The Era of all Eras

Written and Directed by Ellen Anderson

Photos of Alexis Loftis, Ashlyn Sorrells, Georgia Horsch, and Kelsey Cook by Nia Harrison

Your favorite thing to wear, whether it be overalls or Air Forces, probably originated over 20 years ago. The current fashion era is unlike any before; clothes from every era are back and trending. Trend cycles have picked up to such a fast pace that everything is “in.” Old is cool. Because of this, everyone can wear whatever best reflects their true self. 

Our everyday outfits are composed of pieces from every era of the past 100 years. As can be seen in these pictures, classic, trendy outfits are made up of clothes that originated a long time ago. For pants, we see trousers, flare pants, mom jeans, and cargo pants. For shoes, we see Converse and Doc Marten loafers and combat boots. Tops include sweaters, jean jackets, puffer jackets, turtlenecks, and graphic tees. Each of these are considered trendy today but did not just become popular recently. This is surprising because trends seem to come and go in cycles. However, due to fast fashion, different pieces from every time period are trending in some way. Below is a list of which eras your favorite items are from. 

Shoes:

• Converse - 1950s

• Doc Martin Combat boots - 1990s

• Doc Martin Loafers - 1960s

• Nike Air Forces - 1980s

• Platform shoes - Early 2000s

• Adidas Sambas - 1970s

Pants:

• Flare pants - 1970s

• Mom jeans - 1990s

• Cargo pants - 1990s

• Trousers - 1940s

• Parachute pants - 1980s

• Overalls - 1940s

• Low-rise pants - Early 2000s

• Cuffed straight-leg jeans - 1950s

• High Waisted - 1930s

Tops, jackets, dresses:

• Corsets - 1920s

• Slip dresses - 1920s

• Leather jackets - 1950s

• Turtlenecks - 1920s

• Jean jackets - 1960s

• Tube tops - Early 2000s

• Flannels - 1940s

Accessories:

• Wood, stone, and beaded jewelry - 1970s

• Chain belts - 1960s

• Barretts - 1920s

• Fanny pack - 1980s

• Tote bags - 1980s

• Nose rings - 1960s

• Belts - 1930s

• Tights - 1970s

Why is this happening?

Our current fashion era is the way it is because of two main reasons: fast fashion and thrifting. Trend cycles before the internet lasted about 20 years. However, fast fashion has caused trend cycles to pick up pace so rapidly that everything is in the cycle. We cannot possibly keep up with these ever-changing cycles, so everything is “cool”. In addition to this, the increase in the popularity of thrifting has made old clothes more accessible and prevalent. Authentic vintage pieces from the 1920s, the 1990s, and everything in between are accessible via thrift stores, estate sales, and platforms like Depop. The increased popularity of thrifting has increased our generation’s overall appreciation of “old.”

What does this mean?

Clothing from every era of the last 100 years is trending today. This is pretty wild, and many people do not even notice. Since anything is in style, people can wear whatever expresses themselves freely. Hippie is cool, grunge is cool, and classic is cool. We can let everything from our pants to our jewelry reflect our true personal style. We are entering a euphoric fashion era where we can stop worrying about keeping up with trends and start showing our style with unique clothes from every era.