What makes fashion go bad? Try celebrity designers run amuck, ugly shoes and excessive makeovers. Here, our list of what went wrong in fashion in 2004:
1. The Makeover as an Emotional Crutch
It's not that getting a new look is evil. Sometimes you really do need professional help to get a new style/hairdo/interior design. But TV has taken a harmless staple of the style world -- the makeover -- and turned it into a cure-all for participants and viewers alike. Bad relationship? Maybe you just need a nose job. Out of work? You'll love your re-done kitchen! Spiritually lost? Nothing like a new dress to help you find your way.2. Uggs
Not only are Uggs almost impossible to pull off unless you are adorably chic and thin, they take a deft hand (read: professional stylist on call) to mix into a wardrobe. Worn Hollywood-like with perfect bare legs and a miniskirt, they look sweet and sexy. Worn with shearling coats, chunky legs or just about anything else, they look ridiculous (except on teens and toddlers, in which case they still look cute and funky).3. Celebrity Fashion Line Overload
We could have put up with Mary-Kate and Ashley, and maybe even Gwen Stefani playing fashion designer. But Kelly Osbourne, Lenny Kravitz, Anna Nicole Smith, Mariah Carey, Donald Trump and Lil Kim are joining the celebrity fashion designer fray. Enough already! Why can't truly stylish stars like Nicole Kidman throw us a frock or two?4. The Fuss Over Janet Jackson's Wardrobe Malfunction
Nobody ever complains about the gut-wrenching violence on the football field, the beer-guzzling guys that populate the half-time ads or the scantily clad cheerleaders. So why all of the brouhaha over what was essentially just a pastie? Give Janet Jackson a break and turn the clock back a few years ago to the Pepsi commercial that had elderly Bob Dole leering at Britney Spears and telling his dog "Easy Boy." Ewww. Now that's obscene.5. Rabbit Fur
Dyed bright colors and made up in everything from hair barrettes to ponchos, rabbit fur in theory seemed like the perfect way to add a bit of luxe to your wardrobe for a fraction of the price of other furs. But PETA wasn't the only one offended, as it persuaded some trendy retailers to pull rabbit fur from its shelves. For those of us who tend to view rabbits as next in line to our cats and dogs for a family pet, this is one trend we'll be glad to say goodbye to.Your Thoughts About Fashion in '04
What do you think was bad about fashion over the past year? Discuss it now in the forum.
