What Year is it Again?
Imagine you’re back in 2014 — even if you don’t want to be. Tumblr is peaking in popularity, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are performing their On the Run Tour, 5 Seconds of Summer just released their first album and boxy, bright, cropped tees fill the racks at every store. When people think of the fashion of the early 2010s, they cringe a bit. But no matter how much we try to deny it, fashion is cyclical, and all once-trendy clothes are destined to come back into style eventually.
The trend cycle is a phenomenon that was originally thought to occur every 20 and 30 years, but sources like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar say it’s now closer to 10 years.
The rise of social media, especially TikTok, are likely responsible for trends cycling through more quickly than before. The promotion of trends on social media has influenced the rise of fast fashion companies.
The style of the mid-2010s was deemed the resurgence of 90s style due to its emphasis on basics, and, according to Refinery 29, its prioritization of comfort and practicality instead of an eye-catching design. Even some of the grunge styles of 2014 Tumblr reflected the simple, yet well-ensembles of the 90s.
The latter half of 2023 popularized “quiet luxury,” a movement focused on elevated elegance and a lack of visible branding. This minimalistic trend called back to the style of the 90s — which was so 2014. Neutral-colored workwear and trench coats flooded designer shelves. Jeans, a turtleneck and a blazer became the outfit of choice, similar to the 90s model-off-duty. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s clothing brand, The Row, gained popularity and is often referred to as best epitomizing the trend. But quiet luxury and the “clean girl” trend may be moving on and paving the way for something else entirely.
One of the most anticipated trends of 2024 is the “mob wife” aesthetic, even mentioned in a post on Bratz’s Instagram. The trend is characterised by giant faux fur coats, big hair, long nails, chunky gold jewelry, animal print, black leather, over-the-top eye makeup and slinky, silky gowns. While this trend is only projected to last the winter, it has taken social media by storm. Fur, both faux and real, hasn’t been this popular in years; many luxury brands announced their intention to phase out fur products in the late 2010s. However, faux fur peaked in popularity in the fall of 2014. Bold, bright fur coats were juxtaposed by shaggy black and neutral coats on runways in an effort to convince consumers faux fur was fresh.
Another trend that has risen in popularity since late 2023 is the coquette aesthetic. This trend has only one rule: put a bow on everything. And I mean, everything. Delicate tights lined with bows, hair ribbons, ballet flats and Mary Janes with ruffle-edged socks, florals and puffy dresses define this trend. For a while, coquette was so popular that it was impossible to find a pair of Sandy Liang’s iconic satin Mary Jane pointe shoes. Liang’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection was called a mix between “balletcore” and “pageantcore.” Her Spring/Summer 2024 collection had a similar hyper-femininity to it, playing with bows, tulle, rosettes and ruffles. While vastly popular now thanks to TikTok and designers like Liang, the coquette style played a more subtle role in the early 2010s. Tumblr users obsessed with Lana Del Rey, Marie Antoinette, antique furniture, floral bedding and pink walls took their coquette inspiration from the Japanese lolita aesthetic and rebranded into a new form of feminine fashion. This trend is perfect for anyone hoping to embrace their delicate side.
Tumblr was the original trend-defining platform, and 2010n Tumblr showcased a grunge aesthetic that would remain in the back of people’s minds for years to come. Tights under shorts (bonus points if they’re fishnets), studded boots and multiple layers of jackets set this hipster trend apart from the other variations of Tumblr style. Guys rocked fedoras and deep v-neck tees. When I think of indie sleaze, I picture Effy from Skins and a messy, smudged eye look. Celine’s Spring/Summer 2023 Menswear Collection perfectly encapsulated the messy, rockstar-infused, hippie look that indie sleaze so desperately pleaded to be. Although indie sleaze has been teasing its way back into the mainstream since 2022, 2024 is the year it’s expected to come back. It just may be the year of maximalism in fashion (again).
In 2014, I had just turned 10 years old and began picking out my own clothes. I feel victim to the more quirky trends of that year, like fake mustaches and dogs-with-glasses graphic tees, rather than the more high fashion ones. Is Gen Z too young to have experienced the trends of the early 2010s? Even so, I guess now we can say it’s better late than never.