The CEO at Behind the Buckle and the author of 'Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant' told Bored Panda that the very first you should think about is whether your comments will only end up hurting the person wearing the dress. Have a think about how sensitive they are to criticism, even when it's gentle.
"Do you have an open, honest relationship, for example? Or is your friend outside the 'bell curve' of sensitivity. And if they do take your advice, might you damage the relationship permanently. That's a low return on your investment in offering helpful advice! And let's be honest, the purchase has already been made," Lynn said.
"People can also be highly sensitive about their body shape. So criticism about their wardrobe can, unfortunately, be extrapolated to them personally. If you feel compelled to say something, avoid being blunt. 'What are you wearing?!' is not a good starting point. Make it about the dress. You can say, 'Oh I never saw that before on you.' Oftentimes, what you don't say will lead the other person to question you."
At the end of the day, you have to assume that your friend or loved one will pick up on the subtle clues you lay out. "If they ask for clarification, you can always say that you really love some of their other choices, colors, and styles. You can add, that 'maybe I just haven't gotten used to X,' like the hemline, fabric, etc. You don't have to beat people over the head; they will get it," Lynn said that you don't have to be blunt for people to understand what the truth is.
Lynn, the business and creative powerhouse at Behind the Buckle, was kind enough to share her thoughts about what's trending in 2022: from colors and fabrics to accessories. For example, colorwise, pinks, greens, yellows, and blues, are very fashionable right now. She said that the colorful geometric prints, chunky platform shoes and boots, and micro mini skirts that are trendy now are reminiscent of the mod era of the 1960s.
"Many believe, as I do, that this is an outgrowth of the lockdown, where people are ready to be bold after wearing drab sweats at home for an eternity," she said that this is revenge for having had to spend so much time at home.
Meanwhile, people are currently going for sustainable fabrics. "Fabrics that support sustainability are in vogue now and will be for some time to come. Organic cotton, wool, hemp, pure silks, linen, rayon, flax, bamboo, and mohair, for example. Organic cotton and hemp are the best for being eco-friendly. Denim is back in a big way, especially brands with a sustainable orientation," Lynn explained to Bored Panda.
If you're not sure what patterns are the most fashionable, don't worry, we're here to help. And there's a wide range to choose from. Lynn pointed out that these include florals, geometric prints, stripes, checks, wavy designs, animal prints, and tie-dye patterns. "Some of these are classic and haven't changed, but the bright colors and 60s influence is relatively recent," Lynn said.
"Fashionable accessories this season include chunky and double chains, including long necklaces; wide belts and belts in general; pearls, hoop earrings in gold or silver; statement earrings; oversized sunglasses and those with colored lenses; and multiple rings."
Meanwhile, when it comes to handbags and belts, those made with sustainable leather are very much 'in' right now. "Cactus leather, mushroom leather, vegan leather: they're taking off. In our own Behind the Buckle belt collections, we now offer cactus belts in three colors: black, navy, and tan, and a vegan snake print. We're extremely excited about the response, as more shoppers look at ways to be fashionable and socially responsible. Animal leather nevertheless, is not going away any time soon," Lynn said.
We absolutely love it when an online community’s mission statement is in its title. In the case of ‘You can’t just slap some fabric together and call it a dress,’ you immediately know what they’re all about.
It’s obvious that the members of the group value good fashion, have a good sense of humor, and love to have a go at designer pieces that clearly should have stayed in sketches and not made it to the sewing room.
During our previous chat with Mary Waldron, the founder of the Facebook group, Bored Panda learned more about the community, its opinions, and thoughts about bad dresses.
Mary said that, in her opinion, plenty of dress designers go for eye-catching designs to stand out and grab people’s attention. "Whether or not it’s eye-pleasing is irrelevant when you want attention brought to your work," she said.
"I think the important thing when sharing opinions on another person’s outfits is tact, it comes across as rude if you simply say, 'Your dress is ugly' and the other person may not be as willing to listen to you, but if you were to say, 'I don’t think that dress is very flattering for your figure, try this other dress.' It sounds less critical and gives you the chance to give them a better option," Mary said that people should never underestimate the power of diplomacy, kindness, and being polite.
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Fashion designer Oyinda Akinfenwa, the creator of the ‘Janore’ brand, opened up to Bored Panda a while back about her dress design creation process. It’s not every day that you get to take a peek at what’s going on behind the scenes and in someone’s imaginative mind.
"When it comes to my process, it varies depending on the design and my state of mind at the point. It could be fast like just envisioning a style and sometimes it’s quite slow which may involve drawing various patterns to make sure I get the right fit and styling necessary for each design," the designer revealed to us.
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"I wish people understood that it is not easy to actually create designs out of an idea, there’s a lot of creative process that goes into it and it will be nice if people were a bit more understanding of designers and also understanding the story behind their art,” the designer stressed that things aren’t as easy as they might seem to a bystander.
"I have to make sure that all the styling options I offer look just as good as the next one and also ensure that it fits into the category of outfit that I’m going for. Also to make sure that it can not only be styled differently but also styled to fit different occasions thereby creating ease as well as comfort for whoever is wearing it," she said that creating something fresh and exciting is an incredibly difficult process. Oyinda added that one of 2022’s hottest fashion items is “definitely” going to be beaded bags.
