From crop tops and scrunchies to mom jeans and Dr. Martens, all the trends we thought would never return have seemingly risen from the dead. With the trends of the ‘80s and ‘90s responsible for most of these recurring fashion items, the general population tends to look like they came out of a magazine from when our parents were growing up. 

In addition to the return of many once ugly clothing items and accessories, the bright colors that also once accompanied fashions of the recent past have returned as well. Bright neon colors and outfits made of a slew of hues have taken over the wardrobes of middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, and even those of Millenials. Everyone’s wearing the classic windbreakers, ripped jeans, and crop tops that were so favored in the ‘90s, so who says that shoulder pads won’t defy the odds as well? 

Despite their relative ubiquity in our halls these days, many do not realize that leggings were once the hot look of the 1960s. Although men were the ones responsible for the global spread of leggings, the modern leggings of today actually originated in the 1960s, which is when the idea of leggings transformed from a unisex garment to one that had a much more feminine aura. Then, in the ‘80s, everything changed once. Due to the increase in popularity of workout gear as a standard part of an everyday outfit, it was now acceptable to wear leggings on a day-to-day basis. Now, leggings are an essential part of most women’s wardrobes.

Another clothing item that is back to re-live its glory days is the mom jeans, in all their chunky, high-waisted glory. Mom jeans were originally fashionable in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the late 1900s and 2000s, they were mainly worn by middle-aged women. Trendy younger women did not think that they were in style. Issued in various colors from black to stone-washed, it seems these days that just about everyone owns a pair. Usually paired with a tucked-in shirt and a belt, they are a direct descendant of the ‘90s. 

Stretchy pants and loose-fitting denim aside, it is beyond a doubt that the item that came back with the most vengeance is the scrunchie. Once seen as a popular addition to any outfit in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the scrunchie has returned with renewed vigor. Regardless of gender, scrunchies can now be found on everyone’s wrists. Though their comeback started in about 2010, it seems that 2019 has brought with it a violent love for bunched up fabric hair accessories. Aside from their functionality, they are also frequently worn simply as bracelets. With its current amount of popularity, one could say that the scrunchie is a necessary part of living in 2019.

Overall, it is undeniable that the fashion of the ‘80s and ‘90s is now found in almost everyone’s closet. It can be argued that these years currently hold the most influence upon modern everyday outfits. Scrunchies crowd wrists while crop tops litter the lives of just about every teenage girl. Gen z definitely has a fondness for the fashions of the past