Usually I wouldn’t dream of blogging about things that annoy me, for fear that people would find my opinions boring or even offensive. However, I’m throwing caution to the wind today and talking about a few cultural trends which have emerged in the last few years and which I’m very tired of. So here are five trends which I think it’s time we binned…
Copycat books: Now, this might not be a new thing. Maybe authors and book designers have copied others for a hundred years, but I’ve only recently noticed how similar everything looks on the bookshelves. It seems that whenever a book is very successful, loads more copycat books are quickly published. I find this exasperating because I don’t want to pick up a book which has a similar title and/or cover to several others as it feels like I must’ve read it before. I know it’s a marketing shortcut for the publishers but it’s a trick that doesn’t work on me.
‘Skinny’ things: I think it’s damaging to label items of clothing as skinny. Also I really dislike the word itself. Despite the body positivity movement, society is still obsessed with being thin and the fashions tend to celebrate this. It makes you feel bad about yourself if you can’t squeeze into a pair of ‘skinny’ jeans or if you don’t choose the ‘skinny’ drink option at a café. Trousers in high street shops are now available in a more varied range of styles than a couple of years ago but the really tight ones are still dominating the population’s legs.
Cardigans without buttons: Sometimes called ‘edge to edge’ cardigans, these garments are useless if you’re in the cold or wind because there are no fastenings on them. This is probably cost-cutting posing as fashion. Several years ago, long cardigans with proper buttons were in fashion. They were warm, practical and stylish. Now, there are only short, thin cardigans with tiny buttons that I struggle to fasten, or long cardigans without any buttons. And no, I can’t just sew them on, because I’m rubbish at sewing.
Extreme tattoos: Tattoos are mainstream now and are more popular than ever. This appears to push some people to further stand out from the (inked) crowd. The most recent trend to hit the headlines is eyeball tattoos. Gross and potentially dangerous. There’s also a trend for extensive ‘blackout’, in which large areas of the body are completely inked black. There’s nothing wrong with creating your own look and showing your individuality but I wonder if some people are going extreme just for the shock value.
Salted caramel: We’re told to cut down on salt. Therefore, salted caramel becomes flavour of the decade. Ordinary caramel wasn’t good enough. The combination of sweet and salt flavours is irresistible to most human palates. Along with sweet chilli, coconut and peanut butter, this flavour dominates our snacks. It wasn’t always this way. I reckon that salted caramel will be the default soon, so that it will just be called caramel.
Do you agree with me? Have I dissed all your favourite things? If you’re a wearer of skinny jeans and buttonless cardigans, with purple eyeballs, an obsession with salted caramel and like all of your books to look and sound the same… Then I hope you enjoyed this blog post 🙂
Brilliant! I’m with you on the same looking books and tattoos, but I quite like salted caramel in chocolate. I haven’t really noticed the skinny thing in fashion or drinks we and haven’t worn cardigans for years! ?
The copycat books thing does annoy me. I might be missing out on some great books but I can’t bear to read anything else with ‘the [number] deaths/lives of [insert name here]’ or a cover which looks a lot like Once Upon a River!
Thanks! 🙂
I love the idea of Salted Caramel but the taste usually leaves me a little disappointed. And it is everywhere!!
The only thing I would disagree with slightly is the cardigan thing. I have several that don’t have any fastenings and the ones that do, I never do up anyway!
Great post x
Thanks, Kirsty!
I agree that salted caramel, in principle, sounds nice. I think the last time I tried it was in a chocolate from a selection box. Yuck, just unnecessarily salty.
Ah, well I easily get chilly so I need buttons on my cardi.
LOL. I agree with most of your observations, especially the one about the tattoos. The one that I agree with least is the button-less cardigans. I quite like them.
Thanks! But what if you’re cold when you’re outside, wearing a button-less cardigan? Not practical to hug it to yourself while walking… 😀
Not a huge fan of salted caramel anyway so that doesn’t bother me but agree with you on the health risks.
However,…cardigans should have buttons or they become annoying items of clothing that flap about in the wind, but I am more likely to wear a jumper or sweatshirt anyway.
Skinny…don’t even get me started on the skinny coffee with… wait for it… syrup… what is the point. But to be fair I am a black coffee drinker no sugar!
Agreed! I get hot and cold easily, so it’s better for me to wear a cardigan than a jumper – and it does flap in the wind!
I don’t buy into any of these trends, it just annoys me to see them 🙂
Thanks for your comment.
My first thought as soon as I’d read the title of this post was “skinny jeans!” I hate them but I’m pleased to see big baggy jeans are coming back into fashion. Hurrah!
I’d also like to add trousers/coats without pockets to your list. Pointless! Great post, made me smile ?
Thanks Lucinda! I think it’s time for skinny jeans to move aside for more sensible styles. And yes, agree about the pockets! My theory is that making women’s clothes without decent pockets is helping to keep the handbag industry going 😀
Good point! If I were taller I’d just wear men’s jeans (or if I weren’t so curvy I’d shop in the kids department – even more than I do already!)
I’m currently sat wearing skinny jeans and a buttonless cardigan, sipping on a skinny latte with salted caramel syrup ? I don’t have any tattoos though! You’re perfectly entitled to not like what you don’t like in my opinion, if we all liked the same things and had the same opinions, life would be very boring indeed!
LOL! I suspected someone would be doing those trendy things. Thanks 😉
Oh gosh cardigans without buttons are a horrible idea! And yeah I’m not keen on copycat books either. And I’m not keen on extreme tattoos or salted caramel either.
Thanks for your support!
I was a little worried I would majorly offend somebody but so far they seem to agree 😀
I loved this post! While the cardigan thing isn’t something I’ve noticed, I’m with you on everything else.
Ha ha, thank you! 🙂
This is a great post! I understand the cardigan thing. I have a really nice one but it sucks when I get cold. I rarely wear it for that exact reason.
Ha ha, thank you 🙂
Many’s the time I have almost bought a cardigan and then changed my mind after noticing lack of buttons.
Nice blog. Totally agree with the copycat books. I have a couple of small tattoos I got during my 20s. Whilst they are not offensive I do regret getting inked. I recently saw a guy with tattoos all over his face – scary and ‘who on earth would employ him’ cane to mind.
Thanks! I wasn’t saying anything against tattoos in general, but I do find the extent of them to be worrying – and I think sometimes people might have them in unconventional body locations exactly so they can live outside of the mainstream and not be employable. I do find people with tattoos on their faces rather scary.
Eyeball tattoos?! 😮 Ugh! I agree with you on these points, I don’t mind people tattooing themselves but it should be an expression of the self and not to score some kind of points or to show off for the shock value. The problem with tattoos is they are permanent and I do wonder if everyone who’s ever tattooed themselves to the extreme is still happy with the way they look decades later.
You know, I have never tried salted caramel, even though its been trending for a few years now, I still haven’t tried it, the idea of salt and sweet confuses my mind, lol. Great post!
The permanent nature of tattoos is what would stop me getting them (oh, that and the pain :D) but yes I think many people are likely to regret it. Hmm well salted caramel is not that nice but a lot of people love it for some reason. The salt/sweet thing is very popular but if you’re not keen on the concept then you’re not missing out 🙂