They say all of history builds on itself—which is basically a fancy way of saying yesterday influences today, which will leave its mark on tomorrow. Disliking something helps define what we do find likable. Meanwhile, liking a trend often leads to us getting tired of it and moving on to something else.
That being said, here’s a rundown of the trends we liked and hated, and our predictions on which will make it to 2011.
Mekmeks, prep and hipsters
2010 was the year of the shorts—short shorts, colored shorts, printed shorts. Like any trend, we ran with it; and as is the case with most trends, this running-with-it brought us to places where we simply did not want to be. Let’s talk about mekmeks.
We all agree that legs are nice. When done properly, shorts on guys can make you look either clean and preppy or chill and rugged. Mekmek shorts are a different story. The term, a portmanteau of the word “male” and the Filipino slang for women’s short shorts, is used to describe men’s shorts with hems that end mid-thigh.
Perhaps this trend came from the idea that more skin would be more attractive. After all, everyone seemed to love the flattering, just-above-the-knee preppy shorts. However, mekmek shorts sometimes bring up mental images of macho dancers in a seedy Malate nightclub.
In 2011, it’s time to show a little restraint. Seriously, don’t wear mekmeks shorter than 4 inches above the knee. Your thigh hair isn’t as charming as you think.
Trends aren’t always bad, though. Among the 2010 trends likely to cross over into 2011 are the tailored look, classic cuts, the color white—it’s almost time for summer, after all—and statement jewelry. And while Tumblr and Lookbook have overexposed the high-waist garter skirt + Wayfarers + bed hair combo, the individual components can avoid looking dated so long as you think up new ways to wear them.
At the end of the day, the best way to view fashion—as it has always been—is to take the trends and make them your own. Style isn’t about conformity and blending into the crowd. Style makes you stand out.
XOXO, forever alone
Take it from The Social Network—Facebook is cool. However, flooding your partner’s wall (and our news feeds) on a daily basis with “I miss you my baby love, mwahkiss!” is not okay. It will never be okay. Ever.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, there are the post-breakup fallouts. Status messages with emo lyrics, the “X changed relationship status to single” notifications that end up flooded with all-caps declarations of “OMG WHYYYY?” (Which is just as annoying, really), and passive-aggressive online flame wars.
When did drama get so public? Celebrating your brand-new relationship is alright, but when it comes to break-ups, perhaps it’s best to quietly change your relationship status by choosing not to have it appear on your friends’ notifications.
The rules for relationships don’t change, really. It boils down to three words: keeping your dignity. In case you think the heartache is too much to bear, think of the inventor Lawrence Patrick. In the 1940s, he had a 50-pound pendulum hit him in the chest to test the effect of car crashes on human beings. Now that’s heartache. He lived, and so will you.
But if you really insist on wallowing in your sorrow, at least don’t do it on Facebook.
The less dramatic side of the internet
Twitter was big in 2010—remember the May elections?—and there’s no question it will continue to be a powerful social media tool in 2011. But when it comes to longer blogging, 2010 divided us into two camps: Tumblr and WordPress. The first half of the year was Tumblr’s, thanks to a spillover from its immense popularity in 2009. But as the year went on, more people began to switch to WordPress, with its comment boxes and detailed site stats.
It took 2010 for us to realize the limitations of the visually-driven Tumblr. This 2011, we’ve got our definitions clear: Tumblr is for photoblogging (and hoarding macros and gifs!), WordPress is for text, and possibly a lengthy word vomit on feelings.
School and academics
Getting good grades is fun. Gone are the days of nerd-bullying; in the college world, it’s fun to be on the Dean’s List.
Whether the age of the geek has finally come or appreciating knowledge is simply a part of growing up, now’s the time to be proud of being smart. And if there’s anything we learned from all the niche blogs that sprouted up last year, it’s that being clever has benefits outside the classroom as well.
Stomach knows best
One of 2010’s biggest food trends was frozen yogurt. From Red Mango to California Berry, Golden Spoon to White Hat—even Teriyaki Boy has added the tart dessert to their menu. And while the craze has died down, fro-yo is still very good. It’s time for them to stop overpricing, though. Good job on Kenny Rogers for picking up early and pricing theirs at P 35.
KFC’s Double Down is currently the reigning food hype king with its tasty-oily goodness. As delicious as a chicken-bacon-cheese mash-up may be, we have to admit that a Double Down is pretty darn unhealthy.
But don’t worry—we may be hunting down every Double Down in the vicinity now, but food crazes last only for about 6 months.
By mid-2011, it’ll be just another item on the menu. There’ll be something new to obsess about in the food world, and who knows, it might even be healthy.
A rule about rules
The way you live 2011 is still up to you. Unlike university rules or national laws, ours are simply fun little predictions.
We based them on what we’ve seen, but who knows what’ll happen in the year to come? It might be even more awesome than we expect.
So this is where the last and most important rule for 2011 comes in: this new year, be properly guided, and well, personalizing the rules? That’s all up to you.
