With the arguably newfound resentment towards modernism, we are going through an era of obsession with the past. People are dressing like their parents (or sometimes even grandparents) and are learning more about how society used to entertain themselves before the 21st century. Vintage culture is forever adored by many and has definitely gotten more popular between the last decade or so. In this article, we will review fashion, makeup, architecture, and fragrances that originated in history yet still can be found today.
It has become increasingly popular to wear clothes that grew in popularity years ago. For example, the 90’s to 2010’s fashion has been on the rise the last couple of months. Some people even decide to mix decades and create an outfit that shows creativity and innovation. I decided to interview my pre-college professor Christopher Uvenio at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York. I asked him the following questions; from the point of view of someone who has lots of experience in the fashion industry, how do you feel about the recurring trends? Which trends have you recognized that are making a significant comeback? He replied with the 70’s and 80’s being one of the most influential decades that are making a comeback today. He says this because besides the fact that the 1980’s was influenced by the 40’s, people love the retro evening wear that was popular. It was normal to wear “night” clothes during the day during this time which was not seen before. There was lots of glamor in the 80’s and people were overall more happy. The creative times of this era can not be forgotten and will always circle back into what we wear today. People appreciate the fact that there was less of a gender gap in 80’s fashion and people were allowed to style themselves however they wanted to. The big hair, accentuated shoulders, and beautiful brooches can be viewed in high end fashion now. He stated that there is also a wave of the 90’s returning. Specifically with modeling. A lot of models are coming back from retirement and people are wearing lots of vintage 90’s designers such as Versache, Gucci, Prada, and other big European brands. This may be coming back since the 90’s appreciated the 70’s and 80’s. Something appreciable that came out of the vintage fashion trend is thrifting. Thrift stores sell clothes that were donated from people, they usually sell items that are multiple years old making it a great cheap and convenient way to show vintage fashion. It is also extremely sustainable since thrift stores resell used clothes for a cheaper price.
Makeup trends can also be seen reappearing throughout history. A lot of people don’t know that the pimple patches with icons on them are actually taken from a trend in the 1500s. Artisocats would cover their blemishes by placing black stickers on their face with moon, triangles, and even heart shapes. This trend proves that there is no such thing as an item going “out of style”. Blue eyeshadow has been iconic during multiple decades including the 80’s, 2000’s, and even the 1940’s. Though it goes back pretty far, the original blue eye look first came from ancient Egypt. The Egyptians would crush up an assortment of minerals in order to create a beautiful blue color for their eyelids. It was often extremely toxic and would put the person in risk of getting an infection but the color was nonetheless a ravishing blue that has never (and most likely will never) phase out.
Our homes are an important part of our lives. Architecture and home decor has changed drastically throughout the years but like fashion, the trends always make a return. Retro colors and shapes can be seen as a fashionable way to style a home. The green, pink, blue, and yellow colors can be seen from ceiling to floor and add a gorgeous color scheme that was popular in the mid 20th century. The recurrence of trends in one’s residence can be especially obvious in the bathrooms. Geometric tiles and maximalist decor are viewed as quaint yet “old timey”. Victorian wood trim and doors have also been extremely favored. A mixture between the comfort of a wooden interior and the elegance of Victorian architecture please the vintage eye and are referred to as timeless.
One of the items most obviously inspired by different eras of the past is fragrance. Perfumes have been used for thousands of years and have contained a very eclectic selection of ingredients added to them. Multiple different woods and spices like pine and coriander. Many of the most popular perfumes today contain the same ingredients as they did thousands of years ago. The only difference would be that now the oils have been harvested differently in order to remove any toxins. Many perfumers even recreate ancient scents in order to see what was popular at the time. With a quick search on Etsy, one can see an array of scents from ancient Egypt to even the Renaissance era. One way to dive into history and learn more about the lives of the people of that time can be finding out their own trending fragrances. It can help figure out what was accessible at the time and how they created scents, even why they created scents (warning, it may be grotesque).
Many different trends are recycled and reused again and again throughout the course of history. These can be viewed in taking a look into fashion, makeup, architecture, and fragrance history. It is vital to learn about how and why trends occur to learn more about society, both in the present and in the past. Learning how to analyze trends can even allow one to predict upcoming ones, gaining a skill that may come in handy in the corporate world.