Blacktower FM - Issue 18 - 2026 Magazine - Flipbook - Page 28
DEUGBAACI YE D
I TI ITOI O
NN
L
ED
LIFESTYLE
WHY TASTE AGES
BETTER THAN TRENDS
By Ally Kerr, Group Execu琀椀ve Director at Blacktower Financial Management
FROM ARCHITECTURE TO CLOTHING TO INTERIORS
Trends move quickly. Taste moves deliberately.
In a culture shaped by speed, novelty and constant visibility,
trends are designed to capture a琀琀en琀椀on. They respond to the
moment, re昀氀ect the prevailing mood and o昀琀en burn brightly
before fading just as fast. Taste, by contrast, develops slowly.
It is informed by judgement, restraint and experience. And
over 琀椀me, it proves far more enduring.
This dis琀椀nc琀椀on becomes par琀椀cularly clear when looking at
architecture, clothing and interiors — areas where choices
are lived with daily, not consumed and discarded. In these
spaces, the di昀昀erence between what is fashionable and
what is well-considered reveals itself not in the 昀椀rst year,
but in the tenth.
Architecture o昀昀ers the clearest example. Buildings designed
to follow trends o昀琀en feel dated remarkably quickly. Styles
that rely on novelty, exaggera琀椀on or surface detail tend to
age poorly as materials weather and cultural preferences
shi昀琀. By contrast, architecture rooted in propor琀椀on, light,
balance and context con琀椀nues to feel relevant long a昀琀er
its comple琀椀on.
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THE MOST ADMIRED BUILDINGS ARE RARELY THE
MOST FLAMBOYANT.
They respect their surroundings. They priori琀椀se func琀椀on as
well as form. Their appeal lies in how they are experienced
over 琀椀me — how light moves through a space, how materials
respond to use, how the structure adapts to changing needs.
Taste in architecture is less about statement and more about
coherence.
Clothing follows a similar pa琀琀ern. Fashion trends are
inten琀椀onally transient. They create momentum through
change, encouraging regular replacement and constant
reinven琀椀on. Taste, however, favours longevity. Well-cut
garments, considered fabrics and restrained pale琀琀es outlast
seasonal cycles because they are designed around the human
form rather than the prevailing aesthe琀椀c.
People with strong taste rarely dress to a琀琀ract a琀琀en琀椀on. Their
choices appear e昀昀ortless, not because they lack inten琀椀on,
but because inten琀椀on has been re昀椀ned. A wardrobe built
on quality and propor琀椀on o昀昀ers 昀氀exibility without excess.
Over 琀椀me, it becomes personal rather than performa琀椀ve.
Interiors sit somewhere between architecture and clothing,
shaping daily experience in subtle ways. Trend-led interiors
o昀琀en priori琀椀se visual impact over livability. Colours, 昀椀nishes
and layouts designed to impress ini琀椀ally can quickly feel
oppressive or imprac琀椀cal. Taste-led interiors focus on
comfort, balance and material integrity.
