What if we instead decide to jockey another?
Enough with trying the same methods over and over again. Enough with exhausting our resources in dead-end ventures. Enough with insecurely overachieving, and constantly attempting to live above our means. I'm calling for a time to throw our hands up in the air and be honest with ourselves, deciding that maybe the best step towards progression, is a look towards regression.
I'm calling for a change in style that pop culture has introduced, but had never truly went all-in.
A regression that coincides nicely with our recession.
Something that may soon be vogue, but for now is merely thrift.
The regression to discount retro threads.
The rise of vintage clothing.
What if, early in 2013, we're experiencing a shift of culture?
I'm talking about a Retrovolution.
We're in a time where new becomes old in the time it takes to peel an orange, and old becomes obsolete in the time it takes to eat it. The quicker novelty wears off, the more we generate appreciation for things that are somehow still around, and things that we remember fondly. This very construct corroborates well with the world of vintage clothing. A product that's cheap - dirt cheap really - something that represented a fond and bygone era, and thanks to the proliferation of thrift stores, it's a collection that's still intact.
Don't remember any of these games, but those vintage black sleeves are enough to get me off
We used to look upon thrift stores with either pity or amusement, many of us shopping there because we needed a goofy item for Halloween or an Ugly Sweater party. Then a few years ago, or after a few open-minded shopping trips, some of us are started to really see the bargain. And now, a tipping point could be approaching, and we may be looking at an all-out trendy assault. A crystal ball telling us that stale-smelling sportcoats and brown-hued dress pants might just be making a comeback. That articles of the 80s may soon be flying off the thrift racks not just for sufficing a statement of personality, but also for boasting a recognition of style.
Thanks to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, thrift spending may be starting to bubble. Their song "Thrift Shop" is currently number 5, and could be more malignant than "Gangnam Style" when its viral run is done. All for a wrong reason (because we're a country of lemmings), but for the right motivation (getting the most for your money).
This song/video is the culminating piece showing that a true shift to thrift might be upon us. First out of necessity, but now perhaps out of vogue. A stronger motivation that subconsciously coerces us into spending less, searching through things that were previously unwanted, and getting more on-point clothing (as well as approval). Prototypically behaving like the homogenous mass we are, we gravitate to trend. And the trend of 2013 is shaping up to be vintage thrift store apparel.
So come forward all houndstooth, all argyle, and plaid. Bring me your tweed sportcoats, your torso denim, your suede. A calling to all sports jerseys teal bearing the names Larry Johnson and 'Zo Mourning. The Retrovolution has begun, and we need to stockpile!
Even though thrift stores exist just about everywhere, we cannot underestimate the power of public opinion.
This could be bigger than the Twinkie scare of 2012.
Better secure these bargain threads while they're still a bargain... and buy up mothballs like hotcakes.
Better secure these bargain threads while they're still a bargain... and buy up mothballs like hotcakes.
