You’ve replaced ceremonial-grade matcha with ube, barn jackets with funnel-neck windbreakers, Puma Speedcats with Nike Air Superfly LXs, and classic burgundy pedicures with glossed toffee. But, humor me for a second: Does this mean you’ve got taste?<\/p>\n
The signs may indicate so \u2013 you’re drinking wine and wearing the “right” things \u2013 but are we really confusing being on trend with embracing good taste? Because taste is a whole lot more chemical thing, right? Not a trail of breadcrumbs that anyone can follow on Instagram, but a mix of personal style, an appreciation of vintage (or, even better, archival) clothing and a staunch avoidance of anything “obvious”. Was quiet luxury good taste? Was “Boom Boom” in bad taste? And, perhaps most relevantly, whether it is even possible to pass<\/em> Taste in 2026?<\/p>\n These days, it is not only “obscenity” that can equate to “bad taste”, but also declining relevance. The term can, confusingly, also describe something that is so “bad” (read: weird, offensive, alternative), that it’s good. Take the tabois of Maison Margiela. This Japanese-inspired shoe resembles a cloven hoof and has been compared to a camel’s toe, none of which has stopped Zendaya, Rihanna, and Michael B. Jordan (and many other celebrities and fashionistas) from wearing it. And herein lies their problem.<\/p>\n one in recent instagram reels<\/a>, fashion commentator <\/strong>@trendyjosh_<\/strong><\/a> Briefly explained how mass appeal has effectively weakened the edge of the shoe to some extent. “Nine times out of 10, if someone was wearing Tabis, ‘fits were fly. (…) When it really started to go mainstream, like by now in the summer of 2024, that’s when ‘fits started to take a turn. It’s basically been no different than wearing loafers, or Mary-Janes or whatever,” he said, adding a final word of advice. “Tabis are still one of my favorite silhouettes, but it’s time to give them a little rest.”<\/p>\n (Image credit: Getty Images\/Arnaldo Magnani)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n In 2026, the saturation point of a product is reached more quickly due to Instagram and TikTok \u2013 it’s only a matter of time before the algorithms kill it off \u2013 creating something of a \u201ccult\u201d following \u2013 but also the availability of said product, which would previously have been much harder to obtain, especially at a low, secondhand price. Now, a well-chosen search term on your resale platform of choice (Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal or good old eBay) usually sooner or later delivers the stuff you bought while sitting on your couch.<\/p>\n