by Liam Jordan

We all know Gen-Z has an obsession with nostalgia and can’t seem to let things go, we are a generation stuck in the past, possibly due to the covid lockdowns likely permanently affecting our brains, as we were trapped inside for roughly two years and isolated from the real world and being stuck on the internet, whilst our minds and bodies were developing.

It is really no surprise how chronically online this generation is and with social media becoming significantly more prevalent and inescapable fashion cycles which used to be every 20 years described by ‘Ayana Active’; “the “20-Year Rule,” which suggests that popular styles tend to resurface two decades after their initial heyday. This cyclical nature of fashion is driven by nostalgia, reinterpretation, and the ever-evolving cultural landscape. The 20-year trend cycle operates on a simple premise: what was once considered passé becomes retro and desirable again.”

We just seen the resurgence of the Y2K aesthetic primarily mid to late 2000s like 2006-2009 come back last year with ultra low-rise jeans, henley tops, classic soft makeup and French tips. Normally we would have expected this to last a while longer with fashion trends, even just as far back as the 2010s lasting years with decade defining fashion and styles. However nowadays we are lucky if a trend lasts a couple months at most, with trends devolving into multiple ‘micro-trends’ it becomes exhausting trying to keep up with everything changing so rapidly and now we are already seeing the beginning of this new trend. Will it last and cause a new era or will it be another quick TikTok trend that lasts a week?

So, what specifically is making a comeback? Well, with videos and pictures we have seen the aesthetics coming back with high contrast, vivid colours, grain and noise, and imperfection to combat the overly curated fake clean girl influencer aesthetic of last year, things are more real, authentic, and fun.

We also have seen people becoming bored with the no makeup-makeup trend and going back to “full beats”, so if you still have your old Anastasia Beverly Hills dip brow, Tarte shape tape concealer and Natasha Denona eyeshadow palette at the bottom of your old makeup bag, don’t throw them out because you just might need them. We can attribute this fun colourful aesthetic to Swedish pop star, Zara Larson being in her smash hit ‘Midnight Sun’ era with her extreme sunset eyeshadow looks, airbrushed full coverage base, gorgeously sun kissed blush and rhinestones. This look has also become a trend on TikTok with many creators attempting to recreate or put their own creative twist on it.

Another contributor is Kylie Jenner with her starting a rebrand and bringing back her ‘King Kylie’ era that all the girls on Instagram and were a part of. The YouTube beauty community in the 2010s know how majorly iconic and innovative she was in defining this era with the ‘Kylie lip kit’ amongst other things, and her relaunching the kit and hosting a party where everyone wore pink wigs reminiscent of her hair at the time.

There has been a rise in popularity with brands like: Hollister, Victorias Secret Pink, Brandy Melville, Urban Outfitters and with the iconic summer staple the ‘Triangle Bikini’ making its long awaited come back. They are comfortable, classic with fun and interesting designs and were a very popular and sought after piece in the mid to late 2010s. I’m sure we can all remember back in the day all the influencers and the coolest girl you knew had one and you were jealous because your mum would only let you shop in Primark or M&S.

We can assume many of this will be making a comeback for the usual reason these things do, nostalgia, for a ‘simpler’ time. This era being when most Gen-Z was growing up and of course as usual it is overly romanticised and only shows the positives we remember from the time.

This can also be a direct response to the worrying rise in conservatism recently combating normativity, and going against societal norms and expectations, and to stand out, be unique and iconic which is a sharp shift from the uniform basic aesthetics of previous years.

Will this be what Gen-Z needs, and will it become a new era defining trend? Or will it be yet another fleeting moment on TikTok that we will forget about next month?

Goodbye 2025, Hello...2016?