Fashion Through the Years

Insight into the Fashion Trends Cycle

Written by Jane Robertus Photo Illustrations by Zachary Cleek and Camille Grochowski

With the growing rise in popularity of thrift stores and W vintage fashion, many trends that were popular years and even decades ago are regaining popularity amongst today’s generations. The phrase “There is nothing new under the sun” can definitely apply to fashion these days, as nostalgic clothing statements find their place yet again in the fashion industry.

This resurge in old trends is not unheard of, as many fads slowly lose their popularity only to regain acceptance with future generations.

Brienna Garcia, senior marketing major, says one earlier decade of fashion seems to be gaining momentum recently. Garcia also says fashion from the past constantly influences the fashion of today.

“’90s trends are popular now and we’re slowly moving to the early 2000s, like mom jeans and crop tops with chunky sneakers,” Garcia says. “I think trends come back because designers take inspiration from past eras, which keeps things in circulation.”

Garcia says some of her favorite places to buy clothes from are thrift stores. “It’s so rewarding to look through clothes and find cool pieces,” Garcia says. “Oftentimes nobody else will have the same clothes as you.”

One of the factors contributing to the continuous cycle of trends has been the growing popularity of thrifted and recycled clothing stores. Kara Murphy owns a vintage clothing store called Burnout Vintage, which brings trends from the past back to the Riverside area.

Murphy says she began Burnout Vintage after realizing her love for vintage styles could turn into more than a hobby.

“My fiancé, Brad, was actually the one who came up with the idea originally. I have always altered my clothing since I can remember. Being 5 feet tall, nothing ever fit me right. I’d cut shirts into crop tops, and dresses and skirts were never the right lengths. And I have always loved vintage,” Murphy says. “The motorcycle scene was something Brad and I were into, and I love classic band tees of all the bands I grew up listening to. He said to me, ‘Everyone always loves your style and what you do with your clothes, why don’t you try selling them?’”

Murphy says that seeing her clothes on social media and at events is almost a surreal experience.

“It will never get old seeing people tag us in photos, or come see us at an event or at the shop wearing something they bought from me. It’s wild considering it’s vintage, but I can always spot something I’ve sold. I am so fortunate to do what I love for a living; I have worked incredibly hard to get here.”

Murphy also has some insight as to why she thinks trends that were popular a long time ago are popular once again. “I think when we’re young, we look at photos from when our parents grew up, and listen to the music they were listening to, and we kind of fall in love with it.”

Murphy says shopping recycled fashion can benefit society and the world in more ways than one. “For me, my favorite eras were those simpler times without cell phones and the internet, and you just met up with your friends on a whim. With vintage specifically, everything was made with such higher quality too. You can feel the difference,” Murphy says. “You’re also helping the environment by buying vintage/recycled fashion. Globally, we produce about 13 million tons of textile waste every year.”

Dr. Toni Kirk, professor of English at California Baptist University, says that fashion from the past was heavily influenced by the surrounding social movements of those time periods.

“As soon as JFK was shot and then Martin Luther King and then Bobby Kennedy, the anti-establishmentarianism took over and then people moved away from that whole Doris Day look,” Kirk says. “You would not have been cool after 1963 if you wore a brand or if anything had a name or a label on it. You would have been considered so incredibly uncool. Also, glasses and braces got to be a little bit of a status symbol.” Kirk says that if someone had braces, it was a sign they came from money and could afford this luxury.

Kirk notes how different social classes can impact mainstream fashion trends. “Fashion doesn’t trickle down, it comes up from the underbelly of the world,” Kirk says. “I also like the runway, it is a very three-dimensional artistic expression. We live in a world where artistic personal expression is very valued, as it resurfaces and takes on the newest trends.”

Kirk mentions an example of this type of cycle in fashion trends. “It used to be taboo to have a shirt longer than the jacket, and then it was okay to let the hems be longer. Before people knew it, JCPenney was making shirts that looked like they were hanging beneath the hem of a sweater. Pretty soon most mainstream companies were creating this fashion look.”

Kirk’s observations about where trends originate and how they evolve provide insight into how trends can change with the social influences surrounding the culture at the time.

As trends fade in and out, one thing remains certain — looking back on past decades in fashion can be an excellent way to draw inspiration for fashion today and beyond, as the future of fashion is pioneered. ◆