2015 was a good year for fashion. It gave us some trends that we’re ready to fully embrace this new year (exaggerated sleeves, multi-coloured hair) and some we’ll build on and explore further (off/cold shoulders, halters, fringes).
2015 was a good year for fashion. It gave us some trends that we’re ready to fully embrace this new year (exaggerated sleeves, multi-coloured hair) and some we’ll build on and explore further (off/cold shoulders, halters, fringes). But the previous year also saw some over-exposed trends that we’ll be glad to see the back of in 2016. They might have gained popularity in the previous couple of years but hit crescendo last annum, littering red carpets, runways and even our newsfeeds. These fashion faux pas range from hair accessories to makeup trends and, of course, include some cringe-worthy sartorial choices that we hope will retire – till we’re ready to face them again. Let’s get started!
Floral Headbands
Floral headbands exploded on the fashion scene when the music festival culture took off. In its heyday, floral headbands had the ability to invoke a free spirited, bohemian vibe that was in equal parts flirty and feminine. But thanks to its excessive popularity this headgear has outlived its welcome, having been featured in every possible variation on red carpets and runways. We even saw some bridal couture collections late last year that styled their ensembles with gigantic wreaths of blooms on the models heads and genuinely cringed. Here then is our advice for the sartorially savant: ditch the flowers for metal hair accessories and you won’t regret looking back at your 2016 pictures.
Voluminous, Tulle Skirts
Pakistan has recently discovered skirts. By playing on their length and silhouette skirts can be transformed into wedding appropriate attire as well as beach apparel, making their appeal in our conservative country far and wide. The most popular version of the skirt that captivated our collective imagination was the ball skirt. Gigantic, layered with can-can and tulle, these voluminous skirts appeared everywhere in all their poofy glory. And while they looked good for a brief moment back in day, these skirts can now only be considered appropriate if you want to embody a wannabe Disney princess. Eschew this highly dramatic silhouette for something with more subtle charm. A sleek pencil skirt or even a structured wraparound should be your choice for 2016.
Over-drawn Eyebrows
We can all thank models like Cara Delevingne and Sadaf Kanwal for bringing big, bold brows into fashion and highlighting the difference well-groomed brows can make to our face. But while everyone wants to join the brow-game, some of the attempts are beginning to look more like stencil art than natural eyebrows. Super structured eyebrows were popularized with the influx of contouring and sharp, defined makeup but that brow pomade isn’t fooling anyone! The idea is to enhance your brows, not to entirely paint them anew. Bold, bushy brows that are a little unkempt have the power of making your face look more youthful just as overly-drawn ones can be aging and frankly, a little tacky. Let’s put down those brow grooming tools ladies and focus on enhancing rather than reshaping eyebrows this year.
Valentino Rock Stud Shoes
Rock studs broke the internet. These Valentino shoes, available in every imaginable hue and heel height, can be found in every self-professed fashionista’s closet; in fact, you’ll probably find three pairs instead of one. Edgy, comfortable and great during the day or night, these shoes epitomized fashion forwardness when they first came out but are now passé. They’ve been copied to no end and you’re as likely to find a cheap knock-off version of the rock studs at a local high-street shop just as much as in a Valentino boutique. We know they’re pricey ladies but you’ve gotten your money’s worth. Now let’s put the rock studs away and enjoy the Sophia Webster shoes reign. You’ll probably see those replacing rock studs as a trend that need to be retired soon.
Digital Prints
From revolutionary to controversial, digital prints have enjoyed all kinds of fame. What started out as convenient, cost-effective designs for apparel, digital prints have taken over the market, particularly when it comes to loose fabric or fast fashion high street brands. But while they’re convenient and easy on the pocket, they’ve also been most under fire for plagiarism. 2015 was a rocky year for retails that were slammed with plagiarism claims, mostly in their digital prints. On a few embarrassing occasions, even the plagiarized artists took notice and lamented the lack of ethics. We can only hope that clothing manufacturers have wizened up and will move onto the next innovation in design instead of drudging them up again.
