My love for fringe started when I was a kid. Must have been all those Western TV Shows I watched that inspired me to always want to dress up as a cowgirl. Pretty naive that a little chubby Italian girl from the NY suburbs thought she could pull off that look, but ignorance is bliss.
Problem is that ignorance continued. LOL
Here’s an example. Couldn’t wait to wear my suede fringe vest to my pal Jacquis’ 60’s themed birthday party. (However, I wear that same same vest out when there isn’t a party. You catching on about my fringe thing?)
Lucky for me, fringe is back in a big way for 2023. It’s officially a current fashion trend. The cover of one of my favorite catalogues is proof.
Honestly, I never cared if fringe was out. I just got a thing for fringe. I’ve often referred to my personal fashion style as ‘Corporate Boho’. I know there’s no such thing. I made it up.
I just went in my closet and pulled out all my fringe and threw it on my bed. Made me laugh how long I’ve had some of these things. They say if you hold onto things long enough, they come back in. Even if I was ‘out’ I didn’t care. I’ve obviously got a never-ending love affair going with fringe and…every fringe has a story.
The red fringe over the shoulder thing and belt sou see in this photo, I chose as a gift to myself after winning money in Vegas back when I was in my 20’s. The brown fringe suede poncho it’s laying over, I found in a consignment shop a few years ago and I just wore it again two weeks ago. The darker brown fringe suede vest I must also have found in a consignment shop somewhere, and I wore it this week to the studio to welcome my guest with the Texas twang. The light beige fringe suede jacket is my favorite! It was a super-duper exciting surprise birthday gift from my highly intuitive and thoughtful boyfriend Dave.
Oh and I almost forgot about these boots I just pulled out of the bottom of my closet.
Oh and I almost forgot about the grey summer beach skirt with fringe I almost donated and pulled back out of the trunk of my car, which is sitting on top of a favorite orange fringe blanket I almost forgot about, that Dave and I actually named ‘fringy’ .
Oh and I almost forgot about the very expensive and giant grey Giorgio Armani scarf wrap with fringe you see here above on the left that I bought in the late 90’s on the fly at Bergdorf Goodman’s. I was en route to receive the award for Best Syndicated Radio Talk Show of The Year when I realized my arms looked way too fat for me. With no time to spare and nervousness in the air – money was no object.
God, I love fringe!
But seriously who decided that cut up hanging strands of fabric would be a cool fashion thing? I did a little research.
Fringe clothing can be traced back to indigenous cultures all over the world, including Native American, African, and Middle Eastern tribes. Fringe was originally used as a decorative element on clothing and accessories, but it also served functional purposes like keeping insects away and helping to shed water. In the United States, fringe clothing became popular during the 1920s flapper era, when dresses and skirts were adorned with long strands of fringe that swayed with movement. Fringe was also big in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the hippie and bohemian fashion movements. Fringe has also been used in various subcultures, like punk and heavy metal, as a symbol of rebellion and nonconformity. Now fringe has made a comeback in mainstream fashion, on everything from handbags and shoes to jackets and dresses as a way to add texture and movement to garments, as well as to create a sense of playfulness and whimsy.
I’m guess I’ve been drawn to fringe all along for all the things it represents. Nonconformity, playfulness and whimsy.
I also think wearing fabric that moves around as much as I do, might have something to do with me lovin’ it. Who knows. Who cares. I love fringe.
Debbie Nigro
