Image via Complex Original
Frank Ocean has us by the goddamn balls with the figurative vice grip we commonly refer to as his long-awaited album Boys Don’t Cry. You don’t need me to remind you that it’s been a little over four years since ol’ Christopher Francis Breaux blessed us with his debut, Channel Orange. And it’s been a year since we were first promised a sophomore album...aka the day we began hanging onto our sanity by a thread. That thread got a tad bit stronger when it was revealed that he would be releasing his gospel tomorrow, exclusively through Apple Music.
Feels great right? Can’t wait. Well, we can, because we have, for what feels like a lifetime. Like, a lot of stuff has come and gone in that timespan. Even in the world of fashion trends, which we all know usually live forever and ever because fashion enthusiasts are the least fickle of all the peoples [cough]. But, alas, some strong trends have seen the apex and the valley, all within the span of two Frank Ocean albums. Let’s investigate.
All Leather Everything
What the hell was the fashion industry thinking here? I mean, the whole leather thing got really outta hand there for a while, didn’t it? We were talking about leather joggers (thanks, Ye!), leather T-shirts, even leather tank tops. Think about the actual purpose of a tank top, and then think about a leather one. Yeah, it got dark there for a little while. But we, the fashion industry, are big enough to apologize for our transgressions. When was the last time Frank apologized to you? Think about that.
Non-Sports Sports Jerseys
2013’s concept of luxury streetwear has continued to have a strong presence in fashion since it first erupted on the scene. Everyone is still gravitating toward it. There are, of course, a few casualties that were spawned that have since been killed, notably the fashion-inspired, sport jerseys-type tees that really saw their moment. If you had a “Slimane 68” jersey tee, you knew what was poppin’. But that was short lived because, again—much like most things in the fashion—people ruined it with oversaturation. I would probably still wear one that reads:
OCEAN 0
Red Monochrome Sneakers
The impact of Ocean friend and collaborator Kanye West has been felt throughout the fashion industry for over a decade, but none may be as strong as his collaborative footwear. Especially his “Red October” Nike Air Yeezy 2s which dropped in February 2014, after his announcement that he was leaving Nike for Adidas. They had such an impact, that every brand under the sun wanted to get in on the red monochrome movement (including Nike and Adidas). It didn’t matter the silhouette. 1. Find a semi-popular sneaker. 2. Slap some red all over it, 3. PROFIT! But guess what? That got played out hella quick. And Frank Ocean has left us blue since 2012, anyway.
Side Zips
Side zips on your T-shirts. Side zips on your sweaters. Side zips on denim, too. With side zips on all your clothing, many more opportunities for pinched skin, unfortunately. No, that did not rhyme like you thought it would, even with a Pizza Bagels tune in your head. Anyways, side zips. They were a hit! They were built for layering. Even our fashion Lord and Savior Raf Simons got in on the action. But, alas, all great things must come to an end. Now, zippers are place in much less functional places, like neck holes and armpits. Also zipped: Frank Ocean’s whole team’s lips, since they waited so long to give us an update on this DAMN ALBUM.
Normcore
You guys remember normcore? You know, the 2013 to 2014-ish birther of the “dad style,” which is still hanging on for dear life? Oh, c’mon, you know what I’m talking about. The deliberately troll-worthy Adidas socks paired with sloppy New Balance runners? No? How about the stodgy Nike caps? Well, it’s lost its irony, unfortunately, so the art school dropouts and scene kids have moved onto some other anti-fashion fashion movement, like whatever Acne Studios is selling. Frankie O was probably in it with the K-Hole guys who invented the term in 2013, as to take everyone’s attention off of his lack of a second album. Let’s do some digging.