From bell bottoms, skinny jeans, Fila sneakers, Crocs, YOLO, to those shutter sunglasses that weren’t really sunglasses to even dogs, as accessories. You may wonder what any of these things have in common. Well, these are just a short list of some of the fads not only I, but we,  as a culture have taken part in. When I look back and recount the amount of times thrown myself into these quick fads I cringe with embarrassment. We often look back, ashamed of certain style choices we made, but the reality is, those things were actually cool at the time.  Was crackle nail polish or man buns really going to stay current forever? What the hell were we thinking? 

Instagram from @70sarchive

To be trendy is to be fashionable and up to date. If you look at major trend setting celebrities like the Kardashians, Madonna, Cher, Paris Hilton or Lady Gaga, you can start to recognize that they have innovative styles and embody what is “in” in that moment of time. The difference between style and a fad is that fads are just short-lived crazes. To be fair it is hard to distinguish one from the other. Trends usually have a longer lifespan and can sometimes fall under the classic style fashion category which is longer lasting and representative of an era. For example, Blue Jeans, The Little Black Dress, Trench coats, and Converse running shoes are all things that fall under “Classic fashion”. Fads are usually fleeting moments that are wildly popular and enthusiastically intense moments in fashion history. Like those patterned leggings you wish you didn’t wear in middle school. Living in a day and age where things come and go faster than ever before, how do you know that something isn’t going to last? 

Trends make comebacks all the time. What was once cool, eventually becomes uncool. Then, something shifts and we start finding ways to incorporate the once “uncool” thing into another style. It evolves. We have seen this with the Fanny Pack craze and Dad Sneaker obsession. We are also in the midst of the Croc comeback, but for the love of God can we please toss those back to 2008!? …. We have spent the past 10 years mocking these style choices, only to have the old trend re-emerge in a new and improved way.

If we reflect on the history of fashion, we see recurring themes. Right now for instance, we are seeing psychedelic patterns and bright colours like we did in the seventies. We’re also seeing early styles that were popular in the 2000s filter onto styles found today like Y2K. Trends circulate and much of what we see now has evolved from our past. The cycle of fashion. There are five stages to the cycle of fashion starting with the introduction period followed by its increase, peak, decline and obsolescence, meaning it has reached the end. Manufacturers and designers are always thinking of the future, trying to come up with the next fad or trend. With the world running so much faster, things are easily overdone and overplayed, making it difficult to predict what’s next.

Instagram from @70sarchive

Trends or fads can often also reflect the current state that society is in, as people usually dress in ways that reflect their feelings and moods. In darker, more challenging time periods, we see a more conservative and non expressive time in fashion. By contrast, decades that experienced peace and celebration and cultural invigoration have brought about unique styles that represent people’s individuality and creativity. During the 60’s and 70’s,  there was a cultural phenomenon surrounding activism and psychedelic drug taking that resulted use of fabrics and textiles that were bright and contrasting, splashy and crazy. The crazier the better!  The early 80s and the birth of punk was the antithesis of the disco glitz and glam of the 70’s. A vibrant new culture movement where people started dressing in neons, Black leather, studs and pins holding ripped T-shirts together. Spiked multi coloured messy hair and big stomping boots.  These are some trends that we see returning today. 

Instagram from @70sbabes

The problem with fads is that in chasing what is cool or “in” at the moment, we can lose our individual sense of style. We begin living in accordance with others and not with ourselves. Becoming obsessed with a sort of social uniform; with having that jacket, that hat, or that delicate chain or crop top.  It becomes less about what you want to wear and more about what society and Instagram show tell you what to wear. We lose an outlet for creativity. Our clothes stop being a reflection of who we are and how we feel or even what mood we are in. Instead, they become a way to fit into the mainstream to blend in.

Fashion can also be exciting and we can use it for different experiences. Whether honouring artists like Cher or by living out our Britney Spears or boy band fantasy. We use fashion to pay tribute to our idols, or commemorate their life and legacy, as was done after Kobe Bryant’s passing. There was a massive spike in demand for his merchandise and everything was sold out within days because people wanted to show their love and pay tribute to their hero and reflecting his brand.

Instagram from @2000snowbunny

If we limit ourselves to fads, we miss out on all of the fun that can be had in true fashion. We live in a world where you are encouraged to be authentic, yet it takes a lot of courage to step out and be an individual. We are so concerned that we will be deemed weird or God forbid… uncool. When you see someone that has a completely unique sense of style, it is not always seen as fashionable. They are kind of unique and interesting.  We need to encourage people to let go of the idea of being like everyone else and focus on what we feel most comfortable, happy and ourselves in being. Fashion shouldn’t be 15 girls in a room all wearing black leggings and white Air Force Ones ( cue the eye roll) … it should be individual forms of self expression, and unique displays of styles that is tinker tailored to fit you as you! Embrace your fashion faux pas, like the time you rocked a mullet (or didn’t), your skunk highlights, and even those Gawd awful lime green crocs. We are all victims of the fads of our time. They are the stepping stones to becoming our uncool, unique, odd fashion icon selves.