The word ‘fashion’ has numerous dictionary definitions, but due to my passion for clothes as a way of self expression, I’m only interested in the first definition, “popular or trending ways to dress.” The fashion community is full of opinions and controversial takes, but fashion is debatable and there is no “correct” way to do it. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop people from hating or sharing their critical opinions on certain items and styles. I personally love some of the trends that are considered taboo and I would like to defend them.
1. Jorts
Jorts are jean shorts that are cut just above the knees. Jorts first became popular by hip-hop influence in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Today, a lot of people seem to dislike jorts due to them being too long or too baggy. Some people even compare jorts to dad shorts! Others think that jorts make them look shorter, which is probably just an illusion due to the shorts covering half of your legs. I absolutely love baggy clothes so to me, jorts are a dream.
Styling:
- Pair with a baggy top, for a baggy look.
- You can also style them with a smaller top to let the baggy bottoms have their moment.
- Another popular way of styling them is with a jersey.
2. Prints
Animal and floral prints have gone in and out style. Animal prints have been hated by being viewed as inappropriate and for sending a message about animals dying. Some view animal prints as tacky, trashy, or too unique to be casually worn and styled. Some people hate floral prints because they remind them of older women’s fashion or tacky curtains. Honestly, I think we should stop exaggerating and look at the many possibilities these prints can bring to outfits!
Styling:
- Many people notice prints are very bold and unique, so in order style them you need to use solid colors.
- For cheetah print, use basic colors of black and white with a pop of a bolder color like red or a dark green.
- For floral prints, I recommend softer basic colors like white, baby pink, or baby blue.
- For zebra print, I think it should be styled with solid blacks and whites but it can also be paired with gray and maybe some pops of color.
3. Camo
As I was looking to find which fashion trends people hated, this one shocked me the most. Why wouldn’t you love camo? As a camo pants enthusiast, my heart slightly broke seeing negative opinions on camo printing in outfits. Some have stated that to them camo was supposed to be a micro trend that has annoyingly not gone away. I don’t understand this, since camo pants have trended since the 80’s. Another popular opinion is that people think camo prints remind them of things like hunting or war, which is fair, since that is what the print was originally intended for. But I still don’t find that a good enough of a reason to hate them. One of the reasons why I love them so much is that camo prints, especially camo pants, are extremely easy to style. One of the things that make styling camo so easily is that it can be both the neutral and bold point in an outfit
Styling:
- You can style with more natural colors like a green,brown,black, or white to make it the main focus.
- And style them with bolder colors, such as orange or red, to make it act as a neutral point in the outfit
4. Adidas Shoes
In the early years of Adidas, the shoes were designed for sports, like soccer cleats and track spikes. Their brand slowly drifted their focus towards everyday sneakers. Throughout the years, Adidas shoes have been a hit or miss in fashion. From their shoes being huge trends, like the Adidas superstars which were very common in the mid 2010’s, to them having a quick downfall, to becoming out of trend. The recent Adidas shoes to go through this were the Gazelle and Sambas designs. Recently through social media, the shoes gained awareness, popularity and sales. This later caused a lot of people to dislike them due the fact they are now being “overworn” and being restyled in the same ways over and over. Some will also call them bowling shoes, which I can see and understand but feel that this design is what makes them great and easy to style!
Styling:
- Due to the casual and simple design of the shoe, the best way to style them is with an equally simple outfit.
5. Sandwich method
If you don’t know what the sandwich method is, it is the method of having the pieces of clothes on the top and bottom (usually your top and shoes) match while the middle (pants) is different. This is one of the most common ways to build an outfit. Some people view it as a lazy way of dressing and that it is not unique and unoriginal. Now personally, I love the sandwich method. In the fashion community people think that everything has to be unique and original, which isn’t realistic for everyday fashion, so the sandwich method is an extremely useful blueprint to build an outfit.
Styling:
- To avoid seeming unoriginal, I recommend using a more unique top and then have the shoes match colors with them.
6. Flare Jeans
Flare pants or bell bottoms had a recent comeback in fashion, resulting in my recent obsession in collecting them. Bell bottoms were first popularized in the 1960’s and have been in and out of style ever since. The aesthetic or style that is usually associated with them are Y2K with many early 2000’s artists wearing them. Some people believe that flare pants are only flattering on certain body types, which isn’t something I can personally speak on, but the way they look on a person can change based on the style of the pants, color, length, and what you pair them with.
Styling:
- Pair them with anything you wish on the top with different colors and designs.
7. Pattern over pattern
The most known unwritten rule when dressing up is if you wear something patterned, you have to pair it with something solid. In that sense it is very uncommon for people to dress with the order of “pattern over pattern” or just mixing patterns. Personally, I don’t wear my clothes in that order but it got added to this list because I realized that it isn’t as bad as it is made out to be. As I’ve noticed mixing patterns is something that can easily look messy or extremely tacky but it can look good if the pieces somehow coordinate with each other.
Styling:
- You can color associate or pair together colors that can easily blend in together, which can be through similar feelings colors evoke.
- Some slight color association can be things like red, yellow, and green or blues, pinks, and purples.
- You can also easily mix smaller patterns and larger patterns due to the fact the larger patterns will take away from the smaller ones making them almost be a natural part of the outfit .
Although I hope that these ideas have changed your perspective on certain articles of clothing or inspired you on ways to style them, my tips may not work for you at all. After all, fashion is based on what works for you and what you personally prefer. These ideas and tips are purely opinion based. Keep in mind that the fashion community is huge and there are things out there to try and see if you enjoy them. If you do have trouble with finding your personal style or even finding clothes you like, I suggest checking social media like TikTok, Insta, and Pinterest. On these sites, you can find other’s outfits, which may inspire you to create similar ones or make yourself aware of different pieces. Finding things you like may take a while but it is all worth it in the end. Good luck!
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