FashBlog.com

It's a plain fact of the fashion world that almost everything is in style at some point. Looking back at the 1980s, for example, you can see that many things that are unacceptable today were totally cool and fashion-forward back then. Things like stonewashed jeans. Admit it- we all had a pair!

But if you dismiss the idea of current fashion and what's in versus what's out, and take a look at trends in general, it's easy to see that some of them are flattering or attractive, and some of them... are just plain atrocious and awful.

In the list below, I have outlined and explained the top ten fashion trends that I absolutely hate. Regardless of whether or not they're in style now, or if they ever were, I think these trends are absolutely wrong. I think they looked bad on everybody. And I'll never quite understand why they were ever thought of as a good idea.

I'm sure that after reading this you'll have your own additions to the list, or your own arguments. And that's fine... fashion is a matter of taste. Feel free to post in the comments!

1. Stiff hair.
Sometimes short hair is in style, and sometimes long hair is all the rage. Sometimes it's big and teased and other times it's 70's straight and flowing. But a look I've always hated is the look of stiff, immobile hair. Whether it's a short pixie cut sprayed into a helmet of hair, or a big bunch of 1980s bangs covered in an entire can of Aqua Net, it just doesn't look right. Hair is a natural extension of the body. Except on rare occasions (like maybe at a punk rock concert), I think it should move.

2. Tapered jeans.
I know- please don't remind me- that the skinny jean look is coming back. But regardless of what the runways and the clothes designers say, I will continue to state that this trend is one of the worst ideas ever. It makes even the thinnest of women look like they have big bottoms and huge hips. Why on earth would you want your ankles to be the smallest part of your lower body? Tapered jeans showcase the fact that our upper legs are larger than our calves, and according to beauty standards that's the exact opposite of what we want. These are just such a colossally bad idea.

3. Pleated pants.
In their unending quest to take over the world, pleated pants can still be found at every single Goodwill store and thrift clothing shop on the planet. I wish someone would round all of these things up and burn them in a big unfashionable bonfire. Pleated pants seem specifically designed to give you a puffy waistline and to make even the flattest tummy look bulbous and a little pregnant. Plus, they look like old man's pants. Plus, they are usually tapered. Ugh.

4. Shoulder pads.
Joan Crawford might have rocked them, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with them. Shoulder pads make small people look larger and they look unnatural, and those two reasons right there are enough for me to condemn them. Why do we want to add bulk to our bodies like this? I've heard the argument that shoulder pads help balance the top of the torso with the hips, and I think that's ridiculous. Since when should our shoulders and hips be in proportion? We're not mannequins. If anything, shoulder pads make everyone look like a giant box. Or a football player. There is simply nothing flattering about this silhouette.

5. Fake collars attached to shirts.
I really don't have an explanation for why I don't like this particular look. What I'm talking about are the shirts and sweaters that have a collar and cuffs attached to them so that it looks like the person is wearing a button-down shirt beneath the sweater. I just don't like this... there is something cheesy about it that I can't quite put my finger on. I understand the concept- these pieces are designed to create the layered look without adding bulk to the figure, and that is something I totally support- but for some reason they remind me of those tee shirts with the tuxedos printed on the front. It's a ruse that is fooling no one. If you really want the layered look, pick a thin button-down shirt and wear it under a loose-fitting sweater to avoid bulk. Because really, with the fake ones? People can totally tell that it's all one piece.

6. The raver look.
OK, so nobody has done this one in at least five years, and for that I'm grateful. But I remember a time when I was in school and the raver look was extremely popular, even among people who didn't even know what a rave really was. If you're unfamiliar with this style, it involved lots of plastic jewelry, bright colors, and... the worst part... childish accessories like teddy bear-shaped backpacks and pacifier necklaces. I really, really hated this. There were even a few girls in my high school who wore pacifiers all day and sucked on them during class, resulting in some teachers who were forced to confiscate them. My personal opinion is that if your high school teacher is taking away your pacifier then you have a maturity problem on your hands, not a fashion statement.

7. Billboard clothing.
Among pre-teens, it's pretty acceptable to walk around with the name of a clothing company emblazoned on your tee shirt, and I don't really have an argument with that. But as people get older I think this blatant advertising of who you're wearing becomes cheesy and more than a little inappropriate. Whether it's ten different items that are printed with the Adidas logo in one outfit, or a scarf and bag emblazoned with designer initials, if your clothing screams who made it then chances are pretty good people are looking at all the writing, not at you. And personally I think that's in bad taste. Who wants to look like a walking Nike commercial?

8. Fake retro tee shirts.
How can I describe how much I hate this trend without going into the fact that I do, in fact, like the retro tee shirt look? Wearing an old Little League tee or a shirt for a long-defunct company can be cute and gives you a vintage touch. But the problem is that as soon as the teenage-era clothing manufacturers figured out that vintage was in, they jumped all over it. And now you can't turn a corner in a clothing store without finding tons of tee shirts emblazoned with fake logos for ski lodges with cute slogans. Ugh. Some companies use double entendres ("Come dunk it at Dolly's Donuts!") to try and be ironic with their fake logos and it is just stupid and sickening. Those of us who actually value vintage clothing for what it is are somewhat annoyed by all these imitation old-style tee shirts out there. Anyone who knows what they're looking for can tell in an instant when someone is wearing an imitation retro shirt, and there's nothing more obnoxious.

9. Big boots on little people.
Without naming any names, I'm pretty sure everyone knows what boots I'm talking about when I mention big furry boots on little female celebrities. And the fact that these boots lasted so long, spawning millions of imitators and fashion mistakes around the world, is just amazing to me. They were just so blessed ugly. The look of huge boots of any brand, pulled over skinny jeans or, even worse, worn beneath billowy summer skirts is one of the most unflattering things I have ever seen. They cut the line of the leg and made everyone look like they had rushed out of the house during a fire drill in January.

10. Decorated jeans.
I'm amazed at how many people- full-grown adult women, no less- that I still see roaming the streets in hideously over-decorated blue jeans. I'm not talking about little rhinestones on the back pockets, although even those can be overdone. I'm talking about jeans that lace up the sides with leather thongs, or those that are appliqued all over with butterflies and embroidered along the bottom, or those with bright white bleached patches and dark blue dyed patches sewn together. More often than not, these jeans have an unflattering hip-hugger low-slung style, and the whole effect just makes everyone look bigger and a little silly. These jeans make everyone look like they've been wrongfully shopping in the Juniors' department... and ironically, they don't even look that good on Juniors. Blue jeans should make a simple statement and accent the body... not look over-accessorized all by themselves!

Those are just a few of the items on my list of trends that should have never happened. The more I look around me, the more I notice that fashion nowadays has loosened up somewhat... styles aren't as firmly outlined as they once were, and more and more people are feeling some freedom to wear what they want. On the one hand, that's good because it means we don't have to wear silly trends like these. On the other hand, it also means that as long as someone still likes this stuff, it will continue to show up on the streets. Which is fine, as long as I don't have to wear it!
-by bjp