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FASHION TRENDS >> HISTORY REPEATING
FASHION — TURN TO THE LEFT!
When Old Becomes New A Look into a Few Pieces of Fashion that Put the “in” in Vintage W RIT TE N BY C A MERON COBB
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eather jackets, high waisted jeans, and even fanny packs — today’s latest fashion is definitely a blast from the past! It’s been quite a journey for these timeless trends, with some dating back thousands of years. Let’s take a closer look at what was once old and is now “new” again!
CHOKERS
These constricting necklaces may be all the rage today, but did you know they came from royalty? Nearly 500 years ago, according to goldenagebeads.com, a portrait of Anne Boleyn (the second wife of King Henry VIII of England) features her neck decorated with a tight-fitted string of pearls paired with a letter “B” pendant. Perhaps inspired by royalty, wealthier women also wore jewel-encrusted chokers during the Victorian era. These elegantly styled chokers remained popular all throughout history and into the early 1900s. Later that century, they made a comeback in a new form. We have the ‘90s to thank for the iconic “tattoo chokers” (those with a thin, black, netted design) everyone knows and loves today, which in more recent years have transformed to offer a wide variety of color, texture, design and bedazzled options (sure to make Anne Boleyn proud). 118 |
OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
November/December 2019
FANNY PACKS While the fanny pack is often credited as an invention of Australian Melba Stone in 1962 (and yes, the rumors even claim she got the idea from kangaroos), these nifty bum bags have much deeper roots. Some older versions of the trend include a chatelaine purse from the Victorian era and even a belt pouch worn by cavemen in the early years of 3000 B.C., according to melmagazine.com. The first known published reference of an actual fanny pack was made in a 1954 Sports Illustrated ad, which puts the Melba Stone rumor to rest. Though during the latter half of this century, fanny packs were really only popular among skiers and other sports fanatics as a handy carrying pouch — but it wouldn’t be long until they made their debut in fashion. Named the “Hottest Product of the Year” by Adweek in 1988, the fanny pack traveled from slopes to runways. But all good things must come to an end, and the fanny pack is no exception. The explosion of fanny packs plastered with logos (especially those of tobacco companies) in combination with a decline in the cheap fabric used for the bags almost left the trend for dead… almost. Recently, fanny packs have made a comeback and can frequently be seen in Hollywood, where they’ve been worn by celebrities like Rihanna and Jimmy Kimmel.