Get in, Babe, We're Reclaiming the Term 'Chic' With the 'Kinda Chic' Trend

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved fashion and clothes and shopping. I used my outfits as a vehicle for self-expression. I didn't take it too seriously, I tried new things, and most of all, I had fun with it.

But is it just me, or has personal style become way less fun?

With the trend cycle moving at the speed of light and social media creators dictating what they find "incredibly chic" and what gives them the "fashion ick"...well, it just feels like it's impossible to hold on to what we truly like and what we're told we should like (or dislike).

Ultimately, we want to dress to our preferences, but we also want to be viewed as "chic", right? But that word has taken on such a loaded meaning. It's no longer about having your own style, it's about jumping on every trend and immediately discarding things once they fall out of vogue, which happens incredibly fast thanks to social media. And it's about making people feel like they're not good enough if they can't keep up.

Now, a recent trend is flipping that on its head.

The "kinda chic" trend on social media is the refreshing changeup we need. People are posting things that feel "kinda chic", but in a tongue-in-cheek way.

Instead of, say, "white button-downs and quiet luxury", they're reclaiming the meaning of the word by highlighting things that make women feel better about themselves, not worse.

For example, people are saying things like "kinda chic to stop referring to it as 'my little job' and start referring to it as 'my career'" or "kinda chic to not GAF what people think".

The discourse around what is chic and what isn't is starting to become...almost tyrannical? That's probably a dramatic way to put it, but the constant policing of what we can wear and when we can wear it and how we can wear it feels exhausting. And stressful.

This particular trend, though? It's all about something different.

It's about claiming the things that make us feel better, that make us tune into our own values and tastes and preferences, as chic. And I'm here for it.

Kinda chic to take back a word that has become a source of stress and feelings of inadequacy for so many women.