Hip, Chic, and Worn by Your Mother

(Category: Fashion)

Ever looked back over old photos and wondered what your parents were thinking putting you in those brown trousers and pink jumper? No? Me neither! But my sister does quite regularly, and she’s the figure of fun in the family. Mainly because my mum is adamant she dressed herself that way.

In all seriousness, it is strange looking back over family albums and seeing so many retro looks and vintage clothes coming back into fashion. What’s even scarier is that a lot of it was worn by my mother and other women in her generation. Is all fashion on a cycle or is it just certain styles from certain generations on the way back?

Flares and bell bottoms

Apparently everyone had a pair in the 60’s and 70’s (normally to the disgust of their children) and somehow they made a comeback in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Who allowed this travesty to happen? Explained by the ‘second summer of love’ and the rise of acid house, but was there really an excuse to have them back in the wardrobes or just due for another cycle back into fashion? Luckily, it lead to the boot cut jean so there was a silver lining on the horizon.

Shoulder pads

No joke…shoulder pads keep coming back in every 10 years or so, even being sported on many a catwalk and fashion collection. Those were DEFINITELY sported by everyone’s mother at one time or another but now they’re removable and sold separately so you can add them to whatever item of clothing you like? I’m not sure that this is a fashion statement that should be coming back.

BIG hair

The hair is possibly scarier than the shoulder pad, and whilst not actually an item of clothing, it’s certainly a trend that keeps coming back. Perms, back combing and a full tin of hairspray are some of the staples of big hair and not just on the women! BIG is back, and keeps bouncing back to us every few years or so. The dishevelled look may not be something you’re going for when you drag yourself out of bed in the morning, but people work very hard to get that look and venture outside with it too. But perhaps your mum wasn’t going for being ‘on trend’ when she got THAT perm for your Auntie’s wedding…

BIG earrings and glasses

You thought only the hair was big? NOPE. Think Deidre glasses, think Bet’s earrings. Accessories as well as vintage clothing are on a constant cycle back too. Referred to by some as ‘hipsters’, big glasses are back, bordering on geek chic crossed with a bug eyed science teacher and you don’t have to have a problem with your vision to wear them. Selling them with a plastic see through lens means even the people with 20/20 vision can keep on top of the fashion trends. As for the earrings, there are still plenty of people out there who like their bling big, gold and hanging from every possible part of their ears.

Bright red lipstick

Gwen Stefani rocks it, your mum looked like a blow up doll; make-up makes its own rounds with the retro fashion cycles. Bright and garish colours on finger nails, lips and eyelids are in one minute, and then pale under stated is in the next. Even venturing as daring as neon colours over your entire body in make-up form has its roots to ‘back in the day’ and is not something new and interesting. Be careful to avoid colours that don’t suit you, even if you are trying to revive a fashion. Being retro doesn’t mean you won’t look like a complete fool

Fashion is always interesting and always worth chatting about with your mates, online or in articles. It’s ever changing and sometimes not even the biggest fashion magazine can predict what will be the next big thing. Cheap vintage clothing isn’t easy to find; vintage loosely translated means expensive depending where you shop, and some trends aren’t easy to pull off. But still there is always a lot to talk about. If fashion stayed completely regimented and completely the same, women would be wearing underskirts or petticoats and men would all be wearing a bowler hat or something. The joy of fashion is seeing what will come back next and hoping you have something similar in your own wardrobe so that it won’t cost you the earth.

Trends are all about recycling, and in a world wanting to be more eco-friendly and green, surely that’s us doing our bit for the fashion environment?