Do you cringe upon fringe?

Things I would have been made fun of for growing up are the most popular things now, and I love everyone's ability to throw away their inhibitions and dress in their unique styles! On the other hand, I feel like everyone dresses the same, and all the stores have the same plaid shirt (that looks like my childhood pajamas).  Fashion is just that, contradictory.  
So many styles are popular nowadays and trends change so often that I feel like for years to come, I will never dress out of style because I'm likely to incorporate at least something that must still be in with the ever changing rotating door of trends.  There are so many options now!  Anything goes in the fashion world, as long as the owner wears it with confidence, and that's how it should be!  After all, it's just material things and doesn't define the wearer.  Even though each season brings a handful of specific must haves, if I wear trends from 2 seasons ago, half of us are still wearing them and I'll still be on fleek.  Wait, that's over with, no one says that anymore.  SMH.  Mixing and matching styles labels Gen X as creative, and I admire Gen X's bravery in fashion.  It helps to know that even though I'm choosing to not update my wardrobe as often, I will still be on trend with a few of my past purchases which people will most likely mix in with the up and coming fashions still unknown.  

One of the Fall 2015 trends is fringe.  My first reaction was a hard no.  HARD.  NO.Why you ask?Think of Kelly Kapowski and cavaricci days.  Too young to relate?  Think 80s baby.  Big hair, stonewash (acidwash) jeans.  (I actually bought a pair of jeans in the 90s with the stone still in the pocket, but now they are called acid wash jeggings).Here's some SAT prep for you.Stretch pants are to leggings as stonewash front pleated jeans are to acidwash skinnies.Tomato=tomatoThis is why fringe had me at a hard no.

(photo found circulating many Pinterest boards)
When YouTube's fall haul videos included fringe, it was not at all flattering to me.  (First off, denim jackets never match the color blue of my jeans, unless I was to buy and wear an entire matching outfit and wear it often, as in every day I wear my jean jacket.  I hold my stance that I will never like jean jackets).  That aside, my thoughts on these YouTuber's fringe purchases was itchy tickle-y skin all day long.  When the wind blows and my hair brushes my arm that's enough, but to have stringy hairs hitting my arms or legs all day could drive me to drink.  Plus it removes any figure you may have.Just no.  Then the YouTuber's found V shaped fringed tops, crops, dresses, and skirts.  Many looked like Halloween costumes from some cheap store.  Some were made of suede.  I already fell in love in suede before it even took over department stores and low end stores all over the mall this month.  The awakening of the suede fringe is what changed my mind.  My love of suede persuaded me.  I used a pun.I fell for it and bought this faux fringe trim vest in tan at Macy's and thought it'd be cute with jeans, as pictured.  I pictured this pairing to be subtle despite the trend of the ever so common what I will call 'hippie takeover' with low boots, floral flowy dress, a scarf, a headpiece, and colored mis-shapen plastic sunnies, as if I was supposed to pile on all of my belongings and look as though I was on my way to hop into a van for a summer touring of a desert music fest, or nowadays called carnival.A perfect example of the contradiction of the popularity of anything going in fashion, and everything being in style at once and for quite some time to come.
Brand: INC International Concepts
I also bought this faux suede jacket at Kohls.

Brand: Rock and Republic

I had fallen upon these items and thought I was good on the fringe.  At least I could fit in with my peers, even if I calmed down the trend by wearing it with solids and a neutral lip instead of a vampy, black, or even green matte lip which is seen often now.  Then I saw the red sign in the hallway luring me into the store.  I wasn't even on the same floor!  I was upstairs, and the words from down below over the railing 'extra 30%' dove out into my eyes as if I was in an iMax theatre wearing 3D glasses.  I even passed the smell of Chipotle as I raced down the mall stairs and entered Express.  Extra 30%! The store is so organized with having the sale items perfectly broken down according to size, every single time.  There's no messing up that stores rack system, and it makes for ease of shopping!  I saw 'it.'  I thought 'it' was only okay, so I didn't touch 'it.'  'It' looked soft though.  My arm was full of other things I knew 100% I would be putting back and not purchasing, but I liked picking out the pieces I admired to see if I would grow affectionate toward them while they were sitting so close to my heart, but alas I did not, so I put them back.  Who am I kidding, I tried them on over my workout pants in the dressing room, as if that made it as if I wan't officially trying anything on since I was 'just looking.'  I somehow, and I don't even remember doing it, added 'it' to my heavy arm full, snuck into an open-doored room, which is not easy to come by in that store, and plopped my heavy pile onto the stool.  I didn't lie, it all went back on the sale rack, except 'it' fit like a glove.  I liked 'it's' look.  'It' was buttery soft too.

     

Brand: Express

Here's the thing.  The arms did not have fringe so I knew they wouldn't be slopping into my panera soup when Michelle and I go and get the quinoa bowl.  Arm fringe is just like a dirt collector and knowing me I would get caught in an elevator pinned against the ceiling, breaking a heel when I fell back onto the floor, jacket hanging from the top slit of the elevator door.  Yes, I'm that spastic.  Okay maybe that's exaggerating, but it would get caught in the car door, and then I'd walk away and it'd rip and this would be while on a Tinder date and end up on YouTube because someone next to me would have been vlogging themselves walking, because that is what we do in 2015, document our every move. Awwww snap(chat).The arms did not have fringe and the back had straight fringe, both very different than the 80s style.  This jacket had no V shape to emphasis the V shaped seam on the rear of our high waisted front pleated jeans that led to our tri-colored slouch socks and LA gear high tops with double laces of two different colors.  Did I just find modern faux leather fringewear? Fringewear I now adore you.  I can make you sophisticated with sharp black skinny jeans and black stilletos whether it be pointy toed pumps or peep toe booties (even though it's winter), and a big statement necklace.  Take that fringe, you are SO 2015 now!  #dropmic  P.S. things are now bluetooth adaptable and wireless so why is dropped mic suddenly on fleek.  #mindblown.   That's out of date already too.  What's next Gen X? After these finds, I no longer cringe at fringe.  As a child of the 80s, I welcome the 80s anyway.  Fanny packs and backpacks and high top sneakers are all back!  I even saw slap bracelets at Walmart today. These are the days when anything goes!

These are the days when anything goes!Every day is a winding road

I get a little bit closer

Everyday is a faded sign

I get a little bit closer to feeling fine

Thanks Cheryl Crow

-Erin
All products purchased were not sponsored and all faux material, and the opinions belong to the blogger.