The 10 Worst Style Trends of 2012

Image via Complex Original

Tone. It. Down. Really, pops of color go a long way, but if you OD on too much of it you look like the love child of Rainbow Brite and Jeremy Scott. Or like, someone took a #menswear tumblr and a random teenage girl's tumblr and blended them together with a pile of dog poop. And then ate it, and threw it up. Ew.

Designers like Thom Browne and Raf Simons pushed for this look, and street style aces like Nick Wooster made it famous on tumblr. Regular guys can't pull this off. At all. Imagine your estranged uncle went to pick up your little cousins from soccer practice dressed like this. He would look like someone Chris Matthews might need to "take a seat."

The tight sag is the style equivalent of the confused teenager trying to find his way in the world. Take Chief Keef for example. Is he gonna channel blipster style in skinny jeans or wear them low like many of his rap predecessors? Young "tastemakers" like Dee and Ricky do this too, and it only works because they went through puberty like, yesterday. If you're old enough to drink, you're old enough to wear your pants like a man. You hear us, Lil Wayne?

Are you a rodeo bull or a rebellious teenage girl? Because why else would you be rocking nasal jewelry? Don't take your style tips from Lenny Kravitz.

Giuseppe Zanotti, Louboutin, and Jimmy Choo, listen up. Look, y'all are great for the ladies. Really, we appreciate the fact that you give dudes something to talk about when trying to pick up a classy woman, but we don't need any more expensive kicks, and we sure as hell don't need super-fashiony, glittery kicks to make us feel special.

Dear Bowties,

You were cool for a minute, became oversaturated, and now we just need a break. Please, like, just skip town for a couple of months until we realize we kind of miss you. Then, we promise we will never try to wear you with anything other than a tuxedo or a properly-proportioned lapel ever again.

Best,

Complex

Love/hate relationship right here. This trend predominantly resides in the hip-hop community, where flaunting luxury gear is about more than just trends—it's about power and status and money and competition. But still, we look to these dudes to set the bar for style—they've got the loot and they've got the attention. Sure, sometimes Tyga and French Montana pull of some fresh looks, but more often than not in 2012 designer overload looked straight-up tacky.

Why does still keep happening?! If you don't live inside of a lamp and grant three wishes to whoever finds you, it's time to take the drop crotch pants to Buffalo Exchange—but even they probably won't take 'em. It hasn't been hammer time for a long time.

Animal print was cool last year, was overdone this year, and needs to rest next year. Seriously, it's looking like a zoo out here. Giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, no safari mammal was safe. And leopards—poor, poor leopards. We feel for you, fam. Dudes out here wearing your spots head to toe, playing you out! 

Riccardo Tisci wanted to represent the Holy Communion and his Catholic upbringing in Givenchy's fall/winter 2013 designs and the clothes came out looking really dope. But, by being the most popular designer and fashion house of the year, he and Givenchy were copied by a lot of other brands.

Religious iconography was everywhere in 2012 and it was cool for a minute until we realized most shirts were famous artworks pasted over cheap tees. Wearing the Virgin and Child on a silky shirt doesn't make you a diety, my dude. Celebs like Jay-Z might call himself Hova and wear crosses on his chest, but we don't understand the rest of you who have a God complex. 

RELATED: The 25 Best Men's Style Brands of 2012