7 Fashion Trends From 2018 We Never Want to See Again

Hopefully 2019 will rid us of these travesties

Posted on

30 December 2018

2018 fashion trends we never want to see again

All credits: PA

The overriding theme of 2018 admittedly seems to be ugly fashion – how else could chunky, orthopaedic shoes become so wildly popular?

It very much fits in with the year’s general aesthetic of “more is more.” Subtlety wasn’t really the name of the game if you wanted those Instagram likes.

We’re not saying it’s all bad – in fact, it’s been a great year for fashion in other ways. However, there definitely are some particular trends we know we’ll come to regret following in years to come…

#1 Bike shorts

Bike shorts aren’t a good look – tight and short, they’re basically a celebration of camel toe. They’re fine for professional cyclists, but somehow it has made its way into mainstream fashion. Not just for exercising, Insta-influencers have even been styling tight Lycra short-shorts with a puffer jacket for colder days, or a blazer for formal occasions.

For this trend, as with many on this list, we have the Kardashian-Jenner clan to thank for its unstoppable rise.

A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Aug 2, 2018 at 6:32am PDT

#2 Tiny sunglasses

Back in January, Kanye West’s wife Kim Kardashian West described how Ye sent her an email saying: “You cannot wear big glasses anymore. It’s all about tiny little glasses.”

This decree set the tone for the rest of the year. Long gone were the big bug-eyed shades of yore, replaced by itty bitty Matrix-inspired sunnies.

Our main problem with this trend is how impractical it is. How is a sliver of sunglasses meant to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays?!

A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on Apr 4, 2018 at 7:00pm PDT

#3 Wearing multiple bags at once

If teeny sunglasses are wildly impractical, this particular fad goes altogether too far the other way. If you wanted to look cool in 2018, all you had to do was leave the house wearing as many bags as possible.

We’re talking over-the-shoulder, tote, belt-bags, cross-body – the more different styles you could pile on, the better.

It seems like fashion influencers want to bring back the bum bag, but have realised it doesn’t quite hold enough, so have felt the need to add on.

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Jun 21, 2018 at 7:47am PDT

#4 Plastic shoes

We can place the blame for this one squarely on the shoulders of the Kardashian clan. For a while now Kanye West has been pushing clear plastic shoes via his Yeezy brand – first his wife and her sisters started wearing them, and soon similar styles were seen on all manner of celebs.

There’s no point beating around the bush here – they’re awful. Seriously, who wants to see your toes crushed into a restrictive see-through heeled shoe? But it gets worse. Dr Rock Positano told Vogue: “The foot by itself [without a sock] in a shoe, plastic or not, provides a perfect milieu for bacterial and fungal growth. It is moist, dark, and there is heat. The combination of those three things make a foot inside a shoe a dangerous place.” Gross.

A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on May 12, 2018 at 7:41pm PDT

#5 Denim on denim on denim

Many Nineties trends saw a resurgence this year, but nothing more so than the OTT denim trend.

Why wear one item of denim when you can wear two, or better yet, three? Our answer: Because it looks silly, that’s why.

A post shared by Maya Jama (@mayajama) on Feb 9, 2018 at 4:57pm PST

#6 Huge sunhats

The fad for ridiculously oversized sunhats comes courtesy of French label Jacquemus. This started pretty innocently as an OTT beach accessory, then descended into pure madness when Danish model Emma Rosenzweig wore it for her wedding.

Looking on the bright side, it’s admittedly a brilliant hat for SPF protection, but sure would be a nightmare to fit into your carry-on luggage.

#7 Thong bikinis

The wild popularity of the UK's Love Island undoubtedly played a part in this trend’s success.

Not only does the idea of it make us feel uncomfortable (it’s basically an extreme wedgie, right?) but it also raises some concerns about vaginal health. Yes, we’re talking thrush – if you’re not careful, the tight, moist (ew) environment of something like a thong bikini can be a hotbed for infection.

We’re just not sure it’s worth the risk.