Why Can I Still See Fluoro?
March 2nd 2008 00:27
“I’m sorry, when did fluoro supposedly become fashionable?” I recently read this text message from one of my gay friends and laughed. Not because it was particularly funny, but because it was sadly true. Fluoro is definitely still everywhere, and despite all odds it has definitely become trendy.
Similarly to the ugg boot and mini-skirt trend, fluoro hans’t been taken from the catwalks of Paris and Milan. That said, the likes of Christian Lacroix, Kenzo and Alexander McQueen embraced a melting pot of cultures across their last Spring/Summer 08 Paris collections that did result in a distinct ethnic mood - but its still not quite fluoro, is it? With inspirations drawn from India and the Amazon, colours and patters were definitely in, but fluorescent pinks and yellows didn’t feature for some reason. It seems that we have decided that bit for ourselves.
You only need look at recent events like Good Vibes to see a sea of colour, and I don’t mean the warm fuzzy colours of the world. I mean the where-are-my-sunglasses type of colours, and interestingly it seems to be the guys that are following this phase the most devotedly. The likes of industrie are doing nothing to help the trend, with busbacks all over town promoting that it’s okay for otherwise goodlooking men to be seen in irridescent pink singlets. It’s scarily like the late 80s when hypercolour t-shirts in any imaginable colour, so long as it was bright enough to hurt your eyes, were everywhere. I know the 80s made a comeback last year, but seriously, we don’t need the bad fashion of the entire decade rehashing.
Fluoro is also a fairly limiting fashion choice. Firstly to pull it off, you have to have a pretty amazing tan. And when we’re constantly being told that tans aren’t cool (even if we really still think they are) how can you ever really get away with colours this loud if not naturally blessed with bronzed skin? Secondly, what does fluoro actually even go with? Certainly not another fluoro, and you can’t exactly couple it with plaid. And still we see it everywhere.
At least it has become a bit of a joke. If even the hosts of Australian Idol were mocking the fluoro trend in months past, you have to know it’s a serious fashion faux pas.
Similarly to the ugg boot and mini-skirt trend, fluoro hans’t been taken from the catwalks of Paris and Milan. That said, the likes of Christian Lacroix, Kenzo and Alexander McQueen embraced a melting pot of cultures across their last Spring/Summer 08 Paris collections that did result in a distinct ethnic mood - but its still not quite fluoro, is it? With inspirations drawn from India and the Amazon, colours and patters were definitely in, but fluorescent pinks and yellows didn’t feature for some reason. It seems that we have decided that bit for ourselves.
You only need look at recent events like Good Vibes to see a sea of colour, and I don’t mean the warm fuzzy colours of the world. I mean the where-are-my-sunglasses type of colours, and interestingly it seems to be the guys that are following this phase the most devotedly. The likes of industrie are doing nothing to help the trend, with busbacks all over town promoting that it’s okay for otherwise goodlooking men to be seen in irridescent pink singlets. It’s scarily like the late 80s when hypercolour t-shirts in any imaginable colour, so long as it was bright enough to hurt your eyes, were everywhere. I know the 80s made a comeback last year, but seriously, we don’t need the bad fashion of the entire decade rehashing.
Fluoro is also a fairly limiting fashion choice. Firstly to pull it off, you have to have a pretty amazing tan. And when we’re constantly being told that tans aren’t cool (even if we really still think they are) how can you ever really get away with colours this loud if not naturally blessed with bronzed skin? Secondly, what does fluoro actually even go with? Certainly not another fluoro, and you can’t exactly couple it with plaid. And still we see it everywhere.
At least it has become a bit of a joke. If even the hosts of Australian Idol were mocking the fluoro trend in months past, you have to know it’s a serious fashion faux pas.
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Comment by Sven Topp
Parent Debate
Deafblind Dad
The flouro trend has had its benfitis for me as someone with a bad vision impairment. It makes it easier for me to see people!!!
I wonder though if women are just as bad but on the undercover side? I've seen some pretty horrid flouro lime green bras. The kind where you do need those big dark sunnies so traditionally thought of as indicating you as blind.
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Michaelie