Fashion Braces: A New Trend?

Renee Trilivas, Allure magazine

Let's face it; your teenage years aren't necessarily your prettiest. I had frizzy, bleached-out hair and two rows of metal braces. I cringe when I think about that shiny torture device, so my jaw dropped when I heard about a new trend in Southeast Asia (brace yourself): braces.

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According to Vice, braces are the cool new accessory for teens in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Because of their hefty price tag and popularity among Eastern pop stars, a full-on metal mouth is seen as a symbol of wealth and style (kind of like the equivalent of having a Louis Vuitton purse or Louboutin heels in the states). Some teens are even buying metal-and-plastic mouthpieces with cutesy cartoon designs to mimic the look of braces.

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I admittedly don't get some trends (like mullet skirts and bird poo facials), but bringing back braces goes completely over my head. During my years (yes, years) of wearing braces, it wasn't something I wanted to show off. Like many teenagers, I found them embarrassing-and definitely not cool. So maybe having metal wires strung across my chompers wasn't a good look for me, but is it for anyone? Even Angelina Jolie wore braces to the Golden Globes, I'd still have to pass on being a metal mouth again.

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Would you wear braces as a fashion statement?


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