Image via Complex Original
Oh boy, fashion. It gets mad weird. Especially beyond the scope of the stuff considered "cool," there are definitely folks that adopt a certain style and really get others into it too. While not all trends are necessarily things we'd see ourselves rocking, there are certain ones you can't deny are "a thing."
You know what we mean, like when kids started wearing fox tails with their jeans or buying necklaces with their names in beads of rice. Turns out the U.S. isn't the only spot where strange styles like that go viral. We searched the giobe and found these, what quite possibly are The 10 Weirdest Trends From Around The World.
Mustang Skinline Jeans
Where It Came From: Scandinavia
...BUT WHY? Some dudes get off on it, others just really, really like the fit.
Around 2008, really creepy videos started to emerge on YouTube of men taking videos of themselves in a jeans brand called "Mustang Skinline." Sure, skinny jeans were on the rise then... but these things were pretty much jeggings. Even worse, they were high-waisted jeggings. And on the pause-worthy tip, many of the comments on these videos of dudes showering and walking in fields with their super-tight jeans are definitely thirsty. Mustang Skinline was a jeans line from the '80s that are no longer produced, but there are still people really dedicated to the brand. Take this old guy for example, who has like 50 pairs. If you're so inclined to purchase vintage pairs or similar fitting jeans, there are sites like Gijo Jeans to cop them... if you dare.
Fascinators
Where It Came From: Europe
...BUT WHY? They were good enough for your great aunt, and she was a queen.
Tracing their origin to the 16th century, fascinator hats are related to the feather-plumed hats associated with French Musketeers, English Cavaliers, and all sorts of European people that enslaved numerous minorities colonized other nations. Like how your girl steals all your best shirts, fashionable ladies started appropriating the caps of English Cavaliers. This evolved into the ornate wigs of the 17th Century, and then became associated with really formal attire during the Victorian era, where they'd be worn to the theater. More recently, they've garnered attention at the Royal Wedding, thanks in part to Princess Beatrice, who certainly made the view suck for whoever was stuck sitting behind her.
Pollution Masks
Where It Came From: Beijing, China
...BUT WHY? Fresh air is a luxury in China.
It's no secret that Beijing is polluted as hell. With smog everywhere, much of the city's population has taken to wearing masks to avoid breathing in harmful contaminants. But that doesn't mean they've had to sacrifice their style. Sure, there are run-of-the-mill stark white ones, but there's plenty of other options implementing designs like animals, patterns, and even designer knock-offs like Louis Vuitton.
Mexican Pointy Boots
Where It Came From: Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
...BUT WHY? To look like a seriously steezy vaquero.
Tied to "tribal guarachero" music aka "hyphy tribal," aka "no seriously we're not making this shit up," pointy boots can be traced to the Mexican town of Matehuala in 2009. Made by elongating the toe of boots up to 5 feet, there are also some dudes who just DIY'd it with a garden hose. Like The Warriors' denim vests, the boots have become an integral style staple for Matehualan club kids, who form all-male dance groups and compete in competitions at night clubs. Kind of like You Got Served... except more southwestern. The trend has even spread to areas with plentiful Matehualan migrants, like Dallas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.
Extraocular Implants
Where It Came From: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
...BUT WHY? Because people want to go platinum in a different way.
First developed at the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIOS) in 2002 as a new form of body modification, extraocular implants—rather, "eye jewelry"—involves a piece of platinum alloy molded into a variety of shapes like hearts, Euro signs, or stars, inserted underneath the cornea by a licensed opthalmologist. The process runs just shy of $1,000, and currently you'll have to fly to The Netherlands to get it done safely, as it's the only place it's completely legal.
Animal Hair Hats
Where It Came From: Tokyo, Japan
...BUT WHY? It's art, dammit!
Stemming from the mind of late Japanese pop artist Nagi Noda, she drew upon the concept of fascinators for this project that involved crafting exquisite animal shapes from hair. They developed a cult following for their brilliance but unfortunately the artist passed away in 2008. Still, they did manage to turn one celebrity into a fan: Lady Gaga, of course.
Yaeba Teeth
Where It Came From: Japan
...BUT WHY? To look younger without resorting to botox.
One of the latest trends sweeping Japanese girls is getting "Yaeba" teeth. Translated as "double-tooth" the look consists of elongated canines that look like a "snaggletooth," such as the kind actresses like Kirsten Dunst have naturally. Japanese girls think it gives them a cuter, more child-like appearance.
Ear Pointing
Where It Came From: Phoenix, Arizona
...BUT WHY? You want to go elf yourself. Or you wish you were Vulcan.
Ear pointing, or ear shaping is a practice in which the ear is modified look like the pointy ears we've seen on fictional characters like Legolas, Link from The Legend of Zelda, and Spock. So in essence, they're pretty popular among hardcore fans of Lord of the Rings and Star Trek. But if there is a baker out there who did it just to make cookies like Keebler elves, then you are amazing. Its rise in popularity is attributed to Arizona-based Steve Haworth, who is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the "Most Advanced Body Modification Artist" since 1999. It's become popular enough to warrant a mention as a plot point in an episode of Law & Order: SVU.
Facekinis
Where It Came From: Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
...BUT WHY? Because it keeps you from looking like a farmer.
Should you have a beach day in China's coastal city of Qingdao, expect to see plenty of people looking like they're about to rob a bank. The "Facekini" offers protection from the sun's rays, and completely cover the face except for the nose, mouth, and eyes. Usually paired with a bodysuit or wetsuit, their purpose is to preserve the skin's fairness and prevent tanning. In China, having a tan is considered a sign of being a peasant who works in the fields all day. Mad dated, sure, but hey, some things are institutionalized like that.
Bagel Head Injections
Where It Came From: Tokyo, Japan
...BUT WHY? It's a new way to give society a huge middle finger.
The "Bagel Head" body modification process consists of a controlled injection of saline into the forehead, and then making a manual indentation in the middle with the finger. The result is... decidedly not normal. Tracing its roots back to 1999 at a Toronto body modification convention called Modcon, it was Ryoichi "Keroppy" Maeda who claims to have brought it to Japan in 2003.