At first glance, the top ten fashion style searches of 2019 seem like a complete hodgepodge. There are some oldies in there: the eternally goggle-wearing acolytes of “steampunk,” for example, or the “Harajuku” look that defined Western perceptions of Japanese style in the early-’00s. But in the mix were newer and more meme-able terms, too—from “VSCO girls” to “e-Boys,” it’s clear that many of the most trending styles are derived from TikTok’s social media takeover. And yet, this concoction of searches is not completely random. One unexpected up-and-comer was “vintage style”—a result of the industry’s shift towards shopping more sustainability? Could be!
Another overwhelmingly popular search was “yankii”—loosely translated from Japanese as “juvenile delinquent”—that originated in the country after WWII, as a result of the influx of American culture; broaching, but not limited to, the aesthetics of shunned groups like ride-or-die motorcycle gangs. The term lay dormant for several years until this past November, when searches received a mercurial rise. Why, you ask? My theory is the release of Queer Eye’s Japan miniseries that aired on Netflix that same month. Traveling around Tokyo with their host Kiko Mizuhara, the Fab Five met up with Kae, who mentioned that “yankii” style was a key component of her look. Was it the millions of people who tuned into the show that were responsible for the upsurge in “yankii” searches? Given the show’s rabid fandom, the hypothesis is not unfounded.
There was also, of course, the viral term “VSCO girl,” which only emerged this year. The phrase even has its own Wikipedia page, describing it as a popular Gen Z subculture that groups together teenage girls who follow certain fashion choices, described simply as “laid-back.” The VSCO girl’s look is certainly laid-back—let’s be real, it’s a gentle step up from “basic” style, with the addition of something a little more chilled-out and sun-soaked. VSCO girls can be found dressed in a large graphic T-shirt and cut-off shorts, accessorizing with a Venti Starbucks cup containing a bright mystery liquid. Although, whatever you think of the trend, there are currently 72,200,000 Google results for the term.
Another trend to know: the “e-Boy” (and their female counterpart “e-Girl”), who is, again, indebted to the rise of TikTok. The look is a distant cousin of emo, with fans typically wearing a choker, a band T-shirt, skinny jeans, and a permanently sad demeanor. (Another fun fact: Emo was the 10th most searched style this year—is a comeback on the cards?) So far, the “e-Boy” style has a modest 3.8 million search results, but the boom is so great that it’s already begun trickling down into mainstream fashion—just this past week, TikTok star Noen Eubanks starred in Hedi Slimane’s newest Celine campaign, bared midriff and all.
And finally, the number one result was “camp” style. This can, of course, be credited to the theme of the 2019 Met Gala, but probably even more so the question circulating around it: “What is camp fashion?” Admit it: when you first read the term, you had to search what it meant, too.
Here, find the best ways to sprinkle a little of the most-searched magic from 2019 fashion trends into your 2020 wardrobe.
