One of the great mysteries of the current generation is why Labubus are so popular when they are just so ugly. Look into those monsters’ eyes and tell me it’s cute (I’m kidding, they’re okay). Labubus, however, might be the least ugly thing that’s come out of the trinket craze. You’d be surprised just how philosophically controversial those silly keychain blind box trinket things can be.
A trinket is anything collectible. A blind box, a keychain, a souvenir, a plushie, you name it. Nothing spectacular, but the trinket trend crashed into the fashion scene like a wrecking ball. Every fashion girlie has a set of keychains dangling from their bag, or a row of Sonny Angels next to their bed. Buying a trinket is an easy, (usually) affordable way to visually spice up whatever you want.
But people are starting to think the trinket trend is ruining the soul behind fashion. How can something so small be harmful? It all comes down to what they used to mean and what they mean now.
Trinket Trend trouble
When you first think of the word “trinket”, you might think of a keychain your parents got you for your first car. Maybe you’ll think of that pin you got from Paris or Japan. Trinkets used to be able to hold living memories. Trinkets were a sign of who you are as a person, like a true fashion statement.
Nowadays, some people think trinkets are just a pretty thing to have on your desk. When people buy their 15th blind box, they probably aren’t thinking of making a memory anymore. They’re probably just thinking about how they have to fill that empty spot in their room. In other words, the trinket craze isn’t about making memories anymore.
The trinket trend has now become a product of a culture industry. It’s a pretty broad philosophy term, but, generally, the culture industry refers to art that’s overproduced and over-consumed so much so that it loses meaning. When we overconsume art, we lose our individuality, too. We build our personality based on the art we continuously buy, instead of the art we create.
Influencers have said that this is the problem with the trinket craze. This industry shows how fashion isn’t about adding meaning to art anymore. It’s just about buying it to look cool. Slowly but surely, any ounce of creativity or individuality is thrown out the window.
For example, influencers have called out companies for selling pre-made, expensive keychain stacks. These companies discourage you from decorating your keyring with things you already have and love. Companies make your memories for you now, conveniently relieving you of your creative agency.
Unlike other fashion statements, trinkets are probably the best way to tell people who you are. Trinkets are usually made to hold memories, like a snow globe from winter break. It’s the one fashion statement that is literally meant to represent something about you.
Now, it isn’t the person who adds life to the trinket. People now rely on a blind box to figure out who they are. Are you a Sonny Angel or a Mofusand girl? Do you give Sanrio or Miffy vibes? These are real things I’ve heard (and said!) to people, and, thinking hard, it just doesn’t make sense. Why do we call ourselves collectibles?
Letting trinkets rule your life is basically like a fashionista letting her clothes wear her. She doesn’t style it, she just walks out in the first pair of pants she sees. She walks out a walking endorsement of clothes, not a symbol of personal style. You lose your personality, just like the culture industry says you would.
Whatever, it’s Still Cool
But other people believe that it doesn’t really matter in the long run. Just let people buy what they want, which is valid if you have the means to do so. Some people even have said that the trinket craze has brought a lot of good to the fashion world.
As someone who’s trying to start my own fashion Instagram account, I can attest to how accessible trinkets are. Hooking a cheap keychain onto a belt loop already elevates the regular jeans and tee. It’s like adding a bow to your hair – simple, but hella pretty.
Because trinkets are trendy, so are small businesses. GMK wrote in their article that trinkets also give smaller entrepreneurs an easy way to break into the fashion industry. Several artists on TikTok and Instagram have been reaching more people by selling their little keychains online. It’s just the kind of hype you can’t get without the trinket craze.
With all that, there really isn’t anyone telling you you can’t add personality to your lockets anymore. I can say that every plushie I win from the claw machine reminds me of my dad cheering me up before school started again. There are also a lot more resources now to make your own collectibles, like keychain stencils from Daiso or button makers from Amazon. The trinket trend doesn’t necessarily call for another societal, existential, creative crisis.
To Trinket or Not to Trinket?
So, should we just forget all the philosophical stuff brought up? Well, not necessarily. Fashion is a form of art that can inform just as much critical thinking as art posted up in galleries. It’s a way to wear something to better represent ourselves on the street. If anything, this trinket talk is a great way to understand just how much fashion fads affect how we see ourselves.
Dismissing the creativity talk might kill fashion as a whole. The reason fashion keeps going is because we are willing to question whether what we’re collecting is interesting, stylish, or something new. It’s not about settling for the first cute thing you see.
Then again, we don’t need to overthink every single blind box we buy. That might kill us. But, still, there has to be a point where we have to reevaluate if that Sonny Angel is worth it or not. Do you actually want it? Or do you feel empty without it? If you think it’s the second, then you and that trinket might need a break.
At the end of the day, a trinket can be something to show the world who you are, or it can just be something you want. What it can’t be is the physical form of a creative block. With or without a trinket, you’re still a fashionista. A trinket is a tool to be creative, not the trend to beat all trends. It seems obvious, but it should be said that fashion doesn’t stop at a keychain.
