To be honest, I’m not even sure that I have the right name for it. What I’m referring to is the type of leisure wear that we see being worn all around us every day. The crop tops, tight fitted leggings and trainers’ outfits that most young people in the UK seem to be wearing. I’m trying not to sound like an old fogey here, but why? What has happened to fashion? This kind of leisure wear is meant, in my humble opinion, for exercising, and it’s clear that for most people wearing it, lifting a mocha frappa chocaccino is the most exercise they will be doing that day. I love fashion and firmly believe that people should be able to wear what they want, within the realm of public decency of course, but why do so many young people want to look the same? Where is the individuality?
Sorry to be on such a rant but I do feel genuinely saddened by the lack of individual expressions of taste that comes with wearing different types of clothing. I know that the 1980s is hardly held up as an example of good fashion sense, but at least we tried with colour and fabrics and designs. We wanted to look that little bit different by adding colour to our hair or bright bracelets, or even, dare I say it, the dreaded neon ankle warmers! Ok perhaps we were going a bit too far then! My point is that even though we may have crossed the sartorial line many times, at least some thought went into it. Now the colours I see in athleisurewear are mostly beige, greige, brown, cream or even, wow, a subtle shade of peach. Don’t bring me on to the areas that are on display to the world highlighted by beige leggings!
Perhaps this is just me getting older but are we getting to a stage where young people are reluctant to express their individuality? I do know that as I have aged, I feel a sense of ‘whatever’, and ‘I’ll wear what I want thank you’ that I know many young people do not have the confidence to feel. There is something to be said to blending in and not being seen as ‘different’ and I know that for some this is not the time to stand out from the crowd in any way. I guess it just comes down to the fact that I miss creativity and being expressive and I hope that we are not becoming a society that uses conformity as some kind of weapon or rule on how we should live.
What are your thoughts?
Well Into Fashion 
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