Everything Cheugy is cool again

Around this time last year, tons of fashion obituaries materialized after a viral TikTok introduced the word "cheugy" to the world. The list of culprits of cheugy items is extensive, from Rae Dunn pottery to Gucci belts, side parts and #girlboss culture, but its lengths managed to reinvent the way consumers viewed many different sectors of retail, while changing their shopping habits. Fashion, however, was arguably the hardest hit. Suddenly, the cheugy label caused the death of skinny jeans, sparking other sartorial trends deemed tacky and "millennial-core" - both terms synonymous with the viral phrase - along with fitted denim.

Except some of these pieces are already on their way home. Fashion writer and trend analyst Mandy Lee (aka @oldloserinbrooklyn), whose TikTok videos are rooted in fashion discourse, calls this era "Cheugy Post Mortem", since these "tasteless" and seemingly disposable clothes have suddenly brought back to life. With spring comes a rebirth, but that's not why cheugy pieces are suddenly revitalized: "I knew a lot of these takes would age badly due to the cyclical nature of the trend cycle," Lee begins in a video on the subject. "That means the things we consider today will be obsolete somewhere in the future" - and this post-mortem era proves that the future is always closer than we think.

The trend cycle is rapidly accelerating due to oversupply and overconsumption. Social media has become a catalyst, where Instagram makes us believe that we have to afford an ever-changing wardrobe. Cheugy is just another subplot in a bigger trash problem. Celebrity stylist Elsa Isaac calls blanket statements "cheugy" irresponsible for this reason. "Clothes are less about what's in fashion and more about how they fit with the person wearing them," she told ELLE.com, emphasizing the importance of personal style. "Influencers dictating what's trendy on social media won't apply to everyone when someone else can wear those same items and make them look classic." This is further proof that we shouldn't throw things away just because someone on TikTok told us to.

And as far as the designer's updates on cheugy pieces go, that's just more proof that what happens happens. Luisa Via Roma editor Kate Davidson Hudson thinks this season's looks are iterative of previous renders, while still managing to feel invigorated with new textures, silhouettes and treatments. "The revival pieces we see are a little nostalgic, but equally move the conversation forward."

Here are some new takes of these pieces once seen as cheugy.

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