How I Feel About 7 Once-Viral Pieces Still In My Wardrobe
The real ones know that before Sambas, we had the Kenzo sweater.
Looking at fashion through a trend lens, nothing dates an article of clothing faster than it going viral. Once this status is achieved on TikTok, its longevity is branded with a digital timestamp. The increased exposure makes everyone sick of seeing it and its relevance becomes a ticking time bomb as what goes up must eventually come crashing down into obscurity.
If you don't subscribe to the idea of trends, then the above sentence is bullshit. Fashion has unlimited longevity. We're no longer living in a world where glossy magazines declare what's hot or not. While this is now done on social media, does anyone really care? Plus, there are always so many trends that are everything everywhere, all at once that products are far more likely to be "in" than "out." Having said that, with so much content spewed in our faces daily, it can be hard to decipher what we actually like rather than wanting to buy something just because the world says it’s cool.
I don't know if I really subscribe to trends. I once told someone that I'd like to see my wardrobe as 80% investment pieces that I will love forever and 20% trends. Though this could be a stupid soundbite, like when my mum told me people over 40 shouldn't wear leopard print and I believed it. Fashion is rooted in expression and nothing makes more sense than dressing for pure enjoyment rather than hopping onto every "core" that pops up on TikTok. So I reviewed seven items in my wardrobe that were once viral and whether I regret these purchases today. Lesssssgo…
Still Love
The Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag
Picture this. 2013, you're in your early twenties and have no idea how fucked things are going to get yet. A hot new label fresh out of New York creates THE NEW IT BAG by releasing limited quantities, creating the artificial scarcity that's essential for an item to go viral. She's a bucket bag, she's cute, she holds your laptop but makes you an involuntary target for pickpocketing, but you don't care; you want it! Eventually, MG speeds up supply, which then outpaces demand and cements the humble bucket bag as a sign of the times. Going back ten years or so, I pre-ordered the black version with the red lining for the brand's second drop. I had to wait six months for it, but the anticipation that differs from today's instant gratification is probably why I still love it.
It’s not perfect; it wears real easily. Like you sneeze, and it scratches, but I'm into loving your clothes so much that it’s visible. As per the cycle of trends, bucket bags are seeing a comeback. Stella McCartney and Miu Miu showed the silhouette in their FW24 collections, and everyone is pretending that the 2010s weren't a really ugly time for fashion. Even if this wasn't happening in the background, I still stand by this purchase. Bucket bag, I love you, and I'll never leave you.
The Acne Studios Blanket Scarf
Without sounding like a total pick-me, I purchased my Acne scarf back in 2012 when I was in Stockholm before the rainbow version infiltrated social media. Mine is navy lambswool (again with the navy!?) and now a little moth-eaten from age. Big Acne scarves remain on the more viral end of our hypothetical trend spectrum and while I'm not really a scarf person, it is staying in my wardrobe and I still feel good about it.
The House of Sunny Hockney Lillipads Dress
Ah, the cult dress of 2021 and a favorite of Kendall Jenner. When I left London and moved back to Melbourne, I mentioned to my partner how much I loved this dress, but it was sold out at the time. House of Sunny had adopted that limited drops model to improve the chances of products going viral. One of Joel's several green flags is he's also a connoisseur of the second-handies, so he found someone in Tassie selling it on Depop and gifted it to me. While it is very much associated with a specific time (post-lockdown escapism), and its resale value has nosedived, it still gets loads of wear and compliments in the summer. It’s green, fuzzy, and makes me feel like The Grinch but sexy, so I have no plans to part with it just yet.
The Skims Soft Lounge Dress
For my birthday one year (I'm going to say 2021, but I could be wrong because COVID time warp), my work girlies gave me a Skims voucher, which I used to buy this style in the mini black and maxi camel. Say what you want about Kim Kardashian - her shit fits phenomenally. The dresses are made of a lovely thick ribbed jersey and are super clingy. I haven't worn a bra since 2019, it feels a bit slutty for work, but luckily, I WFH, so I can wear what I want. Based on my reccs, a friend purchased this style recently and told me the quality has since gone downhill, so while I'll keep my styles in rotation, I won’t be shopping Skims anytime soon. For fitted lounge dresses for smaller boob folk, I'd instead suggest Aussie brand Sabi The Label. Their founder is the hottest person alive. I picked up one of their dresses at a sample sale, and it is actually everything Kim wishes Skims could be.
The Réalisation Par Alexandra (or Diana?) Dress
You know the one. The stars and the ruffles. The reportedly sexist product description. Though tbf, when wearing this dress in Italy, I don't believe I ever had to pay for drinks, which was appreciated, considering I was unemployed at the time. Like many things, I picked this up second-hand, which is probably why I have fewer regrets, as I didn't pay full price. Wearing it now, sometimes internalized ageism has me wondering if it is "too young" for me now as it is so red and so tiny. Then I remember I'm 33, not 133, and even if I was 133, you can go fuck yourself.
The Regrets
The With Jéan Andy Dress
I actually found this second-hand at Goodbyes and knowing its viral status and the power of Matilda Djerf wearing it on Insty, I thought it would be value for money. Plus, I look real good in green. Sadly, I rarely wear it and I don’t know why. I may try and re-work it into some Silly Little Outfits (plug plug plug) as it is reselling for as low as $25 when I think I picked it up for $30 and that just aint good business.
The Kenzo Eiffel Tower Sweater
An OG viral item before going viral was a thing. I was studying fashion at RMIT in Melbourne, and in 2013 the Kenzo Tiger sweaters were all the rage. While I wasn't into wearing a big tiger splashed across my chest, I still wanted to buy into the hype before I even understood what I was doing. So I purchased the black Eiffel Tower sweater, thinking I'd be less likely to hate something black and because Rihanna had a similar one. However, I felt a bit like a silly tourist wearing it (especially in Paris - it was shoved into the depths of my suitcase) and now I don't really wear it at all. This is something to keep in mind as destination graphics are popping up everywhere - Urban Outfitters, I’m looking at you. Adding to the resale pile.
Did anyone else own these big hits that they still love or jump onto a viral trend only to have an item collect dust? Let me know Hautties x
"like when my mum told me people over 40 shouldn't wear leopard print and I believed it." Every Italian-American in my neighborhood just gasped in horror.
I reeeeally want to see photos of the scratched up MG bag and the moth eaten acne scarf! I love seeing how stuff wears in/out.