By Megha Lakha and Maxine Smith
Peter Millar, Isabel Marant, Uggs… the list goes on. These trends are swarming Lovett, just in time for the start of the spring semester, so we thought that it would be the perfect time to embark on our annual On Trend column. Lovett students have returned to campus sporting new (and some not-so-new) flair. It’s no secret that trends gain momentum fast here.
People often wonder if trends can be traced to one person. Junior Dunning Silliman believes that “it’s not one single person, it’s more the whole algorithm in general.” By that, he meant the TikTok or Instagram algorithm.
The algorithm is based on how you interact with your social media feed; data is gathered and the apps pop out more of what you like best to cater to you. Junior Olivia Cassinelli’s algorithm is “a mix of influencers and a mix of random things.”
As for the actual trends, sophomores Julia Threlkheld and Lauren Sung mentioned a few. “Uggs and Enewton bracelets are super in style for girls,” Julia said. “Oh and a lot of the guys wear those gold dad quarter zips from Peter Millar or Onward Reserve,” Lauren added. “I also feel like a lot of people got Rhode products or Dysons for Christmas.”
Zara told me that a lot of her cousins received the Shark tool for Christmas. (In case you don’t know, it’s a blowout brush.) “It’s really similar to a Dyson, but not as expensive,” she explained. However, Zara was outraged that the majority of her cousins were gifted Sharks by her grandma, except her. “It is what it is,” she scoffed.
Some other longstanding trends include baggy jeans. “Baggy jeans have been in for a while,” Olivia said. “I really hope we’re not going back to skinny jeans or extremely low-waisted jeans like the early 2000s Paris Hilton; like no thank you.”
As for tops, freshman Sam Cooley said, “People have been wearing more hoodies because of the cooler weather.” He mentioned that a lot of the girls wear White Fox hoodies.
For footwear, freshman Nathan Wardlaw said that “a lot of the girls wear Golden Gooses.”
Dunning noted that “Jordans have been a thing for a long time.” When Olivia was asked about shoe trends, she said, “I’m going to be so honest, I haven’t been looking at anyone’s shoes.” This is coming from someone who works at a shoe store. Junior Zara Hebb chimed in and said, “Isabel Marant sneakers and Adidas Sambas are pretty popular.”
Moving on from material items, I wondered what trends have been popping up in language. Hershey Woolfson, a freshman, said, “There’s not one specific thing I say a lot; I just say what I say.” Olivia stated that “cooked or ate” are some trending words at Lovett, even if we’ve been hearing these words for a little while now.
“Cooked” is a trending slang with different meanings depending on the context. It’s often used to describe either doing really well at something or feeling like things will go wrong. For example, if you “cooked” for a quiz, then that’s not good; if you “cooked” on your quiz, then it means you did great. Not confusing at all! “Ate” is another slang word used to say someone did an amazing job or nailed something.
Jackson Van Os, a junior, explained that “brain rot” is a popular internet language frequently used online and is currently trending at Lovett. Some other students, like Julia, hold different opinions. “Brainrot is sorta dying out,” said Julia.
Jackson also explained that “Chopped Chin” is a person who went viral online and is currently trending, particularly at Lovett and in Atlanta, because he is a student at North Atlanta High School. “Chopped Chin is just a guy who was at a WNBA game with his mom and started dancing to a song, but people have turned him into a meme,” Jackson said.
Some trends have some pretty loud critics. “I think leopard print is god awful,” Olivia said. “Same with the coquettish bow stuff.” Zara chimed in saying that she “cannot stand the coastal grandma aesthetic. Like what even is that?!” Zara also explained how the whole overblushing trend is “not attractive or cute.”
As for pop culture, Olivia and Zara mentioned the new Wicked movie. Olivia said that she’s seen a ton of brands “launching Wicked-themed things, like makeup.” “It’s being overdone,” Zara replied. “Like nobody wants to wear green lipstick.”
Besides Wicked, students also have enjoyed watching shows like Dexter and Monsters. “I haven’t seen Dexter, but I know a lot of guys who watch it,” Jackson said. Nathan said, “The Monsters show about the Menendez brothers was a huge thing.” Dunning said that “a lot of people have been playing a game called Marvel Rivals, too.” He also mentioned that “season two of Squid Games is really popular right now.”
As far as music trends go, it really depends on the person’s preference. However, Dunning said, “Kendrick Lamar and Tyler the Creator are super big right now.” Nathan said that older music is popular among Lovett students, too. “I feel like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter gained so many new fans this year,” Lauren said.
We will be back with another On Trend article in a few months and get the scoop on what’s still around and what’s so last year…or so last month… or even so yesterday.
