There are fashion trends, and then there are fads. While some popular overarching trends for spring tend to be a billowy bohemian vibe or a floral frenzy, fads are characteristically more distinct. They tend to be eccentric or whimsical, and—admittedly—rather kitsch, but that only adds to the fun of fads during their sudden and momentary boom in popularity. Our social culture devours fads (take memes or hashtags, for instance), but we also adore when the quaint quirks wiggle their way into fashion via accessories and even clothing.
One iconic fad that bobs in and out of popular fashion is the handlebar mustache. A faithful companion to the nerd-glasses, the mustache motif started as a trademark for the aspiring hipster and proliferated into pop culture. What about this icon that made it so appealing? What it the mustache’s vintage spirit? Its classiness? Or was it because of its utter absurdity? Its quirky eccentricity? Whatever contributed to its adoration aside, mustaches now adorn a seemingly impossible variety of clothes, accessories and utensils, from T-shirts to earrings and even ice molds!
In the case of this Fashionista, we see the motif splayed on a pair of slipper loafers. There are many attributes to this outfit that are worth admiring. I would be contented to write about garments like the burnt orange coat or styling details such as cuffing her purple trousers or the bold combination of blue and orange. However, the mustache shoes are what really excited me. The gold-gilded facial hair on the relaxed yet refined design of the slipper loafer is a rather dashing way to incorporate the kitsch into an overall chic and polished outfit. It just reiterates how even the most absurd fads can befit any personal style.
Owning a quirky piece that exhibits a kitschy fad is certainly not a fashion flub, these kinds of eccentric pieces add personality to a Fashionista’s wardrobe. Their peculiar duplexity makes them all the more intriguing; they are a bold way to personalize one’s own unique style despite the fact that they openly conform to popular craze. Yet it may not be much longer before mustaches escape the periphery of fashion culture. The models in Givenchy’s fall 2015 ready-to-wear collection sported face gems that included bejeweled mustaches. Even if mustaches don’t appeal to you, there are plenty of designers, such as Anna Sui or Anya Hindmarch, who like incorporating quirky iconography in their pieces.
How To: If you’re willing take a chance on mustaches but shy away from the full-out dresses and skirts, there are ways to make facial hair a supporting role in your ensembles, acting as statement pieces or even nice afterthoughts. One way is following this Fashionista and slipping on a pair of mustached kicks. There are also plenty of cool tech accessories or jewelry. You’ll grab attention with whimsical little pieces like those, and you can’t resist the corners of your lips turning up like the curls on the mustache’s handlebars.
