“Mom” jeans. Itty bitty sunglasses. Chunky sneakers. Biker shorts.
What do all of these fashion trends have in common? They are all trends from the past that have eventually resurfaced in today’s fashion landscape.
Style-gurus and high-fashion brands make their statement by recycling old fashion trends and reinventing them because in this industry, making a unique, eye-catching statement is key.
Icons and models like Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Zendaya can be credited with doing this as they wear designer names like Balenciaga chunky sneakers and Levi’s “mom” jeans, and it’s also no secret that their strong social media following is certainly paying attention.
It’s not just the high-fashion world and celebrities that are recycling these old trends, everyday people are, and most of these trends are on campus.
That’s right, I’m saying the things that the Jenners or the Hadids wear on the regular are attainable for the average Badger.
You’re probably wondering, “how” they do this. It’s because they aren’t your typical high-fashion trends.
They are very practical, which is something that these trends actually pride themselves on. They aim to be fashionable yet wearable.
“Recycling trends have gone on for a very long time. It happens before the 19th century, but you see it in almost every decade of 19th century,” according to Beth Dincuff, a fashion history professor at Parsons Art and Design school in New York City.
As much as we’d like to take ownership of adopting “vintage” pieces, this cycle of wearing the past trends has gone on long before we found it cool.
But while wearing fashion from past decades isn’t totally new, the rate at which these trends are recycled is faster than ever before.
With every decade, the fashion-world is reinventing the trends from the decade prior.
Thus, today’s boom of the “90’s-nostalgia” is very prevalent in today’s fashion realm. Neon pinks and teals, Guess crewnecks, even shirts that say “90’s Baby”.
Our generation has certainly taken a liking to 90’s trends. Many credit this resurgence to the feeling of nostalgia, even if we were born at the latter part of the decade, we still want “in on the action.”
While it’s hard to predict exactly what will come next, it’s safe to say that in the fashion world, trends may come and go, but they will always later make a comeback.
So instead of trying to foresee the future and make predictions for fashion trends, try looking back at your parents’ or even your grandparents’ style, because that might just be the next big trend of summer 2019.
