Fashion Spotlight: the trials and tribulations of trends
时尚聚光灯：流行趋势的考验与磨难
Trends: a very controversial topic. What is so appealing about them, anyway? Although they’re intended to be lighthearted and fun, they don’t always end up that way. To some, they may seem like little fashion challenges that one can play around with, but that’s not always the case. This week, I want to address common critiques of trends.
流行趋势，这是一个非常有争议的话题。归根究底，它到底有那里好？！尽管流行趋势意在给人带来更多轻松和乐趣，结果却往往并非如此。对于一些人来说，新的流行趋势不过是一个小小的时尚挑战，最后完全可以驾驭，但对于另一些人来说不适用。本周，我想谈谈对于流行趋势普遍存在的几个看法。

Trends, like camouflage print scarfs, are a fun way to revitalize your look.
流行趋势就像迷彩围巾，以一种充满乐趣方式让你精神起来。
Trends inevitably convey a very strong message. When coming from elite fashion magazines, they can imply, “You have to be this thin, or this tall, or this skin tone to be able to pull off this look.” But how is that real if we all are different shapes and sizes? This is definitely something worth thinking about.
流行趋势总是不可避免地传达出一种强有力的信息。论及精英时尚杂志，它们总是暗示“你必须要如此瘦小，或如此高大，亦或有着如此肤色，才能穿出如此感觉。”但如果我们的体型、穿衣尺码各不相同，这种时尚对我们是否还适用？这绝对是一个值的思考的问题。
Some may say that this is not the case at all. Although trends are portrayed in a very specific manner in fashion magazines, part of the fun is taking that as an inspiration and, in turn, doing whatever you want from there. Let’s pretend that the biggest trend right now is the crop top. For example: although that crop top might not work on me the same way as the model, I can think about playing around with different waistlines and silhouettes created by my clothing. It’s true that it’s not exactly the same, but who said we all need to take those magazines so seriously anyway?
有的人可能会说事实并非如此。虽然流行趋势以一种非常具体的方式在时尚杂志上被表现出来，它们仅供娱乐，而且其中一部分只是被当做一种灵感来源，从读者角度来看，大家也只消各取所需。假设现在最火的流行趋势是露脐上装，举个例子来说：虽然那身露脐装穿在我身上不会有和模特一样的效果，我可以考虑通过自己搭配的服饰来达到同样卖弄腰线和轮廓的效果。这确实和模特穿着不尽相同，但毕竟咱们也不用真拿杂志当回事吧？
But there’s always the haute couture fashionista who will say that trends are particular. And that’s partly true: A crop top is a crop top, and there’s not really any other way to make something that’s not a crop top a crop top. And if I feel like I can’t pull off a crop top, I’m excluded from the latest and greatest fashion trend of the moment. It makes me not “fashionable” enough for haute couture that season.
但总是有一些时尚女装迷认为某种流行趋势是特定的。这说来也有些道理：露脐上装就是露脐上装，没有什么别的方法来把其他的衣服变成露脐上装。而如果我感觉我可能不能很好地驾驭一件露脐上装，那么我就被排除了在当下最新流行趋势之外。这让我对于当季高级时装来说不够“时尚”。
This makes fashion sound really exclusive. But trust me, it’s not. Fashion is all about self-expression, and the way we view it really makes all the difference. There are no “rules” in fashion，only opinions. You really can wear whatever you want, whenever you want. At least here in the United States, no one’s going to punish you for what’s on your body. So take a risk. The trends are there for your inspiration, but in reality the world is your oyster when it comes to deciding what style you want to adopt. If you don’t like the current trends, start your own trends! Even if they don’t become universally popular, you’ll look like the best version of yourself that you could imagine, and that’s something beautiful.
这样说来时尚真的有排外性。但是相信我，这并非事实。时尚不过是一种自我表现，差异来源于我们看待它的方式。时尚没有所谓的“规则”，有的只是不同的看法。 你当然可以再任何时候穿上任何你喜爱的衣服。至少在美国，没有人会因为你身上穿的衣服而惩罚你。所以冒冒险吧。流行趋势的存在不过是为了激发你的灵感，在你个人的着装风格这个问题上，世界尽在你掌握之中。如果你不喜欢当下的流行趋势，就引领你自己的潮流！即便你的搭配不是普遍追捧的款式，你会展现出你所能想象到的最好的一面，那才是真正的美丽。
So even though I’ll be forecasting trends in the upcoming weeks, don’t feel tied down to them. They’re simply suggestions for how to change your image if you’re feeling festive or daring in the fashion world. Take them as a challenge and a one-of-a-kind way to express yourself.
所以即便我将预测下几周的流行趋势，请不要被它们所束缚。有时我们收到气氛感染，心情愉快，想要换个形象，有时我们只是单纯的想要大胆尝试，此时，流行趋势不过是给你个参考。请把它们当做小小的挑战和表现自己的独一无二的方式吧。