Sense of Otherness and Fashion Trend Archives.

Posts of the previous week have opened a window into the development of my own fashion archives. Since the archive will be incorporated into a larger project, I have shared only a fraction of its contents. However, the following filing system might be of interest to others - like myself - who notice trends and analyze their origins.

As mentioned in one of the earlier posts, one of my main categories has been: "Sense of Otherness" - a term I give to what is shockingly new or so different as to be considered avant garde. My Sense of Otherness file entries bridge a gap between great and bizarre. With time, I realized that what shocked my senses initially would very often begin to look quotidien. Individuality is often mimicked, so - very predictably - styles that shocked frequently became trends.

Aside from that main category, here are some other file-headings I kept pre-1980 to post-2000:

• vintage
• textiles
• scot-irish
• spanish toreador
• sports
• russian
• old west
• orient
• nautical
• interesting personalities
• haberdashery
• gypsy
• floral / fauna / nature
• fashion history
• fashion articles 
• eye-catching advertisements
• dance/fitness
• breakthroughs/innovations
• africa
• accessories

Of course, that isn't an all-inclusive list, but does give an idea of the archival scope.