From bell bottoms to layered tank tops to baby tees, it’s undeniable that fashion trends have changed over the years. But fashion doesn’t just die. It’s reused decades later in a new light.
While it’s not common to see people walking the street in clothes that belong in a ‘50s mom-and-pop diner, many previous fashion trends are recycled and used as inspiration for current outfits. Clothing items like low-rise pants, straight-leg jeans and Reebok shoes have become increasingly popular in recent years just like they were in past decades.
English teacher Jennifer Sayasane was in high school in the mid to late ‘80s and has been a teacher since 1995. She has been able to witness many fashion trends come and go and even participate in some herself.
When Sayasane was in high school, ice-washed jeans were trending, which were dark jeans with a white rinse. While that may not be popular now, the style of jeans is.
“[The jeans] were straight, but we pegged the bottoms. They would be [baggy], but you folded the ends, so they were right at the bottom,” Sayasane said.
That style of jeans went away for a while, but recently, straight-leg jeans, wide-leg jeans and mom jeans have become more popular. However, they aren’t completely identical to the jeans from the ‘80s.
Instead of the plain blue jeans look, people prefer to wear jeans with many holes and rips to give the pants dimension. Sophomore Mikey Conley frequently wears straight-leg jeans. “I like holes because it gives the jeans a little bit of personality, and it’s not so bland,” he said.
Straight-leg jeans aren’t the only trendy pants coming back. Recently, trends from the early 2000s have returned, as low-rise jeans have found their way into people’s closets for the second time this decade.
Junior Lilia Fleshman is very interested in fashion, and one of her favorite pieces of clothing is jeans. “My favorite style of jeans is flare jeans. When I go out to buy jeans, I mainly look for [those],” Fleshman said. Flare jeans, also known as bell bottoms, were very popular in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
Fleshman doesn’t just love retro-styled jeans. She is also a big fan of her Reebok sneakers. Reebok was a popular brand in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “I love Reeboks. I wear them every single day, and they’re my favorite shoes to wear,” she said.
Clothing styles aren’t the only trends coming back. Claw clips and scrunchies have become very popular in recent years. Sayasane used claw clips and scrunchies when she was in college, and almost 30 years later, Fleshman uses them now.
“I’ll sometimes use claw clips in my hair…and I’ll usually wear scrunchies around my wrist, so I can quickly throw my hair up,” Fleshman said.
In the ‘90s, scrunchies emerged as bright hair accessories made to stand out. Now, people like to have scrunchies on their wrists because they aren’t tight and don’t damage hair like normal hair ties.
While clothing and fashion trends commonly reappear, complex technology and electronics haven’t been around for many years compared to clothing items like jeans. However, digital cameras and flip phones have become popular again among teens and college students.
Fleshman owns a digital camera from the early 2010s, and she loves that she can just pull out the camera and take a cute photo with her friends.
“I really like the look of the photos,” Fleshman said. “I know I could take a photo with my [phone], but a digital camera can take such good photos, and it makes it feel more nostalgic.”
Conley also likes using a Fujifilm Instax polaroid camera for taking photos to keep as memories. “I use my Polaroid for selfies with family and friends,” Conley said. “I like that there are many different styles when it comes to film. I also like how you can hang them up or make a collage.”
Even though time doesn’t stop and trends keep moving, humans are creatures of habit. They look for inspiration from what has already been done, and it becomes the newest thing. The repetition of earlier trends is inevitable.
