The remarkable thing about different decades and the pop culture that comes with them is that the trends from this short span of time always get recycled within a short number of years. Lately, many things from the 1980s and 1990s have reappeared in society. Both of these decades have left momentous impacts on the world. From the fashion to cultural significances, these decades have allowed mankind to evolve into the civilization people have come to know today.
The 1980s were best known for big hair, loud clothes, experimental music, and John Hughes films. The Rubik’s cube made its debut in the beginning of the decade, along with the notorious arcade game Pacman. Games like Pacman and Super Mario Bros were quite popular arcade games in the 1980s with arcades being a frequent hang out spot for most teens. Fashion and pop culture aside, the decade allowed for technological advancements far greater than anything done before. Apple was releasing the first Macintosh computers and the internet became a world resource by 1989.
But, what makes the 1980s relevant today is all of the memorable pop culture. The music was unlike anything written before. Thanks to MTV, many new artists were discovered. Artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Duran Duran were widely popularized and they continue to affect music. Music from the 1980s was able to lay a stepping stone for more modern music today. This can be heard from the electronic rhythms and sound editing present in most pop songs. 1980s trends flowing from past to present is also occurring with fashion. Because of the popularization of recent shows set in the 1980s like Stranger Things, teenagers of the 21st century have found the inspiration to incorporate more vintage looking clothing into their style and raid their parents’ closets in order to create a look of nostalgia. Things like graphic T-shirts are still worn frequently. Fanny packs and scrunchies can be seen on all sorts of teenagers. One of the most popular trends from the 80s that is recurring is leggings. Leggings were often a symbol of athleticism and allowed women to show off their toned legs. Today, leggings are worn by many and are a teenage closet staple.
The 1980s was followed by another memorable decade, the 1990s. In this decade, the Gulf War was beginning as the Cold War was ending. The O.J. Simpson trial was sweeping the nation, and Bill Clinton was serving two presidential terms. After the overelaborate fashion sense of the decade before, the 1990s became known for more subtle fashion. Or at least the late 1990s were a little simpler, there was a transition period between 1980s fashion into 1990s fashion. The earlier half of the decade was full of bold patterns and bright colors, which eventually turned into what is recognized as popular 1990s style today.
Something of great popularity that is making a revival now are windbreakers. Thanks to thrift shops, it is quite easy to get your hands on a retro-looking windbreaker that looks straight out of the 1990s. Another popular item from the 1990s that is making its way back would be tennis shoes. In that decade, they were viewed as fashionable, but are today worn as something labeled ugly to make an outfit stand out. Everything from the grunge scene is cool again (doc martins, flannels, ripped jeans), and big brands like Polo and Eddie Bauer are often shopped in thrift stores today.
People say history repeats itself, but what they really mean is fashion repeats itself. What was viewed as beautiful one decade may be heinous the next, and then go on to being adored in future generations. This just goes to show that society is constantly changing and always looking for something new to latch onto. So many people hate letting go of the past. Maybe human beings feel a certain comfort in resurrecting trends from the dead and allowing themselves to be reminded of the emotions and memories attached to the items. Recurring trends help people to satisfy their never-ending hunger for reminiscing
and their resentment for change.
story by natalie gill, graphic by vinny nelson
