What will the 2010s be remembered for? Moustaches? Avocado toast? Trump? All three? Over the past decade, teenage trends have been blended to their final form: VSCO girls. To explain VSCO girls, we have to go back to the start of the 2010s.
- 2010-2013
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The beginning of the decade saw a shift between the iconic trends of the 2000s and the present decade. This could be considered the decade’s “puberty era” with the appearance of moustaches on everything (what was up with that?) and Silly Bandz. The current style could arguably be the hipster subculture, with the beards and toques, in addition to the street style of the hipster, teenagers also turned to the social media site Tumblr, which was a hotspot for aesthetic photos and fan bases.
- 2013-2016
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With the transitional stage of the early 2010s over, these are the trends that the 2010s will probably be known for. This central period of the decade brought the ice bucket challenge and the iconic dress in which no one knew what colour it truly is (it was obviously black and blue). This era was also significant in political changes, with the Ebola epidemic and the 2016 presidential election. Events like these will have a ripple effect over the coming years.
- 2016-2019
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Heading into the current era, memes now have significant importance in pop culture: bottle flipping, Harambe, and various Spongebob memes have had a brief but significant effect on the culture. However, the VSCO girl subculture has been cemented in this era. Everything that has happened in the past nine years (and even earlier) has culminated to this style. Known for hydro flasks, scrunchies and environmental awareness, the VSCO girl is a blend of the previous trends seen over the past decade. The scrunchies on the arm are reminiscent of the 80s, in addition to being a symbol of the previous Loom Bands/Silly Bandz trend of the years prior. Long T-shirts and beachy hair are evocative of the laid-back California vibe popular with influencers. The environmental awareness is a symbol of the political changes of the past decade, and the popularity of pastels are a shadow of the 2012 Tumblr era.
With VSCO girls—and other subtypes of teenage style like E-boys/E-girls—gaining popularity, the change of the decade will be changing with them. The future will change, however, some trends have been consistent this decade. The concern about the environment has gained traction over the years, due to influencers like Greta Thunberg voicing her concerns internationally. The rise of social media engulfing our everyday life also allows for discussions about current political topics. As my teenage years began to shutter and I am starting to get confused on what’s on social media (what’s with that TikTok eye roll thing?)I hope these trends for change will stay in style, as it will make the world a better place for the future eras to come.