We're doing thongs now.
On fashion week trends, the line between good and bad taste, and the flip flop revival.
I just bought a pair of Havaianas.
At a surf shop.
I haven’t worn thongs (or visited a surf shop) since the early 2000s. I’d forgotten that feeling - of pinching the rubber bit between your toes to keep them on your feet. It was weirdly nostalgic to have to do that again.
But yeah, thongs. They’re a thing again. Did you hear?
I wrote about it in more detail for Mamamia (which is where I’m doing a lot of my style writing at the moment, if you want to take a look through some pieces here.)
The thing I love about fashion is how something can feel so wrong one moment and then all of a sudden seem so right. It can be years, months or even weeks between bad taste and good taste, the line is that thin. I love how dangerous that feels.
Right now we’re at the pointy end of Fashion Month where the designers are presenting their spring-summer collections. It’s one of my favourite times in the fashion calendar because you get to play eye spy on the coming trends and see who’s putting stock into what (not me refreshing the Vogue app every 17 minutes to see what shows have dropped.)
Rewind to this time back in 2022 and it was The Row, care of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, that showed minimal thongs back with chic tailoring in a salon in Paris. It’s taken two years for the flip flop revival to really register in the mainstream. Now all of a sudden they’re urgently back.
Early adopters and smart business women that they are, the Olsens have continued to incorporate thongs and other jelly sandals into their collections since, establishing ownership of the trend.
But we all know Havaianas got there first. And they’re about to have their Crocs era.
I saw a meme that said something to the effect of, “do people know I’m wearing thongs in a The Row/Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy way, or do they just think I’m wearing thongs?” That’s the line you’ll have to walk with this one: you’ll know, but lots of people won’t.
But isn’t that the thing with more subversive trends? You have insider knowledge, which gives you confidence to wear them. But anyone who isn’t privy to that knowledge might just think you’re dressed weird.
I like to keep a running list of themes from Fashion Month that stick out to me and look a lot like what we’ll all be wearing next. Apart from thongs, which are everywhere, here’s what’s in my Notes app so far:
Brat green: The CharliXCX effect - Gucci, Phillip Lim, Ganni, Erdem, Armani all doing chartreuse.
Honey I shrunk the clothes: Bye bye oversized. Prada, Marni & Bottega doing shrivelled shirts and skinny pants that look like they’ve been in the wash.
Sheer EVERYTHING: Lots of gauzy textures, wispy chiffon dresses and embellished sheer overlays.
Y2k (still!): Capri tights and thong heels at Missoni; trucker caps and glitter denim at Phillip Plein; lots of dresses over pants and ultra low waists.
Ladylike: Return of femme silhouettes with a retro 50s/60s era feel; girlish (garish!) colours like bubblegum pink & purple.
Hello Moto - Leather all over. Coloured leather motorcycle jackets and skirts at Gucci & Off White.
Micro mini shift dresses: Jonathan Anderson and Emilia Wickstead basically did the same pink mini. Lots of bombers with tiny skirts/shorts.
Neckties: 80s businessman attire with big boxy blazers. See: Saint Laurent.
BELTS.
Certain tricky trends are like avocados - you wear them too early and they’re hard to swallow. Wear them too late and they’re off; you missed the moment. But you get them in that sweet spot? Delicious. You just need to pick the right one off the shelf.
This is the moment for thongs, so don’t wait.
X Tam
PS: I haven’t had as much time to write this newsletter lately, even though I desperately want to! If you’re after more fashion commentary, you can always lurk my Instagram Stories for highlights from the runways, red carpets and beyond. I’d love to chat to you there!