What the hell is even in fashion?

Words and Producer: Bianca Farmakis

The track pants of our Covid days are largely behind us, but as we’ve returned to offices and social events, disorientation has set in. How do we even dress anymore?

Post-pandemic clothing has become a sketchy mix of trends from a pre-pandemic age, leaving many of us dazed and confused.

utter hell

What are retailers offering?

Amid the oversized, tiny and cropped jeans, thigh-sweeping loose T-shirts, crop tops and puffy-sleeved dresses, purple has made a comeback. Crocs are back. Brands are inspired by the '70s AND '90s, but it's Y2K trends ruling the racks. Video: TikTok | Teabby

Then there's the vintage trends...

The rise of ' Indie Sleaze' has brought back ripped tights and glitter eyeshadow, while 'Twee' has seen the return of granny patterns. Meanwhile, vintage Von Dutch trucker caps and the dreaded fedora are socially acceptable to wear again. Video: TikTok | caro.jpeg

Who’s driving this bus?

You can largely thank Gen Z . T hey've been hauling 90s and early 00s trends out of the vault on TikTok , leaving late-stage millennials and Gen Xers reeling that the looks of their heyday are now retro . Video: TikTok | annika kim

On TikTok, Y2K trends like low-rise jeans, bubblegum colours and hair crimping are thriving. Grunge is on trend with makeup tutorials to create under-eye bags akin to Heroin Chic going viral. Juicy Couture-style velour tracksuits loved by Paris Hilton have also returned. Yay... Video: Instagram | Sara the free Elf

We’re buying what they’re selling

Last year, Gen Z smashed the skinny jean trend by ruthlessly mocking Gen Y on TikTok and denim options exploded in stores. With Zoomers wielding enough buying heft to dictate trends, it's no surprise TikTok looks are appearing at your Westfield .

Don't despair yet

The shifting aesthetics, from the Kardashian-inspired bodycon clothing class in the 2010s, to a resurgence of 90s and 2000s styles is not all terrible. It’s simply the latest younger cohort of fashionistas reimagining past trends. Video: Instagram | Kim Kardashian

There is a problem with the era

Trends like crop tops and low rise jeans hark back to an era when starlets were constantly body-shamed by tabloids. Heroin chic — the waifish look popularised by Kate Moss — idealised ultra-thin bodies. The period saw a surge in eating disorders, coupled with hard-drug use.

The good news is...

The body-positivity movement has ousted the waif vibe. Plus-size model Paloma Elsesser recently posed in the much-publicised Miu Miu micro-mini midriff skirt set on the cover of i-D, while more brands have made collections size inclusive.

Kate Moss

has been swapped out for body-positive Gen Z poster girls, bringing back the beloved party looks that Video: TikTok | KS Garner

So in a nutshell..

Right now fashion is about embracing the nostalgia of a carefree, pre-pandemic age , offering a ‘middle ground’ between languishing in our tracksuits in lockdown, and spending hours getting ready to return to normal life. All we can do is pray that perms never have their moment again.

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What the hell is even in fashion?

The track pants of our Covid days are largely behind us, but as we’ve returned to offices and social events, disorientation has set in. How do we even dress anymore?

And what on Earth is ‘fashionable’?

Post-pandemic clothing has become a sketchy mix of trends from a pre-pandemic age, leaving many of us dazed and confused.

Adding to the chaos, is a generational clash of the threads with, of course, Gen Z calling the shots.