To begin with one for the girls: laminated brows. With the clean-girl aesthetic dominating the world of beauty, the introduction of laminated brows has become a mandatory element in achieving this look. I fear the clean-girl aesthetic has been taken to extremes with these glossy, plastered-on brows. Their immovable and strangely intimidating nature provide an almost hyperbolic example of natural beauty. In overachieving a faintly enhanced make-up look, one would imagine an evolution of brow-trend is imminent. Whether we look back on this style with the same amusement as the thick, dark brows of the 2010s, or with a nostalgic sense of appreciation- only time will tell.
Now, one for the guys: mullets. It would be almost criminal not to consider this example in a discussion about prevailing trends. It has become expected for every young male to undergo the canon event of cutting a mullet. Courtesy of experimental lockdown haircutting activities, the world-renowned mullet craze burst onto the fashion scene and is apparently here to stay. We have the monotonous days of boredom during the COVID-19 pandemic to thank for the emergence of this mullet pandemic.
My male friends already look back to their mullet-days and wince at their haphazard decision.
However, this is no unforeseen event. The return of the mullet has been written in the stars, as seemingly a resurgence is now inevitable every few decades. This hairstyle has become a symbol of a sort of unruly, dishevelled look on men; rebelliously attractive, though ultimately onlookers have an ambivalent relationship with this trend. But it is the proud wearers of this style that dictate the success rate of this look. And a demi-decade into this fated reoccurrence of the mullet, we have not yet escaped the male lure to this look. This raises the question of whether it is here to stay this time around. In my experience, my male friends already look back to their mullet-days and wince at their haphazard decision. School competitions to see who had the most luscious, flowing mulleted locks has replaced the stereotypical adolescent race to grow a successful moustache. Will it be a trend we look back on and cringe? I’d say most likely. Perhaps it is time for a little more originality in the barbers now.
Another notorious cyclical trend that is governing the 2020s fashion world is animal print- with a current craze on leopard print. For many, leopard print lies in association with the figure of a femme fatale, necessarily paired with painted red nails and a mafia moll fur coat. But ultimately, it comes down to the articulation of the wearer. Every time this pattern resurfaces, so does the debate as to whether it emits a classy or tacky aura. For example, a small leopard print addition to a monotone outfit would provide a perfect amount of pattern, without being overwhelmingly overt. Pairing leopard print with neutral colours and simple pieces can achieve an ever-desired sophisticated look. In this delivery, leopard print has been elevated out of its history of trashy allegations and uplifted to be the ensemble of the most stylish women of the 21st century. The inescapable nature and inevitable comeback of leopard print is reigning as strong. But how long will this attraction last?
More locally, I’ve noticed that skinny scarves are another emerging trend, specifically prevalent in Jesmond. Offering no practical warmth, they merely provide a fraction of coverage as a winter accessory. Accompanying a Longchamp bag, Tom’s Trunks and a Ralph Lauren quarter-zip, the skinny scarf has been a welcome addition to many a private-school uniform. Might we look back on this trend in a few years with regret of the skinny material, masquerading as a scarf, we once deemed stylish? I fear I have fallen victim to this trend and will not be putting this item into hibernation until well into spring.
Crocs, fur coats, bubble skirts, and bucket hats are only a few of the myriad examples of disputed trends that concoct the past decade of style.
The dynamic world of fashion never sleeps, with many more controversial trends being born and buried by the day. Crocs, fur coats, bubble skirts, and bucket hats are only a few of the myriad examples of disputed trends that concoct the past decade of style. Tendentious opinions rule the media and the streets, projecting their judgement on anyone who will listen. As with many of these trends, they are resurfaced from previous fashion eras, propelled back onto the market. This in itself suggests that even if some styles invoke a crippling sense of embarrassment in us later in life, others are looked back on fondly. It is this that provokes a periodic resurgence of fashion, whether from a desire to shock or from a sense of nostalgia.