Pick Up! The 2010’s are calling!
Photo by Hanne Zaruma
Ballet Flats and Capri Pants are making a comeback!
Going through old pictures from middle school can be quite the jumpscare experience. I mean… The dress over pants combo? The Ugg boots? It's very Disney Channel red carpet-coded. Still, if remembering the outfit combinations from your teenage years makes you cringe, we’re here to give some astonishing news: ballet flats and capri pants are making a comeback! - As weird as it may sound.
If there is anything we know about fashion, it is that it is cyclic. Generally speaking, every fashion trend follows a five-stage life cycle that consists of Introduction, Rise, Peak, Decline and Obsolescence.
Introduction
When the piece enters the market, usually by a high-end brand or designer.
Rise
Popularity increases when we start to see these pieces on influencers and celebrities.
Peak
The highest point is when mainstream retailers catch on to making the trends more accessible.
Decline
Quickly after the peak, consumers grow weary of seeing these pieces.
Obsolescence
when trends reach a state of non-use, becoming officially “out of fashion”.
The Comeback of Fashion Trends
Even after falling into obsolescence, it is not uncommon for past trends to return to the spotlight, after a few decades, with a modern touch. This is the kind of phenomenon we’ve seen with mom jeans and scrunchies, for example. However, the reason for the rebirth of fashion trends is something we can’t quite trace, meaning it is not clear what it is that makes certain pieces regain popularity.
Most of the time, we catch on with what’s presented to us during Fashion Week, since the runways are a time machine of trends. In other cases, the taking off of trends could be influenced, for example, by a rerun of TV shows, films or music from a certain decade - a lot of beauty trends from the 90s peaked due to the regain in popularity of Friends and Sex and The City amongst younger generations.
Fashion Trends in the TikTok Era
In the past, the full cycle of fashion trends was estimated to last around 20 years. What we’re seeing today, however, due to the advent of technology and social media, is that consumers tend to grow out of trends faster since seeing them everywhere, leading the lifespan of trends to shrink, and making pieces rise and fall at record speed. To exemplify, in 2020 we’ve seen a return of the 2000’s fashion rebranded as what we now call Y2K. It was the comeback of low-rise jeans, chunky shoes and velvet track pants. Since trends are becoming saturated so quickly, now, only 3 years later, we’re moving on to the following decade, so say goodbye to the 2000’s and hello to the 2010’s.
images via Pinterest
Welcome Back 2010s! Oh, How We Have Missed You! - Kinda.
Imagine the Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl wardrobe, it was everything we dreamed about in 2013: grunge girl looks, matching prints, high knee socks, over-accessorizing, chunky belts and headbands… Even though we never thought we’d wear these again, here are a few trends that take us down memory lane.
images via Pinterest
Ballet flats and Mary Janes
Making a comeback with Miu Miu 2022 winter/spring collection, you must have noticed how these have been all over the place lately. Bella Hadid in her off-duty looks and Alexa Chung as always faithful to her OG personal style, we’ve seen almost every ‘it’ girl wearing ballet flats. To easily incorporate this trendy shoe into your wardrobe, style it with denim.
Statement Necklaces
The modern version of the maxi necklaces includes over-layering your jewellery however you like. Here, more is more!
Chunky Bags
Think Serena Van Der Woodsen and Hanna Marin. Another fact about fashion is the contrast of opposites: We went through a phase of micro bags in the fashion spotlight, and now, we’re moving on to bigger things. Chunky bags and large leather totes, bags we can now fit more than our lipgloss in.
On top of that, we can expect to see capri pants and dresses over denim and trousers. Big belts, Ugg boots, peplum, and, surprisingly, skinny jeans!
We understand how certain fashion choices can cause you PTSD (don’t even get me started on the galaxy print pants!), but in order to understand current fashion and forecast future trends, we have to look back to the previous decades, it is, after all, the fashion cycle.
It’s all about working the old pieces with a modern twist, giving it a new meaning. So dust off your wardrobe, we’re bringing the 2010s back!