July Trends: Fur, Wool and Boots?

July has arrived and you know what that means: fur is here to stay, chunky knit legwear is all the rage and warm muted tones are perfect for cooler temperatures. Wait, what season are we in? To the common consumer, the warm rays and climbing temperatures of July are sure signs that summer is well under way. To the biggest names in fashion media, however, the summer months signify – for some unfathomable reason – that fall looks and autumn trends should now be pushed into the forefronts of our minds. Enter July’s “Fall Fashion Preview” issues.

For as long as I can remember, and I’m sure for some time before that, the fashion industry has been one that is ahead of the curve, increasingly to a fault. Coats and boots are shown on the dawn of the (actual) spring season and swimsuits and sunnies grace runways in September. While it is understandable that these advanced timing measures must be taken for logistical reasons and business planning purposes, what’s not so clear is why practices that challenge logical thinking (i.e. fall looks in spring and spring looks in fall) show up in other facets of the industry, and are pushed forcefully into the minds of consumers. Fashion’s biggest media outlets and retail stores advocate cold weather ensembles in the high heat of summer, confusing consumers, and frankly, turning us off to the trends that are coming up next.

Why is it that June and July have been christened as “Fall Fashion Preview” months? Is it that there is nothing the fashion world finds noteworthy to discuss during summer? (I would certainly hope this is not the case, as the summer season hosts the renowned CFDA awards, the Resort collections, and so much more). The most powerful magazines in the industry dedicate their summer issues to looking at trends that are to come so far in the future, that the content seems irrelevant and out of place. Why would readers care about new trends for sweaters and tights when temperatures outside are flirting with triple digits? Coverage of the fashion industry has become so out-of-sync with reality that it is – sadly – becoming irrelevant to our real lives.

Featuring trends from the most recent shows soon after they happen makes much more sense than doing so smack dab in the middle of summer, when the excitement of February has passed and the anticipation of September hasn’t yet set in. And a “preview,” if there is to be one at all, should be just that: a sampling of some of the most intriguing looks from the most recent runways, not a whole July issue dedicated to tweed jackets and wool leggings we’ll be wearing in November.

This untimely trend is not only seen in magazines, either. Retail stores are increasingly stocking floors with items so out-of-season, that we’re buying swimsuits in December and January and fur in May and June (as Plum Sykes points out in recent Vogue article, “Seasons of Our Discontent”). How are we supposed to thoroughly enjoy trends in fashion when we can’t put them to use in our real lives?

I don’t know about you, readers, but in July, I like to daydream about the beautiful sundresses and comfy shorts I can wear to lounge in the warm sun, not about the fantastic wool sweater I’ll be sporting to ward off the chill of fall.