Top 5 Worst men's fashion trends of the 2000's:
1. The "clubbing" shirt
Trend Origin: Vegas nightclubs, 2001
Trend Peak: Miami nightclubs, 2003
Still worn by: Guys who go to nightclubs where collars are mandatory
The first problem with this concept is that it implies an article clothing designated for a particular occasion. Would you wear "Birthday pants"? How about a "brunchtime vest" or a "movie sweater"?
The shirt on its own wouldn't be so bad if not for the fact that it is often:
-some predictable pattern of diagonal stripes
-worn un-tucked, with collar upturned (for full douche effect)
-worn by packs of guys who learned their nightclub etiquette from "A Night at the Roxbury"
p.s. wearing a blazer/jacket over the shirt does not make the shirt any less tasteless
2. Kaffiyeh
Trend Origin: London, 2006
Peak: Yonge and Dundas Square (Toronto) , 2008
Still worn by: Chris Brown
What better way to give off the radical, non-conformist, peace activist look by wearing an article of clothing worn by every hip 16 year-old on Queen street, and most famously associated with Yassir Arafat?
3. Trilby (short brimmed fedora)
Trend Origin: 2005, U.K, new-mod rockers
Peak: 2008, Williamsburg, NY hipsters
Still worn by: Maddox Jolie-Pitt
I could never stand these things for a bunch of reasons. First of all, since the brim is relatively small, they make the wearer's head look big.
Maybe it should be worn by guys with small heads?
Secondly, I never cared for the chief exponents of this look: Brat Pitt, Pete Dougherty, skinny mod rockers, Williamsburg hipsters, etc.
Bottom line: If you're going to wear a "classic" hat-- wear a fedora. Al Capone and co. didn't gain respect by wearing a Trilby.
p.s. Frank Sinatra looked good in a trilby only because he was Frank Sinatra
4. Gothic, skull and tattoo imagery
Trend Origin: L.A, 2002
Peak: Vegas, 2005-ish, launch of Don Ed Hardy
Still worn by: Jon Gosselin
I confess that I was originally taken in with skulls in the early days, but after a while this fad inevitably got tiresome, especially when a lot of the brands were co-marketed with mixed martial arts.
Ever try to elbow your way to the bar in any nightclub without bumping into 4 muscle-heads with tight-tees containing images of skulls, crosses and Gothic print? Also, what the hell is up with all those rhinestones?
5. Clubbing shoes?
Trend Origin: ??
Peak: Aldo shoe stores, 2006
Still worn by: 23 year old accounting students going for their first interview
Not sure what to call these things-- maybe "clubbing" shoes?
All I know is that I see them everywhere and I just don't like anything about them: square and upturned toe, synthetic soles, gaudy stitching, the list goes on...
They look cheap whether worn with jeans (bad) or with suits (worse).
Honourable mentions:
Trucker hats (2002-2006)
Livestrong bracelets (2004-2005)
P.s. isn't it amazing how many of these fads were taken up by K-Fed?
-The Scandal
Very true--and funny too. I always thought trucking hats were dorky.
ReplyDeleteAgreed about everything except for the Trilby hat. It'a all about how you wear those hats. If you try wearing it with a suit or an Ed Hardy tee you end up looking like a douche but if you just use it to accessorize a pair of jeans and a tee, then you look fine in my book.
ReplyDeleteSo only Frank Sinatra can where a trilby? That's dumb. They're a cool hat and a nice change from the ball cap. Plaid trilbies are shit and I really hate it when guys where it on the back of their head, like Ducky from Pretty in Pink. And the two images you posted, those guys could make anything look bad, because they're complete doofuses.
ReplyDeleteHow about pants that have a crotch past the knees or shorts on girls that show every inch of her butt? I don't want to know what color a guy's underwear is, and conversely I REALLY don't want to know if a girl has a birthmark on her butt.
ReplyDelete