The Philippine Online Chronicles

New year, new trends. This is a great time to update, edit, or just plain overhaul your wardrobe. After all, the fashion industry waits for no one, and what might be cool today, won’t even merit a passing glance tomorrow. C2Style blogger and noted personal shopper Carolyn Rovner suggests that in updating one’s wardrobe, one must remember to “be ruthless”. The simplest way to do this is to get rid of everything you no longer love, because you sure won’t be putting them on any time soon. You might as well reclaim some closet space.

Now what about trendy pieces that were all the rage in 2011? Here’s the thing: hindsight is always 20/20. A fashion piece you loved last year might look a lot less appealing to you now, after the hype has subsided. True to form, fashion’s ever changing world is introducing new trends, and chucking old ones into the garbage bin. Here are the top five 2011 fashion trends to throw out in 2012.

Rompers

It’s a mystery good enough for the Sphinx: who decided that borrowing from infant fashion is a good idea? This year, rompers made a smashing return, with women of all ages wearing a onesie that might be cute on certain people, but are definitely far from practical. The usual problem with rompers is that the material, the cut, or the size is off, making it difficult to find something that actually works and won’t end up looking unflattering. It’s about time rompers make way for sophisticated fashion, which is what 2012 is all about.

Kourtney Kardashian in rompers (via HaveUHeard)

Animal print

Last year saw a sharp increase in hunters and gatherers – oh wait, scratch that. No hunting or gathering occurred but women all over the world decided that leopard skin is in. There’s nothing wrong with wearing animal prints. Done right, a touch of animal print can create a very chic look. Stylist Kimmy Erin, however, warns that women should go only for animal prints done right and natural: no fake looking spots on cheap materials and neon colors, please!

Snooki wearing the skin of a neon leopard (via The Fashion Camp)

It’s not necessary to drop animal prints completely. For the less bold, zebra prints are always a good way to start since they’re neutral colors. Add a hint of jungle cat to your outfits, but remember that you’re not supposed to overwhelm yourself and the people who have to look at you. Another great tip: ditch the lion mane when wearing animal prints. If you’re going animalistic, counter the wild look by keeping your hair sleek and sexy. It’s all about balance, so you don’t end up like Snooki.

Jeggings or leggings as pants

Of course this raises the question: was this trend even actually acceptable, ever, in the history of mankind? Hopefully, the answer is no, because this abomination has definitely got to go. Leggings have their place in fashion. Pair them with a shirt dress, mini dress, or a long tunic and you’ve got a pretty cool and casual outfit. Wear leggings with a shirt that barely grazes your hips? No way.

Before anyone gets confused, though, here’s a quick explanation on the two kinds of “jeggings”. The original jeggings are leggings that were designed to look like jeans, either through details like fake pockets and studs, or through fake seams. Here in the Philippines, what most stores call jeggings are really just skinny jeans because they’re still actual denim, despite having stretchy material. Plus they do have real pockets and do not reveal as much as leggings do.

Fantasia Barrino in leggings as pants (via Coco & Crème)

Women who wear leggings in lieu of actual pants perhaps do not realize the visibility of lines, bulges, and curves that normally should be kept hidden from sight, for modesty’s sake. And it’s not just the usual suspects (i.e. fashion victims) who commit this fashion hate crime. Royal sister-in-law Pippa Middleton stepped out in a beautiful army green jacket, a cool pair of ankle boots, and… jeggings?

Huffington Post caught Middleton’s faux pas.

Whatever they’re called, showing up outside your house in pseudo-pants that reveal far too much shouldn’t have even made it past 2010, so here’s to hoping they don’t appear in 2012.

Harem pants

Not even MC Hammer could pull this one off, and he was sort of cool for at least a month. The trend first appeared in the late 80s, thanks to Mr. Hammer. It resurfaced a couple of years ago, resulting in an “updated” trend that’s still as last season as ever. Women who love this trend insist that it’s comfy enough to make everything worth it, but really, how can you even think of wearing anything that goes by the name “drop crotch pants”?

Pictured: drop crotch pants (via Venomous Porridge)

Short bubble skirt

It’s not so much an eyesore as an outdated trend. Bubble skirts are cute, and expect a few hold outs to continue wearing these. The only problem is that bubble skirts really aren’t that easy to pull off, and it flatters very few people. Since it’s poufy, the tendency is to make the hips and thighs look much bigger than they really are. As such, only the skinniest (oftentimes Asian pop stars and models) can really pull off the look.

Kim Kardashian in a bubble skirt (via Daily Mail)

More importantly, 2012 is all about structure (thanks to the influence of Mad Men, the Queen’s fashion, and the upcoming Margaret Thatcher movie), so expect straight and pencil skirts this year.