Your Generation Invented These Looks. Gen Z Doesn’t Care.

livemint.com:

THINK TIME TRAVEL is a fantasy? Go anywhere near a college campus and you might become a believer. The NYU cliques in Washington Square Park or the Chapel Hill hordes on their quads—Gen Zers lounging in 1960s-style bell bottoms and Y2K-ish platform shoes—can quite effectively whoosh you back in time. The way young generations are embracing old styles “is great, and also not surprising," said Tabitha Soren, 55, an artist and former MTV News anchor who defined ’90s Gen X style with her mix of blazers and slip dresses.

“You always take inspiration from prior generations and do it your way," she noted of fashion’s cyclical nature. But TikTok’s warp speed means that trends are spinning faster than ever. Plus, Gen Zers are often rehashing Y2K looks that were themselves revamps of ’60s and ’70s staples.

You could say the snake-print miniskirt is eating itself. Result: Many women in their 30s and older are witnessing the fashions of their youth getting remixed, sometimes with perplexing results. Seeing a twist on your old high-school wardrobe prancing across the street (or the metaverse) can feel jarring—like the espresso you ordered has been blitzed into a mocha milkshake.

“You never think it’ll happen to you," said Soren with a laugh. “But try to see the way [Gen Z] is echoing you as an honor, not an affront." Here, a guide to four key retro trends being twisted—sorry, honored—by Gen Zers and young millennials. We asked women who wore the original, decades-old versions to weigh in—and, for each style, found a timeless iteration any generation can get behind.