on tiktok, there's a lot of discourse on microtrends. people throw around that buzzword like it's a brand new post-capitalist monstrosity created by the evil minds of Shein and AliExpress for the sole purpose of increasing profit. And while I vehemently despise the textile waste and deplorable working conditions that fast fashion incites, let's be real. microtrends are nothing new. there's actually a word for them that already exists: a fad.
Fads have existed for as long as humans have cared about what they looked like. Some bygone fads include poodle skirts, cabbage patch kids, and knee paint. I'm old enough to remember some of them, like silly bandz, bella sara cards, and more recently, house of sunny dresses.
Fads, microtrends, whatever you want to call them - they fascinate me from a historical perspective because they serve as a microcosm for a tiny sliver of time. I like to think of them as tiny stamps of history. For instance, seeing a photo of the aforementioned house of sunny dress sends me reeling back to the early days of lockdown in a way that no other article of clothing can. And while I am critical of the overconsumption that fads encourage, I also think there's something to be said for indulging in the trends of a time. I look back on my glass beaded necklaces of 2021 with the same fondness that I reserve for my 2014 tattoo choker. I was part of a moment in aesthetic history. That's not cringe. That's cool and meta as fuck. Trends won't be around forever, so you might as well partake in the ones you like.
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| photo I took during my indie 2014 tumblr days |
In the 2010s, like any other decade in late-stage capitalism, certain fads popped up and disappeared out of nowhere. remember when we were all obsessed with beanies and owl necklaces? and then infinity signs and thrifted flannels? and then american apparel tennis skirts and "plants as friends" shirts? It's a tale as old as time.
I'll concede that today's microtrends/fads are more troublesome. They're linked to an accelerating trend cycle that encourages people to buy shitty, sweatshop-made clothes and send them to landfills and other parts of the globe when we decide they're no longer "cool" anymore (or when they get a rip, which is after two wears at this point). however, the idea behind them isn't anything new, and while finding content for bloghousearrest, I've come across many an image that jolted me back into the 2010s and the myriad of internet and fashion fads that deserve a second look.
To kick off this eventual deep-dive into 2010s fashion, these are some of the forgotten fads of the previous decade. which ones were your favorites? which ones did I miss?
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| wrist candy |
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| this hand sign for LA |
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| hair bows (so gaga) |
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| animal masks |
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| this style of backpack |
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| n*tella |
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| printed/patterned tights |
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| this style of sunglasses |
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| colorful skinny jeans |
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| lace inserts |
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| dip dyed hair |
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| these frilly little shorts |
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| sneaker wedges |
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| .....do I even have to say it? |
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| high low skirts |
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| spikes on everything |
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| hammer pants |
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| chunky, sky high heels |
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| maps (yeah yeah yeahs reference?) |
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| owl accessories |
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| fishtail braids |
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| lip art |
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| bootleg chanel logos |
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| this dress from zara was everywhere in 2014 |
