Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Nicholas Kirkwood Should Read My Blog

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Demure is back for fall and spring, declared Christina Binkley in “The Real Housewives,” the lead story in the Off Duty section of the weekend’s Wall Street Journal. “The most startling thing about women’s fashion right right now is how perfectly not-startling it is,” Binkley wrote. “June Cleaver would approve: skirts swish about the shins, necklines are coy and heels are slim and ladylike.”

The story said that even Nicholas Kirkwood, the British shoe designer known for shoes that look like weapons, has traded details like brass spikes for flowers.

From 2010: Spiked Nicholas Kirkwood x Rodarte shoes. Click for source.

For Spring 2012: Kirkwood's Floral Sketch Slingback. From Fashionologie. Click for source.

Binkley wrote of Kirkwood:

“He once pledged to never, ever ‘plonk’ a bow on a shoe. For spring, he has placed a crisp satin bow on a heel strap. ‘Never say never,’ he sighed.”

Poor Kirkwood! If he had read my blog, he would have known that committing to “never” is the same as saying “definitely.” Why? Because Never is the Next New Thing™! It’s the nature of fashion to turn the despised into the desired.

Meanwhile, I am gripped by the fear that this trend will somehow manifest itself on Jersey Shore. What if Snooki learns to cover her cuca? What if Deena stops dancing her “underwears” off? Whatever you do, don’t say that such unlkely things can “never” happen — a demure Jersey Shore is a sign of impending apocalypse!

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Comments

  1. Aww that saddens me, the first pair of shoes is incredible! Although, I agree with you. The minute you declare never, it’s only a matter of time. I would say I know better now, but I declare often, and eat my own words.

    Funny they say there’s a wave of modesty. Maybe on the runways, but unfortunately real life hasn’t yet caught on. Hopefully it will before it hits the Jersey Shore.

  2. Gosh, I remember many years ago (when my mom was making my clothes) that she dare not ever put a puffy sleeve on my blouses again (I was in high school) because they would never come into fashion EVER again. I was pretty adamant. I still feel silly now understanding how fashion is so cyclical but also because wearing what you want (TM) is also in style.

    • We all think we know everything in high school! When I was in high school, I hated when my mom would tell me “I used to wear that when I was your age.” I wanted to think everything was freshly invented!

  3. If Snooki goes demure, demure will have jumped the shark before it had a chance.

    I wonder if the style pendulum isn’t just flying through the fashion clock now, pulling styles from the last 60 years into this decade; I also wonder if the Mayan Calendar figures into this.

  6. If there’s anything I’ve learned from your blog, it’s to never say “never.” I’ve eaten my words more than once!

    I love both those Kirkwood shoes. I’m not sure what that says about me, but hey, who cares?

  8. I miss the outlaw days of the Academy Awards, the Bob Mackie costumes and crazed streakers and fashion fails. It’s the NEVER have bad taste thing and it’s so fearful. Fierce is so much cooler.

    Demure … conversely, black pumps, a pencil skirt and a white blouse are almost seditiously sexy.

    What a strange uncomfortable moment in fashion. Snooki and HSN, sigh. Wow.

  11. The floral Nicholas Kirkwood shoe is more to my taste than the first one. And as for a demure Jersey Shore–no, just no!

  12. Love the first pair of Kirkwoods! But I am in total agreement with “never say never” and would like to join the line of people who have eaten their words more than once…… I am also in agreement that everyone should read your blog 🙂