Is it possible for something to be TOO trendy?

[shortee78]

Hi gals! Reintroducing myself, I've been a member of tPF for a long time but have gone into lurkdom after having kids and such, you know how it is when you have kids.... Hehehe...

Anyhow, I slowly moved from a passion of handbags to a passion of jewelry. Lately, I have been obsessed with getting the Cartier LOVE bracelet, but after I started to want it, I started to NOTICE IT everywhere I go. I should note that I live in Orange County, and I now see it on young women (ages 19-35) every 2 days or so. I see it at the gym receptionist, at restaurants, at movie theaters, etc. I always wanted the bracelet because I used to live in an area where there were absolutely no LOVE bracelets in real life, but now that I live here, I see it all the time, and it's losing it's "specialness" with me. Does that make sense?

So my question for you is, would seeing it regularly in real life prevent you from wanting something? Is it possible for something to become too trendy? What are some real life examples of products where you found that it got "too trendy"?

 

[Compass Rose]

A real-life example of a trendy ring is a "halo". A classic like a Tiffany-type setting would last forever, while in about 10 years, those with trendy-type rings will be looking to re-set their rings. That's my version of it.

 

[neenabengal]

LOL - at the risk of sounding like I have got the hump when I respond to this (!) I'll start by saying that have both the Cartier Love cuff AND a halo engagement ring!! haha

I know there are lots of halo rings in the shops at the moment but as someone who loves vintage type rings, many are actually inspired by art deco diamond rings so personally, I dont see these as 'trendy' I see these as classic.

And, I know what you mean about seeing the LOVE everywhere but for me, I live somewhere where I have never seen anyone else wear one (only on TPF and when I go to London) so .....

I think, in your case, its not so much that its too 'trendy' more that you dont see it as 'exclusive' enough anymore.... if I saw it all the time, I am sure I would think 'whats the point of spending all that money on something if every tom, dick and harry has one!'

I cant really think of any jewellery that is too trendy - am interested to see what other people think are too trendy pieces

 

[shortee78]

A real-life example of a trendy ring is a "halo". A classic like a Tiffany-type setting would last forever, while in about 10 years, those with trendy-type rings will be looking to re-set their rings. That's my version of it.

I love true antique halos and I think those will never go out of style, but I agree that I have noticed more halos in the last 5 years or so. I got married in 2004, so halos weren't around in my "time", unless they were real antiques! But with everything wedding related, I started to notice trends, like with the dresses, the flowers, the jewelry, and even the hair pieces!

 

[shortee78]

LOL - at the risk of sounding like I have got the hump when I respond to this (!) I'll start by saying that have both the Cartier Love cuff AND a halo engagement ring!! haha

I know there are lots of halo rings in the shops at the moment but as someone who loves vintage type rings, many are actually inspired by art deco diamond rings so personally, I dont see these as 'trendy' I see these as classic.

And, I know what you mean about seeing the LOVE everywhere but for me, I live somewhere where I have never seen anyone else wear one (only on TPF and when I go to London) so .....

I think, in your case, its not so much that its too 'trendy' more that you dont see it as 'exclusive' enough anymore.... if I saw it all the time, I am sure I would think 'whats the point of spending all that money on something if every tom, dick and harry has one!'

I cant really think of any jewellery that is too trendy - am interested to see what other people think are too trendy pieces

I bolded the part above where you said about it being exclusive! Maybe that's the word I was looking for! I do know that I stopped wearing my Tiffany chunky bracelet about 8 years ago when I noticed every middle schooler near me wearing it, so I wonder if this Cartier LOVE bracelet is a similar (but on a much smaller scale) phenomenon....

 

[lanasyogamama]

There is a thread on here about whether people see the Love bracelet in real life, and for most areas , the answer is no. It sounds like you live in an area where it is more popular / accessible, so you just have to decide if you'll be bothered by others having it.

 

[Mimster]

There's always a chance that something will be too trendy. I think it is normal as it is very easy for an idea or style to spread especially with the popularity of the blogosphere. For example the CDC or the "arm party" concept or canary diamonds.

I understand how you feel about the loss of "specialness" when you see an item on everyone. As long as you love the item and it has sentimental value to you then seeing it on everyone shouldn't take away the special feeling of owning it.

Should you get tired of the style, then you could always redesign it. This is probably one of the reasons why I do not buy branded jewelry. I have diamonds that used to belong to my grandmother and have used them in various designs since I inherited them.

 

[saligator]

The fashion cycle comes and goes so often that even the most die-hard classic traditional pieces become "trendy" now and again, but that doesn't stop people wearing them. Granted, jewelry is more expensive and thus, more of a fashion commitment, but I figure if you love a piece, truly love it, then stand true to it, no matter what the current fashion is!

The difference comes into play if you are buying something because you LOVE it (and you have to LOVE it, no pun intended) or because it's "in." The people who buy things because they are "in" take the greater hit because they will need to find the next thing that is "in" instead of enjoying something that they LOVE.

 

[kohl_mascara]

Hi shortee!! I have the yg love bracelet and I live in the LA area, and at first, I never noticed anyone wearing it, but now that I have it, I have seen it everywhere, from moms, to young men and women; even a bloomies sa. I also met a guy at a club who had the bracelet and love ring and he told me his wife had the same set except hers had diamonds. That was really sweet until the guy asked for my number.

But I agree with mimster. When i was debating whether or not to get it, i was afraid it was too trendy. But as long as you love it, I don't think it's important if other people may have it. It's classic. Everyone owning it shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of the piece. My df got me mine as an early wedding present and he has our names engraved in it. So even if others do have it, mine is still unique and holds very special meaning to me! So don't worry about others. Get what you love

 

[lovesparkles]

A real-life example of a trendy ring is a "halo". A classic like a Tiffany-type setting would last forever, while in about 10 years, those with trendy-type rings will be looking to re-set their rings. That's my version of it.

Does it never occur to some posters that calling things trendy is insulting to those of us who have those "trendy" items? You won't hear me saying that the classic Tiffany-type setting boring or uninspired because it isn't a nice thing to say.

 

[kohl_mascara]

Does it never occur to some posters that calling things trendy is insulting to those of us who have those "trendy" items? You won't hear me saying that the classic Tiffany-type setting boring or uninspired because it isn't a nice thing to say.

ITA!!! I was just discussing this with another tpfer. I am glad you brought it up

 

[Mimster]

I don't think the term "trendy" is meant as an insult or makes an item any less valuable. Many classic designs goes through their phases as being "trendy" or the "IT" item. I have a couple of things that were trendy back in the days, some styles still work for me and I have considered them as my "classics".

 

[HauteMama]

As far as "trendy" goes, facts are facts, though. The "in" style right now is halo rings. As with everything else, it doesn't matter if the person who owns it loves it. But when I got married, yellow gold was "in" as were marquise cut diamonds. Then very wide gold bands were in style. No one looks at those things in their original styles today and doesn't think of a certain time period (many people would describe that as "dated"). It doesn't make them any less lovely or precious; it is simply a fact that they were very popular in the 80's and 90's. Although my ring is not a marquise or a wide band, it is very obviously "dated" in appearance, but was popular at the time. It doesn't make me love it any less, nor is its value decreased in my eyes. It is simply a ring from 1996, and there is no way around that.

I view the Love bracelet much like the classic bag styles of some designers. They have been around for a long time and will continue to be around for a long time, but they will cycle in popularity periodically. And while it is most definitely a luxury item, the Love bracelet has been around for quite a number of years. There are many, many people who own them; whether you see them or not may be another issue. But nothing mass-produced is truly "rare". So again, like everything else, it comes down to how much you love it, regardless of how many other people have it or wear it. When it cycles lower in popularity, would it bother you that it was no longer "in style" (the flip-side to being "trendy")? Because as a classic piece, it will definitely rise and fall in popularity over the years.

 

[shortee78]

Wow thanks everyone for your input! It's been very helpful for me. My husband offered to get one for me, and he didn't really see what was so "cool" about it. I had to show him photos from this forum from all you lovely ladies who were wearing one and modeled it, in order for him to appreciate how lovely it is once it's worn.

I think this example is similar to what I went through when I purchased my previous car.. I bought a Mazda 3, and then I started to notice it everywhere I go! Then we got an Acura, I started noticing that too! So I think a big part of it is that my eyes are now opened and there is a certain "filter" or "lens" that I am seeing out of.

I definitely have more of a "classically" styled jewelry wardrobe, as I try to buy pieces that will be versatile in the long run and that I can pass down to my two beautiful daughters eventually. I like the idea of having a classic elegant gold bangle in my growing jewelry collection.... I'll most likely go for the purchase in the future (should my husband remember that I still want it!). Besides, my favorite purse brand is Balenciaga and I see a TON more of these than Cartier LOVE bracelets any day of the week, and I still LOVE my B-bags

Thanks for your help all! And I hope I didn't offend anyone when I mentioned that I noticed there were more halos in the last 5 years or so. That's just my experience with halos, and I only started getting into jewelry recently... I wish I got into it sooner, before all the price increases!!!

 

[Swanky]

It's "popular" right now but IMO neither a halo e-ring nor a Love bracelet are "trendy".
Both are classics IMO, just happen to be very popular right now