Viva la Vans

I was feeling pretty good when the first day of school came around and I was already "in" on the latest fad. I was starting to see, very clearly, that a trend at a small all-girls school was not practiced by a small group of girls. If a shoe became popular, that meant the entire school would be wearing it. So what is the Doc Marten of my senior year? Not Sperrys, but a sneaker by the brand name Vans.

I'm highly certain I did not even know what Vans were in sixth grade. Converses, sure. But Vans? I had never heard of this brand. Six years later, Vans had become the new Sperry. (Side note: there were other shoe fads that appeared between the Sperry and Van phase... Ugg slippers, Converses, Nike sneakers, etc). Apparently, all the girls at my school purchased these shoes over the summer. They were casual but cute, easily paired with any outfit, and most importantly, inexpensive. Who wouldn't want a pair? I sure did.

So two weeks before school started, I drove to Montgomery Mall with my new senior privileges on my mind. I bought a pair of Vans. By the time school started, I had already worn them out somewhat.

The bell rang, signaling the start of homeroom at the beginning of the day. I walked into the room, and a wave of de ja vu passed over me. It was as if I was in sixth grade all over again... but this time I was a senior-- more independent, more aware of "who I am", and not afraid to be different, if that's what I feel like being.

Yet there I was, with my light blue Vans on my feet, just another addition to the overwhelming majority  of the senior girls who own a pair of these sneakers... classic, right?

At this point, you may be starting to recognize that fads are not necessarily "followed" merely because they are considered "in" at the time. I hope, from my two stories I have shared thus far, that you have come to realize not everyone will pick up on a popular trend just because their peers have. Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of people who do this. And it is not uncommon for me to have my interest in such trends be sparked by my seeing it on another girl first. However, I think it is also important to keep in mind that the definition of a fad can be deceiving at times. The dictionary definition says fads are "especially... followed enthusiastically by a group". This isn't always the case!

Or is it?