CLOTHES OF NOTE

Words By Yikuno-amlakNaomi

Yikuno-amlak

Everyone has identifiers which denote a time that evokes nostalgia; perhaps a certain scent, song or food. But for me, the clothes worn on a day of note, or your general sense of style in a particular ‘era’ of your life induces nostalgia more fervently than the song you shared with your ex ever could. I’m an incredibly sentimental person, so it’s no surprise that a smile beams across my face when I see something incredibly powerful trend in the fashion world. In the calamity of the last few pandemic-affected years, as trivial as the aztec print leggings I wore on my year 7 non uniform day. The fashion scene is no stranger to nostalgia either; the ‘nostalgia economy’ as dubbed by Quartz is an the tendency for trends to emulate the past has only gotten stronger. A number of brands are capitalising on this; in September 2020 clothing label Daisy Street joined ASOS to release a collection of

T-shirts featuring a childhood cartoon favourite, Groovy Chick. This collection was widely celebrated by those in their lat teens and early 20s (including myself) in the search for a nostalgia fix.

Urban outfitters also featured collaborations over the past two years with Ed Hardy and Juicy Couture, two notoriously popular brands in the 2000s which experienced a huge resurgence of interest during the pandemic.

So, what’s with this growing fixation on the past?

As aforementioned, clothing-related nostalgia in recent years could be partially attributed to the tumul- tuous effects of the pandemic. What better form of escapism exists than to be clad in clothes from

‘the good old times’ when the future looks bleak? President and co-founder of Vestiaire Collective Fanny

Moizant explained ‘‘Consumers are seeking rare and iconic pieces, perhaps that date back to a certain era, or that remind them of a relative’s style or memories of their own style at a younger age, which might explain the huge comeback of iconic 1990s styles’. Moizant’s explanation resonated heavily with why

I too find myself in attire from the 90s and ‘Y2K’ era. Growing up, I remember being enamoured with my aunt Esther’s style. It was then, strutting around her room aged 7 in her snakeskin boots and a gorgeous dress far too big for me, that I decided I wanted to look just like her one day! Fast forward 13 years, my closet is full of the styles I admired, aided by my aunt giving me most of her old clothes. Today, I wear outfits younger me would be proud of- something that evokes a warm, fuzzy feeling. A lot of discourse around the resurgence of past fashion trends focuses on the negative environmental impacts that accompany the mass-production of clothes to accommodate ever-quickening trend cycles.

Whilst this sentiment is valid, I believe fashion nostalgia opens up more opportunity than ever to respond to trends as a conscious consumer. Charity shops and online platforms like depop and ebay are full of second-hand clothing which emulate styles of the past without breaking the bank (ok, bar depop). You could also give your old clothes of note a new lease you like; helping you use nostalgia to connect positively with once favourite knit jumper become moth-ravaged. I’ve had gre won’t be reaching for the aztec print leggings any time soon). of life by styling them with newer items great joy doing this (though I must admit I

There is always that one dish, that every time you make and taste, takes you rushing back to your childhood. Whether it’s the memories of cooking with your loved ones re-surging as you recreate the dish on your own, or the wonderful aroma of the food bringing back old memories of your childhood kitchen.