By Steph Lorentzen
Skinny jeans, leggings, ankle boots, and wedges were all in style decades before you discovered them. In the fashion world, styles are rotated through just a few selections, many of them appearing years later.
Ankle boots have been in style since the 19th century, used commonly in soldier’s uniforms. Robert Verdi, a fashion stylist based in New York, thinks he knows why this fad doesn’t end.
“[Ankle boots are] easy for women of all calf sizes to wear. You can also get the height of a boot without having to go full length under trousers,” Verdi explains. A different style that’s resurfacing is the skinny jean. Skinny jeans first became popular in the 1950’s, then faded in and out until around the 80’s. In the 80’s they were a popular competitor of the parachute pants. Eventually, they faded back out, only to resurface in the late 90’s, sticking around to modern day.
“Skinny jeans can be dressed up or down,” says Charles Malka, founder of Charles David line of shoes and accessories. Malka says this is why they keep reappearing.
Another reason that skinny jeans keep coming back is because when you find the right fit, they can slim down the leg and make them appear longer. These are obviously sought out bonuses.
The 80’s are bringing up another trend know as the legwarmer. These sock-like accessories were been big in the 80’s, only to completely drop off after. Now they’re coming back. Even Victoria Beckham was spotted sporting them to a the WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit.
While the celebs can be spotted in these resurfaced trends, Beckham’s accessory did catch some serious disdain. People are pretty mixed on how they feel about them. Recently, even fashion designers have been incorporating legwarmers into their shows with mixed reviews.
So while leg warmers are up in the air, the 80’s are giving it another go with their signature eye-popping colors, the 80’s neon. Even this year’s Prom dresses were decked out in these psychedelic hues.
“I just thought it was pretty,” Laura Brummer, a Junior at BHS said about her dress choice. “I liked the bright colors, so this fad coming back isn’t a bad thing.”
Although some trends come back only to be thrown away again, others come back to be loved for another decade. Maybe in years to come we’ll be welcoming back parachute pants and extreme side-ponies. Only time will tell.
