As seen in recent years, the cyclical nature of fashion ensures that styles from different time periods will rise to prominence in modern trends. From dad sneakers to Polaroids, people today are constantly seeking vintage. While some brands have reinvented these items as modernized look-alikes, many people opt for original vintage pieces over newer versions.
Junior Thea Wagner prefers original vintage and finds vintage items thrifting.
“[For] a lot of the fashion trends that were happening in the ‘80s and the ‘90s, people [who wore them] are older now and maybe donating clothing that they had when they were teenagers, and we, as teenagers now, are picking up on it,” Wagner said. “We’re going to thrift stores looking for vintage cameras, vintage clothing, vintage belts and turning it into a more [modern] style of what they used to wear.”
The appeal of vintage clothing lies in how it differs from what is mainstream. Junior Maggie Humphrey feels that the diverse selection in vintage clothing better suits her clothing preferences than clothes being retailed now.
“What I personally like about [vintage clothing] is just the way that it fits my body type, and how it fits certain people’s body types in a better way than newer fashion does,” Humphrey said. “It [doesn’t show] off your body in [the] way that a lot of clothes are being promoted now. It’s pretty bulky; it’s pretty unflattering, but it still looks good … A lot of what is [popular now is] … tighter clothing, but … with vintage, granted that there are so many decades to choose from, you can really choose anything. It’s more diverse than what is typically being sold now.”
Wagner likes vintage clothing for similar reasons.
“Name brands like Forever 21 don’t always make sizes that accompany my body type and how I like to dress and style … [For example], a lot of the clothing that is sold in retail stores is cropped or shorter,” Wagner said. “By going to thrift stores or finding other clothing, I get to find things that I really identify with and fit me well because they’ve been worn, and they just accompany who I am and my body better.”
Freshman Allison Lang believes that the production of vintage look-alikes has increased the popularity of vintage.
“There [are] things that are ‘pretend vintage,’ [where] companies make things that look vintage, but they aren’t,” Lang said. “It still brings the hype up.”
The popularization of vintage items also increases the value of some vintage items as time goes by.
“It’s just really interesting, business-wise, to look at it,” Lang said. “Prices can go from really low to really high … over time.”
This phenomenon is observed in brands like Hermès, since the price of the same Birkin handbag has increased as much as 500 percent in the last 35 years in response to demand, according to Baghunter.
The rise of vintage trends can also be attributed to modern media. Humphrey believes that social media influencers garner attention towards vintage trends.
“A really big [influencer] is Emma Chamberlain,” Humphrey said. “She’s trying to be more vintage … [Influencers’] main job [is] to influence people, so whatever they’re into, [their fans will follow] no matter what.”
Lang believes that styles being worn in television shows lend an appeal to vintage as well.
“‘Stranger Things’ [is a show] that people really liked … that’s based in the ‘80s,” Lang said. “People kind of [get] attached to characters, and they think that [their] clothing [is] really interesting.”
Another vintage trend popular now is Polaroid photos. These physical photos often carry more sentimental value than digital pictures, and simply waiting for a Polaroid image to develop evokes excitement. Today newer, more modern cameras that produce the same style Polaroid photos are being sold.
“Fujifilm coming out with their newer Polaroids has definitely made a bigger impact,” Wagner said, “and shooting on film … is having a bigger appeal now.”
Regardless of what era we enter, the past will always shape the present, and being able to take clothes or objects from our history into the future will remain appealing.
