Do You Get Deja Vu..
From Your Grandma's Designer Wardrobe?
 

Ring the new year in by raiding your grandmother’s vintage wardrobe!

Tom Ford’s spring 2024 show at Milan Fashion Week pulled on heartstrings around the world, with its nostalgic renaissance back to the brand’s iconic 1970s bohemian-inspired aesthetics. This isn’t the first time you might’ve noticed clothing from your grand- mother’s closet being reimagined on the runway. From Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress to Princess Diana’s off-duty biker shorts- a resurgence of iconic fashion looks from past decades have infiltrated the contem- porary fashion system. L'Officiel’s Ugne Mingelaite describes in her article “Why Are Fashion Trends Returning?” that recycling and reinvention as an inherent characteristic of the fashion industry, so don’t be surprised if you see low-rise jeans layered with colourful skirts and chunky belts on the red carpet sometime soon.

The most recent global fashion weeks in September 2023 and February 2024 showcased trends which fashion houses are pushing to make a comeback in the upcoming year. I channelled my inner Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada to pinpoint three paradig- matic fashion eras which I believe are revived and will shape the zeitgeist for 2024.

The first resurged fashion period is the 1920s and its elongated silhouettes, also known as the columnar silhouette, due to their aptly named column-esque nature. The Fashion Institute of Technology’s virtual- 1920s fashion exhibition, “The Roaring Twenties and The Swinging Sixties” reflected the free-spirited change of pace in the fashion industry. One that was void of restrictions, seeped in modernity and was heavily influenced by the tenor of the public sphere during that time. The silhouette of this era masked the natural figure of the body and worked towards accen- tuating a plank-like form through elongated hems and loose-fitting fabrics. Borrelli-Persson’s Vogue article, “11 Spring 2024 Fashion Trends That Define the Season”, described how the 2024 Spring showcases were lined with revivals of this silhouette, as Alexander McQueen displayed their high waistbands, while upcoming fashion house Duran Lantink displayed low waistlines complemented with a body stocking to mask the model’s midriff and further accentuate the columnar figure.

​

The forthcoming reinvention of the 1940s film noir period fashion was also a prevalent forecasted trend for 2024. Seeped in elegance and minimalism, clothing from this era tastefully framed the body. Fash- ion was predominantly black and white, corresponding to the contemporary film noir aesthetic at the time. Marilyn Monore and Audrey Hepburn are actresses from this period who became notable fashion figures over the decades. Looks from this period have been revisited and revived many times to adjust to contemporary fashion trends, as demonstrated through Dior’s Spring 2024 show, which featured a black off-the-shoulder gown draped elegantly off the model’s body. Prominent fashion houses Vivienne Westwood and Maison Margiela followed suit to prove that minimalist fashion and neutral tones will never go out of style.

​

We can’t forget about the 1960s, which along with deconstructing institutions and stressing the importance of counter-culture, brought into fashion shortened hems and experimentation with bold colours. This period is responsible for introducing mini skirts, neon knee-high boots and extremely psychedelic patterns. The Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection “An Introduction to 1960s Fashion” demonstrates how clothing defined its era as it represented the various advancements of this period, including the women’s liberation movement and the introduction of synthetic fabrics. W Magazine depicted in “The Top Spring 2024 Fashion Trends to Shop Now” piece by Tori López, how contemporary high fashion houses- particularly Gucci and Michael Kors- brought back the shortened hem and kaleidoscopic patterned garments in more grandeur fashion to demonstrate that barely-there lengths will always be chic.

​

What begins with showcases from renowned fashion houses trickles down and turns into the everyday fashion trends picked

up by the public sphere. Based on the noticeable trends from the most recent collections, it is evident that the 1920s, 1940s

and 1960s are all coming back in full swing for 2024. Each of these fashion periods embraced the concept of the modern age,

which leads one to believe that the resurgence of these designs must indicate another modern age in the upcoming year. Don’t be surprised if you see pieces from your grandmother’s designer closet on the streets- it’s the dichotomy of a new age.

​

Sources:

https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/fashion/why-are-fashion-trends-returning https://www.vogue.com/article/11-spring-2024-fashion-trends-that-define-the-season https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/spring-2024-fashion-trends