How Vintage Fashion has Influenced Citrus College Students
Let’s go back in time. You’re about 10 years old walking down the street holding an adult’s hand having an insanely good time; there’s not a single thing that could distract you from having fun with your favorite person…or so you thought. Your head spins, and your attention is caught by someone older than you wearing an outfit that is unique in a way that grabs your attention, say, a girl wearing baggy jeans with a tight top, unique earrings, and boots with an inch-thick platform. It makes you wonder what you’ll look like at their age. Will you look as cool as they do?
As a Citrus College student, you might have already grown into your personal style, but your current statement pieces were probably inspired by someone or something from the past. Was it a celebrity? A relative? An entire decade? What about the ‘90s or early 2000s? Your style is probably a mix of a bunch of different looks from different time periods. But, it’s interesting to think how closely it is related to previous generations, and how it differs from them. In other words, your style has a story. You have evolved as a person, and all the stories you’ve lived through have helped influence who you are and how you dress. Understanding what decades have affected the way you present yourself currently can broaden your variety of outfit choices, and help you to express your individuality.
Walking around campus, I noticed some fits that both stood out and were totally different. There was Basic, Grunge, ‘90s, Comfy, Academia, Cottage Core — basically, any aesthetic that has ever existed was presented to me at Citrus College — all within the span of about two hours. Seeing so many different styles on so many different people in such a short period is pretty impressive. It almost seems as if our generation has normalized every style that has ever existed because no style seems to be out of place. Like an odd puzzle with fifty different pictures and a thousand pieces, it all clicks. However, in previous years that was not always the case.
Let’s go back in time.
We are smack dab in the ‘70s. The Vietnam War is ongoing, and political values have caused a big cultural divide. Women are fed up with the societal standard for beauty and femininity, causing a huge shift in their modern wardrobe. Short skirts and tight halter tops are in. Big flares that fit snugly around hips and waistlines are making heads turn. You also see big flowy bell sleeves with funky patterns and layered necklaces. The hippies are taking over. But what are they missing? Shoes! They don’t want them. It’s a rebellion. They want freedom. They want to be unconfined from everyday worries because there is enough going on in the world. It almost seems like everyone is just wearing whatever they want. Denim on denim is big right now. So are corduroy jeans and striped sweaters. There are so many different things going on in the ‘70s that Tom Wolfe calls it the “Me Decade.”
Our generation doesn’t seem to be so different from the ‘70s, with the political clashes and demands for changes. It’s no wonder then that a lot of our styles convey the ‘70s: Hippie, Fairy Core, Cottage Core, Earth Core, Goblin Core, Adventure Core (it’s all about the core of it). All of these utilize natural colors, lots of accessories, messy hair, and some really progressively passionate energy. Gen Z has plenty of access to the internet to see rallies organized and to find new creative ways to revolt from both political parties. Sound familiar? Denim on denim seems to be right around the corner, and it figures that bell bottoms have made a comeback in multiple different bubbles; this notion is something that a local Citrus College student named Kai can definitely relate to. Kai, who is 18 and majoring in Business Management wants to open her own cafe someday. Shewalks around campus in clothing that is heavily impacted by this decade, and her eye-catching appearance is very alluring. She radiates positivity and appears to be one with nature in her earth tones. While on campus with her laptop in hand, she works peacefully after class in her flowy syrup brown dress, with beautiful textures and lots of layering beneath the scoop neck. Beige moons peek through sheer brown bell sleeves with a deep v neckline. Mary Jane’s and bright purple hair complete the look. “The ‘floweyness’ of said articles of clothing is so enjoyable and funky!” says Kai. “Flared sleeves or pants is one of the styles I love most!” It’s not exactly a shock though because fashion seems to make its comeback whenever the time is right.
Hey, you guys! the year is 1984. You’re touring Citrus College and you look around at the people and well…no one is in those mix-and-match outfits that we’re used to seeing in 2023. Having diversity in fashion groups is not as common. People stick to whatever social crowd they fit into best, and if someone spots you wearing something different from your crowd, you’re on your way to being a basketcase. In the ‘80s, the “popular” kids have perfect clothing and listen to music like Michael Jackson and Madonna. Everything they wear is pristine and preppy. People wearing anything that looks remotely similar to the grunge style in 2023 are in leather jackets, dark tees, and have big messy colored hair — outcasts. But outcasts get along with other outcasts. These people have friends in the other underground communities like the skas, punk rockers, and heavy metal crowd. Whoever understands the struggle of being disliked by the mainstream preppy community can be found having a conversation in the back of the school. But, you know who is who just by looking at them. Different subcultures may mingle, but the styles do not in the underground crowd. Flash forward to today, there is style diversity within one’s friend group, as people value individuality not only for themselves but with who they surround themselves. Unlike in the ‘80s, they want to share aspects of their outfits with whatever crowd they can. Most of Gen Z happens to be raised by a teen in the 80s’, so maybe their parents have some unintentional impact on their views of both the world and clothing.
Beep me if you want to reach me because we’re in the ‘90s! This is the decade that everyone today seems to love, and it never goes out of style. Clothing becomes much more casual than it once was in the ‘80s for both genders. This is also another decade in which the underground scene lives on, and it is more popular in our generation. Rap culture has changed a lot, and has just started to become mainstream. Music starts combining genres which was unheard of at the time, since as we know, the ‘80s was a very divided bunch. The ‘90s begin to partially kick that to the curb and start a cultural blend. One can assume this has an impact on clothing because previously music was another one of those things that people of different styles were loyal to — but now they’re mixing. The tagger (graffiti artists) look is fresh. They wear oversized jackets and big baggy pants that need a belt to hold them up as they drag across the floor fraying at the bottoms. Another underground category that is on the rise with its own individualistic style is that of the rave scenes. Punk may have started in the late ‘70s but it is becoming more accepted, alongside all the other underground genres, so much so that in current times, some of the music from then is referred to as pop punk. Bands like Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili peppers help to kickstart the rise of grunge, both the music and the clothing. Big band tees and ripped-up Converse and some messed up hair is a common sight. Meanwhile, long shorts, Converse All-Stars, and Levi’s are a pretty basic staple for your average skater who is a frequent listener of grunge.
Shows like Friends are a huge hit and the mainstream crowd responds by taking on oversized sweaters with loose-fitted long skirts, or tight-fitted cropped graphic tees with straight-leg acid-wash jeans and well-fitted zip-up sweaters. Yet another very common look. This show is something that people still take inspiration from regarding clothing. The ‘90s is a very high-energy year for teens especially. Parents want big homes and fancy cars, so they’re working longer hours. Their teens on the other hand are all over the place doing whatever they can whenever they can. They like to be out and about rebelling against their parents. Ironically, our very own, Leslie Segovia, seems to do the opposite! She loves the ‘90s clothing but she actually looks up to her dad’s style. Leslie says “The men in my life definitely influenced my fashion. I don’t know why but I always thought my dad and my uncles are such cool people that I started to enjoy wearing boyish clothes in 6th grade. A lot of my clothes are from the men’s and boy’s section.” And while this contradicts the rebellious aspect of the 90s’, it makes sense for her to look up to male clothing, as the ‘90s is known for more casual clothing. Leslie— who is majoring to become a registered nurse, looks confident and put together. Her large silver glasses, which frame her face beautifully, and oversized unzipped windbreaker reveal her well-fitting knit sweater, and a black miniskirt sends the message of professionalism. She would most likely fit in with the mainstream crowd, but she definitely stands out today. Her major is popular but she is determined and on the road to success. “I love the 90s style. I think that era is my favorite. Lana Del Rey’s music slightly influenced my choices for a quick femme fatale phase.” Femme fatale is another style that has sprung recently and seems to be a consistent favorite. Its dark and deep red colors have proven to be unmoving in today’s style and were very heavily impacted by the 90s.
Talk to the hand 2000s! This is where things start to change drastically, but may start to look more familiar to the Citrus College students. The internet has entered the chat, and now people have access to everything around the globe, from music to clothes. This causes a pretty large cultural shift because now absolutely everyone and everything is mixing, but it’s absolutely not judgment free. Trends become common in every different group, just altered to suit their aesthetic. For example, skinny jeans are in and everyone’s wearing them. But the “scene kids” have their hair in a harsh swoop to the side colored bright neon, and their denim is dark and torn. It is new, and people liked to be “different”. The mainstream kids look pretty different. Sure the skinny jeans stay, but they’re a light blue, and their hair has just a few streaks of color. Lip gloss and butterfly clips are in every kid’s hair. The underground style from the ‘80s and ‘90s is popping up in popular TV shows as casual outfits. Today, people have taken that upcycled ‘80s and ‘90s look from the early 2000s and labeled it Y2K, meaning “The year 2000.” The internet has pretty much changed everyone’s view on clothing and culture. The future is here! People are optimistic and ready for a change in their everyday life because now websites like Youtube, Myspace, and Facebook have allowed people to see what their friends are interested in. This has made it easy to copy trends and friends.
The fashions, social movements, and pop cultures of previous generations have now blended and greatly impacted the 2020s. Now, people are excited to add their own twist on styles that were not to be messed with before. Most styles that you would think wouldn’t cross paths have been combined and the newer generation seems to do it quite frequently. Some people would think it’s a little messy, but in all actuality, it’s done in a beautiful way. For example, punk and cottage core? It sounds kinda ridiculous but they already have some elements that are pretty similar. Dyed hair, piercings, and combat boots are seen in both styles, so why wouldn’t it be a good idea to swap the similarities and run with them? That’s exactly what today’s generation is doing. Picking and choosing what matches them the best.
This next generation is something unseen before. People raised off of the internet are free to explore its wide variety of culture, creativity, and community. What they will do in the near future is difficult to predict, but at the end of the day, if this article has taught you anything— the clothing we know and love today will make its comeback.
