The twenty-third century might look something like this

One of the neat things about life is that people are trendy and self-conscious about what they look like, and more importantly, perhaps, personify. Without jumping into a philosophical prose about today\'s socio-cultural world, I thought it would be fun to look back and admire the history of trends and how people once thought a certain style of dress was the pinnacle of style, and, how past styles have influenced modern design and creativity.

Today I met a group of women that design and make their own historical costumes and clothing for their organization called the Bakersfield Historical Costume Society. This easy going group of gals was at the Garden Fest at Bakersfield College promoting interest in their group while also raising some money from handmade crafts.

Group organizer Sara Tielsch said that their organization was all about enjoying the fun fashions of the past as well as putting their own touches to it.

"We create all of our own clothes through recycled materials like old curtains or even tablecloths," said Tielsch. "We\'re also really into the Steampunk style and creating clothes that represent that look, too."

The group also goes to costume fairs to engage with other like-minded individuals that share their passion for fashion. Most of these events are themed for a certain time period or style such as the \'50s or Steampunk — an invented fashion that derived from Victorian-era style combined with Jules Verne-esque science fiction all wrapped up into a world where steam is used instead of electricity. That\'s the short version anyway.

This trip through the timeline got me thinking that today\'s trends may someday be used in a similar way by some imaginative stylists to create a unique genre, too. And though I may not look out at the crowds of people and see what that look may be, I\'m sure that people back in the Victorian era didn\'t think that their styles were "costumes" just waiting to be inserted into someone\'s artistic vision either, and I think that\'s cool.

People are a strange species but we never notice it until we examine the past and realize that the definition of normal is completely relative. Someday a Polo shirt will have an entirely new appeal and meaning, maybe. From left: Jenny Sanchez, Sara Tielsch, Caitlin Murphy, Angela Ponsetta, and Jetye Bryant