Will Priyanka Chopra Jonas finally make adult Crocs socially acceptable?
Damn, she does look comfortable…
It used to be that Crocs were only acceptable if you were under the age of 15 and decorated yours with those little flower button charms. Those look adorable. But if you’re older and walking around in footwear inspired by Swiss cheese, it’s a dead giveaway that you’re in IIT. It’s OK, your life is hard, we’ll give you a break.
Except, now the brand has gone and signed Priyanka Chopra Jonas as their new brand ambassador for 2020, forcing us to ask the question: will this be the reason Crocs finally become mainstream?
The timing is perfect — ‘Ugly-Chic’ is haute right now. Birkenstocks turned from frumpy sandals people refused to sell to high-fashion mainstays, thanks to celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow. Then Céline lined them with fur, and their resale value on eBay shot skywards.
From the outskirts of the fashion world looking in, we see you Crocs. We know exactly what you’re trying to do. You’re taking one of the most meme-ed fashion items, and using a beloved movie star to slide them under the radar and into the land of the popular kids.
It’s a tactic that brands have used for decades, and we, hungry consumers of the latest trends, have repeatedly fallen for. Remember these.
1. Mom jeans – For the longest time mom jeans were, well, strictly for humans who had given birth. This high-waist, loose-fitting, straight leg “disgrace to denim” is now something people actively buy (by choice).
2. Grandfather glasses – Kids have been be bullied for wearing thick-rimmed, over-sized glasses in school. Once the hipsters took them over, big glasses became casual daily wear – whether you needed them to see or not.
Officially in need of glasses! What kind should I get?! @SamsungMobileUS #galaxylife pic.twitter.com/vAgNodj0I6
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) August 3, 2015
3. Sweatpants – Wearing sweatpants outside of the gym, or your sofa (with a big bowl of popcorn) would put you at risk of social ostracism. Now, athleisure brands are the preferred choice for influencers wanting to strike that completely natural squat-and-shoe-pop pose that’s all over Instagram. But how will we know who wore it better once the ‘likes’ are gone?
4. Bicycle shorts – Formerly worn to protect your dignity in the event of an athletic accident, they’ve been reinvented into acceptable outerwear. Often inexplicably paired with oversized blazers like you’re a librarian who does Pilates during work hours.
Considering that the fashion world is as temperamental as a cat, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a formidable ally to have on your side, we wouldn’t be surprised if the rules change.
Except for this one – tights aren’t pants.