Why Is the Pineapple So Hot Right Now?
Years ago I was asked, “How do you know when a trend is too saturated?” Translation: when is a trend “over?” I replied quite simply, “When everyone else is into it.” While I’m not typically a trend chaser, I prefer to wear what you love, regardless of trends, but I am a sucker for one: fruit trends. This year, it is undeniably the pineapple.
I’ve seen the pineapple on backpacks, t shirts, cosmetic pouches, even on an eight year old’s sundress. You know it’s everywhere if the little kiddos are wearing it. Not enough proof? Please know that it's now considered art too.
Not only is it in fashion apparel, home décor is taken too by the spiked fruit. Pineapple on pillows, beer buckets, lamps, you name it. Next time you’re flipping through Instagram or Pinterest home décor pages you’ll be hard pressed to not come across one. Pineapples are in high season.
I’ll admit I do love a pineapple. I love both the look and taste of it. From a food perspective citrus* is my jam. From an aesthetics perspective, I too, love the spiky little fuckers. They are aggressive on the outside, delicious and tart on the inside. That's as close as I'll likely get to to a produce soul mate.
Lenny Letter did a bang on article on why it’s so hot right now. It argues that it is being used as the unofficial feminist fruit statement. I love that take on it too.
Part of me thinks, it like many other trends, is simply cycling through. We get tired of one thing, so we’re onto the next thing. Eventually it rounds itself again and again. Another part of me giggles when I think of the nutrition phrase, “You are what you eat.” As a society we’ve taken that idea further and worn our favourite food right on our chest.
Thinking back on past years "it" fruit I can remember a few biggies. In the 90’s it was all about cherries. Perhaps it was the spike in ska music subculture with it’s 40’s and 50’s nostalgic rockabilly vibe. Maybe cherries were simply in season? Nah, too easy.
In the 00’s it was hailing our superfruit friends. Blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, boysenberry, goji berry. Basically anything that ended in “erry.”
Come the present decade we have invited vegetables to the – ahem – table. Kale and avocado have been making their splash on the .www and retail. You know it’s going to be huge when Beyoncé deems it worthy enough for her to wear.
What is it about produce that gets us going? Sure, it’s fun and a bit silly to wear prints made of fruit. Are we so stressed out that we need a little laugh in our lives? A visual reminder for nutrition? Maybe it's a personal encouragement to get your Canadian Food Guide prescribed daily intake in. Perhaps it’s a reprieve from letter based icons scrawled across shirts urging the looker to really look. Do we simply like to wear fruits and veggies?
Produce is not just mass fashion. It’s got fans in high places too. Dolce and Gabbana have made successful lines using it. Kenzo has used fruit too. You can make an easy seasonal fashion bet that come spring/summer fruit is all over bags, accessories, and shoes.
I say, if you need a little fruit bounce in your step, why not wear it. But like any other trend, it’s going to get old fast. So squeeze all the juice out of it while you still can.
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*Revision: A dear, loyal reader brought to my attention that pineapple, while delicious, is not a citrus fruit. Rather, it's part of the Bromeliaceae family. Huh.
