Has your parent (or any other adult for that matter) commented on the clothing you wear? We’ve all heard the same “those jeans better have been half off” but have you ever been told that your clothing reminds them of trends from the past?
Last week at work, I was wearing a pair of really cool vintage flare pants when an old man came up to me to comment on them. He said, “I really like your pants; they remind me of the 70’s.” This absolutely made my day. It also made me reflect on the ways that trends come in and out of style and what experts refer to as “the 20-year rule.”
The 20-year rule states that it takes 20 years for something trending to be popular, die off, then become popular again. Although Gen Z is a little too young to have seen this first-hand, fashion history proves it to be true.
In 2020, popular trends included plaid skirts, mini bags, loose fit pants, and graphic tees. If we travel back 20 years to the 2000s, these trends were also very popular. The style that we call now “Y2K” was influenced by movies like Clueless and Mean Girls, and the TV show Sex and the City.
This rule is also demonstrated by 50s trends such as flare pants and colourful prints that resurfaced in the 70s and again in the 90s.
The skinny-jean battle between Millennials and Gen Z’ers also illustrates the rule. While Millennials believe that skinny jeans are still “in,” Gen Z’ers state that skinny jeans are actually not trendy anymore. Skinny jeans were a trend in the 2010s, but now that 10 years have flown by, skinny jeans are referred to as “cheugy” (or out of style) by Gen Z. This is probably because ten is only half of 20 years, so skinny jeans won’t be back in style again for another ten years.
The 20-year rule might be the reason why thrift and vintage shopping has become so popular. In this day and age, the most eye-catching, memorable outfits are inspired by pop culture of the past — not exactly copying it, but taking something old and making it something new.
Who knows, Gen Z, maybe our kids will be out thrift shopping for skinny jeans and wedge sneakers. Either way, although fashion trends will come and go, your favourite looks will never be out of style for too long.
