Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Clueless
Clueless
Paramount Pictures
Style

Retro Fashion Coming Back into Style

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at GCU chapter.

With the rise of a new decade also comes a rise of new fashion. Though each decade usually has its own iconic styles, it is not unnoticeable that there are some callbacks from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s fashion in our modern style. With nostalgia being used as a big marketing tactic, of course, we’re able to see a surge of old trends become “new” again.

In 2016, the hit Netflix show Stranger Things created by the Duffer Brothers, became widely popular among all ages. Stranger Things is set in the 1980s, which is great nostalgia for older people, like our generation’s parents, but is also very fascinating to younger generations. With the fun fashion trends shown in the show, it makes it super easy for young people to take an interest and take some ideas from this area of time. Forever 21 is usually the store that carries the latest fashion trends, with the 80s callback, there have been many vintage tees, shoulder-padded tanks, and bright, colorful pants. As for the neon aspect of the 1980s, it had its comeback in the early 2010s, when the ‘Party Rock Anthem’ by LMFAO and ‘Tik Tok’ by Ke$ha were popular. Although some stores are trying to make that trend catch on again, many are not too interested this time around. 

women in colorful clothes against a yellow wall pointing against the camera
Photo by RF._.studio from Pexels
As for the 90s and 2000s trends, they are both more of a nostalgic era for millennials and gen z. With Disney Channel shows and original movies being popular for children at the time, the clothes that the characters wore at the time were often iconic. Shows like That’s So Raven and Lizzie McGuire, were super popular back in the day and now that the kids who watched those shows are emerging into adulthood, they are now bringing back the iconic styles of butterfly clips and flared jeans. It’s an interesting time in fashion to see these trends comeback after the skinny jeans and neon colors of the 2010s. Fashion continues to come and go in different ways, the trends may not be exactly the same but there are definitely homages to the previous decades. 

Looking into the future of 2020s fashion, there have not been too many new and unique trends yet, but there will probably be some staples that will define this decade’s fashion. As for future generations, there may one day be a comeback of skinny jeans and punny graphic tees from the 2010s or even masks coming back as a fashion statement in the future. Young people love to bring old things back into the modern-day and make them their own. When there are new trends, it may be difficult for older generations to catch on quickly, but that is okay. Sometimes people cannot get to new trends as easily as others, so it is important to not be disgusted by someone who seems to be “out of touch”. Fashion is always changing and no matter what, it is important to wear what makes you happy and comfortable.

Hello! I’m Rebecca, I’m a film production major wanting to continue the great legacy of creating creative content like movies and television shows. I enjoy painting, reading, and hanging out with my family and friends on my down time.