As the decade comes to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the most iconic fashion trends of the 2010s and make our guesses on which ones we’re going to be cringing at in the near or not-so-near future:
1. Naked Dresses
Rocked by Beyonce, the Kardashians, JLo and many more, the naked dress became a staple on red carpets. These dresses are sheer with some selectively placed sparkles and embellishments to protect at least some modesty, and they’re also hot as heck! I don’t think they’ll always be as popular as they are now, but it’s tough to cringe when the wearer looks so dang good!
2. Harem Pants
Don’t get me wrong, these pants are very comfortable and who doesn’t like things to be a little breezy down there? But they also give the wearer the illusion of having legs that begin at their knees and forces them to do a bit of a penguin waddle. I don’t think we need to take this trend into the roaring twenties with us.
3. Feather Hair Extensions
In middle school, I had a neon pink feather clipped into my hair for a few months, and they were all over red carpets and festivals as well. The Boho look made a reappearance at the beginning of the decade after first being made popular in the 70s. I think that this look is going to pop up again some time in the future, it’s a little odd but doesn’t give me any cringe vibes.
4. Crop Tops
Remember trying to go shopping in 2013 and literally every shirt you pulled off the rack was not going to meet dress code? The struggle was real. I think that crop tops have a time and place, but there’s also something to be said for not constantly having to flex your stomach and worrying about a muffin top. Minimal cringe, but I’m glad that full-coverage shirts are available to purchase again.
5. Unicorn…Anything and Everything Unicorn
This one was weird. The obsession with a mythical creature didn’t just apply to fashion; we were all eating toast and ordering drinks off the Starbucks secret menu that were pumped with as much food colouring as we could handle. Yeah, rainbows are fun but I’m glad that this trend has magically disappeared.
6. Bike Shorts
I’m going to say it, this look is not going to withstand the test of time. They’re comfortable definitely, but flattering on so few people. I think that this look, and a lot of the other athleisure trends, are going to fill people with some major cringe when they look back in a few years.
7. See-through Shoes
Ahh, yes, I’m going to put my sweaty, stinky feet into a tube of plastic and watch the condensation form throughout the day. This trend did elongate peoples legs, and has had a definite moment in the 2010s, but I think it’s a safe bet that the moment is short-lived and we will not be seeing these in 2020.
These are just a few of the many fashion trends we saw over the course of the decade, and I’m sure there will be a whole lot more coming in the 2020s.