Trends that should: die, die, die | The Fashion Dungjen

A very scientific study (a Facebook status update and a question to an open Internet forum) solicited replies from any and everyone on what trends should die, which need to make a comeback and what will be the next big thing in fashion.

Because I was bombarded with responses, I'm turning this into a four-part blog series. The first one is all about what trends should die, according to Internet responses. (Actually, part two is also what trends should die. I had way more responses on hopeful trend goodbyes that it's a little overwhelming.)

Some of these things I expected. Some I didn't.

Here's what others had to say and what I say to them.

Til' death do we part (and we hope you die soon) PT. 1
The trends people are ready to kill off

Leggings as pants: Six respondent said they're ready to see leggings as pants die.

"i am sick & tired of seeing girls with SHEER "leggings" who think they can wear them as pants with medium length tops barely covering their baby makers. i don't care how skinny you are, LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE SHEER. STOP IT."
-Lauren Smallwood, a second-year University of Cincinnati art history student, via Facebook

I say: Amen, brothers and sisters. It's probably the number one most echoed sentiment on this blog. I don't really know when this took off - again - it was probably when I was a senior in high school, maybe during my first year at the University of Cincinnati. Either way, that was several years ago (2005-06 ish). Since then the head of leggings as pants has disgusted many, many people. It's been written about, Facebook hate clans have formed. it's time to call it quits, people. It's done. Over. Please.

Wet leggings: One respondent said wet leggings are done.

I say: This isn't too terribly different from the entire idea of leggings as pants. The wet legging look is done. Over. Not cool. I think Rhianna tried to rock this for awhile, which is probably part of the unfortunate reason it took off. I saw it for a while, probably last spring-ish, but I don't know that it's something I think is still a 'trend.' I think there are probably a few stragglers still trying to make it work, but, as a whole, I'm pretty sure it's over.

Coach: Three respondents said Coach anything - shoes, purses, wristlets - need to be on the way out.

"i also never want to see another coach purse/shoe in my entire life. coach products are like the middle class's way of saying 'see? i can afford expensive labels.' seriously, big price tags don't mean you have style."
-Lauren Smallwood, via Facebook

I say: See ya, Coach. Never been a fan. Never will be a fan. Actually, that might be too extreme. I saw one coach bag that I liked in San Francisco last summer. Of course it was in a window across the street, but it was a large eggplant hobo bag with no apparent trace of a logo.



Leg warmers: One respondent mentioned leg warmers.

I say: I've seen a lot of leg warmers this year. Most frighteningly, I've seen them when the weather has been kind of warm and with mini skirts. They're awful. Awful, awful, awful. They should have gone out with Jane Fonda. I used to own a couple pairs of leg warmers, actually. One pair, I believe, was from a Halloween costume I recycled from 80s day in high school and the other pair I wore under my jeans in the winter my first year at school. Walking across campus, which is essentially a very large wind tunnel, can be quite trying when it's cold. I need all the heat-generating motivation to keep me going to class. Leg warmers, when they're not visible, or worn with a mini skirt, can be totally practical and warranted.

Big earrings: This was argued on my Facebook status. What's too big? What shape is OK? What style is acceptable. It was quite a lot of back-and-forth, but, here's what we (they) established:

"Big ass earrings will always be fabulous. They're a vintage trend and vintage will always be fabulous. 60s style icon edie sedgwick's look was HUGE earrings, and she is timeless in my mind."
-Kelsey Wing, second-year University of Cincinnati journalism student

"OK, yes, some big earrings are good but I'm talking about the big round-the-way-girl hoop earrings, the kind you could put your freakin' head through. Sheesh. What's the point of those? They're an accident waiting to happen."
-Aiesha Little, associate editor of Cincinnati Magazine

I say: I agree with Kelsey and Aiesha. I love Edie Sedgwick. Her style - big earrings and all - were fantastic. They worked for her. If I had earrings that looked like hers, I'd wear them and love them too. However, it does matter what kind of big earrings you might be talking about to make the argument that large earrings are OK to wears.

The large hoop earrings -as pictured above -are too much. One wrong turn and that bad boy is hooked on something and ripped right out of your ear lobe. Not a pretty sight, I'm sure.


Crocs: Four respondents said Crocs need to die.

I say: Crocs are quite heinous. I would love for their time to finally come to an end instead of watching the company come out with a new style every so often to supplement sliding sales. Everything - the original design, the mary janes, the flats, the boots, the heels, the what-the-heck-is-on-your feet style - they all have to go. Every single pair, every single style, every single color.

Vera Bradley: Three respondents said they'd like to see Vera Bradley go by the wayside.

I say: I've never really understood the idea behind the Very Bradley craze. I've known women in entire families where they actually collect the ugly patchwork bags. No one in my family would be caught dead with one. Maybe bad/good taste is hereditary.


UGGs: Five respondents said UGGs have to go.

I say: The day UGGs go out of business or are officially declared out, unconstitutional, whatever, anything that prohibits their wear, will be the day I rejoice to the fullest. I don't understand their appeal. People say they're comfortable. OK, well, so are my leather boots and they're not ugly. People say they're warm. OK, yeah, well, so are my leather boots and, again, my boots aren't ugly. UGGs were made for one type of person and one type of person only: Appalachian sheep herders. Period. End of story. For the galavanters in urban jungles, your feet have no place inside the sausage casing-like boots. They make your legs look stumpy cat scratching posts. Oh my gosh, and please, just continue to wear them all summer. What a great idea. The dichotomy of wearing boots with a mini skirt is really brilliant, you little scholar, you.

Skinny jeans: Two respondents said skinny jeans need to fall out.

I say: OK, I'm not sure I really understand. At this point, I don't even consider skinny jeans a trend; they're a different cut of denim. I guess the same can be said for any of the aforementioned trends- UGGs are a type of boot, Crocs are a type of shoe, whatever - but skinny jeans are here to stay and I'm OK with that. I like them. I wear them. I think they look good on a fairly sizable portion of the population and they're complimentary to a large portion of the population. I disagree with the idea that skinny jeans need to be on the way out. I think they're here to stay. (The only problem - and this can be said for any kind of jean - is you want to avoide what the model on the right has in the picture of the jeans. Some extra fabric fold/bulge thing. Not cute.



Converse: Two respondents said Converse need to die.

I say: What? Seriously? Converse have been around since, what, 1918? I'm also pretty sure I've seen numbers that indicate more than 60 percent of Americans own, or at one point owned, a pair of the shoes. These are not going anywhere. Converse is not a trend, they're a staple. True, they were a lot cooler before Nike bought the brand in 2003. Even since then I haven't noticed less of them, I've seen more. I would even go so far to say that Converse are probably the most Americana iconic shoes that exist as a part of American popular culture. I wish I could even count the number of pairs I own - lets see, there were the navy low tops, the black high tops, green high tops, comic book high tops, white low tops. (OK, that might be it, actually.) Still, to have more than one person suggest that converse is a fashion trend that needs to die is a little shocking. How can you dislike Converse? Can someone explain this?

Brand name clothing: I grouped this because I had one respondent say American Eagle and Abercrombie and Fitch and another say brand names.

I say: Again, brand name clothing: not a trend, a fact of life. I agree, however, that stores - like the aforementioned, should play less of a role as you graduate from middle school to high school and high school to college. I'm a little biased toward American Eagle - I worked there through my first and second year of school, but I understand the frustaration with people who are clad from head to toe in anything that has an eagle, seagull or moose applique. But, that said, brand name clothing isn't going to go anywhere. Ever. Unless you're making all of your clothes yourself, everything is part of a brand, no matter how big or how small the company. You can shop at a thrift store all you want, but those clothes you just paid a dollar for were, at one point, part of a larger line (if the company no longer exists). Sorry, but the indie elitisim doesn't work here.

The 80s: One respondent said what happened in the 80s should stay in the 80s.

I say: So long shoulder pads and glam-rock hair. I bid thee aidu, suit jackets with sequin and bed appliques. Farewell, goodbye, see ya, toodles, don't let the door hit you on the way out. I'm exaggerating a little bit. Not all of the 80s was a bad thing. If you take bits and pieces of the extravagance - the big jewelry, hot pink lipstick, electric blue eyeshadow, Madonna-inspired lace gloves - and work it into something more modern the 80s isn't quite so aesthtically harmful. But, really, the legwarmers, the shoulder pads..? Leave those where you found them.