Think there will be a crochet backlash next year?

[pragmatica]

So, I'm going through all kinds of fashion and shopping magazines (Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Allure, Shop Etc. -- what can I say, I have an active fantasy life) and as noted in the "TV and Media" and "Sightings" threads, there is a LOT of crochet in fashion this season. Dolce and Gabbana, L.A.M.B., Chanel, even JC Penney has a lined skirt with a hem-to-waistline pineapple pattern on it.)

 

My vague and mild concern (since I don't actually care THAT much, so this is academic at best) is that because there's so much crochet embellishment, accessories, and even clothing year, there may be a backlash against it in future seasons. When there wasn't a lot of crochet around, it was no big deal -- just a novelty -- but now that there's so much everywhere, in may end up looking totally dated ("SO 2006!") in the future to the point that it won't be around much at all for a while.

 

Note the following disclaimers: 1) I don't actually care that much since I'm not a complete fashion hound, and 2) yes, I know that fashion is cyclical and everything old will eventually be new again etc., but I'm still taking a second to ponder whether the preponderance this year may lead to it disappearing again for a number of years.

 

Sorry this wasn't a more coherent thought; lots of cold medicine today.

 

--Elissa

[eurolyons]

I worry about it a bit too...but while fashion can seem so predictable, it's also unpredictable...meaning that there are things out there that I thought would be over in a heartbeat and I still see similar things (non crochet) for the last 10 years...I'm not sure about ponchos necessarily, but shawls will always be around...I got married 4.5 years ago and crocheted the trim to my underslip...that was unheard of basically, so it was really a hit...that and I crocheted my garter as well.

 

Purses, bags, hats, scarves, I don't think those will ever go "out of style" but how they are made might be different...

 

I seem to remember about 10 years ago, there were some crocheted tops out (I remember buying one in a mainstream shop) that were sold along side peasant tops that I was pleasantly surprise were the fashion/fad at the time...I thought they were out 10 years prior...doesn't stop me, I'll be wearing peasant tops and things crocheted til I'm dead and buried...been that way since the 70's actually...

 

I worry that the interest for doing crochet might wane to scary levels when it was hard to find patterns and yarn...but then I think about scrapebooking and rubberstamping...for about 20 years now, those have been gaining steam and haven't really slowed down and card making and stenciling are coming back in vogue as well...

 

It's hard to say really what will happen. I hestitate with ponchos for myself only because I was 13 when the poncho craze first hit in the 70's...I'm 46, so personally I feel a bit funny wearing a poncho now...but shawls and sweaters and stuff like that...not a problem for me...don't know about anyone else...

 

It's a crap shoot in my opinion...next year the attitude might easily be, oh that's so 2005/2006...or we may be lucky and not have that attitude for a good decade...

[funkyreporter]

Interesting thought. Yeah, probably... that's funny: "Oh, that's so 2006!" I'm lucky, though - not a slave to fashion. (My kids would be laughing hysterically if they were reading this). I wear whatever the heck I want!

 

I, too, received my first poncho in 1977 at the tender age of 13, burnt orange with six-inch fringe, pom-pom ties; my aunt gave it to me and I was forced to wear it. I wondered why she hated me.

 

Flash forward to 1992, babies at my feet, their older sibs at school, and with crochet hook in hand we passed the days...

 

Forward still to today: I cannot keep up with the requests just from my family and for myself! I think they are going to begin a formal protest if I don't produce five pairs of slippers in the next week! Everybody wants another afghan (yes, they each have a pile, but "if I really loved them I'd make a new one") and I'm really just trying to make a shrug to stay warm at work... oh, yes I have stoles, ponchos <NOT burnt orange> wraps, etc... but I saw a pattern for this shrug...

 

So booties, blankies, scarves, afghans will forever be needed. The 'fashionable' thigns we're making now? Who knows? Personally I will always proudly wear my pineapple patterned ankle-length skirt, my assymetrical shawls, my sweat-pea shawl, and of course my Whispering Elegance sweater (once I get the pattern and make it).

[eurolyons]

Burnt orange huh Paulette? I'd probably wonder if my aunt hated me too...actually my aunt made me my poncho and if I still had it, it would so be in style now...it was a more classic style poncho...and it was in purple...it had fringe, but no pom poms...I wore that thing to death...that was back in '73!

 

You know the odd thing though...I don't do alot of clothes shopping and if it hadn't been for my mom sending me pictures that she'd cut out of magazines that she reads, I'm not really sure that I would have noticed that crochet was in vogue as it is now...in the fashion world that is...

 

I'm just beyond excited on the craft side of it...I mean stores are offering more yarns and magazines (at least in the states...) Thank God for the internet and all the sites that are crochet and yarn related...all the patterns...and the vintage patterns too...

 

This has been a very exciting time for me with crocheting on a number of levels...people like what I make, I'm not hearing the same comments like 20 years ago...people not only like what I make, some are requesting I make things for them...what a huge difference...

[Sabra]

Crochet has actually been "in" for a couple of years now, though not as saturated as it seems to be this year. I do think that oversaturation is a hint it is on the way out. And I honestly hope it is, in a way. I loathe being common.

[jacqui]

what can i say ,but ,who cares ive always loved crochet, its nice its fashionable again but even when it wasn't i did it and always will. If thats considered ecentric thats fine to.

[eurolyons]

Crochet has actually been "in" for a couple of years now, though not as saturated as it seems to be this year. I do think that oversaturation is a hint it is on the way out. And I honestly hope it is, in a way. I loathe being common.

 

It was pure coicidence for me that I picked up my crochet hook a year and a half ago and decided I really needed to make something with this cone of chenille a friend had given me about 3 years before...which was the last time I had a crochet hook in my hand at the time. A couple of weeks later, a friend needed help with a crochet pattern that she found on the internet...I had absolutely no clue there were all these crochet sites and free patterns and whatnot...I mean, when I found all that out, I felt like I literally had been under a rock...and to then discover that crochet was "in" for the first time in a long, long, long time was really awesome...so I worry about oversaturation too. But I also know for myself that if I do put the hook done, I will eventually pick it back up again...it's been like that since I was 10.

[PBLKNP]

Seeing as I've never been known to follow trends, I really don't care if crocheting is "in" or not. I just love doing it. I started up with it again back when knitting was all the rage...all my friends thought I was nuts and that I should knit <g>.

[mwedzi]

Oh, I hope it doesn't go completely out of fashion. I totally admit to liking to be fashionable. Not to say that on occasion I won't wear something that is uncommon, but I'm not about to take out my super ruffly top from the early 90s, either. At least, not unless I see they're in style again. Funny, but when things come into fashion, they actually do look better to me.

 

But why should crochet go out of fashion? Maybe gimmicky stuff, but crochet, like knitting, is just a way to make fabric. Knitted things don't go out of fashion, most of the clothes we wear are knitted and have been for a long time, even if they are just machine-knitted. As long as crochet is used to make basic functional items and not gimmicky or cliched stuff, I don't see why it would be weird to wear 2, 5 or 15 years from now.

[clocke]

Whether it stays in fashion or whether it goes out, I'll still be hooking along.

 

The pendulum does swing alot though, so I wouldn't totally be suprised to see less of an interest in crocheting in the coming years.

[crochetmama]

The only thing I'm concerned about with the fashion trends is I have this long list of items I HAVE to crochet before I die. Most of them are going to be given out as gifts. If crochet is out of fashion, then the recipient might not care for the item I made for them (Including the burnt orange and purple panchos on my list!!! ) I guess I will crochet all the lovely things I want and then if it's out of fashion so what? I will depend on my dear new friends at Crochetville to make a fuss over what I created!

 

[PBLKNP]

I don't know...there are a lot of wearable crochet patterns I've seen that could be worn no matter what the "fashion" is. Mittens, socks, and such can always be used. There is always a need for the charity work...Also, people always love afghans and baby things <g>.

[TurquoizBlue]

There are certain types of clothing that are considered classic, and they tend to stay in style longer. A basic cardigan is going to be of use longer than a trendy shrug. Also, things tend to come back around in cycles. Of course, they never look exactly like they did before. I know that I'm not wearing the same things I wore ten years ago. I wouldn't worry about crochet becoming dated. It will just come back done in a new way. Crochet never left for many of us, and it never will. It has just seen a resurgience recently.

 

Right now pineapple seems to be everywhere, on everything. It's cute, but you won't be seeing as much of it in a few years. It will be something else. Whatever the next hot thing is, be sure you can create version of it in crochet.

 

Okay now, fess up. Who made some crochet gauchos?

[Katchkan]

I don't think it will be a backlash. I think it may taper off, but become a no no in fashion, I hope not. I think it is up to us crocheters to turn out such awesome pieces that there would be no way they could ignore us or shove us onto the back burner again. Whether it be clothing or accessories If they are done well, with thought put into how they are to be used or worn. I can't see where we would become unacceptable.

I for one ignore fashion and wear what is right for me. Somethings you couldn't pay me to wear even if they were the height of fashion. Others I will wear for ever because the happen to be flattering to me. To me it has to make me look the best I can be at this moment or forget it. I am not a clothes horse but I am very aware of image. We each create our own.

[eurolyons]

Amen Kathy!

[faedragon]

.

..I'm 46, so personally I feel a bit funny wearing a poncho now...but shawls and sweaters and stuff like that...not a problem for me...don't know about anyone else....

 

I'm 57 and love my ponchos, and get lots of compliments and "please make me one", and "oh,my, You really made that yourself" whenever and where ever I wear one. Now back in the 70's, I wouldn't wear a poncho for love or money:lol

[RachelG]

I'm really not worried about it. I'd definitely wear any nicely crocheted piece...poncho included...in style or not. And that comes from a slim all-arms-and-legs girl who IS fashion conscious.

 

Crochet may "go out of fashion" to a degree, but, really, in my mind, it doesn't. I've worn crocheted tops for years (well, to be exact, the Winking and Blinking Halter top...I own two) and everybody stops me and exclaims... "Ooooo, that's neat, did you make that?"

[sharoninseattle]

I think alot of fasionable crocheted items have to do with color and what type of yarn is being used.

 

I have made an item in one color and it didn't look appealing, but then I made it in another color and it looked totally different and attractive.

I have also made an item in regular worsted yarn and it didn't look so great, then made it in cotton and it look more elegant or expensive.

I have been selling my items for the last 5 years at the markets and bazzars, watching people and how they respond when they see my items and the comments they make, even giving me ideas.

 

So I truely believe people are attracted to color more than anything, I know I am when I first enter a store to shop.

 

Back in the 60's & 70's when we had the earthtone colors of brown, tan, orange, green, then we went to the more neutrals of mauve, cottage blue, white in the 80's & 90's. Then the florescents came out too. But now we are mixing and creating more colors to put together. I think we are just getting smarter.

 

I learned to knit and crochet at the same time, I had plenty of time on my hands due to an illness. I crocheted & knitted on and off for about 12 yrs. Then I totally lost interest and hadn't knitted or crocheted in over 25yrs I didn't know that there was a craze going on till a couple of yrs ago and decided to see what all the fuss was about, so I bought some knit/crochet magazines and low and behold there was an epedemic going on, people were becoming addicted I couldn't believe what I was reading and so I decided to try a few things and guess what, it happened to me, I became an addict. I had kept my hooks from way back when (they are so old, the price is etched right into the hook, 45 cents) kept my magazines too. Then I found Crochetville last year and have gotten so much information from all you wonderful people out there. My life is complete as far as yarn, hooks & needles. I guess you could say I am an addict with needles and a hooker, all because of YARN sorry for being so long winded but I was inspired by the word backlash, fashion.

[Lady_of_Roses]

I tend to go with classics whether I buy or make the item myself. I guess I'm not particularly worried about backlash, but it is kinda sucky to spend a bunch of time making a piece and then seeing someone with something very similar that they purchased for a few dollars at the store.

 

I like that yarnwork is somewhat popular right now because I'd imagine that will help to make a wider variety of yarn both high and low-end available for reasonable prices.

[shella85222]

I have more less did my own thing when it came to fashion. If I liked it I would wear it. Not sure if it was the in thing or not. I have made things for years so no worries here.

[pragmatica]

Well, like I said, I'm just curious. Certainly things that are timeless/classic will always look good. It's just when I saw mass retailer JC Penney sellling a pineapple lace skirt -- clothing instead of accessories -- that I wondered, idly, what's going to happen when the pendulum swings back the other way.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Oh wait - I DID buy a Halloween-inspired long sleeved tee from them, but it was 75%, and then my employee discount. I think I still ended up paying six dollars for it, which is a little high for me, but a very cute tee.

 

~ Joy

[charitas32]

I have clothes that are ten years old i still wear, wouldn't be caught dead in eighties inspired clothing though. I have no desire to relive my teenage years! I quess some things will look dated, ponchos go in and out of fashion cause they aren't that warm if it is breezy, but i think shrugs of a sort will stay with us just caus they cover a mulitude of sins, and let us big girls wear skimpy tops with confidence

[rina]

I've been happy to see lots of crocheted garments (or clothes with crochet embellishments) in department stores, online catalogues, etc. Guess we're safe through the summer at least.

[blackpurl]

Whether it stays in fashion or whether it goes out, I'll still be hooking along.

 

The pendulum does swing alot though, so I wouldn't totally be suprised to see less of an interest in crocheting in the coming years.

 

 

I totally agree! I have had a hook in my hand since I was 10 and I won't be parting with it anytime soon!