My blog-writing process for Fat Chic differs from the other blogs and articles that I write. It has to be. Because fashion is presumed a shallow subject, even for those of us living in the land of the plus size niche, I often have to mine the strangest sources in search of inspiration and something to say that isn’t just parroting my blogging compatriots. Oddly, this can lead me to mainstream fashion magazines, which, while not always pools of depths themselves, can sometimes spark my creative synapses. As a result, I actually have piles of magazines on my desk, filled with various post-its I affix to the pages with an idea for a blog post scrawled across it - and sometimes, upon re-reading those notes, I actually do know what the hell I was talking about at the time I wrote it.

Other times, not so much. But I think I know where today’s post-it came from. The text reads “The details by which trends are formed.” This must be one of my peculiar summation thoughts, where, after burying my nose in magazine inks of worrisome chemical effect, I had a moment of “big picture” view. Also, I was probably remembering that bizarre adage about hemlines raising and lowering in connection with the state of the economy. (The way we’re going, ankle length.)

So, after flipping through my usual suspects - Marie Claire, Vogue, and W (I can handle these, but Cosmopolitan and Glamour are for some reason utterly beyond my tolerance) I came out with a list of what to physically look for in garments on runways in an attempt to eke out coming trends, manufactured and natural.

This isn’t in the sense of “this season” trends, but more in the sense of “this decade” and “historical overview.” I like history, because it makes sense of everything - plus, it’s always over. That makes me feel safe.

So, looking for historical trends, for instance, I would  be looking at some of the following details on garments marching towards me:

Hemline - I already said the whole “state of the economy” adage. This goes for pants, as well. One of the reasons I think capris have become so popular is that people are feeling less safe about their lives, so even during skin-baring summer want to cover up more. It’s just a wild theory, no data for backup.

Fit - Tight or loose does seem to go not by decade but by five year cycle. We’ve gone from tight jeans/low waists/thong baring (I am so glad that’s over) to higher-waisted, wider cut legs and more room. The same goes for shirts, although it seems that nowadays proper fit - not too loose, not too wide - is the preference most of the time.

Collar/Neckline - I think of the turn of the 21st century as the age of the surplice for plus sizes. Arguably, this could just be an embellishment on the traditional V-neck, but I really do think it’s a little bit more than that because it isn’t just cleavage taken into account for that style.

Sleeve Type - I’m seeing more mention of insecurity about arms than I used to. Not that a lot of us don’t have it - me included - but until recently, other figure shapes were raised as issues, mainly belly, butt, hips. So the risking concern about flabby upper arms.

To me these seem to be the places where fashion finds its innovations. Or perhaps it’s just another way to sort a closet.