I’ve been putting off this article for a while. I don’t prefer to discuss politics in public, but I haven’t been able to get this idea out of my head. Regardless of its imprint in my brain, and while we make fun of him, Jaden Smith is correct: At some point, we do need to discuss the political and economic state of the world. And, so, to make it a little more bearable, I will do so in the context of fashion.

It started with a TikTok video in which style creator Elysia Berman talked about how the result of the election has been hinted to us in fashion particularly, captioning her one minute and 55-second long video “Quiet luxury and Americana as fashion trends are clear predictors of the return to conservative values in the US and should have been signs of a Trump win.”

It was an interesting dissection of how trends like the rise of Americana with the return of Ralph Lauren and quiet luxury all point back to traditional “red” values. Even boiling down to horses — not cowgirl aesthetic — but literal prints of horses à la Stella McCartney for Chloe or Tyler McGillivary’s horse print skirt point to the blend of new, contemporary fashion with the very fabrics of America and Westernization.

It emphasizes patriotism and elegance as a commodity and a value that, instead of finding within, almost acts as a traded good as capsule wardrobes, Birkins and beige called for us to purge our closets and find comfort in the ghost of our clothes past.

But, the call to give fashion the credit it deserves in economic prediction beyond sales, retail reports and manufacturing isn’t a new perspective. In fact, economist George Taylor in 1926 created the “Hemline Theory,” which supposedly suggested that the length of women’s skirts was a parallel to economic stability due to the shorter hemlines in the 1920s compared to the longer silhouettes during the stock market crash.

Interestingly enough with my winter trend prediction of stockings coming back, he theorized part of it was because short skirts allowed women to wear silk stockings and show that they had the funds to do so, while the longer skirts hid that fact that something as simple as stockings wasn’t affordable anymore.

Ironically, with luxury fashion often being hit the hardest during economic difficulty, Estée Lauder revealed that lipstick sales usually increased during economic hardships because it was a cheap but luxurious accessory. In recent years, though, and according to its 2023 fiscal year report, it was fragrance sales that went “up double digits in every region,” not only because it was luxurious in packaging, but also because it was perceived to be the most long-lasting — have the most bang for its buck, so to speak.

So, why do we keep ignoring what the fashion market is trying to tell us? First, I believe the effects of oversaturation from the broken trend cycle during the coronavirus pandemic meant that the once sauvignon-blanc-clear voice has been muffled out over screams of fast fashion and brands trying to be the first in a new trend, rather than building a sustainable collection that lives over time and over competition.

Second, because fashion is seen as such an unnecessary luxury — and I’m not stating that if you are deciding between a vintage Roberto Cavalli skirt and food for your family, you should pick the skirt — its reputation is akin to the kid who was never taken seriously, but secretly was a genius and outranked everyone in school. In fact, it most reminds me of that scene from “The Swan Princess” (1994) in which Prince Derek tells Princess Odette that she is beautiful, to which she merely responds: “Thank you, but what else?”

Fashion is the art of balance, self-expression, financial savviness and interpretation. It allows you to take all of it with nothing in return, and the fabric devotes itself to the wearer as we choose how we use it, if at all. Now, it is time to look beyond hemlines and hand-embroidered koi fish patterns and look at what the reflection of our own spending habits has been telling us.

Postelection, quiet luxury still dominates, but inklings of personality have begun to creep back in. Sure, brown leather makeup boxes and white cotton pouches are trending, but so are the accompanying embroidery of initials in forest greens and demanding silvers. To play into Taylor’s “Hemline Theory,” midi skirts have been returning, but in sheerer forms, just as tights are slinking back up our legs to keep our legs warm in our micro-mini sequin skirts.

Still, I have faith in the silver-studded bags and chunky buckles on distressed leather loafers. Even the popularity of Isabel Marant with her loose, free and chic twist on the all-American-boho girl seems to be the beginnings of a pushback and rediscovery of the self in the melting pot that is America and American culture.

I’m not saying that you have to take everything in the context of upholding traditional standards. Maybe you aspire to be the next Nara Smith, maybe you aspire to live in the mountains or maybe you find the in-between, following your favorite underground indie band as a roadie while still meticulously doing your overnight heatless curls and facemask “morning sheds” Lily van der Woodsen style.

But you need to start understanding what is staring back at you. The world is your oyster, but remember that like diamonds, pearls are made from the environmental changes around them. Don’t mistake pretty for purposelessness — in your jewelry, clothes or yourself.

Hadyn Phillips is a senior writing about fashion in the 21st century, spotlighting new trends and popular controversy in her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” which runs every Wednesday.