RETRO IS ALWAYS “IN”
In today’s day and age, I’m happy I own a couple pairs of loose cargo pants and culotte pants, both for the literal flare they give to an otherwise basic outfit and for the level of comfort and movement they provide. Not everyone will agree, but I think they pair great with both low and high top shoes-- any sneakers and any boots. It’s taken the entire decade for everyone to hop on board, but to each their own personal fashion journey.
By Tatiana Díaz de León
T
he 2010s have been a time of rebirth- and by rebirth I mean they literally tried to “re-birth” trends that had already been popular at some other decade in the last century. Sure, it has definitely been a uniquely inventive decade in and of itself, but we the people of these new generations have been inspired by the power and attitude of the last few ones. We feel almighty and powerful to be styling the freshest outfits these days according to each of our personal styles, but we don’t usually stop to think that the combination of trendy clothes that are popular today are not really as new as you’d think. You’re not the first one to enjoy these cool pieces.
SLIP DRESSES
LOOSE PANTS
Photographers Sravya Balasa, Raymond Kao Models Santana Gutierrez, Obinne Onyeador, Natalie Palmberg
10 | Community
appreciation for bell bottom-like pants of the 60s and 70s as well as for the looserfitting hip-hop styles of the late 90s and early 2000s. In their earliest form, bell bottom pants were functional for the Navy during WWII. From flared trousers to looser cargo pants, I guess you can say that people these days are inspired by military fashion.
It’s safe to say the colored skinny jeans fad was uniquely an early 2010s fashion statement, but with the presentation of recurring fashion that I’m about to unleash on you, there’s no telling whether we’ll end up loving them again sometime in the near future. Nonetheless, as the 2010s went on, pants’ colors were toned down and the shift from low rise to high rise was fortified. In the last years of this decade, we’ve seen the comeback of 90s highwaisted jeans (mom or boyfriend jeans). With that re-emerged a newfound love for 90s grunge-style plaid and striped pants. At the same time came a gradual
Something that has been popular since the 90s and has risen to the spotlight once again are variations of slip dresses. Mini, midi, or floor length, slip dresses have become a prominent fashion statement within the last decade. People especially like them if they’re a silky material. The key features are the spaghetti straps and the long and lean silhouette designed to fall on the body in a flattering way. Back in the 1930s, dresses like these were known as “bias-cut gowns” and were popularized by film stars. In the past few years, I’ve seen them both dressed up with heeled shoes and dressed down, layered over tees and worn with sneakers. They can still make quite possibly one of the classiest and sexiest statements at fancier occasions because of the visual appeal of the fabrics, but in the last decade these dresses have become everyday commodities to be worn on even a lazy day in the casualest of ways. That’s one big indicator of the evolution of fashion up until now: a lot of it has evolved into a prioritizing ease and comfort. What’s easier than throwing on a dress with sneakers early in the morning in the middle of a rough work week?