The word 时髦 is formed through a vivid conceptual metaphor. It literally combines "时" (shí), meaning "current time" or "era", with "髦" (máo), an ancient term referring to the long, elegant hair on a horse's neck, which was a noticeable and admired feature. The original classical phrase "时髦之士" metaphorically referred to outstanding figures of an era who stood out like that handsome hair, leading the trend. Over time, this evolved to describe anything that captures the defining and admired spirit of the current moment, hence its modern meaning of "fashionable" or "in vogue".