We often hear that everything old is new again, especially when it comes to historical fashion trends. They come back in a bizarre manner, with ridiculous outfits, and out-of-this-world updates. Some of them don’t really take root in fashion, while others become a new era, metaphorizing some old-fashioned yet decent pieces of clothing in an absolutely different way.
So, today, we’re going to have a look at some weird fashion trends from history, especially those which have been twisted by contemporary designers and turned into trendy must-haves:
Flannel
Flannel was previously associated with the grunge look during the 90s and is regarded as a mostly casual material even now. It’s hence a bit strange to think of it as a fashionable trend. However, today everyone knows how to wear flannel in order to look stylish and on point – its popularity transcends social gaps plus gender and never seems to fade.
Like many trends, this particular kind of material wasn’t always worn for the sake of fashion. To learn more about past trends and just how much we should follow them or not, this book might be able to help:
In the far 17th century, this modern fashion trend emerged as a replacement for Welsh wool garb in order to keep the wearers warm and dry. In the USA, flannel was popular due to being an improved choice for a working man’s uniform. As time went on, flannel became a cheap and tough material for soldiers’ underwear and the ideal fabric for workmen.
Nowadays, this trend has come back into style, much to the relief of many folks. This is because the material is comfortable, warm, and not usually considered an allergy scare like common wool. The 80s and 90s also represented flannel shirts quite a bit in the media of that time. As many people want to bring the nostalgia of the 80s and 90s back, it’s no surprise that flannel is also in vogue again.
The great thing about shirts made of flannel is their versatility. They can be worn as regular everyday work clothes, as comfy home clothes for snuggling in to watch TV, or tied at the waist for a trendy, fashionable look.
Showing Off Your Socks
This rising trend of wearing crew socks and deliberately showing them over the jeans, trainers, and even with skirts and dresses, has evolved with the passage of time. First, we had the 1920s’ spatter dashers, which were previously worn by men in order to protect their shoes and pants. Then came the 1940s’ medium size socks that fell somewhere between the ankle and the knee. Now, we’ve come back full circle or perhaps progressed to modern crew socks with and without patterns, which are worn both with sneakers and with elegant heels.
This sort of fashion might not be to everyone’s taste, but it does make some sense. If we’re not careful, our shoes might cause painful blisters on our feet. It hence only makes sense to wear socks without worrying about whether they show or not. The more protection we have, the better.
The Sagging
Sporting sagging pants just might be the weirdest fashion trend that has ever occurred. It basically consists of wearing the pants just below the waist to reveal a large area of underwear. However, a certain amount of balance is required in order not to let them drop. We first saw this style become popular with men at the beginning of the 21st century. However, sagging is believed to begin in American prisons, where the prisoners weren’t allowed to wear belts. While the belt ban was due to fears of prisoners using them to commit suicide, the resulting sag was definitely not intended to become a fad.
Pointy Shoes
Shoes with long pointy tips were popular in the 2000s. Later, their popularity declined, but now we can notice a new rise of this strange fashion.
Many believe that this particular fad started with the Crakows in the 15th century. These were a certain style of shoes with extremely long noses. These shoes wore up quickly and were very uncomfortable, so people often adjusted whalebone or a string, linking the end of the shoe and their knee to enable easier walking.
Fishnets
Fishnets are usually referred to a certain style of stockings, designed in the style of actual fishermen’s nets. The earliest mention of fishnet clothing dates back to the very beginning of the 20th century, in the story about a peasant daughter. This particular girl was challenged to come to the king “not clothed, not naked”. In order to fulfill such ambiguous orders, she wrapped herself in a fisherman’s net. Whether this is a true story or not, it certainly does define the look of fishnets.
For a long time, the fishnets were favored only by movie stars, models, and Hollywood celebrities. This was mainly because they lack practicality and are overly glamorous and extravagant. However, by the end of the century, the fishnets became a part of women’s casual style in general. They might show a lot of skin, but they’re still wearable.
Today, fishnets are enjoying quite a bit of fame again. Fashion-hunters wear them under ripped jeans, showing the net above the waistline, in the tears, and at the ankles. They’re also seen as acceptable clothing in clubs, casual parties, and everyday wear.
Chopines
High heels today might be over the top, but they haven’t got anything on the chopines of the 16th and 17th centuries. Actually, chopines are more like platform sandals than heels. They were thick-soled shoes that were raised several inches off the ground. More than fashion, though, the original purpose of chopines was to help the wearers navigate across muddy or irregular streets. This was especially the case in Venice, so this invention was sorely needed.
As time went by, though, chopines started becoming the fashion rather than the need. They were soon associated with status, wealth, and class. Higher chopines meant a higher socio-economic status. This fashion actually grew to such an extent that some chopines were around 20 inches or even higher. There’s still a pair in the Museo CorrerdeiVeneziani that we can view. It’s said that the wearer of such chopines would usually require a special attendant to help her walk without toppling over.
Chokers
Many girls were seen sporting tattoo jewelry in the 90s, with some even wrapped around their neck in a choker style. Chokers, in general, were the fashion back then and are considered a trend now too. Back then, celebrities like Britney Spears and Jessica Alba popularized this trend. We can see many stars wearing such pieces of jewelry today, though there was a lull for chokers between then and now.
Chokers are now back on the shelves, but they come in several more options and designs than before. This isn’t surprising, as there’s now more technology and online outlets for fulfilling the demand for chokers.
Conclusion
The fashion trends of the past decades and centuries have baffled many people, but they’re there nonetheless. In fact, some modern trend like culottes or mermaid hair might actually be considered normal when it comes to the fashion of yesteryear. Of course, when we’re thinking about following fashion trends, we should also remain true to ourselves. Are we really comfortable in those shoes, or do we even like the design? If not, there’s no rule saying that we have to follow any trend that makes us unhappy.