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11 trends in 2018 that we hated or loved

Big fat hashtag weddings? Sooo over it.
26 Dec, 2018


You know what they say when the year's about to end: out with the old, in with the new!

2018 was the year we saw far too many mega-weddings, weird diets and weirder style statements. But it was also the year we saw celebrities speak up about mental health and face the consequences of predatory behaviour.

Let's take a look at the 2018 trends that we're glad for and others that we wish gone in 2019.

INTO IT: Conversations about mental health

If you grew up in Pakistan, chances are mental health issues were never really discussed and if you do want to seek professional help, you're likely to hear that it's unnecessary. As a nation, we struggle to talk about mental and emotional health in a sensitive, constructive manner.

Read: Pakistani celebs are finally opening up about depression

That said, we lost way too many warriors to suicide in 2018 which has brought much-needed conversations about mental disorders into the mainstream. More and more celebrities are also coming forward and perpetuating a culture of openness that is slowly but surely chipping away at our preconceived notions.

Also read: Model Anam Tanoli's tragic death sparks conversation about depression


OVER IT: White people discovering desi culture

Gora travellers falling in love with Pakistan is something we're used to seeing. But of late we've come across foreigners who like to believe they know more about our country and its culture than us. To that, we say: no, thank you.

Related: This photo highlights how we apply different standards to desi women versus foreign women


INTO IT: Colourful bridals

While last year we saw lots and lots of pastels and nudes on the ramp, this year was more about pops of colour and we're so here for it.

Designers like Kamiar Rokni, Wardha Saleem and Nomi Ansari brought some much-needed bright hues to the runway.

Read: 7 unconventional colours for the modern Pakistani bride, according to PLBW18


OVER IT: Big weddings

While we're all entitled to spend our money as we please and we wish every newlywed couple well, it's about time OTT mega-weddings, like those thrown by Priyanka and Nick Jonas, Deepika and Ranveer or Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt, fall out of fashion. We find ourselves admiring people who ditched the extravaganza for intimate, small-scale affairs like this photographer whose account of a 25-guest wedding warmed our hearts.


INTO IT: Screenshots

"If that happened then where is the proof?"

Screenshots have become one of the easiest ways to have the proof that desi bigots ask for, hoping they can end a conversation they are uncomfortable with right there.

The mighty screenshot has come to our aid many times and now the moment someone says "I never said that" we can say "well actually," and show it off right there. Case in point: when Patari co-founder was asked to resign after evidence of his sexual misconduct surfaced. Or the time model Mujahid Rasool called out sexual misconduct in the fashion industry after making public conversations with a designer and production house official in which they ask for sexual favours.


OVER IT: Dysfunctional sunglasses

Seriously, why are these a thing? Sure, they might look okay on Instagram (even that's a stretch) but they literally aren't doing the one thing sunglasses are meant to do which is shield your eyes from the sun.

Thank you, next.


INTO IT: The end of romanticising stalking

We are sick and tired of romantic heroes stalking their 'one true love' until they break down and give in. What Danish Taimoor's character did in Wajood and Shehroze Sabzwari's unstable character in Chain Aye Na has started being served as the norm for the humble hero and it's creepy. But 2018 saw a shift for the better and we love it.

Films like Load Wedding showed the hero (Fahad Mustafa) making it a point to avoid his romantic interest when she tells him to back off. JPNA2 shows Humayun Saeed walking away when Kubra Khan turns him down and Pinky Memsaab showed a man respecting Pinky's ambitions in life when she rejects him.

This shift makes us hopeful that this annoying trope will be ending soon or will be limited to the bad guys because.. it's a bad thing to do.


OVER IT: Keto

The keto diet really took off this year, considering that many eateries in Karachi alone now have keto-friendly items on their menu. But we have our reservations about any fad dietary regime that promises quick weight loss and it's honestly not healthy or sustainable to make keto a lifestyle.

Adaptive diets > restrictives diets.

Read: Does the keto diet live up to its hype? I tried it to find out


INTO IT: Indie productions

Gone are the days when 'watching a movie' meant waiting for a big studio flick to release. As Hollywood becomes congested with superheroes and Bollywood defends its right to cast superstars as people with dwarfism, we've developed a relationship with our Netflix apps, bingeing through the weekend with the likes of Sacred Games and Haunting of Hill House.

Read more: Netflix India’s first original series Sacred Games deserves your attention

As streaming platforms diversify their content, we're getting hooked to comedy specials (Nanette) and films (To All The Boys I've Loved Before) and really not seeing why we'll need to venture out to the cinemas every other weekend. We'll save that for the good stuff.


OVER IT: Highlighter under foundation

This year saw the hack of putting liquid highlighter all over your face under your foundation and we just cannot understand why.

The idea may be to give your foundation a nice sheen finish to make your skin look dewy. But we're thinking that it ends up adding an additional layer all over your face, making your makeup look way too heavy.

We have a better idea for foundation looking dewy. Dewy foundation. Try it.


ON THE FENCE: Brown guys going blonde

Zayn Malik did it. Soon followed Riz Ahmed. Now Bilal Khan's gone blonde.

While we appreciate that desi men are thinking of ways of switching up their looks, we're wondering whether blonde was really the way to go...

Comments

Ehsan Dec 30, 2018 11:21am
Blonde hair color for desi women should also go
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