Can somebody please make fetch happen?

By TFN Writer Dalila Divanovic

Gretchen Wieners once famously tried to make fetch happen, to which Regina George responded, “Stop trying to make fetch happen. It’s not going to happen.” The rest is history. We all agree that Regina George bullied the school and her tendency to set these societal rules was silly and unnecessary. We don’t have to wear pink on Wednesday’s and sweatpants are acceptable attire. 

While Mean Girls isn’t real life, a lot of the behavior to some degree mimics fashion in the world we know now. With the rise of social media, I’ve seen so many unique expressions of style and I have genuinely enjoyed seeing how people style random pieces. It allows me to look into my own closet and perhaps find a way to style something that I haven’t worn enough, in a way I haven’t worn it before. The issue, however, is that people have also grown accustomed to mimicking the style of others as opposed to using it as inspiration while still seeking their own personal sense of style.

Trends gain traction because people all want to conform to whatever society sets as the norm. For example, in the early 2000s a popular style was a dress worn over jeans. Only a few years ago, if you wore something like that, social media would have a field day with you! Katie Holmes tried it at the Jingle Ball in 2022 and she was subject to so much ridicule on the internet.

 The perception was so ugly I fear that if you walked into the street wearing a dress over jeans, society would take you out back, a shot would be heard, and you’d never be seen again. However, it’s been over a year since Katie Holmes, and I’ve seen so many fashion influencers styling dresses over jeans and pants in general. The ball started rolling and it didn’t stop, wearing an outfit like that in public now would be seen as fashionable. 

My issue with this becomes that people have lost a sense of individuality in style. When trends roll around, people jump to them without any consideration of is this really me? Surely, it could be! There’s nothing wrong with dabbling in trends and experimenting, seeing what you like and what you don’t like, but then it becomes the only way people learn to experiment. The amount of Tweets I have seen in the last few years of people saying “Can we please bring back [insert whatever style they find attractive]” is obscene. Why do we feel the urge to sacrifice our own personal style senses until the Regina George’s of society tell us that style is fetch? (Or excuse me, not fetch because fetch is not going to happen.)

Obviously, our styles are constantly changing. I look back at a lot of pictures of myself when I was younger and I think oh goodness what was I thinking, but the thought is often followed by at least she was happy wearing it and I find solace in that thought. However, I just think we should all push ourselves to wear things because you want to! Remember what it was like to be a kid and wear the most ridiculous outfit ever because it spoke to you that day, and nobody made fun of you because you were six and everyone dressed radically. Channel that energy, look in your closet and in your heart and put on the things that bring you joy. 

I think that if everyone tried wearing what they feel is cool individually, then more people would feel comfortable doing the same thing. Trends won’t cease to exist, and by no means do I think they have to. I enjoy trends just as much as the next person, I think often it inspires my looks and helps me realize what the fashion gods have to offer because I can’t contact them directly. (I am not one of the chosen ones). 

The moral of the story is that you should stop waiting for someone else to make fetch happen, and make it happen yourself!