Fashion is fleeting. Sometimes it can be hard to tell a new classic from a flash-in-the-pan.
Sure, the dresses over jeans trend sounded like a good idea at the time. However, fast-forward to 2014 and you’re cringing over those circa-2006 photos your friend just unearthed on Facebook.
I’m definitely guilty of bad trends. Over the years, I’ve sported black nail polish, fake-advertisement t-shirts and layered bangs. I’ve accepted it as part of my past, but I’m not going to make that mistake again.
Though most fashion trends of yore usually only serve as an embarrassing piece of nostalgia, some fleeting trends are more permanent.
Let’s take a trip back to 2009, or as I like to call it, The Last Days of Emo. A time where men could have bangs without worrying about Justin Bieber comparisons. But more importantly, it was when the half-shaved head came back in style.
Now, hair is as much a part of your style as your clothes. It’s meant to be played with. But whereas crazy hair colour can be erased with a simple trip to the salon, a crazy haircut is a little harder to conceal.
So, when a half-shaved skull came and went, many girls (and guys) were left with a dilemma. Keep your outdated and outlandish hairdo, or break out the scissors. On the bright side, this was around the same time Emma Watson brought back the pixie cut.
Let’s take it back even further, to the late ’90s. Remember the Chinese letter tattoo fad? It’s something I’d like to forget.
From about ’97-’02, inked Chinese symbols were all the rage. The only problem was when what you thought was the symbol for strength, actually meant something else entirely. Of course, then it’s a little too late (unless you’re willing to pay for a painful laser zap).
This is my problem with tattoos; hair can be changed, but a tattoo is permanent. Who’s to say whether you’ll still like it two, or even 10 years down the road?
Today’s tattoo trends are equally unoriginal. Do you have your smartphone handy? Just do a Google search on “white girl tattoos.” I’ll give you a minute.
See what I’m talking about? These will soon embody the 2010s, just as the Chinese symbols makes us think of the 90s. By then, we’ll be on to the next one.
Yes, your university years are the perfect time to experiment with your style. We’re all finding out who we are, free from the cliques of high school and yet to enter the “real world.” But remember that some trends carry a heftier price than others.
Before you take the plunge, take a step back. Wait a week. Or two. Or a month. If it’s really a trend worth trying, it’ll be around for a while.
