I am very nostalgic about my favourite fashion eras, which are the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. I thought that most people shared the same emotion, but as it turns out, relatively few people have fashion era nostalgia, and very few are as nostalgic as I am.
When I see fashion and style from from my favourite fashion eras, I feel a surge of positive emotion. A happy excitement runs right through me, and I want to wear the items again — but with a big dose of modern and current so that I don’t look lost in a time warp. Maybe I feel this way because I’m an extremely sentimental person.
I was born in 1970 and was blessed with a very happy childhood. Part of this happiness came from seeing my Mum and her friends rock their glam ‘70s fashion with verve and panache. I was in awe of their beauty and style, and wanted to look just like them. All these years later, and those ‘70s childhood images are as vivid and aspirational as ever. That’s why I’m nostalgic about ‘70s fashion and like to incorporate it into my style.
I wasn’t around for the ‘60s, but seeing photos of my Mum & Dad in that era — as well as in many movies — pulls at my heart strings. I used to watch ‘60s movies with my late Mum, and together we would passionately “ooh and ahh” at how incredibly well dressed everyone was. These are happy moments that I hold in my heart forever, and why the fashion era is special to me.
I was a teen and student in the ‘80s. Although the years were amongst the most challenging of my life, I LOVED the fashion and the music. The tough times were thankfully juxtaposed with the very best moments. The decade touched my soul like no other fashion era, and that’s why I am the most nostalgic about the ‘80s. I liked the early ‘90s because it was very ‘80s, and I loved the Seattle grunge music scene. I incorporate the ‘80s aesthetic into my style because it rekindles these euphoric feelings, which makes me happy. It also makes me chuckle and shake my head at the types of cringe-worthy things I thought and did at the time — all of which still make me smile.
Case in point when I saw these new season items, I was instantly excited because they’re deliciously ‘80s and bring back very happy memories. Back in 1985 with the help of my Mum, I made a pair of pants just like the pink plaid, but in a turquoise tartan. I had a red top very much like the the puffy sleeve darling back in 1983. I lived in athletic white hi-tops as a student in the late ‘80s. The jeans are styles I loved to wear back then too. The bias-cut skirt is a little later in the ‘90s, and I loved wearing the silhouette. I want all these items in my closet right now!
I will wear a look from a past fashion era that I’ve worn before and enjoy it just as much as I did then. Maybe more, because I’m more comfortable in my skin now than thirty years ago. Are you nostalgic about fashion eras? If so, which ones?
