Out of fashion

2013年03月25日：退流行：陳祺勳
by Chen Qixun

有人說流行是一種陰謀，只為創造一種焦慮讓人季季添購新衣，不同的流行趨勢讓我們有機會嘗試各種不同的裝扮，未嘗不是一件好事，其實這世上有很多人是當真不在意流行而怡然自得得過的，那是種生活方式，而且相較之下比起季季追逐流行要輕鬆許多。

Some say fashion is a plot designed to create anxiety and make us constantly buy new clothes. But changing fashion trends allow us to try out different styles, and that's not a bad thing. Actually there are plenty of people in the world who truly don't care about fashion and are nonetheless quite happy and pleased with themselves. That's a lifestyle choice, and it's certainly a more relaxing one than chasing fashion trends from season to season.

不過，也有分還是在意美感，跟整組放棄的人，許多人過了一個年紀，似乎打扮就再也沒換過了，因為他們已經找到最適合自己的東西，整組放棄的人更是恣情恣意，有時候佩服他們的勇氣可以毫不在乎就這樣出門（其實那也不是勇氣，既然不在乎穿著，也想不到有人會因為你穿著而對你有所評價了）。

But some still do care about beauty. Some people have given the whole thing up. (?) It seems that many people, after they've passed a certain age, will never change their style again because they've already found what suits them best. People who've given up are especially reckless. Sometimes I admire their bravery, that they can leave the house looking like that and not care a bit (actually it's not that they're brave, but rather that, since they themselves don't care about clothes, it doesn't occur to them that other people judge them based on what they wear).

曾經非常流行的東西為什麼後來會退流行了呢？或退流行的東西，又是誰決定把它重新拿出來的呢？好比最近開始雜誌上開始吹捧穿短上衣露肚子，有些女 明星也真的穿了，讓人想起電影獨領風騷裡的造型，不過這個流行我不覺得會真的會在一般人間廣為流傳，因為首先肚子是我們很多人都想藏起來的部位，豈有還把它拿出來見客的道理，再來就是如果上衣一換，那下身搭配的東西就得通通換過，是個很麻煩的流行。

Why is it that what used to be the height of fashion becomes outdated? And those outdated things, who decides to reinstate them? It's like how lately the magazines are going on about short tops that expose the belly, and some female stars are really wearing them; it makes one think of the styles in the movie Clueless. But I don't think it's going to catch on very widely. For many of us, the belly is a part we want to keep hidden, and it's preposterous to think of showing it to people; then if you change your top you have to change the rest of your outfit, and it's really a lot of trouble.

曾經大熱門過的東西，不管是流行時尚或者音樂或者人或者口頭禪，大多都不免被人遺忘，一個東西流行起來時鋒頭越盛，將來就越有登高跌重的時候，拍賣上你可以看到當年超流行的包包現在在賤價出售，或者在很鄉下的什麼水果節慶裡面看到曾經紅極一時的藝人，都令人感慨，只有很幸運的少數可以通過時間的考驗存活下來，成為經典。

Things that used to be in style, whether fashion or music or people or figures of speech, the vast majority will be forgotten. The more something catches the spotlight, the further it will have to fall when the time comes. At auctions you can see last year's hottest bags on sale for bargain prices, and has-been stars performing at small-town fruit festivals and things. It's a bit sad. Only the very most fortunate few can pass the test of time and become classics.