A new word that I have adopted in my vocabulary is girlhood. Cambridge Dictionary defines girlhood as “the period when a person is a girl, and not yet a woman, or the state of being a girl.” TikTok has recently taken up this word with the rise of the hit movie “Barbie.” 

Girlhood has been used to define pivotal moments in women’s lives. Showcasing moments like giggling at sleepovers, doing face masks, dancing in the rain and whispering about cute guys. 

Girlhood also means following trends. Right now there has been a large trend of Lululemon shorts and Stanley tumblers. 

And there has also been a rise in hate against this trend. People have been saying the shorts are ugly and the Stanley tumblers are too expensive. 

And these are reasonable concerns for people; not me, I love my Stanley tumbler. But this got me thinking about why there is so much hate for any trend that girls partake in. 

To me, staying trendy is an essential part of girlhood. It is what women look back on and bond over. Fashion trends have been around forever and girls have always followed them. 

In the ‘80s it was on trend to wear scrunchies, have big hair and wear loud colors. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s the trend was more muted clothing but more glittery makeup and hairstyles (yes, glitter and bedazzled stones in hair.)  

The late 2000s and early ‘10s consisted of a boho chic look that then went into an “insta baddie” streetwear. Every woman who has gone through these fashion phases in her life later looks back and reminisces on it. 

I have seen countless of TikTok creators start their platforms off by poking fun at themselves and looking back on their early fashion trends. From concealer lips from the early 2000s to the teal chevron print of 2010. I find joy in seeing girls being girls. 

But today we have labeled girls being girls as “basic.” Meaning that they follow the basic trends of society. And to me, that label is a little weird. Because following trends is what humans do best. 

Humans have been jumping on trends since they existed, especially fashion trends. Take the 18th century, for example, those poofy ornamental dresses came because it was a fashion trend. 

And 18th century girls following those fashion trends gave us iconic looks that we continue to study and look back on now. 

We study Queen Charlotte and how her fashion was widely picked up in England. 

When looking back on fashion trends, no one remembers menswear. They remember the women’s clothing of that time. 

If girls back then had not had a keen eye for fashion and all wore similar dresses, we would not have fashion today. Being trendy is the real girlhood. 

“Girlhood is a bonding experience.”

Kay Padilla

Looking at someone wearing something that you like and complimenting and talking about that is what makes girlhood. 

I love walking around campus and seeing all the different colors and styles in Lululemon shorts and Stanley tumblers. 

I think the hate for being on trend comes from not wanting to look like everyone else. And sure everyone has the right to have their own style and stand out, but sometimes following what everyone else is doing is okay. 

It’s also okay to secretly like trends, you don’t have to hide your love for being basic. 

There seems to be a trend of not following trends, which is very ironic. Understanding this fear may help many other girls realize that they don’t have to put down their fashion preferences. 

Being basic might be someone’s thing, but because of hate and backlash online and in person, they won’t partake in it.

It hurts me to see that it is mostly girls making fun of other girls. This is something that has been a staple in many girlhoods across time. I think that is beautiful. I find beauty in being like other girls.

In the end, it is just a fashion of this time. It will pass and we will jump onto a new trend. And we will continue to do that until the Milky Way and Andromeda violently collide with each other. 

That was a little harsh but it is simply the truth, humanity thrives on following trends. Somewhere back in caveman times, a caveman looked at another caveman and followed what he did. 

And now we have our current society, so keep following trends.