By Medha Arora, Deputy Editor
It’s no secret that Gen Z is really big on trends- whether it’s a dance on TikTok, a talking dog audio on Instagram reels, some sort of #challenge or even sweatpants and septum piercings. This digitally native generation follows trends from across the world and never fails to kickstart new ones, as is especially evident in the last 2 years we’ve all largely spent at home in front of our screens. But how original or recent are these trends, really?
Turns out that just like the #ThrowbackTuesday Challenge, most “trends” presently adopted by Gen Z, some of them rebranded as “vintage”, were fashioned and followed by millennials in their teenage years, creating what has been called a ‘Throwback Economy’.
After years of high-rise and skinny jeans being the only acceptable style of jeans, low-rise as well as baggy, straight-fit and even the classic flared bottoms- reminiscent of the early 2000s, have made a comeback, leaving the once-famous skinny jeans fairly obsolete. Tie-n-Dye, Bucket hats, classic brand hoodies, polo t-shirts, colourful jewellery and other Y2K items can all be seen donned by Gen Z celebs and influencers. As everyone hunts for these “vintage” finds, coupled with catering to Gen Z’s characteristic penchant for sustainability, a ‘thrifting boom’ is taking place. And since not everything can be readily found second-hand, legacy retailers like The Gap and Abercrombie and Fitch are also gaining clout again.
According to Axios, even wired earphones are back in after being replaced with Air pods and other wireless devices. (Yes, they were never out for most of us…) This trend can be attributed to the aesthetic of listening to music, which is also why Vinyl CDs sales are soaring, as well as the conspicuous direct connection to audiences the wired mic can symbolize. Additionally, even pop musicians like Doja Cat and Dua Lipa who are viral today seemingly resonate with the 1980s signature dance pop sound. Axios states that the big picture is that, “TikTok’s algorithm makes it easy for flashback items to resurface and quickly go viral both on its platform and eventually on other social networks.”
Research has shown that during uncertainty and economic turmoil, we are more likely to feel nostalgia as a reminder of simpler times, which also explains the recent shift to nostalgia marketing, where brands are attempting to put a modern spin with modern values while leveraging familiarity and older cultural references. Faced with instability and anxieties amidst the Coronavirus crisis, everyone turned to comfort music and food, recreating childhood dishes and rediscovering old music. Gen Z too, in their own internet-dependent way, found solace in nostalgia as a form of escapism. Courtesy of TikTok and Instagram, they embraced 2000s trends, just like millennials had previously embraced the 80s.
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Arthashastra 