Digging Through Mom’s Closet Again? Same

digging through mom’s closet?

same.

written by emily fiorini-casamayouret art by adriana gioeni

have you ever stolen clothes from your mom’s closet? The answer is yes, and if you said no—you’re lying. The reason for this? Trends come and go while others simply stay buried amidst paparazzi pictures of the past. Many try to ignore trends and simply dress however they want, but it’s nearly impossible to filter out specific styles that will eventually cycle back. As of today, and in terms of what to wear, people tend to dress in whatever they want, also thanks to TikTok. People aren’t dressing exclusively in one brand to fit in with the rest. At the same time, while the argument can be made that TikTok influences a certain group to dress a particular way, such as in Shein trends, the rise in individuality has also affected fashion. While trends may still exist and continue to come and go, people don’t pay as much attention to them as they used to.

Notably, designers have the power to bring certain styles back from the dead, their inspiration stemming from what their parents once wore when they were younger. Cute, right? Although to customize and personalize these designs, looks have to be modernized into fitting an ever-fluctuating society.

However, designers aren’t the only ones harnessing this power over the next fashion craze. Fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle predict trends in their style watch columns, similar to talk shows like Fashion Police and The View having considerable influence on what others wear. While discussing how the rich and famous are dressed, these outlets decide whether the outfits celebrities wear are hot or not. In doing so, they are pushing the popularity of trends favorable to the majority.

Boho chic in the late 2000s was one of the first examples of recycled trends. While reminiscing on the 1970s groovy patterns and earth tones, the fashion industry put a Y2K twist on this hippie style. Picture every casual look from Serena Van Der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. Sparkly scarves were paired with floral maxi dresses, wedges, fringe boots to match the fringe bag, and who could forget hair feathers? I think it’d be wrong not to credit Blake Lively for this 2007 trend.

Stranger Things was another show that influenced the return of past fads. Clothes worn by the cast gave everyone that nostalgic feel, even though most of us weren’t born yet as the show was set in the 1980s. Since its release in 2016, Stranger Things has influenced many trends, all while urging viewers to wear the same things our moms did when they were our age. Thanks to Eleven and Maxine, think mom jeans, high-waisted jeans, funky patterns, band tees, and big scrunchies.

The trends that reappear most frequently are sourced from the 1990s. Many different trends come to mind when you think about this era, such as butterfly clips, icy makeup, baby tees, low-rise jeans, and platform shoes. Someone who continuously bodies this style is supermodel Bella Hadid. Her forte is athleisure, and she always kills it. She struts on and off the runway in anything she wears, but her personal style mainly serves big 90s model-off-duty vibes. Realistically, this craze should be deemed timeless, as it’s still popular today.

In the early 2000s, many 90s trends continued to permeate our wardrobes. For girls, though, glitter and all things sparkly were a must-have. Similarly, low-rise jeans were also recycled with added flare to mimic those iconic 70s bell bottoms.

Recently, the fashion gods have decided that the 2014 Tumblr girl lives again, subtle nodding to shades of gray, tennis skirts in every color, stockings, beanies, and the essential winged eyeliner. 2014 was also a time ruled by Doc Martens that left your ankles with bruises, but it’d be so worth it to complete the outfit. With soft grunge influences from artists like Lana Del Rey and VSCO girls competing for similar attention in pastels and skater dresses, all Tumblr girls had one main goal— to look like an American Apparel ad. For this particular fad, you sort of just had to be there to understand its power, and I believe many people are happy it’s finally making a comeback.

When discussing aesthetics that recycle, it is easy to look back and laugh at the ridiculous things we would wear to stay on-trend. The most iconic example of this is dresses over jeans. Almost every female celebrity of the early 2000s participated, including Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez, and even the Olsen twins. But, Ashley Tisdale and Miley Cyrus were repeat offenders on this one. Seriously—these women walked the red carpet in dresses over jeans for some odd reason. It baffles me that they saw themselves in the mirror, said okay, and went in public. It’s either jeans or a dress. Just pick one, please.

Another thing I hope never to see again is jorts for men. For those of you who don’t know, jorts are jeans cut to the length of shorts. Honestly, seeing people wear these immediately warrants many red flags. Not only was it horrendous, but it would also usually be styled with a muscle tank, ruining the vibe even more. It was not cute then, it is not cute now, and it will never be cute.

Last on my trend hit list are jeggings. Not only were these pants tough to get on, but they also suffocated your legs in the process. They were usually more jean than legging, which certainly wasn’t the ratio I think anyone wanted, and for those jeggings that were more leggings, that made them tacky and plain ugly. Not sure how this was ever “in,” but let’s try to forget it altogether.

One way to look at trends is by picturing a circle that doesn’t stop growing because, while some styles may come back, others emerge in new varieties. The best part is that more and more people are wearing whatever they want in today’s age, and we see old trends perfectly suit specific personalities. After all, the purpose of fashion isn’t only to look and feel good but also to serve as a form of self-expression.