Over the past year, the term ‘cheugy’ has become a part of our everyday vocabulary thanks to TikTok. The viral word describes someone or something, often a fashion trend, that is out of date or trying too hard.
An example of cheugy might be the much-discussed side parting. Since the term is claimed by Gen Z, anything millennial is out of date, especially the side part. If you want to be considered cool and trendy, you’ll need to switch to a middle parting ASAP.
Although it’s all fun and games, merely a TikTok trend, could cheugy actually be damaging in its jest? Does it raise the question of how right is it to slam others for their fashion choices and appearance?
‘Cheugy’ undeniably takes a hit at older generations, and those that may be perceived to conform a little too much. Linguist Gretchen McCulloch explains “A word like cheugy is a way of labelling an in-group and an out-group” (via The New York Times).
Despite this, you can easily identify the fast-paced notion of cheugy itself, the clothes those who use the word wear are cheugy after a few months, I think that’s the beauty of the world. Before ‘cheugy’ there was little language to explain the fast movement of micro trends throughout the seasons – ‘cheugy’ highlights the fluidity of fashion – its ever-changing nature and its immunity to a forever judgment.
Credit: Vogue
Cheugy-ness is to be determined by individuals, and if you don’t care about what other people think of you, stick to your authentic style, and can take a joke, you’ll never be cheugy!
