The past couple of weeks I’ve been going through that ‘I don’t have anything to wear’ moment when of course I had a wardrobe full of clothes that were perfectly fit to be worn. I’m sure many of us can relate to this feeling of wanting to completely revamp the wardrobe and go one big uncalled for shopping spree yes?
Well, I decided to challenge this and find ways to style up previously forgotten or unworn items in my wardrobe in a new and exciting way that I had never thought to create before. I was actually surprised by what I was able to come up with! Looks that I truly loved and felt were in line with my current sense of style. It is so important to take inspiration from the past and reflect it in the now and so of course being the fashion nerd that I am, this experience got me thinking about something broader – the circular nature of fashion.
Fashion has always been informed from the past. It can never truly be thought of as new, rather it is different perspectives on what has previously gone before. An interpretation of inspiration. We do not merely copy the past but use it as a muse to then present in a contemporary context that aligns with the values and cultures of today. It’s an evolutionary process.
Trends are borrowed from past decades and brought back with a fresh twist, now faster than ever. People always want something different – we, to put it bluntly, get bored of things quite quickly.
Just take a look at some of the fashion comebacks made in 2020. The iconic 90s Fendi Baguette bag style has taken over the high streets giving us a real Carrie Bradshaw moment. The micro bag trend amongst which the Jacquemus Chiquito was perhaps one of the most coveted was inspired by the 70s when women’s sexual liberation saw the size of skirts and bags shrink. We can’t forget the chunky shoe trend that has strut down every runway. Sneakers or sandals, the chunky look takes its revival from the 70s and 80s, now adding a more elevated level of sophistication and minimalism. In fact the minimalistic look that we see across Instagram with slip dresses and a muted colour is another 90s trend that have become today’s wardrobe staples.
The amount of times my mum or grandma have asked me “why are you wearing this? We used to wear this when we were younger” when I’ve walked out the house wearing oversized shirts or coin necklaces… What was once worn will always be worn again. From layered chain necklaces to mom jeans to the much loved corset tops to sleek cat eyed sunglasses. They were all seen once and now again in a new light.
And sometimes as I’ve now discovered, we don’t even have to look that far for our inspiration, our very wardrobe can be the best place to start…
