That's What Trends Are For.

The other night I was lying in bed as a huge storm was raging outside. A long string of random thoughts led me to thinking about rain boots. This led me to think about how wearing colorfully patterned rain boots over tucked in jeans has become a trend in the last couple of years. This is a particular trend (no offense) that my husband and I find very annoying. No reason, necessarily, other than the fact that we think it looks silly. But don't get defensive, just yet, because I've participated in my share of ridiculous fashion trends as well. Thus, this post is an ode to my favorite trends, both good and bad (mostly, the bad) that have come and gone.

Putting the UGG in UGLY-Similar to the rain boots, there is the ever-so-popular and yet ever-so-pointless trend: Ugg boots and shorts or mini-skirts. What's the deal with this? Boots that were originally crafted and designed solely to keep the feet warm in extremely cold temperatures, later became a "must have" to go with your tank tops and minis. While this trend just makes me laugh due to the sheer fact that it doesn't make sense, my husband, again, just finds it unattractive and annoying.

Thou Shawl Not Wear Shawls-Another trend I never participated in (thank goodness) is the old granny shawl that came back a few years ago. It served no purpose, and I secretly got a kick out of watching girls get theirs stuck on a hook or their earring, or snagged on their engagement ring, etc. I prefer to look young, thank you. I'll save the granny clothes for...never.

Now there are, unfortunately, some trends that were horribly hideous that I did participate in (hindsight is 20/20, after all).

Fashionably Clueless-Remember the movie Clueless? Well, I happened to be in junior high when that movie came out. So did I base all of my fashion decisions on that movie and that movie alone? You better believe it. I had dozens of pairs of those knee-high socks. It was a staple. I went to school wearing my ridiculous striped thigh-highs, a skirt, some platform or clog-like shoes, and a backpack purse to complete the ensemble. At the risk of losing all of my friends, I have attached a picture for proof of this awesome getup. I could be a poster child for What Not to Wear. And yet I felt like I was "hot stuff" when this picture was taken. Yikes.

Catch Wind of This Sporty Trend-I also admit that I wore those Nylon 'wind pants.' You know, the kind that made a loud 'swooshing' sound with every step you took? They were popular for quite some time, particularly among the athletic crowd. A pair of noisy Adidas pants, a sports' team t-shirt, and a pair of tennis shoes, and I had one good-looking outfit. The only problem is...I didn't even play sports. In fact, I was the opposite of athletic. But at least I looked good.

As I conclude this post, I want to mention a couple trends that I hope never make their return to the fashion world.

- Shoulder pads. I don't even have anything to say about this. It's self-explanatory.

- Stirrup pants. They never ride up! But they also never flatter the female form. A trend better left in the past.

We're all guilty of committing fashion crimes. It's inevitable. After all, that's what trends are for. Let's just hope we take lots of pictures along the way so we can look back and laugh later.