Consider starting the new year with a resolution that is more realistic than giving up your coffee addiction or hitting the gym more often. Frankly speaking, these over-used fashion terms have become just as exhausted as 80’s shoulder pads – and, let’s face it, no one wants to see that trend again.
Now, I will admit that I am guilty of using some of these words (except #1), but that does not excuse the fact that they are completely amateur. Removing the following 10 expressions from your vocabulary will not only refine your fashion lingo, but will make you seem less mediocre – which is, after all, what 2017 is all about.
- Chic – It’s the most cliché adjective in the fashion world. If you use ‘chic’ excessively, you are probably someone who thinks they want to be a buyer just because they like to shop.
- It (as a prefix) – ‘It-girl’, ‘it-bag’… just stop. ‘It’ as a prefix is tacky, and you don’t want to be tacky, do you?
- Style/fashion icon – This term has lost it’s merit. If you have over 10,000 Instagram followers, a pair of Gucci Princeton slippers, or a family last name that is popular, apparently you’re allowed to call yourself a ‘style’ or ‘fashion icon’. Yawn.
- Statement – Did your English teacher not teach you what ‘statement’ really means? It isn’t a piece of jewelry, that’s for sure. And from what we’ve seen, there’s nothing clear about what you’re trying to say, anyways.
- Modern twist – The amount of times I have seen this expression be used in an article without any further explanation is unfathomable. This begs the question: what exactly does it mean to be ‘twisted’ in a ‘modern’ way? Unless you can explain it in the context, avoid this hackneyed noun.
- Haute – If you pronounce ‘haute’ like ‘hot’, you probably like the word ‘chic’ too.
- Couture – Juicy, you get a pass. As for everyone else, please stop. Your bandage dress is not ‘couture’, despite the word being used improperly in the title of the boutique you purchased it from.
- Aesthetic – This word was cool…until people starting using it for everything. Let’s just try to tone down the ‘aesthetic’ in 2017.
- [Blank] is the new [blank] – In fashion, is anything really ‘the new’ anything else? Can a moment, a trend, a work of art ever be replaced completely?
- High fashion – Confusing which models are truly ‘high fashion’ is one thing (hey, Kendall!), but your Kenzo x H&M piece is not ‘high fashion’. I repeat, not high fashion. Check out the fiber content and report back on quality. Oh, it isn’t silk?
There are more words, expressions and trends to add to The Burn Book of Fashion – but we’ll get to those in due time. If there’s any trends you don’t like, be sure to send them to editor@wp1084.hostgator.com/~wae43e0abuoi and your pet peeve may be mentioned!
Words and graphic by Anthony O’Baner