A (Very) Brief History of 2021's Top Viral Trends

Fashion is a fickle thing - constantly chopping and changing. What was the in thing last week is charity shop fodder this week. Everyone knows that fashion moves in cycles - that fashions return after a period of time - however, whereas it once took a good 30 years for major fashions to make a return (flared jeans of the 60s and 70s didn't come back til the 90s), it now seems that those circles are getting smaller. Aren't we already in a mid Y2K fashion resurgence? 

Fashions move fast - and social media is a likely cause. Whereas once we looked to the latest runway or fashion magazines for style inspiration, current trends are now emerging from our phones, with Tiktok and Instagram acting as the new harbingers for what is in.

From the shoe everyone loves to hate - crocs, to tie-dying all the white t-shirts in your household; here's a look at the top viral style trends of the year so far, examining what may have made each trend come pinging back onto our fashion radar.

Balenciaga Crocs

Crocs

Never has a shoe been more controversial than the humble croc. Surely were it not for their comfort level (high) this shoe would never have seen the light of day beyond the creator's sketch pad. Perhaps the fact that they are quite so fugly may have had something to do with it also. There's a certain type of hipster who judges cool on a scale of how uncool it appears, thus swinging the very uncool back to cool again with a sort of two negatives make a positive type logic.

The ultimate ugly shoe saw it's resurgence in 2021 with a hail of celebrity endorsement, from Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith kickstarting the revival after being seen repping the iconic sandals across social media. When they were papped wearing the shoes on the streets, a trend was reborn. 

It wasn't until early May however, that the trend really exploded when Nicki Minaj sent fans loopy with her custom pink crocs. The brand has now collabed with big hitters like Balenciaga on a bespoke collection, which makes it look like they could be around for a little while longer.

Loungewear

It doesn't take a fashion guru to tell you why loungewear has been on the rise the last couple of years. When lockdown hit the world in 2020, office wear went out the window and comfy casual pieces came in through the door. (Remember when we were given a national scolding for causing delivery men to do their backs in from having to carry all the extra parcels containing comfy loungewear and bread makers that a new work-from home-workforce was ordering?).

Google data shows searches for loungewear sets increasing by a huge 223% in March last year, and this continued throughout the year, with popularity peaks coinciding with the various national lockdowns.

Bella Hadid dons skinny shades

Y2K

The Y2K trend has dominated spring/summer 2021 collections bolstered by its huge popularity among Gen Z and their Tiktok-ing. Fashions come and fashions go, but what appears to be a full circle moment, Gen Z appear to be tapping into styles that were big when they were growing up in the early 2000s.

The whole Y2K thing really soared last summer with bright, bold colours, mini bags, micro sunglasses and clumpy shoes. The popularity of Depop and Vinted within university culture may also have have had its influence on the trend.

Vintage

Sustainability has been one of the biggest buzzwords in the fashion industry for the past few years. The amount of waste the fashion industry is responsible for is shocking to even the least environmentally friendly in the world. Great Britons send 700,000 tonnes of clothing to recycling centres, textile banks, clothes collections and to charity each year. That's enough to fill 459 Olympic-size swimming pools.

With younger generations seemingly more conscious and mindful of waste and the environmental impact of fast fashion, than those before them, it's no real surprise that upcyclcling, recycling and reusing fashion has really taken off.

Again, social media appears to have played its part - vintage clothing has been tagged over 325 million tines on Tiktok alone.

Tie-dying your clothes proved a popular pastime

Tie Dye

When the world seemed to shut down in March 2020 and we were nationally mandated not to leave our homes, the country looked for ways to keep itself entertained. 27 million Brits turned to baking  - researchers analysed that in the 6 months of lockdown from March to September 2020, 960 million loaves of bread were baked! Others turned to slightly more idiosyncratic projects, rediscovering hidden talents and long lost hobbies. One of these happened to be the long forgotten old hippy craze of tie-dying. First popularised in the 60s, and briefly popular again during the 90s 'Second Summer of Love'. A fun way to spend an afternoon, tie dying during lockdown also offered the opportunity to double up as a way to refresh your wardrobe, with tie dye t-shirts, joggers and other loungewear items proving popular. Others went so far as to open full on businesses, selling their dye-dipped wares to other Gen Z folk who wanted the look, but couldn't be bothered with the unavoidable mess. 

Again, this was a trend accelerated by social media as Tiktokers documented their creations on the site. The term saw over 4.7 billion hashtags on the platform, showcasing yet again just how dominant Tiktok has become in propelling fashion trends forward. 

I've opened a Vintage shop online - and I'm selling all my 90s treasures!

Ever since opening my online Vintage clothing and accessories shops on eBay and Depop, (camden.locker and camdenlocker respectively), I have noticed the huge nostalgia for all things 90s. Having been a teenager of the 90s myself, it's been handy to sell off all my old 90s clubwear and accessories to todays youth, who want an authentic piece of the real 90s in their wardrobe, rather than a reproduction. 

Personally, other than the fact I lived through those years, I hold no such desire to wear the clothes of the 90s again - the Buffalo boots and the wide-leg flares with tiny cropped tops; pinning my hair up in little butterfly clips like Geri Spice; the highly pigmented brown lipstick and pencil thin brows.  It's definitely not a look I hanker to return to in my 40s.

I am therefore happy to supply today's teenage somethings with all my old favourite pieces, and see them go off to a new home where someone else can enjoy them as much as I did. But it's been hard letting my old loved items go. A red silky snakeskin halter-neck top I bought in Portobello Market when I was 17 looks barely used even though I wore it over and over, and was practically fought over. I couldn't fit into it anymore, otherwise I'd have definitely kept it. It was a random brand I'd not heard of - Salem -  but whatever I'd seen in it all those years ago, clearly translated over the decades, and it ended up going to a girl who adored it - and who sent me a lovely message about how much she loved it. This made it much easier to let go.

The Salem top

I might sound like I'm being a little dramatic talking about 'letting go' of a piece of clothing like it's a pet, or an adored family heirloom, but for me, clothing can carry memories as much as any item we hold dear. This top took me on some amazing holidays, saw me through university, spent some epic nights out with me and received some fantastic compliments. It has stayed tucked away in my wardrobe for nearly thirty years, in the vain hope that I'll fit into it one day again. I guess I could have passed it on to family, but somehow having to look at it on someone else who I know is somehow worse. So letting it go to a stranger who loves it seems the next best thing. Otherwise I'd be keeping it forever, and lightening up my wardrobe has become a necessity. 

I am  - I will admit, a hoarder of the worst order. Maybe not the 'piling up old newspapers in the bath and storing plastic bags filled with junk you've picked up on the street in the kitchen sink' kind of hoarder. I've been in several hoarder's homes and it is the stuff horror films are made of. I don't want to be one of those people - living in a house full of old memories you can't let go of - that was depressing to even write.  But I do have a tendency to sentimentally attach memories to clothes and knick knacks in a way I have noticed others do not. Not being able to throw away a pair of trousers I will never again wear, because I wore them to a party I remember having fun at, or not being able to burn a candle that was given to me by a friend 30 years ago because, well, it's a candle and would disappear once i'd used it, is maybe not in the 'crazy hoarder' category' but it's swinging in the same ballpark. 

I still think about a keyring I threw away one time when I decided to have a clearout and throw away anything that was broken. This particular keyring was from the 80s - a blue plastic rollerskate with yellow wheels. I can remember buying it - I was walking home from Saturday school with my dad, and he took me into a toyshop come newsagents in Kentish Town. I remember choosing it, choosing the colour and wearing it on my bag (I didn't own keys yet). But twenty years later, one of the wheels was missing, and that day when I did that clearout, I was feeling particularly ruthless, and threw that keyring away. And I still think about it to this day. Then there was the time I overgenerously gave away my favourite oversized 90s Levis jeans jacket to a cousin. It was the noughties, and oversized jeans jackets were not the rage anymore - slim fit skinny ones were. He'd come to London and went to Camden Market looking for the perfect jean jacket. When he couldn't find one, I immediately thought of the one in my wardrobe. The one I'd worn through the 90s and adored, but which wasn't quite fashionable at the time. It fitted his bulkier frame perfectly. But a few yeasrs ago, when oversized jean jackets came back in, i thought of that jacket. I even looked for it, thinking that maybe I'd dreamt giving it away. I hadn't. I hope he bloody loved that jacket. I still think about it. I wonder if he passed it on to his daughter to wear. Or if he threw it out (shudder).

So the fear of making mistakes like this again made me go through a period of literally throwing nothing away. Nothing. Or very little. Even when one Christmas, someone bought me a copy of 'Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, and I managed to do a massive declutter - 6 bin bags and several boxes went to charity -  but it didn't even touch the sides.  Now my home resembles a cross between the Stables Market in Camden, with all it's old trinkets and vintage clothes and an homage to everything I've ever done, seen, known or loved since 1985. 

The Christmas present

My friend Amy has a technique to avoid clutter. She has one of everything, and If she buys something new, she will throw away whatever it is it has replaced. If she buys a new handbag, she throws her old one away. Buys a new laptop, throws the old one away. This is clever. But the problem is, what if you're the type of person who buys something when you're old vresion of that thing is still ok? What if you're the kind of person who wants more than one black handbag? Amy's technique only works for those who have a minimalist mindset. I have at least 50 pairs of black jeans. At least. I am clearly not an Amy.

What I dream of, is a minimlaist Swedish clutter free house - airy and light like a spring cloud. All white and wooden with marble surfaces. maybe a duck egg blue here or there or a light grey. There are fresh blossom somewhere in this dream. Most of all, there are free surfaces. I dream of surfaces - empty,  clutter-free, - but for a quirky vase, a white one, ceramic, with a couple of eucalyptus branches stuck in it for that 'Vogue living' look you see in magazines. I dream of space. I have no space. I dream of space where I can roll out a yoga mat in my bedroom and freely fling myself about pretending to be a warrior or a tree. I want to be able to salute the sun without knocking over a vase and a porcelain Bambi whose tail doubles up as a ring holder. The gulf between the two types of living space the cramped and cluttered and the airy and roomy - what i have and what i want - is vast. Something had to give.

'Just chuck it all' a friend of mine said over coffee yesterday. "If you don't need it and you don't wear it  - especially if you haven't worn it in twenty years, just get rid of it'. I know he is right in a way. But seeing all my old memories end up in landfill is not the answer.  It's not right for my head - I'll just end up thinking about it like I still think about that rollerskate keyring. Nor is it environmentally the right thing to do. The amount of clothes in landfill - well, that's a whole other article. So selling it on to someone else who will love it as much as I did or do, and make their own memories in it the way I did, seems to me the best compromise. 

Originally, when I first thought about writing this piece, it was going to be about how people who've had their teenage years in an era (mine in the 90s for instance) tend not to dive into that trend when it comes round for a second time. I remember talking to a friend who grew up in the 70s, telling me they'd never wear flares again (this was after they'd come round for the first time in the 90s) as they were there the first time round and were there when they lost their cool in the 80s. They'd been there and done it the first time round and it felt weird to do it again - to go back to your youth in that way. And that's what I inteded to write about. How I couldn't do the 90s again as I'd already done them, and how it would seem weird to revisit my youth in that way. But it turned into more of a piece on nostalgia itself, and time passing, and having to let things go. 

I can't keep all my stuff - and clothes, i've discovred don't keep well. Moths are little shits. They have no care for sentimentality - and no respect for expense either - the flying, egg laying eating machines tend to go for your priciest stuff - your silks and your cashmeres. They will munch through your Alexander McQueens and leave the Topshops which are stored in the same bag. That's just vindictive if you're asking me. It's like they know. And then there's the problems brought on by materials ageing. White's turn yellow, leather crumbles and goes sticky, shoes fall apart, and don't get me started on the little holes that appear from nowhere. Where do they come from??

The Miss Sixty vest

So if you're interested in some great 90s pieces, worn with love and handed on with the hope that you'll love them too, have a look at my shop. There's a Miss Sixty top that's causing a small furore. It's mad cute, and I love it even now. But I'll never fit into it again. I'll never again wear it with those black flarey trousers I always wore with it and my buffalo boots or my Adidas shelltoes. Someone else can though. Ahhhh my Buffalo boots. Original 90s Spice girl boots. Not touched since 1998. Still in their original box. They're staying with me. For now.

Is buying second-hand safe in the time of Covid-19?

  

For those lucky enough to maintain a steady income throughout the Coronavirus (or Covid-19) pandemic and no less than three national lockdowns, supporting small businesses and circular fashion may still be on the cards.

Whether you are looking to buy a vintage liner jacket to keep warm on those socially-distant walks (with one other person mind), renting a dress for your at-home Valentine's Day or simply buying for a Coronavirus-free future (a girl can dream), you may have concerns about clothes that have passed through other people's hands during the pandemic.

If so, let's take a look at exactly how safe it is to wear pre-loved clothes and what you can do to mitigate any potential danger:

Can Coronavirus, or Covid-19, survive on clothing and fabric?

Despite the virus being around for over a year, information on the virus and its many strains' exact lifespan on which surfaces is still limited, so proceed with caution and prioritise your personal health always.

In March of last year, the World Health Organisation revealed that they were: 'not certain how long the virus that causes Covid-19 survives on surfaces...[however], studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the Covid-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.'

That being said, they also stated that the chances of catching Covid-19 through a package from an infected area or person is 'low', and have claimed it is safe.

Similarly, Harvard Health has only noted washing clothes as an 'extra precaution' for those directly caring for Covid-19 sufferers, and places 'counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables' as high-priority surfaces to clean.

Further research over 2020 continued to suggest fabric is unlikely to carry the virus longer than 24 hours in its fibres.

This means, if you are concerned your pre-loved item has come into contact with the virus, quarantine it in its package for 24 hours prior to handling. Or, wash your pre-loved or borrowed clothes with disinfectant detergent to put your mind at ease (and be sure to wash your hands).

If you need more information on how to halt the spread of Covid-19, head to the NHS' website now.

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Expert tips on how to shop vintage.

 There are few things more irritating than when you ask someone where they got the bloody amazing top/dress/coat/shoes they’re wearing and you’re met with a coy “Oh, this? It’s vintage.” 

The first frustration comes with knowing you’re probably not going to be able to find that exact piece anywhere, the second comes with kicking yourself for not being bothered to trawl charity shops to find gems like that.

Time and effort is a pretty big blocker to most of us shopping vintage, but beyond the style credentials, going second hand has big impacts on combatting the impact of fast fashion that makes it well worth it. It’s why initiatives like Oxfam’s Second Hand September encourage us to pledge to buy nothing new for 30 days to combat the reality that every week 13 million items of clothing ends up in UK landfill.

When it comes to embarking on finding the perfect pre-loved pieces for you, heading to places like eBay is a good start (eBay even has a dedicated vintage hub to help you find the best bits). 

The site has helped save the equivalent of 900 double decker buses in weight of fashion items going to landfill this year by people listing and buying on the platform. Buyers and sellers can opt to give to charity in their transactions too (including Oxfam’s Second Hand September), so you can do more good in one go.

“To get the best bang for your buck, look for timeless, stylish pieces that will always look modern”

With that in mind, Emma Grant, Head of Preloved at eBay recommends the following to help find items you’ll love.

“Be specific with your search terms – if you’re looking for a particular item, naming brands or eras that are associated with the style you’re looking to emulate will help you narrow down the search to the most relevant items. For instance, if you’re looking for the perfect vintage rain mac for autumn, try including Burberry or 70s trench in your search.

To get the most wear out of second-hand fashion and to get the best bang for your buck, look for timeless, stylish pieces that will always look ‘modern’. Coats, boots and handbags are sure-fire investment pieces.

And don’t be afraid of the tailor - the fits and cuts of vintage and pre-owned fashion can differ hugely from what we’re used to seeing on the high street, so don’t expect your usual size to fit you perfectly. You may have to size up or down to get the fit that works for you and a tailor can finesse it to make it look like it was made for you.”

Stylist Lucy Tempest-Walker’s top tip for shopping on eBay is to set alerts; “You’ll get notifications whenever something is listed that matches what you’re looking for, saving time trawling and ensuring you don’t miss out.”

So, armed with top tips, we challenged the Stylist fashion team to see what they could find on eBay and share how they would style them. Here’s how they got on…

Polly Knight, Fashion Editor

“I’m all about shopping wardrobe staples, pieces that will never go out of fashion, that’ll last you through seasons, and pieces that don’t adhere to ever changing trends instead have a long-life span in your wardrobe.

So I took Emma’s advice to shop smart and invest in classics that look modern; this super chic trench is in great condition - it has leather covered buckle detailing and Aquascutums trademark check lining that will add a touch of elegance to any outfit.

I teamed my trench find with some vintage white Levi’s that I also sourced on eBay. Shopping vintage denim is a much more sustainable way to shop denim, it’s a more circular process so it has a lower impact on the planet. 

A top tip to shopping denim online is knowing your measurements rather than your size and to check these before buying - don’t be afraid to ask the seller questions to find out the exact sizing, you want to find the perfect fit jeans.

Opt for high waisted straight legs like these - you’ll wear them for seasons to come.”

Read more here

Now-stalgia - why fashion is going back to the future

 

J Lo looking familiar in S/S2020 Versace

Last September, Jennifer Lopez closed Milan’s spring/summer Versace show, shimmering down the catwalk like some A-list whirling dervish, in a sheer jungle-print scarf dress. It was the same sheer scarf dress that she wore on the red carpet of the 2000 Grammys which wowed for the fact it looked like it would disintegrate and fall off her body at any moment. As the fashion critic Robin Givhan wrote at the time: “It was revealing without revealing anything. It dazzled because it threatened to slip away at any moment.” (It also made the term, ahem, “tit tape” go viral).

Nineteen years later, the dress had a different sort of meaning. As she slid down the catwalk to the flashes of 100 iPhones, Lopez was winning Milan fashion week. Here was a strong and confident woman of a certain age, defying stereotypes. But, as a cultural moment it also crystallised an idea that swept through fashion month: fashion is not just stuck in the past, it is in bed with it, snuggling up nice and close and rubbing its cold feet on it.

In Paris, in the same month, the 33-year-old Olivier Rousteing opened his Balmain show with Lindsay Lohan’s 2004 song Rumours (the show also featured 00s classics from Britney Spears, ‘NSync and Christina Aguilera). In the show notes, Rousteing asked: “Is my generation’s nostalgia for our turn-of-the-century childhood culture somehow less cool than fashion’s more familiar fixation on the 70s and 80s?”

Article here

The top 5 items to invest in when shopping vintage

 

Navigating the world of luxury vintage can feel like a bit of a minefield. Which items are worth investing in? Which will stand the test of time? And most importantly, how do you know if a product will hold its value?

When it comes to making a luxury vintage purchase, all of these questions are valid musings. Luckily, there are experts out there who have the exact answers and insight you might seek. In the spirit of second-hand September, we tapped the fashion director and co-founder of Vestiaire Collective, Sophie Hersan, to explain exactly which luxury vintage pieces are worthwhile investments.

"Unique vintage pieces always sell well and therefore tend to be fail-safe investment pieces, too," Hersan explains. "Vintage Celine, Dior, Gucci, nylon Prada, and Louis Vuitton bags are good investments, as they are timeless classics."

 

"Rare, iconic, and timeless vintage pieces are currently resonating strongly with our community as well," Hersan continues. "We recently released our first biannual report, The Smart Side of Fashion, which revealed that there has been a rapid increase in interest for iconic archival collections from the 1990s, including Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Chanel, and jewellery by Christian Lacroix."

If you're looking for a few more specifics, we also asked Hersan for the top five vintage products she would recommend investing in. Unsurprisingly, her list included the ever-popular Louis Vuitton canvas bag, Prada's instantly recognisable nylon collection, and, of course, anything in a Dior monogram. Keep scrolling to see Sophie Hersan's vintage investment recommendations. 

1. Louis Vuitton Coated Canvas Bags

"The Louis Vuitton coated canvas bags are a great classic to invest in, as they hold their value well." 

2. Prada Nylon Bags 

"The nylon fabric and triangle logo combination is iconic." 

3. Gucci Jackie Bags

"Following the rerelease this year, we saw searches for this style increase by 631%! If you act quickly, you can snap up an amazing vintage style before the prices start to increase!"

4. Anything Jean Paul Gaultier 

"Pieces by Jean Paul Gaultier will become vintage gold dust following his retirement in January. I’d recommend investing in a printed mesh top."

5. Dior Monogram Pieces

"Dior monogram pieces represent the iconic '00s, and we’re really seeing the popularity around this decade increase. The vintage saddlebag and pink monogram accessories can be found at accessible price points. I think they will prove to be in demand for a long time to come." 

See full article here

Blackkklansman 70's Inspired looks to try now

Marci Rodgers costume designs

On August 24, Spike Lee’s BlacksKkKlansman, a movie based on a wildly true story about an undercover operation to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan with a black detective from Colorado Springs in the ‘70s, is out in cinemas. Considering everything old is new again, and that thee silhouettes from the ‘70s are in high demand, we asked costume director Marci Rodgers about the pieces from the film we can wear in real life. Turns out: She’s banking big on denim and fringe.

“I love fringe,” Rodgers tells Refinery29. “A good fringe coat or jacket will take you far. It never goes out of style.” It was important for Rodgers to work with pieces, like fringe, that feel timeless, but also speak to the time period in which the story was set. The costume designer sourced tons of items for the film at costume houses in New York and LA, but also she says, scored big in Brooklyn vintage shops like Beacon’s Closet and L Train Vintage. After Lee sent Rodgers the script, she says she set up shop in Howard University’s library in D.C., where she dug through an archive of black magazines like Essence, Ebony, and Jet to make sure the clothing was historically accurate.

Read more here: