The 2010s are back. Well, according to me, anyway. It feels crazy for trends from a decade ago to be circling back around already, but the trend cycle has gotten so short that 2010s fashion is right around the corner.
I know many of us wanted to skip this decade of fashion, but unfortunately nostalgia and TikTok have us all in a chokehold. Here are the 2010s trends that are going to be cycling around this year (no galaxy leggings or moustache jewellery yet, thank goodness):
Indie Sleaze
Some might call this Tumblr-core, or rockstar-girlfriend-core, but a rose by any other name, right? Popularised in the late 2000s and early 2010s by the likes of Alexa Chung and the Olsen twins, the indie sleaze movement is defined by the idea of the cool girl. It is above all a party- girl aesthetic, with smudged mascara paired with vintage leather jackets over black skinny jeans. This isn’t a specifically feminine trend; a lot of the most influential rockstar’s girlfriends (especially those inspired by Hedi Slimane’s iconic tenure at Saint Laurent from 2012-2016) wore masculine silhouettes in a distinctly feminine way. Guys, if you’re looking to attain the air of pretension that comes with being in a band, look towards Pete Doherty’s 2010s style of the tightest, most worn out vintage band T-shirts and straight leg jeans (but maybe skip out on all the hats). Or look back towards Slimane, this time at Celine, whose Spring 2023 menswear collection was full of the skinniest ties and leather jackets. As we finally feel out of the woods that were the pandemic, there’s been a major return to nightlife and the sense of community and debauchery that comes with it that will be reflected in our clothes this year.
Peplum
Peplum isn’t coming back in the way we saw it in the early 2010s, but we see it in the form of poplin tops, dresses, and exaggerated silhouettes. Simone Rocha, an up-and-coming designer out of London, scattered poplin all throughout her Spring 2023 runway show back in September. One Twitter user recently went viral for her horrified reaction to seeing a rack of peplum sweaters in her local Zara. And if the fast fashion retailers have gotten hold of a runway trend, you know we’re about to see it everywhere. As the collective mind gets more open to experimenting with fashion, we are going to see a much quirkier iteration of peplum this time around; my prediction is that it will coincide with the return of the jeans under dresses trend, and we will see loose sheer peplum minidresses over just about anything. Can’t wait to hate this one again in a couple years!
Adidas originals
Adidas are timeless, sure, but the Superstars and track pants we swore off in 2018 are back. As with peplum, we are going to see a much funkier version of the black and white Adidas trend of the 2010s. The all-black Superstars and Sambas have been around for a few months now, as have the colourful Gazelles and Hamburgs (Thanks Harry Styles). Their popularity is due to their versatility and accessibility. Sold out collaborations with Gucci and British designer Grace Wales Bonner helped fully integrate the shoes into the high fashion world. My own two pairs of Adidas receive more wear than anything else in my closet. This summer will usher in the real return of the Adidas track pant. Not the cotton joggers of seven years ago, but low waisted, wide leg silky track pants in all colours of the rainbow. They’re versatile, easily available for cheap on sites like Vinted and Depop, and the three stripes have a timelessness about them that reassures us that they will be in style for longer than other trends.
Military Inspiration
That one green army jacket everyone had. She’s back. Whether you had the silk green bomber or the thin cargo jacket, dust it off. It’s back. Acne Studios and Gucci both recently sent oversized silk bomber jackets down their menswear runways, and the cargo pant trend is going to coincide perfectly with a revival of military inspired outerwear. There is abundance of militaria in any curated vintage store, which, paired with many influential style icons preaching a turn towards sustainable fashion, bodes well for this surge in popularity. We might not see this trend until next winter but mark my words it’s coming.
The return of the 2010s fashion is no need for panic— there are many who survived the whole decade whilst looking stylish. While we might not see a widespread twee revival or the return of high low hems and infinity scarves, we will see some of the more controversial trends circle back. And we will like them, because we are influenced by the trend cycle, whether we like it or not.
Photo Credit: “Vogue Fashion’s Night Out Sept.09 2010 Milano” by br1dotcom is licensed under CC BY 2.0.