We are all familiar with the phrase "history always repeats itself." In recent years, many once-popular fads and products have been making a comeback. We see an obsession with these types of old school fads with Generation Y. Retro items such as record players, Polaroid pictures, fanny packs and visors are being seen again on our younger generation.
Stores generated at a younger generation such as Urban Outfitters advertise retro clothing such as high-waisted shorts, jumpsuits, visors, Polaroids and record players that are being sold.
If you take a walk on ASU’s campus, you will see retro wear such as high-top converses, wide-leg pants and women sporting stylish one pieces at the pool. It seems as though our generation is going back into the '70s. The question is, why?
Even culturally, our generation is going back to the '70s with a recent influx of cocaine and molly usage, decrease in marriage and a very “free love” outlook.
Perhaps the answer is simple and our generation is yearning for a time when things were simpler. We look to the '70s and '90s for inspiration. We like retro wear and items because it can connect us to our lineage, and we can imagine what our parents would have looked like dressed in our very own clothes.
I have fallen victim to the recent retro trend as well. Over Christmas, I asked for a record player and a pair of overalls. I remember when I was a child that my grandfather always played records and told me that it had a better sound than anything my iPod could play for me.
I enjoy the fact that I can go into a record store and take the time to collect records and become excited to play them when I return home. It’s much better than mindlessly downloading music from iTunes and not really taking the time to appreciate the music. The overalls were something my mom and I always wore to match when I was little and when they came back in to style, wearing them always reminds me of my childhood.
Maybe our generation is just lusting after something tangible to be able to hold onto as a reminiscent of the past or of our grandparents. Maybe we just want a reminder to when we were younger and free and had less worries. A reminder of the past and retro items soothes us and makes us feel protected.
This doesn’t mean that we are looking to turn back the clock, give up on all of society’s progress and hand in the technology, but Generation Y is looking for a way to revive the past and put a twist on it. Culturally, we are fusing together two different eras and making it our own.
Reach the columnist at Kassidy.McDonald@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @kassmcdonald
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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