Home > Style > Future faux pas: Some current styles destined to be mocked by future generations

Future faux pas: Some current styles destined to be mocked by future generations

Sara Bohan,
Grand Central Magazine

Leggings worn with skirts and dresses are a comfortable precaution to unwanted flashings, but alone they reveal more than most need to see. Photograph by Nicole Blankenship
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Sure, its popular today – but what will our kids think when they look at pictures from our teenage years? Fashions that today’s youth are wearing will inevitably die out and we’ll just have to tell our kids, as our parents told us, “It’s what was popular.”

Giant Sunglasses

Sunglasses have the uncanny ability to define a generation. Just as the aviator look reined supreme in the ‘80s, the giant, overbearing, face-covering sunglasses will surely define our decade. Though we weren’t the first to wear these bug eyed-like shades (think Jackie O in the ‘60s), the giant sunglasses have become so mainstream that it’s hard to find a girl not wearing them these days.

The Side Sweep

It’s a look that’s become so common, it’s nearly impossible to find a girl who doesn’t have the side-swept bangs. This style of pulling chunks of hair from one side to the other to cover up half your face is sure to be one that will fade.

More than likely, however, it will be the fathers – not the mothers – who will be taunted for having this style of hair. The trend for guys to have long, untrimmed hair with sections pulled over to create a side-swept bang is popular among the “emo” crowd, the surfer-boy crowd, the “I don’t care” crowd and even some athletes.

The Hair “Pouf”

Hairstyles, like sunglasses, can also define a generation. It’s easy to look at a picture, study the hairdo, and tell what decade it was taken. If the teenage girls of our generation were to have a hair trademark, it would certainly be the hair pouf. By grabbing the side swept bangs, adding volume and using the common bobby pin, the hair pouf can be constructed as easily as it can get out of hand. Some girls seem to think that the higher the pouf and the more voluminous it is, the better it is. This may not be the case in 20 years when you’re flipping through old snapshots with your kids and hubby, and they shriek with laughter at the height of your hair.

Skinny Jeans

These slim-fitting jeans with a tight leg opening can be seen as early as the ‘50s when Elvis wore the slim-fit pants, effectively starting the “bad boy” look that shocked America. In the ‘70s, punk rockers donned the skinny jean pants, known as “drainpipe jeans” back then. Today, the flare jeans that were once so popular have been replaced with slim, fit and skinny jeans.

Ugg boots, although expensive, provide a practical footwear choice during the winter season, but do they really warm up that mini skirt? Photograph by Nicole Blankenship
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Whether tucked into boots or paired with ballet flats or heels, it’s common to see girls donning the skinny-jean look. One of the more recent trends is to see guys wearing skinny jeans, too. Guys who wear the skinny jeans are even known to sport girl’s jeans if they can’t find them in their size.

Ugg Boots

Often worn tucked into jeans or with leggings and a mini skirt, Ugg boots have become an inescapable trend. Teenage girls everywhere can be seen sporting these expensive boots. Even more recently, Uggs have been spotted on older women – and yes, even men.

Incredibly comfortable and extremely overpriced, Ugg boots have become a fashion must-have. But trends die, and soon Ugg boots will be a thing of the past. Twenty years from now, when we look back at trends from when we were young, Ugg boots are sure to get a response of “ugh!”

Leggings

Leggings have managed to last throughout the years, with minor variations. Thanks to movies like “Flashdance,” wearing leggings as workout attire quickly evolved into fashion in the ‘80s. The legging style of today is the three-fourths look, ending right below the knee or mid-calf.

The comfort and variation of leggings have caused them to become everyday attire. Paired with a skirt and a pair of ballet flats or boots, leggings can be very comfortable.

On the other end of the fashion spectrum, some girls take the leggings look to the extreme. Rather than wear a long shirt or skirt over the leggings, these ladies wear nothing but the skin tight fabric, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Though different styles and variations of the leggings may reappear throughout time, the skintight look is sure to cause some “I CAN’T BELIEVE I WORE THAT!” moments when we’re older.

Crocs

Originally created as a boating shoe, Crocs have quickly become a fashion fad. Crocs have a chunky shape and open holes on the top, with a strap around the back part of the heel. The bright colors and chunky material just add to the whole “I should not be wearing this outside of my garden” look.

Crocs are sure to become a fad that, in 20 years, people will be embarrassed to admit they actually wore. Those who imprint their love for Crocs with a snapshot are sure to receive mockery for generations to come.

No matter what our kids might say about us when they look at our pictures years from now, do not be afraid to sport the fashions. Trends come and go; what’s in style today will be out tomorrow.

The point of fashion, however, is self-expression, and fashion is defined as any prevailing style at any given time. At some point, that given amount of time comes to a close and the trend ends when it hits a point of excess. At this point, as is human nature, a new trend is adopted and it too will become obsolete with time.

All fashions are susceptible to criticism. So wear what you want and have a good laugh with your kids when that day comes around.