Laver’s law

James Laver was an author and art historian with an unusual interest in fashion for his time. First published in 1937, he created what’s known as Laver’s Law, which was an attempt to identify the pattern of fashion cycles. This is what he came up with:

Indecent: 10 years before its time
Shameless: 5 years before its time
Outré (Daring): 1 year before its time
Smart: Current Fashion
Dowdy: 1 year after its time
Hideous: 10 years after its time
Ridiculous: 20 years after its time
Amusing: 30 years after its time
Quaint: 50 years after its time
Charming: 70 years after its time
Romantic: 100 years after its time
Beautiful: 150 years after its time

I don’t know about the exact timeframe – photography doesn’t necessarily move at the same pace as fashion, and we certainly live in a different age. But I think the idea is intriguing. One of the things I think that’s most interesting is the transition from hideous to amusing. Could it be that at 10 years the stain of our decisions is fresh enough in our memories to still be personal, and that at 20 years, we gain enough perspective and distance to laugh at ourselves? I don’t really know, but it’s food for thought.

What’s also food for thought is just where each of us is on the curve. Are you largely photojournalistic (for the record, I hate that term)? It could be getting a little long in the tooth. How about editorial and lifestyle? I remember reading in PDN that those were the catchwords a few years back. Editorial seems to be holding up, but lifestyle is a mixed bag. How long until it jumps the shark? What’s next? Certainly not vintage. That’s only gets you as far as this past year, but it’s everywhere. I think it’s gotta burn out. And what’s next? What would be daring or even shameless on Laver’s scale in wedding photography terms? Because that’s really the million dollar question. Hit that, and you’ve found your target.