Two summers ago (2007), I decided I was too cool for my jean shorts. I had to be "different." So, I decided to buy three pairs of unbranded semi-ironic preppy plaid shorts from Walmart. My style choice wasn't completely original, if even original, at all. At the time, plaid shorts were still for those attempting percieved incongruity. I was riding a marketing tidal wave, but thankfully(?) ditched it when the shorts started to look like this:
Over the course of one summer plaid shorts morphed into hyper-branded “cool.” Soon enough though, mid-level teenage trend seekers such as me decided the shorts were too branded and too mainstream. By the end of the summer plaid shorts had bastardized into women’s short-shorts as well.
In just a year thousands of teens bought tons of “edgy” shorts, just to discard them when their mom’s started wearing them (this is a generalization, my mom doesn’t wear them). Today, plaid shorts have been adapted into your slightly unstylish bromale’s “jeans and t-shirts” wardrobe.
The point of this anecdote isn’t to be self deprecating, it’s to help illustrate style obsolescence, literally, via mspaint:
My generation is created from recycled memes. Ugly plaid shorts, vans deck shoes, the “meaningful music” of Pink Zepplin Hendrix, 80s grunge, hi-top sneakers, skateboarding (the best damn example of trend obsolescence ever), ray-bans, aviators, etc. I am living in a “culturally dead” generation. I’m fine with it though, Kurt is no better than Kanye.
