In sixth grade, my style was defined by knee-length basketball shorts, backwards hats and Nike sweatshirts. My style wasn’t trendy, it was simply what I found appealing. Eventually, seeking to adventure into the world of manic trends and raging fads, I pestered my parents to allow me a TikTok account.
Many who use TikTok remember the inquiries the app poses when you first create an account. You must select your interests, so naturally, like many middle schoolers, I chose a variety of sports and fashion.
Shortly after, my daily apparel had morphed from basketball shorts to ripped skinny jeans. This was the first of many dramatic stylistic changes my closet underwent. Over the years, my style slowly solidified into what it is today, but it came with no lack of fashionable failures. Despite the constant change, social media remained my muse.
TikTok has been, and continues to be, a breeding ground for every new fashion trend. The countless Adidas Sambas stomping down hallways all over America, the surprising resurrection of baggy jeans flooding teenagers’ closets, the old-school headbands displayed by girls everywhere, have all been trends spearheaded by the creative minds on TikTok.
Until recently, there was a clear, seemingly worldwide style at any given time. It went from ripped skinny jeans and Air Force 1s to the VSCO girl style consisting of short-shorts, baggy shirts and countless beach-themed bracelets.
Eventually, there was a psychedelic sort of style that emerged, using cow print, checkerboard and melting smiley face patterns. However, in the last couple of years, a distinct style of the times has yet to be identified.
When I look back in time to the styles of the past, they categorize themselves neatly by decade. Clear and expansive trends mark the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. But once the timeline of fashion works its way to the 2020s, what will our distinctive style be?
Currently, all over social media, people express themselves through their unique styles. Many people, including myself, wear a distinctively retro style. We embellish ourselves with the chunky gold jewelry of the 90s or the wide-leg jeans from the 80s. Despite this being a distinct style, it is not our own. It is simply a repeat of a decade long passed. Others on TikTok cling to the eclectic Y2K style, with leopard print, belts and buckles. Once again, this distinctive style is not our generations’.
Instead of paving the way for new fashion and innovative ideas, it seems that we have now found ourselves recycling old ideas, and hardly bothering to put a unique spin on them. People all over the internet find a decade from the past to identify with and cling to it, but even if there were to be a new style to emerge, the 2020s have seen trends move too quickly for any one style to become the iconic symbol of this decade.
The argument that athleisure wear is the sign of these times remains, but was athleisure wear not the staple during the 2010s? LuluLemon leggings, Aerie sweatshirts and Nike sneakers have already made their mark.
Despite the continual popularity of many athleisure wear items, it still cannot be the stylistic trace left by our teenage years. So what is our style? Are we stuck in an eternal loop of repeating and recycling old ideas? Or will new trends emerge and withstand the test of time that so many have failed?
Fashion is at a stalemate, and social media is the only way for true reinvention in the fashion industry. Although I am particularly fond of my chosen niche- the retro, baggy clothes of the 80s and 90s- I yearn for the excitement of new ideas to flood our modern stores. I wait patiently for fashion that resonates with and represents our entire generation.
