Throwback Trends Get a Stylish Upgrade in 2017
The fashion industry has mastered the art of recycling styles from a familiar era and adapting it for now.
Fashion trends from the ‘90s are currently experiencing a revival. Designers, brands and celebrities are here for it, reworking classic ‘90s pieces into their modern looks. Fanny packs, tear-away pants, and oval sunglasses are a few trends that have recently made a more stylish comeback.
Fanny Packs
We can all agree that up until now, wearing a fanny pack scores you zero cool points. We’re used to seeing middle aged parents wearing these on vacation for the sake of functionality, not fashion. Fanny packs were made fun of and deemed uncool for years.
Dex Benjamin, a 27-year-old, who grew up during the peak of the trend says, “I’m not a fan of the fanny pack trend at all. I actually hate the trend completely. The originality in it is gone. The whole trend is whack because it’s all about what brand your fanny pack is.”
As of recent, fanny packs have turned into a street style sensation, being worn in unexpected ways. The trend is also being showcased as a statement piece during this year’s NYFW for luxury fashion brands like Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and Balenciaga. Fanny packs were known for being worn around the waist, right above the butt area hence the name fanny pack.
However, the cool new way to rock your fanny pack is to strap it either across the shoulder, on the back, or across the front of the chest. We have discovered that wearing fanny packs across the body is a lot cooler and stylish opposed to wearing them around the waist. Fanny packs are also made in different shapes, sizes, colors, prints and popular logos, rather than the bright neon colored fanny packs of the '80s and '90s. Fanny packs can be worn stylishly while still serving the same purpose of being a mini bag for carrying day to day items.
Tear-away pants
No longer reserved for athletes, tear-away pants have also made a fashionable comeback. Tear-away pants were first seen on athletes during the ‘90s. They were invented so that athletes were able to quickly remove layers of their outfit to compete in sports. Tear-away pants were normally made out of wind breaker fabric and had snaps down the side seams of the leg. Now they are made out of different types of fabrics and colors.
Joanna Mei, a fashion student at LIM, says “I like them because they are versatile. Tear-away pants usually come in a wide leg form, a style of pants I prefer. They are exactly what athleisure is about: taking athletic looking pants and making them trendy. I’ve seen versions where there are pearl buttons along the side that can open up. They are super fashion forward.”
You can even find ones with the snaps along the front of the leg. With athleisure being a huge trend in 2017, tear-away pants have become very popular thanks to brands like Fenty Puma. The key to rocking tear-away pants in 2017 is to dress them up. Popular styling of the pants involves wearing the sides completely open, while rocking either fishnets or thigh high boots. For a more relaxed look you can pair them with a graphic tee and Old Skool Vans.
Clout Goggles
Image source: @drewstamr • Instagram photos and videos
Lil Uzi has got everyone rocking Kurt Cobain’s signature oval sunglasses. The sunglasses matched perfectly with the relaxed, too-cool-to-care vibe that Kurt Cobain portrayed. These oval sunnies were extremely popular during the ‘90s and are now being called “clout goggles”, a term coined by fame-hungry rappers and creatives trying to make it big on the internet.
Dani B, who is a part of the creative scene as a photographer, says, “I believe “clout goggles” are so popular right now because they are nostalgic. Not necessarily personal nostalgia for our generation, but because they are associated with an era of a legendary time in history of being carefree, wild, and artistic.”
Like Cobain, our generation does whatever we want. These goggles are a representation of living life and pursuing creativity, while making a fashion statement. Dani B also says, “Clout goggles are also part of most artist aesthetic because they go with every outfit and they are cheap. It’s an accessory that can take your basic outfit to a level you didn't know existed.”
You can find frames in every color imaginable. To make them even funkier they even make them with exaggerated ovals and different-colored lenses. People like to match their clout goggles according to everyday looks.