Working a part-time job in high school, I finally saved my money to buy a new pair of squeaky clean white Keds. Everyone wore them; they were sharp and matched every outfit. The first day I walked down the stairs in them my mom said to me, “I used to have a pair of shoes exactly like those!” Instead of being excited at the slight chance that my mom might have been cool back in the day, I was annoyed at all the things I buy that my mom “used to have” and didn’t save around for me. I know that is unrealistic, but hey, it would have saved me a lot of money. The truth is trends recycle, repeat and recreate themselves. Want to know what is next in the fashion world? Look at the past; it is a proven fact that history does indeed repeat itself.
Keds reached its peak in the ’80s, when girls would wear them with leggings and baggy T-shirts. By the beginning of the ’90s, leggings were outselling jeans in the United States. A couple of years later, leggings and Keds were both dumped by the fashion world. Leggings simply weren’t accepted as pants anymore and stores started selling flared jeans. Lets face it – we all had a time in our life when flared jeans and HOLLISTER across our chest was a go-to outfit for school. Who had even heard of skinny jeans? Not me. Then came jean skirts, a must-have. Now they are fashion suicide (unless of course they are high waisted with a belt or something trendy). Speaking of high-waisted jeans, a couple of years ago they reminded me of my grandma’s friend that used to yell at me for cutting the carpet with scissors. Now they are a staple in my closet. Who would have thought?
So how do trends start? Who was the first person to cut a pair of high-waisted mom jeans into shorts and make the statement? A year ago, rocking a middle part was like wearing sneakers to a bar. What changed? Someone told me the other day that you can wear anything as long as you are confident about it. Anyone can start trends by wearing something new (or old) and being confident that you look awesome. When other people see how great you feel and look, they will emulate you. And the cycle begins again…