Old Fashion Trends Keep Coming Back
Have you ever wondered why there are so many old trends coming back? Or maybe you lived through these past trends and now you're confused as to why you see young adults and teens wearing them. You could even be one of these teens yourself. Well, there is actually a scientific explanation.
James Laver was an art historian and fashion theorist. Laver was baffled by the concept of time and its ability to change ideas and people. During his early years of discovery, he embraced the idea of the zeitgeist, or “time spirit”, a 19th-century German philosophy. It's the idea that there's an existence of a psychological, or spiritual being that creates a certain pattern and targets a culture, nation, or specific period of time. He used this concept to tie it into his modern world and eventually was set on the theory that anything human is a subject of ”time spirit or time consciousness”.
Fashion is one of the most easily affected in the zeitgeist. After his discovery, Laver said, “Nothing illustrates the Triumph of Time more clearly than the growing dominance of fashion”. You don't necessarily have to believe this idea of “time spirit” but this is the origin story of Lavers Law created obviously by James Laver.
Laver's Law is a chronological timeline of fashion trends and when they would be socially acceptable, hideous, or a statement. This is all through the process of trend cycling: every item is inevitably introduced, peaks, then decline in popularity, until it is finally rejected. This timeline shows how time plays a role in fashion, however, this chart can also be applied to things like music, interior design, or even architecture. The chart explains how long it takes for something to go from its peak to ridiculous. Using this narrowed-down theory, we can predict what the next fashion trends will look like as well as recognize some already repeated trends.
Let's take a look at the recent revival of y2k and 70’s attire. The reason these two are recurring at the same time is that in the 2000s, 70’s fashion made its original comeback. This could be why many people often mistake popular 70’s clothing items for y2k attire. People commonly mistake things like the flared jeans, crochet dresses, and platforms for the 2000’s style when in actuality, they all stem from the ’70s. We will continue to see the revival of old fashion trends however it's almost never going to be the exact same style. People add their own modern twist but the concepts never change.
Another famous style coming back is the preppy look, from the ’60s, which could be described as sweater vests, collared shirts, dressy shoes, and pleated skirts. It's modified to look more current for the present day. As you can see the ’60s was 60 years ago, falling right between Quaint and Charming on the chart. Another example: The newly re-famous mullet, funny to see because it falls right between amusing and Quaint. “Quaint'' categorizes the attractively unusual, while “Amusing” means the trends that are not a complete yes or complete no. This can very well explain why there are so many different opinions on mullets.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, what's hideous now that was once popular just a couple of years ago? Beginning in 2010, skinny jeans dominated a huge portion of stores' jeans sections. It is only now, 11 years later, that skinny jeans are starting to be considered “ugly” or “out of fashion''. Some even use the word ”basic”. Now, looking at the timeline, they fall under “hideous”. Of course, this isn’t always the case; fashion is all about opinion, but trends lean towards the majority as well as what's more relevant among celebrities and people of the media.
Using this chart, we are going to predict what the next “thing”/ fashion trends will be in 10 years. Since we are seeing a lot of the '70s and 2000s now, it is likely we're going to move into the ’80s and 2010s. We have already seen some of this with the mullet and scrunchies. There is also a surprising new rise in leg warmers. From here, 80’s attire is only going to increase, so be ready for the neon colors, shoulder pads, and geometric patterns.
Now you think of something relevant or “hideous” and see where it falls on the spectrum.