OPINION: Hike up your thong like it’s the early 2000s

Fashion from the early 2000s was truly chaotic, and somehow, it has managed to make a comeback after having been revived around 2019. As the years go by, pop culture and the fast fashion industry are diving deeper into the early 2000s for inspiration and the latest trend we’re seeing is the infamous visible thong.

Popularised by the likes of pop star Christina Aguilera during her Dirrrty era and musician P!nk back when she sang the hell out of RnB songs, the visible thong is now a trend favoured by the superstars of today.

In South Africa, the trend belongs to DJ Uncle Waffles and social media sensation Lasizwe Dambuza.

Uncle Waffles (real name Lungelihle Zwane) set tongues wagging last October when she not only shot to fame but did so while wearing her unbuttoned trousers loosely around her hips with her thong peeping above them as she vibed to Young Stunna’s song of the summer, Adiwele.

The modesty police flooded people’s timelines with their unsolicited opinions about the underwear and managed to change absolutely nothing about the young superstar’s dress sense.

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And just as the embers of their flaming outrage had settled, along came Lasizwe with a poker…

He served true early 2000s realness in his New Year’s Eve outfit complete with 90s cool-girl hair, baggy pants, a crop top and the main attraction – a double strapped thong peeking out above the waist of his pants.

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A post shared by Lasizwe Dambuza (@lasizwe)

Homophobes, masculinity police and gender-norm-purists united in their disapproval of Lasizwe’s choices and spoke about his outfit so much that he topped Twitter and Google trends lists and stayed there for days, all because of a teeny, tiny, thong.

And just as it was with Uncle Waffles, the opinions came and went and the trend remained steadfast.

Trends are fleeting and fashion (and taste) is subjective. Until the day we live in a utilitarian, post-apocalyptic society ruled by billionaire overlords that require us all to wear the exact same thing in the same colour and design, you’re probably going to be subjected to fashion designs and trends you can’t stand.

If it’s not for you, then simply don’t wear it.

Until then, I would advise hiking your thong up like it’s the early 2000s, but if Lasizwe’s outfit angered you enough to make you publicly admit to being a homophobe or behave as though a simple thing was the harbinger of the demise of masculinity as you know it, then you probably don’t need any other thing wedged where the sun doesn’t shine. That space is already taken.

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