Styled Essence

Everyone knows the saying, “History always repeats itself.” When it comes to fashion, 100%.

From my observations, the year 2024 has seen the most fashion comebacks we’ve had in a while, denim garments, cheetah print, heels, shoes and purses. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m paying more attention to such things and I’m older, or maybe it’s just the obvious and temporary returns. I myself fell victim to all five in just a couple of months, and it worries me that I didn’t see much potential in cheetah print or denim before society as a whole approved of them, no longer seeing them as strange.

Who decides, at some point, to style a certain print or material in such a cool and inspiring way that almost the whole world agrees on its comeback? The answer is…we do. Celebrities like Bella Hadid, who post themselves wearing Sambas, and other people with widely known platforms promote outfits that normalize embracing our bodies. High-end designer purses that can be thrifted or bought for $5 also feed the fashion community and bring great attention to these garments.

The thing is, you don’t have to know how to style or wear these pieces of modern trends because, since they’re already in, wearing them automatically gives you approval; from groups like a popular high school group or a certain amount of likes on an Instagram post. So, does validation motivate us to follow and be part of the group, or is it about being open to new ideas and fashion statements, which is actually the most interesting and pure part of being human?

Some other clothing, accessories, and shoes that are making a comeback from the past include corsets (of course, there is a very different way of styling them that is more modern and, according to the eras in which they were worn , provocative), watches, ballet flats, low-waisted EVERYTHING, headbands, and so much more. Our current generation allows us to have more freedom to experiment with these pieces, and sometimes, the way we style them would definitely give those from centuries before us a stroke.

I think the items and ideas that are brought back are the ones that have more potential than we thought in the past. The uniqueness and creativity of individuals today provides a lot of insight into the contemporary ways of doing things.

Humans have always, since the days of cavemen, found ways to take advantage of anything and everything to make it into something wearable. Even though during those times it was mostly for safety and survival, throughout history, humans have learned how to use clothing to express art in the form of fabric or really any material. The more we live and evolve, the more creatively and interestingly we play around with past trends.