10 style trends that need to die in 2017

Another year down, another list of trends that we'd gladly say good riddance to.

Also read: 9 trends in Pakistan that we hope will go away in 2016

We're all for freedom of expression but sometimes, the choices we make betray us. Celebs and fads coerce us to do some pretty unfathomable things but regret is an emotion we're all too familiar and it's time to let bygones be bygones and move forward.

Here's our R.I.P (fingers crossed) list of trends that need to just go away now that we've stepped into 2017:

1) Cold shoulder tops

You know why the off shoulder trend became the mammoth that it has?

Because no woman hates her shoulders.

Also read: We tried to find winning red carpet looks at the Hum TV Awards. We failed

In other words, it’s a style that flatters a wide range of body types, as compared to some other recent fads such as the dreaded crop tops. That was a reason not just to dip a toe in the trend but to really run with it.

While we love the not so forgiving yet sexy off-shoulder trend, we're not big fans of its offshoot, the cold shoulder tops. More often than not, it looks sloppy and forced and it's just very teeny bopper to begin with. It's time to give the cold shoulder, well, the cold shoulder!

2) Peplum on eastern wear

It doesn't matter where you were in 2016 - beginning, middle or end - peplum on eastern wear was never gonna look good, period.

Eastern bridal wear is complicated enough as it is - weighed down with gota, threadwork, crystals and your in-laws' expectations. Should we really be throwing a weird waist-frill into the mix? No. And yet every bridal week, we still have to suffer numerous peplum'd looks. What have we done to deserve this?

Stoppit with the peplum. Just stop.

3) Chokers

Reviving 90's trends isn't always a good idea.

If you've ever worn a choker, you know it's itchy and uncomfortable. Let's be honest: it's more or less like a dog collar.

Black thin or thick fabric chokers with dangling pendants around your neck look great when you’re young and restless but this throwback trend isn't really for all ages.

Dressing age-appropriate is half the sartorial battle and let us emphasise: you simply can't wear the same things in your 20s or 30s as you did in your teen years. Not because you won't look look good but just because it's a little ridiculous.

4) Instagram compliments

In 2017, all we'd like to see is a little honesty. That means we'll have to leave one key trend behind: our habit of calling everything we see on Instagram 'stunning' or 'lovely' or 'beautiful.'

Fashion journos, bloggers, websites — we get it, it's tricky to maintain a balance between sound editorial commentary and strong interpersonal relationships. But honestly, you know that dress wasn't 'gorgeous.' We know it. Even the fashionista wearing it knows it.

So lets do each other a favour and check ourselves before we compliment each other to our sartorial deaths.

5) Snapchat filters

You’ve probably seen or heard about the phenomenon that is Snapchat filters. Snapchatters can take a selfie and superimpose a set of sunglasses or a fairy crown onto their video and share it with friends.

It's been fun guys but this is one bandwagon we need to get off of in 2016.

Besides, what is so flattering about putting on dog ears? Save that for Halloween.

6) Disney princess style inspo

Pinkness! Glitter! Chiffon! Poof!

From Urwa Hocane to the #AnushMunib wedding and more, it seems every young Pakistani woman aspires to princess-hood, specifically of the Disney variety.

But it isn't this all very regressive? Grown women donning child-like puffy gowns and tiaras smacks of something sadly sinister, and there's no escaping the fact that traditionally, being a Disney princess hinges on having a 'Prince' swoop down and 'save you' at the end of the day.

Reality check: in this life, a Disney prince is as rare as a princess, so let's stop living in a fantasy world and identify as proud independent women instead.

When it comes to the princess trend, we can't stress this one enough: please stop.

7) Designers dressing everyone on the red carpet

If we spot yet another gorgeous but overexposed silk floral Shehla Chatoor outfit on the red carpet, we're going to want to scratch our eyes out.

We've always mentioned that our celebrities sometimes tend to play if safe on the red carpet; we feel it's time that they take things into their own hands, take ownership of their own style and start dictating what they're wearing. It shouldn't just be about who you're wearing but also what you're wearing.

8) Hashtag weddings

In today's day and age, when you tell someone you have a mehndi to attend, they ask "Oh yeah? What's the hashtag?"

While it may be fun to gorge on pictures of someone else's wedding online, we have to stop and ask ourselves whether this impulse to see and be seen is doing more harm than good: creating standards that are impossible for the average bride to meet, stirring up anxiety about not having the 'perfect' outfit - and just making narcissists of us all.

Read more: Why the #UrwaFarhan wedding shouldn't be the new normal

We really need to stop seeking validation through digital media; when did weddings go from being intimate affairs to highly publicised events of mass interest? We're sick of the blatant consumerism it's encouraging and the madness needs to stop!

9) Organza wraps

It's hard to pinpoint exactly who started this trend - contenders include Misha Lakhani and Sania Maskatiya - but even a sliver of organza seen on Instagram was reason enough for every designer and her acolyte to embrace the sheer, voluminous wrap that came to define evening wear in 2016.

When the wrap first made its outing we admired it. If an organza wrap is cut well and worn by a tall, slim person it looks sculptural and elegant. The problem is that very soon organza wraps were being draped by inexpert designers whose creations looked more like toffee-wrappers than effortless toppers. To add insult to this injury, fashion aunties mistook this statement piece for a basic cover-up and thought it would look great thrown over every outfit and on every figure. It didn't.

Why do we think this trend needs to die in 2017? First, like so many other trends, it's become uncool through overuse. Second, badly designed organza wraps dominate the market now and have ruined our appetite for them. Third - have you ever tried wearing one? It's HARD. They're very difficult garments. Slippery and stubborn, organza refuses to do what you tell it to, and a buttonless wrap is worse.

For these and other reasons, we bid bye-bye to organza wraps in 2017.

10) Using feminism (thoughtlessly) to promote your brand

Allow us to clarify - we totally think feminism and its ideals of equality should be embraced by everyone.

Unfortunately, having realised feminism is a relevant and trending social issue, some brands have tried to hitch their marketing tactics to feminism without fully understanding what the movement is and what it stands for. This leads to confusing and sometimes even blatantly incorrect messages about feminism swirling around us in the form of adverts for clothes, edibles, anything under the sun really.

All this came to a head when new clothing brand DYOT released a video of women participating in a flashmob in the streets of Lahore. While the brand initially claimed the video was empowering in that it encouraged women to just be themselves, after the video began to be criticised the brand disavowed it and pulled it off social media, leading us to wonder if they ever put much thought into the message in the first place.

Also read: Did this female flashmob in Lahore send the wrong message about empowerment?

Similarly, brands Saira Shakira and Ali Xeeshan recently released brand campaigns that were taken to task for glamourising male gaze and harassment -- hardly aspirational.

Our only request to brands with regards to feminism in 2017? Be responsible, and make sure your adverts are consistent with the ideals they claim to promote.

Compiled by Anum Chagani and Hamna Zubair

Do you have suggestions for what trends you'd like to see die in 2017? Let us know in the comments below!