Friends, I love the Francesca but I hate hate hate with a blinding, eye-twitching, forehead-vein-throbbing, ear-ringing fury the stupid convertible dress. In my mind there is only one acceptable type of convertible: the classic Cadillac variety. Since I already have one of those, I am set for life. Granted, it’s almost $100 to fill up, but life is too short to drive a Kia. That being said:
Francesca and Plumcake want to know:
What style trend, dress, look, whatever, fills you with inexplicable (or totally explicable) rage?
Thanks for the opportunity to vent!
I hatehatehate those damn Louis Vuitton handbags, with a totally irrational passion. I know they cost a furtune, but they look so cheap! They look like they’d shatter if you hit them with a hammer.
And that pattern, and that color scheme! The color scheme looks like macrame, the pattern looks like something from the Joan Rivers Collection. Horrors.
Whew, I feel much better now.
I also hate the anti-hosiery trend. I really don’t mind at all when women go bare-legged, even in a business environment, as long as their legs don’t draw attention to themselves. But when they’re ostentatiously sexy, or, like mine, pale and freckly and pink at the knees, some coverage is in order. Also when it’s cold out, you know? And when it’s hot, I don’t want my thighs to stick together. I’m not saying everyone has to start wearing control-tops, just stop the hating on those of us who like a little cover.
Relatedly, I hate “suntan” hose and sheer hose with open toes. Even if Prada’s doing it.
Comment by Tachina — March 7, 2008 @ 2:56 pm
Cap sleeves. Do they look good on anybody???
Comment by Jema — March 7, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
Today I saw two fashion atrocities:
A 50-something woman wearing a heavy black winter coat, beige pantyhose and some kind of hideous rubber sandal. She wasn’t a bag lady, either. She is actually a former colleague of mine.
Also, an otherwise attractive 20-something riding a bicycle downtown with about two inches of crack showing.
I have to say that while I find people’s loathe lists fascinating and fun to read, I think that a lot of what works and what doesn’t depends on the time and the place. I think flip-flops are fine for casual wear in moderate climates. Uggs are perfectly appropriate in the snow. I’m not into designer stuff myself, but it makes sense for status-seeking women in big cities. Empire waists work great on me because I have a small chest and big tummy. And I may not look good in shorts but I am damn well wearing them when it’s 100 degrees.
And so on ….
Comment by Patia — March 7, 2008 @ 11:42 pm
A few people mentioned “office-casual” and black pants with colorful tops. A woman I work with wears nothing but this. Black leggings with a “big shirt” and black ankle boots. Every day. Every single day. Stop the madness!
Comment by Jen — March 8, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
Chelsea, I thought I was the only one who hated aviators!! I feel so much better knowing that I am not alone on this.
Too-tight clothes. CROCS. Uggs. Shirts that say “HOTTIE” and stuff on them. They should just say “pretentious”.
Comment by Molly — March 9, 2008 @ 12:01 am
My first time commenting, but I couldn’t resist.
Empire waists and wrap tops. I’m a plus sized woman with plus sized breasts. My boobs will never look good (or fit) in either, but it seems like every feminine top or casual dress made for size 16 and up is either empire waist or a wrap.
Cropped jackets/ sweaters. Not shrugs, which can be alright sometimes. i’m talking about the jacket that hits mid waist. Why?
High waists.
Trapeze anything.
Fringe.
T-shirts with cutesy sayings. One I find particularly annoying is from Torrid and says Save the ta-tas. My roommate owns and wears this on a regular basis.
Shorts made out of t-shirt material with elastic waists.
Comment by Emily — March 9, 2008 @ 12:37 am
Every Eighties trend. Ever.
The Eighties are over, it wasn’t pretty 27 years ago and leggings certainly are still fugly.
Transparent blouses on fashion shows. Come on, nobody ever is going to wear transparent blouses with the breasts peeking though – seriously, what occasion (out of a bedroom, perhaps?) is appropriate for something that daft?
Skin tight pants stuffed in knee-high boots. Everybody wears that in Germany, in the best case it makes you look ass if you’ve just lost you’re horse. In the worst case you look tike you have just cleaned out the stable.
Fur. Makes everyone look like a smelly yeti.
Comment by teapunk — March 9, 2008 @ 7:38 am
A few commenters have mentioned items I love to wear, but I’ll save those arguments for another time. My fashion hate: shorts with nylons or tights. If the weather’s not warm enough (or occasion not casual enough) for your legs to go uncovered, you can be pretty sure that shorts aren’t the appropriate look either.
I knew someone who often wore shorts with opaque, flesh-toned pantyhose. It was summertime and her legs were shapely enough, so I couldn’t help but wonder if the tights were disguising some unsightly skin condition. Even if it’s true, that’s not a conclusion you want others to jump to based on your fashion choices.
Comment by B.S.A.G. — March 9, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
Is it bad that I have several? Ok, you asked: The shift dress because they don’t even flatter women/girls with no shape but God forbid you have boobs and wear one because you look pregnant. Skinny jeans are just ugly and again, flatter no one! And if you have thighs or hips that are bigger than your wrist, they make your butt look big. As far as footwear goes, Crocs are number 1 but a close second is Uggs – they are both just plain ugly people! There are so many other footwear styles that are just as comfortable that don’t look so sloppy & hideous!
Comment by Morgan — March 9, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
Damn, I am guilty of so many things that annoy people. Trouser jeans- love them, they are one of the few pants types where I can tuck a shirt in because the big legs at the bottom balance out my big hips. Skinny jeans- I wear them tucked into knee high boots with a vintage cardi. Leggings- awesome under a sweater dress or with a gray mini wrap skirt.
Things that I hate- wrap shirts or dresses and faux wrap shirts or dresses. They never cinch at the right place on me and make me either look like a giant box or way more hippy than I already am. And puffy sleeves. And capri pants (though I like cropped ankle pants).
But what I really really hate is that there are not enough choices for big girls. It seems like a majority of the big girl clothes out there are either some polyester monstrosity made for grannies or designed to make you look like a fat 16 year old hooker.
Comment by Red Queen — March 9, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
Great and relevant blogs about Cheap Tennis Apparel are not that easy to find. It is quite amazing to see the diversity of opinions on that subject. I was reading the other day few other blogs and of course I dont agree with everything people write but I have to congratulate you on the work you have done so far on your blog because it is not always easy to maintain and update one, I know I have one. Thx for the information related to Cheap Tennis Apparel by the way!
Comment by Cheap Tennis Apparel — August 30, 2008 @ 8:28 am
chachaheels list is right on the money! everything on her list is on mine. What is better than those super fluffy, comfy foot/leg/arm warmers when it is cold out?
Comment by Furry Leg Warmers FTW! — November 5, 2008 @ 1:21 am