Global Trend Report '08 - Amsterdam

It’s official: Knitted cardigans are the biggest revival of the year. The best-dressed guys, the ones not clinging to last year’s color frenzy, have done a complete turnaround and become grandpas. Classy grandpas that get lots of trim. Button-downs, plain t-shirts, boot-cut or at least not-too-tight jeans, and good old-fashioned Sperry Top-Siders are the way to go. Scarves are here to stay, but at least they’re not shemaghs anymore. And hey, go ahead and put a little cap on your head if you feel like it. Why the fuck not, right?

Some boys still want to be fashion plates, though, and these fellers will die with their limited-edition whatevers clutched in their paws. They are also very picky about their watches. One guy here is wearing a “gold second-edition Casio vintage watch, straight from Taiwan.” They care about brand names like Carhartt, Element, and Blue Blood, and will wear pretty much anything “only available in Japan.”

In happier news, the all-over-print t-shirt has finally died.

Girls are still wearing lots of bright colors, busy patterns, and cutesy, eye-grabbing accessories like rainbow shoelaces and wide leather belts. Girly, floral, 80s dresses and acid-washed miniskirts are being snatched up from vintage shops all over town, and opaque tights with pumps aren’t budging. They’re combining freaky vintage stuff with freaky new stuff like gold lamé leggings, Navajo-patterned slouch socks, and leopard-print ballet flats. Bonkers!

Young trendsetters are also big into customizing their own clothes. Everyone is hacking off the collars of sweatshirts or learning to knit or buying sewing machines and affixing patches, bits of fur, or even whole teddy bears onto their jackets. Parts of the city are starting to look like Harajuku East.

Hairdressers are also not so popular these days—kids have their hair cut into spiky configurations by friends or they do it themselves, saving money that they can then spend on Pink Elephant cigarettes, which are vanilla-flavored pink cigarettes. They’re adorable!

Photos: Angga Pratama