinced the floaty babydoll thing from Thakoon and Miu Miu would have lasted so many seasons if she hadn't become its champion, along with Hilary Duff.

And I don't think you can deny the threads of California influence in Hedi Slimane's Dior Homme days - Johnny Depp didn't get his style from Paris, even if he lives there now. The dirty skinny t-shirts of him, River Phoenix, and James Dean before them is a very American, very California idea that was shifted and morphed by the Europeans.

They've certainly done stronger and more powerful things with that vision, but it does have roots where you are.

posted by /L/

Aug 31, 2007 8:20PM

L.A. fashion is the worst! It's not fashion, it's jeans and t-shirt dressing at its worst with a dash of hippy/surfer/"laid back"/neo-posh. I hate it! As far as seasons go: hey, why can't you wear boots in summer or whites in winter-there ARE NO RULES! And by the way, what "sells" is usually the most overly trendy and most cheap looking of all things produced.

posted by rachel

Aug 31, 2007 9:13PM

yes, juicy couture and that aesthetic of moms wearing age inappropriate sweatsuits certainly originates from california. not that this is a good thing!

posted by rollergirl

Sep 01, 2007 5:12AM

Ooh I haven't read the article yet but I've been pondering this for years. Whenever I bring it up with people I know who work in fashion sales they say the situation will never change as it's a chicken and egg thing. The deliveries have to be when they are because the shows are when they are and it would be very difficult to break that chain. Also, surely part of the hype of fashion is the whole fanfare surrouding the shows, the bumper September issue of magazines 'showcasing the new trends' etc etc. We don't buy new clothes cos we need them, we just get caught up in 'oh I've got to get some high-waist-jeans, they're the new look for summer'. If we got rid of seasons the fashion industry would grind to a halt!
PS: I didn't realise it before but yes there is something fun about rediscovering your 'winter wardrobe' 6 months later!

posted by jr

Sep 04, 2007 10:47AM

I've never bothered with seasonal dressing. Living in Austin, Texas on gives you maybe a month or so of "cold" weather. I wear what I feel like when I feel like -- I think the only things I don't touch are my wool trench coats. :)