The Ugly Fashion Era

Anti-aesthetics and ugly fashion is in as people give the middle finger to fashion norms

Hot Takes is my bullet point thoughts on fashion's hottest issues. These posts get to the heart of why people are talking about what they’re talking about, what this means and where this could go next. 

Think: what direction is fashion heading in? What’s new, innovative and exciting? What's going on in fashion that's really pissing people off?

Hot Takes ties fashion topics to a wider cultural and social context, and digs into why these topics are important and the often more significant meanings behind them.

So sit back, relax and let's get into it. Here’s Hot Takes #11.

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Images via Pinterest | collage by Fashion Tingz (2023)

Let’s set the scene.

What people consider beautiful, and what they consider ugly, can vary greatly. These perceptions are unique to each individual as we all dance to our own rhythm. The pandemic pressed the cosmic reset button in fashion, and the rebellion against the ordinary has ushered in a new way of looking at, thinking about and engaging with fashion. Conventions? Left behind. Flattering outfits? Not today.

In a world that's desperately hungry for fashion newness, the industry finds itself at a crossroads as it undergoes a constant state of reinvention. This had led to the birth of fashion extremes; I’m talking colossal silhouettes, mismatched outfits, disconcerting colour combinations and a roster of grotesquerie. But this isn't a mere flirtation with oddity, it's a full-blown love affair that breaks all the rules. Fashion is in its ugly era.

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A new era of anti-aesthetics

Fashion has reached its ugly peak. Anti-fashion has been on the agenda for a while now, thanks in large part to the TikToksphere that's given way to a melting pot of mismatched styles, and going against the grain is now considered cool. In other words, anti-fashion, anti-aesthetics and ugly fashion are now fashionable. Ugh, how did we get here?

But just because this shift has been co-opted by the masses, doesn’t mean it has to be a bad thing. The cult of ugliness and fashion's embrace of irony democratise the unaesthetic as creativity is prioritised over conformity. It signals a wider desire to experiment with style and pushback against the hyper-perfection and homogenous fashion that's drip fed to us via social media — and that's something.

F*ck you to fashion norms

Bored with fashion's glossy façade, we're now embracing the gloriously grotesque. Bye-bye perfection and hello all things gross. Think of it as waving a cheeky adieu to fashion norms and giving a middle finger to dominant ideals that dominate the fashion realm, which have always been chosen by a select few. The perfection spell? Consider it broken.

Now, it's all about remixing threads, patterns, and textures like a mad genius, combining clothes in a way that subverts and challenges. Fashion has done a 180 and the result is hacking away at fashion's singular mould. Designers have always pushed boundaries there's no denying that, but the difference now is that we’re taking note and wearing more controversial looks day to day.

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My two cents.

Fashion's current frontier is staked by a concoction of novelty and audacity that's fuelling people's fascination with ugliness. It's a charismatic uprising against the treadmill of trends as a devil-may-care attitude puts a personal stamp on getting dressed. Ugly isn't just a statement; it's become a signature, a bold departure from the norm that intends to shock. And as it reaches the masses, it’s important to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or in this case, ugly.

So, is ugliness really staging a comeback? Well, of course it is — conventional wisdom had its curtain call as the world around us got hectic, leaving many to hunt for fresh viewpoints. Unsightly fashion riles us up and rattles our preconceived notions of acceptable aesthetics, and that's what it should be about. As the fashion pendulum continues to swing back and forth, who's to say it won't twirl us into a future where restraint and perfection are a thing of the past? It’s ugly fashion for the win.

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