Space as an umbrella theme has been very much on trend over the last few seasons. A few years ago, Attire Club did announce in the annual trend forecast that space, with all that it encompasses in modern culture, will be something that not only fashion designers will use as a source of inspiration for their collections, but something that will be highly present all over not just the artistic, but also the social and political landscape.
And so it happened that not only models walked the runways in space suits and that retailers like H&M or Zara featured NASA t-shirts in their stores, not to mention the abundance of space watches presented during Baselworld, but space was also a big theme in other spheres as well. For example, the talks about a landing on Mars and a new Moon landing increased, with concrete plans being made and space suits being put in place.
From web browsers to podcasters, everyone went gaga about space. And, that is a bit of an understandable thing… if we can make a quick analysis. Firstly, the 1990s were a time when UFOs and aliens were on everybody’s lips, from shows like the X-Files being extremely watched to documentaries about alien abductions and spaceship sightings being extremely popular among young people. These days, we are seeing a strong come-back in ‘90s aesthetics, as the generation that was then very young has now the economic resources to consume a lot and thus, in a rather dark time like ours, the 1990s represent the peak of nostalgia and a longing for a “safe place” for many. And so, space comes along with the package. Surely, there are also other, deeper reasons why space is trending these days.
Among all the craziness revolving around the theme of space, the concept of aliens has once again made it into the mainstream – not so much about alien abductions (as with social media you can get labeled for life), but more in a mysterious creatures type of context. One of the main “events” that characterized the aliens craze was the Facebook event that proposed a taking by storm of Area 51, which claimed that if enough people would try to overtake the secretive zone, the US government would not be able to shut them down all at once. Over 2 million people marked their interest in the event, which was scheduled for September. In Mid-August the founder of the event announced that he would organize an alien-themed festival called Alien Stock in a town with an extremely small population (apparently just 54 people live there), which lies extremely close to Area 51. Could the event have all been a PR stunt for his event? If it was, it seemed that it had worked, as many people showed interest not just in aliens, but in creating a community around the idea of releasing and discovering who these “foreigners” are.
Symbolically speaking, aliens are foreigners and the parallels between modern migration corridors and the descending of being from outer space should be more than obvious.
Extraterrestrials have been the subject of so much talk, that even their clothes are something that has been discussed. One of the first people to do so was Master of Yoga George King, who also wrote about UFOs. He was actually the one who perpetuated the stereotype of the futuristic perpetual onesie that never changes. In a pamphlet he published in 1964, he wrote that when a Martian or Venusian comes to Earth, it is not the atmosphere itself that they fear, but the bacteria in our atmospheric belt, against which precautions need to be taken. According to King, all enlightened men, whether Earthlings or from other planets, have one thing in common and that is the knowledge and ability to exert conscious control over the Universal Life Force. This is supposedly done by correct breathing and other techniques, mostly based on the nervous system. In this sense, the one-piece suits would protect aliens from the bacteria that might interfere with their capacities.
Moreover, the suits are said to give off a particular musical note, which drives away the bacteria from around them. The note is almost inaudible to the human ear, as it has a high frequency. This way, an extraterrestrial could be always protected from the bacteria found on Earth.
King also explained that it is possible to bring into being a similar type of “seamless one-piece suit” which would protect the wearer while surveying the bottom of the ocean. The properties deemed necessary to afford such measures of protection can be incorporated in the suit upon manufacturing. Apparently, some of these suits are materialized by thought by their wearers.
On 20 September, when the Storm Area 51 event was scheduled, as predicted, nothing really happened. While some people did gather at Area 51, no gateway to extraterrestrial secrets was opened. Thus, humanity still didn’t find out whether aliens really do wear onesies or any other mysteries revolving around extraterrestrial beings.
Fraquoh and Franchomme
P.S. We want to hear from you! What do you think of the alien onesie? What do you make of the space trend? What do you think of the 90s trend? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!