Sometimes if you can’t beat the basics just join the basics.

I like to think of myself a fashion innovator who is ahead of the pack and wears things that only look good on me. This is quite true (not to be narcissistic) because I’ve been developing my style my entire life and have come to the conclusion that what I wear will look amazing because I understand who I am and how to portray who I am through my clothes.

Unfortunately for the world to keep turning, fashion has to capitalize on the basics and make trends for them so they know how to dress without mommy’s help. Since I am a part of the fashion community, I too come across these trends. Most of the time I do not engage in them but I realized that a career in fashion means basic trends will constantly be thrown in my face.

As much as I resist and detach myself from these leech-like trends, I find myself inquiring about how I would style them and then end up actually styling myself in them.

We are currently in a world where athletic clothing and loungewear are not only the norm but the leaders in fashion. It’s like veganism, the clothing is better for you, in terms of comfort, and is constantly thrown in your face.

Well, Susan, I enjoy my chicken nuggets and an occasional glass of two per cent milk and I sure as hell do not want to be walking around looking like I’m about to run a 10k but the park is actually a nightclub.

Yet, there I was in early July, cutting my leggings into biker shorts.

I’ve decided to narrow down three heavily popular trends that I hate but found myself wearing. I will also let you know why I hate them, why I’ve worn them and how I style them.

B I K E R  S H O R T S

Biker Shorts are honestly top three on trends I hate period, whether or not I would wear them.

When the shorts were first introduced as an acceptable fashion-forward piece, I was shocked. I honestly thought they were reserved for the basics and lazies. I mean, they gained their popularity from the favourite Instagram boutiques and every other IG baddie rocking them. I think recently when I saw them on the Fendi runway (yeah, you read that right FENDI) I just had to forfeit and wholeheartedly accept. I’m still a bit on the hate side because I’ve never actually purchased biker shorts, I made my own from old leggings. Monetarily the support isn’t there.

I style my biker shorts in a way where I look like the polar opposite of an IG Baddie. This is not me knocking IG Baddies, I love and support their hustle. I just don’t relate to their choice of outfits– at all.

To be a polar opposite of an IG Baddie is to dress like a European, specifically a Parisian. IG Baddies are by-products of the Western world, so when styling the shorts I strive to emulate the Parisian version of myself.  This can be easily done with a blazer (cinched at the waist!), beret and turtleneck. In my look added grunge-like platform boots to match the comfort of the shorts. Yes, grunge-like platform boots are my idea of a comfort shoe. And you definitely have to add the “I’m too important for you to address by my first name”
sunglasses. That’s Madame Prescylla to you.

F A N N Y P A C K S/ B U M B A G S

Is it just me or seems like this popular 1980s bag is being worn by everyone and their mom? I mean your mom should probably be wearing a fanny pack since it was probably popular in her time as well. I lowkey feel like the resurgence of the bag is a way for misogynistic men to wear a purse without feeling emasculated but let’s save that thought for another article.

From the Instagram boutiques to the seeing every other person, especially in Toronto, rocking one on the streets, this trend has done the most.

Whether you wear it diagonally or around the waist there is something about this trend that attracts you. The convenience of it all. I wore my first fanny pack (which I call a bum bag like the Brits do) to the club and it was a game changer. I could dance freely, walk about, sit down, and never have to worry about the location of my purse because it was strapped to me.

I think my goal in life is to dress as European as possible so I decided to style my bum bag in a very London-city-girl-esque. Since the weather in London is known to be very cold and rainy I started off with a baker boy cap, paired it with a sweater dress and thigh-high PVC boots. The contrast of the angel white sweater, and skirt underneath (to make sure my a** isn’t out when I bend over), to the edgy thigh boots, is a true testament of my eclecticism jumping out. The bum bag is useful for two reasons. It adds shape to the shapeless silhouette the sweater dress gives me, cinching me at the waist, and is my very practical purse. I guess the Parisian influence had a little sprinkle on this look too, with my positioning of the bum bag.

C A M O  P A N T S

I didn’t know that everyone had dreams of being either G.I Joe or G.I Jane growing up but the confirmation of this totally made up statement is easily shown through the influx of camo pants I see on my timeline.

I mean camo itself never really stopped being a trend but the baggy camo pants that I’m sure are reserved for when people do training in the military are seriously all over. In a multitude of colours even! It’s crazy because out of all the trends I hate, I already owned this one and it just used to just take up dust in my closet. Here’s a bit of background on my relationship with these specific type camo pants.

I’ve owned baggy camo pants since 2013. The reason being I used to do step dancing in high school and it was just part of the uniform. I only used them for step performances. Their sole purpose was to add to the illusion that we were stepping as one. I had no fashion relation to them whatsoever– or so I thought.

Fast forward to know where the pants are literally everywhere and I high key think that with every purchase of camo pants comes the overdone squatting IG pose that everyone does. You know the one because when I styled my camo pants I ended up doing it too.

For this look, I went for something that didn’t make sense on paper but looked good on the body. I decided to pair the camo pants with a very feminine top, so I chose this black ruffle top. I wanted to juxtapose the masculinity associated with my army green camo pants. I cannot tell you how long I’ve wanted to use the word “juxtapose”. Okay back to the post. I then bottomed it off with classic black ankle strap heels. This is a very Prescylla on Wednesday look because I’m ready for the weekend but there’s still 2 days left of the week.