Why 'Ugly' Fashion is Trending in 2018

Balenciaga trainers

Trends come and go but one thing they all have in common, at least to the wearer, is that they look good.

Now when we look back at pictures of ourselves wearing hipster jeans we can't help shuddering with remorse but, at the time, they were cool.

In 2018, however, there's a new type of trend emerging. For the last year, there's been a widespread and willing adoption of fashion that's already considered ugly.

It's worth qualifying that this isn't just an opinion. Objectively speaking, designers are deliberately producing rule-breaking, and typically unflattering, fashion. Think Balenciaga x Crocs or Rick Owen's runway parade of nightmarish mattress men.

And since fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum, it's worth asking 'why are we suddenly obsessed with ugly fashion?'


One possible explanation is that, in the increasingly competitive attention economy, we've become somewhat numb to 'trends'.

The fashion world is moving faster than ever and, rather than seeing new styles emerging every decade or year, we're now seeing different trends pop up every month.

"We become kind of calloused in a way," explains Dawnn Karen, a psychologist spearheading the fashion psychology movement. "The world is so much closer, we can see everything, there's no spark."

To maintain relevance, designers then respond by creating even more daring and outlandish collections in a display of industry-level 'peacocking'.

"Ugly fashion is a way to effectively wake up the people," Karen says.

Read more here

How dads feel about the recent popularity of their 'ugly' shoes suddenly becoming cool

In April, Kendall Jenner hit a Revolve party during Coachella, posing for pictures wearing a teeny-tiny crop top, high-waisted cargo pants, and a fanny pack slung across her shoulders. At first glance, the scene was nothing out of the ordinary — until you looked at the supermodel's shoes: a pair of black sneakers with a bright yellow sole and blue accents, not so dissimilar from my dad's running shoes.

Emily Ratajkowski and Kendall Jenner

Although some may have considered her footwear choice unusual, it was hardly surprising. It was just the latest example of well-heeled celebrities adopting the thick-soled, clunky, undeniably comfortable shoe trend. Dubbed "dad shoes" by the Internet, it's been adopted by other famous fans including Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Hailey Baldwin, Kaia Gerber and Jordyn Woods, who took her dad sneakers quite literally with an April Instagram post.

Read more here