Video summary

Fashion TREND or a FAD?! | How To Know The Difference

Main summary

Key takeaways

Lifestyle

Summary of Key Points (Trends vs. Classics vs. Fads)

How to think about fashion purchases smarter

  • The video focuses on distinguishing trends, classics, and fads so you can avoid bad buying habits.
  • Social media is described as accelerating fashion’s pace: items can go viral and then be discarded much faster.

What a trend is (generally long-lasting)

  • A trend lasts several seasons.
  • Trends are repeated season after season. If you buy one now, it’s less likely to look dated by next season.
  • Typical trend growth pattern:
    1. Early adopters
    2. Early majority
    3. Late majority
    4. Eventually phases out, typically over a longer timeframe
  • Denim examples:
    • Boyfriend jeans (relaxed, mid-rise, sometimes cropped) have stayed relevant for about a decade.
    • They’ve evolved, but the overall silhouette persists as a trend.
  • Blazer example:
    • Boyfriend blazer emerged in the mid-2000s (longer, looser silhouette with strong shoulders).
    • Strong shoulders still show up in modern versions (including around 2021).
  • Current emphasis mentioned:
    • Baggy, relaxed-fit jeans are highlighted as the current denim focus, even if the exact cut may change later while the “baggy” idea remains.

“Hot trends” vs. “false classic” items

  • There are hot/newest trends, but there are also items people mistake for classics.
  • Even if something is carried in a brand’s “classic” line, it can still fall out of relevance.

How handbag trends work (example of waves)

Handbags cycle through styles and sizes in “waves,” for example:

  • Mid-2000s: insanely oversized bags (linked to the Olsen Twins era)
  • Later: bags became very small / micro
  • Then: focus shifted to mini bags and smaller luxury sizing

Specific luxury sizing shifts mentioned:

  • Hermès Birkin 35 popularity shifting toward Birkin 25
  • Chanel Jumbo attention shifting toward smaller/chic “mini” variations (with a reference to the speaker’s prior video on Chanel Jumbo)

Style cycle examples mentioned:

  • Hobo style had a notable run
  • Then shifted to boxy, structured bags (including totes and structured silhouettes tied to “young Hollywood” trends)

Recurring references:

  • Chanel classic jumbo as a “big sister” style that may take a back seat until its next wave
  • Prada Saffiano totes
  • Chanel Executive Tote
  • Hermès Birkin as perpetually relevant, though popularity varies by size

What a fad is (fast, fleeting)

  • A fad appears quickly and disappears almost as fast.
  • It gains popularity rapidly, becomes mainstream quickly, and lacks staying power.

How to identify a fad:

  • It becomes extremely popular very fast
  • Everyone jumps on it
  • It’s widely worn before quickly becoming “played out”

Examples:

  • Early 2000s fads: Ed Hardy, Von Dutch
    • The video links these to celebrity moments (e.g., trucker hats, with a reference to Justin Timberlake)
  • More modern fads (around 2021): Dad shoes, including:
    • Balenciaga Triple S
    • Gucci Princetown fur mules (described as particularly unappealing to the speaker)

Important nuance:

  • Even if a fad lasts a couple of seasons, that doesn’t automatically make it a trend—what matters is whether it continues to have relevance later.

Why social media makes fashion move faster

  • Influencers and consumers:
    • Promote viral items via photos
    • Move on quickly to the next viral trend
  • Result: many “hot” items never get the chance to mature into true trends.

Practical Shopping Guidance (“How to Buy Smarter”)

  • Don’t hop on every trend (especially expensive ones).
  • Take inventory:
    • Look at what you already own
    • Identify what you truly like and what fits your personal style
  • If you want to stay current without overcommitting to uncertain trends:
    • Consider a capsule wardrobe approach
  • Takeaway: learn to distinguish trend vs. fad before investing in expensive pieces.

Trying “trend” items you love

  • The speaker says she doesn’t only buy “10-year life” wardrobe pieces.
  • If something is expensive but you’re nervous it won’t last, the claim is it’s likely still worth it if you can tell it’s a trend, not a fad.

Notable Locations/Products/People Mentioned

Brands / products

  • Hermès Birkin (sizes referenced: 35 and 25)
  • Chanel Jumbo
  • Chanel Executive Tote
  • Prada Saffiano totes
  • Hermès Birkin (ongoing relevance, with shifting popularity by size)
  • Balenciaga Triple S
  • Gucci Princetown fur mules
  • Ed Hardy
  • Von Dutch

People / celebrity references

  • Olsen Twins
  • Justin Timberlake
  • Lauren Conrad, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie
  • “young Hollywood like…” (referenced generally)

Style / time periods

  • Mid-2000s denim/blazers
  • Early 2000s (trucker/Ed Hardy/Von Dutch era)

Original video