Five years ago, many would have cringed at the thought of wearing jorts, ballet flats and leopard print. Nowadays, many aesthetics and fashion styles emulate trends from the 1990s and 2000s. These styles are making comebacks, despite being considered unfashionable at one point.
Since the resurgence of 90s and Y2K clothing, outfits that were once called ugly are once again popular. Jorts, or jean shorts, were primarily worn in the 2000s until the 2010s, when they were considered obsolete and unflattering. Jorts, low-rise jeans and other clothing items faded into the background of fashion culture because they were perceived as only flattering on certain body types. Yet, many aspects of the 90s and Y2K culture are resurfacing, and the fashion trends are regaining popularity. Celebrities have been spotted countless times wearing these clothing items. This has resulted in fans viewing their outfits as “fashion inspo”.
“Sabrina Carpenter wore an old Madonna outfit,” FHS sophomore Daniella Drenan said. “People are just taking stuff, and bringing it back. Since people see these celebrities doing it, they’re copying it.”
Since vintage clothing has become mainstream, it resulted in the microtrend of thrifting. Many influencers have started glamorizing thrifting as a way to get access to 90s and Y2K clothing pieces. Instead of second-hand shopping being perceived as an embarrassment, thrifting has become a trend, with around 83% of Gen Z Americans shopping second hand, according to The BlackPrint.
While thrifting is no longer seen as embarrassing, fashion styles perceived as unconventional or only worn by minority communities are still viewed as unfashionable.
“Maybe [a clothing piece] wasn’t really worn by white people,” FHS sophomore Abigail Futsum said. “So people don’t really accept it.”
Clothing items such as hoop earrings and streetwear which were primarily worn by the Black community were not accepted by mainstream media until the late 70s and early 80s, when Black culture skyrocketed to popularity in pop-culture. This acceptance has led many designers and consumers to incorporate these pieces into their fashion style, giving them a 90s or 2000s feel.
Conversely, fashion trends that are considered ugly are due to their association with unfavorable stereotypes of those who wear them. In 2019, the VSCO girl aesthetic was at its height, with clothing items like oversized t-shirts and scrunchies tied to this aesthetic. However, these clothing items became subjects of memes, which led to the downfall of the VSCO girl trend.
“They have an association of being like a VSCO girl,” Drenan said. “I think people think those VSCO girls are stupid or annoying.”
Fashion cycles will continue being prevalent in society, with influencers popularizing new trends and bringing back old ones. Fashion can be an important part of a person’s identity, and being exposed to and accepting old and ‘ugly’ fashion trends can make people appreciate different fashion trends and styles.
