MISCELLANIEOUS LIST #6: Dissecting all that is "cheugy"

and other fashion trends that should never again see the light of day

A word might be made-up, but after achieving a certain popularity, the neologism is absorbed into our everyday vernacular and, well, that’s that. Before they’re neologisms (which happens once the words appear in published press, books, websites, etc.), these protologisms remain in limbo, unknown to all but small groups, with their equivalent being trying to make “fetch” happen.

The coinage of new words is one of the fastest ways that a language changes (a technicality, but I’d like to note that in English we most often adopt/absorb terminology from other languages; e.g. anime, schadenfreude, boomerang). Fascinating, right?

Enter my new favorite word: cheugy.

Cheugy (adj): The appropriate description for any decade-old trend that’s well past it’s prime, reaching peak popularity in middle/high school (think ~late 00’s - early 2010s); unstylish, in bad taste, cringe.

10 Things That Are Undoubtedly Cheugy

1. Bermuda shorts

   

   Huge youth group vibes. (I, unfortunately, would know.)

2. Chevron print

   

   This pained me to Google search.

3. Monograms

4. Infinity scarves

   

   Hello Tumblr.

5. The infinity sign

6. Mustache-themed apparel

   

   My culture is not your costume.

7. “Keep calm and ____” (and any graphic tee)

8. Galaxy leggings

   

   Notice the heinous lomo edit.

9. Anything from Hollister/Aeropostale between 2011-2014

   

   You can buy this on Poshmark right now for $18.

   10. Toms

   

   So versatile, right?!

All of my male-identifying readers, don’t think you’re in the clear.

Alas, I don’t think cheugy is the right word in this instance, so I’m hereby repurposing loogie as an adjective to describe menswear that is outdated and cringe.

Four Loogie Menswear Items

1. Acid-wash skinny jeans with texture/ribbing(?)

Why does this scream “European tourist”?

2. Basketball shorts that cover the knees

Ready for the FitnessGram Pacer Test.

3. Fedoras

   

   Pack it up, Fall Out Boy.

   4. Graphic tees (again)

In conclusion, it was in middle school that we collectively served the worst looks of our lives; the trade-off here is that there didn’t exist today’s pressure for kids to identify with a particular aesthetic, which would’ve absolutely pushed me over the edge during my high school years.

Will any of these glaring eyesores return sans irony? Uggs and crocs are still around so nothing is guaranteed.

As a special three-for-one deal, I’ll leave you with three current fads (arguably micro-trends) that I’m assuredly against:

1. Plastic chunky rings

   

   May consider this shape in a neutral color/natural stone look (although typically those are resin which is a no-no from an environmental stance).

   2. 00s-esque Hawaiian-print

      

      I can perfectly picture one dress in particular: it’s orange with flowers like this and it’s collared, too? Like a golf dress, but with this kitschy pattern. It’s def on Amazon, can’t find it though.

      3. Exposed-seam, mismatched pieces

         

         I wanted to like this, I really did. Surely it’s cute if you’re still in college!? But it got old so fast, and there’s no way this ages well.

Alright, until next week. Or whenever.

Stay the opposite of cheugy,

lanie