Everything Everywhere is Chic

By: Summer Bruce, Staff Writer Edited by: Eleanor Unsworth

When someone says “that’s so chic,” everyone knows exactly what they mean. Right? At one point, this may have been true, but as time goes on, the word continues to be utilized by countless ads. Marketers use this buzzword to manipulate their way into social media algorithms so their products will find their way to consumers' feeds, waiting for them to punch in their credit card number because they “just have to have this.” The lines between marketing and classification have been blurred. But not everything can be called chic. That’s the point of using a word like chic; it's meant to distinguish an everyday concept from an elevated, desired one. Too much of something is never good, and it’s killing chic. 

Chic can be defined as both an adjective: “elegantly and stylishly fashionable,” and as a noun: “stylishness and elegance, typically of a specified kind.” Stemming from the French term “chicanery,” “chic” has been around for hundreds of years, adapting its meaning until the early 1990s. The popularity of Kate Moss and the model-off duty trend proved pivotal for the term; it no longer referred only to perfection but instead to the grace and elegance of a more relaxed appearance. The “I look perfect but I didn’t even try” appearance was only the beginning of what would become nearly three decades of consumers chasing their desire to be chic too. 

Today, chic is being used in every form possible, as marketers grasp on tightly to the trend and milk it for all it’s worth. When Fetch asked Syracuse students to name items they have seen associated with the word, they produced an array of trends and products ranging from Miu Miu sunglasses to flip flops paired with jeans, from short painted nails to long trench coats. Chic is a dynamic descriptor with the ability to be shaped to whatever someone wants it to mean (or at least to whatever someone wants to market it). A notable example of this is the recent social media trend “things I find utterly chic.” This trend is typically presented as a slide show of photographs of items and oddly specific scenarios, all of which that person deems to be “chic.” What once began as a trend for people to list items they liked has evolved to include concepts as abstract as independence. These concepts, however, reign true to the theme of luxury in one way or another. 

Many definitions of chic involve the “New York City aesthetic,” including everything from fashion to apartment living. Something about the “it-only-looks-messy-because-the-space-is-so-small” effect really does it for social media. Pinterest grabbed at the influx of images of a lived-in apartment with the skyline in the background and an open bottle of wine and a deck of cards on the counter, stuck the word “chic” on it, and let the Internet do its thing. There isn’t one singular aspect of this image that is chic on its own, rather, the combination of all the elements emanates “chicness.” The luxury of having an apartment in the city is underscored by the carefree vibe conveyed from this scene’s composition. Clothes are strewn about from an evening of outfit picking, and the onlooker can almost hear the debate between which black mini dress to wear; it’s a celebration of a night off and the freedom to spend it however one wishes. 

Because chic is used so generously as a descriptor, it’s not just a term in fashion, but is also utilized to elevate events and activities. Last season’s US Open brought much attention, as expected, and this year, promoters did not hold back from spotlighting the “preppy chic” style of the spectators. Brand names like Polo Ralph Lauren were highlighted, with special attention given toward a lighter color palette, specifically blues and whites, as well as the common choice of accessories, pearls. Though a more conservative approach, this aesthetic is still undoubtedly chic. Even more abstract than attending a sporting event is the adoption of new hobbies. That’s right: having a hobby can be chic. Current society moves very fast, and it is now seen as a luxury to have the time to slow down and do something someone truly enjoys; from practicing intellectualism to baking to going to pilates class, anything that requires a person to spend free time and money devoted to it has the potential to be considered chic. 

So, what is chic? Is it something that can be held? Or seen? Fetch interviewed Alexa Tietjen, a fashion student studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Tietjen says that being chic is “a state of mind… not only about what you wear but about having an elevated lifestyle as a whole.”  There is no conclusive answer for what chic is. Chic is everywhere, but it isn’t everything. The only consistent theme of chic is the fact that its luxury is more of a feeling than anything else. Chicness is about style and elevation, and is meant to be slightly unobtainable, just out of reach. That is why it sells so well. People long to be chic, making them see the world through Chanel-colored glasses. But “chic” can’t be bought –you either are it, or you are not; something either is chic, or it isn’t.

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