In an analysis of the term 'chic,' Lauren O'Neill argues that the word has lost its meaning, being co-opted by influencers and misused to represent a shallow idea of style. Citing Baudelaire's disdain for the word, O'Neill emphasizes that 'chic' has become interchangeable with wealth rather than the distinctiveness it once embodied. Though she finds other terms like 'luxurious' more overused, she recognizes the need for linguistic freshness and proposes reviving alternatives that could enrich fashion vernacular, suggesting that 'chic' has become too ingrained to disappear completely, despite its diluted value.
Chic has come to be mistaken for certain monied strains of taste, rather than the unique je ne sais quoi that the word at its purest actually means.
To further linguistic plurality and make life more interesting, maybe we need to rehabilitate some alternatives. My suggestion: let's start describing stuff like baffled elderly fathers opining on outfits.
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