Everyone knows the phrase history always repeats itself, so it is no surprise that this also applies to fashion. Many aspects of modern fashion are inspired by old trends from past decades.
The 20-year rule
In fashion, there is a theory that clothing trends resurface every 20 years. This is because in 20 years, there will be enough time for items to be popular and then slowly die out. The fashion cycle has 5 stages Introduction, Increase, Peak, Decline, and Obsolescence.
The introduction is when the items are first brought into the fashion space in small batches. The increase is when some celebrities start to wear certain items, and they are usually only carried by luxury brands.
The peak is when the mainstream clothing stores start carrying these items, and everyone starts to wear these clothes. The decline is when the items become over-worn and overdone, so people start to lose interest. Obsolescence is when the fashion trends are officially in the past.
An article from empowordjournalism.com stated, “Trends are usually introduced on catwalks, red carpets, or television shows. These trickle down to become popular mainstream clothing that can be bought in high street shops.
After a while, we grow bored of wearing the same thing and move on to the next big trend. Eventually, the original trend is reintroduced, reminding everyone why they loved it in the first place.”
Why do fashion trends come back?
With the rise of people thrifting their clothing, old styles have steadily become more accepted.This is because when people go thrifting, most of the items are from the 90s or the 2000s, and this leads to people incorporating these items into their everyday wardrobe.
Another reason for this is people consuming old media. This can inspire people to dress differently. Also, watching old media creates a sense of nostalgia for the viewers and leads them to want to be in touch with old trends even if they weren’t around when that style was popular.
While the other reasons are a big part of why these styles come back, undoubting the most
influential revival of certain styles is queer culture. This is because in the past, clothing used to be extremely bold and colorful, but over time fashion became less flashy and more neutral.
But unlike the rest of society, queer fashion is extremely extravagant and eye-catching. This is because dressing in such ways gives people a sense of self-expression. An article from
injectionmag.com states “LGBTQ+ culture has challenged traditional notions of gender, beauty, and style and redefined the meaning of being fashionable. Queer aesthetics have inspired designers to push boundaries, blur gender lines, and experiment with new forms of expression.”
When 10th grader Juliana Saucdea was asked why she thinks fashion trends always come back, shesaid, “Because people we look up to wear these clothes and we want to be like them so bad, so we copy them. And it turns out they [the clothing] are from the past.”
What are the most popular throwback trends?
The 70s- Bell bottoms, platform shoes, jumpsuits, corduroy pants, and denim.
The 80s- athleticwear, oversized blazers, cargo pants, bodysuits, and puffy coats.
The 90s- Baggy jeans, flannel shirts, crop tops, claw clips, and slip dresses
Y2k- Low-rise jeans, baggy jean shorts, animal prints, miniskirts, ballet flats, velour tracksuits, and mini shoulder bags.
Who influences these trends?
Social media has a huge impact on the choices that people make, and when well-known
celebrities post while wearing a certain piece of clothing, it often goes viral. For example, singer Harry Styles is frequently seen wearing bell-bottom pants and this has inspired many of his fans to do the same.
Also, currently on social media, one of those most used designs on clothing has been animal prints such as cheetah, jaguar, and leopard because of a song “ГЛАМУР” that has recently become extremely popular.
When 10th grader Juliana Dacunha was asked what influenced her to engage in older clothing styles, she stated, “I saw many videos of popular influencers bringing back pieces from the 2000s and styling them in a newer, more trendy way.”
