Humans have clinged onto nostalgia for as long as we can remember. When times get tough or pressures build we tend to look back at the ‘good old days’ where all was well. Of course, these perceptions of the past as ‘simple’ and ‘comforting’ are often romanticised and not at all accurate. Despite this, nostalgia has the ability to influence our buying and styling decisions when it comes to fashion and the fashion industry has been sneakily exploiting this weakness for centuries.
I am sure you are tired of hearing the phrase ‘fashion is cyclical’ by now, yet this is important to our discussion today. The repetition of accessories, statement pieces and clothing items all eventually come down to nostalgia. Look at the resurgence for the Y2K aesthetic for example, which was popularised in 2020. This aesthetic was an iconic symbol of the early 2000s with its layering, skirts on trousers and Juicy Couture tracksuits. It was a time where fashion became experimental. However, during 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic many people were looking for an easy distraction and people found it in the past. Thus, our feeds were flooded by ‘Y2K inspired look books’ and ‘the best shops to buy Y2K fashion from’. This is an explicit example of how nostalgia is inextricably linked to fashion.
Alas, we do live in a capitalistic society where nothing can be enjoyed for long before becoming commodified and that is exactly what happened with nostalgia. Brands these days will manipulate consumers into thinking that they can feel nostalgic through buying a knock off Juicy Couture tracksuit from Shein to embrace the Y2K aesthetic instead of buying actual clothes that are relevant to the time period from a charity shop.
Fashion brands have been exploiting us for centuries using nostalgia as a marketing tool. Brands have begun persuading consumers to buy items of clothing they do not need just because it reminds them of this ‘green dress’ they had when they were little, or these ‘sparkly, clear clogs’ they got on their 5th birthday. Although nostalgia is a wonderful feeling we must make sure that we are not simply being taken advantage of by corporate greed.