6 Controversial Trends We Didn't Initially Get But Love Now

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When low-rise jeans officially reemerged onto the scene, the internet was a pool of collective apprehension. Were we really going back to the days of candy-coloured iMacs and platform thong sandals? The answer seemed to be yes. More equally divisive trends followed suit—Oakley-esque sunglasses and exposed G-strings are just a couple—and now, it seems like they're bigger than ever.

It's true that fashion editors welcome trends, but it's definitely a myth that we love them all. Like most people born pre-Y2K, it took some time before I could shake the nostalgia associated with low-rise jeans. What was once a trend I could never envision myself wearing has become one of my favourites of the year. Fashion can be funny like that. Out of sheer curiosity, I polled my fellow Who What Wear editors and asked which controversial trends they've suddenly warmed up to. The trends below may be divisive, but they'll certainly get people talking. Keep scrolling to see what made the list.

1. Low-Rise Trousers

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(Image credit: @devonleecarlson)

"Everyone who knows me knows about my love of low-rise pants, but it wasn't always that way. Far from it actually. For a long time, I swore by the highest of rises, frequenting Ribcage jeans from Levi's and other styles that did the opposite of exposing your midriff. But after I tested out some lower-rise pairs for a story back in 2021, I started to slowly reintroduce the '00s trend into my wardrobe, so much so that they're mostly all I wear now. Who would've thought?" — Eliza Huber, editor

2. Exaggerated Platforms

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(Image credit: @emilisindlev)

"When I first saw that platforms were slated to come back this season, I didn't really think the trend would actually catch on. However, the more I see them online and on the streets, the more convinced I am of their comeback and my interest in them." — Nicole Eshaghpour, senior market editor

3. Shades of Tangerine 

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(Image credit: @pernilleteisbaek)

"Originally, all of the orange pieces popping up on the runways and Instagram felt a bit too bold for my mostly neural wardrobe, but now, I'm fully invested and can't wait to get some of the colourful pieces into my closet." — Kristen Nichols, senior editor

4. Micro Miniskirts

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"Micro miniskirts aren't for the faint of heart (and when it comes to some fashion items, my heart is faint), but I'm growing more and more intrigued. I probably won't go that micro—which shouldn't be that hard since I'm on the short side—but I've already ordered a couple of miniskirts that are a little more mini than what I usually go for." — Ally Payer, senior editor

5. Slouchy Handbags

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(Image credit: @aliciafranzen)

"If you were to ask me a year ago, I would have said that slouchy handbags had no place in my closet, but I guess the lesson is to never say never. Now, these unstructured shapes are making a big comeback, and I couldn't be more into them. This one from Ree Projects is high on my wish list at the moment, and I have a feeling that similar shapes are going to proliferate this spring." — Anna LaPlaca, editor

6. Bootcut Jeans

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(Image credit: @anaasaber)

"I still can't help but associate bootcut jeans with my high school days, but I have to say that I'm not mad at the trend's comeback in 2022. They're obviously a very low-key and easy-to-wear trend. Plus, even Megan Fox is wearing them these days." — Erin Fitzpatrick, senior news editor

Next up: 9 new-in products we love this week.

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.