Letters and numbers are some of the most iconic, powerful symbols, which open up to us entire worlds in books, magazines, on the Internet, and now – thanks to an up and coming trend – in fashion.
Typography as decoration in fashion is a hot trend to watch for the Autumn/Winter 2008/2009 season, as part of the rise in the increased use of graphics, logos and pictograms in design.
Letters and Numbers are Powerful Symbols
The typography fashion trend uses the graphic, suggestive power of letters, numbers, and even font styles themselves to project a wide array of moods and meanings through the medium of fashion and design. Dresses, tops, skirts, accessories, and even home décor items such as wallpaper and throw pillows are taking the concept of fashion communication quite literally by employing printed and sculpted alphabets and numbers.
Depending on the design and font choice, the letters and numbers printed on fashion fabrics can call to mind the childlike and playful innocence of early grade school, evoke the bold heraldry of fonts that look like they were taken from 19th signage, or conjure up ideas of romance, rebellion, revelry, or any other sentiment.
How to Wear the Typography Fashion Trend
Incorporating letters and numbers in your outfit can be as subtle or bold a task as you please:
- Show your letters proudly with bold, graphic type printed clearly on a top, blouse, dress or skirt, such as the cross-stitch-esque lettering hand screen printed on this sweet jersey jean-perfect top from Makool Loves You.
- Prove that letters and numbers are just shapes, by wearing a fabric in which the prints is made up of a hodgepodge of letters that just look like a cool pattern.
- Tread lightly on the trend by wearing a necklace with a single letter pendant dangling from its chain, such as the sought-after, incredibly elegant Tiffany Alphabet in which diamond, gold, platinum or silver letter pendants make for some serious alphabet bling.
- Don a personalized sculptural interpretation of the ABCs and 123s with a bracelet or ring of letters or numbers wrapped around your wrist or finger, such as Nishi designer Joanna Bengoa's hand-sculpted, custom ID cuffs and ID rings, proclaiming any five- to twelve-letter date or word you wish.
Font Fashion Tips
Every graphic designer will tell you that type shape and font choice speak volumes about the mood behind letters and the words they form. Here's a guide to matching fonts with your fashion statement.
- For a classic or traditional feel, look for prints with serif fonts, such as Georgia, Times New Roman, or Bodoni.
- For a retro look or a modern retro look for sans serif fonts like mamma gamma, Bauhaus 93, or other fonts that feature ultra round or very angular lettering.
- For a more whimsical feel, select script fonts like Scriptina, Chopin Script or Jane Austen.
- Feeling totally wacky? Go for fonts like Chiller, Comic, Jokerman, Forte or Gigi.
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