Classic Styles · Fashion Blog · Fashion Trends · Trending Clothes ·Sep 02, 2022

History Repeats Itself : Fashion Edition

Oh my gosh Mom.. That top is so ugly...

EW, MOM ! I would never wear those pants..

Fast forward 10 years: You're in your favorite store shopping for a new look. You turn the corner and see practically the same top you troubled your mom for wearing 10 years ago !!

How can this be?

You continue shopping on and realize the denims hanging from the hanger are strikingly similar to the pants who swore you would never wear from your Mom's closet.

History repeats itself. It's true.. The clothes you said you wouldn't wear 10 years ago are fashion trends that will find themselves in your closet later on.

Read on to learn about the 60's, 80's and 90's fashion trends that have made a comeback ..

Let's have a Blast from the Past !!

Bell Sleeves :

Bell sleeves end anywhere from the elbow to the wrist. The end of the sleeve with flare. This shirt style looks particularly good on women with broader shoulders. This type of style also looks good on pear, straight and hourglass body types.

Bell sleeves have been around for a while now, dating back to the Medieval times and making a comeback in the 60's and 70's when loose fitted flowy clothing was the style. Often these loose fitted clothes featured the flare sleeve. Celebrities like Janis Joplin and Stevie Nick wore clothes that draped off of their bodies in a loose fashionable way.

Fashion trends don't die, they always come back. If you look in stores now, you'll find that in recent times; these bell sleeves are making another comeback !! You can find bell sleeves on cropped shirts, sweaters, peasant blouses and more !! I think it's safe to say that bell sleeves will continue to be a trend.

Frayed Bell Bottoms:

Frayed Bell Bottom was ALL the rage in the 60's. If you know someone that grew up in the 60's; you should probably ask to see a picture of them in their bell bottoms. It's a sight to see for sure. Bell bottoms are similar to bell sleeves except in pants form. The bottoms will begin to flare beginning at the knee. The bigger or wider the flare_the better. The 60's pants where snug in all the place.. very snug.

This look was so trendy and continues to be trendy. Not only did you want your bell bottoms to flare as much as possible, but you need a nice fray at the bottom as well. This look has especially come back around in recent years.

Frayed bell bottoms made an appearance in the 90's fashion scene and has once again come full circle. You will find high fashion brands are showing frayed denims on the runway and showing off a MEGA wide leg flare. This looks is especially cute with a tight top and a pair of mules with or without a heel.

Shift Dresses:

All of the 50's and 60's icons could all be see wearing a shift dress and some point or another in their career. A shift dress is a simple yet elegant dress style to wear and a closet staple for many women in that time.

Typically speaking a shift dress will be a straight seam. This doesn't offer much to your figure, meaning; the fabric doesn't hug curves necessarily, the dress drapes from shoulders to waistline in a loose fitted manner.

This type of dress was especially popular for its modest, homemaker fit. Since curves are hidden in this dress, this was the dress expected to be worn by a woman at the time. This hanging type of dress was modest and clean for the era.

Now, these dresses have made a comeback. Shift dresses look good on all body types as well !! Many shoppers are opting for loose fitted dresses. Regardless of times, this is a classic chic dress. Due to the simple fit of the dress; choosing a statement necklace or a print pattern on your dress would be ideal.

Blazers:

A blazer in the 80's is like a cardigan in todays fashion. A blazer is good for hiding figure flaws and will look good on any body type, minding the length of the blazer. A blazer, more so an oversized blazer was worn as that extra layer just like a cardigan is worn now. Typically, in the 80's you would see men and women wearing the padded shoulder blazers in a loud color. Nowadays, grabbing the neutral shades that made well with your closet is more ideal.

We love a Blazer at our Boutique; it is by far the most versatile layer we carry in store. I have not seen a blazer looks bad with any outfit we have crafted in store as of yet !! Pair a blazer with your favorite band tee, blouse, or bralette for an edgy look. Throw your blazer over a flowy dress or even pair with denim shorts ! There are so many fun ways to style your blazer now.

High Waisted Denims:

High- waisted denims have come back in more ways than one ! Not only have the high waist come back into style from the 80's but the "mom jean" is in full swing !! The classic light wash denims in a high waist fit is what fashion icons are reaching for now and we are not mad about it.

When looking for a great pair of high waisted denims, stick to your trusted brand. Our boutique carries brand jeans that we know and love. This will help eliminate trying different jeans on, because we all know that is so time consuming. A high waist denim will usually have rise of 11"; that is a measurement from the top of your jean to the crotch of your jean. You want the high waist fit to cover your naval and hug your hips perfectly !!

When you style your high waist denims, think crop top. Due to the fact your naval is already covered, you don't have to worry about showing your midriff so a crop top is definitely the way to go in order create a balance in your look.

Spandex:

We all have that classic image of a work out video, those spandex pants and leg warmers were so in and trendy back in the 80's. Spandex has remained on the map even when the 80's ended, as people do appreciate for athletic wear.

In the 80's you could also find fashion trends of wearing the spandex shorts as a layer underneath a shirt or dress. This was convenient for as an alternative to leggings or tights that could feel restricting for all day wear.

In recent times, spandex has become a modern go to look for our Gen Z folks. An oversized tee shirt and spandex biker shorts are what the Generation Z are loving for their wardrobe. This effortless, look is modern and chic and allows for maximum comfort all day !!

Preppy Cropped Cardigan:

Cropped cardigans in the 90's was a huge part of the Preppy chic trends. These cropped sweaters were usually a soft knit fabric with buttons as fasteners. A cropped top will be shorter in length of course. These button up cardigans were coined by Coco Chanel back in the 20's - she enjoyed these type of cardigans for the mere fact she didn't need to pull the sweater over her hair like a pullover sweater and ruin her nicely done hair ( as cited on SavorFlair.com). Ahead of the times some might say.

You can find many types of cardigans now, different fabrics and styles. We have come across many large knit cropped cardigans that look fantastic with flowy maxi skirts, polyester fabrics with ruffle trim, and even argyle cotton cropped cardigans !! There are so many styles to choose from !!

Wear your cropped cardigan with mom jeans, or skinny jeans. You can also wear your cropped cardigan tucked into a pleated skirt or even better... wide leg pants. SO CUTE !! The ways to style a cropped cardigan are endless.

Denim on Denim:

We love a denim on denim look. There might be a stigma floating around about denim on denim, but you know... we just don't care because we love it. Many celebrities in the 80's rocked this classic look of denim on denim; on TV shows and on the the rock n' roll stage as well. Double up on the denim and take a trip down memory lane !! Don't forget your hairspray !!

It was typical to see a denim on denim look, it was the ultimate "cool" look to rock the acid wash denims especially. Now, you can find folks wearing a mini jean skirt with a denim jacket and some sneakers. In the 80's you could either match the shade or do mismatch denim shades. In today's fashion, you usually find a mismatch of the denim shade, you don't often see the shade shade of denims for top and bottom for the outfit, but when you do; make sure you listen to Bruce Springsteen or Shania Twain.

You should wear your denims with pride, grey wash, dark wash, or even acid wash, it's hard to choose a favorite !! There are so many kinds of denims to choose from and style to whatever you desire.

Flannel & Boyfriend denims:

We can't leave out our beloved grunge scene now can we? Flannel is life. The 90's grunge fashion consisted of flannels, ripped jeans, band tees, and hiking boots. These looks were all about going against the norm, that preppy style just didn't cut it for our 90's grunge group. They went against the odds and opted for a loose "lazy" look. This scene was made popular in cities like Seattle where many grunge bands were located.

Boyfriend style jeans, meant to appear as though you are wearing your boyfriends jeans are loose fitting and generally are distressed with rips and tears. This was the look, the more distress the better ! This has made an apparent comeback in recent times as well, loose fitting boyfriend denims can be found everywhere, almost hard to find a clean no distress pair nowadays !

Wear your favorite flannel with your boyfriend denims and clunky boots and you have achieved the 90's grunge look !! Nailed it !! Wear a loose fitted flannel as a layer with your favorite band tee and wrap the flannel around your waist to achieve maximum 90's vibe !! Flannels are great for all seasons, not just the cold ones. Collect many colors and pair easily for a layering option for your outfits !!