It used to only be okay to wear black and red if you were Kirsten Dunst in Bring it On or like, Avril Lavigne. The color combo totally evokes sk8er girl vibes, which were gross AF until recently, when everyone started wearing Vans and Thrasher hoodies as dresses and the flames trend was born. Do any of us even know what Thrasher is? Probably not, but it’s irrelevant, because Rihanna wears it and what RiRi says goes. (Side note, that totally pisses off the people at Thrasher. Again, don’t really know/care who those people actually are, but if they think Rihanna isn’t badass enough to wear their clothes, they’re probably stage five hardos.)
It seems like almost everyone is currently going through an “it’s not a phase, mom” phase. In addition to nipple piercings and “snogged lips,” you should probably get some shit with flames on it if you’re looking to pull off the “edgy, but I’m still part of a family cell phone plan and shower regularly” vibe.
At first, the flame trend reminded me of something the people who took their Facebook profile pictures in Spencer’s would wear. Then, supermodels and other famous people started to wear it, so I decided it was fine. I’ve also realized that this trend has my full support because it creates outfits that are so easy to caption, which gives you time to do more important things like complain and take even more pictures of yourself. All you have to do is throw up some fire emojis and call it a day. Here’s how to pull off the trend without looking like one of the Hot Wheels toys the kid you babysat in high school used to play with.
Halsey is a perfect example of a betch who’s like, really pretty and into high fashion but also hashtag edgy. She’s proof that a Gucci bag with flames on it is the most effective way to show the world that you’re into expensive shit, but also super chill and probably smoke weed.
In case you accidentally spent all of your funds on Ubers to places you could have walked to, or are just a regular person who can’t afford to blow four grand on a bag you’ll only use for two months, there are definitely other options. This American Vintage Leather Flame Backpack will achieve a similar vibe and nobody will even know it’s not designer if you take the photo with that Polaroid camera you got at Urban Outfitters.
Bella Hadid, who is another icon in the world of basic betches who are still edgier and cooler than everyone else, wore a leather Philipp Plein miniskirt with flames for her PAPER cover shoot. Unfortunately, it costs roughly the same amount of money as 185 vodka crans.
The One Above Another Mini Skirt In Petrol Glitter With Flame from ASOS is $49 and sparkly, so… I’m going to go with that one instead.
Of course, no roundup of trends that primarily exist on Instagram would be complete without featuring the Queen of outfit pics an innocent boyfriend was forced to take, Kylie Jenner. Obviously, there’s a $70 pair of Champion sweatpants with flames screen printed on the side in the Kylie Jenner Shop. Considering you’ll probably wear these once before throwing them into the bin of clothes you only pull from when you’re blacked out and waiting for your pizza to be delivered, it’s probably okay to get the Forever 21 knockoff in this situation.
So yeah, you’re welcome for all of the “OMG you’re so clever lol” comments you’ll get on your flame outfit Instagram with an “IT’S LIT” caption.
