Fashion is governed by a neophilic rule with a neophobic catch: New is good and old is bad (but very old is good again). There is a theoretical benchmark for how fashionable attitudes are shaped by the passage of time called Laver’s law, named after its originator, James Laver, a British fashion historian. It goes like this:
Indecent: 10 years before its time
Shameless: 5 years before its time
Outré (Daring): 1 year before its time
Smart: Current fashion
Dowdy: 1 year after its time
Hideous: 10 years after its time
Ridiculous: 20 years after its time
Amusing: 30 years after its time
Quaint: 50 years after its time
Charming: 70 years after its time
Romantic: 100 years after its time
Beautiful: 150 years after its time
Hit Makers
Derek Thompson