Happy pants

I wish happy pants would come back in style. Maybe I could extend that to say, I wish real true not-just-for-the-photo happiness would come back in style. I would love it to be considered cool to get giddy over the smell of hot donuts, or your favourite actor being in a movie. To laugh so hard you snort, and not so that it can be filmed for a funny YouTube video that might make you some money and get you some "likes," but because you're living in the moment and riding the small highs of life, unaware that anyone is watching you or giving you a grade in the social media school of life. And as an extension of this wish, I would love fashion to also go in a more present and less public gaze oriented direction. For our choices in the way we clothe ourselves to express a less self-conscious, more in the moment approach to life.

Happy pants are a fashion trend from the 80s. They were loose pants made out of brightly coloured kids fabrics, and they were utterly useless at helping to show off your figure. In fact, they looked like someone had repurposed a 5 year olds doona cover and given it a second life as pyjama pants.

If you’re thinking this sounds about as anti-cool as you can get, you’re right. I will freely admit it. Happy pants were more than a little bit ridiculous. In fact, they made the wearer look like they didn’t care a smidge what other people thought. And that is exactly what I want back. I want fashion that confidently says “yep, I look really uncool today, what are you going to do about it?” with a big shit-eating grin on its face. I want clothing that is comfortable, colourful, cheerful, and that isn't obliged to fit into what has become a very narrow idea of what is acceptable.

We’ve come to care way too much what the fashion police of Instagram or Facebook have to say over our brightly coloured socks or the fancy-free streaks of pink through our hair, and I want us to take back control over how we allow ourselves to be valued or devalued.

I mean, sure, people have always cared about what other people think, but the consequences of public derision were less worrisome when public scrutiny was on a much smaller scale. When someone disagreeing with your way to dress yourself meant they might make a snide remark to the friend next to them, or tell you to your face that they think it’s unflattering.

Nowadays, straying from the herd can mean the very real possibility that a stranger on the train could take your photo and send it out to all 500 of their Facebook friends, mocking your individual sense of style and flair, and for an unlucky few, that becomes a meme that goes viral. This reality is creepy, controlling, and effective in making us all want to play it safe in how we style ourselves.

But I want people to take back their power over the way they show up in the world. To feel free to stand out and be real and free, public scrutiny be damned, and that starts with the clothes we choose to put on each day. I miss bold, expressive, exuberant clothing. I miss clothes that explode with the joy and colour of life. Why has everything become black, white, grey, cream or beige? I want happy pants! I want pants that are 30 different patterns and bright popping colours of fabric, all bundled together in two legs worth of joy! I want clothes that say YES! LIFE! COME AT ME! I'M SO MANY VIBRANT SHADES OF READY.