These 7 Basics Are Becoming Obsolete

It's funny to think of wardrobe basics as being "dated." Isn't the fact that they go with everything and never go out of style the whole point? Well, we're sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but some basics do, in fact, have a shelf life. Don't worry. Some—like white T-shirts, skinny jeans, and sneakers—are definitely safe. But we couldn't help but notice recently that others, like crossbody bags, have fallen out of fashion favor. 

To be honest, we were a bit shocked when we realized that some of these basics were fading away, based on their immense popularity up until recently, but the fact of the matter is that people get bored. Yes, many basics are supposed to be "boring," but we're human, and maybe there are only so many times that we can Instagram cropped flare jeans before we just get sick of seeing them on ourselves (speaking from personal experience). 

Keep scrolling to find out which seven basics are becoming obsolete and to shop the pieces that are replacing them.

Put on hiatus: three-quarter-sleeve T-shirts

Keep: white tank tops

Think about it: When was the last time you bought (or wore) a three-quarter-sleeve T-shirt? Exactly. That said, we don't think this basic is gone for good. But for now, white tank tops have become the coolest basic to wear with jeans.

Shop our white-tank picks:

Put on hiatus: cropped flares

Keep: baggy and straight-leg jeans

Cropped flares used to be inescapable, but our very own commerce strategist confirmed that "units sold of cropped flare jeans decreased by 55%." On the flip side, it's become clear that straight-leg jeans are now a classic, and baggy jeans are the must-have denim style of 2022.

Shop our baggy-jeans pick:

Shop our straight-leg pick:

Put on hiatus: round-toe pumps

Keep: square- or pointed-toe kitten heels

When an outfit called for pumps, we all used to reach for the round-toe variety, as there weren't a whole lot of other options. Luckily, now there are plenty of other forward options to choose from, and heels are decidedly lower than they were a decade ago.

Shop our kitten-heel picks:

Put on hiatus: crossbody bags

Keep: shoulder bags

With this one, crossbody bags likely became oversaturated, and people got tired of not having other handbag options. Enter the return of the shoulder bag. That being said, we think this hands-free bag style will return (perhaps when belt bags lose their luster).

Shop our shoulder-bag picks:

Put on hiatus: T-shirt dresses

Keep: slip dresses

T-shirt dresses may be comfortable, but they can be a bit dull, if we're putting it frankly. Slip dresses, on the other hand, are much prettier and more versatile, as they can be dressed up or down and layered easily. 

Shop our slip-dress picks:

Put on hiatus: super-short cutoffs

Keep: Bermuda shorts

Unless you're on the festival grounds of Coachella, you may want to retire the super-short cutoffs that have (somewhat surprisingly) been replaced by Bermuda shorts this year. 

Shop our Bermuda-shorts picks:

Put on hiatus: aviators

Keep: cat-eye sunglasses

Aviators still seem to be a staple for men, but we've found that fashion girls have ditched the once massively popular style. Cat-eye sunglasses, though, are a staple style that shows no sign of slowing down.

Shop our cat-eye-sunglasses picks:

Next, Kate Middleton just wore skinny jeans with $200 boots on her royal tour of Copenhagen.