Distance makes the heart grow fonder?
Yesterday I was reading LC’s blog about the 90’s themed party she went to, and after I got over feeling horribly old (not long ago the 90s seemed too close to completely separate it in style but now its been enough time for a parody) something occurred to me: Was the 90’s a terrible bad style decade or is it just its proximity to us that makes us feel that way? Sure, flannel shirts, dungarees, platform trainers and tie dye seem like they should be pretty much forgotten, but then people called the 80’s ‘the decade that style forgot’ and we rehash that every now and again.
Once I got thinking about this, I couldn’t stop. Did people in the 60’s find 50’s fashion terribly embarrassing but people in the 80’s found it kind of cute? Will people in 2030 walk around in 00s fashion? Clearly only time will tell, but recent fashion to me seems much more of a combination and culmination of styles and times than other decades. A few years ago the thought of typical 90’s style filled me simultaneously with disgust and embarrassment for the things I used to wear, now it kind of makes me laugh and although not my favourite decade, doesn’t seem as bad as it once did. As more and more time comes between me and Nirvana, the Spice Girls, snap bracelets and Doc Martens the better they actually seem.
I spoke to Alex about this and he thought that Britpop was the only part of the 90s that would be remembered in a positive way, both musically and style-wise. The only problem there is that Britpop was more or less just a pastiche of mod culture, and therefore not entirely original, new or fresh. I stumbled upon this picture of Supergrass and thinking about it, they could just pass for a couple of Skins-watching, Wayfarer sporting Nu-ravers from early 2008, its odd.
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Will we ever have one of those new, fresh, exciting times where it feels like you are really part of something again? I sure hope so, maybe in the future its how we combine influences from previous decades that will make a look unique. I suppose we are part of the internet generation, and if you are over 20 you can remember a time without the internet, and then the subsequent dial-up phase complete with websites with midi players. I guess I am just hoping for the style equivalent. Lets wait 20 years and see.
