Revert to retro: look of today inspired by look of yesterday

Junior Allie Barnes poses for the camera in her retro apparel. Her skinny pants, bright and loud shirt, headband and her big loopy earrings were the standard "in fashion" clothes in past decades. Photo by Riley Stephenson. 

     Fashion is one of the most fickle, scrutinizing industries in the world today. What is "in" one minute is "out" the next and what was apparently "out" not too long ago is the hottest thing out there right now. With these constantly changing, unpredictable trends, how can one be sure to always be on top of what to wear without looking like one is trying too hard?

    While everyone has their own personal sense of fashion and one basic "style" is not going to apply to everyone, there is one trend in particular that has stood the test of time and is now making a huge comeback. The retro style started in the 50's, with such fashion icons as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn leading the way and reached its pinnacle in the 60's. Bold colors, mod prints, funky headbands and big jewelry were the instant craze. Life, happiness and outrageousness were to be praised and the whole world was viewed as a colorful party.

    By the 1970's, retro was at its biggest. Bell bottoms, loud hair and groovy sunglasses ruled the American culture. Sadly, as the late 70's progressed, retro soon gave way to the disco craze. The world was now a glittery dance hall and flashy sequins and white pantsuits were now the "in" fashion. Once the loud, big-haired 80's were over, retro appeared to be making a comeback. Around 1993, a new kind of "Seattle grunge" style came onto the scene, led by the music of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. This trend only lasted until 1995, however, with bright, colorful teen pop making its stamp on pop culture as the millennium was ushered in. Now, retro has come back with a vengeance. A call for all things mad, mod and crazy has arrived, not just in fashion, but in the movie and music industry as well.

      The return to the 60's can be seen in the recent movie "Hairspray" and the series of movies made about mod artist Andy Warhol. The most well-known recently-released Warhol movie would be the biopic "Factory Girl", in which Sienna Miller played Warhol's muse, Edie Sedgwick.

     According to searchwarp.com, the "monochrome" style is the hottest look for the '07 runway. This look can be achieved with a striking, sixties-style black and white dress. Another popular trend that is grabbing the runway spotlight is the reappearance of nineties retro "grunge." Neon colors, rave scene patterns, striped legging and tights are quickly becoming all the buzz.

     To get in on all the fun, pair a bold-colored top with dark faded skinny jeans and a funky headband. You may choose to accessorize and add a pair of bright, dangling earrings and a couple bright-colored bracelets. The most important thing to remember is to be fun and outrageous and not get too involved into achieving "the perfect look," for it is the carefree non conventionalism of the retro culture that made it so popular.

The original version of this article was published in The Broadcaster.