Livin' La Vari Na-Dah

Blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson is better-known for her explosive personal life, frolicking in a red swimsuit and 14 risqué cover shoots for Playboy. However, the most overlooked part throughout her long career was being the executive producer of V.I.P. 

Named after her character, Vallery Irons, V.I.P. took us on an adventure as it the titular bodyguard and her team foiled assassination attempts, death threats and other potentially life-harming situations. If you thought that Irons and her team dolled up in SWAT-style suits, they actually stole the show with body-con dresses, crop tops, pastels and Romy and Michele-esque holographic swatches. All in all, the aesthetic was basically what Anderson dubs the “Spice Girls Bodyguard Agency” in a profile for Interview. (RIP, Interview! *crying*) Although I was only 3-years-old when V.I.P. came out, little did I know that I would end up falling in love with it when I stumbled upon it via YouTube this year.

Given that the show put more emphasis on Pam than any other cast member, my eyes are instantly glued to the super fly fashions from Anderson and co. Not only are they visually appealing, so much attention went to the details from head to hemline. (ATTN: Pam, who was your costume designer?! And also, do you still have any leftover V.I.P. costumes I can keep? *praying hands*)

Here are the 2018 trends you didn’t realize that Pamela Anderson (and the cast) wore first:

1. The Banana Clip

Remember those big hair clips your mom wore when you were a kid? Well, I thought that they looked terminally uncool compared to the fluffy pom pom hair ties that Britney Spears wore. Looking back now, I never realized how chic a banana clip was until I saw Alexander Wang’s F/W 2018 runway show. While Pam and A.Wang are on two parallel universes, their mutual love of jumbo-sized clips brings them together!

If you haven’t washed your hair in days or just woke up with a tangled mess, a banana clip is the way to go!

2. Multiple Buckles

If you liked Clueless, but find that the outfits are a tad too girly for your liking, then you’ll like this iteration as seen on Vallery’s friend, Maxine. While multi-buckled details weren’t that popular of a trend back in the 2000s, it’s cool that it’s coming back to life in the form of I.AM.GIA since Tom Ford left Gucci in 2004.

Say what you want about Australia’s most famous Instagram brand, but is it a sign that this deeply overlooked trend will come back in full swing? (Don’t be surprised if I told you first!)

3. Lilac (a.k.a. Melodramatic Purple)

Call this a stretch, but let’s say that Pamela called dibs on it. Bold, yet subtle, this lovely lilac hue is not here to play. As an alternative to millenial pink, it perfectly complements ALL skin tones. It’s no secret that she swears by it as it makes her tan look SO natural. Also, you can get away with wearing more than one shade of purple if you plan to wear it from head to toe.

Today, this color reigns supreme thanks to color forecaster Pantone for announcing it as the “Color of the Year” and partly because of Lorde wearing a Monique Lhuillier ball gown to the MTV VMAs last year, which The Cut’s Emilia Petrarca dubbed “melodramatic purple”. Now, it’s dubbed “millenial lilac” by Elite Daily.

While most of us are stuck with office jobs, switch your dull gray suit and sharpen up that watercooler walk with some lilac!

4. Racing-Inspired Tops

Sorry Rihanna, as much as I love your style, I hate to admit that you did not invent this trend. Despite the singer/makeup mogul/designer launching a racing-themed fashion show for FENTY X PUMA last fall, was it possible that she watched this show when she was a tween? (OK, that’s quite a stretch, but then again, I’m not surprised!)

Before V.I.P. got the axe in 2002, Natalie Raitano, who plays badass bodyguard babe Nicole, wore a single motocross-inspired cropped orange tee with baggy pants. It was part Spice Girl and part Drew Barrymore circa 1995. If we are to wear it today, we can repeat this killer combo. (Martial arts skills optional!)

5. Neon Printed Mini Dress

Printed neon feels like vomit for the eyes, but in real life, it’s an aesthetic that you can’t unsee. On Pamela, she’s rocking a wallpaper-style pattern on a pale neon green micromini dress. While you can question her style choices (blame ex-husband turned *eye roll* aspiring politician Kid Rock!), this was absolutely one of the better decisions she made during the late ’90s to early ’00s compared to THAT infamous entrance with Elizabeth Hurley (a.k.a. the lady whose Versace dress became the most talked about dress in 1994!) at the 2001 Vanity Fair Oscars party.

Never to shy away from tackier concepts (e.g. a thong skirt), Tom Ford pulls all the stops to churn out a highlighter yellow leopard print dress for his F/W 2018 collection. If you’re feeling too cold from exposing your body under the aircon in a naked dress, a neon print dress will make your body warm and leave you looking hotter than everyone else in the room.

6. Half Bun

Clad in millenial pink from head to waist, can we not ever forget that big ass scrunchie?! As the original ’90s half bun, it’s a teeny tiny little baby bun sitting on the top of the blonde bombshell’s head. Based on my guess, I feel like little to no product is used to achieve this simple hairstyle.

Today, everything but the super skinny eyebrows came back to life from the ’90s time capsule. The best half bun of the year goes to Drop The Mic host/model Hailey Baldwin, whose braided iteration is peak #goals.

Also, Cosmopolitan says that it’s the “perfect hairstyle for summer”.

If you need to get up early for work and style your hair quickly, then you can channel model/actress Charlotte McKinney’s easy breezy Pamela-style half-bun.

See, this hairstyle is rated E for everyone. 😉

7. Whale Tail Leggings

Although an extra wore this pale pastel yellow bra and leggings set, little did we actually know that the frontal whale tail cutout will become a hot activewear trend of the 2010s.

Today, you can find them from under the radar activewear brands like Beyond Yoga, Blue Life and Lukka Lux. Given that the side cutouts lends a thotty touch to the gym classic, it makes it more wearable when you’re going on coffee runs or a nice walk in the park with your dog.

Go full-on V.I.P. by pairing it with a matching sports bra!

8. Micromini Hemlines

Honestly, I wasn’t ready. Given that micromini hemlines aren’t practical for daily life, it just made me wonder how anyone can walk in it. However, it makes a look into A LOOK! The fact that summer is thirst trap season pretty much makes me feel like I need to gear up quickly.

Among all the celebrities rocking this trend, it looks like Khloé Kardashian and Cardi B are taking the lead while accessorizing it with their baby bump.

Even fashion’s favorite cover girls such as Winnie Harlow and Kendall Jenner walk out of the house in super high hemlines, too.

Now that micromini hemlines are slowly creeping back into the fashion cycle, will it grow into a full-blown trend again like it was back in 2000s? (Look what you did here, Pamela! :P)

9. Latex Dresses

Latex dresses didn’t even become a classic for every GNO outfit until Pamela Anderson wore one during a date with her first ex-husband. I had no idea that the former V.I.P. headliner had clout in the fashion game as a trendsetter until I saw Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid (below) and Hailey Baldwin wear latex dresses. Oh, shall we NOT forget about Kylie Jenner, too?

Now that Instagram is the go-to source for all things fashion, Instafamous California-based retailer Fashion Nova has every shade under the rainbow with the same glossy texture. Heck, even Australian IG label Meshki has lethal latex dresses that can make your jaw drop. Before I forget, British “It” brand House of CB also swears by this body-hugging non-breathable fabric as their formula to create the Playmate-worthy bod you’ve been thirsting for.

Most importantly, let’s thank Pam Pam for really bringing this latex look outside the strip club.

10. Neon Swimwear

Blindingly bright highlighter neons are offically back in style. In place of her signature Baywatch high-cut red  once-piece, Pamela dons an orange bikini. Although neon swimwear was introduced in the ’80s, the trend still continued in the ’90s until it got replaced by monokinis in the ’00s.

Fast forward to 2018, everyone is thirsting for Day Glo swimwear. From Same Swim to Solid and Striped, it seems like we can’t avoid the neon trend any time soon! But, don’t be intimidated by it. The super bright pigments from this UV-friendly color make REALLY poppin’ #ootd looks as seen on influencer/model/singer/actress Caroline Vreeland and her friend. No cover-ups needed. 😉