Elastic, Plastic, and Fantastic: The Chronicles of Lycra, Nylon, and Vinyl

Being green is so in right now and always has been - that's why fashion trends are constantly being recycled. Duh! We start to see the bell sleeves swaying and before you can say the words 'skinny legend', we got the mile high waisted jeans back. Me, I'm not too fashionably inclined per se, but I do admire those who are. To the people who can pull off the thrifty layered looks or the retro-goth appeal: kudos to you because I want to be like that. I want something that looks like it's been put together by someone who knows what they're doing but also defines my effort levels which are essentially rocketed into the ground.

From this comes my desperate plea to bring the holy trinity of plastic back in style: Lycra shorts, nylon jackets, and pretty much vinyl anything. I mean, c'mon, LOOK at these:

For starters, as someone who owns a decent amount of bike shorts (as Lycra (or Spandex for that matter) shorts are more preferentially named), I can honestly say they are so comfortable that sometimes I forget I'm wearing bottoms at all. Literally have caught myself patting my legs just to check...uhm, I'm in public as a grown adult checking if I put on pants. Not sold yet, well here you go: you can get them in any, and I mean ANY, colourway and they will still be looking bomb. Uh, hello?!

These shorts are so easy to wear with pretty much anything. You don't even need a belt, just pull them on and you're banging! A new sweatshirt, yes. An old crop top, yes. An oversized nylon jacket, also yes.

Speaking of nylon jackets, can we please bring these cute pieces back? They are a raincoat, a windbreaker, a light layer, a fashion statement, and best of all, if you spill your drink on it, just wipe and go about your day. Nylon and their more modern counterparts, Gore-tex and Tyrex, are breathable and lightweight materials that allow you to dress up or dress down while serving a practical purpose. You can have a long one, a short one, ones with the waist cinch or a belt or massive pockets (and anyone who's worn women's jeans knows that pockets are prime real estate!).

But another reason why these are so great is because while it is plastic, it's also one of the most eco-friendly pieces. So many of these jackets are often made from recycled/repurposed materials which makes it not only good looking for everyone and their mothers, but good looking for everyone's mother, Mother Nature.

In the spirit of plastics, I'd like to introduce to you to the beautiful, shiny, standout piece that is the vinyl. You can dress up to dance at the club in the same material you listen to music with - vinyl aka PVC aka polyvinyl chloride (a weird flex, yes, but I'm going with it). I see these outfits and reminisce the looks served by the likes of DC/Marvel heroines, steampunk characters, and only the edgiest of celebrities. The sturdiness of the skirts and pencil dresses means that you don't have to shimmy about adjusting upwards or downwards and in contrast, the pliability of it allows for full range of motion, even in a jumpsuit. Formfitting, fun, and flexible, I like my people like I like my clothes (oop!).

As the iconic song Barbie Girl goes: "life is plastic, it's fantastic", and it really is.