My Take on the “Kinda Chic” Trend

There’s something interesting about the things we collectively decide are “chic.” For a long time, this word seemed reserved for a relatively narrow set of things: effortless style, expensive taste, beautiful spaces, lavish lifestyles… But over the years, social media has had a way of reframing these seemingly curated ideals. However, long before all the Instagram influencers of today, I looked up to my mother, who also had a way of making things her own.

I’ve never been quick to fall into trends. Ironic, considering my mom was easily one of the most “trendy” people I’ve ever known. From modelling in her late teens and early twenties, to working in the fashion industry and eventually hosting her own runway shows, I suppose it naturally became part of her lifestyle. And though much of that was before her journey into motherhood, she still carried a part of it with her right until the end. From hot rollers to high-waisted “mom jeans” (and every other trend to follow), she maintained a unique sense of style, and not just in fashion, or what was considered to be “chic”… Perhaps that’s what made her style so distinctive — she could embrace a trend without letting it define her.

Fast forward to 2026, and enter the “Kinda Chic” trend.  If you’ve somehow managed to avoid this particular corner of the internet (or be fashionably late to it), this trend is essentially a series of statements that have people declaring everything from drinking coffee to grocery shopping decidedly chic. While some of these posts are aspirational, others are kinda ridiculous or oddly specific. Some might even make you stop scrolling because you realize you’ve been doing the very thing someone just labeled chic all along.

At first glance, this might feel like just another internet trend. In fact, many have even decided that this trend is oversaturated at this point.  However, the longer I thought about it, the more I wondered if there was something underneath the humour. Maybe the appeal isn't really in making ordinary things fashionable. Maybe it's in giving ourselves permission to decide that they were worth valuing all along…

So with all that in mind,

This is my take on the “Kinda Chic” trend:

It’s no surprise I was late to this trend. In fact, what started out as a series of photos sitting in my drafts for well over a month turned into contemplating of whether I’d even post them at all. I initially didn’t even have the two above photos at the time. Then, late one night while listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Expectations”, I suddenly got inspired to post (with the addition of the above captions).

After all, we all have expectations to some degree and we all have things we prioritize. However, these things can look so different from one person to the next. So, when some people starting hating on this trend, because “everyone is doing it now”, I couldn’t help but think about how contradictory that was to the whole idea of partaking in a trend. Not to mention, isn’t that what makes a trend “trendy”? I mean what do I know? Now, what I do know (or rather have come to realize) is that sometimes it isn’t even a matter of being late, but simply arriving on our own time. As long as the time we take for ourselves isn’t cutting anyone else’s short, we should be able to do things unapologetically, at our own pace.

If you live in the city, you’re likely familiar with the many modern-day conveniences that come along with it (as well as the hassles). Hello Vancouver rush hour. What some of you may not know though, is that I actually grew up in a small town (so you can imagine my adjustment). When I first moved to the city, of course it was exciting (and still is). But if I’m being completely honest, once I became a mother, my desire for a slower paced lifestyle resurfaced.

While it isn’t our goal to settle down in the city long-term, we have found ways to incorporate simple living into our home, even admist all the hustle and bustle. More on that in the next description . . .

Supporting local will always be a priority for my family and I, and it’s one of the ways we’ve been able to bring a little more simplicity into our home, even while living in the city. From Farmers’ markets to family-owned boutiques, we always try our best to shop local. However, it’s no secret that living in Vancouver isn’t cheap and every expense adds up. And so, we’ve had to re-think how we spend our money.

Through that, we’ve found we’ve been able to save more by buying most of our pantry staples in bulk at Costco, while still frequenting local markets for fresh produce, top-ups, etc. This is just one example of how it really doesn’t always have to be one way or the other — we can make room for both.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I like to think of myself as a “granola mom”, but I’m kinda 80/20. I’m all for organic, wholesome ingredients, less sugar, etc. But if it’s going to compromise the way a traditional dessert is suppose to taste, I’m not going to waste my time altering a tried-and-true recipe to the extreme.

And just to be clear, I’m not shaming healthy alternatives to treats. They absolutely have their place, and I love a good conversion for when it works. I’m more so talking about taking a cake recipe that has a fair amount of sugar and reducing it to the point of tasting like cardboard. I don’t know about anyone else, but I would much rather have a smaller portion of something with more sugar (or a sugar replacement that actually tastes good) than a larger portion of something that tastes like the outside packaging of a Good Housekeeping subscription.

Full disclaimer: all of my recipes use organic ingredients, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every ingredient is organic, or that all the desserts I make are “healthy”. At the end of the day, dessert is dessert, and if that means a little extra sugar here and there, I’m not about to lose my mind over it when I know my stomach will happily make room for the real thing.

I’ve always preferred walking over driving, as it’s one of my favourite ways to get my steps in (and a little extra fresh air). However, if my steps happen to lead me to my favourite cafe or bakery along the way, I’m not going to overthink it. Who says you can’t have a little sweet treat during or after a workout?

One of my favourite places to go is Coco et Olive in Vancouver — a beautiful, local cafe with exceptional coffees, teas, and baked goods. Expensive? Kinda. Indulgent? Perhaps. But you really do get what you pay for at this p(l)ace, which I think makes it well worth the stop.

Much like the many trends we see on the internet, hitting your protein goals has certainly been one of them over the last few years… And guess what? I’m here for it. However, I will say, I don’t share the incessant obsession over it, especially when it comes to adding cottage cheese to e v e r y t h i n g. Now don’t get me wrong, finding creative ways to up your protein is great and even more so if you genuinely like cottage cheese. For me personally, though, it’s one of the very few foods I simply cannot stand. Between the taste and the texture, it’s an absolute no for me under any circumstance, and you most certainly won’t catch me making protein cookie dough or ice cream with it.

To put it simply, I’m not willing to compromise on eating one of the few things I really don’t like just for an extra 20 grams of protein. I’d rather eat a steak or grab a high protein yogurt. To each their own though, of course.

Fresh produce from the (Farmers’) market is important in our household. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t order take out from time to time or dine at our favourite restaurant. Besides, I don’t believe in overly restrictive eating to begin with. I’ll happily eat a Mediterranean bowl and/or truffle fries from Cactus Club when I feel like it. We’re all about balance around here.

How I take my coffee often depends on my mood, and the same applies for internet opinions.

It’s interesting, I used to have this mindset of trying not to care what people think (or say), because I used to care too much. The same applies for coffee, but that’s a story for another time.

I actually recently spoke about this, and what I’ve come to realize is that I still do care a lot about other people’s opinions, but maybe that doesn’t have to be such a bad thing (as long as I’m not allowing it to become all consuming). Thankfully, there’s coffee for that.

So often people say, “Don’t give that negative person your energy or time, they’re not worth it.” But if I’m being completely honest, sometimes I feel like I spend more time (and energy) trying not to (if that makes sense). At this point, I’d rather just feel those feelings than try so hard to block them out. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t move forward. I think it’s more so just acknowledging those feeling in the moment, prior to letting them go.

I like to think this applies to all of us in one way or another, but how we choose navigate our feelings (or take our coffee) shouldn’t be up to everyone else.

My final thoughts:

Despite being someone who doesn’t exactly take the “fast fashion” route of following trends, I think it’s Kinda chic to share your life on social media . . . and how much (or little) that entails. Not because we suddenly need another aesthetic to aspire to, but because so many of these little statements remind us that two things can be true.

And at the end of the day, I think it’s less about living up to the right “standards” and more about defining what feels right for us, what we decide to disclose, and what we choose to keep for (and to) ourselves.

Kinda chic to have your cake and eat it too. Kinda chic to live a balanced life.

XoXo