Every year there are trends and things that last longer than they should. Alyssia Birjalal, Buhle Mbonambi and Liam Joyce list those that need to die before the start of the new year.
The #Squad Movement
If you watched Mean Girls, you would know that the Squad Movement needs to end. It’s not feminism, as it’s wildly touted to be. It’s actually the opposite of exactly what Mean Girls is about – girls ostracising other girls. It’s one big #youcantsitwithus movement.
Taylor Swift, the patron saint of all squad movements, is an icon to many girls and young women. Not that I blame them. She’s done very well for herself. However, there’s one thing about her that puts many of us off her: her penchant for collecting celebrities to be her friends and therefore part of her hallowed squad.
Think back to high school and how all the hot, popular girls banded together and bullied other girls? That wasn’t pleasant. And the worst thing about squads? They create a need for you to conform – after all the positivity preached over the years about how amazing it is to be different, squads are surely taking all of us back to the dark ages.
With so many young starlets in Hollywood calling out the #SquadGoals movement, because they also feel pressured to conform to it, surely it’s a sign that it needs to end? – BM
The Man Bun
This hairstyle carries a legacy that stretches back to the Japanese samurai chonmage of the 17th century, and that’s where it should stay.
There are more than enough reasons why topknots, or man buns, should be banned, alongside the 1980s perm and the mullet. I admit, they look “cool” on the celebrities that sport them, like Jared Leto, Chris Hemsworth, Collin Farrell and Leonardo DiCaprio, but this is only because they are celebrities and can pull off almost anything without even trying.
I don’t suggest that any ordinary man try to do the same. There is a definite difference between fashion and style – and this look, as far as I’m concerned, is far from stylish.
Not to mention greasy and possessing a faux hippy kinda vibe. It’s the end of 2015 and time to either lose the hair tie, or get the scissors out. – AB
Baecations
This is a trend that started when celebrity couples like Boity Thulo and Cassper Nyovest went on holiday and started using the hashtag “baecation”. They were soon followed by other celebs, including Pearl Thusi and her mystery man, rumoured to be sportscaster Robert Marawa.
It’s not just local stars. Amber Rose and Ciara also enjoyed their baecations with their partners. Before we knew it, though, everyone on Instagram was going on a baecation.
Now here’s the thing, going on a holiday is great but referring to your special time away with your partner as a baecation is silly because, let’s not forget, the word “bae” is poop in Danish.
As with most trends, people took this one a little too far. Let’s be real, a two-day trip to Port Shepstone is not a baecation, it’s just a weekend away. – LJ
The Cape Dress
There are some trends in fashion that overstay their welcome. Besides the beards (which saw everything put on them, from glitter and baubles to flowers and whatever else hipsters thought was cool), the one constant this year was the cape dress.
It has gone from being a show-stopping garment to an “oh, God, save us from another cape dress” situation. Not that they are not majestic – they are, especially after we saw stylish people like Solange Knowles, Janelle Monae, Fan Bingbing, Kim Kardashian and Nomzamo Mbatha wearing them this year.
But, sadly, the cape dress is fast losing its power to make a fashion statement because we are so used to seeing people wearing them, even when going out shopping.
It has become the dress that helps you spot a fashion hanger-on – you know, those people who wear something because everyone is wearing it, but a season or two too late. It may be shallow, but just know that once a dress is easily available at a Chinese clothing shop, it’s out of style.
More importantly, they don’t suit everyone. I have seen too many cape dress faux pas this year alone to know that it needs to go. – BM
Banting
Now, Banting is not a new diet. It has been around since the mid-19th century and was popular until the late 1950s, when it was shoved aside, humorously, for a high-carb, low-fat diet – its polar opposite.
Its rise over the past year has sent people into a carbless eating frenzy. Even Banting restaurants were opening. I know too many people that tried Banting this year and have been successful in shedding the kgs. The flip side was that as soon as they stopped the diet, their bodies started storing everything they ate as fat.
Nothing can beat exercising the natural way. So to all the Banters out there, put on a pair of takkies and go for a walk or run. It won’t be easy and it won’t be fast, but it will be worth it. Stop this carbless nonsense. Let’s leave Banting in 2015. #BalanceIsBest. – AB
Yaaasss
Reality shows are responsible for some of the words we use these days and “yaaasss” is one of those. But honestly, it needs to go. Why can’t people just say “yes”? Why does it have to be this drawn out “yaaasss” that makes a person sound like she is bleating like a sheep? Why is it a thing? Over here at SM we mock singer and talk-show co-host Tamar Braxton every day when we watch The Real because every second word out of her mouth is “yaaasss”.
It just makes her look really dumb, which she is not. Even Urban Dictionary thinks it’s unnecessary: “Commonly used word derived from the English word ‘yes’ for hood rats who have a difficult time pronouncing it. Expressing excitement.”
Can we all revert to speaking properly? – BM
Contouring
Now do not get me wrong. I am for any make-up trend that enhances your beauty. I am, however, against taking certain trends to the extreme.
Contouring was meant for people like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, who have cameras and paparazzi following them all day. It was hailed as an amazing make-up trend and it really was.
It was never meant for a day at work or a night out with friends. Contouring entails using a lot of make-up, which could lead to you looking like a drag queen if you get it wrong – which is, of course, the case with many.
Contouring needs to be left in 2015 because it’s expensive and unnecessary. You don’t need it for a trip to the mall or on a first date. Unless you go to a professional and need it done for the Durban July because you will be out in the sun all day, don’t do it. – LJ
Sunday Tribune
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