Thin Is In; Can We Welcome Back the “Heroin Chic”?

 TW: Mentions of eating disorders, depression, and body issues.

Victoria Secret Angel 
Alessandria Ambrosio

As a sixteen year old teenage girl, it would be impossible for me to live my life without worrying about how I look. After oestrogen, insecurity is the second leading hormone coursing through a teenage girl's veins. No matter the copious amounts of self love dialogue the guidance counsellor pours on the young girl, she cannot help but roll her eyes at the words
and at herself. A 2019 study found that depression is increasing among all teens, but particularly among teen girls. As many as 20% of teenage girls experience depression. And from my experience and observing the terrain of highschool around me, body issues are the biggest factor in this insecurity. 

Body standards change, we all know that. The golden rule of fashion trends themselves is that the last 20 years will always repeat themselves. And with the skimpy, tight fitting, low rise fashion of the 90’s and 2000’s making a comeback, so is the body. There’s multiple factors that have to do with this, but this isn’t something that just randomly made a comeback. Skinniness had been waiting under the craze of the BBL Fashion Nova body even after the sickly thin look became taboo of sorts, lurking in tumblr blogs and twitter threads. The biggest indicator was none other than Kim Kardashion. 

Jessica Alba and
Adriana Lima

    In 2022, Kim Kardashian made us all roll our eyes after she announced she would be wearing the iconic Marilyn Monroe “Happy Birthday” Dress to the Met Gala. Now, while I have my own set of opinions regarding that (Let poor Marilyn rest in peace.), it was a very shocking move indeed. In the end, Kim’s BBL (alleged lmao) couldn’t fit into the archived dress, causing it to tear even though she had been very public about her weight loss just to fit into that dress. Vanity Fair reports “Kim Kardashian Lost 16 Pounds in 3 Weeks to Fit Into Marilyn Monroe's Dress for the 2022 Met Gala. The reality star confessed that she's looking forward to indulging once the red carpet is over.” 

Kim K at the 2022 Met Gala

While losing 16 pounds in 21 days is a very impressive feat, if it’s true, it signified a change. You see, if Kim Kardashian is to be seen wearing a fursuit…you best believe fursuits will be in fashion pretty soon. Though, for all our sakes, I hope she stays away from them.

Now, around the whole 2022 period, I remember stumbling across an interesting acronym.  EDTWT. Basically, and I’m pretty sure it still exists now, it was a community on twitter creating weight loss threads, talking about anorexia, and how to get anorexia, all while using their favourite kpop idols as thread covers…and it was the worst environment ever. I was exposed to gore there, which basically traumatised me till this day and I still refuse to open twitter. All that aside, the rise of that community of twitter basically signified this: The common girl is going into unhealthy eating habits, all for the goal of that perfect skinny body. In 2022 and 2020 the hourglass was in, but with aesthetics like clean girl and pilates princess, it became slim hourglass that was all the rage. 

Adriana Lima

In 2024, we saw the rise of the Victoria Secret Model, especially Adriana Lima who unfortunately became the average pfp for the obnoxious female “looksmaxxer”. We saw the Kardashian-Jenner family ditch the fillers and BBL, and people are gearing more towards natural beauty. We saw people going crazy for ozempic, with multiple celebrities donning “Ozempic Face”. “Thinspiration” in on the rise, and believe it or not, I suspect it has something to do with the economy. 

In essence, the girlies that are skinny? They can afford to be skinny. 

Groceries are barely affordable now for many people and they are going towards eating out in fast foods just to not go hungry. Can you imagine that? An oil-filled McDouble? Gag! I only eat my super clean salad with extra protein and no carbs while drinking my liquid chlorophyll and taking my daily ozempic supplement AND I do yoga and workout in my free time. 

Can YOU afford to do that? 

Now I don’t think the sickly skinny look is coming back, but I do think that the whole “healthy” and rich look is coming back. The goal is to look like a lost 2000’s kardashian sister, like you have a whole account filled with money you don’t know what to do with. Like you can afford the food, but you don’t eat it because…you’re never hungry! And if we are going like how the trend is going, I predict the flat look will be in, and then it will be about big cleavage and to complete that 20 year cycle, the 2040 BBL Body.

I just hope the same attitude doesn’t return, and screw whoever made fun of Jessica Simpson! 

How to Incorporate Culture in Clothing; Desi Diaspora Edition

     I hate the word Diaspora. To me, it signifies a disconnect from one’s culture in which they create their own culture and ideals separate from their original traditions, essentially watering them down and white-washing them. Yes, I have many bones to pick with a lot of “Pakistani immigrants” who enjoy the label immigrant even though their parents were born here and it was their grandparents who immigrated and struggled and the second-gen now continues the family tradition of celebrating Eid and Pride Month! Well, I digress. Fashion-wise, I know a lot of us immigrants struggled with our culture in terms of clothing. We want to wear jeans and shirts, much to the displeasure of our parents, but we also want to feel connected to our roots, proudly showing our heritage. How do you do both? As a part-time immigrant, I’m here to tell you what I think works. 

1. Jewellery

To elevate any outfit, you simply need to wear a bit of jewellery. I hate the new trend of wearing minimal jewellery, because you can easily look rich, well off, and elegant with a bit of gold, don’t you agree? And desi culture has no shortage of jewellery. From gold for your forehead to gold for your toes, there’s a lot of ways to wear desi jewellery. 

♡ Earrings

Depending on where you’re from in the south asian world, there are a lot of earrings you can sport. As a punjabi princess myself, I like to wear Jhumke. Small jhumkes or small earrings can elevate an outfit immediately, bonus points if it’s gold. 

♡ Bracelets

Bole chudiyaan, bole kangana “please wear me”. Just like simple earrings, simple bracelets can genuinely make you look so much more elegant. I wear gold bracelets when going to school and aside from the satisfying sound of the bangles clinking making me feel like I’m Geet from Jab We Met, it also just makes you look good. It enhances a part of your body that would otherwise be overlooked. If you don’t have a bracelet, then payals work just as fine and give more sounds if that’s what you’re looking for. 

♡ Necklaces

Now, this is for my non-hijabi girls, or hijabi girls that expertly cover their necks and still manage to wear necklaces (teach me), wearing a simple gold necklace is so so pretty! Bonus points if it’s a name necklace in Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, or Telugu, or any language you speak at home. Trust me, you look very cultured like that.

2. Bindi

If you are a non muslim, then bindi’s are perfect for you. A simple coloured dot in between your eyebrows is a great way of showing your desi culture. Seriously, it gives 2000s Bindi Babes.

3. Kajal/Kohl/Surma

Unfortunately, this is a beauty enhancer I am unable to participate in. Why? It just doesn’t look good on me! Kajal makes my eyes look smaller, and I look just weird. When I put surma on, I like to just put it in the outer corners of my eyes or give the illusion of kajal on my lower lash line using eyeliner. Also, I always use kajal on my upper lash line whenever I want to give the illusion of fuller lashes. And hey, don’t feel bad if kajal doesn’t look good on you! One of the prettiest women of Bollywood, IMO, actually looks worse with kajal: Kareena Kapoor. Compare her look in K3G to her in Jab We Met. She looks gorgeous in both, but there’s a reason why people say that Miss Pooja herself is an icon. Her clothes, and her makeup. In K3G, Kareena does the same thing I just said, she uses what looks to be brown eyeshadow on her lower lash line to give the illusion of Kajal whilst not actually wearing it. 

Kareena in K3G

Kareena in Jab we Met

So just find what looks best on you and go with it! Side note, I miss you Bebo!

4. Kurta’s

Now this is something I wholly attribute to Geet, it was a trend before her, but I genuinely think of her whenever I wear a kurta over jeans. This fusion combines the elegance and tradition of the kurta with the casual, contemporary feel of jeans, creating a versatile and stylish look. The juxtaposition makes a great look. Cargo’s work just as well!

    Embrace these dynamic approaches to fashion, and let your wardrobe be a testament to your rich heritage and global sensibility.

    Should I make a part two?

The Ultimate Throwback: Why 90's Blowout Hairstyling is Still the Gold Standard

 The 90’s were a transformative time for fashion, creating some of the most iconic fashion styles and subcultures we have today. One runway show from any high fashion brand in the 90s is enough to outstyle the entire collection of a brand today. It was an ERA for fashion and beauty alike, and god do I ever think that I was born in the wrong generation (as corny as that may sound). I mean, think about it, if I was born in the late 80’s, I would’ve experienced the 90s and the 2000s! Oh my god, take me there! 

The hairstyles of the 90’s were also…interesting, to say the least. What I mean is, “The Rachel” is best left in the past, one of the more unfortunate relics of the 90s alongside crimped hair and the Shag… but one of the hairstyles that really defined this era for me, emerging as a timeless icon, the 90’s blowout. Characterised by its voluminous texture, sleek finish, and unmistakable attitude, this hairstyle has refused to fade into obscurity.

I, for one, am so glad the useless and frankly, cultish trend of minimalism is slowly but surely leaving! Dressing up in one shade of clothes, and the same slicked back look is NOT hot. Minimalism is an excuse for people to feel better about themselves since the rest of their life is out of control. But people now are returning to that ooh la la when walking into a room. And the 90s blowout was a supermodel staple, with icons like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford sporting that perfectly voluminous and bouncy sleek hair.

Now I recognize that the blowout is very much limited to straight hair, but hey! Wigs! I mean, I think just layers in general gives that 90’s look, and automatically increases femininity. There’s something about a perfectly coiffed and voluminous blowout that just makes me sigh with heart eyes as if I have laid my hair upon the perfect female ever. And it’s not limited to long hair, as well! Short blowouts look just as classy. 

Something was in the air in the 90's, everyone was so fine.

People are going back to the blowouts, and I, for one, am ever so grateful. Go out in glam, ladies! Minimalism was never cute.