Hi friends!
Okay, so something happened recently and I can’t let it go.
Vogue called the color of the year cabbage. Cabbage.
Not mint, like I did, along with ice blue. Cabbage. Something you boil. Something that smells like bog pee.
Stay with me for a minute. Walk with me. Talk with me.
Here's What Went Down
I had already been talking about this color direction in early January. Icy blue and Mint green. Clean green. Chic green. The kind of color that shows up in fashion, beauty, interiors, packaging, and you’re like, yeah, this makes sense.
Then Marie Claire and Vogue roll in with their official takes, powder blue and cabbage, respectively. Same directions. Same families.
Vogue just… named their’s cabbage...
So I ran a poll. Chronically Chic Mint vs Vogue cabbage.
Mint won. By a landslide. And listen, this isn’t about winning a poll against Vogue. Which was cool. But not the point.
People who loved the color under "mint" suddenly weren't sure they liked it under "cabbage." Words don't just describe things, they change how we receive them.
Calling it cabbage makes people question whether they even like it.
Calling it mint lets people trust their own eyes.
This Happens Everywhere
Once you see it, you can't unsee it.
That new routine you were excited about, is actually working for you? Someone called it "obsessive," and now you're overthinking it.
The structured handbag that made you feel pulled together? "Try-hard."
Want non-toxic products? "Crunchy."
Setting a boundary? "High-maintenance."
Glammed up? “Wannabe.”
Putting yourself out there? “Desperate.”
People abandon perfectly good things because someone with authority labeled them badly.
So here's the question: Do you actually dislike this thing, or do you just dislike how someone's talking about it?
Those are very different problems.
I'm always surprised by how many people need permission to like something they already liked five minutes ago. Same thing, new label, completely different reaction.
In That Spirit, Here's What I'm Backing Right Now
Mint over cabbage
Framing matters. I refuse to pretend it doesn’t.Structured handbags over slouchy ones
Everything looks more intentional the second the bag stops collapsing in on itself.Calling out groupthink when it shows up
Consensus replaced thinking, and I'm tired of pretending that's fine.Y2K frosty eyeshadow, but modern
Cool-toned, icy, reflective, and new. Think less Claire's circa 2003, more editorial throwback.
This is the kind of connective tissue I care about: fashion, beauty, wellness, products, internet nonsense, all filtered through taste and common sense. If that sounds like your thing, there's more of it on the blog: chronicallychicblog.com
I hit 1,000 followers on Instagram last month, which feels like a small but meaningful milestone. If you're not following yet, I'd love to see you on there: @chronically_chic_
Your Turn
What's something you like that you've been second-guessing because of how someone else named it or talked about it? Do you trust Vogue's taste more than your own?
Hit reply. I actually read these.
Talk soon!
P.S. Know someone who needs permission to trust their own taste? Forward this to them.
