anything goes with emma chamberlain - labubus and white tank tops, trendy or timeless
Episode Date: August 24, 2025[video available on spotify] welcome to trendy or timeless, a series here on anything goes where we discuss and analyze things in the zeitgeist and determine if they’re trendy or timeless. Find tre...nding summer looks at Walmart. Members save up to 20% on hotels at Hotels.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Welcome back to trendy or timeless.
A series here on Anything Goes
where we discuss and analyze current trends in the zeitgeist
and determine together whether they are trendy or timeless.
Trendy meaning they're just a flash in the pan.
We like them today and we'll hate them tomorrow.
Or timeless meaning, yeah, they might be repackaged as a trend right now.
But actually, to their core, they're timeless.
They're going to be cool forever.
I haven't done one of these in a while
because the trend cycle is seemingly slowing down.
Like a lot of the trending items right now
were also trending a few years ago.
I've already talked about them.
And if you want to hear me talk about them,
you can go listen to trendy or timeless episodes of the past.
It's been hard to compile a list of new current trends
over the last year or so
because there just hasn't been a lot of,
new stuff. I also think too that we're at a point now where there's been so many micro
trends over the last few years that we've almost cycled through everything. Like everything's
trended over the last few years. And so now we're at this point where it kind of feels like
there is no defined trends. But then there are because there definitely are. But it's like
harder than ever to pinpoint. Like in 2020, it was like, okay, checkerboard prints back. And it was back
in a big way. And it was really obvious. Whereas now it's like, yeah, I guess pocodots are trendy,
but also so are like a trillion other different. I don't know. It's like it feels less
defined to me nowadays. However, that could also be because I'm not as chronically online as I used to
be. I used to be so chronically online that every time there was even like a whisper of a trend,
I would pick up on it because I was so online. Whereas now, in order to find out about the
trends, I either have to watch other people discuss what's trending right now, like on YouTube
or something, like almost do like a trend roundup. Or I have to read articles from fashion
publications about what's currently trending. Or I have to ask you people who know a little bit more
about what's in the zeitgeist than me. And for this particular episode, it was a combination of all
those things. I did my own research, but I also asked you to submit what trends you've been
seeing a lot lately so that I could comment on those as well. It's harder than ever for me to gather
this info, but I'm not sure exactly why. And it might be that I'm just not as online as I used to be.
that's neither here nor there, okay? Who cares about that? Let's get into the trends.
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Now back to the episode.
Starting with
Labubu.
Now, if you don't know what the Labubu is,
it's basically a little stuffed animal
with a very particular aesthetic.
It's a little bit soft,
but a little bit creepy looking.
And it's incredibly popular,
particularly for people who like to collect things.
Like, I think this is like a Stanley Cup moment
happening all over again.
You know, everyone became,
obsessed with the Stanley Cup, I don't know, a year or two ago, and started collecting all the
colors. This is having the same cultural effect. People are obsessed with collecting these little
luboo-stuffed animals. Now, I think why these are so popular right now is because, number one,
they are cute. Like, I actually like the way that the little laboos look. You know, they're kind
of creepy, but they're fuzzy and they're cute, and they have a little clip so you can
clip them onto your bag or under your belt loop or whatever.
They're cute.
But also, they perfectly align with the trend that we've already been discussing for the last
year or two now, which is Jane Birkening the back.
If you don't know what Jane Burkening the bag is, it's basically hanging a bunch of keychains
and jewelry and accessories off of a purse to accessorize it and make it look more personal.
That was already a trend.
Then the Lubbubu came out and it was like, okay, now we have this fun, collectible little stuffed animal that we can clip onto our bag.
And yes, they are cute.
I actually really like how they look.
And to be honest, if they weren't so trendy, I would buy one.
The only reason why I haven't bought one is because it's just become sort of this, the trend around it, the culture around it is too extreme for me right now.
Like, to give you some context, I'm not super tapped.
into what's going on, but like people are waiting in five-hour lines to get a luboo. And the way that
it works is that you get like a blind box, I guess. I still don't really know how this works.
So you get a blind box. So you like, we'll buy a labuba, but you don't know which one you got
till you open the box and you find out what you got. So you wait in this long line and then you
don't know what you got. So that is adding to the collectible nature. Like people will wait in line
and buy a bunch of them because they're like, I want to try to get the one that I want. It's genius
business model. Genius. But the whole like culture around it of like buying a bunch of them and
collecting them all and now it being this thing like everyone has one, that sort of deters me from
wanting to participate because it does feel a little bit, I don't know, like it's a little bit
too extremist for me. Do you know what I'm saying? So that's why I personally wouldn't participate.
I would honestly rather wait until all these people that bought the Lubu's are like, oh wait,
I'm sick of it and then they start like putting them on eBay for really cheap. Then maybe I'll
get one because I actually do like them. I think they are kind of cool and I think they are kind
of cute. So it's a shame that the culture around it is so extreme because otherwise I would have
one. Do I think that they're timeless? No. Anytime there's a hyper-specific item like this,
it's virtually impossible for it to be timeless. There will come a time in the near future, I think,
where it becomes not cool anymore
to have a luboo boo-boo.
It's not necessarily like cringe.
It's such a small little accessory
that it kind of doesn't matter.
But I do think that it's so hyper-specific
that at a certain point soon,
it just won't be as desirable anymore.
It will become too saturated.
We'll be fatigued by them.
We won't want to look at them anymore.
We'll get sick of them.
It's definitely just a trend.
However, there is something that I actually like.
And in that way, you know,
me, it might be a timeless item. When everyone gets sick of them, I might go on eBay and buy one.
Do you see what I'm saying? Because I like it. I like them. But I think the sort of obsession
with collecting them and stuff like that, that is a trend. And I think the way that people are
buying, like, so many of them and having this massive collection, like, that's going to be
regrettable. To buy one Lubbubu and enjoy it and like it be becoming your little friend for the next,
you know, five years to come, if you love the Labubu, like, that's fine. That actually might even be,
I can't believe I'm saying this, timeless. I think little things that have personality like that
can in a way be timeless. And things that are subtle enough and small enough like that, just like a
little accessory that you just clip on your bag, that can be timeless. But I think culturally we're going
to get sick of it. And I think it's not going to be like, I mean, I think Labubu has a year.
you know, max until it's really not cool anymore.
But I do think that there's going to be a lot of people out there
that keep their Labubu and enjoy it for years to come
because they genuinely like the design.
You know what I mean?
They like the energy it brings to their outfit.
I shockingly don't hate the Labubu,
but I do think collecting them all is a toxic trend
that is ultimately just over-consuming.
And I think the Lubbubu itself is so specific that it itself is going to lose its status symbol of like,
oh, look at my cute lobobo.
Like, it's not going to be cool anymore very soon.
But I do think because it's such a particular aesthetic, the people who really like it could keep it going.
So actually, in a way, I think it's kind of trendy and timeless.
I don't know.
And I can't believe I'm saying that.
But I think when something's that hyper-specific,
in a weird way
it can be timeless
because you can make this decision
to like keep it going
you know what I mean
and because it's so small
like that thing can be on your keys
like you can clip one onto your keychain
for the next five years
and it's like not going to get in the way
it's just this fun little thing
I don't know
and then I think years down the line
like I could see kids buying these vintage
you know again going online
buying them resale
and like it becoming a trend again
I don't know these little items
little teeny accessories like this
can weirdly be timeless
if they're super hyper-specific like this.
I don't know. We'll see.
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Okay, next, I can't believe that this is a trend, but I just found out about this, a plain white tank top.
Okay, I just watched a whole video essay on YouTube about this.
I actually watched multiple video essays on YouTube about this.
Apparently, the white tank top is trending on TikTok because Ms. Kendall Jenner was wearing a white tank top with leather pants at like a sports game.
And it went viral because everyone was like, what tank top is she wearing? This white tank top is
so chic. Like, where can I get it? And so it became this viral sort of trend to figure out what
white tank top Kendall Jenner was wearing. And thus, the white tank top is trending. Now, I'm not
even going to discuss this any further. The white tank top is undeniably timeless. A white tank top is never
out of style. And I personally love a white tank top. And I have for as long as I can remember.
Actually, not as long as I can remember, but probably for the last like four years, five years,
a white tank top has been a closet staple for me. For the same reasons that it's going viral right
now, it's a basic that looks good with everything. And when styled properly, can look really
elevated and chic and cool. Like, it makes sense to me that it's trending because it's like,
wait a minute, this is so simple and affordable, but also it can look really good. I actually,
there's a lot of people up in arms about the fact that the white tank top is trending. And I
kind of understand why I think it, like we all probably have a good enough white tank top
in our closet. And I think this trend is leading people to try to find the perfect one. And it's like,
you probably already have it. I understand that.
criticism. I somewhat agree with it. I also think, too, some people are like, are you guys dumb?
Like, why are you freaking out over a white tank top? But I think because I so deeply enjoy a white
tank top and when I sort of figured out how amazing of a closet staple it was, I was kind of
excited and I just wore only white tank tops with various bottoms for like multiple years.
You know, I get it. From a fashion perspective, sometimes it takes people a bit longer to
realize, oh wait, sometimes understated, simple, obvious things are actually the best options.
Like, if somebody got into fashion a few years ago and they started with maximalism, you know,
like big, you know, roughly blouses and like tunics and like fur coats and stuff, they might have
overlooked the white tink top and how chic it can be. I get it. Like, I actually get it. So I don't
no, I actually don't feel, it is a little ridiculous. I get where people are coming from when they're
like, why is a white tangtop trend? What is happening? But I actually get, I get it. And I ultimately
think we all need white tank tops in our closet. It's useful in so many different ways, whether you're
wearing it by itself or you're layering it on top of things. Like, I'll take a olive green
t-shirt and put a white tank top on top and it looks cute and sporty. Or, you know, I'll
take a black tank top and put a white tank top over it for like a layered look like there's so many
different things you can do with it you know i could take like a black collared shirt and i could put
a white tank top over it and it'll have like a cool bunchy like there's so many things you can do
with a white tank top it's incredibly timeless and it is a little bit silly that it's trending because
it's like this is one of the most basic pieces of clothing you could possibly imagine but i actually don't
think it's a harmful trend at the end of the day like on the grand scheme of trends going out and
buying a white tank top because it's trending is not the worst case scenario. Going on buying
something hyper-specific and trendy that you really can't style in a lot of different ways that
you're ultimately just going to have to get rid of, you know, a year after. That's much more
harmful than buying a timeless basic. Like, it personally makes me happy to see that people are excited
about a white tank top. That's great. That's a thing you're going to have in your closet forever
until it rips or gets so stained that it's like, but even if it gets stained, you could
dye in another color. The options are endless. I like it. I love it. I think it's okay that the white
tank top is trending. Okay, next. Pocodots. Pocodot everything. Particularly black and white
and red and white polka dots, I've noticed anyway. But there's occasional brown and white
polka dots, you know, the list goes on. Pocodot skirts, polka dot tops, polka dot ballet flats,
Pocodot Caprize, Pocodot little mini shorts,
Pocodot mini skirt, Pocodot socks.
Pocodots are very much in.
And I had a feeling that this would happen.
In the beginning of this year,
when I did one of my trend prediction episodes
or like 2025 ins and outs,
I mentioned Pocodots.
I felt this coming.
And I'm not sure why.
It might have been a gut instinct.
It also might have been because I was starting
to see a little bit more Pocodots.
And I was like, yeah,
is coming. I can't really remember where my head was at, but I saw this one coming. And here's the
thing. I love polka dots. I love them. They are absolutely a timeless pattern to me. They are
trendy right now. They are all over the place. But I don't think that there's ever a moment in time
where polka dots are wrong. You can always, at any given moment, no matter what is going on in the
trend cycles, style polka dots in a way that's cute and chic. It is timeless in the same way
that stripes are timeless. And that actually takes us to our next trend, which is stripes. Another
trend that I think I, I don't know if I predicted it, but I felt it coming. And I mentioned it in the
beginning of this year. I think. I think I did. And if I didn't, let's just pretend I did and
give me credit. Here's the thing about polka dots and stripes, okay? These are both
some of the most generic, obvious, timeless patterns ever.
And so, yes, they are trending right now.
However, I just truly do believe in my heart
that you could never go wrong with stripes or polka dots.
They're the perfect patterns.
They're just interesting enough to grab your attention
and to be bold and bright and exciting.
But they're just simple enough to never really go out of style.
You know what I'm saying?
Like stars, checkerboard print, mod 60s like flowers and color blocking, all of these types
of patterns have a shelf life. They're cool for a little bit and then everybody gets super sick of
them. Stripes and polka dots are not quite busy enough, not quite loud enough for us to ever
get sick of them. And personally, they're my two favorite patterns at this point in my life.
I also love plaid, and I also think plaid is timeless.
But plaid is a bit more hit or miss.
Like there are times when plaid is not good.
More often so than with stripes and pocodots.
It's very rare that stripes or pokedots look bad
because they're pretty basic.
I mean, depending on what colors are used,
like it's hard to fuck it up.
Plaid can be kind of cringe looking sometimes
and certain types of plaids
can be trendy for a moment and then go out of style.
You know, stripes and pocodots are my favorite, and they are undeniably timeless.
Okay, moving on, butter, yellow clothing.
Apparently, this is a trend right now.
This is like the color of the time.
I feel like the last super trendy color was cherry red.
There's something about food and color association that is doing really well in the zeitgeist
over the last few years.
The last trendy color was the cherry red.
It was like a dark, deep maroon color.
And that's technically not as in anymore.
However, that's a timeless color.
That is simply just maroon.
Do you know what I'm saying?
That is maroon.
When it's called cherry red, it's like, yeah, okay, it's trendy.
But when you call it what it is, which is maroon, that's a timeless color.
And the same thing goes now with butter yellow.
It's trendy because we're calling it butter yellow.
But what it really is is pastel yellow.
And that's a very standard basic color.
It's like always around.
Pastel yellow is always around.
You can always find something pastel yellow in the store.
Unless they're like super curated, trendy trends only.
Like if you go into urban outfiters, you can find something pastel yellow at any point
over the last 20 years.
Like it's just, it's a basic color.
Do you know what I mean?
I think the only color,
that are not timeless. In my opinion, in my opinion, neon colors, which I just hate in general.
I really don't like neon colors. But they're so bright and they're so fatiguing to look at
that they have a tendency to be trendy. Like they'll come in for a minute, like in 2010 or something,
I think. Neon colors were super trendy and then boom, it was out. It was out quick and everybody got
so sick of it because it's too bright. It's too bright. It hurts. It hurts to look at.
Butter yellow, a.k.a. pastel yellow, that is timeless. That is something that, that is a color that people
have been wearing and enjoying, regardless of the trends, for such a long time. Like, if you were to
take a history book that has pictures from the last 200 years and you were to open random pages,
you'd get butter yellow more often than you'd think. Like, it's just, it's a great color. Pasta.
yellow. It's timeless. It's chic. And it's classic. I personally really like it. I think what I like
about it the most, too, is that butter yellow kind of looks like cream. Like it almost reads as a shade
of white sometimes, which I think is really nice. And I mean, depending on what your definition
of butter yellow is, I have a few butter yellow things in my collection. And I love the warmth and
the creaminess that they bring. So yeah, that's the verdict.
Butter yellow, aka pastel yellow. Timeless. Okay, next, we have wearing athletic clothing as fashion.
You know, the cute leggings with the cute sports bra, with the cute top on top, with the cute puffer jacket,
with the cute headband, with the cute little Pilates socks, with the little, you know, slippers,
and like the whole athleisure Pilates aesthetic. This is at this point starting to feel like a fashion
trend because people are wearing this athletic wear to the grocery store, to brunch, to things
other than a workout class, right? And I'm going to say something shocking to both of us.
And I might regret it, but I'm going to say something shocking to both of us. In some ways,
this is timeless. And let me explain why. Now, it's not timeless in the way that if you were to go
back like 50 years and look at books of people walking around town and you know if you were to
observe the fashion you'd see alo yoga sets because that's obviously not the case but i think it's
timeless in the sense that now and for the rest of time i don't think this is ever going to go out of
style because it's functional it might not be timeless in the way that it stood the test of time because
it's existed prior to now. But I think it's timeless in the sense that it's, it's kind of a new
thing that's almost been invented. Like, we've really advanced our active wear in the last
10 years. And culturally, we've become much more relaxed about when we wear active wear. And I don't
really see us going backwards. I just don't. So I actually think this might be timeless,
shockingly, because it serves such a specific purpose. And because I actually understand this
purpose, I've experienced this purpose. Like, I'm somebody who loves exercise, okay? I need my
exercise. It's very important to me. It keeps me grounded. It keeps me sane. It keeps me smiling,
etc. It can be incredibly helpful and efficient to go run errands in a cute workout set and then
go to the workout after. You see what I'm saying? If you're going on a hike with friends and then
going to brunch? Why change when you could just stay in your cute workout set? I get it. Do I think
that there are micro trends within the athletic wear category that are trendy and not timeless? Yes.
Like I think when it comes to active wear, you know, the timeless stuff is the stuff that is truly
functional active wear that has zero to no flaws in its functionality. And
is simple enough to stand the test of time, okay?
Let me give an example.
Like, a classic black pair of leggings
and a classic black sports bra
and a classic maybe sheer white sort of long sleeve,
you know, workout top,
and a white scrunchy little sock
and maybe a little functional sneaker,
even a trendy one, like a Solomon or, you know, in Adidas or whatever.
Like, that is not really, to me, a trendy outfit.
It's all simple.
You're never going to get sick of any of that stuff.
And it's serving a defined purpose.
You know what I'm saying?
Whereas wearing a pair of bright pink yoga pants with a super boobelicious cleavage-esque sports bra
where your boobs are falling out when you actually work out in it.
And the second you start sweating, you can see a sweat stain around your swamp ass because
it's pink so you can see it and also with the sports bra it's like not actually holding the boobs
in place so when you're exercising the boobs are are not being contained they're around and you wear that
with a little you know ballet inspired wrap top that's really inconvenient to tie around yourself
and then once you tie it around yourself it's kind of uncomfortable and you feel like a sausage
in a casing you know you feel like a sausage that's been wrapped in twine and hung on the ceiling and
in an Italian grandma's kitchen.
Like, listen, I'm not saying that these things aren't necessarily timeless for some people,
right?
Like some people, this is their aesthetic, this is what they love.
But that's more trendy to me.
It's not as functional.
It's more rooted in aesthetic and it's very hyper-specific and people will get sick of it.
Do you see what I'm saying?
So there are micro trends within this trend.
But I think the trend of wearing active wear out in it being sort of a fashion statement,
I think we're going to be seeing that for the rest of time, for the rest of our lives.
that will never go out of style. And I think the key to it is finding a timeless sense of personal
style in it. Like, I always looked at fashion as being removed from athletics, right? Like,
I always looked at my workout wear versus my fashion, you know, what I wear in my personal
life as being two separate things. But really, it's the same thing. I mean, yeah, the number one
priority with exercises, functionality, but you can still find personal style within that. And if you're
somebody who likes fashion, you should. Why not? It makes it more fun. And it also makes you a more,
I don't know, just you buy things more thoughtfully as well. I briefly interrupt this episode to
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episode. Okay, moving on, early 2000s purses. Okay, an example would be the Chloe Paddington
bag. Another example would be the Balenciaga City bag. If I were to define this category of bags,
they are medium size. They're chaotic. Okay. And by chaotic, I mean they have padlocks in
reinforced edges, in zippers everywhere, in tassels, in a flap, in buckles, in studs. And they
have rounded corners and they're like, every, it's like busy.
they're not clean. They're not structured. They're like early 2000s grunge. Like if you were to look up like a Paris Hilton photo of her like drunk walking out of a club, she might have like a Balenciaga city bag like, you know, like spilling out of her hand and it's all wrinkled and it's like there's buckles everywhere. It's very maximalist, very busy. That's the vibe. Those kinds of purses are back. These are not timeless to me. This is my opinion.
This is my opinion. These are not timeless to me. This sort of, I've seen this sort of aesthetic
come in and out of style in my life. And we've been witnessing the rise in the fall of various early
2000s trends over the last few years. This is just another one. And what I've noticed about the
early 2000s is that a lot of the things that were trending then have a very short shelf life.
They did back then and they do now. They come back with a vengeance.
but because they're so tacky, and that's sort of the point of it, right?
The point of a lot of the early 2000s trends was that they were tacky.
They were over the top.
They were super detailed and whatever.
Like that was the whole point.
But the problem with those types of things is that we become fatigued by them quickly.
And I think when it comes to something like a bag that you're going to be wearing over and over and over again,
and it's a really strong accessory to an outfit,
unlike the Labuobu that's hyper-specific
and you can clip it onto your bag or whatever
and it's a tiny little detail,
the bag itself is a larger piece.
Do you know what I mean?
And I don't know.
I think a bag is one of the key accessories
of an outfit that shapes the vibe and the feeling
and the shape and the structure of everything.
And like what these early 2000s chaotic bags
bring to the table to me
is a very specific aesthetic that ends up looking tacky
very soon after it comes back into the zeitgeist.
It just, I don't know, it just doesn't,
it doesn't feel timeless to me.
And some people might disagree with me.
Like, I don't know, the older I get
and the more I analyze fashion,
just as a hobby for funsies,
I realize that if you want to,
you can pull anything off.
That's the end of the story.
so like if something's truly timeless to you then it is but like to me i don't know i i see these
these sorts of early 2000s bags and i'm like like they're exhausting to look at and like for brief
moments in time they make sense and they work and they're cool and everybody's loving them
but they go out of style very quickly and in a way that is visceral and not good like you see a bag
like that and you're like hello no thanks i don't know though maybe i'm wrong maybe i'm wrong maybe i'm
about that one. I'm like thinking about it more and I'm like, I guess I could see it styled.
No, I'm going to stick with my answer. Okay, moving on. Bubble skirts. This is an interesting
trend because it's very subtle. Like, I don't know, bubble skirts, they come in so many different
shapes and sizes. And it is a unique silhouette, though, that I haven't seen prior to now in my life,
I don't think. Like I don't remember a time when bubble skirts have been in before now. And I might
have been too young or maybe I just missed it for whatever reason if I was in middle school or high
school and it was trendy in like the fashion world, but it wasn't trendy in my middle school or
my high school, which not a lot was trendy in those places other than Ugg Boots and Lulu Lemon
leggings in Hollister graphic teas. Like, you know, so I don't know, maybe I missed it. But I actually
think they're quite wonderful. They're very understayed.
I mean, basically what makes a bubble skirt a bubble skirt is that it's usually tight at the top
and then it sort of flares out a little bit in one way or another and then it's tight again at the
bottom creating sort of a bubble shape. Okay, cute. I've seen them short, like really short little
micro little bubble skirts. Those are particularly popular right now. And then I've also seen long
ones that go down to the knees or even perhaps the ankles. I actually think bubble skirts are
timeless, to be honest. I think interesting silhouettes like that can always be
styled in modern new ways. Like by just, you could take a bubble skirt and, you know,
by changing up what's on top, you can give it a brand new fresh feeling. To me, even though it is a
really specific silhouette and, you know, it's not necessarily, no, you know what, it is kind
of classic. Maybe that's why I feel like it's timeless. Because if you were to go back,
And like, look at historical fashion images from when, you know, people first started wearing
gowns and dresses and skirts and these things.
There was a lot of dramatic silhouettes like that.
Yeah.
The bubble skirt, in one way or another, that shape has existed for a long time.
And so that might be why I feel like this is like a staple piece.
Like you could actually do whatever you wanted with it.
It is particularly trendy right now, but I don't think it's ever going to.
to be out. Like if you were to buy a bubble skirt now, yeah, you'll be in trend now. But
in five years, I think you could style it just as well, even if it's not trendy, you know.
It's not quite bold enough to be fatiguing. And the shape feels timeless. It's not overly exaggerated,
but it is, it does have this nice feeling. I don't know, I'm going to say timeless on the bubble
skirt. Next, we have bloomers, which are either.
shorts or caprice that almost are like a bubble skirt, honestly, but in short or capri form,
tight on the top, a bit of volume below it, you know, on the butt and on the leg, a little bit of
volume, space from the skin, right? And then tight again at the bottom. And bloomers were originally
designed to be more comfortable undergarments a long, long, long time ago. They're usually
in a cottony material. And yeah, they're basically just vintage underwear.
Like what underwear used to be before we got like seamless skims.
You know what I mean?
I'm actually going to go out on a limb here and say that these are also timeless.
Even though they used to be worn as undergarments and now they're being worn above clothes,
I think little simple, cottony, little bubbly little, you can always find a way to make that work.
You know, usually bloomers are not in particularly bright colors.
They don't have particularly bright patterns.
you know, if you were to buy a pair of bloomers that have like a really loud polka dot pattern,
that might feel a little bit too of the moment. That might feel a little bit too right now.
And like in two years, it might feel like, ugh, that was like really a moment in time.
But like a plain pair of like light blue little bloomer shorts or like a little white pair of cottony little bloomer caprice, tight at the top, tight at the bottom, loose in the middle.
like you can always find a way to make that work. And just by changing what you wear them with,
I think you can create a completely brand new vibe that could fit any era. I don't know.
I'm going to go ahead and say timeless on this as well. This is interesting. I normally say
everything's trendy. Like I normally sit down and I'm like, time for trendy or timeless, where
Emma just says everything's trendy and nobody should participate in anything because it's all trendy
and it will all be cringed tomorrow. But one of two things are happening or maybe a combination of
both. Either number one, I'm growing in realizing that anything can be timeless if you want it to be.
And I think that that's true and I think that's starting to happen. Or number two, timeless things
are trending, which I think is also happening. So maybe it is a combination of both. But I think
we're also fatigued from the micro trends of it all that I think everybody's just gravitating
towards things that we'll probably never get sick of. That sort of seems to be what's happening.
Like, even the Labouou, I can't really say, is fully trendy.
Like, I think there actually is something weirdly timeless about the Labibu.
So, I don't know.
Something weird's happening.
Okay, next, we have mesh flats.
You've seen them.
I know you have.
Flat little shoes, either like a Mary Jane or like a little ballet flat shape,
with a mesh material.
You can see the toes.
Okay.
these are a huge trend right now, and they have been for maybe even a year now, they're everywhere.
I see them everywhere. Can I be honest? I can't believe I'm saying this again. I want to say
something's trendy today, but for some reason, everything's timeless today for the most part.
I think the mesh flats are actually kind of timeless. They're definitely oversaturated right now to the point
where it's definitely already starting to lose a bit of its allure, right?
We've seen so many mesh flats, but they're cool.
And they are pretty simple and versatile.
And they can be styled so many different ways.
And they can take on so many different vibes and energies.
I don't know.
They are timeless.
Listen, is it more timeless to get like a classic pair of simple, smooth flats?
Yes.
Like, let's say you want to get a red pair of flat shoes, right? And you have two options. You have
a classic red ballet-shaped flat, super simple, not even a ballet flat, no bow on it, just like a simple
flat. Okay? That's one option. And then the other option is a red mesh Mary Jane style flat.
What do I think the more timeless option is? What do I think the more versatile option is? The simple flat.
for sure. You know, what do I think you're going to enjoy for longer? Probably the more simple
flat. However, there is a chance that if you get the mesh ones, you might wear them to death
because they are kind of, they're like the perfect balance of having a trendy detail,
but that could be pulled off for years to come. It sort of reminds me of like the tabby shoe,
right? Like tabbies are really trendy right now. They've been really trendy for a while now. And
they're probably hitting their peak right now. But a tabby is a classic shoe. Like there are going to be
people wearing tabbies indefinitely. There's going to be people keeping that up because to me a tabby
actually is timeless. I think there was a time in my life when I said the tabbies were trendy and I completely
take that back and I was wrong. Because once I learned more about them and I got a few pairs myself
and realized how much I love the way that they look and how much I love the way that they feel,
They've become timeless to me.
I think the mesh flat has like a similar effect where it's like, yes, it is a stylized
specific sort of shoe.
And yes, it is particularly trendy and maybe even oversaturated right now.
But because it's so versatile, I don't know.
I think they're timeless.
Moving on to another shoe, let's discuss flip-flop heels, okay?
I'm talking about a flip-flop with a little.
kitten heel. Here I go again. Here I fucking go again. Timeless. Sorry. I really believe that.
I think flip flops in general are pretty timeless. I mean, I think flip flops can sometimes veer off
in a direction of trendy. Like, platform shoes to me are like the epitome of a timeless shoe.
I mean to say that. Cut that. Oh, my God. Editor, cut that. I meant, I meant, I meant, I meant,
trendy trendy trendy trendy platform shoes are the epitome of a trendy shoe they come in in a big way
and then they are so chuggy and they're so out like i was so into platform shoes for a few years
and then one day i woke up and was like oh no this is not working anymore this looks silly to me now
now that the trend is over these look goofy you know whereas like a little flipflop with a kidney
heel that's not a platform flip flop a platform flip flop will look goofy a little kidney
heel, flip-flop, that's forever, baby. That's forever. That is forever. It's understated. It's
simple. It's minimal. If you buy a pair of those, you'll be wearing them for the next 10 years if
one of the heels doesn't break off. You know what I mean? Okay, next, we have scarves used in
different ways. Okay, I'll give you a few examples. Scarves tied onto purses in bags. Scarves used as
a top tied around a top, a scarf tied around a skirt, a scarf tied around a belt loop, scarves
used as an accessory. I tend to feel like scarves are a bit trendy in this way. And here's why.
Okay, I've seen this trend come in and out a few times in my lifetime. And it seems to come in
a big way and everyone's really excited about the scarf. And then everyone really hates it.
and it does not look cute anymore.
However, I do think that if you buy the right types of scarves,
you know what the problem is with scarves?
When they come in and they become trendy,
there's very specific patterns that tend to trend
when they come into style.
And I think those specific patterns are the problem.
Okay, not the scarf itself,
but the fact that when scarves become trendy,
the scarves that you find at trendy stores
are very specific trendy power.
patterns that soon will go out of style. Do you see what I'm saying? We become fatigued with the
patterns, not as much with the scarves themselves. I think if you were to go and you were to buy a
timeless pattern, maybe a simple color, like just like a red scarf, or, you know, a simple pattern,
perhaps stripes or polka dots or maybe like a plaid or something, you know, I think using a scarf
as an accessory can absolutely be timeless. But I think the way that they tend to trend is very trendy.
You know, the patterns are very trendy.
Like, I want to Google right now, trendy scarf accessory
and see what exact patterns are trending right now.
Okay, I'm Googling it.
Also, by the way, I'm talking about silk scarves.
Did I say that?
I hope I did, because if I didn't, I will regret it.
Okay, when I look up trendy silk scarves on Pinterest,
I see a lot of floral patterns.
I see one that has some cherries on it.
which is a very specific, like trendy sort of graphic, like cherries, strawberries, stuff like
that. For home decor, I think it's timeless, but for clothing for some reason, I don't think
it's timeless. Don't ask me my logic. Not everything I say makes sense, even to me. But I think
like in home decor, like little fruit decals and stuff in the kitchen, it's like that makes
sense. It's thematic. You're like decorating your kitchen with, you know, whatever. Or if you like
to have a nature vibe in your home, like it just makes more sense to me. But having like a big cherry or
like a big strawberry pattern, that is more trendy.
Like, we tend to get sick of that because, again, it gets fatiguing.
Yeah, I'm seeing a lot of florals.
I'm seeing some, like, wavy, like vintage, like super vintage looking retro style silk scarves.
Like, I think if you were to get a classic pattern, a simple pattern, or even just a pattern
that like specifically matches your style. I think it has the potential to be timeless. But I just
think a lot of the hyper specific hyper trendy patterns tends to be the problem. But I think the
scarf itself is a timeless thing. Does that make sense? Moving on to bandanas tied around the head
and the neck and stuff like that. Like a lot of people, I've been seeing a lot of people like,
you know, wearing their hair and like cute little braids and tying a little bandana in a
triangle around their hair. You know what? I think a classic bandana, particularly a red one,
I mean, that's kind of timeless. I think bandanas are pretty timeless. I will say though, it's like
when it comes to a bandana, in order for it to look good, I like, it's hard to find a bandana
that's not like really cheap and feels plasticy. That tends to be my issue with bandanas. Like if you
were to order one online right now, just kind of on a whim, like if you were to just be like red bandana
and find the first one that pops up and you were to order it and you weren't there to touch it,
it would probably show up feeling like plastic because they tend to be sort of like a costume-esque
product. However, if you were to find a nice one that's made out of cotton, not like plastic,
polyester, whatever the fuck, they're making it out of. I think when it's a nicely made one,
I think pretty timeless. It's so funny though, because if you go to a vintage store nowadays,
And you find a bandana that you like, it's probably going to be $70 for like a nice one that's
worn in high quality material. They're jacking the prices up on the bandanas right now,
I'll tell you. Like, it's really wild. But I think ultimately timeless, again, when am I going to
say something's trendy? I just think the bandana is a classic pattern. It goes, it's, it's,
here's what's trendy. I'll tell you what's trendy. A bandana itself, tied around the hair or tied
around the neck or tied around, you know, a belt loop or something, like, sure, that's timeless.
What's trendy is when other clothing pieces have bandana patterned print on it, okay?
I'm talking about, like, getting a skirt with a bandana pattern on it, getting a tangtop
with it. No, that is trendy because it's such a specific pattern for such a specific product.
And when you put it on something else, it's like such a specific, it, it, we get a,
fatigued by it easier. It's so weird how this stuff is, but I don't know. Okay, moving on to
suede. Apparently, suede as a whole is trending. Swade boots, suede jackets, you know,
suede pants, suede. I'm not a big fan of suede, to be honest. It tends to look,
it doesn't look very nice. You can spend a lot of money on a suede product and it will look
cheap. It looks the same as like, it looks, I don't know how to explain it.
And listen, I'm all about finding clothes that are inexpensive, you know, buying things
secondhand, whatever.
Like, I'm not shitting on things.
But, like, when you're wearing clothing, we want our clothing to look sharp and elegant.
And there's something about suede that, like, doesn't look nice to me.
Does that make sense?
And it's not a price thing because if there were, let's say there's a suede jacket and a shiny
leather jacket, okay, right next to each other.
The shiny leather jacket's going to look.
nicer, and they're going to be the same price. Whether it's real leather or foe, doesn't matter.
They're going to be the same price. It's just a finish. And for some reason, the finish of
suede to me doesn't look very nice, almost ever. There's rare occasions where it works,
but it's very rare. And I've seen suede come and go in my lifetime. It rarely stands the test
of time. I've almost never seen it stand the test of time. And I've had a few suede pieces in my
collection over the years. Like I, even though I don't love sway.
It's made its way into my collection when I was a shopping addict. I would find things that I like that were swayed and it like, you know, my like for that particular item overrode my dislike for the material as a whole. But the truth is, I actually don't think suede is timeless. I think it tends to fit into very particular aesthetics and it tends to come into fashion, into the zeitgeist with a very high.
hyper-specific trend. And it's not an aesthetically pleasing enough material to like work outside
of hyper-specific trends. Like you'll see somebody wearing like a very sort of, I don't know,
boho-esque sort of outfit. They're wearing like a lacy sort of dress with like a suede jacket
with fringe. And it's like this whole vibe. You know what I mean? Or you might see somebody
wearing like a pair of suede boots with like, I don't know, like some 70s pants and like,
but that's all very stylized. If you were to then want to wear that fringe suede jacket with
like some simple jeans, it might be like, this is too loud and like, I don't know, maybe it
works for some people. I just like, it doesn't, it feels very much of a moment to me, swayed,
usually. Can you find some timeless suede pieces? Sure. Like if you get a really simple suede piece,
You know, I think suede as a category is broad enough that, like, you can find timeless stuff
within it, but I think for the most part, it is trendy. It's sort of like the silk scarf
of it all. You know, it's like in itself, it's timeless. It's too broad of a category to be
trendy, but it tends to present itself in very trendy ways. Okay, next, this is a hyper-specific
micro-trend. The monogrammed L.L. Bean, boat tote bag.
We've all seen them. They're not just sold by Albin. You can find them everywhere. I actually have one of, or I have two of these actually. I have a big one in a small one. They're both cream base with red details. They're basically nautical tote bags made out of thick canvas. They're usually cream with a colored reinforcement. So like on the bottom there's reinforcements that are, say, in my case, red. And then the straps and they're
handles are red and then there's usually some sort of monogramming on it in some sort of matching text
in my case red and mine say miss emma on them and i absolutely love them i think these tote bags are
absolutely timeless once again sorry here i go again timeless they're incredibly functional bags
the design is simple it's classic it's been around for a long time they always look shaken cool
i always like them i've seen them throughout my life there's never been
a moment in my life where I haven't been around some sort of monogrammed LL bean tote bag.
Like whether I was on vacation in the summer as a 10 year old and everybody had them on the
beach or now when I'm walking around New York City and every single girly pop, including
me, is carrying around an LL bean tote bag with a monogram.
Like it's really trendy in the zeitgeist right now with Gen Z and like with young people.
But it's like it's always been a thing.
And that's for a reason.
it's a really, really great shape of a tote bag. The LL Bean ones in particular are super thick
canvas, almost too thick sometimes, though, I will say. Like, it's like, this is really thick
and stiff, but it's going to last forever. I mean, they were apparently created, I read this
yesterday online, that they were created to carry around big ice blocks and stuff for some sort
of nautical purpose. And so they're made with this super thick material. They'll last forever.
And that's another reason why they're timeless. You're going to have yours,
forever. And I think the customizable element also makes it really timeless. Like, you can choose
your color and what it says on it. And it's personalized to you. And there's something about that
that makes you care about it more, which also makes it more timeless. Okay, moving on to oval
glasses. I'm actually wearing them right now. I'm wearing oval glasses. Here's the thing. To me,
the oval glass shape is so generic and so, like, standard.
Like, it's existed for so many bazillions of years,
not actually what you got what I mean?
Like, it's been an option for so long,
and people have been wearing them for so long,
and yes, they're particularly trendy right now,
but they've been around for so long,
and it's such a standard glasses shape,
and they're incredibly functional.
I'm going to say timeless again. Again. God, timeless. I actually think that these are
particularly timeless. Like more timeless than some of the other things that I called
timeless today. Like definitely more timeless than the Lubbu. You know what I mean?
Classic shape, been around forever. It's like a square frame, you know? If you're watching the
video version episode of this, I have a square, I'm holding up a square frame. It's the same thing.
like, you know, a square frame of, like, you can't go wrong with that. That'll never go out of style. You know, that shape might have a moment every once in a while. But if you were to look at pictures in a history book, you'll find pictures of people wearing both and it never looks out of place. It just looks like a basic accessory because that's exactly what it is. You know, it was popularized recently due to it being on the runway and stuff like that. But it's existed forever since the inception of glasses, I imagine.
So it's like, I don't know. Whereas like a super early 2000s like futuristic shield like
wiry, ombray super stylized frame, like that's not timeless to me. That's trendy because it's so
specific. And it's also so loud. And it's also not versatile. Like you can you can only wear those
when you're wearing like a very maximalist Y2K sort of outfit. Outside of that, it's harder to style
them. They just, they don't, they're very hyper-specific. Moving on to Caprize. I'm not going to talk about
Caprize for very long because actually I was looking at the clothing items that I was talking about
in my last few trendy or timeless episodes. And I already mentioned Caprize. And I don't remember
what I said. I might have said that they were trendy. Well, whatever I said, erase it. They're
timeless. I've grown to become obsessed with Caprize. And listen, I might eat my work. And,
in two years. But I've come to the conclusion that a simple pair of caprice is an incredible
building block for an outfit. And you can do a bazillion trillion million, quadrillion different
things with them. I do think that some of the capris right now are trendy. Like I've seen
you know, capri is in like trendy patterns, you know, with like massive belts or with like studs
on them or with like, you know, decals or whatever. Like that type of stuff is hit or miss when
it comes to trendy or timeless, okay? It's a case-by-case basis. But I would say Caprize is a category of
timeless. Timeless and whatever I said before, erase it or if I said that they're timeless, then keep it.
But I don't remember what I said and I'm scared. So I'm pretending as though I said something negative
about them. And last but not least, we have thin eyebrows. I feel like I've talked about thin
eyebrows before, like plucking the eyebrows to be super thin or shaving the eyebrows and drawing in super
thin. I think I've talked about this before, but I can't remember. So we're going to talk about it
again. This is definitely trendy. And it's a high risk one at that. If you pluck all your eyebrows
out, like I can't tell you. I mean, we've all heard the stories of people who plucked their eyebrows
super thin in the 90s and then their eyebrows never grew back the same. You have to be dedicated to the
thin eyebrow. This needs to be your aesthetic. Otherwise, it is a trend that you will regret. I actually
enjoy the thin eyebrow trend. I like how it looks. I think it looks really cool. And I think it can
really add to a vibe. You know, I appreciate it deeply. But it is trendy. It's not always in
style. And it's a very specific look that we can become sick of. Therefore, participating in it is
high risk. And so I personally am not participating in the thin eyebrow trend. In fact, I'm
participating in the opposite where my eyebrows are completely unplugged, bushy nightmares. And every
once in a while, I get comments on Instagram photos or YouTube videos or whatever being like,
why does this poor girl not know how to groom her eyebrows? Excuse me, it's intentional. I like the
natural look. But I also like the thin look. It's just not, it's like you can't just dabble in it. It's like
tattoos like it's kind of a permanent decision potentially i do think it's trendy it does come in
and out of style i've seen it happen in my life but i do think that if it matches your specific
aesthetic which for some people it definitely does maybe it makes sense to participate if it's
like a vibe that you see yourself upholding for the next 10 years but i would say it's risky even
then because it does go out of style and the bushy natural brow comes back in and then
the super sharp, you know, structured brow comes back in. It's like, I don't know. It's definitely
eyebrows are trendy. And I think it's important to figure out what you like because that's,
it's a somewhat permanent decision at times. You know what I mean? If you're going to be
plucking them or like shaving them off and drawing them in. Wait, that's it. Those are all my
trends. This was so fun for me. And I hope it was fun for you. And if it was, well, I'll probably do
another trendier timeless episode at some point. I have to wait for more trends to pop up,
so give me six months to a year, but I will be doing another one at some point. If you enjoyed this,
you can go listen to my other trend of your timeless episodes. I have quite a few up. You can just look
up trendier timeless. Anything Goes, and they'll all come up. If you enjoyed this episode,
new episodes every Thursday and Sunday. Watch on YouTube and Spotify, listen anywhere. We can hang out
whenever you want. And even if there's not a new episode, have no fear, because I've made a lot of
episodes of anything goes in my life. And so there's a lot to listen to. Anything goes on social
media. At anything goes, I'm on social media and on the internet at Emma Chamberlain. And my coffee
company is in the world and on the internet at Chamberlain Coffee. I love you all. I appreciate you
all. It's always a joy to get to hang out. And I'll talk to you in a few days. I love you all.
And I encourage you to be critical of the trends. Although apparently not right now because
everything's timeless question mark maybe there's something wrong with me i'm scared anyway okay
talk to you later