Saturated in Nostalgia

A Changing Trend Cycle

Fashion often returns in cycles: In the 90s, there was a huge rise in the popularity of fit and flares inspired by Wrangler’s high-waisted jeans of the 70s. Today, Y2k’s double denim and micro skirts have made a comeback. The trend cycle has been used for years to predict the flow of fashion but this cycle has changed. As social media engagement continues to rise and new micro trends begin to emerge, so many sub-genres seem to be trending at the same time. The cycle that once averaged 20 years, seems to have shortened significantly.

Trends usually go through 5 stages: introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence. The introduction stage is distinguished by the resurfacing of a past trend. During times of instability, we look toward the past with a sense of nostalgia. This constant reflection on the past sparks new ideas which we often incorporate to suit a modern style.

In the past, what wasseen as fashionable was often dictated by highend fashion brands. These companies used forecasters who have studied previous revival cycles to predict future interests and pitch them to the public. Nowadays, things gain popularity through the media. Hyper Bazaar estimates that 4.6 billion people use social media, averaging 7 hours of screen time daily. Fashion haul videos have achieved stable engage-

by Victoria Andrews

ment, introducing new micro-trends and encouraging the public to buy more. ‘Good on You’, a sustainable research website, describes micro-trends as those that ‘rise to popularity quicker and leave the trend cycle faster’. When we see a fashionable item multiple times on social media we become familiar with them. Seeing our favourite celebrities modelling these items makes us want them and just like that, they are trending. However, due to the overconsumption of different products, trends are no longer collections of themes but are more along the lines of ‘must-have’ items. A perfect example is the rise and fall of crochet pieces over the summer. Last summer, crochet items were found in the majority of clothing stores yet by autumn they had become scarce. People tend to want desired items when only a select few have them and then class them as ‘uncool’ when they are readily available. Fast fashion has become reliant on these fast trends to fuel the creation of collections. Many consumers have adapted to this fast pace fashion lifestyle, influencing many to follow with the fear of being left behind.

This ideology has left us underwhelmed by innovations that

may take longer to execute and produce. Traditional trend forecasting is becoming harder to predict over longer periods of time. The once glorified collections now are at risk of being classed as cheugy or unoriginal.

It’s interesting to think that 60 years ago a similar crisis occurred in the fashion industry. The mod era ruled the 60s, celebrating parental freedom and driven by the excessive hunger for originality. The pressure for new trends to be more ‘unique’ combined with the expectations of individuals to keep up led to the rise of fast fashion and thus, came paper dresses. Though the paper dress era dominated the scene for only a short period, it’s a phenomenon that depicts just how short the trend cycle had become in the 60s. The dress’ loud pop art and new crazy designs were widely praised by the public. They were cheap ($1.25), could be altered with just scissors and sellotape, and were easily disposable. According to the V&A museum, during the height of the era, Mars Hoisery, one of the paper dress’ main producers, made approximately 100,000 new dresses a week. However, this era came to an end in the 70s due to the growing environmental ages and the end of the mod.

So what can be done about this phenomenon? As micro-trends continue to branch out, it has become harder to distinguish one from the other. Nothing seems original anymore: the fashion market has become overly saturated with infinite versions of the same pieces. At the moment, mohair jumbo scarfs can be found everywhere.

It is hard to have a sense of originality when the majority of fashion providers make it hard to experiment. Developing a more personal style can prevent the need for buying seasonal trends that don’t align with your wardrobe. Filling up wardrobes with classics can help your wardrobe withstand the age of time.