If you’ve ever thought the world was moving too fast or that the latest trends made no sense, you’re not alone! Thankfully, what’s old can sometimes be new again. Certain trends are now turning to the past, bringing everything from ‘50s furniture to ‘70s fashion back into the limelight.
These 10 trends may make you feel like you’re in a time warp, but only time will tell if they’re simply recurring fads.
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Bell-Bottom Jeans
Bell-bottom jeans were invented in the 1800s to help sailors keep their pants dry, but they weren’t trendy until the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The hippie movement, spearheaded by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, made them fashionable, though the end of that movement also meant the slow phasing out of the pants.
Now they’re back, courtesy of rave culture, which emphasizes comfortable dance pants. Bell-bottoms (or “flares”) are the hot new old thing for the likes of Adele and Kylie Jenner, as well as their social media followers.
Monstera Plants
If you went into any office or looked at any interior design catalog between 1950 and 1979, you probably saw Monstera plants sitting in a corner. Since those photos and places defined high-class culture at the time, the plants naturally became a desirable trend for homes, too.
But that didn’t last into the ‘80s and ‘90s. However, as Chavie Lieber remarked in her 2018 Racked article, “How the Monstera Leaf Took Over Design,” the classic plant is back! The article credits fashion blogs for reviving the trend for the same reason it was popular in the first place: its iconic, fashionable leaves.
Tie-Dye
The fascinating thing about tie-dye is that it didn’t originate in the groovy ‘60s. It actually originated in ancient South Asia, where Bandhani textile artisans arranged fibers into swirls and dyed them in large vats. The style evolved throughout history and entered the mainstream when ‘60s counterculture made it iconic in the modern age.
Though it’s been gone a while, the style that Seventeen magazine called “groovy and glam” when worn by model Bella Hadid in 2022 is back after taking a few decades off. Superstars like Ana de Armas and J Balvin have recently been seen sporting this colorful ‘60s statement.
Vinyl Records
Vinyl records took off in 1948, and remained the primary method of consuming music until portable disc players took over in the late ‘80s. With the rise of the iPod in 2001 and music streaming services like Spotify soon after, vinyl records eventually became a thing of thrift stores and smoke dens.
But now, the (record) tables have turned. In 2020, for the first time since the ‘80s, vinyl sales exceeded CD sales. There are several theories as to why that is, but the rise of streaming could be responsible, since those who buy physical music now do so as collectors rather than consumers.
Sales of collectible vinyl records, with their intricate artwork and classic sounds, are surpassing sales of CDs now. But it’s not surprising given they never totally went out of style. They just took a short break.
Oversized Sunglasses
Oversized sunglasses became popular as imitations of those worn by Jackie Kennedy, who drove magazine-reading women around the country to copy her style. Since then, they’ve become emblematic of fashionable summer-wear in movies and magazines, if not as the trending statement they once were.
But the fashionistas of today have brought them back in a big way, with the likes of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian often seen sporting Jackie-esque eyewear.
High-Waisted Trousers
As more and more women began working on farms and in factories in the 1940s, the pants manufacturer Levi’s came up with high-waisted trouser jeans to better suit their lifestyle. These jeans later became fashionable, before falling out of style in the ‘60s in favor of bell-bottoms and slim-fit cuts.
Gen X counterculture kept the high-rise trousers alive, though, and after a hiatus, they came back in the 2010s and 2020s as a statement against skinny jeans and low-rise pants. Often called “dad jeans” or “mom jeans,” these high-waisted trousers have been seen on the likes of Simon Cowell and former President Barack Obama.
Midcentury Modern Furniture
Midcentury modern is what a lot of us think of when we see ‘50s-style interior design with curved lines and minimalistic details. The book “Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s” coined the term in the ‘80s, but the style has always been recognizable.
The clean lines of midcentury modern furniture suggest a love of simplicity in an advancing world. It’s a sentiment that’s come back in style, with nostalgia for ‘50s designs running strong through the 2000s.
Fanny Packs
Fanny packs as a concept go back to Native American buffalo pouches and the belt pouches of medieval European explorers. After some sporadic modern references in the midcentury, including a leather version splashed across a Sports Illustrated Christmas issue, fanny packs came into their own in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
The reason is thought to be the rise of portable devices — not just music players and phones, but also things like water bottles, hand sanitizer, pepper spray, and contact lenses. “Belt bags,” as they’re sometimes called, fell out of style for a while, but celebrities like Rihanna brought them back in the 2010s as the latest in practical fashion.
Even some of the biggest fashion designers in the world, like Gucci and Prada, have their own belt bags.
Jumpsuits
Jumpsuits were created in 1919 as a garment for parachutists, but Schiaparelli and Vera Maxwell brought the jumpsuit to women’s fashion in the ‘40s. Jumpsuits eventually became sporty fashion statements in the ‘70s, with megastars like Cher and Elvis sporting them in some of their most famous performances.
Despite losing traction for a while, the jumpsuit is back with a vengeance in the 2020s, with Wear Next calling them “chic” after Instagram posts cropped up showing stars like Lizzo, Kim Kardashian, and Hailey Bieber sporting the old-fashioned style statement. Even at major fashion shows, such as those for Saint Laurent and Burberry, jumpsuits are back in a big way.
Rattan
Rattan has been used by people for thousands of years, but the material only made it into Western furniture designs in the 1800s. This lightweight, woven furniture screamed Victorian-era luxury, until making a comeback in the ‘60s as part of the all-natural, minimalist bohemian lifestyle of counterculture advocates like Janis Joplin.
Fast forward to the 2020s, and rattan’s simplistic yet durable designs are making another comeback, with celebrities like Serena Williams and Hilary Duff showing off their modern rattan décor.
Bottom Line
If these trends can come back around through the revolving door of history, who knows what could be next? Next year, we may all be brushing our mullets and putting on our parachute pants. What’s certain is that nothing is certain when it comes to trends — except nostalgia. People love to relive the things they love. And that’s not such a bad thing.
