Timeless trends: The recycling of style
Reduce, reuse, recycle: this phrase not only applies to plastic water bottles, but to art as well. Music and fashion trends have been recycled for decades. From the resurgence of the ‘80s house music genre to the revival of style trends from the Y2K (the year 2000) era, people continue to show appreciation today for the art and culture of the past.
Fashion trends have a long history of making a comeback every 20 to 30 years, according to Voices of Gen-Z and Z Feed. However, styles from past decades have become even more influential in current fashion with the rise of sustainability.
“Fashion and all of art, in general, is the addition of originality and flavor to an already existing creation, so I think it makes sense that trends always come back in new ways,” FAST (Fashion and Student Trends) Co-President Advaitha Bhavanasi said. “It also encourages minimizing spending on fast trends because keeping pieces for a long time means they will always come back in style.”
Sustainable Fashion Club Event Planner Caitlin Lota pointed out that because fashion is cyclical, trends overlap. A lot of current styles are not inspired by one specific era, but rather a mix of a variety of trends from past decades, Lota said. For example, wide-leg jeans: while the low-rise bootleg jeans from the early 2000s have made a comeback, so have the flare pants from the ‘70s disco era.
The fashion industry has taken note of recurring trends, and many high fashion designers have taken inspiration from different periods in their latest collections. Italian designer brand Blumarine recently showcased its spring 2023 collection, which featured numerous elements from the 2000s such as matching denim sets and low necklines. Versace followed the same path and had 2000s socialite Paris Hilton close its spring 2023 show wearing a rhinestone dress inspired by her looks from back in the day.
With fashion trends from the Y2K era coming back, so has music. FAST Fashion Design Director Lauren Shirley said she noticed Britney Spears regaining popularity in both her signature looks and popular songs from the early 2000s.
Bhavanasi believes there is a correlation between recycled fashion and the reappearance of other art mediums.
“I definitely think societal trends influence all forms of art, and so I can totally see how the resurgence of fashion eras can influence the music we listen to,” Bhavanasi said.
Lota has also seen cultural influences from the ‘80s going hand in hand with fashion and the media industry.
“There is almost a resurgence of ‘80s culture these days with popular shows like ‘Stranger Things’ and music from the ‘80s trending on TikTok as well,” Lota said. “And we can see a lot of ‘80s trends in style now.”
Cal Poly students have made predictions of what trends from past decades to expect next.
“For the next era of fashion, I see a lot of ‘60s/‘70s elements coming back — with a retro-futurism renaissance,” Lota said. “Metallic silvers and other colors are definitely making a comeback right now that align with the retro-futurism aesthetic.”
People have also hopped on TikTok to predict the return of the grunge era from the 2010s. Lota said she is pumped for the return of skater skirts, flannels and Tumblr. However, it may be too soon for Shirley. She said she needs some more time before the 2010s comeback.
“I can’t say no to anything because give it time and it might have its moment again,” Shirley said.
