“You Can’t Just Slap Some Fabric Together And Call It A Dress”: 30 Designs So Bad, They Deserved To Be Shamed On This Facebook Group (New Pics)

We got in touch with Lynn Taylor, the CEO at Behind the Buckle, and she was kind enough to answer our questions about fashion, and how the industry might change in the current economic climate. She highlighted the fact that if fashion isn't fun, it isn't fashion! Taylor is also a bestselling author, workplace expert, and blogger for Psychology Today.

She pointed out that there's still "some lingering uncertainty" as to whether or not the United States will enter a recession. However, "various fashion trends are now at play because of inflation—and a more cautionary environment," she told Bored Panda.

• "Price matters—Shoppers will place more emphasis on value and be more aware of price and discounts in the coming months. While consumer spending has dipped somewhat, the overall sentiment has been relatively strong. We could get a respectable holiday bump. Still, with the unsettled nature of what lies ahead, consumers will pay greater attention to sale items and focus on value for each dollar spent.
• Repurposed garments—With an eye toward sustainability, they will become more creative in repurposing more of what they already own. More people will be taking a closer look at their closet, for the gems they’ve overlooked as well as new combinations. In an eco-friendlier world today than ever before, they will be more open-minded to wearing apparel they might have dismissed earlier. 
• Classic and basic—People will be more inclined to buy the basics, which will last and allow for maximum options as they mix and match separates. Smart shoppers will be looking for basic colors that offer maximum flexibility. For example, classic blue jeans, black pants, blazers, and garments that can be coordinated with ease.
• Accessories are big—Shoppers will look to accessories to make their wardrobe pop, create more multiple looks, and embrace their individualism. They realize that great shoes, belts, and the right jewelry can dramatically and affordably change their look. An example of repurposing your jeans with an accessory is at Behindthebuckle.com—where we patented a fashionable belt that allows you to repurpose tight and loose jeans with a hidden waist-adjusting feature. We’ll see more products like this that salvage your wardrobe.
• Resale will grow—Consumers will continue to buy second-hand clothing and visit thrift shops, as socially conscious purchases gain steam. Mainstream brands are now entering the resale market. Since the pandemic, this market has grown impressively. Shoppers also have more of an 'anything goes' mentality since the pandemic. They see opportunities to be more unique when exploring 'pre-loved,' one-of-a-kind garments."

Meanwhile, Bored Panda wanted to get Taylor's opinion on what exactly the phrase that we should wear clothes, not let them wear us, entails.

"Focus on what looks and feels best for you. Love what you wear. You don’t want your wardrobe 'to walk in before you do.' It should be part of you. If you’re just trying to fit in with everyone else, don’t do it. If it looks mediocre on you, don’t buy it. If you’re over-enamored with the brand itself but not the actual look, think twice," Taylor, from Behind the Buckle, said.

"People will remember you more for a great look, color, and style that enhances your appearance. When we love what we’re wearing, we’re at our best. When we’re not ourselves in our apparel, it can be reflected in posture and overall disposition. Wear what gives you joy and boosts your confidence."

Taylor warned that it's easy to fall prey to thinking things like, “Everyone’s buying this; I need one,” or “This doesn’t fit right, but I like it.”

"A lot of this is triggered by impulse buying (it can happen during the holidays!). Think about the colors and styles where you’ve received the most compliments. While you’re not dressing to impress others, that can be a helpful data point. You often know inherently which looks really work. But some experimentation along the way is still a good idea. If fashion isn’t fun, it isn’t fashion!"

62k Facebook users make the ‘You can’t just slap some fabric together and call it a dress’ online community their home. The mod and admin team stress the fact nobody there should shame bodies or people. “We also are only shaming dresses. No shoes, hats, shirts, pants, etc. We take this very seriously. Hate isn’t welcomed,” they share.

The team also has the final say on whether or not any post makes it to the group’s feed. If you find that your pic got declined, then “find an uglier dress.”

The founder of the Facebook project, Mary Waldron, was kind enough to answer Bored Panda’s questions about the group, fashion, and dresses during a couple of chats a while ago.

Originally, the group was all about bad wedding dresses. It was only later that they expanded the scope of the page.

“I never expected it to be such a big group, but honestly, I should have because, at the time, shaming groups were a big trend on Facebook,” she said that the group had first started getting more and more attention around six months after it was created, a couple of years ago.

"Looking back, I think the thing about shaming groups in general that brings people together and really resonates with them is the idea that there are things so bad out there that they feel compelled to share them with everyone for a good laugh, just like when a group of kids in school will see a teacher with a really bad tie and make a few jokes. To me, it’s that same concept, just on a much larger scale, that really makes these groups what they are,” founder Mary shared with us during an earlier interview.

"The group name was actually inspired by a comment on a post in the group, ‘That’s it, I’m wedding dress shaming,’" she said.

"The group was originally just a wedding dress shaming group called ‘You Can’t Slap On A White Skirt and Call it a Wedding Dress,' but over time, as more and more people joined, I decided to allow other types of dresses.”

Mary said that the dresses that really get her attention (in a bad way) are the ones that look like “they could fall off, tear, or just completely malfunction at any given moment. But outside of the group, I try to keep an open mind when it comes to fashion because a person’s taste is as unique as their own.”

“If a dress makes you feel happy when you wear it, then you wear it relentlessly because your body is your own to dress how you want to,” she said that what’s most important is how you personally feel about your clothes, not the internet.

According to Mary, the founder of ‘You can’t just slap some fabric together and call it a dress,’ it can be great for a designer when their designs get a lot of attention. Whether or not the design itself is pleasing to the eye is another question entirely.

Meanwhile, when it comes to giving your friends fashion advice, the word to keep in mind is ‘tact.’

"I think the important thing when sharing opinions on another person’s outfits is tact, it comes across as rude if you simply say, 'Your dress is ugly' and the other person may not be as willing to listen to you, but if you were to say, 'I don’t think that dress is very flattering for your figure, try this other dress.' It sounds less critical and gives you the chance to give them a better option," she told Bored Panda.