This is a delayed post but I absolutely have to address
this. So 2014 proved an interesting
year, not? The era of the “cool kids” became more formidable and prominent, the
girls department finally became unisex and the fine line between male and
female (as far as fashion is concerned) became almost nonexistent. Amidst all this great change and introductions
to just about a million other trends,
some great, some sad, I still can’t wrap my head around the bucket hat. For
many of us growing up, this was just a “spoti” and I honestly cannot remember
it being this much of a craze.
Yes it was a common and notable statement piece
of the then Pantsula aesthetic but it was just as “ag whatever” as Dickies
pants. I live in Johannesburg CBD and buy my fabrics all the way in downtown
Johannesburg. Trust me when I say it is utterly impossible to turn a corner
without seeing a bucket hat. Be it on a taxi driver, the random “cool” guy in
tight jeans and a backpack or on ten vendor tables scattered across the
sidewalk.
The bucket hat has become so popular that it is sold on the
same vendor stalls as tomatoes, potatoes and cabbage. They come in a never
ending variety. Hell, there are even ones done in the traditional Mandela face
print Seshweshwe fabric. This one is a hit with the mamas. It annoys me so much
and what’s more annoying is that I can’t seem to figure out why it bothers me
so much.
I had matriculants approach me to design their Class of 2014
jacket last year. They also asked that I make bucket hats for them. For the
love of money I took their business. BIG
MISTAKE!!!! I now became the go-to guy
for bucket hats thanks to my enthusiastic Class Of 2014. I swear to you I must
have made a thousand more bucket hats. Look, big ups to whoever invented (or
introduced back into current trend) this piece of clothing. I’m sure they’ll be
sipping Verve and Moet on a yacht for the rest of 2015. I am yet to see
anything go this viral again in fashion in this decade. My thing is, why?
I really just don’t get it. I’m not sure if I’ve always had
a dislike for the bucket hat or if I just got irritated by how popular and
common it became. I know I’ve always had a dislike for pop culture. Maybe
that’s why. I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of our local fashionistas and “cool
kids” don the bucket hat in many interesting and often impressive ways but I
still can’t get past this thing. I don’t know why I dislike it so much but all I
know is,I do.
It has really been an interesting year of fashion trends,
music and whatever else came with them but I really just pray that this was the
second and final time we experience the bucket hat. I’m pretty sure it’ll go
down in history as a grand part of our heritage and existence. Might even have a monument erected in its
honor in Braamfontein. I don’t know. All I ask for is that I never see it
again. At least for as long as I live or
have a slight interest in fashion and current trend. Can we just move on?
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