Everybody remembers Tumblr, the social media platform which reached its peak of popularity in the mid-2010s, a time when it was cool to post your own “poetry” written on walls and notebooks, quotes or lyrics from your favorite bands, and the luster of the famous 2014 Tumblr girl. It was easy to recognize these girls. They didn’t “fit” in society, they were rebels who wore dark colors and Converse and black eyeliner, and their playlist was composed of singers and bands like Lana del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, or The Neighborhood. Their fashion and nature were recognizable from far away and being different was the goal. Everybody wanted to be Effy from Skins or Aria Montgomery from Pretty Little Liars. Their own sadness and grief were unique and glamorized.
Beauty has always been related to sadness, so more than normalization, the romanticization of mental illness was pretty common within this stereotype. The representation of the tragic woman has always captivated the public, so posts like “This is a modern fairytale, No happy endings,” or “I desire very little, but the things I do consume me” reflect this obsession we have with sadness and the popularity of these girls. Pictures or posts alluding to depression or the heartbroken romance were seen as part of the trend, and they poorly handled the mental health issue.
But let’s answer the question, is the 2014 Tumblr girl back?
Definitely.
Since 2021, trends from the early 2010s have started coming back, whether we want to admit it or not. In her article for InStyle, Samantha Sutton make an excellent recap of the trends that are coming back, such as colorful pants, vests, or belts.
At the beginning of the year, Vogue published an article about the return of the Tumblr girl. However, we must remember that no trend ever comes back the same. Gen Z is going to be in charge of what elements are left out and which ones are used. Modernizing and altering the trend is part of the revival process. So we can’t expect the same 2014 Tumblr girl in 2022. Now we see platform Converses with new designs, ripped skinny jeans are being replaced by straight-leg or moms jeans, and there are fewer grid patterns and more checkerboard. New figures such as Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish are shaping the generation along with the comeback of iconic figures like Megan Fox with Machine Gun Kelly.
As millennials and Gen Z, we live in a time where technology changes quickly. Everything is faster, and it’s reflected on TikTok. This platform has not only changed the entertainment industry but the fashion industry as well. Less than two years ago we were seeing trends from the 2000s and now we are transitioning to the early 2010s fashion. 2014 Tumblr girl was less than 10 years ago and now we are talking about its comeback. Strong criticism of society today is that nothing lasts now. Every new trend, fashion, or aesthetic disappears in a matter of months.
Nostalgia is a powerful element very popularized during our time. From movies to fashion, we are always looking at the past. Even so, if you lived through a hard time during high school, your brain is only looking back at the good memories. Maybe in 2014 you were having a bad time, or maybe it wasn’t your best year, but if you were part of this trend, of course, the first things you think about would be the indie pop albums you listened to or those pair of black Converse you combined with all your outfits.
The music industry is bringing back those years as well. Bands and singers such as The 1975, Artic Monkeys, and Lorde are on tour right now, and most of them are releasing new albums. Even Taylor Swift has an album coming this October along with Artic Monkeys.
Certainly, it feels like 2014 again.